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/qst/ - Quests


Your name is Shu, and on the table before you stretches a carefully-sculpted sheet of skin, small prods of bone raising sections to form a topographical map of the Fleshscape. To your right Gina’s tapping away at her phone, a duo of tangled nerves tethering her phone to her arm and table, both. A tap and a swipe with her delicate fingers on the softly glowing screen sends a shudder through the diorama, the scene shifting to depict a series of Hexane structures in one corner with a mountain opposite it. Given the scale of the map you know that there’s considerable distance between Silvis’ factory and the mountain where the West Proxy lab is nestled in, but you find the fact that they’re within line of sight to each other vaguely unsettling. Gina hands you her phone, a glance showing you the list she’s compiled of all the items of note your team and hers have discovered.

“As I’m sure everyone here is aware, we have no shortage of options ahead of us.” You begin, scanning the assembled faces that watch you from across the table. "I’m going to quickly review what we’ve got, and I believe that Francine has some info regarding the Proxy Lab, when we get to that point. So, for starters, we’ll look at persons of note before moving on to what Gina, Julia, and Dorian made…thank you for this, by the way. Nicely done.”

Julia gives you a meek smile while Dorian gives a proper bow, replete with a proud grin.

“First up on the list of people we should be able to talk sense with is Madame Yurei, the Phantasmal Conduit.” You begin, starting to pace back and forth at the head of the table. “She says she has a plan to effectively create a Dream Daughter paradise within the Cord, which may or may not mesh with what we’re planning. While I don’t exactly agree with her methods as stated, we didn’t get much time to talk over the specifics of her plan, so meeting with her is a possibility if just to get some clarification and info about hacking the Cord, since her plan necessitates that.”

“Now, Yurei’s been recruiting Daughters of note, and we have a few more to list.” You say, pausing your pacing to lock eyes with Gina. “Care to take it from here?”

“With pleasure.” She replies, her eyes flickering with amethyst light as her mind links up with everyone present, yours included.

~~~

Previous Vein: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3805827/

Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Body%20Horror%20Quest

Character Abilities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15ctgm_liaNO0e0B6zAcIUrmfDN0tWiXds3L4FvogI2M/edit#gid=0

*UPDATED* Trypophilic Hive, Ver. 3: https://pastebin.com/bUWG6TNF

Relics, Ver. 4: https://pastebin.com/c4J9mpPK

Dual Techs: https://pastebin.com/2jZ5Zhyx

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bodyhorrorquest?lang=en
>>
“So, there’s a couple of girls out there that we could try the old diplomacy check with, and they’re also probably on Yurei’s list if she’s as well-connected as can be inferred.” Gina starts, the flickering image of the Conduit’s hijacked body appearing in your mind’s eye from when you spoke with Yurei. “Amara’s tracking three Daughters that were all strong enough to cross the oceans to reach the Cord, and they’re all working solo, for now. They haven’t had any encounters with other Daughters since the Joyous Many started tracking them, so their overall state of mind is a little hard to pin down. So far, we have a punk girl who seems to be German and boasts a potent Skintalker-Generator Hybrid. Then there’s a girl who’s spoken a smattering of French and has done some things with a Calcite Armorer-Neuromancer Hybrid that’s…just weird. She’s kind of a trippy battle-mage, from what we can gather. Anyway, last of all there’s an Unnatural Predator Daughter that we assumed was an Amalgam at first given her size. Think about half the stature of the sad deer we fought in the swamp. Not sure where she hails from, but she’s cut through some pretty high-tier Amalgams like they’re nothing.”

“Speaking of power, there’s also those two other Daughters Charon mentioned.” Rath chimes in, leaning on the table as her slender, yet muscular arms go taught. “The one with a buncha powers and the one with…nothing, apparently. We got a lead on them?”

“Not yet, but with the number of Joyous that Amara has running around out there, it’s only a matter of time before we pick them up…then again, if we made a concerted effort to find them then I’m sure we could make pretty short work of it.” Comes the brunette’s reply. “Of the things that Mother freed in her mope-fest, I’m guessing they’ll be a lot harder to track than that trio of apocalyptic guardians that Charon alluded to. Couple that with the Barbers and the Amalgam…factory…thing that we have the coordinates to, then we’ve got a lot of potential growth on our plate in the near future.”

“And what of our options that don’t involve potentially coming to blows with end-game level threats?” Dorian posits, clearly a little frazzled after the hunt’s nigh-constant fighting.

“Well, we have three solid ones.” You reply, meeting the painter’s single electric blue eye. “We have the Altered Altar, that town that the others found when searching, and the Hexane Factory. Silvis’ old haunt should be fairly simple. No major defenses, and we have the technician who knows the place inside and out on hand so getting into the heart of it shouldn’t be difficult. Plus, there’s high odds of some Hexane tech stuffed in there, according to Gina’s notes...”

You glance over at the good doctor, still a little groggy after her Choice.

“…but it’s close to the Proxy Lab.” You say.

(Continued)
>>
>>3848955

The older woman’s eyes snap to yours at the mention of the laboratory, and she stands a little straighter as you speak.

“Francine…are you good to explain a little about your plan, now?” You offer, watching her wipe the sleep from her eyes after waking from her Choice.

“I shall.” She replies, averting her eyes as she stares at the mountain on the table. “The lab in question belongs to Proxy Sigma, and will be as defended as most of West’s labs are…which is to say, not at all. From the last update I received before dropping of Prime’s grid it appears that most of the other Proxies possess considerable combat capabilities, so I’d originally intended to go in alone with some sob story about the Disassociated kicking me out, and then I would hit her with this.”

Francine withdraws a small, helix-shaped device from her breast pocket, resembling a larger version of the device that she now wears in one ear.

“This is a more…aggressive model of the empathic nullifier that I possess.” She explains, pocketing the device once your family’s gotten the chance to marvel at the curiously elegant design. “Once Sigma’s been temporarily incapacitated and cut off from the collective, I’ll have a small window with which to bring her to a Sparagmos Engine. From there I’ll initiate the mass deletion, hopefully before West Prime catches on to what I’m doing and isolates Sigma from the other to prevent the cascade.”

She catches the subtle tilt of your head towards your own Engine, and just chuckles softly.

“I haven't fiddled with your things without permission, Darling. Forges are one thing…Engines are quite another.” She says, folding her arms. “Should you decide you wish to follow through on my plan, then I would request your permission to examine it and make some minor tweaks to temporarily reverse the Engine’s reconstructive effects. What’s more, I do believe that the results of my Choice would make me an ideal candidate for infiltration, should you choose that route.”

>>THE UNRAVELING SELF (Creation's Strings Augmentation): Francine now possesses the ability to disentangle her entire body and thread her very essence into an ally. While herself reduced to a mere 1 ACT, Francine bolsters the ally with one-half of her HEALTH and BIO totals, her full REGEN potential, and additional 1 ACT, and any resistances she may possess. However, this process takes a heavy toll on Francine's mind and body, requiring her to immediately disengage when combat ceases and rest for the remainder of the Vein.To have found the willingness to relinquish one's own being for the sake of another's aims...is this triumph, or tragedy? (HEALTH REGEN +100%, BIO REGEN +100%)

(Continued)
>>
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>>3848957

“I...I see. Alright, we’ll discuss it when we decide to make our move.” You relent, not entirely comfortable with the prospect of the Engine, to say nothing of the good doctor’s imminent self-destruction and unsettling new power. “Well, I think that’s that. Is there anything I’m forgetting?”

“You know, t-there’s always Laoc, the t-town we heard about.” Julia chimes in, glancing over at the weary Dorian as she speaks. “It sounds r-really nice, from what Amara s-said. It would give us a change of s-scenery, and we could m-maybe get some more information about our list w-while we’re there.”

She and Dorian share a look, with the young man giving her an appreciative smile. He’s brave, but you can also tell the day’s events have worn him down more than he’d ever admit out loud.

“There’s also the Amalgam Factory!” Rath says, oblivious to Dorian’s exhaustion as she excitedly leans across the table towards you. “Charon said we might be able to crank out some cool Amalgams!”

“*If* we can hijack it.” Gina adds, prompting a scowl from the red-head.

“We gotta go meet the Ant Queen, too!” Amara reminds you, bouncing on her toes beside you. “We can’t keep royalty waiting, it’d be really rude!”

Your hive itches, the curious sensation along the hexagonal plates of black chitin making you restless as you weigh the number of options ahead of you. With Francine rounding out your core family group to eight members, along with the sheer number of Joyous Many that Amara is able to manifest, you might be able to tackle several items at once, depending on how you play things.

PLEASE SELECT YOUR TEAMS AND GOALS

>>Go to the Proxy Lab, and establish a plan for approaching Sigma.

>>Go to the town of Laoc for some possible rest and information-gathering.

>>Meet with the Altered Altar and speak with Gemma’s shard.

>>Investigate Silvis’ Factory and retrieve whatever Hexane items lie within.

>>Meet with Yurei and discuss her offer in person. You have too many questions, and too few answers about her plan.

>>Reach out to one of the three foreign Daughters being tracked by the Joyous Many.

>>Hunt down the Barbers and see what they’re about. They’re dangerous, but so are you…and you may be able to make allies of them, yet.

>>Hunt one of the three Unleashed Amalgams. You conquered gods before, but you’d like to know what you’re dealing with, here.

>>Locate one of the two Released Daughters, as the unusual nature of their powers may shed light on aspects of the Crucible you can turn to your advantage.

>>Go to the Amalgam Factory, and see what you can make with the resources there.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two and a half hours to allow time to answer whatever questions you may have regarding the options presented. Instead of spending half the Vein conversing with your crew about what they’ve found, I believe this is a more elegant way of addressing your queries. It’s good to be back, and I hope your week is off to a good start.)

(In other relevant news, Knowable Kadath is set to trigger for all allies save for November, so that vote will occur after you make your plans. Also, the Swarmling sheet has been updated with your two new Swarmling types.)

(Finally, there are some questions from last Vein that I've take the time to address below, as they're quite pertinent to future events.)

>>3816812
>>Hey BHOP, as its come up a few times, is there any worry about using things like Recursive and similar abilities on Spiritus Constructs? would it split the dream daughters psyche up between all the versions of themselves, or would it be more like a 'hive' mentality, where one of the real dream daughter, aka the 'queen', controlling all the other instances of themselves? i see benefits to both, and drawbacks to both.

(Dream Daughters make fewer sanity checks than Waking ones, manifesting multiple instances of Spiritus or making their forms recursive would put considerable strain on them, at least at Spiritus' current level.)

>>3821771
>>How many levels of resistance equals immunity, or is he running on a system where mechanically the two are entirely different?

(One level halves the damage, two negates it, and three converts it to HEALTH. Levels four and higher shall remain hidden for now.)
>>
>>3848971
Good to be back, glad to be here.
how's that pastebin of your thoughts for fan submitted contents going along?

Also, ye gads. Francine's got a Martyrdom complex.
>>
>>3848955
>Punk German skintalker-generator hybrid.
Well im interested in how her ability works at least.

>Trippy french battle mage
Neat i suppose.

>Terrifying UP Daughter just wrecking shit
Hrm, honestly out of the three, she feels the most important. Both for her sake and ours. If shes friendly, we dont want her unnecessarily attacked due to her form, if she isn't, by UP standards and what we have seen, she is the most obvious problem among them.

>Charons two
Id say look for them, but as a side project over anything major for now.

>>3848971
glad to see this back BHOP!

mind telling us a bit more about Laoc? i cant really remember being told anything about it.

>>3848967
Vote as of now;
>Meet with Yurei and discuss her offer in person. You have too many questions, and too few answers about her plan.
i honestly dont like the idea of sitting around with only half an idea of what she may be about. she could very well be a threat we need to warn others about.

Team;
>Gina, Rath, Francine
Gina for defense against tricks, Rath for raw power, Francine to get her some outdoors experience. i actually wanted to go take down the lab, but i feel like we need more time with Francine first before we jump to her potentially committing suicide to take down the collective, aswell as actually get her accustomed to doing things out and about. shes been cooped up with the DOs for awhile, she may need to get her adventurers legs, as it was.
>>
>>3848967
>>3848981
pfft, and i totally forgot to copy like half my vote.
adding in;
>Send Joyous Clones to find Charons two Daughters and the three super Amalgams, as we can at least.
>Julia and Dorian are welcome to go visit Jaoc and gather info.
>November and Amara can tag along with them, or stay home, unless they think theres a non combat oriented option on the list they wish to take together. with the Tank, of course.
>>
>>3848976
(It's coming along fairly well, and I'm planning to post it at the end of this Vein, mostly so I can take the time to address any specific questions the authors may have. If anything, it's made me realize that I'm garbage at reviews, but I've tried my best, for what it's worth.)

>>3848981
(Laoc is essentially a small, unassuming settlement that has a handful of Daughters that stay there, and is maonly used as a pass-through for info and the odd bounty board. While not nearly as populated as the Monastery or as famous as Golgotha, it nevertheless serves as a welcome respite to travelers...provided no one starts trouble, as the mayor trucks with no such silliness.)
>>
>>3848971
>Spritelings and Revlings
Nice. Ramping up Spiritus constructs into juggernauts and a much better option for a chitinous stalwart modifier once we unlock that option.

>>3848967
>Meet with Yurei and discuss her offer in person. You have too many questions, and too few answers about her plan.
>Shu, Gina, Rath, Francine

>Meet with the Altered Altar and speak with Gemma’s shard.
>Julia, Dorian, Amara, November

We do have two full teams now. Unless there's something we think can be done safely with fewer teammates.
>>
>>3848967
>Visit the Ant Queen. Team: Shu, Amara, Dorian, November

We need to do this as a personal first objective. We made a promise to the Ant Queen, we should keep it. Also, Amara's itching to visit them, and I don't want to come back and find out some daughter has annihilated the Ant Hill. We made first contact with a sentient Amalgam force, the queen offered us face-to-face diplomacy. And she's a ton of resources that we could use.
>>
>>3848989
well, as i put forth in the second bit, Dorian clearly needs a break and Julia clearly wanted to see Jaoc, so i was gonna let them check it out. we did put Dorian through hell back there, he was the champ of both fights honestly, let him rest. the Gemma shard can wait honestly.

>>3848987
alright, thanks. seems like a nice enough place.

>>3848971
wait, one level of resistance HALVEs damage and it only takes TWO for immunity, with THREE fucking being healing? holy shit, thats waaay more potent than i thought it was, im gonna have to go balance the ever loving shit out of the Pepperbox Gang, i thought they were insanely less potent than that.

>>3848992
we cant, and theres a reason BHOP left it off the list. we promised to igve the ant Queen time, and she would contact US when SHE was ready. it would be going against our word to be impairment and not give her the time she requested.
>>
>>3848987
>>3848995
that is, im assuming, why the left the Queen Ant option off, no?
>>
>>3848997
>>3848992
(This is why I left it off the list, yes. However, you won't be waiting too terribly long for an answer.)
>>
>>3848967

>Meet with Yurei and discuss her offer in person. You have too many questions, and too few answers about her plan.

>Gina, Rath Francine


>>3848987
>If anything, it's made me realize that I'm garbage at reviews,

It cant be that bad

>>3848971
So we can maybe get them to split at later levels.... definetly an interesting possibility if we can manage to make it so they are not in there but are mor of a remote control unit

And i will ahve to rebalance one ability i was working on........ Bu that is insanely good...
If it is not to much of a spoiler but do even higher levels of resistance grant resistance to resistance penetrating effects?

>>3848992
I was under the impression that the Queen would contact us if she was ready to talk. Thats why we left our ambassadors with her. Wasnt it like that?
>>
>>3848995
>>3849001
Ah. Well that makes sense. I'll go change my vote.
>>
>>3848967
>"Amara, it's too early to see the Ant Queen right now. She said she'll call us when she's ready. We can't be too impatient, it would look rude on our part if we go see her when she's not ready to roll out the royal carpet. Besides, wouldn't it be better to see the Queen when she's ready and her royal procession at her finest? She would like to look her best too! You wouldn't want the Ant queen to send out a messenger and have her drag you to her throne room while you still had bed head and in your nightgown instead of your best and fanciest dress do you?"

>>3849001
Bhop, When's the Disassociated Rocket Launch?
>>
>>3849012
(Roughly 4 days from now.)
>>
>>3849016
BHOP, you said Silvis Factory and the Lab were 'within sight of eachother but far apart'. how long a distance travel is the separation? a few hours? days? it feels obvious West was probably studying it but unless theres a reason to put the lab so far away we dont know about, too long a distance wouldn't make much sense if she was there to study them, even if just as a side project. also will decide if we can actually consider hitting both together when it comes time too.
>>
>>3848967
>>Write-In
>"No, Amara, we're waiting on the Ant Queen, not the other way around. She wants to come out and talk to us in person, but she's grown too big to fit through the tunnels, so she's having her family widen them. We're going to have a big fancy meeting, not just calling on her in her royal chambers. It's going to be fun. She'll call us when she's ready, let's leave her until then so she doesn't feel pressured to rush. And of course I'll bring you to come meet her when I go, don't worry about that for a moment."
>Bring Rath, Gina and Francine to speak with Yurei. Francine for technical advisement, Gina for her own expertise in neuromancy and protecting against any mind whammies, Rath because she's very sensible and asks good questions and because if things go bad she can turn into a thermonuclear firestorm.
>The rest of the party go to Laoc. Take in the sights, meet the people, try to relax a bit. Can't be all relaxation, though, gather any information they can on our other objectives. Focus on the foreign Daughters and the local factions, they're the points of interest most likely to have rumors spreading about them. The Barbers, too, if they can find anything.

>>3848971
>(One level halves the damage, two negates it, and three converts it to HEALTH. Levels four and higher shall remain hidden for now.)
Does Shu get to count both the Matriarch's Stoicism and Chitinous Stalwart resistance levels if she's wearing platelings? Giving her two levels of heat and four levels of acid?

>>3849016
Aww yeah, space. I sure hope nothing attacks their rocket as it's launching. Maybe we should send some Joyous Many just to keep an eye on the area.
>>
>>3848992
>>3848967
Changing my vote:
>Write-in: Explain to Amara that the Ant Queen needs time. "Amara, it's too early to see the Ant Queen right now. She said she'll call us when she's ready. We can't be too impatient, it would look rude on our part if we go see her when she's not ready to roll out the royal carpet. Besides, wouldn't it be better to see the Queen when she's ready and her royal procession at her finest? She would like to look her best too! You wouldn't want the Ant queen to send out a messenger and have her drag you to her throne room while you still had bed head and in your nightgown instead of your best and fanciest dress do you?"

Team A:
>Shu, Francine, Gina, Rath.
>Investigate Silvis’ Factory and retrieve whatever Hexane items lie within.
or
>Meet with Yurei and discuss her offer in person. You have too many questions, and too few answers about her plan.

Team B:
>Dorian, Julia, Amara, and November
>Go to Laoc and explore that settlement. Drop subtle hints for them that we're setting up a shopping date for Dorian and Julia, while November acts as a Chaperone for Amara who gets 500% Bio in bio bucks as an allowance for shopping if she sees something she likes in the Laoc town market.
>>
>>3849031
(They're within two hours' travel on foot.)

>>3849032
(Regarding your resistance question; yes.)
>>
>>3849032
We should totally help defend the DO's rocket launch. I can't help but get the feeling that that AIR Amalgam might take the opportunity to attack the rocket on Launch Day.
>>
>>3849035
>(Regarding your resistance question; yes.)
Excellent. We're fireproof in armor, that's great.
>>
>>3849035
oh, two hours isnt too bad. will be useful for later, to hit both, once Francines a bit more comfortable with herself and the party. and you know, hopefully doesn't want to kill herself to defeat West by then too. or maybe she'll learn to like us TOO much and wrap back around to wanting to sacrifice herself to increase the odds of it working or something.

>>3849037
i can see it, but thats for a later date. they also have their own defenses mind you, and id think anti-air would be a big part of it.
>>
>>3849046
They have anti-air, but they're gonna be vulnerable on the ground before the rocket attains lift-off.
>>
>>3849051
well id think they have ground defenses too. if big cannon lady is their only guard then they are way dumber than they seem. like i said anyways, im fine giving them aid, im just sure they have already thought of their vulnerabilities and have defenses prepared for whats to come. probably alot. you dont try to flee a LIVING death tourney and not be prepared for it to throw something heavy at you.
>>
>>3849051
I am pretty sure their method of liftoff will be enough defense together with whatever groundbased automated defenses they had established previously to keep at aby the monsters of the fleshscape long enough to get off the ground.

And we can not get close enouhg to be off any help without being in the blast radius.


They had thousands of members. Granted most of them in stasis and not all of them fighters but they should be gettign out all their military personel to guard them during their most sensitive time
>>
>>3849060
Yeah, the risk would be something attacking them before they're ready to take off, not during. They'll be on guard up until then, the best help we could provide would be the Many spotting something moving in and us being able to warn them.
>>
>>3849057
There's always going to be something that requires outside help. Given the nature of the setting, something WILL go wrong in the critical minutes before lift-off.
>>3849060
If no problems happen, then at the very least it would be a cool event to witness. Amara would love to see a Rocket Ship launch as a family outing event. Something more on the mundane/slice of life side. Maybe say goodbye to them with a Neuromancy call and sing "Little Einsteins".
>>
>>3849065
possibly but if they cant handle it on their own(minus maybe the new giant super amalgam), then they wont last long out on their own either. we cant be there to help and save everyone, just not possible. the DOs are big girls, they are smart and know what they're doing, they can handle themselves.

>>3849035
not to harp on you too badly, but the Relics sheet does need some additions when you can. the Bodyguard Sword, we now know what the two Jars do, and you did say Rath made... two(?) relics for the possible fight against Charon/to help November specifically that you did mention in shorthand but never fully posted. i think thats it. sorry if im being pushy i know you've been damn busy its just info that will probably come up either later today or early tomorrow that we would need.
>>
>>3849065
Sure it will be cool to see but we can not......

Well we could be near it until just before the start and then teleport away. So we can go there sure. I totally forgot we have teleport

>>3849062
If they have enough processing power to get all this stuff ready(and they are Cyborgs so they probably are incapable off letting down their guard or stopping to do something sentimental) they have probably run tens of thousands of simulations and considered scenarios so out of this world that we can probably not imagine them.

Also they have Cassandra who is much better at information gathering than we are. She probably knows about as much about the situation as we do, maybe even more and they will take precautions.

You dont survive long if you are not ready for everyything or let your guard down to much
>>
>>3849035
Code: Vein is out. saw some gameplay and I can sum it up as "Dark Souls: Anime edition. Hotsprings and anime-tiddies included"
>>
>>3849074
(Hey, I appreciate the heads-up and reminder. It helps me stay on track, since things have been so busy I can't remember what I've done and what's still pending.)

>>3849077
(Ha, I've been meaning to find time to watch a playthrough now that it's out.)
>>
>>3849075
Well, the simulations would be limited by their available information, so "Ozmas let loose a bunch of apocalyptic kaiju" could surprise them because they wouldn't know said kaiju's capabilities. If it weren't for Cassandra, that is, I forgot how long-ranged her senses are. Yeah, they're probably fine, then. Still would like to be there when they launch, just to satisfy my paranoia. Or maybe be somewhere else, distracting the Crucible so that the sky membrane is less focused on shooting them down, that could also be a good use of our time.
>>
>>3849089
Well, if they're going to have a distraction unit to cover their launch they better have something equivalent to an EVA unit, because I can't imagine them fending off the kaiju amalgams without having a kaiju of their own.
>>
>>3849094
what? while not exactly the most direct way, we ourselves as just little people have basically taken down kaiju. id be more if they can squeeze out a high level daughters worth of power from their suits, not if they have something large enough. Rath herself single handedly punched a mountain over on her own for several turns. sure, it was more an ability than raw power that allowed that, but the point is the crucible doesn't require size to fight big things at all really.
>>
>>3849094
I dont think it would be to difficult for them to pull out a Warlord Titan or something like an EVA unit or super powerful weaponry powered by forgecores. Hell we dont need big. JUst something like a hield that repulses everything that comes cose and cna do so for maybe a couple minutes would be enough

>>3849089
Sure we can go to watch it. Should be interesting but we should probably be somewhere not even remotely close to not be hit by the blastwave or the fallout of the launch. But we still have four days.... so probably at least a month out of character
>>
>>3849074
>>3849075
>>3849089
Also, something that's been bothering me greatly since the last Vein. Gemma. It just feels like Gemma only acts on Shu's orders and expectations. And there's something unhinged about her since she's a shard of her whole self.
>>
>>3849106
i mean, maybe, but BHOP has confirmed dream daughters aren't really a threat to their host, so if your worry is for Julia im honestly very certain shes safe.

as for her only going off Shus expectations, im unsure of that. if you read how she reacted to Shu saying 'talk to Julia about this' and 'we will take each Gemma individually on if they want to be absorbed or not', she clearly was unhappy with Shus take on things. she wide eyed shook her head no at first, clearly showing signs of... i almost want to say shock at our opinion on things. honestly id not be surprised if she lies about talking to Julia, and/or lies to Julia about our conversation.

unsure on if she felt unhinged personally, felt sane enough for the Crucibles standards anyways.
>>
>>3849106
We will see with time and we will need to have a talk with Julia about her new headbuddy. Just to get all the sides of the picture.

Gemma is probably a bit unhinged sure. But lets be real, who isnt in the crucible?

Everyone has theri demons to contend with.. Except Kajun.
>>
>>3849114
It felt to me more like she was acting kind of desperate for Shu's approval because she knows we're the main decision-maker for the group and she really wants our help in reuniting the shards. So she came off as needy and eager to please because she's trying to convince us to go along with this, it's a great idea, just do as she says and everyone will prosper. To which we responded "yeah, that sounds cool, but it's not my body or dreamscape. Ask Julia about her opinion, too" and she deflated a bit because she was hoping she would just have to convince us. Sorry, Gemma, but we respect Julia's autonomy.
>>
>>3849126
maybe, but i still feel like it was more than that. her reaction once we didn't go along with it felt too drastic and didn't really feel like she was deflating, it felt like instead she felt like we slapped her in the face or something.
>>
>>3849134
>>3849126
>Gemma will remember this
It feels like a bad move on our part somehow.
>>
>>3849185
i disagree. if she cant agree to our terms and way of doing things, then we dont need to be helping her in the first place. her other shards for all intents and purposes are now individuals, and individuals have a right to choose their own path. she doesn't like that, than shes simply wrong. just because she has (arguably) good reasons to just want us to agree to her original plan, doesn't mean we have to agree with it or think its the right way to go about things either.

plus, no offense to her, shes kinda dead. her very existence is tied to and just an addition to Julias. we really have no obligation to listen to her, as mean as it might sound, and she is in no position to expect us to out of our way for her. furthermore, she shouldn't expect her other shards to want to join with one thats just a dream daughter, and shouldn't be expecting us to just kill them for not wanting that and forcing it on them.

mind you, i only think about maybe 1/4th of what i said she actually thinks, but still.
>>
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>>3848967

"Amara, it's too early to see the Ant Queen right now.” You begin, taking a knee to bring you eye-level with your diminutive Skintalker. “She said she'll call us when she's ready. We can't be too impatient, it would look rude on our part if we go see her when she's not ready to roll out the royal carpet. Besides, wouldn't it be better to see the Queen when she's ready and her royal procession at her finest? She would like to look her best too! You wouldn't want the Ant queen to send out a messenger and have her drag you to her throne room while you still had bed head and in your nightgown instead of your best and fanciest dress do you?"

Amara just listens intently, nodding emphatically at your analogy as you rise, turning to Dorian and Julia with your plan.

“I’d like for the two of you, November, and Amara to scout Laoc, gather intelligence and see if they have any wares for sale. Information is going to be crucial in reaching and beating the Cord, so see what you can find.” You announce as November gives you a sharp nod. “Amara gets a biomass budget, if you all find anything worth bringing back to base.”

Amara promptly thrusts her fists skyward in celebration, a quiet hiss of air being her exultation as you turn to address Gina, Rath, and Francine.

“I’d like for you three to accompany me to Madame Yurei’s base. She wants to talk, and I’m in the mood to hear her out. Make sure you’re properly equipped before we head out in a few, and that you’ve got the Relics you need. Oh, and one last thing.” You’re reminded, thinking back to just before you woke to tell Amara the tale she so patiently waited for. “Knowable Kadath should have triggered for everyone, so your abilities will have grown. You should’ve seen the plateau, red sky, and all that, so what did everyone pick?”

You’re met with a collection of curious expressions as your allies glance between each other as they shake their heads.

“Yes, we all g-got stronger, but…p-plateau?” Julia asks as Dorian arches one eyebrow.

“Yeah. I mean, I can’t speak for everyone, but I just made my pick and woke up.” Rath replies, glancing between you and Gina for confirmation. Your turn to the brunette by your side, and you’re met with a pair of concerned hazel eyes that flash with amethyst.

“Huh…no, it looks like you’re the only one that saw that.” She murmurs, peeking into your memories at witnessing the vast, scarlet valleys that stretched before you in the dreamlands. Lightly shaking your head to rid yourself of your slight unease, you address your family to see the results of their choices and discuss the Relic situation before you leave for parts unknown.

>>KNOWABLE KADATH: ACTIVATED

>>PLEASE CHOOSE ONE ABILITY FOR EACH ALLY TO LEVEL-UP

AND

>>CHOOSE RELIC LOAD-OUT FOR THE YUREI TEAM

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours.)
>>
>>3849212
>Dorian: Resplendent Thread
>Rath: Forgemistresses Fingers
->We will rarely upgrade it so why not put extra points into it when we dont have to fight for them. Also it makes Relics cheaper in the future which will be nice for November
>Gina: Virulent Pestilence
->Would like ot see if the power gets even better with our status effects we can create
>Amara: Queen Crimson
-> Was totn between the Honor and Queen but i think the queen will be much better and bring us closer to any potential Hybrids
>Julia: Carniverous Carver
->Just making Julia deadlier with this ability seems like a good idea.
>Francine: Hand of the Queen
->I dont think we have anything else she can level up with knowledgable Kadath right now. Its a good ability anyway
>>
>>3849212
>Dorian; Resplendant Thread
>Rath; Erupting Grasp
>Julia; Elemental Digestion
>Amara; Hunters Honor
>Gina; Virulent Persistence
>Francine; Hand of the Queen

honestly i think only Gina even has an actual choice here?

RELIC LOADOUT;
Shu;
>Contender, Matrons Stoicism, Remembrance Whistle(), Consume the Book Relic, Gear on self.

Rath;
>Sui Tormentis, Deliverance of Ego, Adrenal Nail, Ignition Gauntlets, Gutgrab Daggers.

Gina;
>Sui Interitus, The Spine, Uzi( x3 Radiant Mags, x3 Shock Mags, x3 Acid Mags), Crimson Jesters.

Francine;
>Hydras Heart, Inspectors Spectacles.

everything else can be left alone for now, unless anyone thinks we should give Francine the Cutis Tractus? she could use some defense and it might help if her Core has a limited range. id also like to point out Jaoc is probably going to be MUCH safer, but for all we know Yurei is the 'join or die' type. hopefully not but we might have to do at least some fighting with her, and heavier than Jaoc should be for sure.

>>3849217
can we get another rundown on those Relics Rath crafted while we were away?

>>3849234
i dont think Queen Crimson or Carver were cores, just abilities we got from people.
>>
>>3849238
But we have the Dreamdaughters for them dont we? It works with any ability trees we got from them as well as the Hybrids we made form tose trees. It does not have to be cores
>>
>>3849238
>>3849212
ah fuck me its just not my damn day today.
>Whistle load spell;
>> RHO CUNT

>>3849239
BHOP said it only works with Cores though.
>>
>>3849239
>>3849240
also, even if you were right, Queen Crimson came from someone we dont have the dream Daughter of, i think.
>>
>>3849248
Queen Crimson is actually from Sasha (the daughter who weaponized her tears) whom Amara consumed.
>>
>>3849240
Then the sheet with the Ability Descriptions is wrong. It says one can level up any of the skill trees ascotiaded wiht the daughter. Granted i did not have time to vote on the large level up with lepisma so i might have missed it there. But that should get fixed on the character sheet then. Otherwise it is just confusing

>>3849248
I think Queen Crimson was from that one humoral paladin that we had made a black fuzzbuzz racer when we got to know her in Amaras head. The one whose crew got ganked by November shelling the town. I just cant remember her name... Was is Sasha?
>>
>>3849238
on another note, anyone have ideas of who to give Gamma Pharynx to? its very specifically something that if we do use, it should probably stay on whoever we give it to. sure, it CAN be removed, but id not want to put anyone through said process of removing it.

>>3849250
could've sworn it was from someone else.
>>
>>3849252
Lets craft Surgeon General's Essentials first before we go about installing relics that have the whole soul-binding status.

I would say Amara, but the Pharynx is basically dental bracers and Amara hates Dentists.
>>
>>3849212
Great, something special about Shu that made her visit the Plateau of Leng when no other party member did. That's not worrying at all. My guess is that the deep dive into the dreamscape that Knowable Kadath produces is causing Shu to access legacy code related to the Mother of All concept. Whatever it is, we'll find it on the other side of the plateau, dwelling within Kadath itself.

Anyways, level ups!

SHU
>Ravenous Maw

DORIAN
>Resplendent Thread

RATH
>Indignant Ignition

JULIA
>Carnivorous Carver

AMARA
>Queen Crimson

GINA
>Virulent Persistence

FRANCINE
>Hand of the Queen


>>3849252
>could've sworn it was from someone else.
That's probably because it's a Humoral ability, and so shifted from Sasha's melancholic humor to Amara's sanguine. So you don't remember Sasha having Queen Crimson because in a sense she didn't.
>>
>>3849251
we'll have to ask BHOP as i could've sworn he said differently when asked. i agree there but clarification is needed yes. either BHOP misinterpreted a question, a question was seen as answered out of order by me, and/or, yes, BHOP has made mistakes in his wording before.

i could be wrong on Queen though, for some reason i thought it came from one of her allies or another fight though.

>>3849217
BHOP mind clarifying?

>>3849258
i mean... why? all we have to do is not remove it, thats really not an issue. most relics we use on the same person all the time anyways. hardly a 'loss' to just decide who wants it or its good on and putting it on them.

>>3849261
Shu already had her level up so she doesn't get another. Rath cant do Ignition i dont think. even if it doesn't have to be a Core, nothing Hybridized into it came from a Dream Daughter. sure she has an Augment from one but that feels extremely iffy for that to count, unless it only upgrades the Augment.
>>
>>3849265
>Shu already had her level up so she doesn't get another.
Oh, did we already mark hers down? Didn't realize.

>Rath cant do Ignition i dont think. even if it doesn't have to be a Core, nothing Hybridized into it came from a Dream Daughter.
I'm fairly certain that Phantom Limb was Hera's Core. It might have been Hundred-Handed, but we know that Dream Daughters wind up with whoever consumes the Core (even without the Arbiter's Appetite, that just guarantees you can eat the Core) so I'd assume it's Phantom Limb. Unless Hera actually had a third arm-based power that was her Core, which I guess isn't out of the realm of possibility.
>>
>>3849238
Why the Adrenal Nail? We can't recover that once it's nailed into Rath. That's a relic that permanantly binds itself on equipping.
>>
>>3849269
It was in the last vein so kind of far back for us

But Shu has Hera in her head so Rath cant acess her..... unless we can skirt that line with our Neurotic Halo Network
>>
>>3849269
actually before we had Appeties some abilities, even cores, would alter themselves to whoever takes them. shame honestly we dont have that anymore, so you could be right on Phantom.

though honestly hers didnt appear to work like Shus or Raths version, and Raths actually feels a little off cosmetically at least for Rath, but fair point.

>>3849271
i think its a good fit for Rath. that, and can it not be removed? i mea, fair enough thinking on it i see your point, its just it doesn't say it cant, unlike other Relics that specifically say if they cannot be removed. i mean, who else would we give it to? cant see anyone else it would work better on, or who would be ok with having it in themselves than Rath.

i guess she can wear it as an earring if you're that worried.
>>
>>3849276
what? Hera is in Raths head.

heres the list i have saved;

SHU: Holly / Uzu / Johanna

RATH: Hera / Niku / Silvis

JULIA: Penny / Gemma / Mulvath

DORIAN: Vultha

AMARA: Sasha / Heather / Heather / Samantha / Tammy /Julie / Sarah / Cherum

GINA: Eloise / Kosi / Meg / Bella

FRANCINE: Lepisma

no idea where the Soroitas stops for Amara honestly, shouldve marked that better as im shit with names.
>>
>>3849277
>i think its a good fit for Rath. that, and can it not be removed?
It can be. I think they're confusing it with a similar Relic we pulled off of Johanna's corpse, which bonded permanently. We traded that away, though, got the Bio that went into making the Sui Tormentis.
>>
>>3849281
Huh okay... My mistake. its kinda difficult to keep track of them all without that list(especially since that point is kinda moot since they seem to jump around through our Neurotic Network if it pleases them ). I should write that list down myself. Thank you.
>>
>>3849285
no problem. i also have a list for Party Class types for crafting, though need to update Francine's.

also still have the rarity ranking list for Classes, which BHOP said was pretty close to actual rankings, though i do wonder if some need to be moved a place or two around now.
>>
>>3849277
Take what I said >>3849271 with a grain of salt. Because I swear I remember that Bhop said the Nail perma-binds upon equipping.

That said, I'm thinking that Stitching stilettos, and Surgeon General's Essentials should be made.

>>3849212
Kadath
>Dorian: Resplendent Thread

>Amara: Hunter's Honor
Verurteilung is at an awkward spot in her kit.

>Julia: Carnivorus Carver

>Francine: Hand of the queen

>Rath: Forgemistress Fingers

>Gina: Virulent Persistence

Loadout
>Shu: Matron's Stoicism, Contender, Remembrance Whistle, Escher's gear, Consume the Pandoric Script.

>Rath: Sui Tormentis, Deliverance of Ego, Ignition Gauntlets, Spear of Dainsleif

>Gina: The Spine, Uzi( x2 Radiant Mags, x2 Shock Mags, x2 Frost mags, x2 Normal mags), Crimson Jester's Mask, Sui Interitus,

>Francine: Hydra's Heart, Inspector's Spectacles, Cutis Tractus, GutGrab Daggers.

Bhop, did November take the time to repair the armor damage from the Silverfish fight or does she still bear Shu's patch repair job?
>>
>>3849265
(The wording was confusing, I apologize. Essentially, Kadath would not work only one abilities that yoyve acquired from sources that are not Daughter-related, such as those you acquired from Amalgams and the like. That was the original intention, at least.)

>>3849319
(The Nail does bond permanently, yes. Also, November has completed her repairs and is now as good as new.)
>>
>>3849212
>>CHOOSE RELIC LOAD-OUT FOR THE YUREI TEAM

SHU
>Hexane Contender, Matron's Stoicism, Remembrance Whistle loaded with RHO CUNT, Escher's Gear (give spoke to other party), bring Book and Augment-upgrading Juice but don't consume yet
That last part because Yurei pays people just to listen to her pitch, and while we don't need one of the benefits she offers (the use of a fully-unlocked Sparagmos Engine), the other is use of a Tier Five Forge and I want to see if the Duplicate function (currently locked at our Forge's Tier) does allow for the reproduction of Relics. Making some extra copies of the Book and Augment Juice could be really good.

RATH
>Sui Tormentis, Deliverance of Ego, Ignition Gauntlets, Gutgrab Daggers
I don't think the Nail is that worth it for Rath. It gives a tiny damage boost and an okay movement boost, but at the cost of halving her Health regen. Given the Sui Tormentis, it's probably more effective to just use that 105% more Health per turn to turn into Tormentis damage and speed boosts.

GINA
>Cutis Tractus, The Spine, Crimson Jester's Masque
I figure that with Gladiatorial Swarm, Cutis Tractus is a bit more useful for Gina right now than Sui Interitus.

FRANCINE
>Inspector's Spectacles, Hydra's Heart, Sui Interitus
Let's give Francine a bit of durability, seeing as she's currently got the lowest Health out of the party. Doing pretty good given that she has the fewest levels, though. Benefits of all her level ups being Arbiter-boosted, I guess.

Also, do we think it's worth it to spawn a Spiritus before we head out, or are we still not comfortable manifesting our Dream Daughters at the skill's current level?
>>
>>3849319
i still think the Daggers will work better for Rath. shes all about punching, the spear get in the way of that. both the Gauntlets and Daggers can be in extra arms and dont impede on her melee range focus, but the spear simply isn't meant to be used that close, its a weapon made to allow melee at a safe distance, which Rath doesn't need nor does it fit her fighting style.

as for Crafting, im against it right now. if we get into a fight at Yureis place, we're gonna need all the stats we can get.

>>3849322
i really dont think Cutis Tractus is the best fit for Gina honestly. Gina actually has some good abilities to use up close, which the Sui Interitus would help we get in and out faster and help those abilities, but she doesn't actually has no reason for Cutis reach and it would slow her down considerably. meanwhile Francine literally simply does not have the stats or abilities for being up close or even a hit and runner, which is what the Sui Interitus is better at, its honestly wasted on her. she at least could use Hand of the Queen through Cutis Tractus, if you really want to give her Armor.
>>
>>3849319
also the Gutgrab daggers are absolutely wasted on Francine, she should never be close to anyone or want anyone to stay close to her. shes still way too weak to be on the frontlines like that.
>>
>>3849321
Thanks for the clarification

>>3849331
Point.

I'll go with your loadout vote here >>3849238 in exchange that you remove the Nail, I'm fine with Carrying it with us, and doing a combat equip for the sudden burst in power, but I'm uncomfortable with the halving of the hp regen.

Installing the nail into Rath means we cap down her pretty impressive 210% hp regen down to half her potential maximum regen (105% hp regen) which goes against Font of suffering that we got off of Isabelle. Font of suffering is designed to work best with High amounts of Hp regen. We need a good hp and bio regen to act as a buffer against the damage she gets and the mandatory 20% hp burn.
>>
>>3849337
i kinda disagree. we usually keep her in Ignition mode anyways and in that she has no Health Regen anyways. sure with that it lowers her Bio Regen in that form a bit, but she never has actually had the biggest issue with Bio in the first place. maybe if fights lasted longer but they never really have lasted long enough to need to pull back on Ignition. plus, id imagine thats 10% of her max strength, not just another 10% like if it was stat increases. thats not a small amount, considering her other abilities.
>>
>>3849319
>>3849212
Changing by loadout vote to support >>3849238

But also give Francine Cutis Tractis.

Question: Should we make another Hum-bee Hivecraft when traveling to Yurei's base (the Car made out of Bees)? I remember the base components require Shu's Hive bugs as the Chassis and wheels, with Rath providing the Engine, suspension, and seatbelts, and Neuromancy for the Radio, handling, brakes, and navigation systems.
>>
>>3849358
i mean, if necessary, but id prefer if we just got the old one back... assuming someone hasn't rightfully stolen it. to be fair, if i found a humvee just abandoned randomly in the fleshscape, after i made sure it wasn't a trap, id probably take it too.

or was it technically a family tech, and thus basically inert biomass without us? to be fair, thats still alot of raw biomass to pilfer or hijack though.
>>
>>3849367
if it's made out of Shu's biomass and part of a family tech, can't we just activate it remotely and have it drive its way back to us on Autopilot?
>>
>>3849377
i dont think it works that way, only because we haven't had the option before and have mentioned wanting to retrieve it before.
>>
>>3849345
Maybe if the 10% was multiplicative instead of additive, but I'd want confirmation on that. Otherwise it seems like a bad choice for Rath. Better to just have another 105% Health per turn to spend on Sui Tormentis.
>>
>>3849460
id hope so, because i do agree i just cant see it being a measly 10 extra damage for half your health regen.
>>
>>3849460
>>3849345
fucking hell. I come back to make another case of not installing the nail into Rath but find out the voting's closed.

Part of Rath's strength with having 210% hp regen is that the Armor allows her to ramp up in strength, defense, and speed by burning her hp regen's worth in stats for a four-fold increase in temporary stats for a short period of time while the suit is equipped as well as staying up longer to fight. The Nail basically cuts down the amount of stats we can safely play with in combat, makes it harder for Rath to bounce back from a crippling blow if she does get hit with one, and slows down the speed in which Rath can ramp up those stat boosts with the Armor.

>>3849321
Bhop. We need confirmation on this. what factor does the Adrenal Nail ramp up the wearer's strength speed, and melee damage output? Is it 10% of their maximum strength? Is it multiplicative? or is it additive?
>>
>>3849493
(It's multiplicative, which makes the use of multiple Nails utterly devastating in the right hands.)
>>
>>3849493
if its 10% of her total damage id still argue its a good trade off, as thats 10% of all her combined strength/damage, not just the suits. i guess it depends on just how the Auits itself is actually calculated, though mind you thats just raw strength, not raw damage. if its 10% extra of all damage she deals once combined into its final number, not just 10 extra damage, then i still very much think its worth it.

also depends on how much strength translates into damage. really, this feels less like either side is wrong, and more like neither side can be right because we simply are too in the dark on this one in how the system works. both sides have to make assumptions, massive ones, ill admit to that at least.
>>
>>3849502
>>3849503
>>3849493
well there we go. still leaves questions but 10% extra damage on Rath sounds like a death sentence already with how many sources she still has to boost her raw strength.
>>
(Gentlemen, work is aflame as usual. I'll post when I can, and thank you for your patience. Also, regarding Amara; there is a split between Queen and Hunter, if I'm not mistaken. If there are any last-minute changes, I'll accept them in the interim.)
>>
>>3849509
sorry works being work, hope its at least not too stressful.

guess we have something to talk about at least. Hunters feels like it simply needs some love to be more viable on Amara, is my argument, while Queen is already perfectly good where it is. plus, if we want to go IC, id think Amara would pick ninja powers over a blood net, especially as she seems more interested in Cherum over... Sarah(?). sorry Sarah im sure Amara likes you but its hard to compete with an alien ninja whos playing hard to get.
>>
>>3849509
..... so work is burning again.....
Well dont push yourself to hard

Just to make this go over without any big hustle or problems i will change my vote for Amara from Queen Crimson in this post >>3849234
to Hunters Honor.....
This is to early to start mulling it over or starting to scream at each other. And i am not interested in starting my vacation with a massive argument

>>3849518
Her Name is Sahsa.....

And i think the prospect of Crimson becoming ever more "aware" is also something Amara could be interested in. Another buddy to hang out with.

But the Alien Ninja Argument is good as well
>>
>>3849518
>>3849533
>Sahsa
>Sarah(?)
It's Sasha. We have time to browse the previous veins.

I wonder if Chuerem asked the other dream daughters about Ninjas, Amara's got the most dream daughters crammed inside her soul after all.

Amara's become a Magical girl with a voice that can channel the world, shout fus roh dah and have it work, has a Crimson Stand as well as a guardian Bee, an army of hollow clones, wears a cloak of invisibility, while channeling the weeb with a bone Japanese sword.

the amount of meme levels our daughter has become a conduit of is ridiculous.
>>
>>3849509
Sorry to hear that, BHOP. As always, we'll wait, it's worth it.

As for which one to upgrade on Amara, I guess I'm fine with upgrading Hunter's Honor. I'd prefer Queen Crimson just because I'd like to give Amara yet more defensive options, but maybe Hunter's Honor will give her some awesome parrying abilities. And as >>3849518 says, Amara would want to play with the alien ninja. Though I'd like to think that Amara is managing to rope all her dream Daughters into the game (though that's not really a challenge with the Sororitas), so Sasha is playing too. And commiserating with Cheruem on the sides, going "yeah, I just don't know if we can keep up with these kids, thank god there's a normal adult here, alien ninja museum guard".
>>
>>3849540
Dont forgot that we also gave her an ability that makes her harder to kill as long as her friends are nearby. She is also a catgirl
I think we are only missing the giant robot and we have covered every mayor trope
>>
>>3849545
I think November qualifies for that.
>>
>>3849552
I was thinking more a giant robot for Amara to pilot when she becomes an angsty teenager to contemplate the meaning of life in while fighting alien monstrositys or other humans
>>
>>3849533
hey man ive already said im shit with names and Amara has 3 gals with 'Sa' names in her head, two of which are similar.

otherwise, just as a point of discussion, i dont think Crimsons really sentient or gonna become sentient. doesn't fit the class or really its description so far, more like an automated system than an actual thinking... blob of blood. would need neuromancy or phantasmal in there to really get sentience. though Amara making her blood tentacles into a friend does sound like her, im just saying i dont think it will happen on its own.

>>3849540
well, i mean technically, but the Soroitas still count as one mechanically. which seems a bit odd, but the Crucible seems to not be very good when it comes to the mental workings of humanity, so im not surprised either.

>>3849541
at least being an alien mall cop means Cherum is probably used to rounding up noisy buddlings. that, or she wasn't, and this is basically living hell for her.
>>
>>3849545
Well...November is a robot, but the "piloting" part of the giant Super robot genre needs work, then again November is a Daughter gemstone inside a robot body. It's a shame she's running on construct rules so we can't really consume her to save her core data.
>>
>>3849555
Ah, I was thinking more a Giant Robo sort of thing where the robot is the kid's friend whose shoulder they ride on. If we want her to pilot the mecha, I'm sure Rath will have made several by the time Amara is old enough to be an angsty teen mecha pilot. Francine will have been roped into it, ostensibly against her will, but when reminded that she's the one who made all the super robot cyber-frames she'll admit that she actually is really into Gundam.

>>3849557
>at least being an alien mall cop means Cherum is probably used to rounding up noisy buddlings. that, or she wasn't, and this is basically living hell for her.
She seemed pretty offput by the "sassy lost budling", so I'm guessing she doesn't have experience. Probably was some upscale cultural museum that kids don't frequent, even on field trips. If the Hexane educational system even had field trips for budlings.
>>
>>3849566
if the Hexxane did not let buddlings enjoy the joy of museums then they are the most evil race to ever have existed.

but fair i guess it could be a more 'sophisticated' museum, though id argue no mainline museum should be to such a level that kids would not be allowed in. kids are the ones who need to learn the most afterall.
>>
>>3849574
Well considering how they reproduce (basically make a budling version of themselves asexually with all previous knowledge intact, the old one fucks off and dies), their society would make their museums more tailored to accommodate it.
>>
>>3849579
i dont think it was said all previous knowledge was left intact. it was implied they still had to learn about their ancestors and their work, which wouldn't be necessary with knowledge transferring. its also a point to make where full knowledge transferring would not allow for a new personality to form, which it is a case where each buddling is still a new person. er, hexxane.

odd question, but what 'age' are buddlings born at? are they babies like human babies, or do they start more developed? do they get to attend their parents suicide party? imagine growing up with your first memories being your 'parent' having a wicked party then blowing their brains out at the end.
>>
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>>3849212

GINA – LEVEL UP

>>VIRULENT PESTILENCE (Lvl 3): Gina now possesses the potent ability to temporarily double the attack, defense, and critical bonuses granted by a given Relic or ability, with this power able to be triggered once per combat and lasting for the next three turns. This bonus also applies to any levels of Resistance that the individual Relic or ability currently grants. (HEALTH +60%, BIO +60%)

RATH – LEVEL UP

>>FORGEMISTRESS’ FINGERS (Lvl 3): From the heart of the artist pours that which brings life. Rath no longer has to spend 1.5x HEALTH for it to count as a wildcard Forge material, and is instead able to use her own HEALTH reserves on a 1-to-1 BIO basis to pay for crafting new Relics. Additionally, the chance of a created Relic emerging from the Forge at a higher tier has been increased by an additional 10%. (BIO +30%)

JULIA – LEVEL UP

>>CARNIVOROUS CARVER (Lvl 3): Savagery knows no bounds, as when any ally or foe is downed in combat, Julia is now automatically granted a temporary ACT that she may use on her upcoming turn. Additionally, if it was a foe that was downed then Julia also gains a 30% bonus to her base attack damage, CRITICAL HIT chance, and CRITICAL DAMAGE until the end of her next turn. If it was an ally, then Julia gains a 30% defense bonus, in addition to a heightened critical hit and severing resistance until the end of her next turn. Finally, these bonuses stack. (HEALTH +40%, BIO +40%, HEALTH REGEN +20%)

DORIAN – LEVEL UP

>>RESPLENDENT THREAD (Lvl 3): Silvis’ Core ability now boasts a stacking 5% bonus to limb severing for every attack inflicted against a single target during combat, as the Threads actively shift and change to better adapt themselves to robbing their target of their extremities. Though the bonus is removed when a limb is severed, it’s a small price to pay for a prudent butcher. (HEALTH +40%, BIO +20%)

AMARA – LEVEL UP

>>HUNTER’S HONOR (Lvl 3): Still as water, sharp as glass. When Amara manifests her before combat is initiated, then she automatically begins combat with a charge stack of five, ready to be unleashed upon her unsuspecting and unfortunate foes. (HEALTH + 50%, BIO +40%)

FRANCINE – LEVEL UP

>>HAND OF THE QUEEN (Lvl 3): How quickly idle curiosity can turn to hateful action. As a free action, Francine may now convert any CURIOSITY stacks a foe possesses into CRUELTY stacks, which stop Francine’s use of her foe’s abilities. In exchange, CRUELTY is automatically consumed when Francine or an ally make an action against the target, with physical attacks having their damage and critical bonuses increased by 50%, and saving throws being made at disadvantage. Finally, while only one stack is removed per action, multiple stacks may be consumed per turn by different allies. (HEALTH +80%, BIO +80%)

(Continued)
>>
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>>3849772

You're able to get everyone outfitted in short order and with the coordinates you were gifted by Ivey, you, Gina, Rath, and Francine emerge from the waystation, your feet meeting obsidian tile that quickly turns to hardened calcite as you emerge into the foggy moor that stretches before you. In the distance looms a mist-veiled mansion, faded columns supporting the massive three-story archetecture whose dulled majesty seems at odds with the eerie coils of flesh that dot the grounds before it. The musty smell of molded leather hits you at the same time you muster the resolve to march forward to accept the Conduit's invitation. The stifling silence that settles around yoy alongside the choking humidity is broken when GG chuckles to herself before speaking.

"Yo, who ripped this fat vape? I'm trying to find my dead wife." Gina grumbles jokingly, and to your and GG's surprise Rath's the first to laugh.

"You know Silent Hill?" The brunette asks, stunned. "I though your upbringing would've frowned on that."

"I was a Catholic, not a luddite." Rath fires back in mock offense. "I mean, I wouldn't have played them if one of my friends hadn't dared a bunch of us to play them at a sleepover when I was, like, fourteen. But yeah, I liked 'em."

What follows is Gina launching into a discussion of the lore with Rath, and you just watch with a smile on your face as you listen to the two girls compare notes and theories as the mansion looms ever nearer as you trudge through Yurei's property. It's nice to see the two of them interacting like this outside of your influence, in an odd sort of way. It was different, when it was just you, GG, Rath, and B'ni. You were the thing they all revolved around, but now...you can see that even though you're the glue that binds them all together, they care about each other of their own volition, forming bonds on their own time.

You catch Francine smiling too, a small, sad expression as her eyes stare at the earth she silently treads.

Determination.

It's the core emotion that pulses beneath the doctor's veins, a cold, clear resolve to see things through 'til the end. And yet beneath that focus there lurks a certain trepidation, a reluctance, or perhaps a co fusion that's crept into her heart in moments of quiet self-reflection. It's probably asking too much for someone like her to open up, especially given how cagey she's been up to this point, but still.

In any case, you also have to wonder if staying focused wouldn't be your best course of action as the mansion looms ever higher on the moor.

>>Strike up a conversation with Francine while you have a moment. (Write-In)

>>Talk to Gina or Rath, while you have a second. You may not know much about the series, but you'd like to be a part of their discussion all the same.

>>Stay silent and alert. You'd prefer to keep focused, even if your invitation seemed to come from a place of goodwill.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, thank you as always for your patience, and voting shall remain open for the next two hours.)
>>
>>3849780
>Stay silent and alert. You'd prefer to keep focused, even if your invitation seemed to come from a place of goodwill.

Let Gina and Rath do their bonding and i am unsure its the right time to pry into Francine's mind, though that would be my second choice.
>>
>>3849780

>>Strike up a conversation with Francine while you have a moment. (Write-In)

>"Hey Fran. How are you holding up. I take it the Choice went well. How was mother when she came to you. I take it she had a couple things to say.... about your choices. Mind sharing something? I would also like to hear you opinion on what our soon to be host has planned"

>Afterwards listen for any further topics Francine might wish to discuss or stay alert if she stays silent.


We are probably being watched already. The moment we appeared we were probably on their radar. And they know theire turf. SO Amalgams are no problem and our soon to be host will at least want to speak with us instead of murdering us outright

Okay so Yurei really takes the whole spirit theme thing seriously. even her swamp is called the spirit swamp
>>
>>3849780
>What follows is Gina launching into a discussion of the lore with Rath, and you just watch with a smile on your face as you listen to the two girls compare notes and theories as the mansion looms ever nearer as you trudge through Yurei's property.
Nerds. Though come on, this is obviously Death Stranding, not Silent Hill.

> It's nice to see the two of them interacting like this outside of your influence, in an odd sort of way. It was different, when it was just you, GG, Rath, and B'ni. You were the thing they all revolved around, but now...you can see that even though you're the glue that binds them all together, they care about each other of their own volition, forming bonds on their own time.
Yeah, that is something I like a lot about this quest, how the rest of the party members are forming their own relationships between each other. Personally, I'm expecting Dorian and November to become close simply due to proximity, for one reason or another we've had them together on a lot of tasks since November joined. Would be neat to have them become friends. They're both very dependable, serious people who nonetheless are capable of getting silly when they're off-duty, I think they'd enjoy spending time together. Of course, right now Dorian is busy bonding with Julia, while November has to babysit Amara. Which means Amara gets to bond with November instead. Have a nice time shopping with Aunt Heather, Amara.

>>Stay silent and alert. You'd prefer to keep focused, even if your invitation seemed to come from a place of goodwill.
Stay focused for now, we'll try to draw Francine farther out of her shell just as a natural process of her working with us rather than bringing it up directly. We'll probably be planning the lab raid once we're done here, we can bring up her worries while talking about taking down Sigma.
>>
>>3849780
>Strike up a conversation with Francine while you have a moment.
>"How was the choice? Still struggling over the meaning of your personal goal to stop West?"
>"You wouldn't have that sad expression otherwise."
>"Life's about the journey, not the destination. I figure that the same applies here in the Crucible."

Even though I'm being outvoted, I would still like to have Francine warm up to us bit by bit.

>>3849772
Questions:
Does Julia's Carnivous Carver temp-ACT boost work off of Constructs too? I find it weird yet fitting there's a set of Dorian and Julia's powers that allow them to cross over with each other. Julia can go on a rampage train through an army of constructs while Dorian can sharpen the razor wire to ludicrous degrees against a single opponent.

>HUNTER’S HONOR (Lvl 3): Still as water, sharp as glass. When Amara manifests her before combat is initiated, then she automatically begins combat with a charge stack of five, ready to be unleashed upon her unsuspecting and unfortunate foes. (HEALTH + 50%, BIO +40%)
I think there's a typo. You're missing a "weapon/blade" in the phrase "When Amara manifests her before combat is initiated"

Bhop, I just realized.

>Dr. West Sigma
>Our plan to destroy the west collective is to implant a virus in a proxy and let it infect the collective by forcing a proxy to go maverick/rogue and have the virus infected rogue infect the entire network
>The Sigma Virus

That's Megaman X reference if I ever saw one.

>>3849820
Or it could be that Julia and Amara go on a shopping spree while Dorian and November act as the parent/boyfriend overburdened by shopping bags.
>>
>>3849820
id still like to wait a bit before sending Francine after Sigma. its important, but not so important it cant wait a bit. Francine's still very clearly showings signs of wanting to sacrifice herself with the collective, and id like more time to let her think on that, through simply experiencing being with us. i doubt one outing will be enough to give her a true idea if she should stick around with us or not.
>>
>>3849861
You're not wrong, but I also don't want her to feel like we're stalling and stymieing her. I'd like to make gradual progression towards taking down Sigma, ideally. Keep working towards the goal, building up for an attack, and along the way getting her to think that she can do more good alive than dead.
>>
>>3849870
well, the 'issue' is besides maybe the engine it seems to not really be a 'build up' situation. seems like once we go for Sigma its actually gonna go down pretty quickly. not really much time to think or change her mind once we actually start it, from the sound of it.
>>
>>3849870
Well after the lab raid she is going to die in her own words. So we should probably have her tag along with us for a while more before moving on West. She is gonna need time to tweak her plan and get stronger so she can come with us and not be a liability in a fight with Sigma.

I want her to know that if she truly wishes to change and not be West she can have a group of people that care about her and will support her.

Which is why i want to ask her how she is doing and what her opinions are. We also have to give her a feeling of belonging and that she has value

While i think your suggestion of making gradual progress is a good start we also need to consider the human element. and if we dont start now then when?
>>
>>3849876
we start when Francine is ready, not us. trying to pry into peoples thoughts can easily instead push them further into their shell. let Francine get used to actually being with us first, before we go prying into her mind uninvited. shes literally spent her whole non-west life hold up in a lab in a place full of those who a bunch seem super half blind and oblivious, and probably super busy. just being around people who want her around for more than just business is probably a step shes still not used to, let alone opening up to them.
>>
>>3849843
(Carnivorous Carver's boost currently only works with full-fledged Daughters and Amalgams, but it will eventually get to that level.)

(Indeed, that was a typo. My apologies!)

(Finally, considering that Megaman is one of my favorite franchises, I couldn't pass up the reference.)
>>
>>3849893
The ice has to be broken somehow. We can either chip away at it a bit at a time or we sail an Icebreaker boat into the social-life that is Francine. We gotta start somewhere.
>>
>>3849908
and i disagree nows the time to do it or start.
>>
>>3849780
>>3849843
Changing my vote to
>Stay silent and alert. You'd prefer to keep focused, even if your invitation seemed to come from a place of goodwill.
>>
(Back home and writing now, Gentlemen.)
>>
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>>3849780

Resolving to leave your two girls to their lore-heavy conversation and Francine to her own thoughts, your eyes scan your surroundings, a handful of Scoutlings wriggling free of your chitinous hexagonal plates before taking to the hazy skies. You have to admit that despite the eerie silence and uncomfortable humidity, there's something almost calming about the calm sense of placidity that permeates Yurei's property. It's a sensation that lasts all the way up to when you place your hand on the knob of the estate's massive double-doors, the pair swinging open simultaneously at the slightest touch to reveal a grand mezzanine.

The mansion's interior is abuzz with activity, maids rushing to and fro in formal attire, with the odd casually-dressed Daughter seated in the immaculately upholstered furniture with some tea or beverage in hand. One of the women stops, approaching you with a lantern in hand, and it's then that you notice that despite the impressive lighting, candles are the sole source of illumination that you can see in the cavernous halls.

"Welcome to Madame Yurei's domicile. How may I assist you?" The maid questions primly, her eyes shut even as she regards you with her placid expression and waxen, jelly-like features.

"Shu and the Defiants." You reply coolly, glancing past her to meet the eyes of some of the waiting Daughters, who meet your gaze with the wide eyes of wary recognition. "Yurei invited us here to finish a discussion we started. When is she available? Seems we're not the only ones to be waiting on her."

"You are quite correct." The maid replies with another stiff bow. "The Wise Madame is currently entertaining the audience of one of her honored guests, though I shall inform her that you have arrived. I am quite certain that she would like to move up your appointment, as she's been quite looking forward to speaking with you after the Barbers."

(Continued)
>>
>>3850129

"Woah, what?" Rath breathes as a chills works its way down her spine. The maid merely gestures to the doors to either side of the hall.

"I welcome you to rest and partake in The Wise Madame's gifts." She continues, ignoring Rath's raised hackles. "We have a banquet hall to your right, and the library to the left. At the end of this hall lies the Forge and a wondrous Engine. You are invited to craft, should it please you. The Wise Madame's invitation surely included this as part of her offer."

"That it did." You agree, feeling the Crimson Cord flare to life.

<Barbers moved fast, they weren't even close to here when Amara was tracking them> Gina reports, her mind abuzz with possibilities. <Maybe they got the same offer you did?>

[Maybe] You reply, nodding to the maid as she gives you one last, stiff bow before retreating back to her duties.

The chance to meet the Barbers came earlier than you'd anticipated...but then again it's not unexpected, given Yurei's desire to assail the Cord with all the notable fighters she can muster. In any case, their presence certainly has Rath on high alert, though Gina and Francine seem to be keeping a level head about the group's proximity. After all, if you were to avoid anyone with a reputation, you'd never have befriended the Midnight Crew, and that'd have been a damn shame.

Regardless of your reservations, there's a buffet, a Forge, and an Engine at your fingertips...

...may as well make the most of your time here.

>>Examine the Forge and the Engine, first. Pleasure, then business.

>>Check out the banquet hall...you're not sure what's on the menu, but it couldn't hurt to check.

>>Sit a while and wait to speak with Yurei, steering clear of the Barbers for now.

>>Speak with the Barbers when they're done, then meet with Yurei.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume in roughly fourteen. Thank you for joining me for the 31st Vein, and I appreciate your time, patience, and participation as always. I hope you've had a good Monday, and I shall see you in the morning. Sleep well, one and all.)
>>
>>3850135
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you tomorrow.
>>
>>3850135
Good night OP

I will be heading to bed as well..... its just to early in the morning. I willl vote later after i have woken up again
>>
>>3850132
So, our options. Examining the Forge and Engine should be interesting, just to see what Tier Five capabilities are and if her Engine is in any way different from ours. The banquet is probably not Daughter or Amalgam meat, that's a bit too much to give away for free, but probably preserved food from pre-Crucible which would be a delicacy at this point. Waiting is just waiting and doing nothing. Could be interesting to check in with the Barbers now when we have the chance. And as for write-ins, maybe checking the library could have information. Or just speaking with these maids. What are they? Are they Daughters that Yurei has hired, or just very advanced constructs? She is a Phantasmal Conduit, after all.
>>
>>3850132
>let your party decide, and simply follow them.
>if they simply wander, follow Francine as first pick, unless someone specifically grabs for your attention.

id like to wait on the forge and Engine. i mean, we dont need the engine, and while a Tier 5 Forge is wonderful, its business first, pleasure second. that and like ive said, if worse comes to shove, we're gonna need all our biomass and health potentially to get out of here. probably not from the look of things, but id rather not risk it. as for the banquet, while amalgam foods... fine i guess, we still have no actual need to eat. it also doesn't feel like its our place to interrogate her guests, and so i feel its not our place to talk to the Barbers here really. even if they aren't what their rep makes them seem like, still feels like a 'one conversation at a time' kinda scenario to me.
>>
>>3850135
have a good afternoon BHOP, thanks for running.

>>3850165
obviously see my post for a reply, bad timing i suppose with posting. but otherwise i disagree that waiting is a bad option. sometimes waiting is ok to do. worse case, if no ones does nothing, we get to talk to our team, and thats never not worth it.
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>>3850132
>Spawn 3-4 squads of Fuzzbuzzes: (Bumblebee Butler edition; black and white tuxedo patterned fur). Set it to 3-4 Fuzzbuzzes per squad have them browse the Banquet Hall buffet and deliver food/drinks for our family if they're hungry. Have one squad serve Gina and Rath, Have another squad serve Shu and Francine, and have the last squad pick out a few snacks/delicacies as souvenirs for Amara to snack upon. (at least two juice boxes/soda cans, preserved candybars if they have any, fresh fruit if they have any, and some finger-foods like hot dogs, chicken tenders, hamburgers, etc)

Why lose the benefit of having to walk around to the various rooms when you have a hive full of Bees that can do our bidding? We can have Adorable Bumblebee butlers in tuxedo patterned fur mingling around the mansion!
There's gotta be some comfort food that Francine craves from pre-crucible. She wouldn't have made her doctorates otherwise, we could use that to break the ice. And even though I'm spoiling Amara rotten with the food souvenirs, I have no regrets.

>Spawn a Fuzzbuzz in "Bumblebee Butler" patterned fur, set it down on a chair in the Hall and have it hold a makeshift Calcite plate sign that reads: "Shake this Fuzzbuzz's hand if you have business with Shu, Fuzzbuzz will guide you."
>Spawn another Fuzzbuzz in regular fur pattern and set it down on another chair in the Hall, have it hold a calcite sign plate that reads: "Petting this Fuzzbuzz is allowed."

>let your family wander and decide for themselves.
>Accompany Francine as your first pick, unless someone specifically grabs for your attention.
>>
>>3850475
While i dont dislike the idea it feels rude to flood the place with our own constructs when theres already servants running around. Makes it look like we don't think the host is capable, and also might interrupt their movement patterns. Plus it just looks rude as we just invade the place then respect no boundaries as we just treat someone elses home with little regard as if we own it.

Also a swarm of constructs might not put other patrons at ease, some might not like us casually setting up to attack the place enmasse.
>>
>>3850132
>Tell everyone over the empathic channel: "Try and stay at least in groups of two if you decide to step away from the rest. Makes it easier to get us all back together once our host has time for us"

>Walk around a bit with your family and investigate whatever tickels their fancy.

>Try and stay together with Francine unless someone tries to talk to you

I would l,ike to say more but our hsot has probably quite a lot of surveilance equipment that might also be able to pick up our empathic comms chatter. She has to have at least some kind of security that is not readily apperant if she keeps such an open house
>>
>>3850132
>>3850167
amending my vote to specifically exclude spawning ANY Fuzzbuzzes at all.
>>
>>3851036
>>3850475
amending vote...
>let your family wander and decide for themselves.
>Accompany Francine as your first pick, unless someone specifically grabs for your attention.

>>3851041
must you be that passive aggressive?
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>>3851053
>>3850132
Linking amended vote.
>>
>>3851053
>>3851041
Forget that I asked.
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>>3851053
>>3851058
i dont see how its passive aggressive. i disagree with the move, i gave my reasons why, we still disagreed, so im making sure my vote is for what i think is best.
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>>3850475
I propose that we call the tuxedo bees "FuzzButtlers".

>>3850132
>>>Write-In
>Spawn some FuzzButtlers to browse the buffet for our party.
>Go wander the mansion, try to spend some time with Francine if possible, if not gravitate towards the library.
>Don't bother with the Fuzzbuttler alarm system, I'm sure Yurei's staff can just find us rapidly.

Not too much different. I like sending the FuzzButtlers to get food, I just don't think we need to have one serve as a desk bell.
>>
>>3850132

Going with >>3850167. Also, as much as I love our FuzzBuzz, I also think it's not a good idea to create them without asking first. I'm happy to ask the staff if it's acceptable, but not so much forcing it upon them.
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>>3851067
FuzzButtlers doesnt really roll off the tongue very well. 'Fuzzlers' or 'Buzzlers' rings the bell much more smoothly.

>>3851095
yeah i mean theres already a waiting staff, we can just ask them for help instead of being rude and putting them out of their job.
>>
>>3850135
Franken Fran's back in a sequel called Franken Fran Frantic.
Here's the link.
https://mangakakalot.com/manga/cf920091
>>
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>>3850132

“Let’s kill some time before she’s ready for us.” You say, voice low as you glance between the hall’s numerous doorways. “Don’t go too far, and stay in teams of two.”

Rath and Francine both open their mouths to speak, pausing when they realize they’re about to trip over each other in their haste to do exactly what you assumed they’d do.

“Let me guess…Forge and Engine?” You grin, pointing between the pair. Rath chuckles as Francine adjusts her gloves sheepishly, and the moment you wave them on down the hall they make haste to examine the devices that have so piqued their interests.

“If somebody’d told me a couple of days ago that our Rath and a West proxy would be geeking out with each other over Fleshscape tech, I’ve have paralyzed them then and there.” Gina giggles, watching them until they round the corner and disappear from sight before turning to you with a bright smile. “Well, since you’re so good with guessing, where do you think I wanna go?”

You make a show of tapping your chin with one finger as you ponder her question, eyes meeting hers with a sparkle.

“The library.” You declare, rather surprised when Gina shakes her head.

“Nope! I want to see what food they have here.” She says playfully. “Knowledge stays fresh, but I can’t say the same for whatever Yurei’s serving.”

“Really?” You ask, incredulous. “You’d rather eat than read? Who are you, and what’ve you done with my Gina?”

“*My* Gina, huh? I have to admit, I like the sound of that.” GG counters with a grin, putting her hands on her cocked hips as her grin turns to a suspicious scowl. “Then again…what are you trying to say? You saying I eat too much? Something wrong with my figure?”

You feel your pulse quicken as you begin to stammer an explanation, and it’s then that Gina nearly doubles over with barely-suppressed laughter.

“Shu, I’m just being a jerk. Come on, let’s go see the spread.” She says, looping her arm around yours as she leads you to the banquet hall. The smell of cooked meats and delectable treats hits you full-force when you and she step through the door, and you find you’re far from the only ones marveling at the vast array of foods on display, as much a show of power than a gesture of delicious goodwill.

“Good God, I’m guessing this is all Amalgam-based stuff, but still.” GG murmurs, eyes alighting on a plate of thinly-sliced meat. “I mean, I know we don’t really *need* to eat anymore, but…jeez, this is just a treat for the senses, if anything.”

“Something this elaborate, with this many guests…I wonder how long she’s been throwing this.” You muse, scanning a plate of small sausages tightly-wrapped in yet more meat. “I mean, she didn’t even give us a time to meet up with her, so how long has she been keeping this up…and how?”

(Continued)
>>
>>3851187

You and Gina are so engrossed in examining the dizzying array of food available that neither of you notice the woman at your right until she speaks.

“Glad ya’ came, Defiant.”

You turn, coming face-to-chest with the woman that looms over you, sparkling eyes shining down at you past a few errant strands of blue hair.

“Likewise, Ivey.” You greet, tearing your eyes away from the food to the woman before you. “How goes the search for candidates?”

“Fair, given the turnout. I have to say though, you’re by far my best catch.” She grins, sharp teeth shining in the flickering candle light as she scans the room before settling her piercing gaze on the girl by your side. “You got no shortage of friends, I see.”

“Girlfriend, actually.” Gina corrects with a smile, thrusting out her hand for a pointed handshake. “Gina. Charmed.”

“You got some teeth on you, Gina.” Ivey says, taking her hand with a laugh. “I’d expect nothing less from someone that can keep up with the Defiant.”

“So, what’re you doing off the hunt?” You ask, trying to diffuse the palpable tension between the two girls, which certainly isn’t helped when Ivey leans down to bring her lips close to your right ear.

“Keeping an eye on certain rogue elements. Dessert table, cotton-candy hair. Can’t miss her.” Ivey whispers, and you find her target almost immediately. She’s a slender thing, a pale girl whose pale, glistening flesh looks almost like pulled taffy. Her short-cropped pink hair bounces lightly as she flits from plate to plate, piling her small platter high with all manner of sweets.

“Blood Sugar, I’m guessing? From the Barbers.” You mutter, and Ivey gives a slight nod as she rises back to full height.

“Aye. The other two are sitting with Yurei now, probably wrapping things up as we speak. Their Neuromancer’s scoping out the library, but this one here seemed a little jittery so thought I’d keep an eye. Seems that’s just how she is, though.” Ivey comments, keeping her voice light and at the same level as the general murmur of voices around you.

“Anyone else here I should know about?” You ask, and Ivey just shrugs.

“Alpha hasn’t shown, at least not yet. As far as anyone else I’m afraid I can’t say specifics, but the Barbers are the main ones of note.” She continues, glancing between your gaze and Gina’s level stare.

<Their Neuromancer’s the only one that’s still unknown, right?> Gina asks across the Cord, her thoughts trying to focus despite her eyes trailing down the taller woman’s stomach. <Might be worth checking out, especially since she’s a Gemma shard>

True...this might be a good opportunity to feel them out individually, while you have the chance.

>>Speak with Ivey about her employer.

>>Go talk to Sugar, and try to feel her out.

>>Continue on to the library.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours.)

>>3851183
(Marvelous, thank you for sharing this!)
>>
>>3851193
>Speak with Ivey about her employer.
>Ask her about the Barbers more too, if you have the time.
>Ask Gina to see if she cant use her insight abilities on Blood Sugar, though making eye contact might be a bit awkward, it still might help to know how she thinks.
while i do want to scope out the Barbers, we came here for a reason and its best to focus on that reason first and foremost.

the Gemma shard is... well i still feel Gemma and her shards are a side quest, not even a secondary quest level. sorry Gemma not against helping you but even as far as non main objectives go i just dont think your shards rank as high on our list in terms of importance.
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>>3851193

>Ask Ivey: "Does Yurei mind if we take a few snacks and sweets as a souvenir? I've got an adorable little girl back home who would pout if I didn't."
>if given approval, spawn some Fuzzbuzz Butlers, and have them pick out a choice few snacks and treats as souvenirs for Amara. Be careful on the dessert section though, Blood Sugar might be someone who hates having her sweets taken.
>Have one of the fuzzbuzz butlers aid Blood Sugar in building her leaning tower of sweets until Blood Sugar either tells the FuzzBuzz Butler to start or has to start spending time trying to balance the towering plate of desserts than picking from the dessert table, if Blood Sugar tells it to stop, have it withdraw and return to Shu.
>Wave and smile at Blood Sugar when she looks up to figure out where this bumblebee construct that's aiding her is coming from. That'll make her focus her focal attention at Shu while Gina can look into Blood Sugar's eyes for insight with Neuromancy in Blood Sugar's peripheral vision without making the exchange look awkward.

Then
>Continue on to the library.
I wanna see who our Mystery Neuromancer is. We're making this look like we're just here for the food, then leaving.
>>
>>3851242
if we want to try and interact with Sugar, best to just talk to her, Rather then intrude on her personal space by putting bugs all over her food. we're right by the snack table we can just get the sweets ourselves.

theres also probably some joke here about her being made of sugar and seeing bees coming after her. also my godforsaken dyslexic brain keeps making me spell sugar as surgar.

otherwise Gina had her chance to go to the library, im kinda hoping Yuri will be available after this over more stuff.
>>
Why do we need to get eye contact on Blood Sugar? That's Julia's thing. Gina just has to be looking at a person to establish a link, not look them in the eyes.
>>
>>3851266
good point.
>>3851242
>>3851193
Amending my vote to just simply
>Go talk to Sugar, and try to feel her out.

Given that it's Blood Sugar, and that she's piling on a giant towering plate of sweets, she's probably a motor mouth with a very high blood sugar level coursing through her veins.
>>
>>3851270
nah, its eye contact based. Halo, level 4.

>>3851271
oh god shes gonna be annoying to converse with if it does come to that... all you did is confirm id prefer to just ask about the Barbers than talk to her.
>>
>>3851273
>nah, its eye contact based. Halo, level 4.
Yeah, and that's redundant now that she has Neon Ascendant and can form Neuromantic links just by looking at people.
>>
>>3851274
no, its not, as they may have neuromancy protections, or be able to tell we are making a connection to them. it also might count as initiating combat to link with someone unwillingly, or she may interpret it as an unwanted hostile action, while the eyes are a much more passive ability made to go unnoticed.
>>
>>3851275
We're still rummaging around in another person's thoughts without their permission. That's going to be considered rude and potentially a hostile act if they spot it no matter which ability we use to do it. And while I suppose the lower-power signal might be stealthier (though Gina's established she can do decent stealth with Neon Ascendant), I can't see it being any better at getting past neuromantic protection. So it might not be completely redundant, but it's mostly redundant.
>>
>>3851193
>>Go talk to Sugar, and try to feel her out.
>>Write-In
>Use the excuse of hitting up the desert table ourselves, because we want to grab some treats for Amara.
>>
>>3851281
agree to heavily disagree. ones an active connection meant for combat and is done by forcing things out of her , the others passive that happens naturally and unforcefully, like looking through a window. literally supposed to be an 'eyes are a window to the soul' situation.
>>
>>3851284
Either way, Gina's reading someone's mind without consent. Whether she did that via guile or force, someone realizing she's doing it could still be offended. We should be careful with powers like this. Maybe leveling Neon Ascendant could get Gina some neuromantic stealth to make it harder to spot her reading minds, that would be neat.
>>
>>3851290
well, i do not wish to actively talk to Sugar as i feel getting info on Yurei is much more important, so as far as im concerned its the better way to learn something about her without wasting our time.
>>
>>3851271
>>3851242
Changing my vote. Possibly for the last time before getting ready for work.

>Ask Ivey: "Does Yurei mind if we take a few snacks and sweets as a souvenir? I've got an adorable little girl back home who would pout if I didn't."
>if given approval, spawn some Fuzzbuzz Butlers, and have them pick out a choice few snacks and treats as souvenirs for Amara. Be careful on the dessert section though, Blood Sugar might be someone who hates having her sweets taken.

>Continue on to the library.
>>
wait, thinking about it, wasn't an Amara clone tracking the Barbers? where'd that run off to, or is she like, hiding in the swamp looking through the window with a little notepad writing down everything Sugar does or something?
yes i know Amara has no need for her clones to write things down but its a cute mental image.
>>
>>3851300
forgot to link it again. >>3851193
>>
>>3851294
Yeah, I guess I'm more interested in Neuro-Gemma than Blood Sugar, if I'm being honest. I'd be fine with changing it.

>>3851193
>>Continue on to the library.
>>Write-In
>Grab some snacks for the road, first. Try not to nibble on them too much, leave some for our friends. Then thank Ivey for the heads up before we visit the library.

>>3851303
I think whatever they did to get to Yurei's manor so fast gave the Amara clone the slip.
>>
>>3851312
eh, as i said earlier we came here for a reason and it should come first, and Gemma honeslty in my opinion is a minor questline, not even a secondary.

>I think whatever they did to get to Yurei's manor so fast gave the Amara clone the slip.
that is the best case scenario for why she would no longer be tracking them yes. hopefully Sugar didnt have a snack before getting here.
>>
>>3851317
either that or they ganked the Amara clone without Amara knowing.
>>
>>3851317
Yeah, but we've got some time before Yurei's available to speak to us anyway. In fact, talking with the members of the Barbers not meeting with Yurei is a perfect way to spend our time, because once Yurei's done the other Barbers will come collect their friends and we'll have to stop that conversation at that point. It's a self-solving problem.
>>
>>3851322
i feel like Amara would know. care? different story, but certainly know if shes lost a construct.

>>3851327
i disagree, for reasons ive stated earlier.
>>
random thought, but does being made of candy make one more susceptible to gluttonous abilities?
>>
>>3851193

I think we should talk to Ivey, try to get a read on how things are likely to go with Yurei. That said, asking if it's okay if we have some of our Buzzlers wrap up a Tindalos-bag for Amara is too on point for us.
>>
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>>3851193

"Hey, does Yurei mind if we take a few snacks and sweets as a souvenir? I've got an adorable little girl back home who would pout if I didn't." You ask, and Ivey shrugs.

“Knock yourself out. Yurei’s got more than enough to spare, so go nuts.”

“Thanks for the info, Ivey. Good luck on finding more prospects, and I’ll be seeing you.” You say, mirroring the little salute she gives you as you and Gina make your way through the milling crowd to pick up a select few confections to bring back to your favorite Skintalker. After managing to gather a fine selection from what Sugar’s left behind, you and Gina make your way out of the room and across the hall to the library, finding a cavernous space filled wall-to-wall with books of every shape and color, their multitudinous colors forming the walls of the two-story library. There are considerably less Daughters here than in the dining area, and as you glance between the myriad of girl around the room, you realize there’s one young woman present who has to be who you’re looking for.

In a room with few faces, she has none at all.

You approach the girl as she flips through a copy of Metamorphosis, gently closing the weathered volume and replacing it on the bookcase before turning to face you. You realize it’s not so much that she doesn’t have features, and more that what she does possess you can’t quite fathom. Eyes, a nose, a mouth…she has all of these, but your mind simply refuses to compile those scraps of information into a cohesive whole, leaving you with a scrambled, ever-shifting phantasm with an inscrutable expression.

“Shu the Defiant, as I live and breathe.” The shard says as you stop before her, your eyes trying to focus on a visage that refuses to make sense. “A pleasure, though not a surprise.”

“Gemma.” You say, just before a flicker of doubt flits through your mind. “Do you go by Gemma, or…?”

“That’s fine. The rest of my friends call me Sia, but that’s more my little joke, than anything.” She replies, her shoulders rising up and down in a small shrug. “I’d assume it was your little Skintalker that was following us earlier? Sorry for giving her the slip with my abilities, but I don’t really like being followed, not with one of the shards on my tail. Rest assured, she’s fine.”

“On your tail?” Gina echoes, her Halo working to make sense of the other girl’s intentions.

“Some of the shards of our predecessor are rather forceful in their desire to reunite into a cohesive whole. It appears that the Gemma shard your ally possesses has recently begun broadcasting your sculptress’ location to the other, more militant members of our little involuntary collective.”

Your eyes widen a fraction, and Gemma…or rather, Sia just huffs out a bitter sigh.

(Continued)
>>
>>3851439

“What I’d assume your shard hasn’t elaborated on is that while there are plenty of shards that seek to reunite their disparate parts, there are just as many that are rather enjoying not being a cog in a mad, screaming machine…present company included.” She explains, crossing her arms. “I’m guessing Gemma skimmed the part where most of our fragments were out of their minds, hm?”

<She’s telling the truth…I think? It’s really hard to tell, her mind’s like a radio station that keeps switching every few seconds, so…god, this is weird to filter through> Gina says, confusion and strained focus evident in her tone.

“Why?” You ask, trying to wrap your head around the shards’ private war. “Why come back together, if it’s miserable?”

“Different reasons.” She replies, glancing back to the shelf as she thumbs through the collected volumes. “Some want to become the dominant shard, others want to delete the others to come out on top. None of us can quite put our fingers on it, that desire to be whole again. It’s just a bunch of girls fighting over limited real estate. Sound familiar, Defiant?”

Your eyes narrow, and she just laughs.

“It’s a Neuromancer’s business to know…same with Skintalkers and Conduits.” She muses, her index finger lingering on the spine of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. “I wonder what your lesser half is up to, now?”

“Holy cow, look who it is!”

The voice from behind you is a high, carefree sort of thing, and as you turn to the source you find a girl dressed in a sweater with a curious mask covering the lower half of her face. Her hair’s drawn back into a ponytail, a warm smile evident in the curve of her cheeks and the twinkle in her eyes. Behind her traipses an awkwardly tall young woman with raven hair, her odd gait reminding you amusingly of a giraffe made of jelly. The blonde closes the gap with starling speed, and before you can stop her she’s wrapped you up in a tight hug much to your and Gina’s chagrin.

“H-hey. Do I know you?” You stutter, straining for breath before the girl mercifully releases her bear hug, keeping her hands on your shoulders as she beams at you.

“Nope! But you’re Shu the Defiant, right?...Sia, I’m right, right?” The girl asks, suddenly uncertain of her enthusiastic greeting as she glances past you to her ally.

“Shu, meet Rosa. Our leader, for better or worse.” The Neuromancer sighs as the dark-haired girl behind Rosa gives a wave with one spindly hand, and the maid that escorted them to their friend clears her throat with a dainty cough.

“Madame Yurei will see you now.” The maid intones with a low bow, glancing between you and the Barbers. “When you are free, that is.”

>>Continue speaking with the Barbers. They’re…not what you expected, for certain.

>>It’s time. Go speak with Yurei, as you have a few questions for her (Write-In).

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours.)
>>
>>3851443
>>3851445
wait, so Gemma is intentionally sending her location outward? well damn, thats fucked up. we have a way to send word to Julia about that? we do have Hive Phones, i think?

>>3851443
>Ask Sia for quick clarification. she specifically said 'militant' members, which makes it seem like our Gemma is intentionally trying to be found.
>If we have a way, send a warning to Julia about what may be going on.
>Go speak with Yurei, best not to hold her up.
>Thank the Barbers for their time, and mention if they would like to speak more, you would be more than happy to get to know them, but with Yurei already bumping your spot in the line up, it would be rude to her and those you're cutting infront of to hold the line up.
>>
>>3851443
>>3851450
oh, also
>Give Sia reassurances neither you or your team will force unification on anyone. hell, even if it came to a fight, you would still keep those consciousnesses that wish to be individuals separate from the collective, for what its worth.
>>
>>3851450
(You are correct, and Julia can absolutely be informed.)
>>
>>3851453
well, glad we can get word to her, but thats still pretty damn backstabby of Gemma. it was hinted there may be uncontrollable signaling we knew about, butspecifically drawing the attention of those most likely to collect her?

to think i went out of my way to try and make sure she was still included and contributing to the team, the bitch. guess fuck that shit, she needs to go. betrayal is basically my biggest beef as the saying goes. at least even damn bloody West tells you where she stands.
>>
>>3851443
>Try and give Julia a warning that she may soon be targeted by a militant member of the Gemmas
>A clarification from Sia would be useful as well. Mostly who she thinks is most likely to target us
>also tell her: "I think Julia and i will need to have a talk with our Gemma. We wont force you to reunite with her"


>Talk to the Barbers before meeting with Yurei "Well i dont want to keep our host waiting after she made sure i could cut the line. However I would like to get to know you after my talk with Yurei. If you can afford to wait a bit i think my buisness with her is gonna be quick. And i think i have gotten a bit of a stained first impression of your group through my sources. I dont think they like you very much."

>Go speak with Yurei
>>
>>3851457
I agree we need to have a talk with her and have to throw her out if she is unrepentant. She is compromising not only Julias life but also possibly the lair and everyone who is with Julia.

If it was not under her control fine but not if she is gonna actively draw in new and dangerous enemies everywhere we go. That is a clear step over the line we tried to draw.
>>
>>3851466
indeed.
honestly the 'best case' i can see is she thought 'if i draw in the militant ones, you guys get a power boost and i get shards you probably were gonna give me anyways, so why not speed the process up?'
but personally thats still way over the line and unacceptable. dammit i knew she was gonna be trouble but i didn't expect going behind our backs type of trouble.
>>
>>3851443
> “For better or worse eh? what shenanigans did you rope them into Rose?” say that in a joking manner.

ah fuck. the important questions that I would have had is canceled because I’m at work...

>tell Sia this: “We’ll talk later.”
>>3851466
Fuck, didn’t We give her that speech about Gemma Running away from her problems when she initially came to us and wanted us to eat her?
I think that speech’s effect is biting us in the ass.
I would have loved to be able to work on this but I’m at work right now so I can’t get back to this until late in the evening.
>>
>>3851484
apparently 4chan ate my post, such is life.

to be fair, Gemma outright twisted half our point and ignored the other half we were trying to make to her, so honestly that ones not on us i think its fair to say. i think this Shard was just naturally never going to be for our way of doing things.
>>
>>3851484
>That speeches effect is biting us in the ass

maybe we should make sure to talk to her and tell her we will throw her out if she makes things difficult for us. There is a reason we want our hideout to remain secret. And drawing people there is dangerous for all involved. We might have to go ahead and crystalize her. It wold be a shame to have to do it but might ber our only option aside form outright purging her.

She is also someone we might not want to revive after the crucible. I dont think it is something she woulld want to life as her entire life was probably hell.
>>
>>3851514
i think we've had this talk before, but i dont think its right or a good idea for us to try and be the arbiters of who comes back or not.

that, and it might not be possible to be picky, not even just if its even an option, but several billion people is alot to try and sort through.
>>
>>3851443

As someone who functions with D.I.D and married someone who also had it: 1st, BHOP, Gemma is a personal horror story for me. Thank you. Having each of my alters wake up separate, fuck me running with a chainsaw that would be awful not just for me, but for those around some of them. 2nd, our Gemma just made my very, very, very personal and limited shit list.

We tell Julia. Now. I know what kind of monsters an alter without others to compensate can be, and Julia is in danger.

That said, other than that, I literally cannot vote beyond that because I'm so personally incensed.
>>
>>3851559
D.I.D?

and i understand the feeling.

>>3851514
>>3851547
another point this does bring up is the difficult question of what happens to use when our old selves come back? while we still dont know Sia well enough to be sure shes a good person, i wouldn't wish being trapped in another's head in the situation she implied even on West, yet for all we know bringing everyone back will unavoidably force that on her. hopefully not, but we'll have to see our options when we get there i guess. im not a greater good kinda guy, but there does come a sad point we might have to think of the bigger picture of what will be best for the most amount of people, even if its still a shitty deal for a good chunk of people. questions for later, i suppose.
>>
>>3851568
disassociate Identity Disorder
>>
>>3851568

Disassociate Identity Disorder. The overarching diagnosis where the old Multiple Personality disorder now lives. I'm figuring Gemma's docile/young alters are well and truly consumed now.

Also, the fact that Gemma is operating independently while within Julia is not surprising to me. It's just another form of a personality cluster-mind. It would be normal, by her own normality, to do so.
>>
>>3851574
>>3851585
ah, thanks. knew it had to do with the subject matter, but didnt know it was the exact same thing as MPD.

>>3851585
unsure really. there was what? 52 i think of her? number must be alot lower now though yeah, even our Gina has a few mixed back into her, and alot seek it out too. should've had Shu count the number of screens Gemma had, though i suppose Gina could help us relook at the memory.

not sure what you mean by the second part, as all dream daughters operate 'independently' inside our characters heads. unless you mean the whole 'backstabbing Julia and us for her own gain' part specifically.
>>
>>3851601

How do I explain this... Our Gemma (O.Gemma) would have had a lifetime (or however long from the trauma that "split" her) of riding "backseat" in one body and likely an internal image of pulling the strings while not in the "pilot" seat. Especially with how many alters pre-Crucible Gemma had, and how hostile they seem to each other, O.Gemma would be well practiced at background manipulations while inside another's "head".

What I'm so angry about isn't that Gemma wants to merge, but that she's being a very bad alter inside of Julia, right now. She's finally in a situation where she could have a functional council with the other Dream Daughters and Julia, but has chosen old poor habits.
>>
>>3851621
it really feels like the merge group of Gemmas biggest issue is they dont actually understand what being an individual means, and/or feel they cant be an individual if another alter exists, which by existing separably already proves that wrong.

also feels like a waste. here they are finally truly their own person, and they cant let go of when they weren't.
>>
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>>3851443

[Gina, reach out to Julia and warn her group about Gemma and what might be coming] You order, Gina’s eyes immediately flickering with amethyst as she stretches her warning across the miles that separate you and her family.

<Done. They're fine, 'cept for Amara wanting to go over budget>

"I think we'll need to have a talk with our Gemma.” You say aloud, turning to Sia. “We won’t force you or anyone else to reunite with her.”

Sia nods as Rosa clasps her hands in front of her, making a sound of delight. “Ahhhh, you’re so heckin’ cool! So much cooler than I even thought you’d be!”

“Uh…thanks.” You say, a little put off at the Barber’s rampant fangirling as you shift your focus back to Sia. “About what you said earlier…any insight on who’s most likely to target us?”

“No guarantees, but there’s a Fibromancer that's close to your team, but since your friends are in Laoc you shouldn’t have much to worry about. The mayor’s a real ball-buster and is familiar with the shard situation from previous scuffles, so your team’ll be fine.”

"Good to know, thanks. Well, I dont want to keep our host waiting, but I would like to get to know you all after my talk with Yurei.” You state, prompting a small hop of joy from Rosa and a much smaller bow from the tall girl behind her. “If you can afford to wait a bit I think we should finish quickly."

“Yes! Heck yes, absolutely! We’ll totally wait for you!” Rosa immediately assents, to which Sia just shrugs. Rosa shakes your hand vehemently before you’re able to part ways with them, following the maid as she leads you back to the mansion’s entrance. You meet Rath and Francine in the mezzanine, finding the two of them waiting for you and immersed in a conversation regarding the heights the Forges could be pushed to, should a Forge Core be exposed and altered by an Engine’s power. They pause at your approach, and the four of you follow the maid in silence as she gestures for you to follow her deeper into the mansions’ depths. Slowly, the sounds of the other guests begin to fade until the only sound that echoes in the narrowing hallway is that of your own feet on the carpet, of your lungs inhaling and exhaling, interspersed with the pulse of your heart. Finally, the maid stops at a pair of double doors, gently pushing them open with her gloved hands.

The chamber beyond is a cozy, cloth-draped expanse of room, every surface decorated with linens and shawls, held aloft by a variety of aged vases and elaborate candlesticks. In the center of it all, is a small, circular table, and at the further point stands an older woman with one hand on her chair, a jacket draped over her shoulders. A long, slender cigarette dangles loose from the corner of her lips, her dull yellow eyes slowly scanning you and your family before she gestures to the other four chairs that surround the table.

“Shall we?” Yurei asks in a deep, smoky voice.

(Continued)
>>
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>>3851681

You pull out Gina’s chair before you take a seat yourself, finding it surprisingly comfortable as you adjust your dress. Yurei waits for you all to sit before she does the same, moving with such slow deliberation that you think at first that she’s doing so to put on an air of gravitas, at least before you see her wince slightly as she does so.

“Seeing as how I respect not only your time but also the limits of your patience, I’ll endeavor to make this relatively succinct.” She says, taking a long drag off her cigarette as you watch it dwindle. “The Crucible, the Cord, the Hunger…it’s all designed to fail. In combing through past Crucibles via Carroll’s Forest, I found that in the seven-hundred-and-seventy-six previous ones there has not been a single species that have emerged unbroken by the process. It broke them all, and it will break us if we continue to play by its rules. Of the hell on earth that this thing has wrought, it’s also given us an opportunity, one that cannot go overlooked.”

She inhales, exhaling a thin trail of smoke that curls to the ceiling as she studies your eyes impassively.

“Rape. Murder. Cruelty, in limitless variety. Mankind’s picked up a laundry list of habits, habits that we’ve insisted on repeating, over and over for our relatively short existence. Why? Lust. Hunger. Want. We can’t escape these things, by the very virtue of our existence. It’s pointless to try.”

“Pardon me for saying so, but as much as people suck you’re makin’ it sound like we’re kind of hopeless.” Rath says, regarding the older woman with a raised eyebrow.

“Not at all. On the contrary, I have nothing but hope for us to be something absolutely incredible…under the right conditions.” Yurei replies with a weary smile. “As long as we are tied to a mortal, physical existence, with all that it entails, we can never escape the cycles we’re trapped in…but humanity’s been presented a chance unlike any we’ve ever had. The chance to escape the confines of…all this, and become something that has a legitimate chance to become something better.”

“In the Dreamscape.” You say, and she looks at you for a long moment before nodding.

“In the Dreamscape.” She replies. “Hunger’s hard-coded into the Crucible. It’s not something that can be played with, and it’s the main drawback with trying to exist in the Fleshscape while in this form. Amalgams will run out, we will begin to succumb, and that is unavoidable. It is a cold, hard fact…but existence in the Cord circumvents this entirely. The Crucible cannot end unless a winner is decided, and the Crucible has no winners, not truly.”

She taps her cigarette out on an ashtray you didn’t notice on the table before, taking a moment to collect herself before gesturing to you.

“I could go on…but as I said, I respect your time. You have questions…”

She sighs.

“…and I have answers.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Voting shall remain open for the next two hours, Gentlemen. I hope you are having a great day, one and all.)
>>
>>3851685
>"So you want to put everyone in the dreamscape inside the Cord? Correct?"
>"What happens to those that dont want that?"

>"You want to hack the cord. How do you plan on doing so? Sheer Numbehrs of Neuromancers? I am sure you are aware that the cord will test more than just the physical strength f those that enter?"

>"So lets say everyone was on board with living inside the Cord in the Dreamscape. What will you do if there is a threat from outside? A threat from lets say an alien predator so vast and powerful it can consume event he Crucible? Would you just go out and die? This smells to me like a path with no way back to defend the paradise you have created for yourself. Or hell the crucible just spawns raw daughter constructs from before tthey were released into the crucible and one day one of them will be mad enough to climb the cord and end it all. She may even resent you for what you have done. And then we would have an Ozmas2.0 on our hands that would do anything in her power to make us as miserable as possible"

>"What would happen to someone that wanted to leave? What if someone was not satisfied with how things were going?"

>"What about those that are stored inside the cord. Those that dream there that were never released into the crucibel either because they are male or just lacked the drive to sruvive at any cost."

Those are the Questions i could think of right now. I might add to them later on
>>
>>3851688
OH i had a great day. Almost murdered my party with demonic snake monstrosities while they were transporting teleporting infernal monster cats with tentacle tails

Thanks for asking

I hope your day has been good as well
>>
>>3851685

"What you describe is definitely your idea of Heaven, but certainly not everyone's. What do we do with those who don't want to go? Secondly, if you're really putting 'us' into the Dreamscape, what about those who want rape, murder, and cruelty? What happens with them? Even if everyone gets their own personal Nirvana, what then. The Crucible is still bound by physical laws, so the computing power is finite. Eventually we'd all just be competing over processing power anyways."

"Finally, what about the Mother of All? Tell me if you're aware of it, and what you know of it, because if that 800 pound gorilla isn't accounted for in your plans, we have some very bad news."
>>
>>3851688
Mostly good. Got real busy the past couple hours and missed the conversation with Sia, bit annoying in that because it looked like some interesting discussion was had during it, but I'm caught up on that now. Oh, Gemma. I'm not surprised you're drawing in the other shards, I was kind of expecting that already, but I am disappointed that it's a conscious choice.

How about you, BHOP, how's your day been?
>>
>>3851685
>"well, that certainly sounds nice, but what about those that dont want that?"
>"Its one thing to avoid letting anyone win, but its another to force the dreamscape upon everyone. "
>"the way i see it, no one, not me, not you, not any person or group, has any right to decide what path humanity takes for the rest of us, especially not for those trapped inside the cord as of now."
>"its not our place to decide how humanity will be, only defend peoples chance to choose themselves... and yes, put those down who would prevent that for others, if we have the ability to."
>"My Goal Yurei, is to give humanity back its freedom and its chance to have a future. what people choose to do from there, will be up to them. I nor anyone else has any right to choose their future for them, or what is truly best for them. they will all have to do that on their own."

>"And thats just the moral side of things, but what about the practical?"
>"even if you could convince every single person to go along with this, that doesn't mean the real world stops existing."
>"You would need someone, or something humanity controls, to stay outside and defend whatever holds our dreamscape."
>"Yet no matter what you do, that will still leave us vulnerable, to the accidents or whims of the universe or any person or creature left behind, no place left to run, no way left to fight."

>"If this is what you and your group wish for, then im not against it for you. but i cant support, condone, or overlook forcing this path on those that dont want it, both those daughters alive now and those trapped inside the cord. people must have the right to choose their own path, make their own choices. all we have a right to do is stop individuals as they would prevent that for others, as individuals. individually."

>>3851688
im doing fine. hard to time my naps though with when you'll actually post the updates though, heh.
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>>3851688
In order of importance:
How do you know people can be put into the cord and retain their sentience? (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in the past it's been said that the beings in the cord are more or less in stasis)
Questions per
>>3851736
Are you aware that there are other things in the universe that hunt the crucible?

I think for most people this plan is going to be a no-go but I at least want to gather all the info we can.


Also, holy crap 776 (meaning we are lucky no 777) previous iterations. I'd love to predict how old the crucible is but its entirely dependent on how fast it travels because the fighting part of the crucible is so short. I don't remember any distance info being given from the Hexane on how far away their planet was or how far away they saw it but we might be able to ask. At the very least, sentient life in the universe is pretty common which is a nice thought.

I was going to say something about computing all of humanity being relatively cheap compared to the energy of sunlight on the Earth, but when I did the back of the envelope math it ended up being much less margin that I expected, even at 100% efficiency. So that may be a very valid concern.
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>>3851791
crucibles old, damn old. id have to look back for the exact info, but we have been told how long it took for it to go from the Hexxane world to ours, or close enough to get an idea of things from.

and yes, the beings in the Cord are in stasis, i think it was described as being like Isabelle in her crystal. literally eternal sleep, actual sleep, not like how being a dream daughter it.

also the cords already doing much more than computing all of humanity, so id say the solution to that at least is already there.
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>>3851791
>Also, holy crap 776 (meaning we are lucky no 777) previous iterations. I'd love to predict how old the crucible is but its entirely dependent on how fast it travels because the fighting part of the crucible is so short. I don't remember any distance info being given from the Hexane on how far away their planet was or how far away they saw it but we might be able to ask. At the very least, sentient life in the universe is pretty common which is a nice thought.
According to West's notes, the Crucible spent several thousand years in transit before it reached Earth. So either it doesn't actually have FTL travel or life is relatively far apart. Or Ozmas sulking just slowed down the process, that's possible. But if we consider that time frame as representative, then the Crucible is...actually not that old, really. Like, it's older than the human species, but in the lifespan of the universe? Miniscule. That's actually kind of cool, then, if seven hundred and seventy-seven different sapient beings have all evolved within less than ten million years of each other. Better than a lot of people's estimates.

>I was going to say something about computing all of humanity being relatively cheap compared to the energy of sunlight on the Earth, but when I did the back of the envelope math it ended up being much less margin that I expected, even at 100% efficiency. So that may be a very valid concern.
I'm getting a fairly feasible number of one hundred and forty megawatts. A human brain draws about twenty watts to power itself. Assume that the Crucible's hyper-advanced alien biotech can get a thousand times more efficient. So for seven billion humans you require one hundred and forty megawatts. Solar power density in Earth orbit is one thousand three hundred and sixty-eight watts per square meter. At one hundred percent efficiency you'd only need a collector one hundred and two thousand meters square, or about three hundred and twenty meters on a side. Plenty plausible. At least, just for the humans. You'd need more power to account for their virtual environment, but I still think you'd get a decent margin even with only 30% efficiency for your solar collectors.
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>>3851791
>>3851800
I just did the math out on paper because I was suddenly really curious. Using Wikipedia numbers for sunlight power incident on the Earth (1kW/m2), radius (6378km), and power usage of a human brain (20W), it looks like the Earth gets ~600x the energy required to simulate all humans if you have 0 overhead. As soon as you start adding simulation overhead and deciding if you want to simulate the Hexane or the Doggos or whoever else, it drops rapidly. And because the next question is probably what about geothermal, it doesn't even hold a candle to the sun, I ballparked geothermal at ~2% the input from the sun.

For our purposes and for the next ~5 billion years it's fine until the sun expands and kills us. But for a traveling Crucible that doesn't work, it just doesn't have enough energy to keep everyone awake when probably 90%+ of its life is in deep space with low energy input. Honestly, that is a VERY good reason for why all sentient beings need to be in stasis and I'm gonna give mad points to BHOP for it regardless of whether he thought this far ahead or not.

Also I think you are right and we do have the number because it's something Mother complained about.
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>>3851823
>>3851824
assuming between 3-5 thousand years between earth and the Hexxane world, and given a rough estimate of an average of 1-10 thousand years between worlds(based on the fact the Hexxane even had a chance to inspect the Crucible beforehand imply its last victim was unusually close to them, but also assuming i think safely thats not the usual case and the Crucible probably does have a limit power supply to go off of).

thats 777,000- 7,770,000 years old yeah. not old at all.
(Easy math mind you, but still never hurts to put it down in writing.)

interesting to note even at its possible youngest time between each crucible, it could easily be seeing a Race and going at them when they are only first showing signs of sentience, i wonder how close it often cuts it to the species having a viable escape route, or tech that can hurt it? i mean, it clearly 'wins' in those situations, but its still interesting to think how much its end target will have changed and advanced since it picked them out to consume next.
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>>3851823
Several thousand years would be ridiculously fast, if that's really the case I can't believe I skimmed over that. That would mean sentient life definitely within the Milky Way, basically within our backyard. A thousand light years is nothing compared to how far apart stuff normally is.
Although none of that is taking relativity into account... If the crucible travels at a significant portion of the speed of light then Mother's recollection is meaningless. And also energy requirements skyrocket, moving stuff to the speed of light and back is hard.

I think it's a huge step to say the Crucible can make human brains 1000x more efficient, humans brains are already pretty efficient and if you start removing stuff you start losing parts of yourself pretty quick. I'd buy maybe 10x. Silicon is way more efficient in terms of pure calculating power but that's not meat based anymore.
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>>3851685
>"I do have questions, yes, quite a few. Firstly, the big one: What are you going to do about the Crucible's life cycle? I can't condone any plan that leaves it still functional and consuming other worlds while we remain observers locked inside the Cord. I refuse to repeat the Tindalos Hounds' mistake. My team is working on a plan to sterilize the Crucible, keep it from completing its cycle so that it remains here on Earth forever. Is that compatible with your own ideas?"
>"Secondly, what are you going to do about holdouts? I'm sure you'd be able to recruit most of the population, given the alternatives, but I'm sure some will resist. We could force them to upload, or leave them to die in the fleshscape, but I think that would go against the principle of wanting humanity to become something better. Some of humanity's worst episodes have come from taking away choice or ignoring the suffering of others. Are you going to do some sort of humanitarian mission, provide them with resources to sustain themselves?"
>"I'd think you'd have to have some realspace resources and agents anyway, right? If the Crucible has taught us anything, it's that the cosmos is a dangerous place. We need to be able to protect ourselves if another world-eater comes along. What are your intentions for protecting and sustain the Cord?"
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>>3851861
>>3851701
>>3851736
while i think we're all agreeing on over arching ideas here, id kinda still like to lay out our own limits and caveats to her, as i really dont think her answer is going to change our opinion on certain potential aspects of her plan. or well, she may of thought of a work around, but more that deciding this or at least forcing it on the unwilling is simply not something Shu or her family would condone, and i guess i dont see the point in not letting her know that and some other things before we go any further.

no reason we cant be firm, we arent technically having to accuse her of actually wanting to do that either, just be more firm in making sure its clear where we stand on an obvious issue with her plan. that, and it could save us alot of time with the conversation, depending on her opinion on that.
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>>3851878
(You're welcome to refine your questions, as I've just arrived home and will be starting on dinner soon. I'll post when I resume writing.)

(Also, my thanks to everyone that asked after my day; it was productive for both writing and work, which has been pleasing. Also, tomorrow evening looks to be open for rapid-posting, so would that work for everyone?)
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>>3851887
glad to hear your days going well. rapid posting should work for me.
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>>3851887
that would be fine for me
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>>3851857
Yeah, the faster the Crucible travels the farther apart life has to be, especially once relativistic time dilation comes into play. I'd imagine it goes with the lowest-energy solution it can, but given that it probably has a reactionless drive in order to sneak up on us (even with Earth's crappy telescope programs, no way we missed a planet-sized mass decelerating via a reaction thruster) the physics involved gets weird and the energy consumption required does not behave in intuitive ways. And if it has FTL, then who knows how far it travels. Still, life probably isn't that far apart. I like that, it's a nice thing to have in this setting. Now if only space monsters didn't keep eating planets, we'd be golden.

I'm not too sure that a thousand times more efficient computation is necessarily that huge a step, given Crucible biomass's capabilities and the known alterations to Daughters' neurology. But even if we were running on baseline human brain efficiency, that's still only a one hundred percent efficient collector ten kilometers on a side to accommodate the entire species. At twenty-two percent collection efficiency (the current state of the art for real solar collectors) that increases to twenty-one kilometers on a side, but that's still quite reasonable for space construction.

>>3851887
Rapid posting tomorrow works fine for me, BHOP. Glad to hear your day went well.
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>>3848948
>Trypophilic Hive V 3
We lost our rooks :_(
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>>3851929
(Ah! I can't have that, so it's on the list of fixes. Thank you for catching it!)
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>>3851878
Yeah, we can probably consolidate and refine our points. I'll give it a try after I'm done with dinner, not sure I'll get anything good, though.
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>>3851926
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that on Earth we have any energy problems at all. I was more couching it in terms of the fact that the Crucible must gather and store a certain amount of energy to use on it's travels from star to star. The amount of extra energy we had to play with was a lot less than I expected.

If we just wanna stay near the Sun, we could move closer and get massively increased amounts of energy pretty easily. Might as well simulate all things the Crucible has absorbed at that point.

>>3851685
I also just realized we might wanna ask about the first Crucible if we have time, if we know more about how it worked originally we might be able to break it (assuming she's honest with us). We know that's where the "no boys allowed" rule came from but not much else.
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>>3851977
>Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that on Earth we have any energy problems at all. I was more couching it in terms of the fact that the Crucible must gather and store a certain amount of energy to use on it's travels from star to star. The amount of extra energy we had to play with was a lot less than I expected.
Ah, I see. I wasn't thinking in those terms because I'd really hope that Yurei isn't going to keep sailing the stars eating worlds.

>We know that's where the "no boys allowed" rule came from but not much else.
No, "no boys allowed" came from the Tindalos Hounds' Crucible, which was early but not the first.
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>>3851945
Nope, I'm blanking. Sorry, I keep trying to come up with a more concise way of saying things and it's just not coming.
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>>3852004
(No worries, I'm relatively close to finishing the updates, if you'd like for me to drop it soon and then allow you a chance to respond to her answers.)
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>>3851977
How the crucible first worked really doesn't matter. The coding has still changed and we are and have to deal with the current version and how it works, any info we need to learn will be in our crucible already.

That, and we kinda have much bigger caveats to ask about, ones that could decide if shes an enemy or not levels of more important.
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>>3852007
Take your time and just consolidate our replies as you can, you've done a good job of it in the past.
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>>3852007
Yeah, let's just move on. I'll be able to say things better after she's said more things. Thanks for doing what you can to consolidate our replies, BHOP.
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>>3851685

"So you want to put everyone in the Dreamscape, specifically inside the Cord? Correct?" You ask, and you're met with a solemn nod as Yurei takes another long drag on her equally long cigarette. "You want to hack it, so how do you plan on doing so? Sheer numbers of Neuromancers? I am sure you are aware that the Cord will test more than just the physical strength of those that enter?"

"Keenly aware, yes. I've witnessed the exploits of previous Crucible 'winners', and it will only take one person to initiate the hack, with either the Phantasmal or Neurotic Halo." She explains breezily, with Rath stiffening at the mention of the latter. "Both, if one could manage it. As far as getting up there, then it's purely a numbers game, but Conduits and Hive mistresses have a considerable advantage in their climbs, if they can just get past the initial floors. They're not terribly kind to constructs, you see."

"Alright...so lets say everyone was on board with living inside the Cord in the Dreamscape. What will you do if there is a threat from outside?" You posit, watching her tap her ashes into the empty ashtray. "A threat from, lets say, an alien predator so vast and powerful it can consume even the Crucible? If all this has taught us anything, it's that the cosmos is a dangerous place. We need to be able to protect ourselves if another world-eater comes along. What are your intentions for protecting and sustaining the Cord?"

"The Crucible, while a thing of incredible power, is still beholden to certain core rules." Yurei begins as you watch her cigarette dwindle down from its considerable length. "It will defend itself, as it has for eons. And while there are certainly things that swim in the vastness of space that could devour us, would we really stand a chance in or out of the Dreamscape? You're saying we could have a 'chance' to defend ourselves, but we were helpless before the Crucible's might...what power could we muster against that which preys upon it? In any case, my plan would essentially render the entire entity that we inhabit relatively inert, so that would take care of keeping us off the dietary radar of any predators. The threat will always exist; I'm merely positing a solution for our continued existence and betterment."

"What would happen to someone that wanted to leave? What if someone was not satisfied with how things were going inside the Dreamscape?" You counter, her eyes studying yours intently. "And what of those that are stored inside the cord, those that dreams there that were never released into the Crucible either because they are male or just lacked the drive to survive at any cost?"

"We'll have processing power enough for them, and then some. Men, women, children...I intend to save them all" Yurei dismisses, tapping her ash into the empty tray. "Additionally, switching up the simulation would be a trivial thing for those that weren't satisfied with their current scenario."

(Continued)
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>>3852027

"Well, that certainly sounds nice, but what about those that don't want that?" You start, Yurei's eyes flickering with a curious expression. "It's one thing to avoid letting anyone win, but its another to force the Dreamscape upon everyone...which is the only way to do what you're planning, if I'm not mistaken."

She merely gives a little shrug, at that.

"What you describe is definitely your idea of Heaven, but certainly not everyone's. What do we do with those who don't want to go? Secondly, if you're really putting 'us' into the Dreamscape, what about those who want rape, murder, and cruelty? What happens with them? Even if everyone gets their own personal Nirvana, what then? The Crucible is still bound by physical laws, so the computing power is finite, regardless of what you say. Eventually we'd all just be competing over it anyways."

"...You're a Hive Mistress Core, yes?"

The question takes you off guard, so it takes a moment for you to nod.

"How do you explain what you can do, mechanically speaking?" She asks, leaning forward on her elbows. "How can you explain how we process and pump out more material that we have any right to? How we can ignite our bodies, burning fuel that we should by no rights have the ability to hold, let alone fight with. You can't. No one can. It's not a purely biological thing, not anymore. You've seen the Tindalos, how they move through what we conceptualize as time and space. There are processes that we lack the capacity to fully explain, and they're happening around us. IN us, as we speak. There's something more to how we work in the Crucible that the nuts and bolts of known physics, at least how we know them. We are doing the impossible on a daily basis...so processing isn't going to be an issue when I get the ball rolling."

"You seem terribly confident in your powers." Gina chimes in, her tone light, more curious than accusatory. "That sort of confidence comes from having a plan and knowing your limits, in my experience."

At this, Yurei softly smiles, setting her unlit cigarette down on the empty table.

Wait.

You blink, and it's gone.

"Four years." She says as the table vanishes, you and everyone else standing in an empty room as your allies struggle to comprehend what they're seeing, and what they're not. "It's a long time to spend in the Fleshscape, fighting to stay alive...but there comes a point when you pass that, and your existence stabilizes. It was like when I finally hit my stride in my programming career, when I stopped fighting for scraps, when I knew I'd finally made it."

You're standing outside with everyone, the vastness of the moor stretching out as far as the eye can see.

(Continued)
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>>3852032

"This...is this Neuromancy?" Gina breathes, whirling around as Rath just stares out into the mist, stunned. "I couldn't...I didn't even realize...what is this?"

"Neuromancy, and Phantasmal manipulation." Yurei admits, the swamp underfoot turning to wood, then carpet, then your body back in your chair. "You talk of processing power. We miss almost ten percent of our day, solely through the act of blinking. Magenta, the color? It doesn't exist. It's merely a stop-gap that our brain makes because it can't explain what it's seeing. Our entire experience is merely the result of a fourteen-hundred gram lump of flesh trying its damnedest to make sense of what it sees through a severely limited and lackluster set of senses. You take those gaps, those shortcuts, and you stretch them out, just a little bit? Reality can be anything you make it, Heartbound. We have paradise, at our fingertips. A personal nirvana, for everyone in existence. It's so close...all we have to do is reach out and grasp it."

You breathe in, at the same moment Yurei take a drag on a cigarette you're not even sure exists.

"Four years." She echoes, thin curls of smoke slithering to the ceiling as she speaks. "It's a long time...and I've taken every spare second to consider how to turn this hell into a paradise. Will we be taking the reigns of free will in our hands? Yes. Am I planning on drawing everyone, living and dreaming, into the Dreamscape? Absolutely. You may think it radical, but I beg that you consider the following..."

Yurei's cigarette disappears as she reclines in her chair, watching your eyes with intense focus as she speaks.

"If you intend to give others the freedom to choose their own path, would you rather loose them back into the hell they just left, or would you grant them a reprieve from that which drags them down to grovel at their baser instincts? I'll say it again; I have hope for humanity...just not for the world they inhabited, and the things it put them through. Before you speak, think on your solution. Does it offer humanity, as a whole, a platform from which to grow and make the choices that will elevate us beyond the cycles we've trapped ourselves in..."

She shrugs.

"...or are you simply repeating what's been done to death since the dawn of man? I'm eager to hear your answer, Shu the Defiant."

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. I left out some aspects of your replies, as I believe that Yurei's explanation of her ideology may bring cause for some of you to address the points she's bringing up and adjust accordingly. In any case, thank you all for your magnificent replies, as well as your continued participation. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours, with posting to resume in approximately fourteen. I shall be around for a little longer this evening, so feel free to post any questions, comments, or concerns you may have, as I'll be happy to address them all. I hope everyone present and reading this in the future has a restful evening, one and all.)
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>>3852034
Ha, I thought that the "you didn't notice her cigarette" thing was a hint we were in an illusion.

Also, four years? The Crucible has only been going on for two years, we thought. Is Yurei talking about subjective time, she's increased her clock rate so however long she's been awake feels like four years?
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>>3852044
Thanks for running, BHOP. If you're excuse me, I'm going to go listen to a bunch of Carl Sagan speeches for inspiration on my response. I think it will be appropriate for this lady.
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>>3852034
I'm of the personal opinion that everyone has the right to struggle and growth, and the right to end at some point. Any investiture of people into a simulation rids them of these opportunities in a psuedo-objectively real sense, although subjectively the specifics of the simulation will determine whether their rights are preserved.

This brings along the question of ***details***.

When laid out in broad strokes, there's little enough to argue with in Madame Yurei's plan. Any possible objection can be met by a counter-point of her own "well then I'll make /that/ person's simulation like or unlike that to counter your point". However, upon looking a step deeper this beggars the question of HOW and WHO exactly is going to be responsible for the minutiae of any simulating going on. Does every person have control of their own zone? If so, how is processing power apportioned to them? Is there an administrator? If so then the system will inevitably become unjust.

Personally I'm vaguely against her plan in the broad strokes as it is presented now. Humanity as a whole has as much a right to struggle, a right to the chance of failure through their own actions of those outside their control, and the right to the chance of success in turn, as any individual. To say we're trapped in a repeating cycle is nonsense, when you look upon the past 10,000 years of human civilization there is a consistent rise in all qualities good. Every fall backwards serves only as a platform from which we correct ourselves and soar to ever greater heights, and that very act of experiencing setback and powering through (or succumbing as the case may be) is essential to the act of living itself.

Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter.

>>3852049
2 years since B'Ni awoke, we don't know how long she was in her pod.
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>>3852092
>2 years since B'Ni awoke, we don't know how long she was in her pod.
I could have sworn that B'Ni had awoken pretty early in the Crucible's lifespan, and that the whole thing had only been running for a bit over two years. It's been four years since the Crucible arrived, but I thought it only got properly started after two years. Maybe I misunderstood.
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>>3852119
grah, well there went my post. you ninjaing me just fucked that up and now i lost the first half of my post permentalty wqkjvfdsklfseko;effpoe.

>>3852049
>>3852044
>>3852092
yeah didn't Charon or another reliable source say it had only lasted two years?

>>3852044
thanks for running, but there really wasn't any reason in my opinion. her idea is simply wrong, morally and tactically. i didn't touch on it in my reply, and if someone otherwise likes it, or would like me to add it in myself, there a big 'IF' about how we might be able to advance to fight anything bigger than the crucible, even do further good for other civilizations. but we cant know until we try, and we cant try inside a dreamscape.
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>>3852034
>>3852119
>>3852127
>>3852092

Something's amiss.
Source: Vein #2 From West Gamma:
"I woke up seven months ago, in the hospital not far from here. The last thing I remember before I went into surgery was...there was an eclipse, no-one had said anything about an eclipse. I had just made the first incision when the power went out and the ground started shaking...when I woke up, the skin on my arms was gone and I'd...fundamentally changed. Through the survivors' notes I found, I deduced that I had been in a hibernative state for three years before the changes to my form reached a sort of homeostasis and I regained consciousness. I believe that is what happened to you, to everyone that lived through the event. I built this place to study the flesh, to study the skies...and then I saw it
>West Prime woke up 7 months ago.
>West Prime deduced that she was in stasis for 3 years
>3.6 years since the West Prime was placed into a pod.

>Yurei said she spent 4 years growing, hunting, and putting her brain power into trying to figure out how to hack the Cord.

What sort of time constraint is this?
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>>3852168
maybe Yurei somehow woke up early? before the Crucible officially began?

we do know Mother and the Crucible needed a few years prep time, just im pretty sure we have been told the Crucible itself has only run for two years.
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>>3852034

>>3852173
It doesn't add up.

Also, what Yurei's proposing is super similar to The Architect from THE MATRIX series.
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>>3852168
Yeah, I saw that looking back through the archives, too. That's why I think Yurei's overclocked herself and is experiencing more subjective time. It fits with her comments about how humans lose a lot of time just to blinking and how everything we experience is ultimately subjective.
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>>3852168
>>3852180
>>3852183
(Excellent eye, Gentlemen. Just as Neuromancers can alter their perception of time, so too can mid-to-highlevel Conduits actively exist in the Dreamscape, where time flows quite differently.)

>>3852127
(It'd my pleasure, and thought this may seem like an odd point to break, I did so for two reasons. First, I did not wish to barrel forward on the assumption of how you would reply, given that Yurei's explained her plan. Second, I am more offering the choice of 'how' to turn her down, rather than 'if' you'll turn her down, given how you've been playing.)
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>>3852034
>Take a moment, eyes closed, to collect yourself. Then, snap your eyes to her, and meet them head on.
>”Id lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and your idealized illusions.”
>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Not Gods, Human. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but thats what makes us grow, what makes us able to be more than our baser selves.”
>”Yes, id lose people, id have them suffer, feel pain, loss, hurt. Because those things are human, those things are important, those things help us grow just as much as anything else.”
>”People grow through the negative just as much as the positive. Id say more actually. Loss, pain, misery, it is these that make us strive for more, to do better, to BE better, just as much as anything good. Good leads to complacency, to sloth, to stagnation. It can lead to cruelty through ignorance and complacency.”
>”And those things? Kindness? Virtue? Charity? Friendship? Those only matter, because we have the freedom to do differently. Because we have the free will to choose, to do harm to others, to betray them, to push them away or push them below us. Our choice to be good matters because we can do evil, has substance because of the weight of doing wrong.”
>”and those negative traits? Those things you hate and fear? Those ARE us, those ARE humanity. A part of us. A part we need, just like the positive. Without it, we aren't human, we lose a part of what makes us, us. And to lose ones humanity, no, to force one to lose it, there is not crueler thing one can do to another.”

(1/2)
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>>3852194
>>3852034
>”I dont care that you dont have hope for humanity, that you cant look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted eachother up just as much as some push others down. Its not about if im repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. Its not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. Theres hope, Hope in who Humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, Humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it Freely, as who we are, here, not oncinfed as slaves your you or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”
>”And there is hope, hope to evolve, hope to advance, so long as we fight and strive and struggle forward. Yes, the things out there, the eater of world eaters, are daunting, terrifying. But to run away and not strive to beat that? Thats cowardice. And to deny others their natural right to strive and suffer and struggle to overcome that. Why should we all be forced to cower in fear like you? Why shouldn't those who wish to try and find a way to overcome such an obstacle, to live beyond such a threat? There isn't one, as even if all you care about is survival, thats it. That our best chance. To not ignore reality, to not run away from what is real, what your neuromantic illusions can never change. Our right as living creatures to fight any threat to our survival and our way of life.”
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own twisted version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to have no chance to fail or grow, to be better or worse, but make them slaves to stagnation. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say you, someone with no hope for humanity, somehow is in any way a good choice for who should decide what we should be. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
>”No Deal, No Compromise. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that. If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, its as simple as that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to your senses and made the right choice here. I've already got one delusional tyrant to take down.”

(2/2)

first draft. tell her it like it is. she and people like her dont understand humanity, in my opinion, and/or let their fear of its negative traits cloud them to the reality of the fact those negative aspects still have merit, as much as people dont like to admit it.
>>
>>3852183
>>3852173
Hey guys, Do you think Yurei's kinda like an overworked programmer? If her core ability is phantasmal Neuromancy Simulator, don't you think everything about this mansion is an illusion?

She winces on every physical action, she's a chain smoker, she speaks as if she's about to run out of breath, and she says she spent 4 subjective years trying to decipher the inner workings of the Cord.

Personally, I think Yurei could benefit from real-world sleep. Her mind is constantly overclocking to the point that her actual body is wasting away.

And I think I know just the right response on how to make her wake up to reality. let me write this up.
>>
>>3852199
Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if this is just a shack in the swamps overlayed with augmented reality illusions. Makes me wonder if the maids even have a physical presence as constructs or if they're just dreamspace simulacra.
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>>3852009
But if things have changed drastically since beginning it might mean we could repurpose the Crucible as a starship. Who needs SpaceX when we have magic meat?
Although I admit this is likely not Shu's goal atm, I think knowing the limits of how much the Crucible is willing to be changed is helpful regardless.
>>
>>3852180
well, i suck at finding it, but if we found the source of how long/why we think the Crucibles been running as long a it has, it would help immensely.

>>3852193
ah ok, so it is just her altering her perception.

and nah, you didn't do anything wrong, i apologize. i was being... unsure of the word, but half joking half just mentioning your reasons were not the ones that would be needed for doing so. also a good chunk of what was cut was specifically me already giving her a firm answer, so part of the joke was for me you literally change nothing really in my response to this section by doing so.

sorry for the confusion.

>>3852199
i mean, yeah i think the signs are there. and it did outright show us the mansion is an illusion. explains the food too. which is good, as my actual guess was dissenters to her plan went to the dinner table. this is much less horrible an explanation.
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>>3852210
kinda disagree, or at least in that we need the original blueprint to figure that out or would be helpful now. its more than just a little possible the Crucible has changed so much its like going from apple to linux or something.
>>
Okay, I'm putting together a response that I'm pretty happy with, but it is about 60% plagiarized from Carl Saga. BHOP, if it's not too much of a spoiler, how familiar is Yurei with Cosmos?
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>>3852234
(She has a passing familiarity.)

>>3852211
(Thanks for explaining, and you have nothing to apologize for. I appreciate context, since it's hard to pick up across the internet.)
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>>3852243
>(She has a passing familiarity.)
Okay, going to have to edit it to make it a bit less obvious who I'm drawing inspiration from. But sue me, it's hard to make a passionate plea for the worth of humanity and our ability to overcome our base instincts without copying Carl Sagan at least a little.
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>>3852234
>>3852245
i mean, unless i did so on accident, then im not sure thats the case, as i have no idea who that even is.
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>>3852214
That's exactly my point though, if it has changed an enormous amount, just keep changing it. Why did it start eating planets? Was the original Crucible intentional as some sort of death ritual for an ancient society or something? Is it a reversible or controllable process?

BHOP just told us that Yurei believes that the Law of Conservation of Energy is being broken by the crucible, and she seems smart enough that I lean towards believing her. That basically makes the Crucible ideal as a planet based starship, and if she wants big talk that's about as big as it gets.
>>
>>3852254
none of that requires digging up the original version and can be found within the current context and Crucible, without taking extra steps and time to find a 'pure' version.
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>>3852250
Sorry, I meant if you're aware of his work to copy. The man was a presence, kind of shaped discourse for several generations. Though you did hit upon his beliefs just by convergent thinking, if not his particular rhetoric.
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>>3852120
>but we cant know until we try, and we cant try inside a dreamscape.

I'm not so hard-and-fast on turning her down on all counts. There are several different reasonable avenues she could go down while staying true to her idea which would be amenable to me.

For instance what if she just wants to invest everyone in the dreamscape on a long-term-but-temporary basis? Force everyone into a situation where their actions are by-and-large meaningless for a timescale that's long enough no one will have any grudges by the time they're shunted back into the real world? The point of it all being a learning experience for humanity as a whole of how petty and pointless the things we've fought over are.

I could get behind that in the theoretical, though a good deal of practical issues still exist with the execution.
>>
>>3852195
>>3852194
I think it's a little harsh and accusatory.

She's wrong, but I wouldn't count her as an out-and-out enemy. When it comes down to it we'll fight her at the end if we have to, but she has been nothing but civil and I feel you're taking slightly too harsh a tone.
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>>3852034
I don't think either of our basic plans are mutually exclusive. Yurei totally dodged the question on why *everyone* needs to be in the dreamscape. If we can prevent anyone from winning the Crucible as we want, our plans seem totally compatible. Have whoever wants to be in the simulation go have fun frolicking in the imaginary fields. And whoever wants to stay in meatspace stays out, free transfer back and forth. I'm sure some sort of system can be set up where both factions need each other.

I'm never a fan of wait and hope we don't get eaten. Depending on how much the rules of physics change for things greater than the Crucible, I find it entirely possible that we could defend ourselves if people stay in meatspace. The Crucible may be powerful, but it doesn't exactly seem intelligent. People can understand and improve the Crucible in ways that it cannot naturally. I see dreams of flying around the cosmos beating the shit out of other world eating parasites.

Regardless of anything that happens though, I don't see any reason to tell her we wanna fight right now.
>>
>>3852268
ah, fair enough, i get what you mean, you're fine.
to be fair i dont think my rhetoric really fits with anyone. which im fine with, as i think my points still come across fine, i just seem to take a tone and such most aren't used to.

>>3852271
well, i am. her idea is a bad one ofr humanity and im firmly against it.

and no, i disagree and honestly if you agree with her, im firmly of the opinion you're a problem. You simply dont Force people to be a certain way or live a certain way. punish them if they do wrong or hurt others, sure, but its still their freedom to be a jackass. no one, NO ONE, has a right to force people who have otherwise done nothing so wrong, to give up part of their humanity, force them into a box, and force them to live how you think is best, as the type of person you think is best.

you also ignore she clearly said long term for the rest of humanity, and that WITHIN the dreamscape, it will still feel however long it was inside there, even if only a second in the real world. there will be grudges, rightfully so, and all it will do in that situation is grow resentment and backlash for forcing it upon people.

Its evil, plain and purely as simple as that. its acting like a god and deciding what is human and trying to force others to agree with you. its dictatorial, tyranny, and slavery.

>>3852281
Harsh tone to get the point across. her idea is no less wicked or twisted than Wests at the end of it. i AM accusing her, its as simple as that, because its what she needs to hear and get through her head.

>>3852284
she specifically said she was and would force everyone in. that makes our goals incompatible. maybe she is testing our resolve or something, but even then we dont get anywhere ignoring what she said as of now.

nothing about my post said we want to fight now, only that we wouldn't avoid it if it comes to that.

>>3852284
>>3852281
you'll both also note i never said those that want to do that cant, only she cant and we wont allow her to force it on anyone.
>>
>>3852284
I concur, our plans are kind of diagonal to each other. There's plenty of room for constructive overlap, and in fact we both might benefit from being a powerful but amenable dissenter to the other.

After all, if we just smacked down everyone who disagreed with us then we'd be infringing on people's rights just as much as she plans to.
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>>3852291
I was positing a theoretical scenario that would be fine.

>and no, i disagree and honestly if you agree with her, im firmly of the opinion you're a problem. You simply dont Force people to be a certain way or live a certain way. punish them if they do wrong or hurt others, sure, but its still their freedom to be a jackass. no one, NO ONE, has a right to force people who have otherwise done nothing so wrong, to give up part of their humanity, force them into a box, and force them to live how you think is best, as the type of person you think is best.
You're making some assumptions here that are not necessarily true. Can you point out where she's said she's going to strip down the personalities of evil folks? I haven't. In fact, her solution is an ideal way to tend to evil folks: give them their own consequence-free-to-everyone-else simulation where they can torture not-people (but they seem like real people to them) to their heart's content.

Her idea's not wholly bad, depending on the execution. After all, she could counter most of our points about the right to struggle by simply saying that each person's simulation will reflect their own ideal world. At that point their own headspace would either allow them to struggle or not, and in fact it's essentially allowing them a more pure exercise of their own will than what the real world can offer.
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>>3852291
Yes, you are entirely right in that she said that her plan was to force everyone in. She didn't say why that was a requirement though, which is why I still think we can work together. If it's something reasonable like, she doesn't want someone outside to destroy the Cord we can work with that. She also might just be insane though, who knows.

>Regardless of anything that happens though, I don't see any reason to tell her we wanna fight right now.
This was partially directed at you, but also just a general statement. I can only tell you that your big speech comes across as "fight me right now if you don't 100% agree to stop what you're doing", I don't have your intentions or tone, only my interpretation.
>>
Blarg, starting over. Got dissatisfied with my response and now I'm changing the whole thing up.
>>
>>3851559
(Also, I wanted to touch on this post from earlier; thank you for telling me about that. Gemma's been a character I've done a good bit of research into, as I wanted to make a compelling, multifaceted character without devolving into the stereotypes surrounding it. At the same time, I wanted to present at least a few of her alters as unwell individuals, while others still just wanted to live their own lives. In any case, I appreciate you sharing that.)
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>>3852300
she said she wants to try and get rid of humanites bad traits, she said that herself. thats literally impossible unless she forces it on them, it wont happen naturally. its more about the slippery slope, than whether she will do it right away. shes willing to force this on everyone, then she will be willing to force them to change. plus, its a matter of principle. who controls the simulation? her, us? what about interactions with others? at the end of it, someone has to be arbiter to some degree, and that means forcing things upon people, not in a physical way, but in very different mental ways. and no one has that right. plus, i strongly disagree anyone has a right to actually go into anyone elses head, and how else will you form their 'perfect simulation'? lets not ignore the human brain is not designed for perfection either. theres a limit too, as confined to the simulation, Humanity only has so much to work off of, and is now immortal. and with a different timeflow. it also refuses to admit to the reality that reality still exists, and people have a right, and hell a need, to be able to interact with it. i sure as damn well dont want to get eaten by ANOTHER, BIGGER space monster, and damn her to hell for saying i dont have a right to strive to stop that. really stop, it, for real, not in some damn simulation.

her idea is nothing but bad, so long as it involves forcing even a single person to go along with it. and i disagree. ones mind does not work like reality, this is simple fact, not opinion. how you perceive even dreams or anything inside your head based solely on mental stored date over new, real sensation, is murky, cloudy, and simply not the same thing. your mind distorts things over time, and now you also have other people meddling with that? no, thats not right nor will it end well.

nothing can beat the real world, its the real world, its what actually matters.
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>>3852308
we cant unless she changes her opinion on forcing everyone to enter, its as simple as that. shes the one saying its a requirement for her at the moment by saying she WILL force it on everyone, not us.

well, thats not at all my intention nor do i agree its the tone. i mean, the last lines specifically an offer that we hope not to be enemies. though yes also an insult, which i can drop that part specifically if you think just

>”No Deal, No Compromise. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that. If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, its as simple as that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to your senses and made the right choice here.

but reworded as
>”No Deal, No Compromise. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that. If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, its as simple as that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to understand what i mean and made the right choice here."

if that would help.
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>>3852335
Also, something I'm just not getting and why I keep restarting my own reply, is why she thinks it's necessary to be in a virtual world to get what she wants? If she has come to the conclusion that the Crucible's resources are without limit, why does she need a simulation? Crucible biomass is basically magic nanomachines, combine that with unlimited energy and matter and you can make the world a paradise in the physical as well. What's even the point? I get the sense that she's really just trying to run from physical reality for some reason, but I don't know how to draw out her real motivations without risking insulting her enough to provoke a fight.
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>>3852335
>>3852336
theres also the point that no matter how you slice it, forcing people into there leaves them entirely at the whims of fate or whoevers in charge.

we cannot exist in a virtual world without a physical object housing us, and removing their ability to they themselves, defend their vessel and their life, is simply wrong and in my opinion, unacceptable. the real world and the dangers everyone is under dont just disappear because you ignore it, and if people want ot be able to actually defend themselves and their loved ones from those threats? even if its an impossible looking one like a Crucible eater? they have every right to do so, and to take that away is to take their life from them, and make them slaves to your whims.

>>3852338
well, if we want to actually throw her under the moral bus, because she cant have as much control over the real world as she could over a simulation. she also cant edge and manipulate peoples simulations or consciousness into being her idealized version of humanity. reality is also uncontrollable and unisolated. you HAVE to interact with people and the world as it is, not how you want it. in my opinion, this is a very good thing for ones personal growth and the development of humanity. the temptation of a simulation to make things perfect, or even force them, and stagnate is a real and deadly possibility. reality exists and its gonna come for you, and running wont make you prepared for it.

mind you, before others yell at me, im giving REASONS she could want a simulation over reality, not accusing her of actually having those reasons.
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>>3852209
>>3852034
>Take a moment to collect your breath and think about your actions. Take about one minute to do so (two minutes in Yurei's overclocked brain) before walking up up to Yurei herself.

>"Yurei. What you're proposing is basically the same things the Machines subjected Humanity to in 'The Matrix' series. A living static simulation, where you're the sole Architect of the simulation, you're here asking Neo to assent to your plan."
>take a long deep breath, exhale out slowly. Yurei's increased processing speed will make it agonizingly slow in her POV.
>"I refuse."
>via Heart of the Swarm, have Gina, Rath, and Francine stand down, don't let them make any reactions.
>immediately activate Neuromantic Lockdown mode on the Neurotic Halo, ignore Yurei's attempts to throw illusions, just keep going until you reach her, then throw a jack into the ground to terraform an actual chair.
>"Yurei...please cut the sim. I know all of this is an illusion. The maids, the mansion, the food. There is no spoon. The curtain's been removed, Wizard of Oz. Your cigarette doesn't exist."
>"You've been overclocking your brain, and I think it's been taking a very very heavy toll on your body. When did you last sleep? When did you last eat? When was the last time you hunted an amalgam? When was the last time you went out and socialized with other daughters and made actual connections with them? Or did you spend much of your perceived four years alone as a hermit?"
>Take Yurei's hand and gingerly clasp it in yours watch her react with physical pain from a simple arm gesture or take note of how skinny she looks.
>"Look at yourself. And I mean take a very good look at yourself. You can barely stand, let alone get up and walk. Just sitting down makes you physically wince. You've been so focused on spending your biomass and health on putting up a grand display of influence and power with your abilities that you barely take care of yourself. Did you consult other people about your proposed grand plan? Have you reached out to other daughters and asked about their opinion? Or did you spend those 4 years alone constantly overclocking your brain to give yourself more 'time' to think to yourself?"
>"You speak of your plan in such broad strokes that I can't help but see the errors in your coding. It's too good to be true for me. It just feels too good to be true, even if it's possible."
(1/2)
>>
>>3852351
>>3852209
>>3852034
>"You say the Crucible is doomed to fail. You say Humanity is doomed to succumb to their vices in this Crucible."
>"Then why is it here on planet earth? Then why are we here? How can you explain the 776 iterations of the Crucible? If you say the Crucible was doomed to fail then the Crucible should've died at iteration #1!"
>Let me tell you this. The Crucible has evolved. With each cycle it advances a little further, becomes more sophisticated, it refines itself because of the past winners of species past. The Tindalos Hounds? They gave us the Skintalkers and the broken 13th class. The Hexane? they gave us the waypoints, the vaults, the Hexane halos. Another past species gave us the Forges and the Forge Cores. And another gave us the Sparagmos Engines. Each little iteration of the Crucible, the species subjected to the Crucible used the gifts leftover from the past to attempt to conquer the Crucible and stop the cycle. And if they fail? they give the future a better chance to conquer it with what they've left behind.
>"heh...I sound like a fool. Maybe despite my efforts humanity will still be consumed for breakfast when someone other than me reaches the big chair in the sky. But at least we will give the next alien race a better chance at conquering this giant space parasite. We'll leave behind our nuclear legacy with Radiant Damage, We'll leave behind the tools of our ingenuity with The Disassociated Ones Technology, We'll leave a message that tells the future participants: 'We may have failed, but we've given you a better chance to stop the Crucible cycle. Do your best.'
(2/3)
>>
>>>3852342
>we cannot exist in a virtual world without a physical object housing us, and removing their ability to they themselves, defend their vessel and their life, is simply wrong and in my opinion, unacceptable. the real world and the dangers everyone is under dont just disappear because you ignore it, and if people want ot be able to actually defend themselves and their loved ones from those threats? even if its an impossible looking one like a Crucible eater? they have every right to do so, and to take that away is to take their life from them, and make them slaves to your whims.
Yeah, that's always been my problem with the Lotus-Eater Machine scenario. I don't have an inherent opposition to virtual reality, I don't think it's necessarily less meaningful than the physical world, but I get freaked out at the idea of being completely motionless and helpless. At least give me the ability to pilot drones in the real world so I can repair my server or fend off intruders or relocate the system. But Yurei's plan is to go into low power mode (which kind of conflicts with her "we'll have as much processing power as we could want" idea) and just hope nothing happens while we're hiding.
>well, if we want to actually throw her under the moral bus, because she cant have as much control over the real world as she could over a simulation. she also cant edge and manipulate peoples simulations or consciousness into being her idealized version of humanity. reality is also uncontrollable and unisolated.
I think that last one is the only one that really requires a virtual world. Between Phantasmal Conduit augmented reality and biomass rearranging itself, the physical world can be made to be more or less whatever we want. And with enough Neuromancy I think you can probably edit people's minds even in meatspace. I think the only value to a virtual reality in this setting is that you can isolate yourself away from the world and only interact with it on your terms. Which suggests to me that maybe something or someone hurt Yurei and she's running from that loss of control. Would fit with how Cores tend to give some level of wish fulfillment.
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>>3852353
>>3852351
>>3852209
>>3852034
>Stand up, let go of her hand, look at her square in the eye.
>"Your plan in essence requires putting everyone in stasis and overlaying that with a simulation with an overseer that overlooks all and manages the errors. You're asking us to swap one simulated world of decay for another with you becoming another "Mother", another 'monster of logic' like the Crucible's hard coding. I refuse to go with that plan, not with you insisting on forcibly dragging everyone into 'The Matrix' and purging anyone whom you disapprove of."
>*heave a deep sigh, then kneel back down, maintain eye contact.*
>"Yurei. I'll be honest with you. I don't dislike your plan. It's got some parts that i like, but there's also some parts of your proposed 'code' that I think needs peer review and reiteration. If you're really up for recruiting me into this proposal of yours. Take care of your body first. Get some sleep. Get some food. Find some friends to hangout and chat with. Go hunt some amalgams and feed that hunger you've been suppressing for so long, take a walk. Watch a match at Golgotha. Do something other than...this. Just... enjoy life on the Crucible for a few days. Life here is surprisingly comfy from a certain point of view. I've heard the Disassociated Ones are planning to launch their Arkship-Rocket in Four days, that's eight days with your increased perception speed. Why don't you take some time off and go witness the Rocket Launch? A group of humans are attempting a way out despite all their flaws and the tribulations they've endured. Do all of that, and get some perspective of life in real-time before reviewing your plan. Then come and see me. But your plan as it is in its current iteration and as you are right now? I can't agree to that."
>>
>>3852354
>>3852342
Any feedback on my response to Yurei?
>>
>>3852358
Oh, sorry, I got distracted. Let me finish reading it.
>>
>>3852353
the Hexxane gave us the Forges and Engines too.

>>3852351
>>3852353
>>3852355
first, im pretty sure at least the other Daughters around are real. friends of hers? arguable, but she certainly inst interacting with nobody. that also, id hope, implies others have at least possibly discussed it with her to some degree, but could be wrong on that part sure.

i also really dont like the tone of it. fair if mines a bit harsh, but yours feels way to soft, and i vehemently think most or at least alot of the information i said needs to be addressed, yours just feels like its brushing off the actual argument in place of acting like shes a child who cant take care of herself. I also feel we need to be more firm on being against it and why, not sound like we're already caving into it a bit. even if it is just the forceful part of the plan we dont like(which really is the point of contention), its a very big and very major one i think we need to be firm about. make it clear we aren't budging on that. iit also feels a bit like it undermines the fact that even if we dont agree with her plan, she still does have points about something needing to be done and some solution to be made, and the work and efforts shes put towards that.

im also not a fan of forcing back our allies. doesn't feel like Shu in my opinion. we should trust them enough to let us talk.

im also not a fan of direct references, always feels way too cheesy, like one cant think for themselves when i read them.

the part about comparing her to mothers absolutely solid though. ill have to find where to put that one in mine.

and while i dont think you're wrong, it is still making assumptions on her state of consumption and some other things. i get it, and its not bad, but it feels like its an excuse to not discuss the actual points, in my opinion.
>>
>>3852366
Yeah, I kind of agree. I feels a bit condescending towards Yurei, honestly, and given that she likely has issues relating to control I doubt that's a smart move to make with her. I'm worried she'd just come away from it feeling insulted. And, as you said, it doesn't really address the problems we have with Yurei's plan so much as try to talk past them. I like the idea of trying to establish a rapport with her, but I don't think this is the way to do it.
>>
>>3852034
>>3852194
>>3852195
Second Draft;

>Take a moment, eyes closed, to collect yourself. Then, snap your eyes to her, and meet them head on, as you send your Halo into isolation mode to try and break past any illusions or other tricks.
>”Id lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and their idealized illusions.”
>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Not Gods, Human. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, what makes us able to be more than our baser selves.”
>”Yes, id lose people, id have them suffer, feel pain, loss, hurt. But i'd lose them to life, by their side, struggling alongside them. Because those things are human, those things are important, those things help us grow just as much as anything else.”
>”People grow through the negative just as much as the positive. Id say more actually. Loss, pain, misery, it is these that make us strive for more, to do better, to BE better, just as much as anything good. Good leads to complacency, to sloth, to stagnation. It can lead to cruelty through ignorance and complacency.”
>”And those things? Kindness? Virtue? Charity? Friendship? Those only matter, because we have the freedom to do differently. Because we have the free will to choose, to do harm to others, to betray them, to push them away or push them below us. Our choice to be good matters because we can do evil, has substance because of the weight of doing wrong.”
>”and those negative traits? Those things you hate and fear? Those ARE us, those ARE humanity. A part of us. A part we need, just like the positive. Without it, we aren't human, we lose a part of what makes us, us. And to lose one's humanity, no, to force one to lose it, there is no crueler thing one can do to another.”
>”I don't care that you don't have hope for humanity, that you can't look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted eachother up just as much as some push others down. It's not about if im repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. It's not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. There's hope, Hope in who Humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, Humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it Freely, as who we are, here, not captive as slaves your or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”

(1/2)
>>
>>3852378
>>3852034

>”And there is hope, hope to evolve, hope to advance, so long as we fight and strive and struggle forward. Yes, the things out there, the eater of world eaters, are daunting, terrifying. But to run away and not strive to beat that? That's cowardice. And to deny others their natural right to strive and suffer and struggle to overcome that is too. Why should we all be forced to cower in fear like you? Why shouldn't those who wish to try and find a way to overcome such an obstacle, to live beyond such a threat? There isn't one, as even if all you care about is survival, that's it. That our best chance. To not ignore reality, to not run away from what is real, what your neuromantic illusions can never change.
>”Our right as living creatures to fight any threat to our survival and our way of life? to protect ourselves and our loved ones? To take that away is to take ones life away from them, to control them, to leave them vulnerable to die to the cruelty of reality that you cannot stop.”
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own twisted version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to have no chance to fail or grow, to be better or worse, but make them slaves to stagnation. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say you, someone with no hope for humanity, somehow is in any way a good choice for who should decide what we should be. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
>”You would become another Mother, arbitering our world and lives to your or anothers whims, another creature just like the Crucible, who thinks they know best for us.”
>”No Deal, No Compromise. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that, even if i wish it to not be what comes to pass. But If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, you have my word on that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to understand what i mean and made the right choice here. For yourself as much as for humanity."

(2/2)
>>
>>3852380
>”You would become another Mother, arbitering our world and lives to your or anothers whims, another creature just like the Crucible, who thinks they know best for us.”
One suggestion: replace 'creature just like the Crucible' with 'monster of logic like the Crucible's code'. The creature thing she'll brush off. calling her a monster of her own vices hence 'monster of logic' and comparing it to a cold logical being like the Crucible would drive home the comparison.
>>
>>3852385
sounds good. we'll see what other thoughts might get presented, but im fine with the change, incase im not back in time to link that to BHOP or dont post a third draft.
>>
>>3852378

Here's my edit.
>”I don't care that you don't have hope for humanity, that you can't look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted each other up just as much as some push others down. It's not about if im repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. It's not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. There's hope, Hope in who Humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, Humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it freely, as who we are, here, not captive as slaves your or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”
>And if we fail? At least we will give the next alien race a better chance at conquering this giant space parasite in the next iteration. We leave behind our nuclear legacy with the advent of Radiant Damage for them to fight with, We leave behind the tools of our ingenuity with The Disassociated Ones Technology for them to exploit, We'll leave a message for the future participants telling them: 'We may have failed, but we've given you a better chance to stop the Crucible cycle. Do your best.'
This edit is to emphasize on our optimism that even though if we fail, we show that we have hope in the future that the next participants would pick up the torch carry on in our stead.

>>3852380
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to have no chance to fail or grow, to be better or worse, but make them slaves to stagnation. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say you, someone with no hope for humanity, somehow is in any way a good choice for who should decide what we should be. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
insert the following
>"You would have us trade a stagnating prison of the Crucible's design for another of your own design."
this is to break down her central plan by comparing it to the Crucible's overall design.
>>
>>3852414
im fine with both of these. im feeling the late hours though, so ill post before votings up, but wait and see what others say before posting my final draft.

have a good night all yall.
>>
>>3852428
I'm making a draft of my own using your latest draft and touching up some parts of it. So I'll post it soon.
>>
>>3852414
Yeah, that's pretty good. I'm starting to crash, myself. I've been writing and rewriting my own reply, and I keep almost hitting on what I want to say before starting over. This is not my night for writing. If I can't come up with something soon, I'll probably just support your reply.
>>
>>3852034

>Take a moment, eyes closed, to collect yourself. Then, snap your eyes to her, and meet them head on, as you send your Halo into isolation mode to try and break past any illusions or other tricks. Have Rath and Gina do the same thing by setting their Halos to Isolation mode. In Francine's case, have Gina insert a Neurojack into Francine in order to bring the Doctor under the protection of the Neurotic Halo's Isolation effects.
>”I'd rather lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and their ideal delusions.”
>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Mortal. finite. Not as Gods. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, evolve, and become more than our baser selves.”
>”Yes, I would lose people, I would have them suffer, feel pain, loss, hurt. But I would lose them to life, by their side, struggling alongside them. Because those things are human, those things are important, those things help us grow just as much as anything else.”
>”People grow through the negative just as much as the positive. Id say more actually. Loss, pain, misery, it is these that make us strive for more, to do better, to BE better, to strive for perfection yet never reach it. Perfection leads to complacency, to sloth, to stagnation. It can lead to cruelty through ignorance and complacency.”
>”Those Virtues that we have? Kindness? Charity? Friendship? Those matter, because we have the freedom to do differently. Because we have the free will to choose, to do harm to others, to betray them, to push them away or push them below us. Our choice to be good matters because we can do evil, has substance because of the weight of doing wrong.”
>”Those vices we have? Those things you hate and fear? Those ARE us, those ARE humanity. A part of us. A part we need, just like the positive. Without it, we lose a part of what makes us, us. We lose the value of the virtues we covet. And to lose one's humanity, no, to force one to lose it, there is no crueler thing one can do to another.”
>”I don't care that you don't have hope for humanity, that you can't look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted each other up just as much as some push others down. It's not about if im repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. It's not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. There's hope, Hope in who Humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, Humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it freely, as who we are, here, not captive as slaves your or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”

(1/2)
>>
>>3852450
>>3852034
>"And if we fail? At least we will give the next alien race a better chance at conquering this giant space parasite in the next iteration. We leave behind our nuclear legacy with the advent of Radiant Damage for them to fight with, We leave behind the tools of our ingenuity with The Disassociated Ones Technology for them to exploit, We'll leave a message for the future participants telling them: 'We may have failed, but we've given you a better chance to stop the Crucible cycle. Do your best.'"
>”There is hope, hope to evolve, hope to advance, so long as we fight and strive and struggle forward. Yes, the things out there, the eater of world eaters, are daunting, terrifying. But to run away and not strive to beat that? That's cowardice. And to deny others their natural right to strive and suffer and struggle to overcome that is too. Why should we all be forced to cower in fear like you? Why shouldn't those who wish to try and find a way to overcome such an obstacle, to live beyond such a threat? There isn't one, as even if all you care about is survival, that's it. That our best chance. To not ignore reality, to not run away from what is real, what your neuromantic illusions can never change.
>”Our right as living creatures to fight any threat to our survival and our way of life? to protect ourselves and our loved ones? To take that away is to take ones life away from them, to control them, to leave them vulnerable to die to the cruelty of the reality that you cannot stop.”
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to make humanity a slave to stagnation, instead of giving humanity a chance to improve for better or worse. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say "good job" to yourself heedless of the consequences or consent. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
>"You would have us trade a stagnating prison of the Crucible's design for another prison of your design."
>”You would become another Mother, ruling our world and lives to the whims of yours or another daughter's, another 'Monster of Logic' just like the Crucible's code, who thinks they know what's best for us.”
>”I refuse to go with your plan. No deal, no compromises. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that, even if i wish it to not be what comes to pass. But If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, you have my word on that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to understand what i mean and made the right choice here. For yourself as much as for humanity."

(2/2)

This is the latest draft that I wrote based off of editing the draft of >>3852378 and >>3852380
>>3852437
>>3852428
feedback welcomed
>>
>>3852452
I think that "lies" might be a little bit too accusatory. Maybe "dreams" works better, because it sounds less harsh but has the added connotation of the virtual world being inconsequential.
>>
>>3852452
>>3852450
>>3852034

Amending vote for grammar correction of the following statements:

From:
>”I'd rather lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and their ideal delusions.”
To:
>”I'd rather lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and their fantasy dreamworld.”

From:
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to make humanity a slave to stagnation, instead of giving humanity a chance to improve for better or worse. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say "good job" to yourself heedless of the consequences or consent. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
To:
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own dreamscape, your own version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to make humanity a slave to stagnation, instead of giving humanity a chance to improve for better or worse. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say "good job" to yourself heedless of the consequences or consent. You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
>>
>>3852250
Carl Sagan. Hippie, Astrologist, Scientist. The guy who penned "Cosmos" and "Pale blue Dot".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g
>>
>>3852473
Astronomer, thank you very much.
>>
>>3852328

You're welcome BHOP. Thank you for doing the research. I had hopes that Gemma was going to figure integration out, and it blinded me to her poor handling of her dissociation into separate people. They need help Shu & crew just can't give, and now she's inside of Shu's family. I'm so sorry for Julia, this is going to be damn hard.
>>
>>3852450
Maybe edit the section of

>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Mortal. finite. Not as Gods. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, evolve, and become more than our baser selves.”

to

>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Mortal. finite. You would make yourself a god deciding what is good and what is bad in humans. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, evolve, and become more than our baser selves.”

>>3852452
>”I refuse to go with your plan. No deal, no compromises. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then in the future we will come to blows. Its as simple as that, even if i wish it to not be what comes to pass. But If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, you have my word on that.”


Tell her that we have no desire to fight her right now but we will interfere when she tries to realize her plans

Other than very minor additions (which i think are mostly personal taste) i think this is quite good all in all, especially with the edits you made later
>>
>>3852034
I guess to make my vote official

I will support this write-in >>3852450
>>3852452 with the writers ammendments from >>3852460

and if it is okay OP then i would like my own ammendments written down here>>3852752
to also be included
>>
>>3852044
while votings technically over, if BHOP doesn't mind im gonna compile the finalized version together from everyone's thoughts on it and post it for ease of use still, with possible just minor tweaks only if some sections need it to flow into eachother a bit better.
>>
>>3852034
Final Draft;

>Take a moment, eyes closed, to collect yourself. Then, snap your eyes to her, and meet them head on, as you and the others send your Halo into isolation mode.
>No tricks, no illusions, only you and her.
>”I'd rather lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms, than give it over to someone like you and their fantasy dreamworld.”
>”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Mortal. Finite. Yet you would make yourself a god deciding alone what is good and what is bad in humans. And no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, evolve, and become more than our baser selves.”
>”Yes, id lose people, id have them suffer, feel pain, loss, hurt. But i'd lose them to life, by their side, struggling alongside them. Because those things are human, those things are important, those things help us grow just as much as anything else.”
>”People grow through the negative just as much as the positive. Id say more actually. Loss, pain, misery, it is these that make us strive for more, to do better, to BE better, just as much as anything good. Good leads to complacency, to sloth, to stagnation. It can lead to cruelty through ignorance and complacency.”
>”Those Virtues that we have? Kindness? Charity? Friendship? Those only matter, because we have the freedom to do differently. Because we have the free will to choose, to do harm to others, to betray them, to push them away or push them below us. Our choice to be good matters because we can do evil, has substance because of the weight of doing wrong.”
>”and those negative traits? Those things you hate and fear? Those ARE us, those ARE humanity. A part of us. A part we need, just like the positive. Without it, we aren't human, we lose a part of what makes us, us. And to lose one's humanity, no, to force one to lose it, there is no crueler thing one can do to another.”
>”I don't care that you don't have hope for humanity, that you can't look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted each other up just as much as some push others down. It's not about if im repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. It's not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. There's hope, Hope in who Humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, Humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it freely, as who we are, here, not captive as slaves your or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”

(1/2)
>>
>>3852845
>>3852034

>And if we fail? At least we will give the next alien race a better chance at overcoming their Crucible in the next iteration. We leave behind our nuclear legacy with the advent of Radiant Energy, We leave behind the tools of our ingenuity with The Disassociated Ones Technology, We'll leave a message for the future participants telling them: 'We may have failed, but we've given you a better chance to stop the Crucible cycle. Do your best.'
>”And there is hope, hope to evolve, hope to advance, so long as we fight and strive and struggle forward. Yes, the things out there, the eater of world eaters, are daunting, terrifying. But to run away and not strive to beat that? That's cowardice. And to deny others their natural right to strive and suffer and struggle to overcome that is too. Why should we all be forced to cower in fear like you? Why shouldn't those who wish to try and find a way to overcome such an obstacle, to live beyond such a threat not be allowed to? There isn't one, as even if all you care about is survival, that's it. That our best chance. To not ignore reality, to not run away from what is real, what your neuromantic illusions can never change.
>”Our right as living creatures to fight any threat to our survival and our way of life? to protect ourselves and our loved ones? To take that away is to take one's life away from them, to control them, to leave them vulnerable to die to the cruelty of the reality that you cannot stop.”
>”You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own twisted version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to have no chance to fail or grow, to be better or worse, but make them slaves to stagnation. You would remove part of what makes us us just so you can pat yourself on the back and say ‘good job’ to yourself heedless of the consequences or consent. You, someone with no hope for who humanity actually is, You would be a dictator to children you refuse to let be adults, instead of being a guide to adults to let them find their own way.”
>"You would have us trade a stagnating prison of the Crucible's design for another prison of your design."
>”You would become another Mother, arbitering our world and lives to your or anothers whims, another monster of logic like the Crucible's code, who thinks they know best for us.”
>”I refuse to go with your plan. No deal, no compromises. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. Its as simple as that, even if i wish it to not be what comes to pass. But If you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, you have my word on that.”
>”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to understand what i mean and made the right choice here. For yourself as much as for humanity."

(2/2)
>>
>>3852820
(I don't mind in the least. In fact, I appreciate yoy taking the time to do that so it's much easier to make everything flow when I set to write.)
>>
>>3852847
>>3852845
>>3852034
One Final amendment:
>Flare out that empathy field. Set it to maximum range. Broadcast your answer to Yurei and let all the daughters listen in to the conversation via empathetic connection.
>>
File: Unity.gif (1.62 MB, 450x711)
1.62 MB
1.62 MB GIF
>>3852034

You take a moment, eyes closed, to collect yourself. Then, with a flicker of green light just above your heart, your Neurotic Halo flares to life in time with those of your allies’, purging your vision of the illusions your host has manifested around you. Yurei’s eyes go wide as she realizes what you possess, as her illusions bleed from reality to leave the five of you sitting around an empty space, in a dim and dusty mansion. Flaring the empathic field to bring the entire building in its wake, the reality of the place becomes all too clear. It’s a broken, shambling place whose walls are on the verge of collapse, and at the heart of it is the woman who’d make all of existence a lie.

”I'd rather lose the entire world, to give it its rightful chance to be itself and succeed on its own terms than give it over to someone like you and their fantasy.” You begin, watching the gears turn in Yurei’s mind as she realizes what you’re doing. ”We are human. You, me, everyone out there fighting, everyone locked up in the Cord. Human. Mortal. Finite. Yet you would make yourself a god deciding alone what is good and bad…and no Human has the right to play god, to decide alone what is best for everyone. We’re Human, we’re flawed, but that's what lets us grow, evolve, and become more than our baser selves.”

“You’d let your friends and family suffer in the hope that there may be some chance for something good to come out of their pain?” Yurei counters, unblinking.

”Yes” You say simply. “I’d lose people, I’d have them suffer, feel pain, loss, hurt. But I’d lose them to life, by their side, struggling alongside them. Because those things are human, those things are important, those things help us grow just as much as anything else. People grow through the negative just as much as the positive. I’d say more actually. Loss, pain, misery…it’s these that make us strive for more, to do better, to BE better, just as much as anything good. Having nothing but good leads to complacency, to sloth, to cruelty through ignorance and stagnation.”

“I beg to differ.” Yurei interjects coolly. “Loss and misery drag us down, keeping us from embracing the virtues we could attain in favor of continuing man’s inhumanity to man.”

”Those Virtues that we have? Kindness? Charity? Friendship? Those only matter, because we have the freedom to do differently.” You reply, your mouth a hard line. “Because we have the free will to choose, to do harm to others, to betray them, to push them below us. Our choice to be good matters because we can do evil, because of the weight of doing wrong. And those negative traits? Those things you hate and fear? Those ARE us, those ARE humanity. A part of us. A part we need, just like the positive. Without it, we aren't human, we lose a part of what makes us, us. And to lose one's humanity, no, to force one to lose it, there is no crueler thing one can do to another.”

(Continued)
>>
>>3853067

”I don't care that you don't have hope for humanity, that you can't look at our struggles and see we have, time and time again, lifted each other up just as much as some push others down.” You continue, glancing between Gina, Rath, and Francine as you do so. “It's not about repeating a cycle, that doesn't matter. It's not my choice to force everyone to break it, no one has that right but individuals to break their own. There's hope, hope in who humanity is, not who you wish it was. Hope even in our darkest times, hope even in some of the darkest minds. We, humanity, who we are, will make something of ourselves, or we will fail. But we will do it freely, as who we are, here, not captive as slaves to your or anyone else's idealistic vision for what you wish to force everyone to be.”

“My plan has no room for error, while yours has one foot in the grave, Defiant.” Yurei coldly remarks, crossing her legs as she stares into your eyes. “You succeed, or you fail…and failure is inevitable, where humanity is concerned.”

“If we fail, then at least we will give the next alien race a better chance at overcoming their Crucible in the next iteration. We leave behind our nuclear legacy with the advent of Radiant Energy, we leave behind the tools of our ingenuity with The Disassociated Ones, and we'll leave a message for the future participants telling them: 'We may have failed, but we've given you a better chance to stop the Crucible cycle. Do your best.' There is hope, Yurei. Hope to evolve, hope to advance, so long as we fight and strive and struggle forward. Yes, the things out there, the eater of world eaters, are daunting, terrifying. But to run away and not strive to beat that? That's cowardice. And to deny others their natural right to strive and suffer and struggle to overcome that is too. Why should we all be forced to cower in fear like you? Why shouldn't those who wish to try and find a way to overcome such an obstacle, to live beyond such a threat not be allowed to? There isn't one, as even if all you care about is survival, that's it. That our best chance. To not ignore reality, to not run away from what is real, what your neuromantic illusions can never change. Our right as living creatures to fight any threat to our survival and our way of life? To protect ourselves and our loved ones? To take that away is to take one's life away from them, to control them, to leave them vulnerable to die to the cruelty of the reality that you cannot stop.”

(Continued)
>>
>>3853068

When you rise from your chair, your family rises with you as you continue to hold Yurei’s gaze, unbroken.

“You would shackle Humanity in your own lies, your own twisted version of what you want humanity to be, instead of letting it decide what it will be. You would force it to have no chance to fail or grow, to be better or worse, but make them slaves to stagnation. You would remove part of what makes us, US, just so you can pat yourself on the back and say ‘good job’ to yourself heedless of the consequences or consent. You, someone with no hope for who humanity actually is.”

“You’re a dictator, man.” Rath adds with a weary shrug. “People would just be kids you refuse to let be adults, instead of letting them grow.”

"You would have us trade a stagnating prison of the Crucible's design for another one crafted by your hands." Francine sighs, gently folding her arms with an air of disappointment. “That’s not freedom, Darling. Not by a long shot.”

”You’d become another Mother, honestly.” Gina concludes, placing her hand on the small of your back as she addresses your host. “You’d be judge, jury, and executioner according to unfeeling law, another monster of logic like the Crucible's code, who thinks they know best for us.”

”I refuse to go with your plan, Yurei. No deal, no compromises. If you insist on forcing this upon everyone, then we will come to blows. It’s as simple as that, even if I wish it to not be what comes to pass. But if you try to force this upon Humanity, we will stop you, you have my word on that.” You finish, watching Yurei close her eyes as she inhales a deep, shuddering breath. ”I only hope before we meet in the Cord you’ll have come to understand what I mean and made the right choice here. For yourself as much as for humanity."

Silence.

For a long, quiet moment, Yurei weighs your words before she slowly exhales.

“Disappointing…but not unexpected.” She finally says, rising from her chair with some effort before locking eyes with you once more. She looks almost sad as she continues to speak. “Maybe it was too much to ask for you to see what I’m trying to do…or maybe you’re too young. Maybe you haven’t lost, like I have. In any case, it seems that by your own admission we are doomed to come to blows.”

She glances down at your chest, at a spot just over your heart.

“I didn’t know you had the Neurotic Halo, until just now.” She breathes, and a chill runs down your hive. “I’d thought I’d have to come to blows with Doctor West to seize the Phantasmal one, but…here it is. A year ago, maybe less, and I’d have torn it out of your chest where you stand to help make my hope for humanity come to pass…”

Gina and Rath are in front of you in an instant with Francine tense at your side, one gloved hand on your shoulder as you feel the air sizzle with murderous intent.

“…but I’m no monster, Shu.”

(Continued)
>>
>>3853070

Yurei groans, placing one pale hand on the back of her neck as you hear something pop.

“I’m not a monster, and I’m a woman of my word.” She repeats, rolling her head one way, then another. “My Forge is yours to use, as is the engine. However, my grace as a host extends to the moment you leave my property, or if you decide to make trouble here, and now.”

She opens her eyes again, with no hint of tension, no trace of fear in them as she meets your gaze one last time.

“I’m going to have the Halos, one way or another. You’ve resigned yourself to oppose me, and that’s fine.” She dismisses, a cold, stalwart confidence emanating from her tone. “We’ll come to blows, and I will win. And then I’ll take you with me, and your Halo, I’ll show you that my plan will lead us to the best of humanity. You’ll be able to live there, too. All of you. You may think you’re right, but your trust in the future you seek is terribly misplaced. People like you will lead us to ruin, while I know I will lead us to something better. I hope you see that, when we next meet.”

You can hear Rath’s jaw tighten as her skin radiates a furious heat, and Francine’s trying to pull you back with one hand as her hand begins to unwravel in anticipation of a struggle. Through the field, you can sense simple resignation and disappointment flowing from Yurei, but there’s no combative intent in her heart…at least, not now.

“If you think I want to fight right now, you’re wrong. I’m a woman of my word, Shu. I keep my promises. When I come for your Halo, just remember…”

She just fixes you with a small, sad smile.

“…you chose this.”

>>You’ll be damned if you’re going to be looking over your shoulder for Yurei. If she insists on pursuing you for your Halo, then you may as well take her here and now. No one threatens your family. (Initiate Combat)

>>Offer to duplicate your Halo, to remove at least one point of conflict. You may be forced to come to blows…but it doesn’t have to be today.

>>Take her offer, and leave. Given your surveillance network, you’re confident you’ll be able to see her coming…and you’ll be ready, with your entire family ready to defend themselves.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours. Apologies for the delay, as it's been a busy morning.)
>>
>>3853072
>Return her disappointed look "And i am sad that we will have to come to blows in the future. And I am sad that you have no faith in the adaptability and tenacity of humaninity"
>"Is the Waystation still consideredd your property?" Leave depending on the answer. We will not come to blows with her here. We will meet with the Barbers and tellt hem that we will be going oout since our presence will not be allowed much longer.

>If the Waysation is part of her mansion we use it and then immediatly afterwards teleport home

>If the Waystation is not then we will teleport out using the gear before leaving the mansions doors
>>
>>3853074
When is it ever not busy at your workplace.
Dont worry about it
>>
>>3853088
(The Waystation in considered her property, so she will not harass you until well after you've left.)
>>
>>3853072
>You’ll be damned if you’re going to be looking over your shoulder for Yurei. If she insists on pursuing you for your Halo, then you may as well take her here and now. No one threatens your family.
>With you and the Rest giving cover, toss Francine the Gear with one commandment. "Get the rest of our family here."

look, guys. i get it. its a bit harsh, its a bit of a spit in the face, ill fully admit it... but she cannot be allowed to win. she cant be allowed to impede us. think about all our problems, all our enemies, both known and unknown. think about all the things we still have to overcome... and she will be at our back, hounding us, trailing us, forcing our hand and impeding our progress.

She's an enemy, one who is too far gone. shes another West, another woman who thinks she knows best for everyone, and would do anything, hurt anyone, to do what she thinks is right. how many people will she kill, or trick, or sacrifice if we leave now? how many times will we be too late to save someone or prevent something, because she got in the way? i get it, its going to be a tough fight and its a tough pill to swallow... but we have the chance, now, to stop her. finally a chance to put an enemy, a problem, down first, on our own terms, instead of waiting for it to find us. and if we wait? it'll only be more difficult to beat her later.

we gave her a chance, and we tried to reason with her. for once, its time we did something proactive to help humanity, and solved a problem before it forces us to solve it.
>>
>>3853088
i dont think leaving her sitting rounds a good idea, but regardless, if we are going to leave, we should at least give word to the Barbers so we can still converse with them elsewhere.

but i think not solving this problem now would be a mistake, and it WILL bite us in the ass to let her go.
>>
>>3853095
bhop. didn't we vote to have Shu consume the Pandoric Script that we picked up in vein#29? The relic that makes Shu's intention's unreadable?
>>
>>3853107
>>3853095
pretty sure we did. id also like to know if that should be counted as a new passive sorta on her sheet, as its a permanent addition?
>>
>>3853098
I am not sure it is a good idea to fight her now. We are a tthe center of her power. She has probably quite a few daughters here that are under her control.

I dont think this is a fight that if we picked right now would be one we could win.

The barbers might feel obligated to fight against us as guests of Yurei and the Hyenas are here as well as well as probably quite a few constructs of hers

>>3853102
I get where you are coming from but consider where our family is. They are at Laoc and we cant get to them that easily. And we are definetly outnumbered.

Fair point ont he barbers. I thought my writing implied us wanting to meet them elswhere but fair enough

I dont like having her sit around and potentially crossing us but there might be little choice

>>3853095
Do we have a grasp on how many daughters loyal to Yurei are in the vicinity?
>>
>>3853107
(Indeed, and it should list as a passive, for simplicity's sake.)

>>3853111
(There are eight maids, as well as Ivey and her Hyenas.)
>>
>>3853113
Are there any guests that Yurei hasn't recruited? Where do the Barbers lie in their allegiances?
>>
>>3853118
(Most guests would flee, while the Barbers would be a bit of a toss-up for spoiler reasons.)
>>
>>3853111
she isnt anymore powerful here than elsewhere. no matter when or where we fight her, she will have allies. hell, we might never get a chance to fight her even this properly again, she'll only get more allies, more influence, more power, but next time, instead of being here, with her forces scattered, and many possibly on the fence, next time, anyone left at her side will be committed to her cause, and their numbers will have grown.

our family might take longer than we like but so will her reaction and her forces to respond. we will never, ever, have another chance even close to this good to hit her hard and hit hr as weak as she is. and if we dont? people will suffer, people will be sacrificed, our family will be hunted and even possibly killed. our goals will be hindered and our allies possibly killed while we cant help them. people like her dont play games. we're an enemy, and worse, we have something she wants. she thinks any sin she commits can just be washed away at the end, she will do anything to win.

we cannot afford to not stop her. for us, for our allies, for others out there we dont know and haven't met, and for humanity as a whole. this IS our best chance to stop her. to prevent further harm from her. if we dont take it, we're responsible for anything she does from now on, because we knew who and what she was and did nothing to stop her when we had the chance.
>>
>>3853125
Now that OP said there are only the Hyenas and the Barbers might be undecided while everyone else would flee.

I have to say sure we can try. I was guessing she was having more people than just the Hyenas there.

And with how Rosa is seemingly infatuated with Shu we might be able to get her to sit this one out.

>>3853123
I would like to know however: How long would it take to get the rest of our family here from where they currrently are?
If it is more than a couple rounds we can kick thast plan to the curb before we even start considering it
>>
>>3853070
>“I didn’t know you had the Neurotic Halo, until just now.”
You didn't? But Gina's got one too, and it's right on her forehead. It's pretty visible, Yurei. Are you feeling alright? How tired are you?

>>3853135
And the maids. That's sixteen Daughters. Seven Hyenas, eight maids, Yurei herself. I get what you're saying, anon, but I'm not sure we have it in us to fight her here. Best case scenario, even if we get the Barbers on our side we'll be outnumbered sixteen to twelve.
>>
>>3853135
my biggest regret here is i wanted us to make a Holly and Johanna Construct, but this and that made it never really appropriate to put it anywhere.

>>3853123
BHOP does it have to be Shu sculpting them, or could we hand the materials off to a sculpting to do it, or anything like that?
>>
>>3853113

>"...And I don't regret it."
>>
>>3853150
>>3853113
Are the Maids constructs? they look like constructs to me.
>>
>>3853150
The Daughter constructs would be much less of a threat with Dorian around.

The Hyenas should be comparitavely weak when it comes to it. Ivey would be dangerous as well as Yurei.

The Constructs might also be susceptible to Gina... If they are real daughters however yeah we would be ludicrously outnumbered both in level and acts
>>
>>3853150
where are you getting 16 from? BHOP just said they probably wouldn't join and never gave a number either. its just the Hyenas and Constructs.

we can take this, we HAVE to take this. shes only going to get more allies and more strength, while we cant guarantee the same for us. we could try and have an Amara clone with the Gear go back out and gather other allies we have if you're so worried, but we will never have as good a chance to beat her as we do now.
>>
>>3853135
(It would take them three full rounds of combat, with them becoming available for commands for the fourth round.)

>>3853150
(Yurei didn't realize what it was until she felt the effects. Crystallization isn't an uncommon thing for Daughters.)

>>3853151
(It would have to be Shu, or another valid user of the ability.)

>>3853158
(Yes, they are.)
>>
>>3853162
I said where I got sixteen from. Seven Hyenas, eight maids, Yurei. I suppose the maids might be constructs, though.

>>3853165
Ah yes, they are. Okay, that makes things better, but still has us doing an eight on eight fight with foes of unknown power level. I agree that this is a good opportunity to take her out before she becomes a bigger threat, but I'm still hesitant. I don't know, let me think about it.
>>
>>3853169
oh, i misread that as you saying she had 16 daughters alongside the rest you were listing.

still, those are only constructs, and the Hyenas while no pushovers, dont seem as powerful as us, and we're no slouches. we work together, we hit them hard and fast, and we CAN do this. even if we have to wait on our family to arrive, that only means fresh reinforcements against foes who only one we have a strong reason to fear. mind you, im not underestimating the Hyenas at all, only its obvious who the real challenge is gonna be.

>>3853165
BHOP, could we get any extra help after our family, or would it be futile to hope we could get anyone else in time before the battles over, regardless of winner?
>>
>>3853162
>>3853165
>>3853169
>>3853158

Do we feel confident that we can stall Yurei and her friends out three rounds of combat before we get reinforcements? With Yureis main ability being Illusions probably we are safe as long as we keep the Halo in Lockdown.

Which everyone but Dr. Fran can do on their own. We should get her a halo some time in the near future.

If we can not hold out for threee rounds with a reduced team we would be in trouble.

Though with Gina and Rath at our side i feel relatively confident we can win this with limited reinforcements consisting of strong cosntructs and the Hyenas. Rath can probably sqwuish several minor HYenas in a turn or so
>>
>>3853165
I just realized that Rosa (leader of the Barbers) looks up to Shu like a Sempai, which explains her genki attitude the moment she saw us.
>>
>>3853177
(There is a small chance of additional reinforcements, but they would likely come many rounds into the fight, depending on who you're trying to reach out to.)
>>
>>3853187
Which also is good for us since she probably wont fight agaisnt us and might even help us if deliver a good showing against Yurei
>>
>>3853182
i do. not just feeling pumped up, or whatever, but i actually really do think we can. our family even individually are no slouches, and together we have done wonders. we have our own bag of tricks, and while im sure we're in for more than a few surprises, we have a plethora of ways to simply keep the enemy going in circles, and many more to simply hold out. we're tough, we got some nasty stuff ourselves, and we're only going to get nastier when the rest arrive, which and easily relive anyone whos taken too much of a brunt holding out til then.


i get it, its risky, its a tough fight, but sometimes you have to take the tough risky fights you dont want.

>>3853191
well, theres the Midnight Crew of course. maybe Lara.
....we dont have any other friends still alive actually, do we? i guess we could try 'A' but im unsure our relationship with her is that strong nor she would care. at least with Lara she might at least understand our way of thinking potentially, but 'A' was... well her mind clearly saw the word in another light. she may disagree with both sides honestly.
>>
>>3853198
hah, i suppose we could ask the Ants, but nah, that ones sadly jumping the gun too much. they haven't actually agreed to our alliance and probably wouldn't even understand the situation enough to really make that decision.
>>
>>3853182
>>3853177
>>3853169
From the looks of things, we're leaning towards fighting Yurei here and now, with some of wanting to talk to the Barbers before fighting Yurei, and one of them wanting to leave.
>>
>>3853203
im not sure we really will have a chance to talk to the Barbers first, unless the plans to send a Jackling to them and mind talk. i doubt if we are going to fight, we can just walk away, talk to them, then come back to fight Yurei. or that she wont possibly be more prepared for us when we return.

also, i dunno. maybe im being too on the line here, but there still feels like a difference between telling her we're settling this now, and abusing her good graces to build our forces then come back and stab her in the back, or at least more in the back.
>>
>>3853198
WE could ask Magpie but she probably wont come becasue she is busy wiht her own stuff.... Woul dbe nice if we could call upon Charon but they are busy as well

>>3853072

Ammending my vote in light of new information from >>3853088
to supporitng
>You’ll be damned if you’re going to be looking over your shoulder for Yurei. If she insists on pursuing you for your Halo, then you may as well take her here and now. No one threatens your family.
>With you and the Rest giving cover, toss Francine the Gear with one commandment. "Get the rest of our family here."

>>3853203
Sadyl i dont think the Barbers will be able to do to much even if they decide to fight with us since they will be affected by Yureis Illusions... which kind of remind me of the power Eizens sword form bleach has without the restriction that you need to have seen it used on you to make it work. YOu jsut are under the effect as soon as you enter the field

Though we might be able to get them to stay neutral in the fight

Though we should expect trickery from Yurei to sick a couple of illusions onto them to galvanize them against Shu by making it appear as if Shu and her family are atttackign them
>>
>>3853214
If we bring November into the fight then Yurei's wide-scale illusions at least will be nerfed. November causes any Neurotic or Phantasmal effect that hits her to recoil on the caster, bring her into the battle and Yurei will have to specifically craft illusions for each target she wants to affect. If she didn't she'd just be taking damage every time she used one.
>>
>>3853218
or fall prey to her own illusions

the thing is we need three rounds to get them into the fight
>>
>>3853210
i guess im saying how we go about stopping her now still matters, but maybe im trying too hard to do what i think we need to (stop her now), and keep our conscious entirely clean in the process? sometimes doing the right thing involves a bit of metaphorical mud aswell maybe.

i suppose while i still think we need to take this fight here and now, im open to ideas and compromise on how, is all i can think to say.

>>3853214
oh yeah, magpie too.

we might be able to help with the illusions a bit, maybe. plus while its a risk, we do have a chance for Gina to lock that down. but probably not worth it. or maybe that risk is exactly worth it this time around?

>>3853072
>>3853098
adding in;
>Have Francine pass on the Gear when possible to Amara Clones to gather any help we can from our known friends and allies.


>>3853218
>>3853214
wondering if we cant get the Tank too. it can teleport so it should be possible.
>>
>>3853223
we should also add in that we pass the command to Gina and Gina passes it over a secure line to Dr. Fran so that Yurei can only get a read on what she might want to do in that moment which would be teleporting away

I think if we attack her while in lockdown mode she can do literally nothing to Giuna as there will be no feedback through the connection
>>
>>3853218
that's in 4 rounds. We need to endure 4 rounds if we are to pull this off.
>>3853214
>>3853210
From the looks of things, it seems like we're voting to fight Yurei.

How are we going to initiate combat? Are we going to take advantage of the surprise initiative with the spoiler text? Gina's got the Jester's Masque which puts her at the front of the initiative cue, but Yurei seems like she's anticipating a battle here and now since our family members are geared up and visibly priming their abilities. It'll turn into a 3v8 plus 8 adds and they have the action economy advantage alongside homefield advantage.
>>
>>3853221
Mind of Steel does both, actually, it's a very nasty counter-power. But yeah, we would have to fend off Yurei's forces three to eight (plus constructs) for three rounds before she showed up. That's not ideal. Now I'm starting to swing back the other way. I mean, we've got some decent crowd-control abilities, we can probably keep them busy, but still. That feels risky.
>>
>>3853233
>>3853223
We should also have our other family members turn their halos to lockdown mode as well.
>>
>>3853234
If we do it, I'd suggest taking advantage of crowd control abilities on Gina and Shu. Rath grabs Gina, jumps up to the ceiling to keep them both out of the way, and Gina sprays out a full-strength Nervous Torrent. Shu, immune to acid, slaps down a full-strength Fear To Tread. Yurei and anyone she calls in get caught in a whirlpool of acid. Gina then terraforms obstacles around the Barbers using Neon Ascendant.
>>
>>3853256
the issue with this is that Yurei might have a higher initiative due to her core ability set as a Phantasmal Conduit and Neuromancer Hybrid. It gives her higher initiative since her initiative might be based on the speed of thought. Her brain's constantly overclocked which means she gets higher initiative in her action economy as well as possibly more Actions.
>>
>>3853233
sounds reasonable to me.

>>3853234
>>3853256
>>3853233
i think we can endure 4 rounds.

well, unsure on a plan. was thinking BHOP was wanting us to wait to actually form a plan, but maybe im reading that wrong, so ive only been thinking of middling ideas and been focusing on the actual discussion to get us to fight in the first place.

we'll need to burn some Biomass to get Shus swarm up and strong. Gina should focus on holding back Yureis Reinforcements. we're in a Swamp, she finally has both liquid and ground to control here for that. Shu can also unleash one hell of a spiral to help keep things back for a bit.

we need to hit Yurei hard this turn. besides the fact we have one or two turn 1 only things(i think), shes never going to be as open to an attack as she is now without major work to do so. unless she is immune we also have some chances to stun her quickly too. maybe Gina going for the stun and Shu terraforming would actually work better, as Gina doesn't need a cord for the halo stun. Gina can use her other actions to put up a vomit layer around us or something.

if we can guarantee Rath a hit, she can burn some stats and deal some damn incredible opening damage on Yurei. its just a matter of getting her that opening. Francine... unsure, her Constructs seem like they would do better helping keep reinforcements away. otherwise she can stick to Yurei and just be a drain on her along with our Dominus. which, oh yeah, now Shu can easily jack too, but still, might still be better for Gina to do it, as she literally wont have any connection to overwrite or see to react to.
>>
>>3853259
if Gina uses the Mask, that may not be an issue.
>>
>>3853261
You're forgetting that Shu is also a Neuromancer. We can use Neuromancer abilities through Dominus Bloodline. We have Hydroformer as well as Earthen Mind (gifted to us when Gina made her Thanatos Gambit on Isabelle)
>>
>>3853264
...i... i really didnt. i mentioned and talked about all that in the post...
>>
>>3853261
Wouldn't Francine be away gathering the rest of the party?
>>
>>3853261
>>3853263
If anything, Francine's the squishiest member of our current party.
>>
>>3853234
That is true. Thy Hyenas will need at least a round to get to us. Maybe more if they decide they have to gather before charging us

The biggest threats are Yurei and Ivey. Though depending on how loyal Ivey is to Yurei she might just run away if we down one or two of ther girls. (Though seeing that she is here in this place as what amounts to a guard i would guess she is probably pretty loyal and wont break easily. So we should not yount on this)

I would also guess that Yureis constructs are also gonna be quick on the draw

>>3853261
>>3853256
That would make a good starting move. I would ahzard a guess and say that the Hyenas probably only have limited resistance to acid. The ymight not be loyal enough to wade kneedeep into acid while there is a massive vortex that makes it slosh around and tries to trip them up.

In Additon we can spawn loads of constructs. Probably a rook several knighted nomlings and just fill the rest with Banelings and normal Swarmlings. they just need to keep away the Hyenas which should be possible while we ourselves hit Yurei with aa Firmamanets Spiral Drill. Would also solve our problem of creating a Fear to tred spiral first. We can try to hit her and if we miss we just hit the ground and make sure that we activate the spiral anyway.

And Gina can jsut terraform her own little safespot even without rath needing to keep her up constantly she can bend the acid around herself......

Sounds reasonable?
>>
>>3853268
oh yeah, very true. sorry, im just trying to go fast to get everything down and open for discussion, so alot of it is just whats coming to mind.
>>
(Gentlemen, if you are initiating combat, then you are welcome to describe what you would like to do if you succeed in your surprise round.)

(Also, please confirm your Relic loadout before combat begins, just to ensure there's minimal post-initiative shuffling.)
>>
>>3853273

I think this was voted for at the beginning

Shu;
>Contender, Matrons Stoicism, Remembrance Whistle(RHO CUNT), Consume the Book Relic,

Rath;
>Sui Tormentis, Deliverance of Ego, Adrenal Nail, Ignition Gauntlets, Gutgrab Daggers.

Gina;
>Sui Interitus, The Spine, Uzi( x3 Radiant Mags, x3 Shock Mags, x3 Acid Mags), Crimson Jesters.

Francine;
>Hydras Heart, Inspectors Spectacles, Gear on self to make sure she can reach the family

in this post>>3849238
>>
>>3853273
i dont think we need to shuffle anything around, unless you want us to go over those not here yet aswell?

>>3853270
sure.

we only have 30 minutes, so ill see what i cant do for the actul opening orders real quick. ill trust the rest of you to the relic loadout, but i think our current teams loadout is fine personally.

also, do we want to try and send a jackling to the Barbers or not?
>>
>>3853278
We should send one just to give them a warnign that they might not be able to trust what they are about to se hear or feel anbd to ask them to please not interferen on Yureis behalf
>>
>>3853277
We should put Cutis Tractus on Francine. She's too squishy by our family standards.

>>3853278
What are we going to tell the Barbers? What words do you think we can say to recruit them into the fight?
>>
>>3853277
(Thank you, I just wished to lock those in.)

>>3853278
(Addressing the Relic loadout of your other family members is quite possible, but I was considering leaving a longer voting period for that, set to trigger on their arrival so you can plan accordingly.)
>>
>>3853282
Francine has to leave immediatly and i dotn think we will be able to have that thing around right now.

I think it was more about who holds what items that are currently in posseion of our party

>>3853278
Dont forget that we actually have to plant a spoke here or she wont be able to return to this place without coming through the front door
>>
>>3853282
well, unsure, but ill try and get it soon. we have a trump card at least; Sia. why would Sia want to go BACK into an enclosed system, and certainly why would she be for anyone forcing anything on anyone else? though, we need to talk to Rosa to respect her leadership, so unsure if we have a way to talk to them all, so might nto matter.

>>3853285
that works.

oh, and is there any way to speak to more than just Rosa? hell maybe even all the daughters here too? never hurts to try or ask.
>>
>>3853289
(Through the empathic field, you are certainly free to speak to everyone present.)
>>
>>3853290
Can we ask for a time extension? We're initiating combat, and we wish to make the most out of the surprise round (should we win it).
>>
Is it weird that I kind of want Yurei to get away? Not enough to sabotage our chances or anything like that, don't get me wrong. But she's an interesting villain, and I think she makes a neat counterpart to Shu's optimism and West's selfishness. She wants to help people like Shu, but she has West's ability to justify atrocities to get what she wants. I'd like to see more of her than just this encounter, I wouldn't be upset if she gets away even though that would make things more difficult for us.
>>
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>>3853072

>> "You think that my way is misplaced, and I think that yours is. For what it's worth, both of our ways are better than a host of others out there. I may fall, or you may fall eventually, but until the day that we must cross blades, I suggest cease-fire, and as a token of that I offer a you a copy of the Neurotic Halo, freely, because while I don't agree with your methods any more than you agree with mine, both of ours are better lives than one someone like Prime West or Ozmas would create."

>"And who knows. Maybe you'll come to see things my way, or I to see things yours. I suspect that's unlikely, but there's still a lot of growing and struggle we both are going to go through on this journey. At least both of us care about the bigger picture."

>"Also, I'd get some proper sleep. No one can do everything themselves without burning out."

Honestly, while I think we are likely going to have to come to blows with her eventually, she's not outright evil in my book. Misguided, and dangerously so, but not evil... and didn't we just go on about having to struggle and make our own choices. Let's give her choices and something to think about as well.
>>
>>3853296
i dislike your way of thinking. we have enough things to worry about without her, thats the point.
>>
>>3853298

And yes, I do know I'm going to be horrifically outvoted.
>>
>>3853298
we already gave her that, and her response was to ignore it all and outright threaten us, and say she will stop at nothing to get what she wants from us.

theres a line to whats reasonable to ignore, and shes crossed it.
>>
>>3853295
(By all means, if you wish. Please reply in the affirmative if you'd like an additional hour to discuss and refine your opening plans.)
>>
>>3853306
No shame in that.

Personally I think that giving her a copy of the halo would be the worst option out there. It would appear as a sign of submission and fear

Maybe not to us. But she could spin it that way that even the mighty defiant that challenged and defeated mother bowed to her way of thinking.

It would make her rapidly grow in power

>>3853309
I think another hour would be nice. We have only started hammering out a full fleged plan
>>
>>3853309
sure, working on them now as stated.
>>
>>3853309
yes please.

Also. I found a song that best fits the scenario happening in Yurei's Mansion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewFBuYHldeY
>>
>>3853307
>>3853311

I am Shu's bleeding heart, and I know it. I want to save everyone, even from themselves.

>>3853318
I'm now imagining Penny screaming it out in full punk style as this combat starts in our head.
>>
>>3853270
with the Acid Whirlpool idea, I think we should make Knightling surfboards for Gina, Shu, and Rath, that way Gina and Rath won't have to deal with trying not to make a save or else fall prone and Gina's core passive won't fuck up the Whirlpool.

>>3853311
>>3853313
The only thing I'm worried about is Yurei's ability to overclock her brain. We can't land good direct hits on her because she'll be able to see them coming and come up with counters to them. I just hope her body can't keep up with her brain.
>>
>>3853325
>I want to save everyone, even from themselves.
You know what's Ironic? That's basically Yurei's plan. Shove everyone into THE MATRIX where they'll be eternally content in a simulated heaven.
>>
>>3853325
We tried that before, but the Monastery destruction and the Isabelle debacle taught us that our choices matter. There's a risk to everything and opportunities will be missed no matter the choices we make.
>>
>>3853318
wow much glitter

But it does seem fitting for what is about to happen though maybe a bit to cheery if we are truly planning to melt people in acid and murder them in atomic fire.....

>>3853325
I get what you are on about i truly do, but this is a problem. and a serious one that we can possibly end right now before it turns into a massive danger for ourt very existence. I would have liked to have Yurei as an ally but her unwillingness to even consider our position sadly makes that impossible.

>>3853326
No it really is not, Level 5 makes it so that Allies receive a boost to their movement speed So it would no longe rbe difficult terrain for her and her ability would nto override it.

However the Board idea might have some merrit and would allow them to move much more freely. However Gina has HYdroformer. SHe could bend the acid around herself

>>3853326
She might be able to but that will start ripping her body to shreds if she forces it to move much faster than it normally could
>>
>>3853311
>>3853313
>>3853318
(Understood. Consider voting extended, then.)
>>
>>3853326
>The only thing I'm worried about is Yurei's ability to overclock her brain. We can't land good direct hits on her because she'll be able to see them coming and come up with counters to them. I just hope her body can't keep up with her brain.
She may also have Vitruvian abilities. Her appearance doesn't appear to be corrupted, and since there's no mention of mutant features appearing when we dispelled the illusion it's probably not just her projecting an idealized look. A Vitruvian ability seems like a likely explanation. We should be prepared for her being able to mitigate damage via it somehow.

>>3853343
>No it really is not, Level 5 makes it so that Allies receive a boost to their movement speed So it would no longe rbe difficult terrain for her and her ability would nto override it.
I believe they still need to avoid the initial formation of the spiral or else risk getting knocked down, though. Unless Neon Ascendant would warp the effect around her so that she'd be untouched, I suppose. BHOP, would Neon Ascendant let Gina keep herself and anyone close to her safe from Fear To Tread's knockdown?
>>
>>3853352
(Yes, they would be safe.)
>>
>>3853363
Nice, that makes Fear To Tread way more useful in close quarters.
>>
>>3853343
>>3853352
>>3853313
If Yurei has a Phantasmal/Neuromancy hybrid ability, that means she's got the basic kits of neuromancy which includes Terraforming. She probably has Earthen Mind, but she's also expending bio at a constant rate to sustain the mansion illusion.

We should probably wrest some control of the terrain from Yurei.

So I guess our overall battle plan is this:

>Maintain constant crowd control pressure on Yurei,
>isolate the Hyenas from Yurei,
>destroy the Constructs to even out the playing field somehow...
>stall for reinforcements.

Meanwhile, I think I can hazard a good guess of Yurei's objectives:
>Rip out a Neurotic Halo from Either one of the three enemy daughters (Shu, Gina, Rath)
>Force Shu to submit
>Survive and wait for reinforcements.

Hyenas and the maids will obviously side with Yurei. Which leaves the Barbers as the wildcard.
>>
>>3853072
>>3853345
First Draft Orders;

FRANCINE;
>Take the Gear and go get our Family. Make sure a spoke is planted here.
>Then, pass it on to an Amara Clone to gather whoever else we can. Magpie, the Midnight Crew, Lara, maybe ‘A’. what Yurei is trying to do affects everyone, and everyone has a right to fight it.

GINA;
>Activate the Joker's Mask, you need to act Quickly here.
>Use your Interitus to burn 150% Health for speed.
>Use Amethyst to quickly lock and stun Yurei in place.
>Vomit up a storm of acid to put a barrier around us to keep Yurei’s reinforcements away.
>Armor up with your Swarm and get Ver up aswell.
>See if you cant be prepared to give you and Rath a good spot to stand once Shus spiral goes off.

SHU;
>Quickly Dominous Yurei.
>Spawn Rath and yourself a Bishop, yourself a set of Subversive Platelings, 16 Double Knighted-Grapplings to go and grapple and tie up each Hyena and Maid, one Rook to give us a fallback point, and 6 Knighted-Gurrenlings to abuse any openings the other constructs give them on Yurei’s Reinforcements.
>Terraform the surroundings. Use both Hydromancy and standard terrain forming to keep Yurei’s allies at bay. Make that acid terrain one hell of something to ty and cross.
>Spawn yourself a Drill and rush down Yurei, using that opening and Neuromancys opening excelerant to get to her and at her, and make her hurt.
>Spawn a hard and heavy Spiral under Yurei or where you land.


RATH;
>Get Unrelenting Cold up.
>Turn on Ignition and Erupting Grasp.
>spawn 12 Hydra Limbs.
>Burn yourself 300% Health for 150% to Strength and 150% to speed with Tormentis
>Two should focus on tossing out Boils to help keep Yurei’s allies at bay.
>be prepared to quickly switch damage types if Yurei shows resistance to Radiant damage.
>Once you have your opening, use one Strand to tie up Yurei as a precaution and anchor her down, before using it to pull yourself to her and spend your 10 Fists to make her feel some pain.

(1/2)
>>
>>3853382
>>3853345
>>3853072
SHU TO EVERYONE;
>Open the Empathic channel wide and loud.
>”To any daughters here, to anyone willing to listen. Please, hear me. I know you don't know me, and i don't know you, but you wouldn't be here at all if we didn't have at least some similarities.”
>”you wouldn't be here if you didn't at least think the Crucible and what it wants isn't the best path for you or humanity, wouldn't be here if you weren't at least interested in another path forward.”
>”But what Yurei wishes to do isn't the way forward. I get it, I do. The loss, the pain, the struggle to survive. It can be brutal, it can wear on the mind and spirit. But running away won't solve our problems, hiding from reality won't make it go away. And forcing others to do so too isn't the solution.”
>”I get it's a tough fight, that it can seem hopeless. But it's not. Together, we CAN make something out of humanity, out of this world, this situation. But we cant to it if we run, if we ignore that those struggles and fears? Those are us. Those are Humanity. A part of us just as much as love and comfort is.”
>”but together, we can overcome it. We can take the good and the bad, and we can do what humanity has done time and time again. Learn from it, evolve from it, becomes something better from it. But we can't do that if we cower in fear. From ourselves, from reality, from what it really means to live and be part of humanity.”
>”And do you really think its right? To force others to do so? It's fine if you want your simulation, but it's a risk, it sacrificing your control of your own life to others and fate and hoping nothing bad comes from reality to stop it.”
>”Can you really fight the Crucible, something that would force a path on us, force us to be what it wants, while also forcing the same on others? Can you really fight, stand firm here, with Yurei, while stealing that right from others?”
>”Can you really stand by her, take freedom and choice from everyone, while indulging in your own? Will you really let her and let her make you sacrifice every moral, every bit of what brought you someplace to stand against the crucible in the first place, only so you can take everything away from others? Can you really stand firm throwing all away to run away?”
>”Id ask you not to, to remember what it really means to be human, not to listen to someone's idealized fantasies. Reality will not ever go away, but we can fight it, together, make something of it. But only if we don't ignore it, only if we work together, and admit to what that reality is, for us and for everyone. Please, stand with me, Stand firm against fear, against cowardice. Stand firm with me against someone who has no trust in Humanity, and show her what we can truly do when we come together.”
>”If we don't now, we may never get another chance.”

(2/2)
>>
>>3853388
i felt we didnt know the Barbers well enough to only talk to them, and we only know enough about Sia to send a personalized message too. we shall see if they listen or not, the other Daughters too.

probably about to grab food with a friend, so ill be phone posting if at all for a good little bit, but i do hope its at least overall seen as a good plan, and of course open to ideas.
>>
>>3853327

Yeah, except that one key difference of you offer the path, never force them down it.

>>3853342

I know... I know. It's why I'm not trying to persuade others despite my personal feelings.

>>3853345

I'm terrible in combat, but this >>3853382 >>3853388 seems solid.
>>
>>3853392
also, two note real quick;
Yurei said we 'dont know loss like her', but we kinda do.

theres also something to be said about how you cant save everyone, and trying to can easily lead down a bad path.

not sure either of these are important im just spewing out my thoughts is all.
>>
>>3853382
Do we have any swarmlign slots remaining?

If so we should fill them with basic swarmlings that go out and try to force the openings for the Gurrenlings more easily.

and maybe add intot shus orders taht if its impossibel to land a blow on Yurei for whatever reason to just activate the spiral instead so we dont waste a turn with the acid just sittign there.

NNow imagine the carnage a rotating pit with spikes and blades filled with acid could do..... I shiver at the thought

>>3853398
You will get used to it. Its always a cooperative effort. One person can not hope to consider all points of view
>>
>>3853402
we do not. all swarmling slots are used.

seems fair with Shu, but the new Drill kinda does that automatically i think.
>>
(As a reminder, please choose the form of the Contender, if you want anything other than the basic Lionheart.)
>>
>>3853404
the opening of the spiral only happens if we actually connect a blow
>>
>>3853382
Sounds mostly solid, but I don't think there's a point in having an Amara clone go around gathering our allies. That's going to take way too long, even with the Gear. Lara is the only one that has anything approaching a fixed location, the rest are currently on the move. Even with knowing where they were, it would take long enough to get from the nearest Waystation to them that I don't think it's practical. If it would take three rounds just to gather up party members who actually have a Gear spoke on them, it would take dozens to bring other allies in.
>>
>>3853409

I thought it was having all our Joyous Many clones pop off their hoods and tell the people they're following, not one clone going around gathering folks? I misread things frequently so now I'm not sure.
>>
>>3853404
>>3853402
I know it's way off tangent, but what if we fused a Rev-ling with a Gurrenling?

>>3853406

Guns Akimbo with Gatling Gunner's Maxim (six bullets in each gun), two gatling guns, one in each hand, wielded by a pair of Hundred Handed arms, one is loaded with hollowpoints, the other is loaded with B.33 specials, 3 rounds Honey, 3 rounds Swarm.

Gatling Gun #1: (3 Honey B.33 Rounds, 3 Swarm B.33 Rounds)
Gatling Gun #2: (6 Hollowpoints)

The gun loaded with the B.33 Special is to crowd control the Maids and the Hyenas.
The gun loaded with Hollow points is to give us more places to spawn our swarmlings even if our bullets miss.
>>
>>3853409
BHOP already said there's a Chance for further allies to arrive in time.
>>
>>3853406
As-is, there's no point in not having both blades in Gatlinggunner's Maxim. That's the only form we have aside from the Lionheart, and since we don't have any Lionheart-exclusive upgrades the machine gun is just a flat improvement over it. I'm going to suggest we load each with three B.33 Specials (one gun loading Honey and the other loading Swarm) and two Ravenous Parabellums. The remaining load will be one Herculean Fullbore in one gun and one Cicada's Cry in the other.

>>3853411
Sure, that will speed up convincing them to come, but we still have to get all of them to a place the clone with the Gear can teleport them here. That could take a while if they're not already right by a Waystation.

>>3853418
Hollowpoint Hives are terrible, better to use Parabellums or Fullbores. Also, the Cicada's Cry is designed for fighting Neuromancers and Phantasmal Conduits, it has some issues in close quarters because Gina could be caught by it but if we can make some distance it's a great option against Yurei.

>>3853421
Yes, a small chance, and they'll arrive even later into the fight than the rest of our party. It's already going to be four rounds before the ported-in party members can have any effect. I don't think we've yet had a fight that went beyond six rounds. I sincerely doubt our allies will arrive in time to matter. I guess it's worth a longshot, though, just in case this drags on.
>>
>>3853423
We dont have the swarmling slots for the Herculean Fullbores

We are full with what we are spawning . We should make them Parabellums instead
>>
>>3853382
Oh, also, in case it needs to be said, we should add this:

>Everyone prime reactive defenses. Halo Counters for the party as well as Gina priming Neon Ascendant level two.

>>3853425
BHOP got rid of Fullbores taking up swarmling slots.

>>3770991
>(You know what? They were supposed to per the description, but I think that detail's been missed more often than caught. Consider the slot requirement nullified, and I'll update the Relic sheet accordingly. If I've missed it up until now, I'm certainly not going to hold you to it going forwards, it simply wouldn't be fair.)
>>
>>3853428
>>3853345
>BHOP got rid of Fullbores taking up swarmling slots.
I'm going to need a source for that quote
>>
>>3853430
Yeah, I tried to link the post number but I screwed up with linking to the archives. It's that post number in Vein 28.
>>
>>3853428
I am gonna need taht as well.

And if that is not possible. I would liek to hear it form the horses mouth directly... so to speak

>>3853363
OP do the Herculean Fullbore still take up a swarmling slot?
>>
>>3853296
>>3853298
>>3853325
I agree with those two anons that I would rather not fight madame Yurei, she is one of the most decent people out of here; I would have prefered to do some sort of challenge, or a set of rules to convince her towards our way of thinking, something along the way of "our chord hacking plan is superior because x reasons, and is fairly close to your ideal plan, just in realspace instead of simulation". Make some agreement that, if we must agree to disagree, she can have a shot with a more conservative version of her plan if we were to fall.
So that´s three anons for peace here.

Anyway, I trust your ability to handle the fight. But this is the first time we are the unprovoked AGGRESSOR in a fight. I know that she has a strong incentive to kill us, but even now she is holding to her word and offering safe passage. I am just worried that we are going to give the wrong impression to all daughters; we attacked somebody offering hospitality on her own home, and being honest and straightforward about her plans.
This is an atrocious breach of hospitality, and will likely be considered as the "red wedding" of the fleshcape. I would rather have kept Shu´s good reputation, or tried to argument our way in a less "you are the ultimate evil" approach. VERY few people consider the well-being of their fellow humans in the fleshcape, so I consider this fight t be a tragedy.
>>
>>3853423
i think he was very much implying they could get here in time to help, as i specifically asked if it would be worth it within the context that fights dont last that long, and he still said yes.

>>3853418
im fine with this loadout, but with our plan im unsure if we really have a good chance to fire this round.

certainly not the action economy for it.

>>3853423
we have the bayonet, we lose nothing by having them in Maxim. that was the point of taking both those upgrades.


>>3853428
im fine with priming our defenses.

>>3853433
>>3853432
>>3853428
Fullbores no longer take up a slot.
>>
>>3853430
>>3853432
>>3853433
(I can confirm that Fullbores no longer take up a Swarmling slot, and is the start of many buffs coming to your ammo types.)
>>
>>3853418
wait actually i jumped the gun, im 100% against this. the Hollowpoints a worthless round and im against using it.
>>
>>3853442
>we have the bayonet, we lose nothing by having them in Maxim. that was the point of taking both those upgrades.
I know. I was voting to have both in Maxim mode because they're better than the base Lionheart and don't lose anything from the transformation. We are in agreement.
>>
>>3853434

She openly declared she would hunt us down for our Halo. She has thrown the first glove into the ring. She has challenged us. Noit directly but she has made it clear that as soon as we left we woul db econsidred wild game for her people.

I would have liked to convince her but i dont think anything we can say to her will be able to change her mind. She has stated multiple times that she will force the Dreamscape on everyone. And that is not something we can allow.

She would make herself a god ruling over the dreamscape..... If you think it is okay to make her a problem that will hound us forever or until we kill her after she has spoken the first threat. Sure go ahead and say that you want to but i ahve to say

And the first link is not for leaving peacefully but that Yurei flees the battle after we have beaten her to hell and back

>>3853442
Yes i looked that just up

>>3853445
Thank you for confirming that again
>>
>>3853434

You'd best be putting the argument forward to >>3853404
He's the one that you should try and convince.

>>3853445
Hey bhop. If Francine has the Inspector's Spectacles, can she tell us Yurei's core ability and stats through neuromancy? Or is the Spectacles not upgraded?
>>
>>3853451
(Yes. You'll be informed of Yurei's HEALTH and BIO at the start of combat, and Francine's succeeded in the intial roll to show the nature of Yurei's Core ability and her intentions for the next round.)
>>
>>3853382
>>3853388
Good plan; but I would REALLY recommend >>3853423 loadout on the paired Gatlingunner maxims; hopefully shoot EVERYTHING next turn, starting by the CICADAS.

> Francine´s role:
Also, question to everyone: What should Francine do, once she is back in the next turns? I think there is two major options:

A) She boosts GINA or other key combatant with her "Unravelled self". I think GINA is key in this fight, because we NEED to stunlock Yurei HARD. As a conduit, she is proably based on concentration actions. Against this, generous "CICADA bullets", a superior neuromancer (GINA) or an anti construct man (DORIAN) seem key. NOVEMBER is also a good candidate.

B) She heals the fuck out of US, trying to synergize with our DOMINUS; draining YUREI via touch if possible, attacking by "Queen´s hand" skill and keeping enemies at bay with her primordial school.
>>
>>3853072
>>3853382
>>3853388
Second Draft Orders;

FRANCINE;
>Take the Gear and go get our Family. Make sure a spoke is planted here.
>Then, pass it on to an Amara Clone to gather whoever else we can. Magpie, the Midnight Crew, Lara, maybe ‘A’. what Yurei is trying to do affects everyone, and everyone has a right to fight it.

GINA;
>Prime Halo defenses.
>Activate the Joker's Mask, you need to act Quickly here.
>Use your Interitus to burn 150% Health for speed.
>Use Amethyst to quickly lock and stun Yurei in place.
>Vomit up a storm of acid to put a barrier around us to keep Yurei’s reinforcements away.
>Armor up with your Swarm and get Ver up aswell.
>See if you cant be prepared to give you and Rath a good spot to stand once Shus spiral goes off.

SHU;
>Prime Halo defenses.
>Quickly Dominous Yurei.
>Contender loadout; Split into 2 Maxims. Maxim 1 will have 6 BBs, Maxim 2 will have 3 Parabellum and 3 Fullbore.
>Spawn Rath and yourself a Bishop, yourself a set of Subversive Platelings, 16 Double Knighted-Grapplings to go and grapple and tie up each Hyena and Maid, one Rook to give us a fallback point, and 6 Knighted-Gurrenlings to abuse any openings the other constructs give them on Yurei’s Reinforcements.
>Terraform the surroundings. Use both Hydromancy and standard terrain forming to keep Yurei’s allies at bay. Make that acid terrain one hell of something to ty and cross.
>Spawn yourself a Drill and rush down Yurei, using that opening and Neuromancys opening excelerant to get to her and at her, and make her hurt.
>Spawn a hard and heavy Spiral under Yurei or where you land. Be prepared to spawn one anyways if no attack opening if found.


RATH;
>Prime Halo Defenses.
>Get Unrelenting Cold up.
>Turn on Ignition and Erupting Grasp.
>spawn 12 Hydra Limbs.
>Burn yourself 300% Health for 150% to Strength and 150% to speed with Tormentis
>Two should focus on tossing out Boils to help keep Yurei’s allies at bay.
>be prepared to quickly switch damage types if Yurei shows resistance to Radiant damage.
>Once you have your opening, use one Strand to tie up Yurei as a precaution and anchor her down, before using it to pull yourself to her and spend your 10 Fists to make her feel some pain.

with the same speech as found here;
>>3853388
>>
>>3853460
anon, you got the math wrong. Rath's Sui Tormentis is level 4, which means the health/stat ratio i at 1 hp to 5% increase in a given stat. You spending 150% hp for strength and a 150% hp for speed is going to result in a 750% increase in both speed and Strength.
>>
>>3853460
Another thing. We're in an isolated room seperated from Ivey Holmes, the Hyenas, and the Maids. It's probably an illusion, but it is an isolated room nonetheless.
>>
>>3853466
no, you read it wrong. i simply stated where i wanted to split the spent health, not what its end result in stats would be.
>>
>>3853434
It would be nice to do something like that, and I tried to write such a response, but I just couldn't get it to gel. I don't think it would actually work. Because you're right, our plan is pretty close to Yurei's, except in meatspace. Which means that her actual desires can't really be to just end resource scarcity, because if they were there would be no need to upload everyone forcibly. There has to be a deeper reason, one that we can't solve simply by telling her that we're going to use the Crucible's technology to make a post-scarcity physical world as well. My best guess is that it's about control. The advantage of the dreamscape is that it's isolated and safe. Every variable can be controlled. In the fleshscape, no matter how advanced your technology, it's still a chaotic physical system. There are unexpected events. Yurei clearly has some sort of issue with the unpredictability of the physical world, given her comments about "you haven't lost like I have" I expect it comes back to a sudden incident taking away someone she cares about. Maybe an accident, maybe a random crime, I'm not sure. But that's why she can't let people still live in the physical realm, because not only does she see it as not safe for them she sees it as not safe for her to allow these chaotic elements to exist.

>>3853448
>And the first link is not for leaving peacefully but that Yurei flees the battle after we have beaten her to hell and back
I wouldn't say I'm for it. Just that I think Yurei's an interesting character and I wouldn't mind her being a recurring threat, even if that would be stressful. She's neat, she could easily carry a full arc, I think that would be cool. But if we kill her here and now I won't be too upset about it. Especially if we can turn the fallout of her death into an arc of its own. Like maybe we persuade some of the Daughters here to our position, have them join us, and suddenly Shu's got a faction instead of just a party. What do?
>>
>>3853468
yes we are in an isolated room in an old mansion where a lot of other people are. They wont take long to get to us a round at most and we neeed to be ready for them when they show up
>>
>>3853468
still. the house is actually rotting and decayed. tearing through its ground, if said ground and water isnt already exposed, would be literally not even a thought.
>>
>>3853457
SWEET! Okay, I would rather NOT have fought her, but given that the community seems committed to the fight, I will drop the subject here. And I have to say that the combat plans and draft are looking delicious.
Thanks for >>3853382 and >>3853388, that´s a VERY hefty contribution there. That´s not trivial to put together...

I just feel guilty for quicking to the curb somebody offering us hospitality, and whose reason to oppose us is due to her being a well-intentioned extremist...even if she is VERY extremist.

But the thing that makes me feel more guilty? If we kill her, she will die to THE M**FCKING BOSS of "why you suck" speeches.
Seriously, look at >>3852845, >>3852847 and >>3853388.
Anon rolled a crit in "vengeful speech-crafting", and kicked Yurei so hard in the dialectic department that even Black templar chaplains would sit up and nod in appreciation.
>>
>>3853481
An extremist no matter for which ideology or purpose is always dangerous and will inevitably take things to far...

THe only way to have made her safe to be around would have been to deradiclize her. Which is difficult seeing as she had her positions entrenched already

>Anon rolled a crit in "vengeful speech-crafting", and kicked Yurei so hard in the dialectic department that even Black templar chaplains would sit up and nod in appreciation.

I think even Grimaldus would agree to that.
>>
>>3853072

Wait a second *tallies votes*

>>3853088 - Leave peacefully
>>3853098 - Attack
>>3853214 - Attack
>>3853298 - Give Halo
>>3853434 - Leave Peacefully

(I think I got them all)

If actual voting was truly extended, not just for tactical reasons... I'll change my vote to Leave Peacefully to break the tie even if it means folks will be noticeably upset with me.

I also won't be too broken up if it's too late as I've already said my piece.
>>
(Writing now, Gentlemen. This may take a little time to make everything flow, but given the quality of the speech and your solid plan, I wish to do it justice.)
>>
>>3853072
>>3853489
And I didn't vote. So I vote to attack.
>>
>>3853489
you got me twice i was at first
>>3853088
and later switched to
>>3853214

so it wasnt a tie
>>
>>3853481
no one can say i dont have passion at least when i get into the mood i guess.

also seems the hours up, i think? yeah, been three hours from first timer, one from new timer too. fingers crossed i guess.

given that...

>>3853481
>>3853434
i get your concerns, but we cant ignore she is showing clear signs of being stuck in her ways, and being unwilling to listen to our viewpoints. at the end, she didn't even try to say anything to counter us, to further convince us. she just said "no, you're wrong, because im right." thats dangerous. and like ive said, we will literally never have a better chance to take her down, and if we dont? she hunts us, our family, maybe our allies. she herself said it, she wont stop at nothing to get what she wants from us. the ends justify the means for her, and letting someone like that go when we can stop her would be a bigger crime than any breach of hospitality.

and why, dare i say, hospitality is she giving us? sure, fair enough on the forge and engine. but the house, the food? false, illusions. worse, by tricking us, shes tricking our bodies into think were eating while getting no nutrients, shes tricking our bodies into thinking were warm and safe while in the middle of a swamp. sure, were in no actual danger right now from that, but i do think the principle matters. she would lie and trick our minds and put us in an actually kinda bad situation in reality just to convince us of her plan. thats not actual hospitality, thats trickery. that could actually cause harm, physical and mental, even in the fleshscape and with the best of intentions at times. she wants us to think shes giving us alot while actually putting nothing on the table in those regards. even if in this instance there no real harm, its still a good sign of what shes willing to do and ignore for her own goals under the best of conditions.
>>
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>>3853489
Alas, I am afraid PIC related will happen instead. Don´t worry, we will get a good fight out of this... and maybe we might persuade Yurei to surrender. If the second worst scenario arises and we have to consume her, she is a good candidate for an "Spiritus ex Testa" rebirth, should we manage to find common ground.

Think about it; she has the perfect skillset as a "senior advisor" for our "chord-hacking plans". As long as she is honest, with her, Francine, GINA, and a stolen phantasmal halo pried from Evil west cold, dead hands, we are standing at optimal chances to hack the chord...
She already gave us lots of useful info for that from a casual conversation... now imagine if she was a TOTAL, unconditional ally. Oh, the possibilities...
>>
>>3853493
>>3853495

Cool. It was one of those "Wait a minute" moments. Like I said, I'm not broken up.
>>
>>3853481
>I just feel guilty for quicking to the curb somebody offering us hospitality, and whose reason to oppose us is due to her being a well-intentioned extremist...even if she is VERY extremist.
I share your trepidation about violating hospitality, but at the same time I think she's being very "letter of the law" here. She's saying "I won't kill you now, but once you leave my grounds I'm coming after you" when she has her Hyenas right here and waiting to pounce. Yeah, we could teleport out with the Gear, but I don't think she knows about that. There's a clear implicit threat there to accompany the more general explicit threat, and so it's not like we're acting unreasonably here. We have cause to think of Yurei as an immanent threat to ourselves and treat her as an enemy.

(Also, if we're being rules lawyers ourselves, we can make an argument that giving us an illusion of a comfortable shelter and tasty food to eat is not really offering hospitality. At least not so long as we still have actual physical bodies to take care of. Maybe if we were in the Cord, but otherwise no.)

Anyways, I think we can probably mitigate any damage to our reputation this might cause by the fact that we're also explaining our reasoning to the Daughters present here. We're not just some blackguard taking advantage of Yurei's hospitality to attack her, we're an ideological opponent coming to literal blows. Diplomacy was attempted, it has failed, and now we're having a punch-up. But even so, we're trying to be reasonable and state our logic to the witnesses so that they can come to their own conclusions on this debate.
>>
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>>3853501
> "No one can say i dont have passion at least when I get into the mood, I guess"
Understatement of the century. We are looking at "15.000 hydrogen warheads of righteous fury speech" with >>3852845, >>3852847 and >>3853388. Grimaldus tier, and I appreciate it even when from tmy frontal opposition to violence, particularly towards idealists. Have a pic representing your crowning achievement, you glorious bastard.

Seriously, my greatest regret if we kill her is that she will die to the most zealous "why you suck" speech in the history of the fleshcape.
Regarding our future reputation, after this, we shall reap the greatest heights of Glory or depths of Infamy, but never ignominy.
Not after this.
>>
>>3853524
i do find it funny and actually maybe a bit ironic? that we are kinda fighting extremism with extremism. id just argue extremism of not justifying the means by the ends and allowing people to choose for themselves over the opposite.

extremism for choice, and faith in humanity. not something im upset over personally at least.

plus id argue its less full on extremism of ideology, and more of sometimes you gotta hit like a brick wall to try and break through a brick wall.
>>
>>3853529
More like sometimes you need to take the Thunderhammer to the Brickwall to make sure you can build a door to the better future

Yeah the entire indivudualism route we have been going makes me pretty happy as well. And our efforts have already paid off. We gave Mara and Charon hope and faith in a better tomorrow.

I am sure we will be able to light that fire of determination in even more minds. I would not be surprised if we started to actively attract followers, that wanted to join our cause, after this
>>
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>>3853529
Hey, I am an extremist over the need for dialogue, persuasion and consensus (yes, I am a fanatic of dialogue. Ironic). You tend towards the extremism for belief in freedom and the positive impact of individual action Vs the collectivity.

And Yurei managed to trigger us BOTH.
I demanded her to bend in her extremist views and synergize with our plan, make concessions, or agree to disagree.
You had a VERY justified desire to see her get bent for her breach of universal freedoms.

So this fight is going to be over the most ironic of reasons. As we will below to whoever will be willing to listen....

> We shall persuade you to accept our peaceful Crucible-breaking plans... BY FORCE!
>>
>>3853072
Finally caught up!

Voting for:
>>You’ll be damned if you’re going to be looking over your shoulder for Yurei. If she insists on pursuing you for your Halo, then you may as well take her here and now. No one threatens your family. (Initiate Combat)

Because we have no good reason to let someone who's already admitted to the fact that she'll hunt us down as soon as she's prepared.
>>
>>3853540
And it's such a disappointment, too. I think that's why I've really got reservations over fighting here, I so wanted Yurei to be reasonable. Someone we could form compatible plans with, her having her dreamworld for everyone who wanted to live there while we rebuild the physical. Two worlds and modes of existence, working together in harmony. But nope, she had to insist on forcing everyone into the dreamscape. So it's got me all frustrated with her and not sure what to do. But in the end, yeah, beating some sense into her just seems right. And if that doesn't work, we can bring her back in the post-Crucible world and show her that we're actually doing just fine, maybe that will convince her.
>>
>>3853549
Don´t worry comrade, everyone is already committed to the fight. The tie is no more, and actually wasn´t there in the first place.

We now strike together for the glory of our glorious fleshy, entirely peaceful*, non-ascended ways, and our motherland.

>*: We could argue she "shot first". Even if she didn´t, thanks to dialectics. Regretably. But if Han Solo could get away with it, we will ahve to follow his example.
>>
>>3853540
what really got me was her response. it wasn't just that she disagreed with us, its that she just brushed off our views and opinions with little actual regard. and then? she threatens us. plain and simple. with an engine, literally RIGHT there, and proof it can be copied.

she refused to even consider our viewpoint or points, to even just say 'well i disagree, but who knows? time will tell." or anything. sure, we said and would probably come to blows, but even admitting to that she could've at least worded it less directly hostile. sure, fine, we didn't hold anything back, but shes also threatening to force something on the entirety of humanity, of course we are gonna be a bit uncomfortable in our response to that.

Engine, right there. she didn't care. just straight to "im gonna murder you and everyone you love for that." girl i know were playing hardball but but surely if you need it so bad you could at least put the option on the table yourself, no? maybe doing that might at least make you seem reasonable and help your side of the argument, no? a "look we disagree, we may end up enemies, but im not the bad guy here. give me what i need, and we can settle this respectfully later when the time comes, alright?"

that, and i dont trust people like her. the way she talks, she thinks herself the one and only savior there can ever be. our entire point is we dont think anyone, even ourselves, is all that matters. shes saying she alone can lead humanity, and no one else, not even her loyal followers who agree with her.

shes an interesting character at least, but damn is she not one to leave to their own devices.
>>
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>>3853550
> Someone we could form compatible plans with, her having her dreamworld for everyone who wanted to live there while we rebuild the physical. Two worlds and modes of existence, working together in harmony.

Ah yes, SO MUCH this... But well, here it comes. And since argumentation is now dealt with copious amounts of face-punching, it is good we have Rath with us. Some "consecutive normal punches" from her will be very persuasive. As in "Oh my god she is Saitama and All-Might rolled together in a cranky package"

>"INITIATING FACE-PUNCHING PROTOCOLS. GLORIA OMNISSIAH"
>>
>>3853567
>Rath enters "Diplomacy Mode."
>the other sides diplomats wonder why they suddenly hear theme music and an overhead disembodied voice saying words very deliberately in Japanese as nonexistent stage lights start shining on Rath.
>>
>>3853557
You know, it's funny: She criticized the Disassociated Ones for fleeing the Crucible while carrying their underlying flaws with them, but from where we stand? They're looking pretty similar. They've both got that hyper-focus on their goals that keeps them from realizing the flaws in their thinking. Except that the Disassociated came by it via brain damage, while Yurei...well, she might have screwed up her brain overclocking herself. But it also seems like she comes by it honestly. So she's not just being unnecessarily aggressive, she's also a hypocrite. Hell, at least the Disassociated value consent and are only keeping their own flaws instead of forcing them unto others.
>>
>>3853534

I'm very willing to use force on the wall, but this action is just a little too Renegade for my Paragon sensibilities. Ah well.

If we're going to do this, let's do it right. If we can though, I'd like to let Ivey and Co. make their own way after. They didn't strike me as fanatics of Yurei.
>>
>>3853557
>with an engine, literally RIGHT there, and proof it can be copied.
MAYYYBE she doesn´t know you can do it? Our sparagmos is unlocked and super-duper special; maybe the one she has DOES NOT have this ability.
Still, that would be a good argument to handle the reputational shitstorm coming our way. Using skintalking to offer unbiaised proof of what happenned to everyone that wishes to acess evidence may also offer a way to handle it.
>>
>>3853585
well, BHOP said she saw all three of us had it, and that wouldn't be possible if the Halos cant be copied, theres supposed to only be one of each. even so, she still had the chance to ask us nicely to hand it over, even if there was only one copy. but really, correct engine or not, she seems like the type that should be smart enough to see three people with an item that should only have one copy and put two and two together. if she cant, then we have an argument of her being too blinded or brain fried to be trusted with her plan, or any plan really.
>>
>>3853585
She claimed it was an unlocked Engine. That sort of skill redistribution is supposed to be one of its more basic functions, she should know about it. Also, she can probably infer that the Halos can be copied somehow given that we've got three of them. Either we copied the skill or we learned how to craft more. Which is not impossible for her to think, I suppose, if she knows about our association with Charon. Still, there are reasons for her to consider that she could bargain for a Halo instead of take it off our corpse.
>>
>>3853583
> "If we can though, I'd like to let Ivey and Co. make their own way after. They didn't strike me as fanatics of Yurei."
ABSOLUTE SUPPORT. They look to be nice people.

> "This action is just a little too Renegade for my Paragon sensibilities."
You and me both brother. But sometimes you have to acknowledge that the "Team Vengeance" part of the board makes good points, congratulate them on their victory, and let them handle the situation like they do best.
>>
>>3853583
>If we're going to do this, let's do it right. If we can though, I'd like to let Ivey and Co. make their own way after. They didn't strike me as fanatics of Yurei.
Agreed. They seem like decent people, I'd rather not hurt them if we don't have to. Hell, if we spin it right we might even be able to recruit them.
>>
>>3853586
>>3853592
Oops, "Logic.exe" was unoperative for a moment. Yep, that sounds like Yurei is fully willing to kill her competition on the spot for ideologic reasons.
Good news for our future diplomance rolls when trying to keep our reputation...
>>
(Gentlemen, I am endeavoring to write as quickly as I can given work today, so thank you for your patience, one and all.)
>>
>>3853594
We will probably have to beat the shit out of them first. Not the worst foundation for a trusting relationship and Ivy did say somthign to the effect thayt she was quite sure herself what Yurei really wanted to do. Just the general plan.....

>>3853583

I am all recruting the barely dressed blue furred woman with her pack of hyenas. If they survive this entire thing..... Not the most likely
>>
>>3853600
take your time. make it right. We've got tonight right?
>>
>>3853583
>>3853593
>>3853594
while if they can be reasoned with, sure, but we shouldn't hold back if/when they come to Yurei's support here. that could get us killed. i mean, i actually would myself prefer even Yurei to change her mind on this ONE detail than have us do this, but she didnt, and we cant afford to let her go if she wont. if the Hyenas help her, what happens, happens.

>>3853595
at the very least no one will think we arent willing to act or defend our viewpoints, which should at least garner some respect even in the worst outcome. though, possibly more of a 'oh god run away from the badass' kinda respect, but still.

>>3853602
>I am all recruiting the barely dressed blue furred woman with her pack of hyenas.
i am suspicious now with that wording of your true reasons for wanting them around.
>>
>>3853600
hey we understand, and thanks for keeping us informed. you do... whatever the hell it is you do. hold your company above the waterline, from the sounds of it sometimes.

>Images of tired meatball being used as a support beam in an office space.
>>
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>>3853575
> Rath Casts fist!
> It´s super-effective!
> Target is now persuaded....

Yeah, Rath + Sui Tormentis is a SCARY combination. I am glad we got saitama in our team, that´s all I am saying...
>>
>>3853600
No worries, BHOP. As always, take your time and don't feel you need to rush for us.
>>
>>3853595

https://open.spotify.com/track/2aozlm4HfRx8yRYL7RCoAH

Given that is currently my theme for Yurei and what seems to be her Corrupted mind... yeah... gonna join you on the Logic.EXE stopped working.

>>3853607
Oh no, if for a Penny, in for a Pounding. It's more along the lines of letting them stand down/not finishing them if downed.

>>3853600
Keep on keeping on. We're an understanding type of a collective consciousness.
>>
>>3853613
Now consider that Unrelenting Cold should give her the Kinetic Remnant's "grow by absorbing heat/momentum" power eventually. Imagine one of those punches from a giant.
>>
>>3853607

>i am suspicious now with that wording of your true reasons for wanting them around.

you should be worried *insert dramatic evil laughter here* Nah i just think she might be a good addition. She seems to have experience at leading a party and genrally surviving. How she treats her people we will see in this fight. If she treats them well she might make a good recruit to at least be ascociated with us.

I get why you are suspicious of me but this time i truly am not working off any dirty ulterior motives. I just think she might be a good fit. And having someone who worked under a prominent figure in the crucible actively endorse us after we punched out her former boss would go quite a long way of convincing people that we were justified in our actions. My dirtiest thought about all of this is how we can spin this into a net win for our reputation in the political landscape of the crucible. And she might be a useful asset for that
>>
>>3853617
>>3853613
>Rath becoming very tall, then suddenly turning smol after blowing up a giant arm she used for her all-out punch.

A Giant Rocket punch on strings
>>
>>3853586
That also brings up the issue of her battle objective. All she needs to do is to survive and make away with one of the Halos from either Shu, Rath, or Gina. Shu and Gina's halos are soul-bound from Perpetual Crown and cannot be removed upon death, so that leaves Rath's Halo since Rath doesn't have the Perpetual Crown augment. Francine doesn't have a halo, but relies upon staying connected to Gina in order to gain its benefits.

I think if we are to win the battle and deny Yurei her true objective (getting a halo), we need to keep our halos away from yurei and ensure she doesn't have any ability that allows her to literally rip a Halo out of one of our family members.
>>
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>>3853619
well i was joking around more than not, but thanks for explaining.

>Pic unrelated and chosen at random
>>
I'm glad we can come together on contentious decisions rather than devolving into faction wars.
>>
>>3853631
Better safe then sorry they say. I thought that maybe i went a bit to far in trying to get a small rise out of someone. I know you can be a bit...... jumpy (i think would be the correct term) when it comes to stuff like that

Cute Gif by the way and congratulations for making me lay out my entire motivation
>>
>>3853630
does it even work like that? the fact its an ability seems to imply they still are'our' biomass and the like, and more like spawning a calcite blade or something than an actual individual object. technically, nothing says we couldn't craft more than one either, just it takes time to do so(and probably doesn't stack benefits too, only would ensure one being destroyed doesn't leave you with nothing.)

might need BHOP clarification here though.

>>3853633
of course, faction wars are for level up votes.
>>
>>3853072
>Take her offer, and leave. Given your surveillance network, you’re confident you’ll be able to see her coming…and you’ll be ready, with your entire family ready to defend themselves.
Yeah... I don't want to just disrespect hospitality even if we later come to blows. It's a politeness thing, and not having people think we'll attack them in their own home if they invite us there and didn't attack first.
>>
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>>3853649
you're like 2 hours late i think for that vote, but welcome to the thread anyways.

>>3853636
eh... not sure 'jumpy' is the right word. that would imply(i think), that any instance of it i jump at seriously, but i myself have made such jokes before. certainly a bit paranoid over it for sure, but suspicious or cautious is probably the most appropriate word, at leas if were going for a middle ground tone not meant to be saying anything serious about eachother.

also have one of the two other of those gifs, while fate has decided to finally give me a reason to post one, may aswell post more.
>>
>>3853655
i was thinking jumpy more like in a bit sensitive to that content

But suspicious would have worked as well.. if i had remembered the word at the time

Christ these Gifs make me chuckle
>>
lol, we're really gonna start a fight in the home of someone who cordially invited us in?

AND without knowing the extent and disposition of her forces?

AND god knows she's a phantasmal conduit so even if we do kill her she's gotta have some backups?

This is not just uncouth and foolish, it's pretty much suicidal. We're taking on an already dangerous foe on her home turf. The Barbers may or may not be under her sway, we know for a fact Ivey is here and will come as backup ASAP, let alone whatever else she has hidden away for just such an occasion as this. I thought we had the Lepisma fight pretty well in hand the whole time, but this right here is asking for a TPK.
>>
>>3853661
Either we fight her here. Or we have her constantly hound our family and try to assassinate our family, or give Yurei what she wants and watch her become invincible in her field (Neuromancy/Phantasmal Conduit) and be relatively helpless while she shoves everyone her homebrewed version of "The Matrix" when she wins and climbs the Cord.
>>
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>>3853072

At your silent command, Francine slips her hand down your back and into your pocket, retrieving Escher’s Gear as your voice echoes through the Empathic Channel to all present.

”To any daughters here, to anyone willing to listen. Please, hear me.” You begin solemnly. “I know you don't know me, and I don't know you, but you wouldn't be here at all if we didn't have at least some similarities. You wouldn't be here if you didn't at least think the Crucible and what it wants isn't the best path for you or humanity, wouldn't be here if you weren't at least interested in another path forward.”

Your host just cocks one eyebrow, meeting your defiant glare with her own withering expression.

”But what Yurei wishes to do isn't the way forward. I get it, I do. The loss, the pain, the struggle to survive. It can be brutal, it can wear on the mind and spirit. But running away won't solve our problems, hiding from reality won't make it go away. And forcing others to do so too isn't the solution.” You can feel your voice echoing through the space, reverberating in the hearts and minds in every Daughter present. ”I get it's a tough fight, that it can seem hopeless. But it's not. Together, we CAN make something out of humanity, out of this world, this situation. But we can’t do it if we run, if we ignore those struggles and fears. Those are us. Those are Humanity. They’re a part of us just as much as love and comfort is. But together, we can overcome it. We can take the good and the bad, and we can do what humanity has done time and time again. Learn from it, evolve from it, becomes something better from it. But we can't do that if we cower in fear. From ourselves, from reality, from what it really means to live and be part of humanity.”

You focus your attentions solely on Yurei even as Gina and Rath move, ever so slightly, into position.

”And do you really think it’s right, Yurei? To force others to do your will? It's fine if you want your simulation, but it's a risk, it sacrificing your control of your own life to others and fate and hoping nothing bad comes from reality to stop it. Can you really fight the Crucible, something that would force a path on us, force us to be what it wants, while also forcing the same on others? Can you really fight, stand firm here, while stealing that right from others?”

“I stand here just as proudly as you do, Defiant.” She replies coldly.

”Can any of you really stand by her, take freedom and choice from everyone, while indulging in your own?” You broadcast, Escher’s gear clasped firmly in Francine’s hand. “Will you really let her make you sacrifice every moral, every bit of what brought you someplace to stand against the crucible in the first place, only so you can take everything away from others? Can you really stand firm throwing all away to run away?”

You shake your head as Yurei just sighs.

“I’d ask you not to.” You say.

(Continued)
>>
>>3853661

I just hope BHOP doesn't pull punches. Then again, I'm something of a tabletop/LARP person where TPKs should be a real threat. This is definitely an "all-in" bet. We've got pocket Queens in Rath and Gina, but it's going to be one hell of a Flop. Let's see if we can make it to the Turn, never mind the River.
>>
>>3853667

”I’d ask you to remember what it really means to be human, not to listen to someone's idealized fantasies. Reality will not ever go away, but we can fight it, together, make something of it. But only if we don't ignore it, only if we work together, and admit to what that reality is, for us and for everyone.”

You can feel it. You can feel the awe and respect blooming in the hearts of the Daughters present…even in a few of the Hyenas that have gathered around their leader.

“Please, stand with me.” You plead, your fingers slowly beginning to spiral into a cohesive drill, just out of Yurei’s line of sight. “Stand firm against fear, against cowardice. Stand firm with me against someone who has no trust in Humanity, and show her what we can truly do when we come together.”

You breathe in.

You pause.

You breathe out.

”If we don't now, we may never get another chance.”

It’s not until the end of your speech that Yurei catches on to what’s about to happen, your intentions veiled by the Pandoric Script until the last possible second.

Then, it begins.

Gina’s the first to move, the screeching howl of Joker’s Mask tearing forth as Yurei’s body shudders with amethyst light, the Interitus tearing through her biomass, sacrificing her own well-being for tremendous speed. From her mouth suddenly flows a torrent of yellow bile, the liquid billowing out in a ceaseless tide to surround you and your allies with a defensive barrier of merciless acid as Verurteilung and the members of how own swarm spring to life. The moment your Dominus latches on to your foe Rath bursts into a furious, twelve-armed star, sending a flurry of boils directly at the helpless Yurei.

Except Yurei isn’t stunned.

With a sweep of her hand, you’re nearly thrown back bodily by the explosion of frigid, howling wind that tears through the space, sending the boils wide as they begin to catch the crumbling mansion ablaze. Undeterred, Rath launches herself forwards, bringing her dozen fists screaming at Yurei’s face…and Yurei kicks off, matching her lunge in kind. The older woman goes low, her unbelievable speed carrying her under Rath’s multiple right hooks as she brings her right palm up and into the girl’s chest. Yurei spins in place, a blur of movement carrying the back of the same hand across Rath’s white-hot cheek, sending your friend crashing through the mansion’s wall and into the moor beyond.

Your foe’s still finding her footing when your newborn brood finishes tearing free of your back, a quick burst of terraforming working with Gina’s acid to block Yurei from assistance…and with that, you charge. Your hand is a merciless drill, revving with terrible power as you aim directly for Yurei’s chest. She’s off balance, still recovering from her deflection of Rath’s attack. Your strike is perfect…but then again, so is her form.

(Continued)
>>
>>3853661
> "This is not just uncouth and foolish, it's pretty much suicidal. This right here is asking for a TPK."
I don´t know... If you see the clarification, Yurei indirectly declined any chance for defusing the situation, including cloning the Neurotic Halos for her, then departing on opposed, yet amicable terms.

Plus Chaplain-anon made a good speech (See >>3852845, >>3852847 and >>3853388.) There are worse ways to go to war, and far less artfully phrased. Yurei plan and ours are pretty close, yet she bartered nor accepted the slightest compromise to her plan, which has glaring flaws.
Including the itsy-bitsy detail of subsuming every single being into the dreamscape wholesale against their will. Fuck, considering phenomena like the Red-Ant queen, this is asking for the crucible, and consequently mankind, being eaten by the escaped offspring of surviving amalgams.
Too extreme of a plan to work at the punishingly 100% absolute efficiencies needed for it to work.
>>
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>>3853670

A burst of arctic wind from a slit in her leg renews her spin as she tilts, your drill spearing past her as her fingers latch on to your wrist and hurling you past her. You crash into Yurei’s bedframe, the mattress crumbling under the weight of you and your armor, but not before you’re able to plunge your drill into the floor in a last ditch effort.

It works.

Yurei falls to the floor as it violently twists into a spiral, the wood splintering and tearing as it’s helpless to resist the arcane force of your power.

[Go, Francine!] You order, catching the Doctor’s horrified expression as she stares at your foe. [NOW!]

With a blurt of static through your mind and a burst of ozone, Francine transmits a packet of pure information into your mind as she vanishes from sight, teleporting back to the Dragon’s Roost just after throwing down a spoke.

You glance back to Yurei and, impossibly, she begins to stand, her legs trembling as she fights against the Sprial’s power. Her hands sizzle, flesh bubbling as Yurei flexes her fingers experimentally, watching them try to heal in the face of Rath’s overwhelming heat. Her jacket ignited, she just tears it off her frame and throws it directly into Gina’s wall of acid, where it’s immediately subsumed and extinguished by the shifting mass…and it’s then that you realize the source of Francine’s hesitation, as what she saw takes shape in your mind.

“So…you’ve chosen to spit in my face.” Yurei mutters. “Very well, then…”

>>YUREI HP: 9,350%
>>BIO: 12,620%
>>Core – UNYIELDING SPIRIT (Vitruvian Core - MAX): Yurei is rendered immune to the vast majority of status effects, and abilities that would apply stacks or debuffs now how have high chance of outright failure.

“…Don’t blame me for what happens next, Defiant.”

Shu the Defiant, Hunter of Gods

VS.

MADAME YUREI, MASTER OF DREAMS

HP: 1510% (+1010% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:PRIMED.)
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop, 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, 30/30)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST: 6x B.33s. SECOND: 3x Parabellum, 3x Fullbore.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 1750% (110%, SPD: +750%, Halo:PRIMED Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: 1360% (0%, STR: +150%, SPD +150%, 12 Limbs, Cold: ACTIVE, Halo:PRIMED. Tormentis, Deliverance, Nail, Gauntlets, Daggers: EQUIPPED)

Threat: Close, about to go on the offensive. IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, ???, ???, ???.
Intent: Stall until other enemies arrive, then trigger main power. Send one maid to set Engine to detonate, others to subdue foes. Order Ivey to get Hyenas and other guests to safety.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours, after which rapid-posting shall be in effect until the close of the evening.)

(I wish you all the luck you will need to survive.)
>>
>>3853673

BHOP, just to be clear, we're still in Isolation Mode, correct?
>>
>>3853675
(Yes.)
>>
>>3853675
yes. We're still in isolation.

>>3853673
>>3853671
>>3853655
....We've bitten off more than we could chew didn't we?
>>
>>3853673
damn, shes a tough one, but this was to be expected. still, she clearly did feel Raths heat, and wasn't entirely able to match us. not a good start but signs we can get to her.
>>
>>3853677
we knew this would be one of our toughest fights yet. we took this fight because that? right there? that will only get worse, harder to beat, and would be hounding us all the way to slow our own progress down.
>>
>>3853677
The other reason why attacking her now was a bad idea: everyone forgot she was an endgame foreign daughter and had the homefield advantage.

I will suggest everyone to seriously consider setting up and escape route to retreat, since we might need it.
>>
>>3853673
So the Hyenas are gonna go and evacuate the guests.....
while her Maids are gonna come to try and get us. They will probably have quite a few immunities and resistnaces like their Mistress

This is getting me all fired up and my adrenaline pumping

>A spoken reply we should definetly try and incorporate: "You threw the first glove into the ring when you threatened us"
>>
Isolation Mode is going to be key with her Phantasmal Conduit abilities. I suspect she's planning to count on her Vitruvian to see her through the engine explosion so we need to stop that from happening. She's crazy Vitruvian, so can tank damage like nobody's business.

>>3853677
This is a sane(ish) B'Ni fight. She's basically immune to most of our tricks too, so I can only think of one way to win, and it's... ugly and damn near evil.
>>
>>3853678

>>3853683
>>3853684

>>3853674
>(I wish you all the luck you will need to survive.)

Mother fucker. This is going to be a very sleepless night. Bhop's probably seeing everything behind the screen and thinking that We can't pull this off by sheer statstical numbers. More like he already knows we can't pull this off.

We've only gotten 1 round of information on Ivey's next move.

We can't let the Maids detonate the Engine, we already know what happens when the Engine is detonated.

This...this will reflect badly on us in the aftermath.
>>
>>3853673
So much for ditching the ladder of serially escalating bodyhorror beatdowns.
>>
>>3853674
does Verteilungs flare count as a status effect, or something else here?
>>
>>3853695
I would hazard a good educated guess that it counts as a status effect.

Also, I'm getting the recurring theme sense that the Corruption that Vitruvians have is that of increasing mental inflexibility.

Isabelle's neurosis of love, Yurei's unwillingness to compromise and be flexible...it all ties back into their core ability.
>>
>>3853674
Where's the Engine? Where's the Forge? I need locations and distance!

>>3853695
>>3853694
>>3853690
It feels like we came in very unprepared for this.
>>
>>3853673
>>3853676
>>3853677
>>3853678
>>3853679
> "UNYIELDING SPIRIT (Vitruvian Core - MAX): Yurei is rendered immune to the vast majority of status effects"
Okay, regarding this, it´s NOT as much of a problem as it may seem. The answer?

> SHU uses SPIRAL, then everyone PHYSICAL GRAPPLES:
1º) Shu fires CONTENDER, then uses a souped, revved-up firmament spiral drill on the ground at maximum power and offence, plus OUR MAW-TONGUE to grapple her within the spiral.

B) Everyone else THEN piles her in a grapple-pile with the SWARMLINGS, and RATH-TENDRILS. Have GINA smash her with the TERRAFORMING of Neon-ascendant, crush her utterly in place.

C) FRANCINE: Sher is key. Her core will allow her to use Yurei´s skills as her own as when seh is in contact, avoiding her to trigger her NOVA-BOMB gambit.

The KEY is that SHU is the only one she cannot counter. I think she mind-reads perfectly everyone except SHU given her unreadable mind upgrade. So SHU needs to grapple them in place so that everyone else can connect with their hits.
>>
>>3853698
yeah its the survival at all co0st thing that probably entrenches them like that....

She probably also has a chance to heal using her own BIO as a fuelsource.

>>3853674
>(I wish you all the luck you will need to survive.)
If the gods roll the dice we may be screwed but we will try to stop them from even rolling as much as possible
>>
>>3853701
eh, i think it was actually somewhat agreed upon this may be how it goes. my only annoyance is we forgot to use Spiritus. plenty of non hostile excuses to use it too.
>>
>>3853703
It says she's immune to terrain, so I think FtT spirals are going to be useless on her. Her maid constructs when they show up, maybe, but not her.
>>
I'm thinking we should send Gina after the maid construct headed towards the Engine. Between Neon Ascendant and Gladiatorial Swarm, Gina can move three zones through walls. And Gladiatorial Swarm does extra damage against constructs. Have Gina turn on her worm armor and then Kool-Aid Man straight towards the Engine.

>>3853703
Francine is not here, sadly.
>>
>>3853701
Eh, not like being completely unprepared and massively outgunned has ever cost us a fight in the past.
>>
>>3853710
> "Francine is not here, sadly."
Yeah, the post in >>3853703
intends her to do this as soon as she is back.

>"Stall until other enemies arrive, then trigger main power"
>"Send one maid to set Engine to detonate"
Those are the parts that actually concern me, not her CORE.
>>
>>3853673
First Draft;

SHU;
>”Spat in YOUR face? You threatened me and my family over a trinket that can be copied while an engine sits right behind you. You threatened all of humanity. You brought this fight to bare, not us.”
>have our Swarm converse on apraching targets, goal still to kill or keep back any reinforcements of hers.
>What Swarmlings can, try and prevent the Maid from reaching the engine.
>Keep Drill ready.
>Move forward and keep her off balance with BB shots, forcing her to stay on the move.
>Wait for your moment, then Grapple her with Hundred hands and your tongue. Make it look like you plan to pull her into your maw. Then, instead, after a single tug just let her go and charge with the Drill. Get it into her and stuck in her, then reapply all our grapples to her to hold her still, even if we have to take a hit to do so.

GINA;
>Keep the barriers keeping her allies at bay hostile.
>Get yourself a spear spawned, and slip into the ground.
>Sneak up behind her, then pop out, expecting her to know you’re coming, so be prepared to actually defend yourself instead of attack. Then, flare Verteilung aswell as a torrent of Acid to force her back and towards Shu.

RATH;
> Keep Yurei busy by aiming Boils for where shes dodging from Shus shots to.
>Send out Strand Wires to block off her paths too, force her to use her wind or speed to dodge the razor wires, or back off again in another direction. Slowly try and do a squeeze maneuver on her with them, forcing her to have less and less space to maneuver.
>Just as Gina tries her bargain, unleash and pull in all the Strands at once, forcing her to dodge the razors from all directions, helping corral her where we need her to be.
>If Shu is able to get hold of her properly, choke her with your wires, use your Strands and the daggers like a grappling hook to dig into her and pull you to her. Then go nuts on her, no mercy. Make her hurt.
>>
>>3853710
Absoute support. BUT I would argue that she should FIRST enclose the ENGINE in an unbreakable bubble of tons of fleshcape via terraforming - the MAID cannot trigger the detonation if the engine is under meters of solid terraformed rock...
>>
>>3853673
>A burst of arctic wind from a slit in her leg renews her spin as she tilts, your drill spearing past her as her fingers latch on to your wrist and hurling you past her.
Hey, wait, doesn't Firmament's Spiral not trigger melee counter-attacks? Does Yurei have an ability that lets her ignore that sort of protection?
>>
>>3853710
have you LOOKED at our foe? we arent surviving 3 more rounds unless we damn well stick together and fight her together. THATS our only chance at victory here. we can send a Jackling to the Engine to shut it down and make using it a neuromantic fight, if you're that worried, but we can also just kill the maid constructs too.
>>
>>3853715
I think she'll be immune to Verteilung's fear due to her core.
>>
>>3853673
Intent:
>Stall until other enemies arrive,
>then trigger main power.
>Send one maid to set Engine to detonate,
>Others to subdue foes.
>Order Ivey to get Hyenas and other guests to safety.

>>3853715
>>3853713
>>3853714
>>3853710
>>3853709
She's got 5 ACTs. Please factor her action economy into our plans.

Hold the fuck up.
>Stall until other enemies arrive,
>then trigger main power.
What's her "MAIN POWER?"
This is a huge red flag. This implies the Barbers are Ivey's enemies, or that she's planning on using her main power when all of our family arrives.

We need to plan around this.

>>3853718
No, it triggered her auto-counter, and from the looks of it, she's got a Frost-type Generator ability that she used as her counterattack.
>>
Well this went about as well as I expected. I feel like it was a mistake to attack her after she said she wouldn't bother us until we left, that just doesn't look good. Too bad I'm busy and can't really contribute.

Also if we lose anyone here we're kinda fucked, the Halo is clearly what she needed to complete her plan and now we have basically given it to her.
>>
>>3853715
Solid plan and I like the addition of HUNDRED-HANDED.... but:

> GINA BLOCKS ACCESS TO THE ENGINE: as in >>3853710 or >>3853717 is kind of even more important. If she detonates the engine, we will die for sure... and since GINA does not do physical grapples as well as SHU and RATH, she is better used by total denial of the acess to the engine in only one round.
>>
>>3853726
I think the fact that we revealed the fact that we have the Neurotic Halo outed us and forced us into the situation.
>>
>>3853718
wind is not a melee attack. i think she just actively activated it and either knew a leg opening would go less noticed, and/or needed an open wound to use it.

>>3853722
yes, its possible, which is why Ginas using 3 methods to try and force her back, and isnt doing it alone.

>>3853724
all we can really do is maybe have Gina lock the power down, if we're lucky. without know what it is we cant plan to much.

>>3853727
see
>>3853721
>>
>>3853732
>>3853721
or a Crimson Drone might work better than a Jackling, but still we need Gina here with us and helping us as her main focus if we want any chance here.
>>
>>3853673
I just realized that Dominus is pulling 1010hp. That's a lotta succ.
>>
>>3853733
This.

We need to give all we got if we want any neuromancy to work.
>>
>>3853721
We're also not surviving three more rounds if the Engine implodes. I want to be sure of its death. Okay, alternate suggestion: Gina can use Neuromancy on anything she can see, and she can see through walls. How about she shuts off the Engine with a quick glance?

>>3853724
>No, it triggered her auto-counter, and from the looks of it, she's got a Frost-type Generator ability that she used as her counterattack.
No, she used a judo throw. That's melee. The wind wasn't how she counter-attacked, the wind was how she boosted her mobility. I think she's probably got some ability that lets her penetrate "ignores counters" abilities.

>>3853726
She was going to attack us anyway, all we've changed is that she isn't having time to prepare for it. Which...yes, isn't as necessary for her as we might hope, but I still think that waiting for her to come after us would have given her more of an edge at the inevitable encounter than we would have gathered by then.
>>
>>3853722
its more that she incredibly resistant to such effects. Probably has normal resistances as well but we may as well use the power our BIO Budget is not gonna take a hit from that.

>>3853715
we are already spending an action to command the swarm then we can also convert one of them into a stealthed crimson drone and go and terraform the engine shut. That type of explosion is not something anything survives.

Sneak up behind her, then pop out
Is Gina gonna pull a Staubteufel?

>>3853735
More like 800% is being siphoned off

>>3853738
she can see through one layer of material the walls are gonna be to many and to thick to see it from here but she could use a crimson drone to do it
>>
>>3853740
>she can see through one layer of material the walls are gonna be to many and to thick to see it from here but she could use a crimson drone to do it
Could have sworn she could see through two. Damn, I must be thinking of someone else. Amara, I think?
>>
>>3853738
>She was going to attack us anyway, all we've changed is that she isn't having time to prepare for it.
Counterpoint: she has all of her allies present and knows the current battlefield better, as shown by her trying to trigger an Engine implosion.
>>
>>3853673
>>3853674
also BHOP i think you got Raths and Ginas Armor enhancement numbers a bit wrong. or wait, just Raths, but depends on the context. you made Ginas the number the biomass translated into, but for Rath left it as the biomass she put into it. so, correct, i think, but using two different methods like thats a bit confusing.

>>3853737
>>3853738
i guess she can try? i get your engine worries, i do, hence it being on my list, but Yurei is way too strong to have Gina go running off and not help us with her.

>>3853740
but yes, im fine sending a Crimson to the engine. will allow Gina to not need to keep her eyes on it too, so long term i think its the better option.
>>
>>3853695
(It counts as a status effect.)

>>3853701
(Both Engine and Forge are twenty meters directly below you, in the basement level of the mansion.)

>>3853718
(She already pegged you and Rath as the melee fighters, so she was targeting you next. It wasn't a strict counter-attack, but more of how her high-tier melee move set works when there's a clash and lets her cut through any counter-counters with an assured blow.)
>>
>>3853747
(Ah, good eye on the armor enhancements, I left those as placeholders. I'll correct them when I next update, thank you.)
>>
>>3853746
Countercounterpoint: She'd have even more allies when she came to hunt us down, and this battlefield isn't so advantageous to her. Once we deal with the Engine (which, yeah, is a problem) it's just going to be a rotten shack in the swamp. It actually has some advantage for us, though, because there's a Tier Five Forge here. November can swap her Core pretty fast. Once November gets here, we can boost her to Tier Five and see what she can do at full power. Maybe even fire off a Tier Three Autumn Protocol first, just for good measure. Though keeping Yurei still enough to fire it might be an issue.
>>
>>3853749
>>3853747

Well then, Lets have Gina go digging and block the Forge and Engine by physically relocating them via Terraforming, before doing a surprise ground attack or terraforming from a different location.
It's only a short dig.
>>
>>3853749
hrm, 4chan ate my post again. worrying trend.

anyways, dang, expected that for Ver but it is what it is.

the Crimson Drone and backup eye plan are on the list, but ill wait for more suggestions and discussion before posting a second draft over a few changes.
>>
>>3853762
its still action Economy we really need elsewhere.
>>
>>3853771
Then incorporate the Engine Block into the Terraforming Action where Gina makes Terraformed Barriers to keep Yurei's Maids away.
>>
>>3853768
could we also send a staelthed jackling?

Just to make sure we really get there with at least one neuromancer. And if we get theer with both we might have a chnace to create two barriersinstead of one.

Also Rath has to get back from the swamp. She would have to catapult herself in here so we could combine that with her laying out a net of razorwire. Though i am a bit uncomfortable with that since those wires are important to her movement overall and seperating them is not that easy. I see it coming Rath is gonna fly in get thrown out again and repeat. She is gonna spend as much time outside the mansion as she is gonna be inside.... I see it coming
>>
>>3853749
>(She already pegged you and Rath as the melee fighters, so she was targeting you next. It wasn't a strict counter-attack, but more of how her high-tier melee move set works when there's a clash and lets her cut through any counter-counters with an assured blow.)
So she's got super-Judo. I wonder which class grants that. Fibromancy/Neuromancy hybrid, maybe?

>>3853762
>>3853771
Wait, idea. If the basement is beneath us, why not just collapse the floor? Twenty meters of earth is nothing at our current level, we can make a sinkhole that big. The party all grapple up to the ceiling, Gina caves in the basement, the Engine is blocked off with rubble and Yurei gets knocked about. Immunity to terrain effects doesn't help you when the terrain vanishes completely. She's got her wind boosts, but I think it will still inflict knockdown.
>>
>>3853768
I get your hesitance over having GINA diverting her atention, but if the engine explodes, it is over.
Generating Crimson jacklings both against YUREI answer the ENGINE+FORGE is cool, but a single terraforming glance guarantees our slow CRIMSON jacklings don't die before achieving their purpose.
>>
>>3853780
fair on Rath, but it didn't actually sound like that far a distance, its just the idea of outside-inside makes its feel further than it is i think. she can probably make good enough time.

my issue i guess is we already only had 7 swarmlings to 'spare' which kinda wasn't enough already. i guess the Hyenas ARE busy, but it feels like giving them an opening is asking for trouble, but i guess if you really want both, ill compromise on that.

>>3853777
im not sure that works, but ill put it down i suppose if she can get to it.

>>3853783
we need something to stand on Anon and i highly doubt it will knock her about enough to where dropping back down to her level wont be catastrophic. it also means we basically couldn't do anything else this turn, but she very well might still be able to.
>>
>>3853791
Ther is more than one floor between us and the engine we literally can not seee it even with the Level 8 of the Halo.

>>3853796
That Anons idea about the collapsing floor however we can use. We jsut dont do it to the floor we are standing on we collapse the floor one floor lower. With Neon Ascendant Gian can see through the floorboards and terraform the lower floor and make that collapse without compromising our own platform to stand on
>>
>>3853783
> "Knock down the floor".
This places YUREI in direct proximity of the ENGINE she wishes to detonate. IF she doesn't wind up closer to the ENGINE (sinkhole to other room of the house, away from reinforcements), I will SUPPORT it.
>>
>>3853673
>>3853715
Second Draft;
remember order matters BHOP;

SHU;
>”Spat in YOUR face? You threatened me and my family over a trinket that can be copied while an engine sits right behind you. You threatened all of humanity. You brought this fight to bare, not us.”
>have our Swarm converse on apraching targets, goal still to kill or keep back any reinforcements of hers.
>What Swarmlings can, try and prevent the Maid from reaching the engine.
>Convert or spawn a new Stealthed Crimson Drone for Gina, and a stealthed Jackling for Shu, and get them on the Engine.
>Keep Drill ready.
>Move forward and keep her off balance with BB shots, forcing her to stay on the move.
>Wait for your moment, then Grapple her with Hundred hands and your tongue. Make it look like you plan to pull her into your maw. Then, instead, after a single tug just let her go and charge with the Drill. Get it into her and stuck in her, then reapply all our grapples to her to hold her still, even if we have to take a hit to do so.
>If you can, help Gina scramble and block control of the Engine.
>IF things look to go south, or no other option is left… collapse the floor from under us and bury the engine. It CANNOT explode. Also, if Yurei big power she is preparing for looks like it needs to be stopped aswell.

GINA;
>Keep the barriers keeping her allies at bay hostile.
>Once the Crimson Drone is in place, do whatever you need to keep that engine from being a bomb.
>Get yourself a spear spawned, and slip into the ground.
>Sneak up behind her, then pop out, expecting her to know you’re coming, so be prepared to actually defend yourself instead of attack. Then, spit out a torrent of Acid to force her back and towards Shu.
>If necessary, use direct sight Neuromancy to stop the Engine, but only if it comes to that, you have other things to keep an eye on.
>If you can, Terraform the Engine away and bury it somewhere it cannot be reached.
>IF things look to go south, or no other option is left… collapse the floor from under us and bury the engine. It CANNOT explode. Also, if Yurei big power she is preparing for looks like it needs to be stopped aswell.
>Use Hands and Maw to help keep your family from collapsing into the new pit and onto soldi ground if it comes to that.

(1/2)
>>
>>3853803
>>3853673
RATH;
>Slingshot yourself back into the fight, burn some Tormentis if you must to get back to helping your family.
> Keep Yurei busy by aiming Boils for where shes dodging from Shus shots to.
>Send out Strand Wires to block off her paths too, force her to use her wind or speed to dodge the razor wires, or back off again in another direction. Slowly try and do a squeeze maneuver on her with them, forcing her to have less and less space to maneuver.
>Just as Gina tries her bargain, unleash and pull in all the Strands at once, forcing her to dodge the razors from all directions, helping corral her where we need her to be.
>If Shu is able to get hold of her properly, choke her with your wires, use your Strands and the daggers like a grappling hook to dig into her and pull you to her. Then go nuts on her, no mercy. Make her hurt.
>Use your Strands to help keep your family from collapsing into the new pit and onto soldi ground if it comes to that.

(2/2)
>>
>>3853796
I disagree. YUREI does not seem to have exotic movement types besides auto-counters, lacKing a floor will hurt her a lot more than us, which have terraforming, handed, tongue and tensile strands.
>>
>>3853804
I'd suggest that we also have Rath activate Erupting Grasp. That's ideal for close-in grappling damage, and rather than ignoring auto-counters like Firmament's Spiral it turns the auto-counter into an accuracy bonus for Rath. That might help when dealing with the super-Judo.
>>
>>3853803
LIke i said before in this post>>3853801 just before you posted again.

WE are on the 2nd floor if we collapse the first floor we will ahve burried the basement without robbing ourselves of the floor we are standing on. We then also have the ability to see into the basement for further terraforming

>>3853810
Errupting grasp is already on see>>3853460
>>
>>3853810
it and ignition were both turned on last turn.
>>
>>3853810
(I do wish to point out that Rath did have Erupting Grasp active per the combat plan, and Yurei did not seem to trigger its effects. Make of that what you will.)
>>
>>3853783
(Also, superb call on the Fibromancer/Neuromancer Hybrid. That's exactly what she favors in melee.)
>>
>>3853812
id prefer all or nothing honestly. the more they have to dig through, the better, if it comes down to that.
>>
Please, may we add >>3853810 to >>3853804?
For >>3853810, ABSOLUTE SUPPORT. You, dear sir, are a credit to the team.
>>
>>3853817
>Unyielding spirit
>Neuromancer/Fibromancer super judo
>Illusions
I'm afraid to say it, but her core ability would turn her into a super saiyan by augmenting almost all of her stats.

>>3853821
>>3853824
She's got immunity to Stacks, Stun, Terrain, three more unknown immunities, and has lots of hp and bio that rivals Isabelle's. She's basically asking for a slugfest.
>>
>>3853812
>>3853813
Oh, derp. Somehow I missed that.

>>3853814
Damn super-Judo! I guess the idea is that it doesn't "really" count as auto-counters, just her having her normal counter-attack abilities boosted by the skill, so it doesn't trigger that sort of thing?

>>3853817
It made the most sense. Fibromancy for whip-crack muscle power, Neuromancy for heightened nervous system. Put them together and you get boosted martial arts.
>>
>>3853824
i thank you for the compliment but if we have to tell one more person Erupting Grasp is active it might just become an unwanted meme by this point.

im not mad, just incase it comes off that way, but im also laughing my ass off at how its somehow such hidden information. is Erupting Grasp info like Magenta? is the human mind unable to comprehend its existence?
>>
Stein-anon here on the mobile. My earlier thought is... what about feeding Yurei to the engine?
>>
>>3853830
(Precisely, and she crafted it for that very purpose.)

>>3853831
(Okay, this got me laughing.)

YOU CANNOT ERUPTING GRASP THE TRUE FORM OF RATH'S ATTACK
>>
>>3853821
Sure all or nothing is nice but being able to terraform with a glance without having to collpase our own ground would be nice as well....

But i can see why you would not be for it.

>>3853829
She is a vitruvian. It seems to be a trend with them to make things into a slugfest. OT just outlast the enemy is the entire theme of the abilityset

>>3853831
yeah its probably like an ork that painted itself purple.... Because really have you ever yseen an ork in that colour?
>>
>>3853831
Well, it being active isn't noted in Rath's status summary, and with it not actually doing anything in their last exchange it's easy to glance over the voting block ordering it to be used.

>>3853837
Interesting prospect, but I think that sort of thing only works with a Corrupted Engine like under Dorian's house.
>>
>>3853829
i do seriously think if we could get Rath on her like glue to a piece of toast, she would very likely feel it very quickly. but im also thinking she might not be blind to that either. we'll see what we cant do though.

>>3853837
i feel like thats less stepping past our moral line a bit like some anons think we did taking this fight, and more like leaping off the moral edge while blaring rock music and mooning everyone below us.
>>
>>3853817
Does this neuromancy component mean that YUREI hybrid skill needs CONCENTRATION to work at full peak performance? Can CICADAS and other CONCENTRATION-CANCELING skills get past her CORE immunity?

Because if the answer is yes...
> "SPAWN RECURSIVE STEALTHED CICADAS. Deny the filthy hacker her CONCENTRATION-BASED skills, and even her CQC by the same occasion"

She is a programmer that seems to focus on careful manipulation of sensory perception, either to enhance her focus to weaponized extents, or mess with her foes. It stands that concentration must be required for a large amount of her stunts. Let's deny it.
>>
>>3853843

Honestly it makes me sick to even mention it. I just worry that it may be the only way to end this fight.
>>
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>>3853838
>that pun.
ok you got me in return BHOP, good play.

>>3853839
>purple Ork
no such thing, clearly you have gone mad just for mentioning it.

>>3853842
well, BHOP doesn't mention alot of things, even if they work, if they really dont have the pizaz necessary to write it out. but yes i see your point.

>>3853839
honestly it would be better to only focus on one plan, but ideas are too split. so ones just a last resort, and a last resort shouldn't hold back.

>>3853857
that implies we could ever safely get her that close without her having control of it.
>>
>>3853852
If they're Cicada Knightlings too, would they be even louder due to buffing each other?
>>
>>3853673
Gina:
>Terraform the basement level below us so that the Engine is either buried or walled off. We don't want the Engine to blow up like what we did to Dorian's house.

>>3853843
In Hindsight, I think Francine should've given us the Inspector's spectacles before porting out.
>>
>>3853860

>>3853842
>>well, BHOP doesn't mention alot of things, even if they work, if they really dont have the pizaz necessary to write it out. but yes i see your point.

(Very true. If I uncluded everything I was rolling for, each combat update would be four posts, at the very minimum.)
>>
>>3853866
probably, but it is what it is. we get hung up over any and every single imperfection and we'll just hold ourselves back to much. lesson for next time, and all that.
>>
>>3853852
The Maxims automatically reload half as many rounds as are fired from them. We should have some of the auto-loaded rounds be Cicada Cries, see if those mess with her concentration enough. Normally I'd worry about them interrupting Gina's concentration, but she's not going to be using many concentration effects in this fight, I think.

Speaking of Gina, too things that she can do that would be very helpful: Firstly, she can replicate damage between constructs, she probably won't get the chance this turn but if the maids are persistent we should take them all down that way. Secondly, Virulent Persistence. She can double the amount of acid she produces that way by doubling the cost of Nervous Torrent, we should have her spray as much as she can.

>>3853867
Yeah, I know, I'm not complaining. Just explaining why I didn't realize Erupting Grasp was already active. The passive effects of Rath superheating her hands are already included in Ignition going off, so without the flare of energy triggering (because Yurei avoided the hit) I didn't notice it.
>>
>>3853803
We should convert some Swarmlings into Cicadalings and have them constantly drone on in the background and distrupt Yurei.
>>
>>3853864
I LIIIIKE the cut of your jib, good sir! Let's start with recursive stealthed cicadalings on leftover slots, if they prove efficient, each killed knigthling gets a replacement with CICADA template thrown in.

Let's party as a NOISE MARINE!
>>
>>3853867
hah, id not mind that personally. back at my second attempt at QMing my updates were regularly 4-6 posts ling, i think the longest update was 13 posts.

>>3853874
>>3853873
>>3853877
Cicadas effect allies too, weakens our swarm screen, and was not confirmed by BHOP to even stop her abilities.
>>
>>3853874
WAIT! Can we throw a CICADA template in everything we have now? If we can, let's do it now! It's the closest to a hard counter we may have against YUREI besides FRANCINE core and GINA neuromancy.
>>
>>3853884
we cant. we sacrifice the swarmling type for that. our swarm would get torn to shreds if we did that.
>>
>>3853878
Could we maybe instead of normally charging with our drill collapse our hundred handed constructs from our side of the grapple to close the distance much quicker than usually possible?

It could give us the advantage to hit her with a bit of a surprise like "Hi may i introduce my Mr Drill to your Face i am sure they will want to stay together forever"
>>
>>3853892
>>3853890
>>3853884
>>3853877

Guys... I just realized something.

>MADAME YUREI, MASTER OF DREAMS
>Stall until other enemies arrive
>then trigger main power.
>Send one maid to set engine to detonate,
>others to subdue foes
>order Ivey to get Hyenas and other guests to safety.

Her overall plan is to stall until everyone is here, then activate her main gimmick which forcibly sends everyone into the Dreamscape, have the Maids kill our bodies as we dream while Yurei kicks everyone's asses in the dreamscape. Either that or the engine detonation will kill everyone while everyone's stuck in dreamland.
>>
>>3853878
Cicada Cries affect allies, yes, but none of the party are using concentration effects right now. And I'm talking about the Contender bullet type, not Cicadalings, they won't affect our swarm size.
>>
>>3853878
If you look at >>3853852, we know YUREI is someone that heavily invests in fine manipulation = CONCENTRATION. GINA is already invested in TERRAFORMING, will eventually LOCK the he'll out of her, and SHU and RATH are already grappling.
CICADAS are free actions put into the general effort of shutting YUREI down and the payoff if they work is HUGE.
If they don't? Didn't detract actual resources from anything, the potential for gains was worth the minimal investment.
>>
>>3853899
Yeah, that's quite possible that she's going to send us all to Neverland. But that's not a huge threat to us. We've all got heavy Neuro-Phantasmal resistance, November is completely immune, and will in fact reflect the ability back on Yurei and cause heavy feedback damage. I'm more worried of there being a different ultimate ability waiting in the wings, like an active use of the Vitruvian ability that lets her mimic and hit us with all the status effects she's defended against, turbo-stunlocking us from four different effects.
>>
>>3853899
Ooooh SHIT. It makes so much sense.
Okay, counters? It might be relatively SHORT-RANGED pulse, so flinging her with RATH tendrils several hundred meters away from the mansion and pepper her with contender fire from afar may just work.
>>
>>3853892
my worry is she would be expecting that or similar enough, hence going for the mind games as it was and just throwing her off balance and letting her wonder if we have something else planned by letting her go for a second. we play it too obvious and she'll just counter the obvious again.

we also have been pretty proficient at breaking out of the dreamscape, and i think we might have some defenses against it, or Gina might.

>>3853899
maybe. my concern and questions more of why shes trying to blow up the engine here. she made it sound like she thinks she can win and take us in a fight, why the bomb? why blow up her base and everything valuable in it? she cant guarantee she'll be able to get away from us to survive either.

>>3853900
i was replying in general. and isnt neuromancy in and of itself concentration based? we're kinda relying on Gina too much here for that. cicadas also still have an effect on general ability to function too, which we really dont need to do to ourselves.

>>3853901
i disagree. especially if we're replacing swarmlings with them.
>>
(Gentlemen, I do need to know how many rounds and of which kind you're firing.)
>>
>>3853890
Okay, but we have some free swarmling slots, and this proposal here >>3853873
proposes the use of auto-loading CICADA bullets.
We need YUREI losing options, and our SWARM to help in the suppression effort.
We HAVE confirmed options for CICADA delivery that are viable in our circumstances and lots of support for the ideas, let's use them.
>>
>>3853923
as many as we need to keep her moving until we can corral her in. start with the BBs, but i guess if Shu gets a good opening or runs out fire the Parabellums and Fullbores.

>>3853925
we have no swarmling slots free.
>>
>>3853910
I would hazard the guess that if that is her ultimate then it will have the reange of a pahntasmal field probably so maybe long range. If she has no problem possibly sending a lot more people into the dreamscape she will probably do it and try to take at least one of us to take our Halo before the engine blows.

>>3853916
>she cant guarantee she'll be able to get away from us to survive either.
It could be that she has Similacra scatttered in hidden locations itno which she can switch. Wouldnt be to weird i guess for a high level conduit.

>my worry is she would be expecting that or similar enough, hence going for the mind games as it was and just throwing her off balance and letting her wonder if we have something else planned by letting her go for a second.
The thing is however. If we make it so obvious she could also wonder if we were not baiting her into something. Shus mind is unreadable to her so she has to constantly wonder what we are planning next.

But i understand where you are coming from
behaving erraticly will probably throw her off more. She is a programmer her brain is vcery logical. If we behave illogical she has to allocate more rescources so that her brain can try and make sense of our actions
>>
>>3853923
As many without compromising the grapple plan stated in >>3853804.First 3-6 CICADA bullets at least, remaining up to 12 are other anon's choice, although I would recommend fullbores.
>>
>>3853923
2 Swarm type BBs, fire Parabellums and fullbores if given the opportunity and if the shot is clear/guaranteed
>>
>>3853935
our guns already loaded, so what shots we can fire are set in stone.
>>
>>3853803
(Also, regarding this plan; in the current initiative order, Gina will likely pop up behind Yurei, use the acid to force Yurei closer to you, and then you'll trigger your grapple. This is, of course, assuming that you wish for Gina to continue using the Jester's speed boost.)
>>
>>3853939
that sounds fine to me. i think.
>>
>>3853931
Then auto-loaded CICADA bullets it is. And even a single Knightling (which are plentiful in our loadout) could be sacrificed for a plentiful bounty of stealthed recursive CICADALINGS, which are in range.
Please work with us here; the community is voting and winning for CICADA.
We need to test and acquire all the advantages we can get
>>
>>3853944
i wont, because its a bad plan. and you guys are constantly ignoring points about the situation and how things work to try and force it, or at least the swarmling side of the discussion is.
>>
>>3853916
>maybe. my concern and questions more of why shes trying to blow up the engine here. she made it sound like she thinks she can win and take us in a fight, why the bomb? why blow up her base and everything valuable in it? she cant guarantee she'll be able to get away from us to survive either.
Yeah, that is weird. Even if she's immune thanks to her Vitruvian powers, it seems redundant. It suggests she's not actually confident in her ability to kill us here. Either she's not as strong as she appears (pretty fitting, for the illusionist) or our reputation is just so hardcore that she's doubting her genuinely impressive strength.

>i was replying in general. and isnt neuromancy in and of itself concentration based? we're kinda relying on Gina too much here for that. cicadas also still have an effect on general ability to function too, which we really dont need to do to ourselves.
Sustained Neuromancy is. If she's just doing bursts of terraforming she shouldn't be in trouble. And we can always just get Gina out of range if we're really worried, Cicada Cries only affect Medium distance. I think it's worth trying on the next turn.

>>3853923
Going to echo the sentiment of "as many as need be". Start with the B.33s, alternating between honey burst and swarm to see if either count for her immunity to status effects. If possible, switch to Parabellum and Fullbore, those probably don't count as status effects.
>>
>>3853952
we should hopefully at least be able to slow her movement if we hit, as the honey is a physical thing, not... whatever non see-able status effects are. but who knows, i guess. feels like it would be more like a terraforming substance or maybe count as a construct? or just its own thing basically, like if we threw a rock at someone.

as for the engine, we'll just have to see... or not. i mean, we dont want her plan to work, i mean more if we stop it or its not a one turn idea for her, she will probably give us signs of what she wanted from it.
>>
>>3853947
More than 3-4 votes for CICADA against your singular opposing one. AND sacrificing one knightling via conversion for swarmling slots for CICADAS works as a solution within the rules and mechanics.

We respected your votes for fighting, and respected your contributions. Extend the same courtesy, votes are votes. We don't call your plans dumb and go against democratic vote; accordingly you are bound to the same rules.
Respect us as we respect you.
>>
>>3853970
I'm also on board for cicada. Sonic damage could be something she isn't immune to, as it isn't as common as elemental or physical damage.
>>
>>3853970
then actually vote for it? im not stopping you guys from going along with it if you want, im just not comprising my vote over something i disagree with.

also no, we have no slots, so we could only at best do one for one, and that would be wasting ALOT of biomass actually considering those are double knighted-grapplings. which, mind you, we only have exactly enough of to put one on each of Yurei's possible reinforcements, and not enough Gurrenlings to even take full advantage of it, and are already sacrificing TWO of those for other things when they already dont have the numbers to properly do so.

Actually its past the voting mark, but the point still stands, i compromised and changed the plan plenty where i agreed or even just wished to compromise, but i dont agree here its worth it, so im not, simple as that.

>>3853977
the cicadas dont do any sonic damage.
>>
>>3853984
I did use the word damage but I did not mean damage if that makes any sense.
>>
>>3853970
I'd like to add an opposing vote, then. I'd rather use the Cicada Cry bullets next round, I don't think we need to bother with cicadalings.
>>
>>3853987
ah, no i get what you mean, i think. i think 'effect' might be more of what you mean though? or screech maybe.
>>
>>3853990
I will definitely support the use of cicada bullets next round. I would still like a knighted cicada this round, subtracted from a single Grappling slot, to adress the (valid) point about BIO economy raised in >>3853984.
>>
>>3853990
Actually this is a good point, with our gattlings we can just shoot them next turn. Voting for this.
>>
(Gentlemen, re-working the update as I realized I'd worked around a placeholder. However, the spoiler there still stands; Yurei is not immune to concentration-disrupting effects.)
>>
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"You threw the first glove into the ring when you threatened us, Yurei." You growl, struggling to your feet as the majority of your brood intercepts the maids on their way to the Engine. "You threatened me and my family over a trinket that can be copied while an engine sits right behind you. You threatened all of humanity. You brought this fight to bear, not us.”

Yurei suddenly tosses a small orb over her head, and before your eyes it unfurls into a mass of screaming mouths that hover in mid-air as they begin their baleful cry. You wince, just as your Platelings begin to fall off your body at the same time that Gina's Gladatorial Swarm sloughs to her feet. Your swarm...they're not responding.

>>Relic - Druid's Death-Knell: CONSUMED
>>Constructs STUNNED for 3 Rounds. No Daughter that has heard the cry may craft new Constructs or issue commands to current ones for 3 Rounds.

Your swing the Contender up, fanning the trigger to send a flurry of B.33s hurtling towards Yurei as your right hand continues to twist and burn with the drill's eager power. Yurei moves like a specter, slipping around the bullets trajectories with sublime grace and speed...but the barrage serves its purpose as Gina's torrent of acid sweeps into your foe's path, the tide enveloping her left arm before she can escape. There's a yelp of pain from the older woman before your hands and tongue move as one, a wall of grasping fingers cascading towards Yurei and seizing her at once, her grace as nothing in the face of your greedy limbs. You pull, then lunge as her legs expel a blast of freezing air in an attempt to avoid the inevitable.

Your drill pierces flesh before grinding against ivory as your scream of fury and Yurei's howl of agony blend with the screech of bone-on-bone. She focuses past the wound, and when she slams her palm into your shoulder there's a crack as your collar bone fractures from the sheer force of her strike...but then the pain's gone, replaced with a void, a numbing nothingness that simply exists, where shock and sensation should be.

>>Shu: BALANCE, 1 Stack.

Another strike breaks your hold, sending you flying backwards and tearing the drill free of her chest in a mess of white shards and silver flakes, all of which is swept away by the burst of wind and fury that signifies Rath erupting from the wall to your left. Half of her limbs unfurl into a puppeteer's nightmare, silver strands filling the space around Yurei as she tries in vain to dodge the razor-filled air. For all your brawler's rage and forcefulness, you're in awe as within a few flicks of her wrist, she's crafted a garrote prison, and alley of edges that leave only one path available.

One that leads Rath's fist directly into Yurei's jaw.

(Continued)
>>
>>3854012
YESSSSSSSSSSSS. Now we need only to start each round with SHU firing some Cicada bullets or swarmlings first and keeping her grappled for our companions to cleave through her health like a chainsaw through butter
>>
>>3854013

Yurei's caught flat-footed, barely bringing her palm strikes to bear as her right hand impacts Rath's sternum at the same time Rath's punch lands, with the latter's strike far more impressive than the former. Yurei is sent flying into a wall of razor wire from the sheer force of the Tormentis-boosted blow, and you watch as her rag-dolling frame tumbles past the wires to collide with a dilapidated dresser on the opposite side of the room. Rath roars victoriously, then stops, and across the channel you can sense she's been afflicted with the same curious sensation as you now feel in your shoulder.

>>Rath: BALANCE, 1 Stack

<Shu, I've frozen the Engine with Neuromancy, but the maids are still coming and our Constructs are fucked!> Gina yells across your bond, but her words are a dim exclamation as you watch Yurei rise from the wreckage of the dresser. The entire left side of Yurei's face has been stripped to the bone, and you watch Rath's white-hot flames sizzle, then fade as the bones undulate, utterly intact as they work to re-set her jaw. A curious light pulses through the peerless ivory of her face, the silver shine flickering as you watch the wound you ripped open begin to repair itself with unfortunate haste as her subcutaneous armor stitches itself back together with indescribable speed. There's a Calcite Armorer's defenses, but this...this is something in a league of its own. No burns, to breakage, not even a scratch from Rath's wires.

Somehow, impossibly, you know what you're looking at, as a cold white light pulses in Yurei's sternum. But perhaps you shouldn't be all that surprised...

...Halo recognizes Halo, after all.

>>[Calcite Halo: ACTIVATED]

Yurei shakes off her left arm, and you note that Gina's acid is trickling off her bare skin harmlessly as she opens and closes her mouth, testing her fresh jawbone. She cracks her neck once more...

...and then lunges towards Rath with a glare of cold, unrelenting focus.

HP: 1510% (+1010% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:PRIMED.) [BALANCE x1]
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop, 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, 30/30)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST: Empty. SECOND: 3x Parabellum, 3x Fullbore.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 1264% (110%, SPD: +750%, Halo:PRIMED Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: 1360% (0%, STR: +450%, SPD +600%, 12 Limbs, Cold: ACTIVE, Halo:PRIMED. Tormentis, Deliverance, Nail, Gauntlets, Daggers: EQUIPPED. Erupting Grasp: ACTIVE) [BALANCE x1]

FAMILY ARRIVAL: 2 Rounds
CONSTRUCT STUN: 2 Rounds
ENGINE TRIGGER: 1 Round

Threat: Close, approaching Rath at high speed, stalling for time. IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, Acid, Slashing, ???.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next hour.)
>>
>>3854024
do we have any indication for how long our current acid and terraforming blockades might hold back the Maids?
>>
>>3854021
Just remember guys, Rath's REDACTED is already activated, so you don't need to vote for it.
>>
>>3854016
Alright this is getting annoying. Please consider to not post until OP is finished with posting the update. I am not trying to be mean but you are not the only offender.

It kinda disrupts the flow of things

>>3854021
So Yurei got the calcite Halo..... Nice that willl be one down from our list of things

Gina:

Gina should use her neuromancy to jsut push a massive pillar up from under Yurei with Maximum speed to send her flying while she collapses the 1st floor below us to burry the engine, keeping the Maids away from it and then terraform that to become solid calcite and flesh to make sure Yureis Maids can not triggger the engine.

Shu:

Then we can blow another round of cicada rounds at Yurei in combination with Fullbores and Parabelums

Rath:
could go and jump after Yurei but that would not be the smartes move we could wait for her to fall back down and have Rath intercept her several meters above the ground with another barrage of fists
>>3854024
How high is Yureis Threat Level?
>>
>>3854013
I did not expect that stunning our platelings would make them fall off. That is a flaw we need to fix, then. Either make them immune to stunning, or just make their legs lock solid instead of needing constant muscle contraction to cling to our body.

>>3854021
I think her defenses are adaptive. The ??? don't indicate immunities we haven't seen yet, they represent slots she hasn't assigned to a specific effect yet. She got hit with a stun and turned it off before it could be taken advantage of. She got knocked down by terrain warping but made herself immune and got out of the effect. And now she's taken heavy damage from acid and slashing and assigned two more slots to them. Odd that she didn't adapt to Heat or Radiant, though. Maybe the Calcite Halo already gives her protection against them?
>>
>>3854028
(While they are somewhat resistant to the Druid Relic's effects, their movements appear to have been severely impeded, not only by your acid and blockades, but also by the Relic's triggering.)
>>
>>3854035
im guessing she has 'slots' for her immunities, hence the ???, and she fills them out as she encounters them ,but gets the locked in. a limited but very potent ability.

>>3854036
right, so we have no actual idea. thanks for the info though.
>>
>>3854033
(It is slightly higher than the Spiraling Fear, at her current ability usage.)
>>
>>3854041
..... that is encuraging.... yeah.... defintely encuraging
>>
>>3854028
>>3854036
(To not be so vague; the Maids made good headway while at full capacity, and are set to reach the Engine in one round. However, it will take most fo the round for them to successfully interact with it, which they currently cannot do thanks to Gina locking the Engine from afar.)
>>
>>3854021
Gina:
>Get Tunnel down there and stop the Maids!
>Use Nervous torrent and Terraforming to flush the Maids away from the Engine! Do whatever you can to stop the Maids from Activating its self-destruct protocol!
>We'll handle Yurei!

Rath:
>Go full defensive, use Immutable Form to purge yourself of Balance Stacks and make yourself IMMUNE to it. She's aiming to give you as many Balance Stacks as she possibly can before blowing her stacks on you!


Shu:
>"Oi! You've got a Calcite Crown! ya can't be a double queen! THAT'S ILLEGAL!"

>>3854039
So what sort of "useless" Immunity do we want her to take up? I'm thinking Frost or Fire because Rath has Northern Lights in her arsenal and that's going to be a curveball for Yurei.
>>
>>3854036
How many targets can Gina affect with Neon Ascendant's ranged Neuromancy at once? Does she have to focus on individuals?

>>3854039
>im guessing she has 'slots' for her immunities, hence the ???, and she fills them out as she encounters them ,but gets the locked in. a limited but very potent ability.
Yes, that's what I'm saying. She's consciously choosing which effects to be immune to at any given time, and she only has so many she can protect against at once. Can we trick her into adapting to an effect we don't make heavy use of? Like we have Rath hit her with an ice blast before swapping back to heat.
>>
>>3854021
first Draft;

HU and GINA;
>team up. No time to hesitate, not time to waste. Together, with combined Neuromancy, Terraform the Ground out from under all of you. Dont just drop it on the Engine, work together to ‘wash’ the engine away in a landslide, deep and far away from you or anyone else’s grasp.

SHU;
>Use your Hands to scoop you and Gina up and deposit yourselves on solid ground in a more advantageous spot.
>With Yurei in the pit, spray her down with Both Maxims, a mix of Cicadas, BBs, and Parabellums equally.


GINA;
>Once on solid ground again, slip into the ground and start poking your spear but not yourself out at Yurei anytime she tries to climb out, keeping her trapped down in the pit and off balance.

RATH;
>as Shu and Gina drop the ground from under everyone, fling yourself to more advantageous solid ground as you toss a heavy rain of Boils into the pit with Yurei as she falls.
>set yourself up a quick link array with your Strands. No matter where Yurei tries to climb out at, Quickly intercept her and knock her back into the pit.
>>
>>3854033
Sorry for the interrupt. My Internet is laggy, which means that I don't see BHOP posting until the post is sent and embeds itself midflow.

PLAN: Seems solid, BUT I would open up with SHU firing the CICADAS first and completing her actions before anyone else strikes. The mind-reading is fully concentration-based, if the above cicadas hit first, YUREI takes every hit. See >>3854012
>>
>>3854041
I have a question: If Hydroforming allows manipulation of liquid, and Earthen Mind allows manipulation of Solids, is it possible to make the swamp water Freeze with Neuromancy? As in actually Freeze it solid through Earthen Mind and Hydroforming?
>>
>>3854033
>>3854045
sticking together is still our best bet. drop the floor, bury and move the Engine, and then focus on Yurei while we have her trapped in a pit and have a height and area advantage. she cant dodge all our shit as easily in uneven ground with limited space.

the maids are still behind our defenses and slowed, its a risk but we should have a moment to focus on Yurei not waste an entire person on them.

i agree with Rath making herself immune though, but i dont thin its worth both her Actions this turn. wait til the stacks build up and the Engine isnt as big a threat, aswell as Yurei. nows not the time to panic over a signle stack when those always go for at least 10 or so for max effectiveness.
>>
>>3854052
>>team up. No time to hesitate, not time to waste. Together, with combined Neuromancy, Terraform the Ground out from under all of you. Dont just drop it on the Engine, work together to ‘wash’ the engine away in a landslide, deep and far away from you or anyone else’s grasp.
Explain further please.
>>
>>3854053
Water under the bridge i have done that as well due to laggy internet.

>>3854052
So pretty much rip her down into the basement while burrying the engine under like 50 meters of rubble and calcite..... seems reasopnable.

Could we have Gina also create spikes of Cacite that jut out from the walls whenever Yurei moves close to them to try and get out of the pit. She can prbabbly jump but while in jump she is veulnerable. Even with her jets she will be limited in her maneuverability.


>>3854060
Earthen Mind makes Terraforming permanent when the Neuromancer is no longer in contact with it or concentrates on it
>>
>>3854061
oh yeah i kind of forgot that Yurei can Maneuver in Mid air with her jets

so yeah we should drop her with massive amounts of rubble so she has difficulty gettign out
>>
(Given the stakes, I would like to draw your attention to my first reply, as shown below.)

>>3854061
(I will say that this ability is unusual in that it caps at one stack, and the cost to inflict it is high, at 2 ACTs and a hefty portion of BIO. If it doesn't seem like Yurei did much this past turn, this is why.)

>>3854050
(She can still only focus the full effects on a single target, at current.)

>>3854060
(Excellent catch. You absolutely may, yes.)
>>
>>3854036
>>3854024
With constructs stunned, can we still execute our Rook teleport? Depends on if its an ability situated in us or our construct really.
>>
>>3854061
Currently Yurei's focused on pummeling Rath and applying those stacks, I want Rath to maintain Yurei's attention by tanking those attacks and gaining immunity from itand hopefully make yurei adopt an elemental immunity. I don't want her adopting a blunt or piercing immunity because that would be broken.

Also because of what Bhop stated here >>3854067

>>3854066
Oh! I have a clever idea! remove the B.33 bullets, have them in our hand, and grapple Yurei! apply the B.33 bullets onto Yurei's arms and legs, and then slap her with our Gatling Maxim bayonet!
>>
>>3854069
(As the Rook is stunned, it cannot complete its end of the deal, at it were. Thus, the teleport cannot be initiated.)
>>
>>3854062
we drop out the floor, twenty meters worth of dirt, but instead of just dropping it, we have it violently go downward onto the engine while also terraforming the ground around the engine to move it even deeper and further away than that 20 meters of dirt would do on its own.

>>3854064
actually we'll have to do that instead anyways, as without her leeches i dont think she can terrain swim, i think.

>>3854067
ah fair enough. do we have any indication of what its actually doing to Rath and Shu?

>>3854073
lets wait and see how bad it is, if BHOP can tell us, fair? if its even just middle ground level, i highly disagree its worth two ACTs and Raths entire turn. in my plan shes still being bait.
>>
>>3854076
What a shame.
>>
>>3854067
>(She can still only focus the full effects on a single target, at current.)
Darn. I had this clever idea about jacking into all of them via Neon Ascendant and using Amethyst Jack's level nine power to reflect the damage each of them took from the acid to all the others, so they effectively all took eight times the normal damage from it. Guess we'll have to do it the hard way and jack into just one and then kill it.
>>
>>3854067
Bhop, since Yurei slapped a BALANCE stack on Shu, can you tell us a briefly its effects? we should be able to know since the stack is applied on us even though the full effects aren't since yurei's focusing the effects fully on Rath at the moment.
>>
>>3854073
also she clearly has control over it, otherwise she would already have Radiant or bashing immunity from Rath. if she hasn't taken them yet, she wont take them now. or she might not be able to. but we clearly cant force it at least by just hitting her with a damage type.
>>
>>3854077
So, Drop 20 meters of Dirt, AND drop the Engine 20 meters, effectively burying it. Is this correct?
>>
>>3854052
I just realized, Shu can't use the Hundred-Hands. They're constructs. We'll have to scoop Gina up normally and then Ravenous Maw tongue our way from danger.
>>
>>3854077
(Neither you nor Rath are currently suffering any effects, as far as you can tell.)

>>3854078
(Indeed, though you're fairly close to an ability in the Tryophilic Hive tree that lets you do some utterly absurd things with your Swamrlings' passives, so there's that to look forward to, at least.)

>>3854084
(As far as you can tell, it appears to have something to do with redirection, but that's all I can say. They essentially lay dormant until triggered by a certain set of circumstances that are out of Yurei's control.)
>>
>>3854091
You are right but we can scoop her up and then grapple away using our maws tounge
>>
>>3854067
>(I will say that this ability is unusual in that it caps at one stack, and the cost to inflict it is high, at 2 ACTs and a hefty portion of BIO. If it doesn't seem like Yurei did much this past turn, this is why.)

So...
>Core ability that gives her adaptive immunity to 5 damage types
>Vitruvian statline and core ability
>Calcite Halo
>Neuromancy/Fibromancy Hybrid for super kung-fu
>Phantasmal Conduit/Neuromancy Hybrid for Dreamscape bullshit

Yurei is not!Neo from the Matrix, but is a girl. She's also a girl who prefers 1v1 battles.
>>
>>3854098
Yes. I just said that.
>>
>>3854100
Ah saorry i kinda missed that last part of your post..... i am slowly gettign tired as its nearly 3am here
>>
>>3854089
more or less. the distance isnt specific, but id assume BHOP knows what im saying and will act accordingly.

>>3854091
>>3854098
I think it only means automatons, not all constructs. look again ,we already used our arms after the Relic went off. same with Raths arms. the confusion here is there two types of constructs that can at times work very differently and be immune to effects that effect the other type.

>>3854094
hrm... thats worrying. well, any guesses to what BALANCE means? maybe she can force all our stats, including things like speed and strength, to balance out to the same number. would be odd, but far from useless if used correctly.
>>
>>3854094
Refresh my memory, do Hundred-Handed arms count as constructs? So we can't spawn any arms for the remaining stun duration?
>>
>>3854021
>>3854052
Vote for next turn, once GINA is free and Engine secured:
> Have GINA use her CANCERBOMB, aiming for the calcite halo or the head.
It is a tested and true Boss-killer. Even in the single case it was ripped out of her host (Isabelle) it wrecked her up horribly and inflicted penalties based on the affected area.

I am going to sleep now. Best luck, elegant ladies and gentlemen. May fortune bless your ploys, and Ares your weapons.
>>
>>3854110
shes immune to effects though, so i dont think that would work.

>>3854094
what does Cancerous Payload count as BHOP?
>>
>>3854110
Don't think Gina has the cancer bomb anymore. Traded it out for some reason, though we really ought to put that on everyone.

Or at least I don't see it in her ability list.
>>
>>3854110
Yurei gains stacks and countdown abilities extremely slowly. The only value it might have is forcing her to devote her last immunity slot to it, but she might not even bother with how slow it grows.
>>
>>3854118
Oops, just didn't scroll down far enough I guess.
>>
>>3854118
Cancer is under 'Other Abilities' as it cannot be leveled.
>>
>>3854107
>hrm... thats worrying. well, any guesses to what BALANCE means? maybe she can force all our stats, including things like speed and strength, to balance out to the same number. would be odd, but far from useless if used correctly.
Maybe. She's got a kung fu theme, it was delivered via palm strikes, so maybe balance yin and yang? Average out Health and Bio, or something like that. Or average it between the target and herself.
>>
>>3854109
(They do, yes.)

>>3854110
(Sleep well, Anon!)

>>3854117
(It counts as neither construct nor status effect, but rather as a virulent part of one's own core biomass. That's the reason it's so powerful, and why removing it comes at a heavy cost.)
>>
>>3854124
I would not be surprised if it would make it possible to balance out damage taken and reflects it partially back onto an enemy or makes it so that the enemy will lose something when they do some specific action like creatign constructs or some such other ability

>>3854110
Good Night
>>
>>3854089
>>3854109
>>3854126
also yeah whats the limits/effects here? is it just auto non connected constructs that are effected, with the direct link by Hands and such being connected to us overriding the Relics effects?

because again, we used several technical Constructs after the Relic went off.

>>3854126
ok, so it may be viable. another question on the Cancer, does it still have to be a Cord, or does Ginas eye connection count, but the distance part makes it less powerful or likely to work if shes not close enough?

>>3854124
>>3854135
maybe. i just cant see Balance being THAT insanely powerful. useful and not something we want dont get me wrong, but not 'drop everything for two acts right away' deadly. but i could we wrong, we really dont know.
>>
>>3854135
Ooor... it makes an attack miss or hit an ally at the most inopportune moment.
>>
>>3854021
Second draft of the plan:

Shu and Gina:
>Team up on Terraforming, Bury the Engine in 20 meters of dirt and rubble while simultaneously burying the Engine 20 meters down, make use of the incoming swamp water as well as the Hydromancy/Earthen Mind Augment Combo to Freeze the Swampwater while making it simultaneously more difficult for the Maids to reach the Engine.

Shu
>Free action: Via Empathy channel to Yurei: "Oi! You've got a Calcite Crown! ya can't be a double queen! THAT'S ILLEGAL!"
>Reload the Maxim Gatling! Fire Honey B.33 Rounds and Cicada rounds! Alternate fire!
>Produce some B.33 Rounds, put them in your hands, and apply them to Yurei's arms and legs with Hundred Handed.

Gina:
>Use your Neuromancy to create Domination Jacks and Hijack the Maids. Or fend off the Maids with your Calcite Armory!

Rath:
>Purge the Balance stack with Immutable Form and make yourself IMMUNE to Yurei's Balance bullshit.
>Go full defensive! Make her waste her time! Grapple her and hold her still with the Gutgrab daggers while on the defensive so Shu can go Ratatat on this skeleton girl!

>>3854110
Too risky. The Cancer Bomb could be used against us if Yurei procs her Balance Stack.
>>
>>3854142
My guess is that the Cancer needs a physical payload in order to be injected. Otherwise, it would be too broken.
>>
>>3854142
(You'd already primed the Hands to go off, so they bypassed the Relic's limits for that brief window of time.)
>>
>>3854021

>Gina
-Use the mask, if I understand how it works correctly.
-Prime Neon Ascendant Level 2 melee combo-breaker/counter. Halo is already primed. (Free Action)
-Intercept Madame Yurei on her way to Rath, with the goal being to trigger either the halo counter or Neon Ascendant's counter or both. Barring the opportunity to counter, instead attempt to apply Cancer, burning 500% health to do so.
-Use Virulent Pestilence to enhance the effect of whichever counter is triggered, or upon application of cancer.

>Shu
-While I don't know where the notes for abilities' past levels are, I do remember Ravenous maw having an ability to grab allies and/or construct out of danger. Do this to Rath, or alternatively use it to boost Gina towards Rath.
-Burn all necessary biomass to terraform off the Engine as described in other plans.
-Rev an instance of Fear to Tread

>Rath
-Use Tensile strand to pull/slingshot yourself out of harms way while pulling Gina into your place to aid in executing her portion of the plan.
-Use Immutable Form to shrug off the stack of Balance you have accrued, if this ability is truly assigned to Rath as it looks like in the spreadsheet.
>>
>>3854149
so they are now affected and can not be used for the rest of the duration of the relic?
>>
>>3854146
Gina can make herself immune to Balance too.

your plan ignores we still need to you know, move after we drop the floor. i also dont like that comment from Shu, feels highly out of character.

iyou also ignore Rath literally cannot do anything else if she purges. at all. not move, not anything. it uses both her Acts. unless it turns out utterly devastating, its not worth the entire plan and turn just for her to remove it.
>>
>>3854151
(That is correct.)
>>
>>3854021
>>3854052
Second Draft;

SHU and GINA;
>team up. No time to hesitate, not time to waste. Together, with combined Neuromancy, Terraform the Ground out from under all of you. Dont just drop it on the Engine, work together to ‘wash’ the engine away in a landslide, deep and far away from you or anyone else’s grasp.

SHU;
>Use your Maw to scoop you and Gina up and deposit yourselves on solid ground in a more advantageous spot.
>With Yurei in the pit, spray her down with Both Maxims, a mix of Cicadas, BBs, and Parabellums equally.

GINA;
>Once on solid ground again, Start Terraforming the sides of the pit to keep Yurei from climbing out, be it going for stabs or blunt trauma hits.

RATH;
>as Shu and Gina drop the ground from under everyone, fling yourself to more advantageous solid ground as you toss a heavy rain of Boils into the pit with Yurei as she falls.
>set yourself up a quick link array with your Strands. No matter where Yurei tries to climb out at, Quickly intercept her and knock her back into the pit.
>>
>>3854150
>Shu alternative first action
-Shoot that bitch with what we've got. Or use it to boost terraforming efforts.
>>
>>3854013
Ammedning my vote from >>3854033
to
SHU and GINA;
>team up. No time to hesitate, not time to waste. Together, with combined Neuromancy, Terraform the Ground out from under all of you. Dont just drop it on the Engine, work together to ‘wash’ the engine away in a landslide, deep and far away from you or anyone else’s grasp. Freeze it in rock, calcite and swamp water

SHU;
>Use your Maw to scoop you and Gina up and deposit yourselves on solid ground in a more advantageous spot.
>With Yurei in the pit, spray her down with Both Maxims, a mix of Cicadas, BBs, and Parabellums equally.

GINA;
>Once on solid ground again, Start Terraforming the sides of the pit to keep Yurei from climbing out, be it going for stabs or blunt trauma hits.

RATH;
>as Shu and Gina drop the ground from under everyone, fling yourself to more advantageous solid ground as you toss a heavy rain of Boils into the pit with Yurei as she falls.
>set yourself up a quick link array with your Strands. No matter where Yurei tries to climb out at, Quickly intercept her and knock her back into the pit.
>>
>>3854159
I think Rath should still purge the BALANCE stack before it messes her up somehow.
>>
>>3854150
Yurei is immune to Fear to Tread. we should not waste a Halo that could save our butts on an attack like that. Rath cannot do literally anything else if she uses Immutable Form. there is literally no reason for Gina to put herself in direct harms way here, especially not infront of our Tank.

>>3854146
BHOP just confirmed we cannot use Hundred Hands right now. if we bury the engine, we should remvoe the Maids from play too.

>>3854164
then she cant dodge the floor collapsing or do anything else. all it does is leave her just as if not more vulnerable than the stack itself does.
>>
>>3854155
Question, does us dropping the ground also affect the Escher's Gear spoke spawn point?
>>
>>3854169
(If I was a cruel GM, probably. As it stands, I had Francine throw the spoke into the hallway just before Francine's room, so floor alterations would not disrupt the arrival of any reinforcements. That said, if you cause something to happen to the hallway, then all bets are off.)
>>
>>3854174
oh thank goodness. Telefragging is the WORST.
>>
>>3854168
>then she cant dodge the floor collapsing or do anything else. all it does is leave her just as if not more vulnerable than the stack itself does.
She actually only needs to spend one ACT to purge the status effect. It's making herself immune to the status effect that costs two ACTs. So she could get away from it, and given how she uses her strands to do that she could arguably set up the network in the process. But maybe not. Something to ask BHOP, if she can have that sort of efficiency of motion.

God, we really need to get more ACTs on our party. We're going to get a lot of levels off of Yurei, most likely, let's see how close we can get to maxing Cores.
>>
>>3854174
Wait your not a curel GM?

Isnt that a contradiction in and of itself?

Have i been Gming wrong for the last four years?

*insert highly distressed Dice Noises*
>>
>>3854168
Yurei's immune to Fear to Tread right now, but that's no guarantee it'll last forever. Nor do we have any guarantee someone else isn't going to butt in that'll need to be dealt with That aside, Fear To Tread also grants bonuses to our allies now, making it good to have in general. I'm also betting that revved up Fear to Tread is almost certainly going to be exponentially more potent rather than just multiplicatively, given BHOP's descriptions.
>>
>>3854184
It still feels like panicking wasting the ACT now, and would still be better served making her immune. i just dont agree she cant do better doing other things at the moment.

also lets not jump the gun like that just yet, that feels like a good way to jink an already difficult fight.
>>
>>3854184
(She could do both fairly simultaneously, yes.)
>>
>>3854194
Oh, great. Still not sure we should do it, because I do like raining down more Boils, but we could do it.
>>
(It appears that these two are the prevailing votes. Does this suit everyone?)

>>3854156
>>3854159
>>
>>3854024
well, i guess the final votes were for;

>>3854159
>>3854156
two straight up for this plan.

>>3854150
>>3854146
with these two tying the vote to a dice roll I guess on if Rath forgoes one of her other Actions to Purge the BALANCE.

otherwise no agreement between the other two on things to break from the other plan.

>>3854198
obviously, as just stated, up to you, but one of Raths Actions could be a dice roll to Purge instead of something else, if you wanted to be fair to each part individually, not only the whole plan.
>>
>>3854191
>>3854188
I think we should reconsider where we put Yurei. We're putting Yurei in a pit with the now buried Engine where she can easily reunite with her maids as well as the optimal position of reaching the Engine and reactivating it with Neuromancy.
>>
>>3854204
i disagree, hence the point of also moving the engine further away be a good distance. plus a bit late to have cold feet now.
>>
>>3854204
The engine will be buried under neuromanticly active terrain so she will have to break through it and then terraform all of that stuff out of the way all the while being assaulted by spikes and bludgeons not to mention burning boils. The Boils are gonna make the pit a hellohole in seconds. The Maids wont survive long and Yurei will try to get out as fast as possible or she will die before she breaks through to the engine

The engien is burried under tons of rubble that partially is pretty loose and wont connect and be terraformed easily.
>>
>>3854211
wait wait wait. If we froze and buried the Engine, why is Rath throwing Napalm into a pit with a frozen buried engine!? We should have her throw Freeze bombs instead!
>>
>>3854213
..... interesting question. We could have her switch next round. Yurei is probably gonna try to acquire another immunity. Maybe we can bait her she sould be unaware of our abbility to just switch generator damage types at will
>>
>>3854213
only you wanted to freeze it, and even if thats still done, thats gonna be some very thick ice and ice buried deep in the dirt, so i dont think the fire will reach it.
>>
>>3854198
Yeah, I guess I'm good. I don't think it's optimal, but I'm going to be feeling anxious in general until the rest of our party ports in. Maybe even after that, what with Yurei apparently wanting us all in place so she can use a super move. It can't be Neuro-Phantasmal, right? She clearly knows we've got heavy resistance to that. Is she just confident she can overcome our resistance with her super move? Is it not a Neuro-Phantasmal ability? I don't know, but whatever's going on I'm worried. Let's just make our move and see what she does.
>>
>>3854217
Her literal Epitaph nickname is "MASTER OF DREAMS". She's planning to pull us into dreamland. How else could she pummel multiple daughters into submission if her kit is geared towards 1v1s? In the Dreamworld, She can use her Vitruvian powers and Fibromancy powers without limit nor restraint!
>>
>>3854201
Allow me to make an argument for putting Gina in harm's way.

She has an automatic critical-counter primed, so barring unforeseen abilities she will not experience catastrophic damage.

She'll have a melee combo-counter primed, so barring unforseen abilities she won't endure more than 1 non-critical melee hit of damage.

We gain a goodly chance to apply cancer to Yurei, which would prevent her from executing most forms of "wait-it-out" plans that she seems to be going for now.

We are currently experiencing >1000% Health regen per turn, and using Dominus we can apply any portion of that regeneration to Gina should she experience significant damage this turn.

This isn't mutually exclusive with the current terraforming plan. We could spend 1 act to terraform in tandem with Shu AFTER we attempt to apply Cancer to Yurei.
>>
>>3854226
id be much more worried about what she can pull IN the dreamscape with a dreamscape based ability. if its just base abilities and stats i dont think it would work out well for her. mind you, she could have an army of loyal dream daughters, though would seem odd for that alone to be a trump card.
>>
>>3854226
Yeah, but she's seen that we have some pretty hardcore Neuro-Phantasmal resistance. Like I said, if she is planning for that then her super move must have killer defense penetration. I hope that if it does it can't penetrate November's Mind of Steel, though. That would be satisfying, her doing this big AoE illusion attack and it backfiring because she didn't consider that we might have a super fighting robot with us.
>>
>>3854233
you know...you might be right... didn't Yurei give us a FLEX of her main gimmick with the illusions before we activated our halos?
>>
>>3854236
It's a shame we haven't ramped November's neuromancy resistance up to the point where it causes Neuromancers to explode, like BHOP mentioned the upgrade path of her old armor would do once.
>>
>>3854236
maybe. but abilities still work in the dreamscape so wouldn't our halos protect us from that? hell with them actually having some minor elements tailored towards the dreamscape, it might somehow be even more effective in there.

BUT, if it is that, its also possible she doesn't know that. we have never had another Halo type, so while she seems knowledgeable to some degree on them, its also possible her own one is misconstruing how she thinks they work on top of possibly not having all the info. who knows though. id not put money down on it myself.
>>
>>3854239
I am prettty sure if we can get our claws onto that tier 5 core we will be still ahve access to that ability. Her Body is a straight up upgrade in comparison to her first one so she should still get her Mind of Steel Level 5
>>
>>3854239
It still does if they try to use their powers on her. The Tier Five version kills them just for looking at her funny.
>>
>>3854241
Best to be safe than sorry. We also don't know about the Calcite Halo so we'll need to be cautious about that too because i'm not sure how far Yurei has leveled the thing.
>>
>>3854248
Seems primarily defensive in nature, so far at least. Also we know that its defense CAN be breached by powers associated with armor piercing, like our drill.

We should keep in mind though that the Halos were designed to cut down on daughter/daughter infighting. We need to be cautious when we go to consume. Possibly consult with Charon first.
>>
>>3854248
it seems to just be ramping up her defenses to stupid levels, albeit possibly only in certain conditions and only to calcite. she still clearly took damage but im unsure of if thats us pushing past its limit or just an 'Armor doesn't block everything' scenario. a small difference but an important one.
>>
>>3854253
WE could possibly mitigate taht problem in and of itself if we wer to only have one person consume while that person has given away all levels but one so that only theri one level of core gets deleted and then they receive back all the levels they had before ..... Not sure if that would be possibel or the rewrite would do even mroe damage then.... i am actually not to keen on putting that theory to the test
>>
>>3854258
don't. We've already experienced that tragedy once. it took us SO LONG to hunt Isabelle down after that. We only managed to get her back from being proactive and somehow being close on Isabelle's trail.
>>
>>3854253
Oh, that is a good point, Hexane Rewrite. I'm not entirely clear on what it takes to trigger that, though. Like, we ate Meg just fine. She had the Neurotic Halo and eating her didn't cause any problems for us. I think it might just be eating people in certain contexts that triggers the Rewrite. Either eating them alive as Gina forced B'Ni to do, or indiscriminately slaughtering the wearer without any other reason than power lust. Something like that, I'm not clear on the specifics. Whatever the reason, it clearly doesn't activate every time or else we would never have gotten the Halo. Let's ask Gina when it comes time for that, she's got experience with the Rewrite.
>>
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>>3854021

Your and Gina's eyes meet, and in the half-second before Yurei collides with Rath your Neuromancies ignite as one. Suddenly, there's a tremendous roar as the floor of the room yawns open, sending your foe tumbling down into the abyss as Rath leaps to the safety of the rear wall, thrusting her fists into the weakened wood as you wrap your arms around Gina, your Ravenous Maw swinging you to the relative safety of the room's entrance.

The pit becomes a jagged, thoothy monstrosity as your and Gina's powers work to keep Yurei trapped, with the Engine subsumed as it's carried deep within the Fleshscape. Rath looses a hail of Radiant Boils into the depths of the chasm, and you bring the twin Contenders to bear as the shining volley disappears from sight.

>>Shu/Rath BALANCE Stacks: CONSUMED

Heat. Flame. Fire.

Ozone.

Your vision's engulfed with radiant white as Rath's super-heated grenades boil the skin from your arms and legs as you start to scream. Your think Rath screams your name as she rushes to your side with her wires, but it's lost in the screeching hiss of her redirected attack as she frantically tears the boils free of your ruined skin.

"This isn't really about your Halo, Shu." Yurei calls out as she emerges from the ruins of the mansion, carried on wings of freezing air as she crushes a pair of terraformed spikes in either fist. "It's about the fact that you have one...one that has the power to alter the Cord. You would bring our world back to what it was. You would grant the freedom for people to ruin each other and their very existence, like they always do, time and again. You would take the mantle of godhood,and thrust it upon the shoulders of those that look to you for guidance. That's not noble, Shu. That's not wise. That's foolishness...no. It's more than that."

Yurei reaches down with both hands, placing her wrists against an ornate, bladed belt that's constricted around her waist. Her hands twitch, and she winces as she slices both her wrists, blood trickles into the Relic's length before parts of it uncoil, slithering up her spine as a thin set of armor begins to take shape around her exhausted form.

"What you're planning to do is worse, because you're taking precisely zero responsibility for how this world turns out. You're a coward, one that proclaims that what you're doing is in the best interests of humanity...when all you are is irresponsible."

A thin, piecemeal set of armor, slick and unsettling, has enveloped her upper body, and as she stares down at you her brow furrows as you struggle past the burning pain to rise to your feet.

(Continued)
>>
>>3854265

"But you're strong. You're dangerous. You've defeated gods, and with that power unchecked you'd bring back exactly the same kind of world we left behind. And that...that's something I don't wish on anyone, Defiant. That's why I have to stop you. I was going to give you time. Time to set your affairs in order, to think about what you're doing. I gave you a chance to change your mind...but it's made up. Just like mine. Except there's one difference between us."

>>[Sui Sacrificium: ACTIVATED]

"I'm willing to take responsibility for humanity's future..." She groans, rivulets of blood trickling down her wrists and waist, her movements beginning to shudder from the strains of speed. "...and you're not."

She's on Rath in an instant, four palm strikes crushing into Rath's chest before any of you can react, sending the red-head hurtling down the hall and crashing into the floor before a blade coalesces in Gina's hand.

She stabs, and Yurei's palm strike shatters the blade down to the hilt as she seizes Gina's hand and flings her down into the very pit you and she formed from the mansion's tattered ruins. You raise the Contender, but by the time you do her palm is grazing your nose, intent to shattering your skull with a single, decisive strike.

>>Halo: TRIGGERED

Four separate spikes tear through each of her limbs, with a final one smashing against her spine, shattering in the face of the Calcite Halo's impossible defense. Weapon still raised, you pull the trigger until it clicks, the spines flinging Yurei back across the room as your rounds frantically try to find purchase in the woman's cracked chest.

"Potent, but misguided." Yurei remarks, plucking what bullets she can from her chest, aside from the twin Parabellums that have been able to burrow into her armor. "I'd expect nothing less of the woman with all the power in the world, and no plan for any of it."

HP: 1367% (+510% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:SPENT.)
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop, 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, 30/30)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST & SECOND: Empty.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 954% (110%, SPD: +750%, Halo:PRIMED Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: 629% (0%, STR: +450%, SPD +600%, 12 Limbs, Cold: ACTIVE, Halo:PRIMED. Erupting Grasp: ACTIVE. Tormentis, Deliverance, Nail, Gauntlets, Daggers: EQUIPPED.

FAMILY ARRIVAL: 1 Rounds
CONSTRUCT STUN: 1 Rounds
ENGINE TRIGGER: Irrelevant

Threat: Medium, stalling for time. IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, Acid, Slashing, ???. 2x Parabellum.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Voting shall remain open for one hour, Gentlemen. To clarify, your allies will arrive at the end of the next round, and the Construct ban will be lifted.)
>>
>>3854275
im guessing by this point its safe to assume no help is coming from the daughters that were around?
>>
>>3854280
(Slight spoilers, but there's a few on their way. It took a hot minute to fight past Ivey and the Hyenas, but help is coming.)
>>
>>3854263
>3854263
Mainly... Her Halo was inactive. Ours is active since Gina had Neuromancy and Meg did not

I asked OP a while back since i was interested how they worked for my own story.

>>3854265
So i take it balance forces the damage one opponent would deal upon another opponent with a balance stack?

>>3854271
Okay we should probably redirect some of our Regen to Gina she needs it the leash is useful for ehr since it will tremendously boost her Regen. And we should try and keep away from Yurei..... now that our ahlo is spent.

>>3854271

Threat: Medium
So her Threat level is Medium to us?
she has also redirected some of her HEalth..... no she has sacrificed Health Regen for that armor she is wearing. I take it it is quite potent na relic?
>>
>>3854283
ah, alright. still, gotta last that long first.
>>
>>3854280
>>3854275
Well shit. Sui Sacrificum. It's one of the Sui Armor sets, but it sacrifices the Max hp cap in exchange for crazy speed. She's probably poured about half her health and dumped it into speed at a 1:5 ratio.
>>
>>3854284
(Consuming both stacks in the process, yes. For example, if you'd unleashed your hail of bullets first, Rath would be dealing with that right now, instead of you just taking damage.)

(Oh no, her distance is medium since your critical counter flung her across the room. Her actual threat level is tremendous.)

(The Sui Sacrificium is quite potent, yes.)
>>
>>3854293
im not sure if i should be glad or not right now my first and most potent relic inspired you to make her another sister thats now being used against us.
>>
>>3854298
(Oh, I've watched your brainstorming sessions, and rest assured that much of what you and the other players have made is now in active circulation throughout the Fleshscape.)
>>
>>3854298
Well Shit. If Yurei's turned her self into a crazy speedster, then she's going to have her 5 actions lined up at the front of the Queue.
Also, We gotta have something to fire back at Yurei's "reason you suck speech".
>>
>>3854293
Ah only that low..... We have dealt with worse
conviniently forgets about the Almath Ghosts, Mara and the immortal dreamdaughters of Almath

We have got this in the bag

starts praying for reinforcemetns in Gothic and Dark Tounge while sacrificing amalgams to the Changer of Ways


Well enough crying about this little predicament lets get a plan ready.

1. priority keep Gina and Rath closer to her as they still have their counters in comparison to us.

2. Kepp stackign damage onto her she is not in the pit we should try and get her back in there to bombard ehr with our fire bombs
>>
>>3854305
neat.

also, question. clearly, she isnt immune to Halo counters, so why didn't Raths go off? that was one hell of a hit she just took for it not to count.
>>
>>3854271
First Draft;

SHU;
>Spit at Yurei, and smirk. “Says the woman who can't even face reality. Say whatever lies you want, it won't change the truth. You’re a coward, a dictator, and on an ego trip. You’re just like West, only worse, because you’re a hypocrite.”
>”it's not cowardice to trust other people Yurei, its bravery. And one so scared, one so terrified of her fellow humans? That's not someone who should ever decide our fate.”
>”You’re a coward Yurei, a scared little kid who can't face the world. And you would force all of us to hide in a corner with you.”
>Send some Regen Ginas way with a second Dominous.
>unload a screaming swarm of 12 Cicadas at Yurei. It doesn't matter if they hit, only that they get close.
> Snag her with the Maw. if she wants to get away, she’s gonna have to cut it.
>If Gina is able to subdue her, or she comes for you… do what you must. Get both hands, both Drills into her. She needs to be forced back, dealt damage, and you’re the only one who can take a risk right now.

GINA;
>Get Back to the fight.
>Use the Jesters. You HAVE to get on her first, now, before she can do worse.
>Terraform the dirt and water together, into a potent sludge. Cover Yuri in it, and keep freezing it solid keep at it, layer after layer, constantly replacing what she tries to remove.


RATH;
>Deactivate Ignition and Grasp so your health can replenish.
>Get back to Shu, bu stay back. Switch to FROST damage, and spam boils at her and see if you can't slow her down, even one or two lucky hits should do something.
> be prepared to toss out your Strands as a safety net, to stop, or at least, slow down any assault forward by Yurei.

not the best ill admit but our options really are limited.
>>
>>3854308
(It didn't necessarily meet the damage/danger threshold, while the damage rolled for Yurei's critical hit to your face would have brought you well below 0% HEALTH.)
>>
>>3854323
fair enough i guess. just seems like a hit that really was not one to take, crit or not. i mean, she lost like over half her health.
>>
>>3854306
No U -speech against Yureis speech
>"No you want to take the future of humanity away by putting them into stagnation. What you are trying to do is achieve godhood at the expense of every other human and alien in the crucible. Funny that i know someone who is just like in their goal. But they recognise that we are still human and that godhood is near unachievable without constant reflection. When was the last time you reflected on what you have done."

>"When was the last time you thought where do i stop? Where do i draw the line of what i am willing to do. Tell me. When was the last time you could say that you could not commit an attrocity without trying every other possibility first? We had types like you in the old world as well. YOu would do anything for your goal. You will start purigng people of their personalitys once you find they are not to your taste. Do you think that once oyu have started going that route there is any way back for you?"

I thought i would try my hand. Its probably a bit to long
>>3854305
Is the forge core powered cannon in circulation? If so i see a potentialy very painful encounter in the future of whoever encoutners that weapon on the wrong side of the barrel.....
>>
>>3854326
(Forgive me, are you referring to the Metall Geschoss?)
>>
>>3854335
Nah, an idea for a Forge Core-powered Relic, a crew-served beam cannon shooting nuclear death rays. Fun stuff.
>>
>>3854335
No the "Sunfury Annihalator" i had proposed quite a while back, the Metall Geschoss while really cool is not quite as destructive....
>>
>>3854323
BHOP while normally i really dont like even suggesting such a thing for NPCs, would it be alright at least for me to put something down as a suggestion for Rath? because i wrote something i thinks really good, but it sounds exactly like something he would say over Shu. but i also dont want to set a precedent for that sorta thing either, nor disrespect the fact you write them absolutely fantastically, and dont want to cause people to start constantly undermining or taking that from you.

>>3854335
here you go BHOP

>SUNFURY ANNIHALATOR: A massive and extremely heavy weapon at the very edge of what a single person can move. Having a long barrel covered in a grill of calcite plating to better disperse heat bildup stick out of a large and heaviliy armored focusing chamber does this weapon require 2 Acts to set up. After Set up the Weapon requires a lot of energy, like it would be found in a Forge Core. Several smaller /weaker cores can be combined to reach the minimum required Level of Forge core but not higher ones. Doing so exhausts the forge Cores and turns them to dust if fired more than once. Firing it requires utmost concentration and good aim as a concentrated beam of searing, burning and screeching light. It shoots out of the barrel leaving it glowing hot red afterwards and needing to cool down for a round before being able to fire again. Just being in close proximity to the weapon requires at least resistance to heat/fire damage while it is being fired.
>>
>>3854323
BHOP, how many damage bonuses have the Maxims accumulated for melee? I've kind of lost count of the number of bullets we've fired, what with restocking them.
>>
>>3854339
(Ah, yes! It is, actually. There's a fun team of Daughters that are hefting one around the Fleshscape.)

>>3854342
(You certainly may. I respect your desire to allow me to voice my NPCs, but I also appreciate you asking. Go right ahead, as there have been certain time when I've redirected write-ins to be said by your allies, where it feels appropriate.)

>>3854344
(The Gatlingunner's Maxim bonus is now at 120%)
>>
>>3854349
(Actually, that reminds me, since this is the first combat since this has been in effect: You are allowed to load three rounds into each of your Contenders due to Maxim's effect, so please choose what rounds you'd like to have loaded.)
>>
>>3854357
I'm going to say two Fullbores and one Cicada each. Fullbores for armor-piercing, Cicadas for disrupting focus. Gina has been thrown out of medium range of Yurei, the Cicadas should be a problem.
>>
>>3854349
.................................................................... They are going around murdering titans and larger Amalgams for Breakfast. Arent they?

>>3854318
Now back to serious business

Yeah the Gina thing seems useful. We cant cover her in Vomit anyway anymore since she is immune so slowing her down by making the medium she has to move through seems like a good idea. Its not technicly a status effect on her so she should noit be immune or heavily resistant to it. Her speed is still gonna make her a problem.


>>3854361
Agree that those are useful but we should load at least two cicada rounds to make sure we disrupt her concentration. So a spread of 1 Cicada and 2 Fullbores into each
>>
>>3854357
what do you mean by that?
regardless, just load up the Cicadas i want.

>>3854349
i appreciate it, and of course feel free to edit it as you think fits.

>>3854361
>>3854362
i dont think thats a good idea. all our fullbores did nothing to her last round. only the Parabellums ability to burrow did anything, and even then not all of them.
>>
>>3854368
>>3854363
see,
>>3854367
>>
>>3854367
(I realized that I should have asked when you loosed your first barrage of B.33s in the opening round, is all.)
>>
>>3854357
Three Cicadas in both guns.
>>
>>3854367
>i dont think thats a good idea. all our fullbores did nothing to her last round. only the Parabellums ability to burrow did anything, and even then not all of them.
Ah, shit, you're right. Okay, Fullbores go on the hot list for upgrades next time Karma has shinies for us. They're supposed to be armor-piercing, dang it. Okay, two Parabellums and one Cicada each. See if we can fire the Parabellums into the hole made by our drills.
>>
>>3854370
Yes i see and after reading over the text again.

>>3854357
Ammendign from loading>>3854363 (You)
to make those 1 Cicada and 2 Parabellums each
>>
>>3854378
i think shes plugged the holes by now, by how fast she was stitching herself back together earlier.
>>
>>3854382
No, I meant after we drill her again this time. We're going to be making more holes, it's always time for more holes.
>>
>>3854271
>>3854318
second Draft;

SHU;
>Spit at Yurei, and smirk. “Says the woman who can't even face reality. Say whatever lies you want, it won't change the truth. You’re a coward, a dictator, and on an ego trip. You’re just like West, only worse, because you’re a hypocrite.”
>”it's not cowardice to trust other people Yurei, its bravery. And one so scared, one so terrified of her fellow humans? That's not someone who should ever decide our fate.”
>”You’re a coward Yurei, a scared little kid who can't face the world. And you would force all of us to hide in a corner with you.”
>Send some Regen Ginas way with a second Dominous.
>unload a screaming swarm of 12 Cicada rounds at Yurei. It doesn't matter if they hit, only that they get close.
> Snag her with the Maw. if she wants to get away, she’s gonna have to cut it.
>If Gina is able to subdue her, or she comes for you… do what you must. Get both hands, both Drills into her. She needs to be forced back, dealt damage, and you’re the only one who can take a risk right now.

GINA;
>Get Back to the fight.
>Use the Jesters. You HAVE to get on her first, now, before she can do worse.
>Terraform the dirt and water together, into a potent sludge. Cover Yuri in it, and keep freezing it solid. keep at it, layer after layer, constantly replacing what she tries to remove.

RATH;
>”You’re a monster, worse than the Crucible. Because you have a choice, and instead, you would choose to be the biggest cunt humanity has ever damn well birthed. You should feel proud, you’re exactly what the Crucible and Mother want to create. An egotistical psychopath who wants to be a god.”
>Deactivate Ignition and Grasp so your health can replenish.
>Get back to Shu, stay at her side. Switch to FROST damage, and spam boils at her and see if you can't slow her down, even one or two lucky hits should do something.
> be prepared to toss out your Strands out as a safety net, to stop, or at least slow down any assault forward by Yurei.
>>
>>3854382
>>3854389
(Magnificent phrasing, Gentlemen.)
>>
>>3854271

Yeah supporting this one I am drawing nothing
but blanks myself>>3854391
>>
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>>3854397
goddammit BHOP
>>
>>3854399
i feel inadequate as its not the most complicated plan by far we have done, and the situations so strained it makes it feel like we need one.

mind you, i do trust my choices, only it just feels so short compared to most i cant help but feel we're missing something we could add.

mind you, health concerns and the anti-Construct field are limiting our options fucking hardcore.
>>
>>3854306
How about this?

>>3854271
>Wipe the blood from your mouth.
>"Oh, spare me the false dilemmas. You're a programmer, Yurei. Logical fallacies are a bad look for you."
>"Who hurt you? What happened that you're so frightened of losing control? Because that's what it's really about. Running away to a place where you've eliminated every chaotic variable. Someplace that you've convinced yourself you'll feel safe in."
>"That's why you can't allow anyone to not enter your dreamscape, isn't it? Anyone not inside the system is an uncontrolled variable. A threat to your sense of safety, just by existing. You'd force the entire species to your will just to comfort yourself. And you accuse me of having a narrow vision?"


>>3854397
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
>>
>>3854408
yeah which is why together with the advanced hour of morning i find myself experiencing i am not capable of drawing any good plans up myself
>>
>>3854397
oh, and what happened to the Maids? i mean, yeah we technically buried them pretty brutally, i just want to confirm that, as i do think we have methods to know if it wasn't complete termination, i think?
>>
>>3854417
>>3854408
(Apologies for the lateness of the evening, Gentlemen. The next post is coming soon, and with it this series of rapid-posts shall come to a close with plenty of time to equip your team, discuss strategy, and deal with what's coming.)

>>3854419
Most of them were close to the engine, so they ended up getting crushed wholesale by your terraforming efforts.
>>
>>3854408
Yeah, it's tricky. We've done pretty well against her, I'd say. Relatively speaking, anyway. We've forced her to enter her desperation super mode despite having a fourth her stats. That's not bad. Just, you know, ignore the fact that her desperation super mode is kicking our ass. I think that stalling for time might be our best move for the moment, even though it's what she wants, too. Give us a moment to recuperate, keep her from further kicking our asses in the process, and start the next round with five fresh party members ready to tangle.
>>
>>3854271
>>3854271
Shu:
>Free action: Auto-load Fullbores, Attach Lionheart Bayonets onto the Gemini Gatling Maxims (basically turn them into twin LionHeart Revolvers) so you can properly parry Yurei's attacks.
>"So what you're saying is that you plan to be a God more or less? Deciding what Humanity should be, deciding what world they inhabit in your fantasy dreamland?"
>"Too many daughters, enthralled by the siren call of power, of godhood, all of those battle royale games where the winner gets one wish granted and a power high before it all comes crashing down. The Crucible breaks those who aspire to be gods one way or another. If it's broken Ozmas the Mother of our current Crucible, then it WILL break YOU one way or another."
>If Yurei ripostes with a verbal counter-argument:
>"Oh, spare me the hypotheticals. You're a programmer, Yurei. Logical fallacies and coding bugs are a bad look for you and your career. Have you tried beta-testing?"
>"Who hurt you? What happened that you're so frightened of losing control? Because that's what it's really about. Running away to a place where you've eliminated every chaotic variable. Someplace that you've convinced yourself you'll feel safe in."
>"That's why you can't allow anyone to not enter your dreamscape, isn't it? Anyone not inside the system is an uncontrolled variable. A threat to your sense of safety, just by existing. You'd force the entire species to your will just to comfort yourself. And you accuse me of having a narrow vision?"
>"No one man should have all that power, Yurei. That's why people like you and me shouldn't have that sort of power. That sort of power tends to get to their head. That's why I'm letting humanity as a whole decide their fate instead."
>"You should've put your plan for peer review Yurei, isn't that what they taught you in coding class? Learn to code properly."

>Fire Cicadas...at Yurei, and at the ground in front of you. Space them out evenly so that Yurei has her concentration interrupted consistently.
>Turn one of your legs into a peg leg drill and make a Spiraling Fear to rev up your speed and dodge in confusing ways. Yurei may be immune to terrain shifting, but the Confusion fu of Shu's spinning tactics would eat up much of her time.
>Snag her with the Maw and the Bungee tongue.

Gina:
>Use the Jesters to act first.
>Slow down Yurei with Terraforming. Make her limbs more cumbersome with a combination of water and freezing mud.

>>3854318
Anon. Why aren't we doing anything with our swarm- oh. right. They're stunned until the end of this round.

Rath:
>Free action: Deactivate Ignition, let your body rest and recover.
>Free action: Activate Northern Lights, switch to Frost bombs.
>Pelt the field with Frost Bombs. Area saturation.
>Grab Gina and get out of the pit.
>>3854410
I love it. I'm incorporating it into the write-in.
>>
>>3854432
>>3854425
Aww darn it. I was late with my vote!
>>
>>3854271
I can't imagine what she thinks she's stalling for.

Maids are dead, Irey has been "gotten past" and she isn't charging up anything obvious. I want to think that she doesn't know stalling is a bad plan, but my paranoia says otherwise.
>>
>>3854436
She's stalling to get all of her enemies in one place. Remember her epithet? "MASTER OF DREAMS". She's waiting to get all of our family members in one place in order to drag us all into dreamworld.
>>
>>3854425
"Lateness of the evening"

Good one

It 5 am for me in about an hour i will go to my local bakery get some buns for breakfast and lie down until i feel ready to make lunch....


>>3854436
She may have a chargfe move that consumes an act every round buit is very potent adn has no obvious signs......

Lets just hope its pretty much hot air and we will be able to withstand it with our halos
>>
>>3854425
well good that they're gone.

i like two of three of those things you said. that last one though... not so much.

>>3854435
it would still be 2/1 anyways.

>>3854436
>>3854438
well, she might not know the Hyenas status. but yeah, she probably has something up her sleeve left. i DO think its important to note though the Engine was very clearly part of that. why or how, i dunno though.
>>
>>3854441
I wasn't worried about the action economy, I was worried about the write-in speeches I've prepared for the verbal argument against Ivey. I was hoping that Bhop would incorporate some of them but apparently I was late!
>>
>>3854441
Maybe the engine explosion doenst actually kill anything but sends it wholesale into the same dimension the Dremscape is located in.

At least the Dreamscape feels kind of like different dimension maybe its just the fact it contains the unconciousness of the daughters it contains what makes it appear so alien
>>
>>3854441
>well, she might not know the Hyenas status. but yeah, she probably has something up her sleeve left. i DO think its important to note though the Engine was very clearly part of that. why or how, i dunno though.
Yeah, seriously, what was up with detonating the Sparagmos Engine? Why would she think that's a thing she needs to do? It's got me paranoid that there's something about the Engine's functions that we don't understand. Like there's a literal dream realm and the Engine draws on its power, so when it detonates that's punching a rift into the dream dimension. That doesn't sound right, but it's the only reason I can think of for why she wouldn't see detonating the Engine as a completely unnecessary move.
>>
>>3854447
>>3854446
well ive got no clue. i mean, you guys could be right, ive just got no clue. it really does seem quite bloody insane to want to sacrifice not just the engine, but the forge and entire area for it too. even if she thought she could survive it thats ALOT of damn sacrifice for a group of daughters she seemed to think she could overcome on her own.

>>3854444
fair enough.
>>
>>3854451
It could also be that she is somewhat unhinged and thought if i have to i will kill everything if i cant get what i want no one else can.

In a "I-am-taking-my-ball-and-going-home" Move she would have removed everything valuable from the Area and probably quite a few people with it
>>
>>3854447
>>3854458

Makes sense. had Francine not succeeded in her check to find out Yurei's intentions on fucking with the Engine, we would've been dragged into the explosion radius by this round.
It also makes sense on why Yurei's still trying to stall for time. She's waiting for the Engine to detonate. We did send her down into the engine room where the pit is now at, but because of the timing in which she did so, she would've assumed the Maids managed to set the Engine to blow before they got crushed by the Terraforming action, so now she's just trying to stall for time waiting for the engine to explode.

>>3854451
You know... in hindsight, Do you think we could've handled Yurei with Shu, Francine, Rath and Gina by ourselves with the Barbers coming in hot to help?
Because the fact that we're pulling Dorian, Amara, Julia, and November from Laoc, with the Barbers coming in hot to assist means that we're gonna have the Gemma Shard dilemma. happening at the same time.
>>
>>3854469
>You know... in hindsight, Do you think we could've handled Yurei with Shu, Francine, Rath and Gina by ourselves with the Barbers coming in hot to help?
Maybe, but we couldn't have relied on that. The fact that they are willing to help is wonderful, and we're certainly going to be appreciative of it. But we didn't know if they would, so we sent for the backup we could rely on.
>>
>>3854469
Oh that is a thing that will happen and we might be able to have a sit down with Gemma and Sia.
If Sia agrees to meeting Gemma of course

I am actually quite looking forward to it and see how she explains all the shit that has happened Like the calling ot to the violent shards...... I am still salty about that betrayal. I dont think i will ever stop being salty about that betrayal

She bit the hand that fed her. That is just so rude.
>>
>>3854469
id not want to risk it, and there shouldn't be an issue. Julias in control and would respect Sias wishes. Sia has our confirmation we wont consume her like that unwillingly. that, and even the more militant Gemmas would probably understand that you dont live unless you fight one fight at a time. no one likes a three way, well, except maybe Gina but shes likes getting in a bit of trouble.

>>3854458
i can see it being a possibility.

>>3854475
i agree.
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>>3854477
So you agreee that next time we talk with her the gloves come off?

I think she needs a very firm talking to and maybe a proverbial spanking or maybe ven a bit more but we will see when it comes to that
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>>3854485
nah, too soft. we ram Rath up to her bodies maximum and lock her in a dream Bubble with an angry pissed off Rath until Rath thinks shes had what she deserves.
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>>3854485
We should really mediate the negotiations between the two Gemmas. Both of them have the instinctual urge to consume one another and things could and will get messy.

>>3854488
is that a meme joke or are you serious?
>>
>>3854485
We will have words with her. Angry words.
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>>3854488
........ wow....... i was thinking to first talk to her and use Rath as the proverbial whip if she wont take the carrot we offer and behave herself

.... sicking Rath on her might be a bit to drastic as a first move..... but sure we can do that if that finds consent with everyone else

>>3854492
Oh no we dont let them alone for even a quarter of a pikosecond
>>
>>3854492
that entirely depends on how she acts when we initially reveal what we know she did.
>>
>>3854493
I think we should go for a Stern mood, visibly show disappointment. Like an Angry Mom that scolds her kids

>>3854498
I think at best we should go for the Stern Mother that gives them an angry scolding and puts up a very tangible threat that will keep them in line. Like how we treated Sam when she fucked with us in the Dreamscape. the Dream Daughter's Time out corner. Or have Francine make an accessory relic that isolates a particular Dream Daughter and prevents her from doing much like broadcasting her signal.

I hope I get to have a say in the aftermath when this topic comes up...
>>
>>3854509
>I think we should go for a Stern mood, visibly show disappointment. Like an Angry Mom that scolds her kids
I agree with you, I was just going for a joke. But seriously, she needs to be told that shit is not okay. Statistically we're going to wind up fighting and eating the more violent Gemma shards anyway, there's no need to accelerate the process.
>>
>>3854509
>>3854518
my worry is she wasn't doing it so Julia can absorb them, or, more importantly, she didn't care which direction it went.
>>
>>3854519
She should. Typically, dream Daughters are lost when their host is consumed. Maybe Gemma could survive that experience, but the odds are much better in her favor if it's Julia who eats the alters instead of the other way around.
>>
>>3854488
>>3854495

https://youtu.be/wCab0L5_PTM
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>>3854537
I think that will be a very accurate description of what will happen when we get Rath involved.....

Only there will be nothing left but a misserabel pile of imaginary radioactive dust
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>>3854539
>>3854537
>>3854519
Overkill much? It feels too impulsive and rash.
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>>3854542
well like i said, that all depends on her. id say if shes unrepentant even just for her own selfish sake its certainly not. we'll have to see when it comes time, but shes betrayed our trust, you dont overlook that lightly.
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>>3854542
Maybe its a bit unclear but id ont waant to murder her outright. She needs a good scolding and maybe a little smackdown if she is unrepentent.

Misusing the trust of someone is one of the most serious offenses you can commit in a society where trust already is a rare and valuable commodity. We gave her a chance if she does not stop and apologizes we might have to do that.

if it comes to protecting an active member of the family over someone who has proven unreliable and outright counterproductive i know who i will protect from the other..... Maybe we can punt her into mental isolation for a while...
>>
(Posting shortly, Gentlemen. Thank you for your patience.)
>>
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>>3854271

“Says the woman who can't even face reality." You reply, spitting on the ground as you hold Yurei's gaze. "Spout whatever lies you want, it won't change the truth. You’re a coward, a dictator, and on an ego trip. You’re just like West, only worse, because you’re a hypocrite.”

You feel the twin Contenders chambers refill, some Hexane technology generating a fresh set of rounds as you tether yourself to Gina with a second Dominus Leash to heal her wounds.

"It's not cowardice to trust other people Yurei, its bravery." You growl, fingers on the pair of triggers. "And one so scared, one so terrified of her fellow humans? That's not someone who should ever decide our fate. You’re the coward Yurei, a scared little kid who can't face the world. And you would force all of us to hide in a corner with you.”

You swing both barrels up and fire, and even as Yurei bats your barrage away with her speed and defense, she still winces when the Cicadas cry, failing to see what's coming next. The very moor rises up from the abyss to envelop the madwoman, liquid and flesh in equal measure swallowing her whole as she fights to break free. It hardens, shifts, then hardens again, layer after layer of Yurei's own land fighting her, tooth and nail. Her body vibrates, her speed beginning to cut through the mire until your tongue lashes around her torso as you holster your guns mid-leap, fingers warping into a pair of white-hot drills. Your unstoppable force meets her Halo's immovable object, and the sound and fury is deafening. Her armor's learned from its first clash with your drills, and against a lesser attack it would have broken your hands, shattered your weapon.

But Firmament's Spiral is no lesser weapon.

When her armor cracks, her eyes go wide, and it's the last thing you see before you're smacked bodily away from her, one arm finally free. You're falling, flailing towards the room's entrance when a pair of strong hands freeze you in place. You glance to your right to find Rath holding you steady, and with a sharp nod and a dangerous grin, she hurls a series of frigid bombs at the Madame of the manor.

”You’re a monster, worse than the Crucible!" Rath bellows, the icy payloads hampering any effort Yurei maes at freeing herself. "Because you have a choice, and instead, you would choose to be the biggest cunt humanity has ever damn well birthed! You should feel proud, you’re EXACTLY what the Crucible and Mother want to create. An egotistical fuckin' psychopath who wants to be a god!”

Yurei howls with a mixture of effort and rage, the frozen mass suddenly ceasing to work against her struggles. The mansion begins to shudder, the aged wood and weakened beams trembling with terrible import...but it's not Yurei that's causing the commotion.

With the smell of Ozone and the apocalpytic sound of the mansion collapsing around you, the Metall Geshoss erupts into existence behind you.

(Continued)
>>
>>3854597

Rath leaps skyward, two arms tucked around your torso while flinging another down into the pit's depths, her hand meeting Gina's as the brunette rises to meet you on a pillar of crystallized bog. With trademark strength and speed your brawler smashes through the mansion's roof, and you stomach drops for a few seconds just before your inelegant landing. You turn around in time to witness November's mighty steed bursting forth from the rubble where Yurei's room used to be, the mansion's four walls barely standing in the force of the dynamic entrance. The helm's flung open by eager hands, with Amara the first to emerge, sheathed katana in hand and a serious expression on her young face. She's followed by the rest of your family, who race to your side as the rubble begins to shift audibly.

A burst of debris is flung skyward as candy-canes erupt from the ground, allowing Rosa and her three allies to escape the manor's crumbling edifice.

"We're here! We made it! We've come to heckin' save you!" Rosa declares, Sugar's unique example of terraforming standing in stark contrast to the endless gloom that surrounds you all.

"Though we were at a decent party, so that was a fucking lie." Sia grumbles as she strides up to you, with Francine hastily explaining them to your newly-arrived family members.

"...I thought your speech was pretty swell." The lanky girl quietly compliments, hands behind her back. You look around, and even with your family on high alert, heads (and gun turrets) on a swivel, it does your heart good to have them all by your side.

The gang's all here, but you still feel like something's missing...

>>Constructs: RESTORED

...there we go.

"The team that defeated Mother's Avatar." A cold voice intones from well behind you. Whirling around, you lock eyes once more with Yurei as she emerges from the rubble, her flawless calcite endoskeleton disappearing under newly-healed flesh. Her armor's receded, drawn back into the belt that's perched above her hips, and she now just slowly strides towards you with a slow, deliberate pace.

"Didn't think I'd be able to stretch things out without you getting suspicious, so I had to improvise a bit." She says dryly, hands in her pockets as she approaches a group, twelve-strong, without a care in the world. "I can't see your intentions, but my 'something' bore more fruit than your 'nothing'. Seems we have a trend, Defiant."

"The engine...it was a goddamn feint!" Gina roars, infuriated as Yurei just gives her a tired smile. "She was just fucking with us! Why the hell would she want to blow up her own Engine, it didn't make any sense!"

"I thought you might have something that would force me to show my cards, since you had a West on your side. In your pointless scramble to stop my maids, you tipped your own hand and split your forces, giving me plenty of time to slot in some decent resistances, get a feel for your flow...and wait for everyone to arrive."

(Continued)
>>
>>3854600

"Yes..." She murmurs, scanning your allies one by one. "...yes, this will do."

A pale, ethereal light emanates from Yurei's form as she turns her palms outwards, pulsing once, twice, then...

>>EXALTED SAMSARA - ACTIVATED

You feel it, deep within your soul. A part of you...parts of you, stripped bare. Robbed of bonds you've forged, are forging, have yet to forge. Realization slowly dawns on you and your gathered allies as the Fleshscape forms a dozen, two dozen, yet more bodies that haul themselves from the ground, forming distinct features...familiar ones, as their frames congeal into bodies fit for combat. Thirty Daughters now stand before you as a sickened chill creeps up your spine, the crowd'ss eyes blank and cold, lacking warmth in some, the fire you know in others. Most are human, others still are Hexane, crooked and wrong, manifested against their will in the flesh.

Your family's own Dream Daughters, torn from you and controlled by one of the most powerful Conduits in existence.

"Oh...f-fuck." Julia stammers, finding Mulvath in the crowd.

"A dictator? A villain? A child? If that is what you see me as, then you've proven yourself the same, in my eyes." Yurei says, cracking her neck as her horde test their new bodies, dull eyes staring out into nothingness as their puppeteer hangs back. "I'm ushering us into paradise, and you'd see the gates burn before we even arrive...but not if I have anything to say about it. After all..."

Her eyes narrow as she extends her hand, the horde rushing forth at her command.

"...*I* have control, Defiant."

>>YUREI HP: 7,893%
>>BIO: 11,339%
>>Exalted Samsara (Phantasmal Conduit/Hive Mistress Hybrid, MAX): Grants Yurei the ability to manifest and control not only her own Dream Daughters at full power and with individual stat pools, but those of her foes as well. Additionally, the destruction of these manifested Daughters poses no risk of deletion, as they count as neither construct nor Relic, allowing Yurei to safely manifest and control Daughters that would otherwise be locked within armor, Relics, or anywhere else they may reside.

HP: 1510% (+510% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:SPENT.)
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop, 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, 30/36)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST & SECOND: Empty.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 1119% (165%, SPD: +750%, Halo: PRIMED Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: 839% (210%, STR: +450%, SPD +600%, 12 Limbs, Cold: ACTIVE, Halo:PRIMED. Erupting Grasp: ACTIVE. Tormentis, Deliverance, Nail, Gauntlets, Daggers: EQUIPPED.
JULIA: 1900% (90%)
DORIAN: 1240% (265%)
AMARA: 1310% (210%)
NOVEMBER: 1300% (200%, NO RELICS ASSIGNED)
FRAN: 850% (120%)

Threat: Medium, surrounded by onrushing Dream Daughters. IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, Acid, Slashing, Cold. 2x Parabellum.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours to allow ample time to plan and equip your newly-arrived party members, with posting to resume shortly thereafter. Thank you so, so much for your participation, enthusiasm, and kindness, as always. Below, you shall find a list of the Dream Daughters Yurei has summoned, for your convenience.)

KNOWN DREAM DAUGHTERS: Holly, Uzu, Johanna, Hera, Niku, Silvis, Penny, Gemma, Mulvath, Vultha, Sasha, The Sororitas, Cheruem, Eloise, Kosi, Meg, Bella, Lepisma.

UNKNOWN DREAM DAUGHTERS (Courtesy of Rosa and allies): Roughly ten, though most seem fairly weak, possibly feral.
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>>3854600
to be fair, as annoying as it is. its a perfect feint. because even if its obvious, you simply cant take the chance, because even if she wont now, if she thinks shes losing, she then might change her mind.

>>3854607
oh well thats just utter shit. shes an absolute monster. thats just... wrong. not just because their our friends, but theres literally no choice, no will. from the looks of its, its barely even them in there.

...I really hate this bitch.

they also dont count as constructs, so no hijacking either. but wait, hrm... i mean, not sure its worth it, but if its not under Construct or Relic rules... we may be able to get through to them. maybe. even if it is possible, im not sure if its worth it. we could only do what? one? two at a time maybe with Gina alone? and would have to subdue them first.

not sure it would play out well, and we dont know its possible either.

>>3854613
well, this is certainly one fucking hell of a ride. you take care BHOP, have a good night, i know i might not, its gonna be a long one maybe...
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>>3854607
Alright we are outnumbered and oputgunned. The Hexxane alone would probably wipe the floor with us.

At least it is nice to know that the dreamdaughters of the barbers are relatively weak......

>>3854613
Can Yurei resummon dreamdaughters that have been felled while under the effect of Samsara?

Because if she can then there is no place to play with them they will just keep coming and even if they are felled for the battle they would be a massive speedbump while Yurei can hang back and chilll out
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>>3854607
>"If I had a nickel for every time a crazy person turned a bunch of my friends into a giant monster, I would have two nickels but it's weird that it happened twice."
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>>3854613
Wait is Isabelle here as well.I dont see her on the list but thechnicly she is in a crystal that is a relic
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(I'll be heading to bed, since it's rather late on my end. Thus, please link any questions you may have to this post so that I may address them quickly and efficiently for you in the morning. The answers to some basic questions are below.)

>>REINFORCEMENTS: Ivey and her forces were subdued, not killed by Rosa and company, but not before they succeeded in getting the other guests out via the Waystation. As it stands, it's just you, your allies, and Yurei's summoned team.

>>SURROUNDINGS: The surroundings are flat, save for the rubble of the mansion, which is a long distance off, with Yurei between you and it. There are also the strange, assorted tubes around that, while ill-suited for cover, make a useful tether point for allied or enemy abilities.

>>DREAM DAUGHTER LEVELS: They are all in their relative prime regarding the skills they have access to, akin to how you first encountered them, though some of the Daughters you've drawn closer to are considerably more powerful than their base 'boss' forms. For example, while Eloise's repertoire of skills hasn't expanded since you first fought her, her damage and critical hit chance has been boosted to be a legitimate threat. Thus, while you'll know what to expect, it will still pack a punch.)

>>3854621
(No, she cannot. When one of her summons has been defeated, that's it. She cannot re-summon them until every instance she's summoned with this power has been defeated, and it's a once-per-session sort of thing. Then again, she's augmented this power with several considerable boosts, so these are not the constructs you've been easily tearing through up to this point. However, Yurei can continue to manifest Dream Daughters as long as there are more to pull from the group she's targeted, so that's something to watch out for.)

>>3854627
(She is not present, as of yet.)
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>>3854629
(To clarify my second-to-last point on this post; it's going to take a bit more effort from Yurei to dig up Daughters that are stuffed in places other than the basic surface-level ones she's put on show at current, but she can still try.)
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>>3854607
>This. Bitch. She doesn't deserve your anger. She doesn't deserve your hate. She doesn't deserve your fury. But what she does deserve, is death.
>Show no emotion, your face is blank: you raise your Contender, point the gunblade at Yurei.
>Expand your Empathy channel to its utmost limit, make sure the Hyenas are within range, make them see what you're seeing.
>"That? That right there is the delusion of a God. The actions of a tyrant. A Monster of Logic. You've ripped out the dream daughters that I've spent time getting to know, the dream daughters that my FAMILY started to know and love. You've conscripted Amara's playmates against their will. You've disturbed Uzu from her well disturbed rest."
>"What you did right there is the actions of a Tyrant, a dictator, a mad God. You've torn away the friends of my family. You've forced their hands without their consent. You've disturbed the dead who deserved to sleep."
>"You've given me the perfect reason. To Hunt. You. Down."
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>>3854618
>>3854623
It might be best we go for a decapitation strike.... But she knows that as well and will be protected by her constructs.......


I would really like to have a demon core right now just chuck it at the greatest concentration of them and watch as they just disappear from existence


I will also head to bed now.... I am tired... I will see that i wake up in the next 8 hours again to make surec i can hlep with planning

>>3854632
God Isabelle is gonna be pissed if she gets woken up to this mess.......
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>>3854640
i do and am writing a plan i do think might work... but of course, need time to write it.
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>>3854629
So what about the Relic loadouts of Dorian, Julia, Amara, Francine, and November?
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>>3854600
>>3854607
God, I'm trying to type up a response and it just keeps descending into angry swearing. This wasn't a clever plan, and I'm really frustrated at Yurei insisting that she got one over on us. She did something profoundly stupid, and it only worked because we assumed that she wasn't an idiot and that she must have an actual reason to do it. But no, turns out that she was an idiot, and the "feint" worked because we couldn't believe that someone could possibly be this stupid and waste so much time on a pointless endeavor. I'm going to enjoy what happens next.

AMARA
> GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT
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>>3854647
Anon. this is threshold where swearing and angry curses for Yurei's delusions and sins hold no water. Just make a bold deadly statement and make good on your death threat. like this! >>3854636
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>>3854607
It's pretty hilarious that she's attempting to deny the fact that she wants to be a dream dictator while unveiling that the expression of the very Core of her being is an ability that makes dream people do what she says.
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>>3854607
Wow this was honestly nicer than I expected, we knew she was waiting for something but I was bracing for a lot worse.

Amara honey I think it's time for power word kill.
OMA-=+{}|/\@$%$&@*THA is what we got when B'ni said it. I'm sure VITA is in there somewhere. Did we get the other word that was supposed to go with it? It's not obvious to me looking at the lexicon.
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>>3854629
And what of the Hexane? Are they drawing stats from their Hexane Statue counterparts?
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>>3854665
I think they are the real deal....... The true Hexxane Ascendants

>>3854632
You know Op I actually thought I had a good stomach but what Yurei did went to far after Abit of contemplation I actually threw up out of disgust for her actions an her hypocrisy

>>3854663
There was also
all applicable targets
Except
Self
And probably something like
multiple times
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>>3854607
First Draft;
SHU;
>”No, you don't… and we’ll make sure you never damn do.”
>Reattach your Platelings.
>Attach the Bishops to Julia and Dorian.
>Flare your Empathic Field. It's a long shot, but maybe you can get through to the Dream Daughter, never hurts to try.
>Switch Dominus to Rath, to help her get up and back into the fight.
>Send your Grapplings high, then down toward the Dream Daughters back rows once Julia, Gina, and Diran act. As soon as they do, have the Grapplings ensnare and entangle any and all Dream Daughters that go to aid Yurei in a massive swarm of Hands.
>Have the Drillings follow you into battle, doing everything to clear you your path, spawning more as you need. Then once in the middle of the Dream Daughter Army or as deep as you can push, Rev your Drill and slam it into the ground, making as big a spiral as you can.
>Then, use the rook to teleport back to your allied lines.
>Once back, Fire Fullbores, full loads, into any and all closest Dream Daughters to your allied line.

GINA;
>Re-Armor yourself.
>Build up a large Torrent of Bile and combine it with Terraforming to knock down as many Dream Daughters as you can, then freeze them in place, trapping them in an acid filled ice prison.
>Then, use your special eyes to pick out a Dream Daughter you know well or at least know, and see if it's even possible to get through to them.
>Regardless, Delve deep into the fleshscape, and swim straight for Yurei. Meg may try to stop you, but you have your Halo stun available to get past her.
> Get behind Yurei, and scream forth in a violent burst of terraformed shards, two spears going for her. Give Dorian and Julia their opening.

RATH;
> Focus on the Dream Daughters Gina isn't able to get. Use Frost boils and Stranda like as you move quickly to keep them on you and keep them pinned and tripped up. Get their focus on you as much as you can, but keep your distance.

JULIA and DORIAN;
>JULIA RELICS; Cutis Tractus.
>DORIAN RELICS; Manus Caelorum.
>Wait for your moment with Dorian, as he carries you high and around the outskirts of the battle.
>Once you see Gina engaging Yurei, Dive Bomb Julia on her, as she transforms into her bestial state, and have Julia spam attacks on Yurei, as many as she can before she is thrown back or is forced back. An unrelenting, unrepenting barrage of Badger Wrath.
>After Dropping off Julia, have Dorian Dive bomb past her, and spawning as many Scythes as his body will allow, aid his beloved. Grapple and cleave and keep Yurei’s limbs off of Julia, keep her distracted, busy, on you.
>Once it seems necessary, Dorian should point blank unleash his Charges into Yuri to give everyone a chance to back off from her.

(1/2)
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>>3854678
>>3854607
AMARA;
>RELICS; Vocem Virtutis, Shawl.
>Wait for your moment, when you see your opportunity, when the plan falls together. Then, cast your spell.
>GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT

FRANCINE;
>Summon forth your swarm in the numbers you can, and send them forth to slow down the Dream Daughters.
>Keep your glasses on Yurei.
>Link to whatever Dream Daughter can or must to help aid in holding them back as you can.

NOVEMBER;
>SLOTTED RELICS; Dainsleif(arm), Pharynx(head), Uzi from Gina(Arm).
>Bombard the Dream Daughters. Hard hitting AOE Grenades
>Wait for your moment to strike, the Dainsleif ready to fire.
>Once Gina, Julia, and Dorian do their part, Fire the Dainself over the Dream Daughters heads and into Yuri, to pin her down with the Dainself.

(2/2)

yes i am keenly aware i did nothing with the Barbers, id assume its at the point like with past allies where we have no control over them yet, and they might not even take our suggestions.
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>>3854647
> GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT
>"Greater Reverse Vitality All applicable Enemies"

>>3854629
Bhop, would this spell work properly? Oma applies the All-applicable targets tag, while Cunt narrows the range of applicable targets to just all applicable enemies.
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>>3854652
It's just...it's not a clever scheme. If we didn't fall for it, then she would have killed herself and several of her allies. She risked so much on this gamble, for what is objectively very little advantage. She got to see a tiny bit of our play book (we barely did anything with constructs thanks to her knocking them out, and synergies between our party are a huge part of how we fight) in exchange for potential obliteration if we didn't take her seriously. And now she's gloating over this fact, like the "I was only pretending to be retarded" meme.

>>3854663
Yeah, it's REV. I believe that the one I posted should be a mass kill spell. GRA (amplified) REV VITA (reverse life) OMA CUNT (on all enemies).
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>>3854681
I think we should swap the Margrave's Sword for the Uzi on November. Plenty of the Dream Daughters, and Yurei herself, are lacking in resistance to Heat and Piercing. The Uzi isn't really necessary. But the Margrave will let her protect allies from sudden sneak attacks, I think that's worth it.

Also, do you think it's worth the time to send a swarmling to the Forge room and grab the Tier Five Core to put into November? She can swap her Core out pretty fast, we've done it mid-combat before back fighting the Phalanges. That would massively boost her firepower.
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>>3854678
>>3854681
already made minor edits, for those interested.

>Shu will spare a stealthed Drlling to go dig up the T5 Core for November.

>Gina Ready to flare Verteilung to help keep Yuri from getting help.

>>3854689
Grah, sure, maybe. really the issue is the Relics sheet is incomplete and im juggling way too many things here to remember every one not listed. i still dont know who to give the Uzi too then, maybe Francine? she really cant do much else but give covering fire.

see above for second part.
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>>3854695
also, added Halo bits to Julia, Dorian, and Amara, just to be sure. both Isolation and Counter-Primed.
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>>3854684

But the mass kill spell that B'ni used had the hidden word that provided the Exception tag along side THA. We need to confirm with Bhop before going on with the plan.

>>3854678
>>3854681
Anon. You're forgetting the fact that the dream daughters that Yurei manifested has all of their abilities intact. we're outnumbered and they might have full control of their abilities with Yurei guiding them.

Also, I think we should continue to use Cicada rounds. Exalted Samsara seems like it's a concentration ability for her to direct the Manifested Daughters.
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>>3854699
no, im not forgetting, but theres simply too many to treat as individuals and not try to take them down in as big of groups as possible. trying to play it by hand or target specific ones except in very specific circumstances(only Meg can burrow of ours, for example) simply will not work.

we can mix some cicada rounds in but we aint getting anything even close to hitting her.
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>>3854607
Okay, let me propose this set of Relics for November, then:

Head:
>>GAMMA PHARYNX
Torso:
>>HYDRA'S HEART
Right Arm:
>>MARGRAVE'S BLADE
Left Arm:
>>SPEAR OF DAINSLEIF
Right Leg:
>>ADRENAL NAIL
Left Leg:
>>CURSUS ALAS

None of those Relics are in use on other party members in the current plan, and it makes November a fast and hard-hitting (if somewhat more fragile than she could be) combatant.
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>>3854712
Anon. Adrenal nail is currently inside Rath.
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>>3854716
Huh. So it is. I could have sworn that vote lost. Well, fine, take the Nail off November, then.
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>>3854632
it would be very appreciated if those two or so Relics Rath crafted we dont have info on yet could be posted BHOP, though with sleep and the like im not sure you'll get it to us in time, so id like to ask, just in case, that if you dont get them to us in time, due the fact we should know about them IC, that if necessary we can equip them next round.

>>3854712
i dont think we have time to hand out Relics like the Hydras Heart, nail or Cursas Alas. nor do i agree she needs the Hydras heart or Cursas Alas, over who has it. the Heart is Francines ONLY defensive item or ability.

i cant remember if Rath or Ginas has the Cursas, but either one of them would put it to better use.
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>>3854719
>i dont think we have time to hand out Relics like the Hydras Heart, nail or Cursas Alas. nor do i agree she needs the Hydras heart or Cursas Alas, over who has it. the Heart is Francines ONLY defensive item or ability.
Nah, that's just me being tired and not recalling properly which Relics are on who. I forgot we gave Francine the Heart and Rath the Nail. I don't think anyone is using Cursus Alas right now, though.
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>>3854613
oh yeah, BHOP, with Amara here, any word from her on any further aid? unlikely but always good to know if its even possibly coming.

>>3854721
i swear we gave it to someone, but regardless i still think it would work better with someone else. Rath, Gina, and Dorian are all doing speed stunts and could use it, and November has her own jet pack if it comes to that. i get its good to have all her slots filled, but its just not gonna happen and not worth forcing it over better options just to get them filled.
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>>3854607
RELIC LOADOUT:

>Francine: Uzi, Inspector's Spectacles, Regeneration Mites (from Lepisma, Vein #29)

>November: Dainsleif (Right arm), Margrave's Sword (Left arm), Gamma Pharnyx (head), Hydra's Heart (chest)
>Dorian: Manus Caelorum, Cursus Alas, Regeneration Mites.
>Julia: Cutis Tractus, Pacekeeper's box (from Lepisma, Vein #29).
>Amara: Vocem Virtutis, Shawl, Darwinian Drops (to be consumed and applied on Supportive Soul) (from Lepisma, Vein #29)

>>3854719
How about this loadout? We're re-configuring Francine's Relic loadout because she was off-screen and getting help.
We're putting Cursus Alas on Dorian, Pacekeeper's box on Julia, Hydra's heart on November, and Gina's giving the Uzi to Francine.
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>>3854684
We had a “OMAREV#?!&@*THA!” in the B'ni fight and in that case it reversed the digits of our health. As far as i can work out, the true text of the word was OMA REV VITA ??? THA
The ??? seems to be some sort of targeting word but BHOP said B'ni's health was still reversed so I'm not sure.
Regardless though, I don't think REV VITA will do what we want.
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>>3854726
>>3854725
Also, I've written down the consumable relics that we have. We're bringing them to the battlefield.
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>>3854726
id have to see the description of the Mites again.

i dont like the idea of leaving Francine without the Heart, shes just too squishy not to give her at least that.

no idea what the peacekeeper box is. i mean, i know its probably that cube, but no idea what it did.

same with the drops, cant tell you if i do not know.

BHOP really needs to just shut things down early on nights he gives us new Relics and fill out the sheet then and there, even if he needs to end it 3 hours in advance of his usual, in my opinion.
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>>3854731
They're all from Lepisma.


>>PACEKEEPER’S BOX: A curios box that continually thrums with a frantic pulse, this Relic passively increases the speed of the user, while also offering them the ability to move ahead of an enemy Daughter that triggers an intiative-based power. (Head Slot: HEALTH +100%. November may spend 200% HEALTH to move herself to the top of the initiative order, taking absolute priority. If she is already at the top of the initiative order, spending this cost grants her an additional 2 ACTs instead, and this power may only be used once per combat.)

>>REGENERATION MITES (Consumable, Uses Left: 3): A curious bottle filled to the brim with infinitesimally small mites, the massive swarm compressed into a surprisingly small space. When loosened, the mites proceed to swarm over the user, automatically doubling their HEALTH REGEN for three rounds and instantly regenerating any severed limbs the user may lose during this period.

>>DARWINIAN DROPS (Consumable, Single Use): A vial filled to the brim with a clear, viscous fluid, these droplets contain a unique effect, usable only once before they cease to be effective. On use, the user may choose a single Augment out of the suite they currently possess, bolstering its efficacy and increasing its power dramatically.
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>>3854678
Wait, hold up. Yurei is immune to slashing damage. The scythes won't work. We should use the Resplendent Threads, instead, those ignore slashing immunity thanks to Platinum Edge. And they're good for grappling, so it still works. Okay, different idea: Dorian continues to run past Yurei, throwing out a Resplendent Thread to grapple with her at range. Yurei gets dragged out of her formation, possibly loses a limb, is knocked prone and takes damage from being dragged, and then Julia pounces on her.

>>3854726
Pacekeeper's Box, okay. Regeneration Mites, sure. I'm not certain on the Darwinian Drops. There's a part of me that still hopes we can learn to make more of them. But in an emergency...maybe. I'll think about it.
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>>3854733
yes i know where they are from.

>Box
why Julia? Dorian would probably be a better fit for that.

>Mites
for Francine, sure, but i still want the Heart on her aswell.
i dont see why Dorian would be a good pick for them though.

>Drops
i mean, i guess sure.

>>3854734
fair point on the threads, but my goal was never for Dorian to be dealing damage, simply keep her busy so Julia can deal the real damage. her claws should be able to do piercing, as i know she could form piercing blades so i dont see why she would lose that.
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>>3854737
>Darwinian drops is a relic that augments a Augmentation by a single tier.
Yes, I know what it does, I'm just getting hung up on opportunity costs and hope that we might be able to make more of it. Also, I'm not entirely sure if I want to use it on Supportive Soul, if we do use it here.
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>>3854739
>>3854737
Amara no long has Supportive Soul, its now Defiant Heart.

but yeah, its far from bad but not the best. but at least it technically helps everyone, so its a better choice then most.
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>>3854726 (You)
>>3854607
Revising Relic Loadout:

>Francine: Uzi, Inspector's Spectacles, Hydra's Heart, Regeneration Mites (from Lepisma, Vein #29)

>November: Dainsleif (Right arm), Margrave's Sword (Left arm), Gamma Pharnyx (head)

>Dorian: Manus Caelorum, Cursus Alas, Regeneration Mites.

>Julia: Cutis Tractus, Pacekeeper's box (from Lepisma, Vein #29).

>Amara: Vocem Virtutis, Shawl, Darwinian Drops (used on Defiant Heart) (from Lepisma, Vein #29), Koku's Serum (applied on Amara's Fuzzbuzz that has a Guardian Heart inside it.)

>>3854731
Good point. Revising it.

Of all the Manifested Daughters that Yurei's summoned, Churem, Vultha, and Mulvath are what scares me the most. We may have to dedicate having some of our family members devote their action economies on trying to kill them outright.

>>3854739
>>3854736
Sorry about the bamboozle.
Pacekeeper's box is put on Julia so that both Dorian and Julia can pull of dual techs and act in synchronization while having Julia keep up in initiative order. Putting two of our family members first in the initiative queue is better than having Dorian be first in the queue alone since Dorian can easily go first by using Spring-heeled jack to go first with the Blitzkatzen augmentation.
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>>3854607
You know, thinking about it, the only immunities she's accumulated that are really all that useful against us are Stun and Terrain. Acid is mostly used by Shu's Banelings, but Ironblooded Brood requires that she be immune to Heat as well, which she doesn't have. Slashing keeps Dorian from using his scythe-claws, which kind of sucks, but he's still got the Resplendent Threads and Accumulated Charge so he's good. He's still going tons of Slashing damage with high chance to score criticals. And Cold is an after-thought that we only recently picked up, Rath can switch to it now and Julia can deal it with her stored criticals, but it's not a huge deal. As much as she's gloating about "ha ha, my stupid plan gave me time to make many useful adaptations!", the only ones that are actually going to matter are the ones she picked up on turn one.
>>
>>3854607
>>3854678
Second Draft;

SHU;
>”No, you don't… and we’ll make sure you never damn do.”
>Reattach your Platelings.
>Attach the Bishops to Julia and Dorian.
>Flare your Empathic Field. It's a long shot, but maybe you can get through to the Dream Daughters, never hurts to try.
>Switch Dominus to Rath, to help her get up and back into the fight.
>Send your Grapplings high, then down toward the Dream Daughters back rows once Julia, Gina, and Dorian act. As soon as they do, have the Grapplings ensnare and entangle any and all Dream Daughters that go to aid Yurei in a massive swarm of Hands.
>Have the Drillings follow you into battle, doing everything to clear you your path, spawning more as you need. Then once in the middle of the Dream Daughter Army or as deep as you can push, Rev your Drill and slam it into the ground, making as big a spiral as you can.
>Then, use the Rook to teleport back to your allied lines.
>Once back, Fire Fullbores with each third shot a Cicada, full loads, into any and all closest Dream Daughters to your allied line.
>Spare one Stealthed Drilling(so it can dig) to go get the Tier 5 Core and get it to November.

GINA;
>Re-Armor yourself.
>Build up a large Torrent of Bile and combine it with Terraforming to knock down as many Dream Daughters as you can, then freeze them in place, trapping them in an acid filled ice prison.
>Then, use your special eyes to pick out a Dream Daughter you know well or at least know, and see if it's even possible to get through to them.
>Regardless, Delve deep into the fleshscape, and swim straight for Yurei. Meg may try to stop you, but you have your Halo stun available to get past her.
>Get behind Yurei, and scream forth in a violent burst of terraformed shards, two spears going for her. Give Dorian and Julia their opening.
>Be ready to flare Verteilung to keep any Dream Daughters from helping Yurei.

JULIA and DORIAN;
>JULIA RELICS; Cutis Tractus, Peacekeeper Box.
>DORIAN RELICS; Manus Caelorum.
>Halos primed and isolated.
>Wait for your moment with Dorian, as he carries you high and around the outskirts of the battle.
>Once you see Gina engaging Yurei, Dive Bomb Julia on her, as she transforms into her bestial state, and have Julia spam attacks on Yurei, as many as she can before she is thrown back or is forced back. An unrelenting, unrepenting barrage of Badger Wrath.
>After Dropping off Julia, have Dorian Dive bomb past her, and spawning as many Threads as his body will allow,to aid his beloved. Grapple and cleave and keep Yurei’s limbs off of Julia, keep her distracted, busy, on you.
>If Julia can, Devour Yurei’s Relics.
>Once it seems necessary, Dorian should point blank unleash his Charges into Yuri to give everyone a chance to back off from her.

(1/2)
>>
>>3854681
>>3854607
>>3854748
RATH;
> Focus on the Dream Daughters Gina isn't able to get. Use Frost boils and Stranda like as you move quickly to keep them on you and keep them pinned and tripped up. Get their focus on you as much as you can, but keep your distance.

AMARA;
>RELICS; Vocem Virtutis, Shawl, Darminian Drops(Defiant Soul).
>Halo primed and Isolated.
>Wait for your moment, when you see your opportunity, when the plan falls together. Then, cast your spell.
>GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT
>Get Queen Crimson up and ready.

FRANCINE;
>GAIN RELIC; Uzi(From Gina), Regen Mites.
>Summon forth your swarm in the numbers you can, and send them forth to slow down the Dream Daughters.
>Lay down covering fire with the Uzi, whatever and however you see is best.
>Keep your glasses on Yurei.
>Link to whatever Dream Daughter can or must to help aid in holding them back as you can.

NOVEMBER;
>SLOTTED RELICS; Dainsleif(arm), Pharynx(head), Margraves Sword(Arm)(Assigned to Francine).
>Bombard the Dream Daughters. Hard hitting AOE Grenades
>Wait for your moment to strike, the Dainsleif ready to fire.
>Once Gina, Julia, and Dorian do their part, Fire the Dainsleilf over the Dream Daughters heads and into Yuri, to pin her down with the Dainsleif.

(2/2)
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>>3854748
>Switch Dominus to Rath, to help her get up and back into the fight.
Strictly speaking we don't have to switch it. We can make two bloodlines at once, the one attached to Yurei will still be there.
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>>3854756
hrm, maybe i worded that poorly? we can only have two, we currently have one on Yurei and Gina. i want to switch from Gina to Rath, is what i meant by that.
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>>3854759
i guess i just assumed it would be obvious i wanted to keep one on Yurei, in my tired state.
>>
>>3854759
>>3854749
I think November would do better if she opened up with a Kaiser Flare. that way, the dream daughters will be blind and relatively helpless.
>>
>>3854759
>>3854761
No, no, in my tired state I forgot we had one on Gina. Should we use Francine to heal? Because she's got a true healing power, she can transfer her Health instead of speed regeneration on others. Maybe give her a general "keep people topped up" order. Drain Health from those who don't need it, move it to those in a bad spot.
>>
>>3854762
then that defeats the point of both Shu and Gina trying to give her clearer shots to deal damage with. we already have two methods in play to try and keep them down.

>>3854764
maybe
>>
>>3854749
I think Amara's words here will just reverse everyone's health, which is semi-random and personally I don't think all that useful. Gina's freezing and Julia's relic eating are great.

I've tried to reverse engineer the power word kill spell and come to the conclusion that we are missing too many words to replicate it.
OMA-=+{}|/\@$%$&@*THA - power word kill
OMA - ALL
-=+ - some kind of damage word?
{}| - VITA
/\@ - ??
$%$ - ??
&@* - target modifier; same characters as health reverse target modifier
THA - directed at allies (still not sure why B'ni was always directing things at allies when she had CUNT)

Not GRA, REV, SEL, SAN, CUNT because we heard them before. I'd love to whip it out this fight but if we can't figure it out a 7 year old certainly can't.

>>3854607
Amara: Wide range slow, we need to not be rushed and for Yurei to slow the hell down, OMA CUNT GRA REV SAN (If we *can* get a kill word I still think that's preferable though)

Gina: Maybe cancerous payload? We know Yurei's armor can be broken by drills so we have at least one potential path and that's usually our big boss killer. Kinda dependent on if Yurei is affected by slow.
>>
>>3854748
You know, I'm reconsidering putting Pacekeeper's Box on Julia. There's no way that one of the Puppet Daughters won't try to initiative skip. I'm sure one of them has a speed-booster. That means that we should actually put the Pacekeeper's Box on Amara. An enemy tries to skip to the front of the line, Pacekeeper puts Amara ahead of them and therefore acting first, she gets off GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT before any of the Puppet Daughters can act.
>>
>>3854766
>>3854749
bruh. Where's Marcus the Spider in the Tank! He's got an action point left!

Also, I don't know if I've stated it more clearly, but the fact that Vultha, Churem, and Mulvath are manifested IN THEIR PRIME warrants the idea that we need to put them down and kill them instead of shoving them away while they're still alive.
>>
>>3854770
You do make a good point there. If we have Amara cast her spell first, then that will leave the manifested daughters weak enough for Dorian and Julia to go on a Killing spree (mainly Julia's Carnivorous Carver's rampage mechanic)
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>>3854769
I'm pretty sure REV VITA is an instant-death spell. Maybe not the one B'Ni used, but it should be one. BHOP told us that REV is super powerful in combination with another word that is itself mostly useless, and was what Ozmas used to kill Almath. VITA is itself mostly useless, even being noted by the description that it needs to be combined with another word. And REV VITA would be "reverse life" or "death".
>>
>>3854769
i dont think so, as we already have a separate word for for Regen, and would imply theres a 'Health' and 'Bio' word out there. Life is a different thing, BHOP doesn't choose how he words those lightly afterall.

>>3854770
i dont think thats a big deal, as my plan isnt for Amara to get the word off right away, but wait til Gina and them do their thing, that way the spell hits and throws Yurei off her game a bit at least, when she needs that to not happen.

>>3854771
and we'll never get the chance if we dont weed down the numbers first. even the Hexxane could and were able to be thrown off and stunned, its just they had quicker recovery times and not for as long, but that still gives us our chance to try and weed out the weaker ones quickly first so sheer number dont overwhelm us.

Markus is helping load the Dainsleif so it doesn't eat up all of Novembers Acts.

>>3854777
the goal isnt the Dream Daughters, the plan is set up to simply keep them distracted with a mix of stuns, and enough damage coming in to force them to see the main line as a threat, to help keep them distracted and away for the other Team can try and do what thye can to try and remvoe the actual problem, Yurei.
>>
>>3854777
Imagine if Amara did manage to knock out the entire Puppet Daughter force with her death spell. Julia's rampage mechanic is OP with mass enemy death. She gets an extra ACT the round after an enemy is defeated, as well as a 30% bonus to her damage, critical chance, and critical damage. These stack, limited only by the number of enemies killed. Kill everyone but Yurei, Julia gets thirty extra ACTs worth of attacks at +900% critical chance (and going over 100% chance allows for the possibility of stacking criticals, so Julia could get up to a tenth order critical) and +900% normal and critical damage. It's probably not going to happen, but wouldn't that be such a great reversal?

>"Ha ha, I've got an army pulled from everyone you've ever consumed, you can do nothing to stop me!"
>Amara vaporizes entire army
>The were-badger that Yurei was struggling with promptly turns into a blur of stabbing claws reducing Yurei to mush.

>>3854786
>i dont think thats a big deal, as my plan isnt for Amara to get the word off right away, but wait til Gina and them do their thing, that way the spell hits and throws Yurei off her game a bit at least, when she needs that to not happen.
Yeah, but having her army destroyed word one (technically words one through five) would also throw Yurei off her game pretty bad. And it makes sure the Puppet Daughters don't get any chance to act and do any of the many very bad things they're capable of.
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>>3854794
im very doubtful it will actually just insta kill any of them. it will still have a greater effect at helping against Yurei Specifically if timed along with the attack on her. it also helps hide Amara actually casting it a bit due to the ramped up chaos of the turn being under way. also means less counter-actions available to anyone to somehow prevent or stop it in some way, even if only on themselves.
>>
yeah, its 2:10am, i really need to get at least some sleep tonight. i personally think the plans pretty solid, im happy with it, and honestly we'll probably do better with any further discussion fresh brained anyways.

only thing i can think to add is a quick thanks to the Barbers for coming to help, which yeah actually i want that, and a random thought on if Amara could craft a spell to change somethings allegiance. probably wouldn't work on a daughter, but these things? maybe. not worth the risk though personally, but im sure some will survive this turn so maybe we should try it next, or in two once we get some Amara Clones going. i dunno, just a thought, im tired, ill catch you guys in a few.
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>>3854607
Here's my vote/battleplan:
Relic Loadout:
>Francine: Uzi, Inspector's Spectacles, Hydra's Heart, Regeneration Mites (from Lepisma, Vein #29)

>November: Dainsleif (Right arm), Margrave's Sword (Left arm), Gamma Pharnyx (head)

>Dorian: Manus Caelorum, Cursus Alas, Regeneration Mites.

>Julia: Cutis Tractus, Pacekeeper’s box

>Amara: Vocem Virtutis, Shawl, Darwinian Drops (used on Defiant Heart), Koku's Serum (applied on Amara's Fuzzbuzz that has a Guardian Heart inside it.)

Battleplan:
We face an army of Manifested Conscripted Dream daughters, 2 dozen strong. The most dangerous ones are Vultha, Mulvath, and Churem, the Hexane Ascendants.

Objectives:
Thin the horde.
We need to work Crowd Control first, they're all boss level dream daughters and we can't let them zerg rush us.

Shu:
>This. Bitch. She doesn't deserve your anger. She doesn't deserve your hate. She doesn't deserve your fury. But what she does deserve, is death.
>Show no emotion, your face is blank: you raise your Contender, point the gunblade at Yurei.
>Expand your Empathy channel to its utmost limit, make sure the Hyenas are within range, make them see what you're seeing.
>"You see that? That right there is the delusion of a Mad God. The actions of a tyrant. A Monster of Logic that Mother and the Curcible covets. A villain. Yurei, You've ripped out the dream daughters that I've spent time getting to know, the dream daughters that our FAMILY had just started to know and love. You've conscripted them to your will. You've forced their hands without their consent. You've disturbed the dead who deserved to sleep."
>"You've given me the perfect reason, To Hunt. You. Down."

>Act 1: Send forth the Swarm. Equip your platelings, Double Knighted Grapplings tackle the Dream daughters and grapple them. Spawn a Stealthed Gurren-ling to dig up the Tier 5 Forge Core for November, the other Gurren-lings will clear a path. Aim for the head!
>Act 2: Reload the Contender with 6 Honey B.33 and 6 Swarm B.33 Rounds, and fire into the crowd but don't fire directly at Mulvath, Johanna, or Holly!
>Act 3: Reload the Contender and Fire Fullbores, Cicadas, and Hollowpoints Full-auto, but don't fire directly at Mulvath, Johanna, or Holly!

Rath:
>Bombard the Army with Frost Bombs. Slow them down and put as many Frost stacks onto them.
>Fuse 2 Arms into one and swing a 50-feet long Lariat with that arm.

Gina:
>Nervous Torrent, Then Hydroform it with the swamp water and earth to cover the Dream daughters with an acid tide and then Freeze the water simultaneously.
>Tunnel under ground, deal with Meg if you encounter her use a Dominion Jack if you must, but you're a land shark. attack Yurei where she's not looking, aim for the feet, use piercing damage with a Calcite spear.

(1/2)
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>>3854806
>>3854607

>Dorian and Julia:
>The same old song and dance. Stormfront Waltz.
>If Amara’s spell works, gun for Yurei, if it doesn’t focus on putting down the dream daughters.

>Dorian:
>Critic Form, spawn as many Scythes and threads as you can. Wrap the Scythes with the platinum edged wires for better cutting power!
>Then immediately switch to Canvas form and start RUNNING! Aim for the weakest! Make a pass at them with your scythes and aim to decapitate as many as you can with as many attacks as you can!

Julia:
>Spawn your Carnivorous Carvers, transform into your beast mode and join Dorian in the Stormfront Waltz and attack his targets alongside him and double tap!
>When Dorian's out of movement actions, peel off and engage Yurei. Aim for her relics. Use Piercing attacks, Slashing and Frost damage have no effects on Yurei.

Amara:
>Tell Amara via Empathy channel: [Amara? Sweetie? Remember what I told you about the magic in those words? There is a spell out there that kills people right then and there. A spell as powerful as the one cast by that Great Wizard in the story I told you about. I’m going to have you cast that spell. I know it’s a very dangerous spell and I’m sorry that I’m asking you to do this. But I know in my heart that you’ve sworn to practice that magic safely, with responsibility. I know that you’re a good girl Amara, And at times like these, with a villain like her…it’s okay to cast those spells, as long as you’re doing it to protect those you love.]
>Wait patiently for the right moment, then cast the spell.
>Gra Rev Vita Oma Cunt

>November:
>AOE Saturation fire, use the M203 Grenade launcher (2 ACTs) Target the Hexane Daughters!
>Fire the Dainsleif via Tank! Aim for Yurei!

Francine:
>Spawn your Ancient Fish swarm, have them screen the Dream daughters.
>Lay down covering fire with the Uzi

Marcus (in the Tank):
>Load up the Dainsleif in the main cannon!

The Barbers:
>Empathetic message them: [Thank you so much for your help. It means a lot to us. We’ve got an army of conscripted dream daughters that we need to cut through to get to Yurei. Are you ready?]

(2/2)
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>>3854806
>Expand your Empathy channel to its utmost limit, make sure the Hyenas are within range, make them see what you're seeing.
The Hyenas aren't watching. The Barbers took them out, and while they're still alive they're not in position to see this. Shame, it would save us some awkward conversations after this.
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>>3854794
> "Julia's rampage mechanic is OP with mass enemy death. Kill everyone but Yurei, Julia gets thirty extra ACTs worth of attacks at +900% critical chance. Wouldn't that be such a great reversal?"
YES. SO MUCH THIS (Julia would become PIC related). That´s already 3 votes for trying to farm the RAMPAGE mechanic as much as we can this fight.
Fun fact, JULIA is like the Hulk, but powered by zen, tranquil fury. Or rather like Alex Mercer from prototype. I fathom that if we are lucky and manage to kill at least 3-5 puppets this round, JULIA is going to become a terror... and bring a whole new meaning to the term "roaring RAMPAGE of revenge".
I just want to see the "oh fuck" in Yurei´s eyes before Julia gets to work...and rips her to shreds.That´s one of the features I like from her; she is so nice, shy and gentle...until somebody threathens her family, point at which she strikes with such heights of utter fury that it loops all the way into otherworldy calm.
With all that we have faced, I still consider JULIA´s anger to be the most scary thing I have ever witnessed in this quest.

Appropriate soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3j4okhb8o

Example of JULIA (0:33 onwards): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsizY8BPwv0
>>
>>3854748


Well after about 5 hours of sleep seperated by a very tired me trying to find something to drink, for about thirty minutes, before heading back to sleep... back to business

Julia should probably go for the belt if the Sui gets to damaged it will drop the bonuses it gives to her to not be destroyed. If she of course presents other targets Julia can go for those too.

The biggest thing however is that we need to have Julia generate a weapon that deals piercing damage or lacking that possibility attack in a style that deals piercing damage instead of Slashing..... Not sure if that is possible but it should be if she only stabs the enemy with her claws instead of tryign to swipe at Yurei

We should probably have Francine go and try to prioritize one of the HExxanes. Even if she cant do that much with their core she can still cause them to miss thier first attack against an ally and might be able to glean quite a lot of Intel about how screwed we really are when it comes to fighting them

>>3854806
I also like the speech at the beginning of this
>>
>>3854748
Also something to maybe add to the speech:
>"Soemone who can commit attrocitiys, such acts of Slavery like this so easily and without hesitation can have not right in deciding what humanitys future should look like"
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>>3854806
>>3854807
im not a fan of this at all honestly. because its basically taking my plan, except you ignore the entire point of my plan and muddle it down to instead play exactly into Yurei's hands and what she wants us to do.

>>3854811
also yeah, theres no one left to talk to, so that speech feels extremely out of place overall. everyone is either with us, or gone(in one form or another).

>>3854892
well, i dont think we have seen another Relic for Julia to aim for besides the Belt, but fair enough.

i also guess i just thought it self evident anyone attacking her with an attack with options would be going for the one that can actually harm her unless stated otherwise, but i guess you think we really need to actually say for Julia to do that?

not sure how i feel about Francine going for a Hexxane.
>>
>>3854918
If we cant unbind them we have to deal with them eventually applyign that nerf might be a good statr making Churm for instance rpobably qute a bit less deadly if their super powerful charge attack miss their target
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>>3854923
i mean, technically, we dont. we have to be prepared to at least keep them at bay, but no, part of my point and contention with the other anons plan is the fact he's ignoring we only win this if we take down Yurei and do it as fast as possible. the Dream Daughters are a distraction, a deadly one, but still exactly what she wants us to sacrifice everything to focus on.

except if we get to her, and kill her or even just incapacitate that power or something(unlikely but still), then thats how we win. Yurei is no slouch either, we really have a ways to go with her health, and any turn we waste making the DDs the main target over her, is just more she gets back. yes, i get they're deadly, frightening, and cant be entirely ignored, but we wont win this trying to kill them all to get to her(Unless BHOP really lets Amaras spell be THAT effective, but at that point it was a moot point kinda anyways on all sides, if that makes any sense). it'll cost too many resources trying to take them down, and we then will probably lose the fight to her afterwards because of it.

mind you Anon im quoting, that alot of what i said is not only or even specifically targeted towards you, it just the topic at hand helped segue into things i felt needed to be said.
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>>3854928
eh no problem just felt that what you wrote right now was more appropriate to point that towards this comment i made>>3854892
and less towards this one>>3854923


My idea for Francine is that we wont be able to get her to Yurei anyway so she might as well try and debuff one oif the deadliest Dreamdaugters on the field.

I am all for your plan and agree that the DDs are just a tarpit meant to slow us down. Fuck i have used that type of style myself when it came to a showdown. Soften the players up with Cannon fodder and then send in the BBEG to wreck their faces when they are exhausted

This is a game of Chess. Kill the King(or Queen in this case) and you win while the oppoennt can summon additional powerful reinforcements
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>>3854929
i guess, i just dont want her going on a wild goose chase on her own to do it. it would help if we knew her Cores maximum range so we could know if she could do it safely enough without exposing herself too heavily.
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>>3854932
So if i were to write it down like this
>Link to whatever Dream Daughter can or must to help aid in holding them back as you can. If a Hexxane gets into reach for your core try and prioritize them without exposing yourself to their wrath

would that find more approval?
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>>3854936
yeah that works.
>>
>>3854932
(Francine remains effective at long range, it's just that her power increases in strength the closer she is to her target.)

>>3854665
(They are the real deal, and much stronger than the statues.)

>>3854683
(It would work, though it isn't the power word kill.)

>>3854719
(Ill be posting them shortly.)

>>3854725
(She's sent word out, though with how scattered everyone is she's having difficulty finding them in time.)
>>
>>3854918
My problem with your plan is that you're essentially treating them like mindless constructs/adds instead of fully fledged enemies with augments and passives that allow them to tank the crowd control effects that they might have built in in the vain hope of decapitating an opponent who is arguably still at full strength. You're ignoring one of the basic fundemental strategies of MMO Boss raids. Deal with the adds first, then kill the boss.

Take the Hexane for example. Bhop just said they're at their prime of their stats which means we're facing multiple daughters who are at end-game level with the full suite of their abilities. We can't be content to sweep them aside with one or two crowd control abilities and call it a day. Thinning the Horde while cutting a path through to Yurei is one of our better options, it gives our allies and Family better breathing room without having to deal with getting surrounded and pummeled to death by swarms of daughters who fight at full strength.
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>>3854607

Oh. Oh you bitch. Seriously? This is how you expect to "free" everyone? You Gendo ass motherfucker.

>>3854748
>>3854749

Bring the pain.
>>
>>3854983
and i disagree vehemently. its exactly because of what they are we cannot focus them down. im not ignoring anything, im taking into account we literally cannot afford to fight all of them first and THEN also fight Yurei afterwards. we cant, the Hexxane Alone would be a fight that we barely win. that will not work, those 30 daughters are too strong. but even strong daughters have been shown to be able to be knocked off balance and stunned.

we fight them first, we lose. theres no point to it. if you would prefer to do that, we may aswell turn and just leave because we WILL lose with your plan. you're doing exactly what Yurei wants and handing her her victory on a silver platter. and this isnt even touching with your plan its entirely possible we wouldn't even reach or deal damage to her, and the last thing we need is to give her any respite. its ludicrous to think we could in any way take her on after focusing down and killing all those daughters, instead of just keeping them busy enough for some to take Yurei down. its already bad enough we have to split resources at all, but we wont win this if we ignore who the real threat actually is. we kill her, they dont matter anymore. we kill them, she still matters. its as simple as that.

we also dont have time to waste on that either, with it being a possibility Isabelle could pop out. focusing Yurei down hard just to keep her from doing that is worth it on its damn own.

>>3854975
thanks for the info.
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>>3854983
And i think you are forgetting that defeating the stronger DDs is almost pointless since they will be endgame level. The plan that was proposed by that anon is a delayign action against the DDs while maximizing damage against Yurei.- She can jsut dig out more of your dreamdaughters. Right now she just got those that are in our dreamscape we have several in Relics as well... I dont want to have to face Isabelle

Rath has full card blanche to deal with the DDs however she wants to togehter with November except for the Dainslef püart


Francine is also helping out by healing everyone and trying to nerf the most dangerous enemys.

The entire plan wont stop the Hexxane, not by a long shot but it will clear the less dangerous adds out so we are not as badly outnumbered....
>>
>>3854991
>>3854996
fair points.
If we're tripping and grappling the Dream Daughters to pull them into one giant Katamari Ball and then putting an Ice prison over them, wouldn't it make sense to replicate the feat that Gina and Shu pulled on the Engine? (Sink hole, bury and freeze them.) Granted it wouldn't realistically work on the Hexane Ascendants and Meg, but I do want to take out Meg since she's got the ability to tunnel her way out of the Acid Ice prison and the action economy to free up the other DDs.

>>3854607
I'll change my vote then to support
>>3854749
and
>>3854748
But I do want to include the speech that I wrote.
>"You see that? That right there is the delusion of a Mad God. The actions of a tyrant. A Monster of Logic that Mother and the Crucible covets. A villain. Yurei, You've ripped out the dream daughters that I've spent time getting to know, the dream daughters that our FAMILY had just started to know and love, and you've conscripted them to your will. You've forced their hands without their consent. You've disturbed the dead who deserved to sleep."
>"You've given me the perfect reason, To Hunt. You. Down."


>>3854975
Bhop, does the word Vita affect the Bio stat as well as the hp stat at the same time? or does it affect just the hp stat? Because as it stands, if Amara's spell also flips Yurei's Bio, then she'll end up with 93,311% bio and 3,987% hp. That bio stat is ridiculous.
>>
>>3855007
(It only flips HEALTH.)
>>
>>3855007
my issue with the speech still is it just... feels pout of place. i get and am not against what you mean by it per say, but it feels like Shu is talking to and trying to convince someone of something when literally no one is left to convince of anything.

you make a good point on Gina, but that would only work if it can change targets,and wouldn't only be applicable if we target another engine or a single target. it also seems more like a stop-gap measure then a perfect one, but that all depends on if they have a terraformer themselves i suppose.

>>3854975
BHOP, mind giving some insight into the above for Ginas copy? or could she even do it by herself, seeing as how she had Shus help last time? mind you, so long as they dont, it still would be worth it, as only Lepisma and Meg and ground swim to any degree. it would force them to for a good while id think force them to focus n pulling others out(if they even can do that), or be the only too left, at least for a bit.

>>3854996
>>3855007
>>3855010
thinking about it, if that spell just flips Health around, we might want to change it to only focus on Yurei. that might basically save our asses against her, but might make alot of the DDs basically unstoppable.
its my bad is i read it as a damage deal spell that would just say, lower Health based off Amaras spell level, not flip Health, as it says 'Life' not 'Health' which i would've thought was a deliberate distinction meant to do different.
>>
>>3855017
(She'd need Shu's help to pull off something of that magnitude, in order to catch a larger amount of targets in the trap.)
>>
>>3855017

If they're coming out at prime, they likely have one or two zeros at the end of their health pool. I still recommend using it before they're damaged and end up with other last digits as it will effectively reduce their health by about a factor of ten on average. If we're lucky, someone is X00% where we reduce their health by a factor of 100.

It's still a damn solid plan.
>>
>>3855028
>>3855017
Then shouldn't that mean that it's optimal for Amara to go first in casting her spell? Because the health flipping works best when their last digits are zeroes and low numbers.
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>>3855017
WEll best case she does down to 3.789%(effectively halving her Health)HEALTH and worst case nothing happens. I think its a good spell
>>
>>3855010
what about this spell BHOP?

GRA OMA CUNT THA VITA REV
Greater All Enemy-Allied Life Reversal

my thought and how im reading this one would be, it would switch all enemy Health Pools with Allied Health pools, correct? but what would be its actual limits and control on which allied are targeted, if i am reading it correctly?

>>3855027
do you mean she cant do it with Persistence, or could but would need Shus help, or... would it even matter to use Persistence or even have any advantage to using it? sorry the Ability just is hard to understand for me for some reason.

>>3855028
>>3855031
as a Health flip yes, but again, i thought it would be more like a health drain from how BHOP has talked about VITA and its uses, so thats why i wanted it later.

>>3855032
yeah it is very effective on Yurei.
>>
>>3855037
I think it would just be that then everyones health gets scrambled....
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>>3855040
maybe but thats why im asking the man in charge.
>>
>>3855031
>>3855037

Either way, I'd argue moving Amara up the chain to cast first if at all possible.
>>
>>3855043
>>3855042
That would mean giving Amara the Pacekeeper's box. Dorian's Blitzkatzen Augment would make him go first regardless and if we want to make the most out of the health swap to weaken the DDs and Yurei, then Amara should also go first as well. Julia's riding on Dorian's Coattails so she'll move with Dorian's initiative somehow.
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>>3855047
already have that change no worries,just waiting to see if there more than just that suggestion/change from info from BHOP and all that.
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>>3855037
(That string would have some...unpredictable effects, to day the least. Given the number of Daughters in play and the fact that you're essentially jerry-rigging in the place of a word that does what you're planning, it would scramble and swap semi-randomly. If there were an equal number of enemies and allies it would be a different story, thoigh.)

(Regarding Persistence; Gina could do the terraforming you're planding by spending 2x the BIO to make it work, per the ability. What exactly are you trying to do? I'm a little fuzzy on it, so some clarification would help me give you a more accurate answer.)
>>
>>3855053
He's planning on replicating the same deal with what we did on the Engine (cover them in a slurry of swamp water and mud freeze the slurry, then make a sinkhole to bury them) but just Gina by herself.
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>>3855053
ah, well guess another good idea missing a key word then.

the idea for Gina(and Shu possibly i guess), was to do a mass Terraforming like before to bury all the Dream Daughters super deep and further way, and trap them in solidified ice-mud, much like we did with the engine.

but thinking about it, i cant see why we would need or want to use Persistence to do that, unless it cuts down on the number of ACTs and/or would allow it to only come from Gina, freeing Shu up, but it seems like neither of those is the case.
>>
>>3855058
>>3855059
(Yeah, Persistence is an odd one, but one thats essentially a Magicarp Power at later levels. Using it could allow Gina to do what you're planning by herself, thereby freeing up Shu. It would not save any ACTs, however.)
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>>3855066
thanks for the reply and clarification.

>>3855058
>>3855040
>>3855043
>>3854811
so my thought is, it might instead be better for November to do a Kaiser Flare, then Gina(so Shu can do her shooting) alone buries them all and traps them.

Then, Shu places a spiral over where Gina buried them all, to make it harder for them to escape, and then unloads the Maxims with Parabellums so they can dig down, however slowly, to intercept and deal damage to the Dream Daughters as those that can try to escape.

i think it has a much better chance of keeping more of them out of our way then keeping them on the surface will, and still deals damage to them. maybe even more, but not gonna rely on that part.

thoughts?
>>
>>3855067
also frees up Rath, but not sure what she should do instead, have her primed to keep any that avoid it busy?
>>
>>3855067
If we can burry them we could then continue to press down in f future effectively compressign them into an ever tighter ball we might even start killing a lot of them.

We most likely will not be able to contain the Hexxane but otherwise... a good idea especially if we get Amara to scramble their HEALTH

>>3855070
Yeah Keep Rath still on Overwatch. We need her to help stop any Hexxane that will inevitably escape
>>
>>3855070
>>3855067
or maybe Rath should help corral them into a smaller area for Gina to Terraform?

theres also the idea of Shu using Spiral first along with Raths Corral to help Gina catch more, but doing those first puts Rath and Shu at a much greater risk.
>>
>>3855072
Rath is pretty damaged so we should keep her on cleanup duty to start annihalating those dreamdaughters we did not manage to catch in the spiral.

There will be quite a few since we are surrounded already

But with a bit of luck we may be able to take like half of them out of the fight and turn them into mush, especially the weaker ones
>>
>>3855076
yeah, my thoughts too, just felt like it made sense to at least put the idea on the table.
>>
>>3855067
>>3855070
The Kaiser flare I think is a good option since we have an army right in front of us, some of them might have the reflexes to look away, but it will also make them more vulnerable.

The issue that I'm having with this is also the timing. Ideally, we would want Kaiser Flare to go off first, then Amara's health swap, then Spiral trip, and Muddy Prison. Katamari ball, and Amara's health swap to go off at the at almost the same time.

The only Dream Daughters that will inevitably escape the trap would be Lepisma, Meg, and the Hexane daughters. The Hexane Daughters are end-game class and have the experience to escape such large traps, Meg has her Gladatorial swarm that allows her to tunnel, and Lepisma has innate tunneling abilities too.
>>
>>3855072
And Kosi will need to go quickly i dont want anyone of us to get infecteed with her cancer at full power
>>
>>3855078
true, but we can only do so much here timing wise.

right, ill get working on the changes then.
>>
>>3855081
You know what might be a good thing to add to the trap? B.33 Specials in Honey mode:

>Upon the HONEY mode’s detonation, the B.33 Special now bursts out of the entry wound, viscous ropes of semi-intelligent honey reaching out to automatically grapple all foes within medium range of the effect's target and hauling them into a paralytic cluster of limbs and honey, making all subsequent attacks against the cluster of foes hit everyone simultaneously.

Ball everyone caught in the trap together into one mass, which shares any damage they take across all of them.
>>
>>ARTISANAL REBUKE: A curious Relic, resembling a heavy, reflective knee-length jacket, akin to a firefighter’s coat. The wearer now actively ignores the accumulation of negative or positive STACKs, and instead gains a stacking 3% DEFENSE bonus for each nullified stack. (Chest Slot: HEALTH +400%. STACKS now grant a 6% DEFENSE bonus for each one nullified.)

>>MONTAG’S FLAME: A sleek, Calcite-derived fuel tank that leads to an ambidextrous under-arm flamethrower attachment, this weapon is specifically designed to inflict severe damage against enemy Flesh Artisans in addition to working with ARTISANAL REBUKE. While delivering respectable damage with its basic fuel canister, the user may actively consume STACKS nullified by REBUKE’s effects to add a stacking 10% damage and critical hit bonus for each one consumed. (Arm Slot: ATK++, consumed STACKs now grant a 20% damage and critical hit bonus for each one consumed.)
>>
>>3855085
so unload with the Honey BBs first, so once Gina traps them they are even more trapped?

>>3855087
oh, thanks, glad to see those finally!

neither is bad, far from it, but pretty situational. at least the flammer is still good on other targets or on its own.
>>
>>3855092
>so unload with the Honey BBs first, so once Gina traps them they are even more trapped?
Yes. Unload two Honey B.33s into one of the softer targets, have that grab everyone within Medium range (which should be all of them, actually), and then push the Katamari Ball into the hole.
>>
>>3855087
>>3855092
If anything, Artisanal Rebuke's good for November for the defense and the Stacks since November doesn't have anything in her chest slot right now.
>>
>>3855097
nah, we need it on at least Dorian or Julia, so Yurei cannot put the BALANCE on two targets and thus activate it.
>>
>>3855098
So swap the relic loadout then. Julia gets Artisanal Rebuke for her 1v1 against Yurei,
Dorian gets Cutis tractis in order to give his wire-grappling and melee attacks more reach.

Montag's flame however...We should bring it out and give it to someone. Francine? She's got an Uzi, why not a flamethrower as well?
>>
>>3855098
From what OP said it does not actually need two stacks to activate. It jsut needs those stacks to switch the target of an attack to that other target. BUt it is still a good idea to give it do Dorian or Julia

Probably Julia she needs it more to stay in melee with Yurei., She is more at risk

Here is the comment>>3854293
>>
>>3855102
Give it to Julia. Julia's going to be focusing down Yurei in melee, thus she's at a bigger risk.
>>
>>3855107
we cant. both should have Armor, and we cant give Cutis to Dorian as it slows people down.
>>
>>3855109
I meant swap Julia's Cutis Tractis for Artisanal Rebuke and give Cutis Tractis to Dorian.
>>
>>3855113
yes... i know...read it again?
>>
>>3855113
>>3855106
but its not a point im willing to die for.

if you guys want to swap their Armor, fine, but note it will make Dorian slower and limits his max movement, that could effect his chances of pulling off the plan.
>>
>>3855120
I'm fine with Rebuke on Dorian. Speed is his life.
>>
>>3855120
yeah no i was just thinking that the armor would be more useful for her since she will be staying in melee.

But sacriificing that much speed on Dorian is not worth it.

And she can make much better use of this entire thing. Maybe grapple YUrei and hold her down while we crush the life out of her.
>>
>>3855130
>>3855131
alright well thats support at least.

Sorry for the bamboozle ill repost it now.
>>
>>3854748
>>3854607
Third Draft;
SHU;
>”No, you don't… and we’ll make sure you never damn do.”
>Reattach your Platelings.
>Attach the Bishops to Julia and Dorian.
>Flare your Empathic Field. It's a long shot, but maybe you can get through to the Dream Daughters, never hurts to try.
>Switch Gina's Dominus to Rath, to help her get up and back into the fight.
>Unload both Maxims loads of Honey BBs into the Dream Daughters. Aim for Meg and the Hexxanes if you can.
>Send your Grapplings and Drillings to help corral the Dream Daughters closer together to help Gina. afterwards, have them focus on keeping any and all that may avoid or escape Gina's Trap from aiding Yurei once Dorian and Julia engage her.
>Once Gina has pulled the Dream Daughters under, rush forward, Rook at the Ready, and place a massive Spiral down over where they are buried, to make escape even more difficult. Then, use the Rook to teleport back to your allied lines.
>Once back, Fire another load, all Parabellums, into the ground to go for the Trapped Dream Daughters.
>Spare one Stealthed Drilling(so it can dig) to go get the Tier 5 Core and get it to November.

GINA;
>Re-Armor yourself.
>use your special eyes to pick out a Dream Daughter you know well or at least know, and see if it's even possible to get through to them.
>using Persistence, have Gina repeat her feat with Shu from last turn by herself. Terraform the ground under all the Dream Daughters, drag them as deeply and painfully down as you can, and trap them in an ever increasing crushing cage of frozen mud and dirt.
>then, Delve into the fleshscape, and swim straight for Yurei. Meg or Lepisma may try to stop you, but you have your Halo stun available to get past at least one of them.
>Get behind Yurei, and scream forth in a violent burst of terraformed shards, two spears going for her. Give Dorian and Julia their opening.
>Be ready to flare Verteilung to keep any Dream Daughters from helping Yurei.

JULIA and DORIAN;
>JULIA RELICS; Cutis Tractus.
>DORIAN RELICS; Manus Caelorum, Regen Mites, Rebuke, Montags Flame.
>Halos primed and isolated.
>Wait for your moment with Dorian, as he carries you high and around the outskirts of the battle.
>Once you see Gina engaging Yurei, Dive Bomb Julia on her, as she transforms into her bestial state, and have Julia spam attacks on Yurei, as many as she can before she is thrown back or is forced back. An unrelenting, unrepenting barrage of Badger Wrath. Use Cutis Tractus to crush the life out of her too.
>After Dropping off Julia, have Dorian Dive bomb past her, and spawning as many Threads as his body will allow,to aid his beloved. Grapple and cleave and keep Yurei’s limbs off of Julia, keep her distracted, busy, on you.
>If Julia can, Devour Yurei’s Relics.
>Once it seems necessary, Dorian should point blank unleash his Charges into Yuri to give everyone a chance to back off from her. Use Montags Flame too, if he can.

(1/2)
>>
>>3854749
>>3854607
>>3855137
RATH;
>Focus on the Dream Daughters Gina isn't able to get. Use Frost boils and Strands alike as you move quickly to keep them on you and keep them pinned and tripped up. Get their focus on you as much as you can, but keep your distance.

AMARA;
>RELICS; Vocem Virtutis, Shawl, Darwinian Drops(Defiant Soul), Peacekeeper Box.
>Halo primed and Isolated.
>Open up with a loud and booming spell, try and catch the Dream Daughters before they take damage and thus get numbers into their ones places.
>GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT
>Get Queen Crimson up and ready.

FRANCINE;
>GAIN RELIC; Uzi(From Gina), Regen Mites.
>Summon forth your swarm in the numbers you can, and send them forth to slow down the Dream Daughters.
>Lay down covering fire with the Uzi, whatever and however you see is best.
>Keep your glasses on Yurei.
>Link to whatever Dream Daughter can or must to help aid in holding them back as you can. If a Hexxane gets into reach for your core try and prioritize them without exposing yourself to their wrath.

NOVEMBER;
>SLOTTED RELICS; Dainsleif(Arm), Pharynx(Head), Margraves Sword(Arm).
>Rush to get the best angle you can, and Kaiser Flare the oncoming rush of Daughters, to open them up for Gina.
>Wait for your moment to strike, the Dainsleif ready to fire.
>Once Gina, Julia, and Dorian do their part, Fire the Dainsleif over the Dream Daughters heads and into Yuri, to pin her down with the Dainsleif.

(2/2)
>>
>>3854607
Well time to cast my Vote and pray to the dark gods of dice rolling.... where are those Amalgams when you need them to sacrifice
Supporting
>>3855137
>>3855138
>>
>>3854607

Changing my vote to >>3855137 / >>3855138.

May our lord and savior FuzzBuzz look upon us kindly, granting us the favor of the dice.
>>
>>3855137
>>3855138
Alright, looks good. Still very tough odds we're facing, but this is probably our best chance to even them. Get Amara's spell off fast, Katamari the enemies into a more easily-managed mass, and keep Yurei occupied with an angry lightning-badger and her monofilament boyfriend.

Supporting
>>3854607
>>
I'm off to work. me missing out is gonna suck.
>>
(Bamboozle incoming. By God, Amara will be allowed to swear.)
>>
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>>3854607

“No, you don’t…” You reply, your Platelings erupting from the rubble and spearing past Yurei’s head on their way to you. Arms, legs, chest…then helm, the Chitinous Stalwart taking shape once more as your Empathic Field expands to cover the battlefield.

“…and we’ll make sure you never damn do.”

Amara takes the lead, tossing the Darwinian Drops into her mouth, vial and all. She swallows hard, then tears the air asunder with the sheer force of the epithet she lets fly in the face of the onrushing horde.

“GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT!” She roars as Queen Crimson envelops her in a latticework of scarlet strands, and you watch as Sasha, Eloise, and Vultha topple to the moor, laid low by the string of ancient verses. You feel the Darwinian drops take effect, bolstering her augmentation as your mind expands to control more of your brood than ever before, thanks to the little girl’s presence…

>>New Swarmling MAX due to Defiant Heart: 45

…before Silvis appears before her in a flash of radiant light, a vicious left hook catching Amara one way, then another as his right fist sends her careening across the moor, his opening barrage earning him a brief slash with Queen Crimson before its user is tossed out of range. November’s armor creaks a half-second before the scene in washed out by the Tyrant Flare The Dominus switches targets to Rath while your Bishops latch onto Julia and Dorian, the pair hurtling past you with unnatural speed as the flesh beneath the Dream Horde’s feet begins to churn before yawning open before them, swallowing the crowd whole under a tide of muck and freezing grime. Cheruem darts to the side, avoiding the pit in her laser-focus to intercept Rath, while Mulvath’s body grossly warps, their entire form distorting into something more mouth than mortal as it devours its way out of the pit to meet your artists head-on. You open fire with twin Contenders, a barrage of B.33s forcing the horde into a devastatingly effective trap as they’re helplessly dragged underground, just as Gina slips beneath the surface, herself.

You dash forward, thrusting your drill-arm into the ground as the Fleshscape begins to violently spiral, the ground having been rendered infinitely more difficult to escape…for some, it seems. Mulvath’s escaped, and mere moments before he’s set to clash with Julia and Dorian, her dives, tearing into and through your spiraling trap to free the trapped horde. Your world tilts nauseatingly when you switch with your rook, and behind you the rapid staccato of gunfire as Francine holds her bucking weapon steady, her bizarre brood of ancient fish burrowing into the ground to stop the Daughters from escaping their tomb.

>>Gina’s Halo: TRIGGERED

(Continued)
>>
>>3855294

Lepisma’s underground ambush is stymied by Gina’s counter, the Neuromancer erupting from the ground behind Yurei at the same time Julia and Dorian speed towards your foe. Gina’s ambush is met with yet another vicious backhand, augmented by the Relic that’s still bleeding its owner dry, second by second. Gina’s blades are shattered as she’s flung to the ground, and there’s a roar of fury as Julia descends from the sky, her bestial visage a terror to behold…but you can’t look for long, when the ground at your feet vibrates, your only warning before Meg bursts up from the earth to strike, her palm outstretched to deliver…

Shit.

A burst of static across your mind, and you can barely process the smell of ozone through your own blood as Yurei’s Sacrificium-enhanced blow smashes against your helm. Your head snaps back, the cloud of choking ash that’s released on impact forcing your foe back, breaking the flurry she was preparing to unleash.

>>Rath’s Halo: TRIGGERED

Rath screams, and as you tumble backwards you see a gout of blood and flame slashed skyward, Cheruem’s impossibly sharp blade cutting past all reason to rob the girl of half her limbs in a trio of perfectly executed strokes, heedless of the Halo’s critical counter that’s forced a spike of earth through their chest, pinning them to the ground as Rath falls backwards, life saved by the counter-strike, but just barely.

“Eye front, Defiant.” Yurei says calmly, her face mere inches from yours as she delivers two more blows to your chest, your armor creaking against the earth as the ground buckles beneath you. You feel Julia and Dorian make short work of Meg, their joint assault fruitless against their true target, who’s preparing another, final blow that you watch descend on your helm…before Yurei’s hand unspools, reduced to a line of flesh that tethers her to a bespectacled Francine who’s racing to your side. Yurei moves with killing intent, a lethal blow aimed squarely at the doctor’s sternum, set to buckle her ribcage.

It’s with uncanny grace and skill that a single gloved hand deflects the strike, and with Yurei’s borrowed grace Francine slams her own palm against your foe’s face before seizing her by the collar and throwing the woman over one shoulder, and towards November’s waiting aim.

>>Yurei: BALANCE, 1 Stack

(Continued)
>>
>>3855278
Amara is in a bad spot and Rath took some bad hits. Maybe the health inversion spell can help them out some by giving them 852% and 936% respectively?

Mulvath needs to go down to prevent other dream daughters from escaping the spiral. Well, all the Hexanes need to go down, but I'm focusing on her right now both because she's digging out more enemies and because it seems she took a big hit from Amara's spell, so maybe we can clear her more easily.

If we had Amara turn the terrain Radiant with something like TER NUKA while we spiral that terrain, would whoever's stuck in it burn to a crisp?
>>
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>>3855298

November aims, and fires, sending the Dainsleif spearing into Yurei, carrying her away from you with ludicrous speed. It clatters to the ground, unable to pierce through your foe’s Halo-boosted armor as she struggles to stand. Rath’s Aunt hauls you to your feet with her free hand, and it’s in time to see Rosa’s horde swept back by the lanky girl’s comically extended limbs, her legs coiled into springs as she launches herself skyward with Sugar in tow, the latter vomiting a cascade of teeth and rock candy down upon their helpless foes.

A long distance off, your heart sinks as you feel Amara barely holding on against Silvis’ radiant power and dogged assault, while Mulvath’s working ceaselessly to dig out the rest of the horde, painstakingly consuming the terraformed flesh and hardening honey, while your Drilling’s almost reached the Tier 5 Core that’s buried well beneath the ruined mansion.

Yurei stands, cold determination in her eyes as she dashes towards you, focused on finishing you before moving on to the rest of your family.

She means to end her opposite, first and foremost.

That makes two of you.

HP: 972% (+510% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:SPENT.)
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop [Julia/Dorian, 2 ROUNDS LEFT], 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, Stealthed Drilling x1, 31/45)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST & SECOND: Empty.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 819% (110%, SPD: +750%, Halo: SPENT Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: 639% (315%, STR: +450%, SPD +600%, 6 Limbs, Cold: ACTIVE, Halo:SPENT. Erupting Grasp: ACTIVE. Tormentis, Deliverance, Nail, Gauntlets, Daggers: EQUIPPED.
JULIA: 1612% (90%, Tractus, Halo:PRIMED)
DORIAN: 1240% (265x2%, Caelorum, Mites [2 ROUNDS LEFT], Rebuke, Montags. ELEC x5, Halo:PRIMED)
AMARA: 258% (210%, Virtutis, Shawl, Peacekeeper Box. Halo: PRIMED)
NOVEMBER: 1570% (200%, Dainsleif(Arm), Pharynx(Head), Margraves Sword(Arm), Pharynx Charges x2)
FRAN: 850% (120x2%, Uzi, Mites [2 ROUNDS LEFT])

YUREI HP: 4127%
BIO: 10,218%
ACTs: 6/6
Threat: Close. Meg: TERMINATED. (IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, Acid, Slashing, Cold. 2x Parabellum, BALANCE x1)

>>Please reload Contenders with three rounds each, and choose a target for November to protect with the Margrave.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. My sincere thanks for your patience, and I do hope your day is going well.)

(Both of the next possible Quests I’m going to run are with a simpler system than this monstrosity I’ve made. I love it and hate it in equal measure.)[/spoilers]
>>
>>3855308
>November needs to protect Amara
>>
>>3855298
>It’s with uncanny grace and skill that a single gloved hand deflects the strike, and with Yurei’s borrowed grace Francine slams her own palm against your foe’s face before seizing her by the collar and throwing the woman over one shoulder, and towards November’s waiting aim.

I love you Dr. Fran

So Mulvath is trying to get the horde back to the surface while Silvis is fighting Amara and Rath is fightiung Cheruem

>>3855278
I think we are gonna need the Dainslef back quickly

Shu is definetly the target for the Margrave Blade.

Shu keeps up the pressure with her Drills while francine darts in and out of combat with Yurei her Ichtyoids should also converge on us.

And she can teleport between her constructs like we can with our rooks. Sadly i did see that coming.

If we could get Dr Fran to tag Cheruem and then get attacked by them then we could possibly end this right now by making Cheruem hit Dr Fran and let all of that transfer over to Yurei....

>>3855305
We can just burry them deeper as well that might be easier than killign the glutton

>>3855308
Should we go for a Parabellum Reload? Or mix in Cicadas as well?

>>3855310
I can imagine that this was quite the Headscratcher to get everything in order
>>
>>3855312
i disagree, we need November elsewhere.
>>
>>3855312

Sadly i dont think we can afford that. This Anon >>3855314 has it right. Amara will have to get herself out of there. She should make a couple clones that can sacrifice themselves for her
>>
>>3855294
>“GRA REV VITA OMA CUNT!” She roars as Queen Crimson envelops her in a latticework of scarlet strands, and you watch as Sasha, Eloise, and Vultha topple to the moor, laid low by the string of ancient verses.
Huh. Were they all activating Health-consuming skills just as their Health values were inverted? Because they should have just been weakened instead of dying, unless something else was lowering their Health at that moment.

>>3855298
>A burst of static across your mind, and you can barely process the smell of ozone through your own blood as Yurei’s Sacrificium-enhanced blow smashes against your helm. Your head snaps back, the cloud of choking ash that’s released on impact forcing your foe back, breaking the flurry she was preparing to unleash.
So somebody in this crowd has tele-swapping. Might be Yurei herself, might be a Daughter who can swap their allies around. Great.

Props to Francine on the save, though. Sucks having super-Judo done to you, huh, Yurei? Also, that was your Core? Francine can only copy the target's Core, so your original class was whatever you folded into your super-Judo? Interesting. I would have expected your original class to have been part of the Exalted Samsara. What a strange set of priorities you have, Yurei. And I wonder, who did you betray to get these extra Cores? Your Vitruvian body, the Exalted Samsara, how many friends have you murdered?

>>3855308
And Amara is in a bad position against Silvis. But Silvis should burn themselves out soon, Solar Pugilist consumes Health too. If we can just keep her from being killed in the next few moments, she should be fine.

Also, BHOP, a question: How many Puppet Daughters have been downed so far? It's at least four (Sasha, Eloise, Vultha, Meg), but any others? I want to know how big the Carnivorous Carver bonuses have gotten for next turn.
>>
>>3855324
(They're not dead, but it reduced them all to very low HEALTH.)

(Meg is the only Daughter that's been removed from the fight, so Julia's set to receive one boost next turn.)
>>
>>3855329
Aww, I was taking "laid low" to mean "defeated". Darn. Well, plus one ACT and plus 30% critical chance isn't bad.
>>
>>3855324
The Vitruvian Part is her real core....

She probably put it into the Hybrid for even more regen and pure health and strength

>>3855324
If Amara can create several clones of herself she can throw them in front of her long enought that Silvis will burn themselves out....

And iam sure that soon very soon the even more daughters will drop like flies.

>>3855329
Is the ball of Dreamdaughters and Honey actively causign damage to the dreamdaughters by trying to crush them?
>>
>>3855308
> BULLET Loadout:
3 CICADAS & 3 RAVENOUS PARABELLUM. The CICADAS targeted agaist YUREI are the important part, if anons disagree, the 3 Parabellums can be replaced at will with something else.

> SHU ACTIONS: Starts at the beginning of the initiative round; Fire 3 CICADAS at yYUREI, then everyone else acts.

>FRANCINE & NOVEMBER: FRANCINE scans YUREI with her glasses and focuses her skilltree on copying and fighting YUREI. NOVEMBER protects AMARA and kills SILVIS.

I just want YUREI unable to use FOCUS actions. BHOP has said twice she is VERY vulnerable for the CICADAs, her auto-counters, mind reading and JUDO rely all on CONCENTRATION. If SHU strikes first YUREI with her CICADAS, she is merely a moderately resistant target.
>>
>>3855308
First Draft;
SHU;
>Get November that core, ASAP. send another Stealthed Drilling if necessary, as many as seems necessary.
>Maxims with Parabellums, full loads in each.
>Get your Grapplings onto Yurei, slow her down.
>Spray her down with both Maxims when you can, then as Francine and Dorian give you your opening, lurch forward, making it look like you plan to spear her through with your Maxisms.
>at the last Second, switch places with the rook you’ve sent behind her as quietly as possible, then snatch her in your Maw as close as possible and bite down hard.
>Once you have her, have your Gurrenlings and as many new ones from your back as you can converge on her along with your attack.

FRANCINE;
>Crazy plan time. Act fast, really fast.
>Draw Cherums attention, force them to turn on you.
>Get them to strike you, quickly, while Shu still breaths.
>Activate BALANCE to transfer Cherums insane damage strike to Yurei.

GINA;
>Keep slowing Mulvath down, until November takes care of her. Keep those damned Dream Daughters Down there.
>If or when that's done with, Turn and focus on whoever needs aid the most, slipping into the ground and forming new spears to help whoever you can and wherever you are needed.

RATH;
>Cherum needs to go down. Continue to simply dodge and keep her at bay, until Francine comes into play.
>as soon as Francine give you your opening, spwan six new limbs hidden on your back as you use your current to flail them out with your Strands, to force Cherum to focus on different Targets.
>Even if you have to let her blade ram through your guts, Combine your hidden limbs and ram your fist through her skull. Make her feel this one.

JULIA;
>Hitch a ride with Dorian and drop down on Silvis to aid Amara.
>Rip and Tear into him, putting yourself between him and Amara.

DORIAN;
>Pick up Julia and get her to Amara.
>Then, Quickly Twirl around and fire off your Charges at Yurei as you pass by her, Using your strands to strafe her and mince meat her as you do.

AMARA;
>Split off a few clones to trick Silvis into striking them down instead.
>then, unleash a GRA SULK RHO CUNT on Silvis. (Greater Cold Hinder Enemy).
>once Frozen, unsheath your blade and run him through.

NOVEMBER;
>Mangrave is on Francine.
>Recall the Dainsleif, then quickly toss it through Mulvath.
>Trick Mulvath, hit him with your Pharynx charges first so his elemental absorption goes for it.
>Once Mulvath is pinned, Unleash Autumn Protocol onto him.
>Work fast, he cannot be allowed to rescue the others.
>>
>>3855341
>Activate BALANCE to transfer Cherums insane damage strike to Yurei.
I'm a bit unclear on how BALANCE works, exactly. Does it transfer damage from the user to someone marked with BALANCE, or does it transfer an attack from one person marked with BALANCE to another?
>>
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>>3855341
>"Activate BALANCE to transfer Cherums insane damage strike to Yurei"
Somebody give that man a medal for the good idea!
I hope CHUREM is NOT depleted, since she hit Rath last turn, and thus the blade will NOT have charged to the insane extents original CHUREM was able of. STILL, useful, and vicious in its own right.
>>
>>3855347
it was confirmed BALANCE does not need a stack on two people i think,so id assume both ways, depending on how many stacks you have around. plus, that would be one finicky ability if you had to have two enemies to use it, and doesn't sound right for the Crucible.

but fair question.

>>3855310
BHOP?
>>
>>3855347
You need to have two targets tagged with balance and if the user would get hit they consume the stacks and transfer teh damage over to the partys that did not attack them. There is also probably a damagethreashhold before it triggers but Cheruem should clear that one easily. After all we managed to do so as well.

>>3855350
It does not need to be so she did not have time to really charge the blade half a round at most. otherwise it would have probably killed rath
>>
>>3855347
(If two people are mared with BALANCE, then the first strike or effect one initiates is transferred to the other holder, then both are spent. If only one person has BALANCE, then the next attack that the inflicter of BALANCE suffers is instead directed to whomever has the stack, so the above plan would absolutely happen, if all goes according to plan.)
>>
>>3855341
Very good plan. Just a petition, would you be willing to support CICADA bullet use instead as in >>3855340, or generate stealthed CICADALINGs (maybe even knighted)?

I just wish to see if we can hamper YUREI combat effectiveness significantly, otherwise she will mop the floor with any family meber she focuses on.
>>
>>3855341
Oh, also, we should have Dorian hit Yurei with his threads before he starts moving. Hitting a target with the Resplendent Thread automatically grapples and drags them, it would mess with Yurei's flow something awful.

>>3855356
Okay, then, sounds great. Also, in retrospect that validates the decision not to have Rath shed her stack of BALANCE, because Yurei would have been able to redirect the Boils to Shu regardless. So go us, unintentionally making a smart move.
>>
>>3855357
No cicsadalings we need any direct damage we can get our hands on the Rounds i could probably support though. At least one in each
>>
>>3855352
We should have Dorian and Julia go on a kill secure rampage. Eloise, Sasha, and Vultha are at super low health. A good hit should kill them all.
>>
>>3855363
Maybe have Gina blast them all with acid? Or Rath, trigger Ignition's chain-bomb feature.
>>
>>3855335
(Didn't see your last question, my apologies. They are taking considerable amounts of passive damage from the crushing force of the spiral and terraforming.)
>>
>>3855356
kickass. hopefully things work out. its a Risk but we kinda have to take some of those.

>>3855357
already changed it, half and half now. like usual i wait and see if any further changes might be necessary, instead of spamming singular changes and making a mess of understanding whats changed.

>>3855360
maybe, but then she might be able to stop him from dropping off Julia. mind you, physically shes not the strongest it seems, in raw muscles at least, but neither is Dorian.

>>3855363
yes but they are all underground where they cant be reached and Dorian is needed elsewhere.
>>
Dear BHOP, regarding response:
> BULLET loadout: 2-3 CICADA bullets , spread between the 2 guns. Tallied a total of 2 votes for it, seen as below:
>>385536
>>3855340

> REST OF PLAN: as in >>3855341 post.
>>
>>3855368
> "already changed it, half and half now."
Thanks for your support on the matter. Dear god, you should have seen that spoilered version where YUREI got CICADA-ed at the top of the initiative queue. It was GLORIOUS.
>>
>>3855369
if you want your vote to count, link it to the last Story Post of BHOPs. keeps him from accidentally looking over it, and helps him find it and keep track of it with his color blindness.

just a helpful tip.
>>
>>3855367
So teh weaker ones should be dying soon unless Mulvath gets them out.

But that will probably trigger Yureai to devote herself to find more daughters she can drag out.

And she has her own dreamscape as well..... I wonder what kind of monster she has locked away up there

>>3855368
If no one is in dire need of help and Mulvath dealt with can we have Gina heighten the pressure the enemy DDs are under? It would hasten their demise

>>3855367
Another Question for you. How many Dreamdaughters got caught up in the trap and are currently being crushed?

We are so gonna have to apologize to them for this afterwards. That can not be a nice death. Lets hope they are not realy aware of what is happening to them.

They are gonna need a lot of therapy afterwards
>>
>>3855308
Dear BHOP, regarding response:
> BULLET loadout: 2-3 CICADA bullets , spread between the 2 guns. Tallied a total of 3 votes for it, seen as below:
>>385536
>>3855340 (You)
>>3855368

> REST OF PLAN: as in >>3855341 post.
>>
>>3855375
well, thats kinda what i meant for her to be doing with that first part. keep replacing what Mulvath is eating, keep pushing them further down. if you think i need to reword it to make it clear i meant hinder him via that, not him directly, i can work on it.
>>
>>3855368
you know, we can have Gina Terraform the mud prison to crush/impale all of the trapped Dream Daughters and kill them off.
>>
>>3855375
We should have Gina add spikes to the trap, blend up Mulvath as he tries to get through it.
>>
>>3855373
Solved, thanks. Was a mistake when editing.
Good night, elegant ladies and gentlemen of tg. Keep up the good fight, and feed JULIA a lot of kills for her RAMPAGE dynamic if you can afford it. I am curious to see what she can do "fully charged"... and mayyybe DORIAN could be a bit intrigued/scaroused too.
>>
>>3855384
Good night, person in a distant timezone from me. We'll keep at it. I think Yurei's not doing so hot, she's down to only 4000% Health now. And no, I do not recognize the absurdity of that statement.
>>
>>3855379
Ah okay i was assuming she should try and slow him down by stunning him with Neuromancy in some way. But it might be good to specify how we want to slow him down. One could be to try and paralyze/ stun him or the other is make the way he has to go is longer.

>>3855381
If we can afford that could be intersting to at least make sure he has to watch out and can not just stand there.. No wait he can jsut stand there because his powers will make him absorb the biomass as well

>>3855384
Good Night to you Anon


>>3855386
She is the Typical Boss and she is soon gonna pull out her third an final form
>>
>>3855380
we might not. Terraforming even for Gina is still expensive, and is costing her double right now to be able to do such large scale terraforming on her own. she probably will struggle to just to keep them down there and slow Mulvath down by now. or well, its very possible this will be the case. still, either way, running Gina dry to try and kill them instantly sounds like it could end badly for her. we might have to just understand her role for now is just keeping them down there. doing so, even slowly, is still taking tremendous mountains of pressure off the rest of the team.

>>3855384
Night Anon.
>>
>>3855368
but Vultha is above ground.
>>
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>>3855388
>She is the Typical Boss and she is soon gonna pull out her third an final form
Let's hope she's not a really tough boss, then she'll have an extra fourth form afterwards where she goes from super monster back to humanoid. What do you think her monstrous third form would be, though? I'm thinking she grows a bone mecha with her Calcite abilities like this was Amalgam of Distortion.
>>
>>3855408
i dont think thats true, it only says Cherum, Silvis and Mulvath avoided it. theres no mention of Vultha on the surface anywhere.
regardless they are both needed elsewhere.
>>
>>3855411
If i were to assume she has such a form it would probably be a massive Eastern Style dragon with an almost serpentine body and a wild mane of musculature and dense caclite scales with her claws glowing with pale blue power as she twists and turns through the air trailing behind a Phantasmal mist manifesting the horrors of the Dreamscape of the Fleshscape itself
>>
>>3855341
>>3855308
second Draft, albeit only minor changes;

SHU;
>Get November that core, ASAP. send another Stealthed Drilling if necessary, as many as seems necessary.
>Maxims with half Parabellums half Cicadas, full loads in each.
>Get your Grapplings onto Yurei, slow her down.
>Spray her down with both Maxims when you can, then as Francine and Dorian give you your opening, lurch forward, making it look like you plan to spear her through with your Maxisms.
>at the last Second, switch places with the rook you’ve sent behind her as quietly as possible, then snatch her in your Maw as close as possible and bite down hard.
>Once you have her, have your Gurrenlings and as many new ones from your back as you can converge on her along with your attack.

FRANCINE;
>Crazy plan time. Act fast, really fast.
>Draw Cherums attention, force them to turn on you.
>Get them to strike you, quickly, while Shu still breaths.
>Activate BALANCE to transfer Cherums insane damage strike to Yurei.

GINA;
>Keep slowing Mulvath down by doing what you can to replace the ground and move the Captured Dream Daughters away from him, until November takes care of her. Keep those damned Dream Daughters Down there.
>Even once Mulvath is taken care of, we can't take those numbers. Those Daughters need to Stay down there, and their numbers need to thin. Don't burn your resources out, but keep the pressure on them.
>keep your senses ready. Lepisma will probably come to stop you, you may have to shift focus at times to washing her away, like Shu did before.

RATH;
>Cherum needs to go down. Continue to simply dodge and keep her at bay, until Francine comes into play.
>as soon as Francine give you your opening, spawn six new limbs hidden on your back as you use your current to flail them out with your Strands, to force Cherum to focus on different Targets.
>Even if you have to let her blade ram through your guts, Combine your hidden limbs and ram your fist through her skull. Make her feel this one.

JULIA;
>Hitch a ride with Dorian and drop down on Silvis to aid Amara.
>Rip and Tear into him, putting yourself between him and Amara.

DORIAN;
>Pick up Julia and get her to Amara.
>Then, Quickly Twirl around and fire off your Charges at Yurei as you pass by her, Using your strands to strafe her and mince meat her as you do.

AMARA;
>Split off a few clones to trick Silvis into striking them down instead.
>then, unleash a GRA SULK RHO CUNT on Silvis. (Greater Cold Hinder Enemy).
>once Frozen, unsheath your blade and run him through.

NOVEMBER;
>Mangrave is on Francine.
>Recall the Dainsleif, then quickly toss it through Mulvath.
>Trick Mulvath, hit him with your Pharynx charges first so his elemental absorption goes for it.
>Once Mulvath is pinned, Unleash Autumn Protocol onto him.
>Work fast, he cannot be allowed to rescue the others.
>If you get that new Core, get it in fast.
>>
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>>3855419
Her name is Japanese for "ghost", so if she has a monster form it makes sense to me that it would be a bakemono. There's a type of giant skeleton monster called the Gashodokuro, made from the angry ghosts of those who died of starvation. I think that fits with her "we have to trap everyone in the dreamworld because of resource scarcity" rhetoric. So I'm going bone mecha with my guess. If she has one at all, of course, she might not have invested in such a thing.
>>
>>3855427
She probably hasnt invested in awesome just in practical. Kinda sucks now doesnt it. Flashy does not mean bad Yurei.

And i was more thinking a more mystical creature that awakens the ghosts of the fallen and their nightmares instead of being a ghost or composed of ghosts.

But i have to admit i know relatively little about eastern mythology. Though i did know about that creature you speak of. I just no longer remembered its name
>>
>>3855424
Wait, I just saw a problem with using BALANCE to send an attack from Cheruem at Yurei. Cheruem favors slashing damage, Yurei is currently immune to it. Unless BALANCE ignores effects like that and makes the victim take damage as if the user had taken the hit (which could be, it would explain why Rath's redirected Boils hurt us when her Generator power normally can't harm allies), then Francine is going to have to provoke a stab instead of Cheruem's preferred slashes. That might prove difficult.
>>
>>3855461
Cherum might be able to get past immunities too, just like how despite Raths resistances to such things she still removed her arms.
>>
>>3855461
I am pretty sure Cheruem has upgrades that will cut through those defenses like butter. She ended mosst battles in a single strike when she was still alive.

At least that is what Charon (or their Diary) told us. I am sure that we heard that somewhere and from a reliable source maybe one of the other ascendandts when we had our talk with them


At least Cheruem should have some augments because i am sure that immunities will be very common at the end of the Crucible

>>3855367
OP one Question does Amara know if Cheruem has abilities that lets them penetrate immunities against slashing damaage?
>>
>>3855472
Yeah, that's a good point. The slashing-focused endgame Daughter should have a way to ignore slashing immunity. Alright, we're probably good, then.
>>
>>3855308
I should probably vote as well

Supporting>>3855424
>>
>>3855424
Aah, so the plan is to fire off autumn protocol then swap out cores to be able to use it again on Yurei if possible. Nice.
>>
>>3855537
Ah, yes, I should too. Whoops. I often forget to properly vote even though I'm approving of and commenting on a plan.

>>3855308
Supporting>>3855424
>>
>>3855473
(Yes, Cheruem's an ability high in her skill tree lets her slashing damage ignore anything that would reduce its efficacy, which is a life-saver, given her very niche build.)
>>
>>3855550
Yeah, that makes sense. I don't know why I got worried she might not have it, it's such an obvious thing to have. Maybe I'm just getting a bit flustered by Yurei's durability, not thinking straight. That Calcite Halo, man. I'm going to be so glad when that thing is on our side instead of an opponent's.
>>
>>3855556
>>3855547
>>3855424
speaking off... if we kill her and get the Halo.... Who would we want to get it on?
>>
>>3855572
Based on what we've seen of it enhancing defenses, probably Rath. She's got a defensive Calcite power, it would fit with her well. It may offer offensive enhancements that we just haven't seen Yurei use yet, though, and since Halos can adapt to fit the wearer somewhat it should be of use to our various wielders of Calcite weaponry. But still, probably Rath. Boost the Alabaster Endoskeleton, maybe even hybridize with it at some point, make our tank even tankier.
>>
>>3855572
Probably Rath, especially with her having alabaster's.
>>
>>3855580
>>3855585
possible.... however we should first see if the Halo is active or not. If it is then we cant even consume her unless we manage to shut it off again.

Maybe Charon could help with that or any of the other Ascendants....
>>
(Back home and writing now, Gentlemen.)
>>
>>3855624
(...on second thought and after rolling the dice, I may need to get some dinner first and then pour a drink. I'll post here when I'm about to update.)
>>
>>3855664
......is it that bad.....

Take your time....

We will be waiting..... for whatever happens
>>
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>>3855664
>>
>>3855664
Well, at least we tried guys!
>>
>>3855664
On the bright side, she doesn't need to worry about that martyrdom complex anymore!
>>
>>3855664
NOOOOOOOOOOO
SOMEONE DIED
amara died
Im calling it
>>
>>3855664
That's either really good or really bad. And we're too afflicted with anxiety to assume it's good.
>>
(It's not *quite* that bad, it's more of a cluster of activity that I'm trying to figure out how to make into a more coherent narrative.)
>>
>>3855674
I would be surprised if a boss managed to actually confirm a kill. I'm betting on one or more unfortunate downs that lead to a loss of momentum and generally put us on the backfoot.
>>
>>3855681
>not *quite* that bad
BUT MUH SHADOWRUN PARANOIAS
>>
(Settled in and writing now, Gentlemen. Thank you for your patience.)
>>
>>3855572
Everyone? Just like we've done with the Neuromancy Halo? Because it's awesome.
>>
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>>3855681
bad is still bad.

>>3855744
but im still looking forward to seeing what happened, no matter how apprehensively.
>>
am >>3855674
Back from work.

Work tomorrow is going to be utter horseshit. I had to "Volunteer" to come to work 3 hours early and work an 8 hour shift because one of the morning staff got another job, one of our more experienced waiters quit in the middle of their shift over the past week, with another co-worker quitting by next week because they were supposed to be a temporary worker. (tl;dr: permanently down 3 people)
And it had to happen right in the middle of a high-tension moment in this vein.
>>
>>3855835
well, that sounds bad. hope it at least ends up not being too bad a shift though for ya.
>>
>>3855835
Sounds rough, anon. I'm sorry to hear that.
>>
>>3855835
(I'm sorry to hear that, and I truly hope that your day goes far better than you think it will.)
>>
(Posting begins now, Gentlemen.)
>>
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>>3855308

Francine whirls, her arm extending to unleash a hail of gunfire towards Cheruem, the bullets parried effortlessly when the warrior draws their off-hand blade...but the distraction works. The Doctor just keeps firing as she runs all-out at the Hexane samurai, and her charge is met in kind as your plan is set into motion.

You feel your Drilling seize hold of the Tier 5 Core just as your Grapplings take hold of its previous owner, Yurei struggling to fend off the muscular insects while trying in vain to stand. Twin barrels are brought to bear as you squeeze the dual triggers, a hail of screaming Cicadas colliding with your foe's armor just before her arms and legs open up, the howl of arctic winds freezing your Grapplings as she erupts skyward. A second burst of wind sending her flying directly towards Rath just as a peal of thunder echoes across the battlefield, heralding Dorian and Julia moving as one around the side of your spiral. They pass Mulvath, emerging from the pit in a flurry of teeth and acidic saliva. They've freed Vultha, along with the Sororitas, Hera, Penny, Niku, and Uzu as the latter brings her hands down on your spiral, halting its disruptive spin with a single blow. Behind them Gina's in a frantic melee with Lepisma on the other side of the pit, trying desperately to parry her lethal talons with her own blend of blade and acid.

It's with a grim sort of luck that you're not looking when a blast of light and heat erupts from your right, Silvis' own version of Tyrant Flare blinding Dorian and Julia as they tumble past their foe and Amara, both. You almost turn to look when the Dainsleif screams past your field of vision and back into November's waiting grasp, lingering there only a moment before it's thrown with terrible intent, lancing through Mulvath's body and pinning the glutton to the center of the trap, and that's when November's helm opens. Mulvath disappears in a corona of azure light, the Pharynx's charge suddenly swallowed whole, devoured by the Hexane's reality-bending appetite.

Mulvath almost looks pleased, at least until November's core opens wide, and both Mulvath and most of the Dream Daughters alongside are drowned in a pure, apocalyptic white.

>>Mulvath, Vultha, Sororitas: ANNIHILATED

It's all happening so quickly.

Mere meters away from where you stand, five of Rath's six remaining arms become a series of burning flails that lash out towards Cheruem, who's closing the gap with Francine almost as quickly as Yurei is hurtling towards the redhead. You blink, and they're on each other in an instant; Cheruem's blade falling on Francine's face, the Doctor hoping against hope that your plan works as Yurei's reaching out, Rath's last arm cocked back to deliver a annihilating blow.

A plan works, but it isn't yours.

(Continued)
>>
>>3855866
>that image
is that an ahegaomalgam
>>
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>>3855866

Space shifts as Yurei and Cheruem swap places, the former's first strike narrowly missing Francine, while the other...your eyes turn to Rath, because she has no time to react. She sees what's coming. She sees the razor's edge, peerless and terrifying...and she does what she does best.

You watch as the blade carves Rath in two, drawing a perfect line from her right shoulder to her waist, but it's not enough to stop the speed and power Rath's bled from her very essence to empower her last strike with enough power to fell a god. There's a sound like the heavens tearing open as Cheruem's upper torso is vaporized, blade and all before Rath collapses in a heap of tattered clothing, her body unmoving as the Hexane's remains fall before her last gasp of world-shattering might.

>>[RATH DEATH SAVING THROWS: 1 SUCCESS, 4 FAILURES]

>>Cheruem: ANNIHILATED

Dorian's holding fire until his vision returns, but Julia's already stumbling towards where Silvis looms over your little girl.

"GRA SULK RHO CUNT!" Amara roars in defiance, Silvis tearing through her Joyous Many as they burst into white flame, cast aside in his single-minded pursuit of your ward's demise. Silvis slows, just enough for Amara to draw her blade as his right hand barrels towards the little girl's face, searing heat failing in the face of a perfect counter.

>>Amara's Halo: TRIGGERED

A sweep of her blade, and Silvis's left arm is shorn off at its base without a second thought. Undeterred, the relentless martial artist punches through her left side, the gore burned away in a blast of light and heat. Amara's still standing, Life's Deathgrip allowing her to hold the line as a practiced stroke of her shining blade takes Silvis' right arm off at the elbow. She smiles, a look of pure, unadulterated joy on her face as her first unaided strike is absolutely, positively perfect.

She's still smiling when the other fist drives through her chest, her little body falling to the ground as joy runs away from her face, replaced with pure shock.

>>[AMARA DEATH SAVING THROW: 2 SUCCESSES, 2 FAILURES]

There is a roar, one that strikes a cold pang of fear in your heart as it rips forth from Julia's throat as sight returns to her. It dies in a gurgle of fury, her throat torn asunder as she brings a madness-fueled flurry of tooth and claw against the thing that would dare hurt her ward. Silvis summons more arms in a futile effort to stem the assault, unable to defend as practiced training falters in the face of rage, borne in love's forge.

Hot, furious tears run inside your helm as you round on Yurei, Francine's face a mask of blood and bruises, pristine white coat stained with errant crimson as Yurei's jaw heals from the self-inflicted wound, the effects of Balance spent. The Ravenous Maw snaps open, your tongue lashing around Yurei's head as you fling yourself bodily towards her, a lethal guillotine whose jaws snap shut on your hated foe's neck.

>>[Calcite Halo: COUNTER TRIGGERED]

(Continued)
>>
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>>3855885

Spears of bone, lances of ivory tear through your armor and send you flying away from the cloud of ash and smoke that Yurei emerges from, stalking towards you with murder in her cold, focused eyes.

She blinks.

>>[AMARA: STABILIZED]

Dorian's in front of her.

Yurei's eyes go wide as he just stares her down with cold, merciless azure, and she has no time to react as the fastest man alive unleashes a bolt of scarlet lighting directly into her face.

Yurei's scream is lost as she's blown back, her body crackling with electricity and open flame as Dorian extends his hand to you, but you're reaching for the thing that's coming from behind him, gleaming with a pulsing light, a beacon of hope.

Just as your Drilling drops the Forge Core into your hand, you hear Francine scream. You turn, and witness the Doctor isn't doing so from pain, but rather the sheer force of will to channel the very limits of her stolen power. Through the field, you feel it; Uzu, the reigns that rob her of free will passed from Yurei's hands, and into Francine's. The hijacked Uzu disappears, subsumed into the obliterating vortex that is your own Spiral, empowered to heights you can only dream of by the power's true master. Niku and Gemma escape the spiral's pull, and you watch as the earth just *drops*, pulling Penny along with it as, with Uzu's own hand, Yurei's forces are brought to a catastrophic end.

>>Uzu, Holly, Johanna, Eloise, Kosi, Bella, Penny: ANNIHILATED

November dashes by you, racing to Rath's side as you throw the Core into her waiting grasp. In a single fluid motion, you watch Heather Neeson's core eject and her slide the fresh one in, armor rippling like the broken surface of a formerly still pond as a blast of chill air sweeps across the moor.

Yurei, standing tall, her pale, ghostly aura flaring to life once more as Gemma, and Niku join her side, Hera rolling by you in a ball of limbs as your Knightlings grapple with the swarm of twisted hands. Your Contender reload, fresh rounds sliding into waiting chambers as you watch your foe's aura shifts from a haunting blue, to a caustic yellow, to a mournful...

No.

Please, no.

(Continued)
>>
>>3855889
Isabelle incoming.
>>
>>3855889

Yurei's eyes flicker with anger as a shape begins to form to her right, slender arms and short, dark hair coalescing out of the ether, drawing the Fleshscape up to form a solid form with purposeful haste.

You're almsot glad Rath isn't conscious to witness the girl that now stands between you and Yurei, ten meters separating you from the girl that would have been god, that would have been the winner...that could have been your friend.

Isabelle opens her eyes, and dull, sad emeralds meet yours.

"You chose this, Defiant." Yurei calls out from across the moor, pushing her hair out of her face and smearing a trickle of blood from her wrist through her scalp. "Your journey, your choices...they led you here. To me. To the only one who can put a stop to the chaos you're going to unleash upon our world."

She glares at you, but your eyes...your vision's filled with verdant regret.

"I'm going to make this world a better place...at any cost."

HP: 628% (+510% [Dominus: Active], Matron, Whistle: RHO CUNT. Halo:SPENT.)
BIO: 1620% (+110%, 2x Bishop [Julia/Dorian, 1 ROUND LEFT], 5x Sub-Platelings, 16x Double-Knighted Grapplings, 1x Rook, 6x Knighted Gurrenlings, Stealthed Drilling x1, 31/45)
CONTENDER: Gemini Maxims. FIRST & SECOND: Empty.
RAVENOUS MAW: Primed.
HUNDRED-HANDED: None.
ACT: 3/3

GG: 653% (110%, SPD: +750%, Interitus, Spine, Uzi, Jester’s: EQUIPPED)
RATH: [DEATH SAVING THROWS: 2 SUCCESSES, 4 FAILURES] (Dorian's Familiar Manifesting)
JULIA: 1203% (90%, Tractus, Halo:PRIMED)
DORIAN: 1240% (265x2%, Caelorum, Mites [1 ROUND LEFT], Rebuke, Montags. ELEC x0, Halo:PRIMED)
AMARA: [STABILIZED] (Dorian's Familiar Manifesting)
NOVEMBER: 3270% (500%, Dainsleif(Arm), Pharynx(Head), Margraves Sword(Arm), Pharynx Charges x0)
FRAN: 535% (120x2%, Uzi, Mites [1 ROUND LEFT], Margrave: FRAN)

YUREI HP: 3729%
BIO: 8281%
ACTs: 6/6
Threat: Close. DD's Active; Isabelle, SIlvis, Gemma, Niku, Hera. (IMMUNE: Stun, Terrain, Acid, Slashing, Cold. 2x Parabellum, BALANCE x1)

>>Please reload Contenders with one free round each.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Thank you all so much for your continued participation, enthusiasm, and patience. Voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume in fifteen, give or take.)

(I will be posting November's Tier 5 Core stat sheet shortly to allow for proper planning, and if you have any other questions, then please let me know. I'll be around a little while longer this evening before I try and catch up on the sleep I missed last night, so anything I don't address tonight, I'll tackle first thing in the morning. Rest well, Gentlemen. You are the best group of players I could possibly hope for.)
>>
>>3855904
well thats game. not 'all' bad my ass BHOP.

geezus we couldn't even get 500 damage on Yurei.

honestly best i can see for us is November getting a T5 Autumn Protocol off on Yurei. i cant see us winning this unless we somehow kill her this turn, and i just dont know how that could happen.

>>3855910
did the Barbers do nothing then? thought they had already taken care of their own Dream Daughters, so did they just leave?
>>
>>3855904
Bhop. I know it's hard to ask of you but I would like to know where everyone is in terms of situational positioning.

Also, what are the Barbers doing? Are they all tangled up by their own dream daughters?
>>
>>3855910
(Also, please ignore the stack of BALANCE that's still active on Yurei's section of the sheet.)

>>3855914
(Rosa and company have almost finished with their Dream Daughters and will be coming to your aide shortly, whenever they end the last of their foes.)

>>3855916
(From where you stand; Isabelle is a medium distance from you, with Yurei, Gemma, Niku, and Hera a close distance behind her. Silvis is in melee with Julia, a long distance to the south of you. A long distance to your right is the pit, and a bit further away from there are the mansion ruins, with Rosa and company fighting their Dream Daughters close by. Dorian and November are close to you, with Rath a medium distance to your left.)
>>
Okay, tabulating Carnivorous Carver bonuses

>>3855866
>>Mulvath, Vultha, Sororitas: ANNIHILATED
Eight enemies down. +8 ACTs, +240% Damage, +240% Critical Chance, +240% Critical Damage

>>3855885
>>[RATH DEATH SAVING THROWS: 1 SUCCESS, 4 FAILURES]
One ally down. +1 ACT. +30% Defense, +indeterminate resistance to critical hits and limb severance

>>Cheruem: ANNIHILATED
One enemy down. +1 ACT, +30% Damage, +30% Critical Chance, +30% Critical Damage

>>[AMARA DEATH SAVING THROW: 2 SUCCESSES, 2 FAILURES]
One ally down. +1 ACT. +30% Defense, +indeterminate resistance to critical hits and limb severance

>>3855889
>>Uzu, Holly, Johanna, Eloise, Kosi, Bella, Penny: ANNIHILATED
Seven enemies down. +7 ACTs, +210% Damage, +210% Critical Chance, +210% Critical Damage

Total: +18 ACTs, +580% Damage, +580% Critical Chance, +580% Critical Damage, +60% Defense, +indeterminate resistance to critical hits and limb severance

For this one turn, Julia is a god. That might be enough to turn it around. Twenty ACTs, every attack at least a fifth order critical, massively boosted damage alongside that...if there's anyone that can kill B'Ni before she gives us trouble, it's going to be Julia.

>>3855910
Ah, thank you, BHOP, I was just about to ask about Tier Five.

Well, thanks for running, BHOP. We're in a bad position, but I'm still confident we can turn this around. It's just gonna be a hard one.
>>
>>3855923
Where's Gina and Amara?
>>
>>3855926
(Ah, apologies. Gina is on the opposite side of the Spiral in melee with Lepisma, while Amara is close to Julia and Silvis.)
>>
>>3855925
Soroitas count as one unit. I'm sorry to say.
>>
>>3855929
Is Marco here? I haven't seen any mention of the tank since it showed up.
>>
>>3855925
Also, Amara's been stabilized.
>>
>>3855930
(For the function of Julia's calculations, they do in fact count as separate entities.)

>>3855932
(Yes, the tank is here. It's been kind of hard to slide it in, but I've been having it make strikes on the trap to deal damage in the absence of other orders, since targeting anyone else would throw off visuals for any plans you've made.)
>>
>>3855930
Do they? I thought that was only for ordering them in combat and not for purposes of how many of them count as being there. Well, if that's the case, it lowers the bonuses considerably, but Julia's still godlike right now. Fifteen ACTs, +430% Damage, Critical Chance and Critical Damage, +60% Defense and indeterminate resistance to criticals and limb severance. That's still really good.

>>3855933
She was still downed, that's what triggers it.

>>3855938
>(For the function of Julia's calculations, they do in fact count as separate entities.)
Haha, nice. Okay, I suggest that we unspool the Cutis Tractus into long range strike capability, make four attacks against every single target in the area. Won't get the benefit of the claws except on Silvis since he's close enough for them, but will get the Flesh Artisan and Gluttonous attacks. Yurei can resist the Flesh Artisan stuff because it's stack-based, but how does she do against superheated electrified skin trying to eat her?
>>
>>3855904
Reload with two Honey B.33 Rounds. Crowd Control is more important than ever.
>>
>>3855904
right, know we still need to see Novembers new duds, but personally i cant see it changing at its base what she needs to do here, only how much or the best method to do it.

so, first Draft. hardly great, but i do think the overall point and idea does have merit and is our best chance to win this, its only a matter of what details or methods might better get us our opening we need

and again, First Draft for a reason afterall, im not expecting no changes, from myself and others;

SHU;
>Contender Free Rounds; Honey BBs.
>Using a Mix of Grapplings and Honey BB rounds, fire at both sides and into both sets of Daughters around Yurei, and pull them away from her to clear a path.
>Then, do everything you can with yourself to distract and keep Isabelle still. Give November her chance, even if it takes everything you have. ISabelle needs to be removed from protecting Yurei, at all costs.

GINA;
>Stun Lepisma and Then use everything you can to finish her off. Terraform wave after wave as you need and can to crush her into pulp while melting her into slag with acid.

NOVEMBER;
>Get the Dainsleif into Isabelle, or even just into her grasp, either will work. Then, immediately pull her towards you by returning the Dainsleif, but instead Nova Lunge Sideways and past her to get to Yurei. But wait til your moment to act.
>Have MArco be ready with the tank. His goal is to aim sure with the biggest Nova Lunge he has to hit Isabelle with the Tanks full weight and send her as far away as possible with himself.


JULIA and NOVEMBER;
>Once Dorian frees you up, tear away from Silvis and Rush for Yurei, using Dorian and your Cutis Tractus to slingshot yourself as hard and fast as you can at her.
>Bring yourself hard and fast down on Yurei, with everything you got. Force her to use her Teleport to get away from you, giving November her moment.
>As soon as Yurei Teleports, Burn bright November and Tackle her, then point blank a Tier 5 Autumn Protocol into her. It's our only chance.

DORIAN;
>Switch with Julia, Use Threads and Scythes alike to tear through his limbs and keep him busy. We need Julia free, she is Key here.


FRANCINE;
>Literally no idea im drawing a blank, but thats what first drafts and discussion is for.

RATH;
>Out of Action

AMARA;
>Out of Action
>>
>>3855949
If we can stabilize Rath she's back in the fight. Font of Suffering means she's only knocked out for as long as it takes her to make the saves, once she's stable she just gets back up. Heals some damage, too. We should have Francine do that, if you're drawing a blank on what to do with her. Have her stabilize Rath and give her some Health via Creation's Strings.
>>
>>3855949
>Rath and Amara
We can control the MATRON and SIBLING that are being spawned from Rath and Amara. Have the Matrons and Siblings get away from the battlefield.

>Gina
Gina's in a 1v1 against Lepisma right? Why don't we have her use a Dominion Leash and tag Lepisma with it via line-of-sight Neuromancy, then ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL?

>>3855938
Question: with Isabelle being spawned, is she spawned with the version of her that managed to gain Ozma's powers?
>>
>>3855963
Gina can only hijack Constructs, these things Yurei has spawned do not count.

id have no idea what to do with the Matrons, besides the one from Amara helping Dorian with Silvis.

>>3855961
that works, though Francine herself doesn't have much to give here. i guess we can put the Dominous on Rath to help though.
>>
>>3855973

>Gina can only hijack Constructs, these things Yurei has spawned do not count.

>AMETHYST JACK (Lvl 5): Control, domination, and rule of law. At a cost of 30% BIO, Gina may now summon a Dominion Leash, a greatly reinforced and incredibly sturdy short-ranged tendril. Upon jacking in to a foe with the Leash, she may forgo inflicting paralysis to instead attempt a hostile takeover the foe's actions in their entirety, though unlike with a typical cord, there is a strong possibility to synaptic feedback due to the attunement of two minds. Allies may be Leashed into as well, allowing Gina to move otherwise incapacitated teammates and granting her the ability to fuel their abilities with her own pool of biomass. (BIO +30%)

It doesn't say the classification restrictions anon. it just says "Foe".

>>3855938
Bhop, can we have your ruling on this? Is it possible for Gina to Hijack a manifest Dream Daughter with her Dominion Leash?
>>
>>3855973
>Gina can only hijack Constructs, these things Yurei has spawned do not count.
Not actually true, she can hijack anyone. It's just that it's a concentration effect if used on things other than constructs, so between only being able to concentrate on one thing at a time and her lack of non-Neuromancy abilities it wasn't useful. But she's got the Spine and non-Neuromantic abilities, now, it's viable. Crap, maybe we should have thought of that earlier. Turned one of the Puppet Daughters against Yurei.

Oh, what if we use it on B'Ni? B'Ni doesn't want to be here fighting us, she wants to sleep, that's probably why Yurei was struggling to manifest her (that and B'Ni gets a bonus against Neuromantic effects thanks to Secluded Mind). We could jack into her with a Neon Ascendant Dominion Leash, take advantage of that unwillingness to work for Yurei in order to help turn her loose from her control.
>>
>>3855981
(She absolutely may.)

>>3855963
(She is not. She's the version you fought on the beach just before Gina died, but scaled to your level.)
>>
>>3855981
>>3855984
fair enough.

the issue is she has to get past Lepisma to get a shot at B'ni though. also doesn't B'ni have some strong anti-Neuromancy defenses?
>>
>>3855987
oh thank fuck. i mean, shes still a fucking boss of a monster, but as least she isnt Ozma god level boss of a monster.

still though, she was a damn powerful threat still at that point, and scaled up is without a doubt still one of the most dangerous daughters she could throw at us, Hexxane included there. she still needs to NOT be around Yurei.
>>
>>3855987
>(She is not. She's the version you fought on the beach just before Gina died, but scaled to your level.)
Oh, that's not as bad. We may actually get to pull off the "hijack a clone construct to reflect her own anti-regen crits back at her" strategy this time around.
>>
>>3855987
>(She is not. She's the version you fought on the beach just before Gina died, but scaled to your level.)
Oh, that's not nearly as worrying, then. We were doing decently against that B'Ni and only failed because we misunderstood how Spe Aeterni Fonti interacts with the Dreamscape. I feel confident Shu could actually solo that B'Ni, now, even with her being strengthened to our current level. Granted, we don't need the additional distraction, it's still bad, but nowhere neat as worrying as it could be.

>>3855988
She has a bonus to resist Neuromancy, yes. The question is if Yurei can use her own Neuromancy to make someone resist another person's Neuromancy, when that person is already resisting Yurei's Neuromancy.

Also, isn't Tier Five when November's Mind of Steel starts passively fucking up enemy Neuromancy just for being in the same area as her? That might be a valuable tool, let's see how that goes when BHOP posts her updated sheet.
>>
>>3855987
oh.

>>3855988
Yes, but look at yurei's Bio. It was 10,218% in the previous round, Now it's 8281%. Aside from dealing damage and using abilities, she's spent almost 2000% bio to extract Isabelle. That's a very hefty cost considering that Isabelle's abilities contain heavy neuromantic defenses.

Also, Even though you're gonna call me out on it and say I'm retardedly stupid for advocating for this move. Can we take the time to talk to Isabelle and put a Dominion Leash onto Isabelle? Tell her that "we're sorry for putting her through this, for letting Yurei disturb her well deserved sleep. It pains you to see her manifested in a way that defiles her wishes. Please, let me through."
>>
>>3855998
Tier 5 Mind of steel might include Phantasmal Conduit defenses. Lets wait and see.
>>
>>3855998
well, lets hope her being a braindead-ish version of herself and Gina being so high level with Neuromancy now that she can punch past it i suppose.

Ive got a decent Draft Two ready but ill wait for Novembers sheet to see if it gives any 'must use' options. though im still kinda doubtful, but would be more than happy to be wrong.


>>3856004
no. we simply dont have time and BHOP utterly ignoring us trying to talk to them or see if they could be talked to earlier implies while under Yurei's control it may aswell not even be them at all in there.

maybe if BHOP hadnt made it clear they cant even be sensed properly, but then again we may of played this entire thing differently if they could be too. but still. i literally dont even think she would hear us, and we dont have time, or the leash to spare.
>>
>>3855961
>>3855963
oh wait, Dorians Familiars can stabilize people. though i suppose Francine still needs to give Rath Health so moot point, the Familiar might be better spent elsewhere.

also i think in the past BHOP has said we cant directly control them, but maybe that was because Dorian was downed?
>>
>>3856008
Good point then. But I do want to say "I'm sorry Isabelle" to Isabelle since she's been manifested against her own will and all that.

I have a thought. Hera's Hundred Arms are classified as Constructs right? What if we had Dorian scythe through her arms since Dorian's naturally a Construct killer?

>>3856015
Can we have Francine apply the final charge of Regeneration Mites on Rath once Rath is stabilized somehow? or have the Familiars apply the Regeneration mites in order to get Rath back up on her feet faster.
>>
>>3856008
(Yurei had a very tight hold on them earlier, since her concentration was still quite undisturbed. But yes, they are the actual Dream Daughters that are present in the beings before you. That's all I'll say on that point.)

>>3856015
(If Dorian is still active, then they will respond to your commands. It's by no means perfect, but general orders will be followed as best as they can manage.)
>>
>>3856027
>>3856008
oh wonderful. Anon, I would like to point out that we have 14 swarmling slots that have yet to be used. Why don't we spend 10 of those slots making Cicadalings that constantly disrupt Yurei's concentration instead of firing cicada bullets?
>>
>>3856025
>I have a thought. Hera's Hundred Arms are classified as Constructs right? What if we had Dorian scythe through her arms since Dorian's naturally a Construct killer?
Maybe. She's also got Phantom Limbs, which don't count as constructs, it's complicated. On the other hand, Dorian is also a dismemberment specialist, so he can probably cut those off, too.

Also, I just remembered that Masque of War prevents teleportation outside it. It wasn't viable to trap Yurei within it when it was such a target-rich environment, she'd have plenty of people within to swap with, but now I think we should have him switch to it. While attacking Yurei with his Threads (something we established in the Lepisma fight that he's capable of doing while in mist form) to grapple her and further impede her movement. It even disrupts psychic communication, which may loosen Yurei's grip on her puppets.
>>
>>3856025
can we use Relics like that during combat if not pre-equipped?

Dorian needs to free up Julia, as i dont think any other threat but Julia is potent enough to get Yurei to use her teleport. Julia or November(hopefully for gods sake November) NEED to get on Yurei and get on her hard, but they are also the only two left a big enough threat to get her to use her teleport so the other has an opening.

Hera i dont think is such a threat to waste Dorian on either. shes strong, they all are, but shes still a very one trick pony we can deal with because of that. also much less of a threat than a Hexxane.

>>3856027
alright on the Matrons.

unsure what to do with that first part honestly, we still dont really have wiggle room to hope we can get through to them i think. Gina i guess i still have going for Isabelle(potentially), so maybe id be willing to change that to 'actually try and give Isabelle control' instead.

>>3856032
well, it was implied very heavily those slots are part of the 'keep Isabelle distracted and ready for November' bit. Isabelle is just so strong even at that lower state i dont see anything we spawn lasting long enough to specify what we spawn, we're just gonna be replacing it in a few seconds.
>>
>>3856033
good point on Dorian, but my worry is she will clearly know not to stay in it, and it will be a wasted effort and not give November her opening. he also simply wont be able to do anywhere near as much as Julia could to her, which is why Julia is a good pick. really, it would be best to get all three on her, but Silvis is no slouch still and we need someone to at least hold him off, especially with Amara right there, and im very doubtful a Marton will be enough.
>>
>>3856039
>>3855914
My only issue with firing the Autumn Protocol is that Yurei could spend 2 acts putting a BALANCE stack on November and then consuming it the moment November fires the Autumn Protocol. the Autumn Protocol is such a big move that could easily backfire given Yurei's ability to redirect damage. For that I have to veto that. There's also the fact that it's likely November getting a T5 Forge core will give her 5 ACTs this round and give us the Winterfall Initiative which We don't even know what it is.
>>
>>3856039
Dorian blocks anyone trying to leave in any way, not just teleportation. You can't just walk out of the Masque of War, not easily. Combine it with him grappling Yurei with his threads and Julia grappling Yurei with Cutis Tractus, and I think this could work. The only hard part would be keeping Dorian from taking damage if November does go supernova on Yurei. Julia can wrap herself in the Cutis Tractus to become heat immune, but Dorian probably can't deal with a plasma cannon going through his middle all too well, even in mist form.
>>
>>3856039
Also, Julia has twenty ACTs this turn, can burn Health (which she's still quite high on) to deal extra attacks, and all of her attacks are at minimum a quintuple-critical. I think Silvis is going down fast. Have Julia take a single ACT and spend 80% Health to hit Silvis seventeen times, I think he'll be dead.
>>
>>3856046
look at our team, whats left to take out, and the state Yurei is still in. we dont have any other choice. November might be immune and if we switch Julia for Dorian, Dorains armor makes him immune to Stacks, so all November would POSSIBLY have to do is not get touched, which i think we can do.

when you look at the Statues and how many the T3 Autumn did, its entirely probably it did more than 4000% Health damage total to them. this is a T5 Autumn Protocol. we literally have no other option left to win this, we cannot take no another two Rounds of this, we might barely be able to take this round. the numbers and entire fight has shown that. we end this this round, or we lose, and thats our only way of doing it.

>>3856047
we cant do that though. Silvis is still alive. unless you think one Matron can hold out and keep Amara safe until the second one arrves and both at least hold him off, we HAVE to leave someone to fight Silvis, unless you want Amara to die.

also Dorian could use that one Family Tech to dome Yurei fully with Julia, then re-mist form right as its the best chance for November to fire. he may take damage but hitting Yurei with the Protocol could actually very viably overkill this fight to an end. and we need this fight to end.

>>3856049
maybe but it still is her being held up and distracted. every second counts in these situations, and Julia is far from fast, especially with Cutis on her.
>>
>>3856054
>also Dorian could use that one Family Tech to dome Yurei fully with Julia, then re-mist form right as its the best chance for November to fire. he may take damage but hitting Yurei with the Protocol could actually very viably overkill this fight to an end. and we need this fight to end.
Also a possibility, I was considering it as part of the general "trap Yurei with Masque of War idea but didn't go into specifics. I think it could work, especially since Julia is actually immune to Heat damage right now. Cutis Tractus gives two levels of resistance, and we now have confirmation that two levels of resistance is the same as immunity. So if Julia gets entangled with Yurei November can fire the Autumn Protocol (or whatever super-weapon the Winterfall Initiative is) straight at her and she'll be fine. We just have to keep Dorian safe somehow. Blarg. If only we had a way to buff people with damage resistances that would work on an incorporeal cloud of mist. Can't put plateling armor on mist.

>maybe but it still is her being held up and distracted. every second counts in these situations, and Julia is far from fast, especially with Cutis on her.
Isn't she? I mean, she has twenty ACTs. Doesn't that correspond to being pretty fast, if she can get so many actions off in the same time frame as the rest of us only get off a couple? I'm not quite clear how ACT number interacts with initiative and timing of attacks, but I think that having so many ACTs should count for something in terms of speed, otherwise you get this weird situation where she takes the same amount of time to do things as she always would, and so everyone else just pauses while she does twenty attacks.
>>
>>3856060
(I'm going to level with you, Anon; This is the first time literally any Daughter has ever had this many ACTs at their disposal. Julia is a terrifyingly fast badger-monk, and I am waiting with baited breath to see which way you point her hellish fury.)
>>
>>3856060
nah, from what we have seen, ACTs have nothing to do with speed, just raw ability to do things. you would think so, but ACTs count have never shown to actually allow one to do anything sooner in initiative or speedier than another. like, for instance, even in this fight, Yurei despite having at least 5 ACTs still really hasn't been shown to be any quicker on the draw in actually doing things, all of it is just her being smart or her Ability itself being quick, but theres still plenty of times shes lost out and shown to have to tank things, even very potentially more of her ACTs then not being overwritten. but if simply having ACTs added to speed and initiative, you should be seeing more of her actions happening first, id argue.

and i agree and am revising to do the Dorian, Julia, November plan.

>>3856063
wait, so it does? is it just a super minuscule amount then? because like i said above, it really has never felt like more ACTs at all makes one faster, even in this fight. our problems with Yurei have actually not at all been speed related, even in actions.
>>
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>>3856063
LITERALLY any? As in, even counting the daughters of previous crucibles?
>We're reaching levels of fast the crucible never thought was possible
>>
>>3856063
Oh, that's lovely, then. She's also on fire and electrified (two damage types that Yurei has not made herself immune to, so even more lovely) thanks to Elemental Digestion, so she's really more of a badger-shaped meteor. Very nice image, we've conjured here.

Alright, then, is she fast enough that if we spent Health to hit Silvis with seventeen attacks it wouldn't impeded the rest of the "tackle Yurei into the Horror At Red Hook" plan?
>>
>>3855914
The problem with getting any major hit off on Yurei is that she keeps switching places with her expendable soldiers.
>>
>>3856065
(Basically, she's breaking the game. The system is structured around a participant having, at most, 6 ACTs. There's no other way to depict this other than a ludicrous burst of speed, when her initiative comes around. She won't be going first, but she will absolutely be doing the most things during this next round.)

>>3856066
(Yes. In any Crucible, ever.)

>>3856070
(Just with me eyeballing what she's capable of right now, you'll be fine.)
>>
>>3856072
thats why we're going to have Dorian Masque and Dome her. both those impede teleportation and movement out of them heavily.

>>3856074
alright.
>>
>>3856063
>>3856054
>>3856060
>>3856066
Oh shit. I just remembered. Julia's Core ability: Scultpress of Flesh.
It's a stacking based ability. and- fuck. 13 stacks is still Julia's maximum limit. If Julia had Manus Caelorum, then She could basically freeze everyone in place by rapidly applying stacks and getting it to 15 stacks. Can we have Dorian zoom over to Julia and give her manus Caelorum?

Julia has 20 Acts, and she can burn 80% health to attack 17 times and have a high chance of putting 8 stacks, spend 1 act to double a the stack count to 15 (which freezes the victim due to Rigor Dermis), then move onto the next victim. The only issue is that Isabelle could flat out remove the stacks with her core ability.

>>3856074
Can I get a massive "REEEEEEEEEEEEE/WRRRRYYYYY" out of Julia as her warcry when her turn comes in the initiative count in the next round?
>>
>>3856079
Yurei is immune to that, and shes really all that matters. id think changing relics is a slow process we cant really do right now.
>>
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(Gentlemen, for your consideration; November, Core Tier 5.)

https://pastebin.com/vkTSWRmY

>>3856079
(I thought you'd never ask.)
>>
(Gentlemen, I am afraid I must turn in for the evening. I wish you a restful night's sleep, and I look forward to reading your plans and questions in the morning.)
>>
>>3856086
By golly I hope it catches EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. Such a feat where having more than three times the Action limit allowed in the crucible in a single round would make Ozmas pay attention.
>>
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>>3856063
>Julia right now
>>
>>3856088
have a good night BHOP.

>>3856086
wel, this is all good, and she did get some very potent things, i still dont think any of them are a better option for us to use at this moment. maybe if she had had it since the beginning, but now? i still dont see any option being better, only making her more potent now for what we need her to do. nothing wrong with that though.
>>
>MIND OF PLATINUM: November has COMPLETE IMMUNITY against Neuromancer and Phantasmal Conduit abilities. ADDITIONALLY, Neuro-Phantasmal abilities used against November have a CERTAIN chance to recoil on the user, dealing greatly increased critical failure damage and a 100% chance to score a critical hit. Now at its peak, this ability automatically disrupts any Neuro-Phantasmal abilities that foes within medium range are currently concentrating on, and deals constant RADIANT damage to November's foe as long as they attempt to maintain concentration on ANY ability while within MIND OF PLATINUM's area-of-effect.

>auto disrupts any Phantasmal Conduit concentration effects within Medium range.
>Exalted Samsara (Phantasmal Conduit/Hive Mistress Hybrid, MAX)
>Exalted Samsara is a Phantasmal Conduit type ability

Yurei is so fucked in the ass right now.
>>
>>3856074
>(Yes. In any Crucible, ever.)
Wow. Lucky number 777 is breaking the mold in a lot of ways.

>(Just with me eyeballing what she's capable of right now, you'll be fine.)
Oh, yeah, that's going to be cool, then. I'm going to choose to imagine this as Julia running straight through Silvis, her attacks landing so fast that he disintegrates into a cloud of gore before her.

>>3856086
Just to confirm, does Yurei have to have concentration on her puppets? You said something about the Dream Daughters's wills being a bit less suppressed since Yurei isn't able to focus as much on them, so does that mean that Mind of Platinum just knocked out her control?

>>3856088
Good night, BHOP. Sleep well.
>>
>>3856088
How badly is Mind of Platinum screwing with Yurei's ability to maintain control on the Dream daughters?
>>
>>3856104
>>3856101
(Oh, you'll see the effects of the concentration disruption soon enough.)
>>
>>3856109
I look forward to it. Whatever's going to happen, it won't be what Yurei's expecting, and that's all that we need.

>>3856110
>Have Julia just go nuts on her, using Health to make each ACT a flurry of attacks, as you work her down and into position, being relentless in setting her up where you want her.
Honestly, this part may on its own be enough. Julia can burn enough Health to do several hundred attacks, all of them quintuple-critical with massively boosted base and critical damage. With Yurei unable to teleport out, I could see her dying just from the angry flaming badger mauling her.
>>
no im not sorry for the Bamboozles let me post both parts damnit.
>>
>>3855949
>>3855904
SHU;
>”And we’ll give our all to stop someone as pure evil as you Yurei, no matter the outcome.”
>Contender Free Rounds; Honey BBs.
>Switch your second Dominous to Rath, if it's not already there or was cut, if she gets back up.
>Using a Mix of Grapplings and Honey BB rounds, fire at both sides and into both sets of Daughters around Yurei, and pull them away from her to clear a path.
>Then, do everything you can with yourself to distract and keep Isabelle still. Scream Cicadas and Parabellums at her, Swarm her with your free Swarmling slots, corral her with tongue and hands alike. Give November her chance, even if it takes everything you have. Isabelle needs to be removed from protecting Yurei, at all costs.
>If you are able to, and Isabelle is properly flown away via Tank as an issue, quickly use anything you have left in you to keep anything else off of November and from helping Yurei. Your family needs their opening.

GINA;
>Stun Lepisma and Then use everything you can to finish her off. Terraform wave after wave as you need and can to crush her into pulp while melting her into slag with acid.
>If Rath and Francine are able to free you up in time, Rush into the ground to sneak up on Isabelle, and hijack her, but if you can, try and free her from Yurei’s Control instead.
>Regardless, send Isabelle a message, from you, Shu, and everyone. “We’re sorry we let her do this, we’re sorry you had to go through this. We’ll make sure she can never do it again, promise.”

FRANCINE;
>Stabilize Rath, and Even out your Health pools, even if you don't have much to give.
>Send your Swarm to harass the Dream Daughters left and trapped by Shus opening grapples, while also trying to help make the Grapple happen.
>Help Rath with Lepisma, if and once she is stable.
>Afterwards, Help the Matrons with the other Dream Daughters, unless Gina ends up needing help with Isabelle.

>MATRONS;
>Focus on freeing up Julia first.
>Then, focus on distracting the two balls of Dream Daughters Shu made, keep them off everyone's backs.

RATH;
>Out of Action
>If you get back up, Go and Help Gina take down Lepisma, to free her up.
>If you can afterwards, help the Matrons with the other Dream Daughters, unless Gina ends up needing help with Isabelle.

(1/2)
>>
>>3856123
>>3855904
NOVEMBER;
>Get the Dainsleif into Isabelle, or even just into her grasp, either will work. Then, immediately pull her towards you by returning the Dainsleif, but instead Nova Lunge Sideways and past her to get to Yurei. But wait til your moment to act.
>Have Marco be ready with the tank. His goal is to aim sure with the biggest Nova Lunge he has to hit Isabelle with the Tanks full weight and send her as far away as possible with himself.

JULIA and DORIAN;
>Quickly spam Health to smash down Silvis with a single Act.
>Dorian should be quickly heading for Julia the entire time, with him using Threads and Julia Cutis Tractus to meet in the middle and cut the necessary time down to as minimal as possible, to turn and get to Yurei.

JULIA, DORIAN, and NOVEMBER;
>Get HORROR at RED HOOK up around Yurei, isolate her.
>Have Julia just go nuts on her, using Health to make each ACT a flurry of attacks, as you work her down and into position, being relentless in setting her up where you want her.
>Combine Dorians Threads and Julia's Cutis Grapple, along with just Julias raw power. Burn your Frozen Fury stacks at just the right moment to Force Yurei to hold still and keep her where she must be.
>At just the right moment, when November is ready, open up the Dome into just Masque form, and have November Tackle Yurei, unleashing a point blank Autumn Protocol into her, using her Talons to hold her tight.
>BURN. THIS. BITCH.

AMARA;
>Out of Action
>Send an empathic message to Amara from the Family ‘You did good Amara, we’re proud of you.’

(2/2)

There, Second Draft.
>>
>>3856124
>>Dorian should be quickly heading for Julia the entire time, with him using Threads and Julia Cutis Tractus to meet in the middle and cut the necessary time down to as minimal as possible, to turn and get to Yurei.
I'm not sure Dorian extending his Threads works. He needs two ACTs to set up Red Hook, he wouldn't have the time to help sling Julia around. We'll just have to hope that she's fast enough, what with being able to spend three ACTs and still have sixteen left after this for punching Yurei.
>>
>>3856131
i Guess.
>>
>>3856124
>>3856123
Shouldn't we accommodate the fact that Yurei's Exalted Samsara might be Neutralized just from November being within Medium range of Yurei? If Yurei loses control of the Dream daughters, we could take advantage of the opening to alphastrike Yurei.
>>
>>3856155
i dont think its worth the risk, as she might not really have to actually concentrate on them to have them act in her favor, only protect them perhaps. but its still a risk that November alone wont just solve the Dream Daughter issue.

prepare for the worst, hope for the best. BHOP will put the ACTs to good use id imagine if some go uneeded, but planning for those ACTs being free with on plan for if they aren't first at least seems like a bad idea.
>>
>>3855904

EVERYONE:
>If Yurei's hold on the Dream daughters is broken and Dream Daughters don't oppose us, Those that can still fight should redirect their focus on alpha striking Yurei.
>If Yurei's hold on the Dream daughters is not broken, Proceed with the plan.

SHU
>Free action:
>"And that's why you'll fail Yurei. Because you're willing to sacrifice your mind, your body, and your humanity. All of that just to climb into a god-damned chair in the sky and reenact 'The Matrix'. And we all know what happens at the end of the Matrix Trilogy, The Matrix breaks down."
>"No one man should have all that power."
>Free action: Free Contender reload: 2 Honey B.33 rounds.
>Fire the honey B.33 Rounds at Niku (Gemma's skin will just eat the bullets, Hera will simply catch the bullets), then Harpoon Stab with the Contender Niku to proc the Short Fuse and detonate the B.33 Round immediately.
>Grapplings should Corral the Dream Daughters with Hundred handed grapples, Have several grapplings grab Yurei and bind her limbs with several Arm locks, Leg locks, and Full Nelson holds. The Knightlings should also Grapple Isabelle to keep her from Splitting into multiple clones with Resentment's Mirror. Keep Isabelle in one piece. Spawn another Bishop, have it attach itself to Julia.
>Do everything you can do keep the Dream Daughters and Yurei pre-occupied.

GINA:
>Stun Lepisma and Terraform the swamp water to trap Lepisma inside a floating water prison of Acid. Lepisma can tunnel through the ground, but can she swim?
>Assist Shu by Terraforming the Terrain to lock their feet with weights.

NOVEMBER
>Nova Lunge Isabelle and Impale Isabelle with the Dainsleif.
>Then throw the Dainsleif away as hard as you can. With Isabelle impaled on it. Thus Yeeting Isabelle and making her irrelevant.
>Then Nova Lunge Back into the Fray where Niku and Gemma remain, swing your Margrave Sword at Gemma with the aim to decapitate her mid Nova Lunge.
>Break out the 'Spooky' Minigun, Mow Hera down.

MARCO (and Metal Slug)
>Nova Lunge, Ram the Honey Ball and carry it as far away from Yurei.

DORIAN
>Transform into Masque of War.
>When Julia Enters range, Initiate Horror at Red Hook on Yurei.

JULIA
>Go Ham. Kill Silvis.
>Once Silvis is out of the way (or dead), Focus on Yurei, Grapple her with Cutis Tractis and pull yourself towards her, Then Tackle her into the Center of Dorian's Masque of War.
>Horror at Red Hook. emphasis on HORROR. Activate Seasonal Depression, Burn your Frozen Fury. All out attack. No mercy. Stab Yurei like a psycho because piercing damage bypasses her adaptive immunities.

FRANCINE
>Stabilize Rath
>Send your Swarms to Harass/Attack any Dream Daughters still under Yurei's control.

RATH
>If you get back up, do what you can to help.

AMARA
>If conscious, pull the Shawl over you so you can hide.
>If you have bio to spare and willing to risk it, cast a spell of your choice, otherwise stay put and rest.
>[You did a great job out there Amara, we're proud of you]
>>
>>3856250
this is a terrible plan. you're still doing exactly what she wants, and shes tanked stupid damage before. Relying and hoping Julia will be enough alone, not matter how pumped up she is, is just asking for Yurei to have one last trick and highly underestimating how much that Halo has made her able to take.
>>
>>3856344
My plan isn't all that different from YOUR plan if you bothered to compare and contrast the objectives! Different methodology, same results that we both are aiming for!

I worded it differently and wanted to try different options, But no, you straight up said my plan is a shitty plan just because of a few differences. Were you expecting me to be your yes-man?
>>
>>3856355
nice baseless accusations. i read your plan several times over, and was speaking to it as a whole, not as individual parts. by completely changing Novembers Actions and changing focus off of Isabelle in many regards, your plan is basically entirely different at its core purpose and principle. just because you kept some things the same doesn't mean you didn't change enough to change what the purpose and point of the plan was.

you also fully ignored me pointing out what changes and why i thought they were bad and it made a shit plan, congrats on screaming at me about not reading when you yourself didn't at all.

its shitty because those 'few changes' are significant changes and significantly shift the focus of the plan overall. no, i dont expect you do be a yes man, i dont expect anyone to be, hell you have been the biggest one to go against the flow here, and seeing as how we're going baseless accusations, probably just to be different and have 'your own' plan in something made to be done working together, regardless of if it is actually better or not.

its a shit plan and ive said why and i stand by it. you'd jeopardize our victory fully over assumptions on we cant afford to make.
>>
>>3856355
also its not 'my plan', but thanks for revealing exactly your issue i guess. 4 entire characters actions were decided entirely on outside ideas and advice aside from myself, with a 5th heavily influenced by said changes. thats not 'my plan', thats simply 'my vote' being a consolidation of ideas, and the fact you would ignore that so readily seems to me like you just have personal grudges against me that you would ignore anything else over.
>>
>>3856063
Holy. Shit.

I always knew at least one of our party members would be a game breaker, but I never imagined the first one would be Julia.

Gentlemen, we have been reviewing our options as how best to use this walking avatar of death, if only for the next turn. My humble proposal, as opposed to turning her on Isabelle or any of the other constructs:

Why not just sic her on Yurei and end this whole thing with the most glorious series of attacks seen thus far in the whole of Body Horror Quest?
>>
>>3856403
thats one of the things so far agreed upon to do. the major contention at the moment is over trusting her to do it alone and whether to have a backup plan/attack ready just incase she isn't enough or Yurei can somehow subdue her or is still damage resistant to her enough to still negate enough of her onslaught.
>>
>>3856410
Hmm. I see. There is a chance that Yurei might still have more tricks left up her sleeve. But at the same time, I feel as though this opportunity is too good to pass up. This is something that's never happened in any Crucible, ever. It may be a risk, but I believe we should take the following factors into account:

- There are only a handful of daughters left, and we've prepared counters as best we can for them.
- November's newest ability is definitely going to do something against them, we aren't certain yet, but it just might turn the battle in our favor.

And something else I feel we might be forgetting:

- The Barbers are going to be making actions of their own.

With that in consideration, I vote for taking a gamble and putting all of our chips on Operation Death Badger.
>>
>>3856403
That is already the plan(the largest part). She just needs to free herself from the daughter she is already engaged with. Which she can easily do right now.

>>3856250
Amara is out and not gonna get back into the fight anytime soon. She might be able to hear us but wont be able to cast anything.

And we really need to keep Isabelle occupied. The grappeling Knightlings are not gonna cut it. She will still be able to split off clones of herself to fight.

And Novembers Potential is pretty wasted in my opinion. She could achieve much more by just coming close to Yurei while the later is getting hammered by Julia.

To then follow up annihalated Yurei by blasting her with the Autumn protocol while she can not teleport as she will be disrupted by the Platinum mind as well as Masque of War.

>>3856074
Well its a good thing the developers of the Game didnt go over the bug reports. I am sure there are other people that have abused somethign similar.... Not just maybe to this extent. Lets jsut hope it does not get patched out before the battle is over.

>>3856414
Having a backup Plan is never a bad idea. Hell have you ever done anything that had to do with throwing dice? I am pretty sure we all have thrown dice at one point or another

It always is a gamble and when the outcome is life or death........ You make damn sure you stack the odds as much in your favor as you can.
>>
>>3856414
i mean, the two plans right now are;

>>3856123
>>3856124

and

>>3856250


Both of which have Julia after Yurei. the contention is, mine(top) has November being prepared to go after Yurei too, to ensure she dies if Julia isnt enough or something else happens there. mine also was made not ignoring the Barbers are coming to help and can help keep the Dream Daughters off November, Dorian, and Julia so they can all work on Yurei.

the second plan(bottom), ignores what the actual threat is and gives no safety net incase Julia may not be enough on her own, and ignores the Barbers can fill the gaps in our line(which i still dont think we have in Top plan) against the Dream Daughters. it alos ignores Isabelle is our biggest threat of the dream daughters and needs someone on her.
>>
>>3855904
>"I'm going to make this world a better place...at any cost."

You make me sick Yurei.......

I really wish i could project my hands around her neck and wring it till she is within an inch of her life. SHe will destroy the world in an attempt to "safe" it from itself.... And in the end she would look back onto a wasteland of her own making and find herself asking. "What have i done" while she breaks down as there is no one to share the world with anymore

>>3856123
>>3856124
I dont think i can really add anything to this plan. Well thoguht out with several fall back options


One question about the Autumn protocol. Should November tackle her down and unleash it or just hold her in a crushing embrace? But if Yurei gets balance on Julia couldnt she trigger it so Julia was hit instead of herself?

If that happened..... i dont want to think about it


>>3856421
first of all. You are still awake? Have you at least taken a nap?
>>
>>3856444
>>3856355
you make a good point thats an issue in BOTH plans.

i suppose we will have to have Dorian give her the one Relic to defend against that, hope Dorian cant take stacks while misted, and have him prime Slouching Armor for if necessary when November fires. ill work on that now.

otherwise in both plans Julia could easily end up just tearing HERSELF to shreds. albeit for only 5 attacks but that may be enough, as Julia still has less Defense and Health than Yurei by far.

ill get on those changes now.

>first of all. You are still awake? Have you at least taken a nap?
i am awake if you wish to discuss things.
i have taken some of the sleep, but not the longest and i should get more. but for some reason people decided to text me at 1:30 AM and then i saw things here i thought needed to be said, and so here we are.
>>
>>3856123
>>3855904
Third Draft;

SHU;
>”And we’ll give our all to stop someone as evil as you Yurei, no matter the outcome.”
>Contender Free Rounds; Honey BBs.
>Switch your second Dominous to Rath, if it's not already there or was cut, if she gets back up.
>Using a Mix of Grapplings and Honey BB rounds, fire at both sides and into both sets of Daughters around Yurei, and pull them away from her to clear a path.
>Then, do everything you can with yourself to distract and keep Isabelle still. Scream Cicadas and Parabellums at her, Swarm her with your free Swarmling slots, corral her with tongue and hands alike. Give November her chance, even if it takes everything you have. Isabelle needs to be removed from protecting Yurei, at all costs.
>If you are able to, and Isabelle is properly flown away via Tank as an issue, quickly use anything you have left in you to keep anything else off of November and from helping Yurei. Your family needs their opening.

GINA;
>Stun Lepisma and Then use everything you can to finish her off. Terraform wave after wave as you need and can to crush her into pulp while melting her into slag with acid.
>If Rath and Francine are able to free you up in time, Rush into the ground to sneak up on Isabelle, and hijack her, but if you can, try and free her from Yurei’s Control instead.
>Regardless, send Isabelle a message, from you, Shu, and everyone. “We’re sorry we let her do this, we’re sorry you had to go through this. We’ll make sure she can never do it again, promise.”

FRANCINE;
>Stabilize Rath, and Even out your Health pools, even if you don't have much to give.
>Send your Swarm to harass the Dream Daughters left and trapped by Shus opening grapples, while also trying to help make the Grapple happen.
>Help Rath with Lepisma, if and once she is stable.
>Afterwards, Help the Matrons with the other Dream Daughters, unless Gina ends up needing help with Isabelle.

>MATRONS;
>Focus on freeing up Julia first.
>Then, focus on distracting the two balls of Dream Daughters Shu made, keep them off everyone's backs.

RATH;
>Out of Action
>If you get back up, Go and Help Gina take down Lepisma, to free her up.
>If you can afterwards, help the Matrons with the other Dream Daughters, unless Gina ends up needing help with Isabelle.

(1/2)
>>
>>3856456
>>3856124
>>3855904

NOVEMBER;
>Get the Dainsleif into Isabelle, or even just into her grasp, either will work. Then, immediately pull her towards you by returning the Dainsleif, but instead Nova Lunge Sideways and past her to get to Yurei. But wait til your moment to act.
>Have Marco be ready with the tank. His goal is to aim sure with the biggest Nova Lunge he has to hit Isabelle with the Tanks full weight and send her as far away as possible with himself.

JULIA and DORIAN;
>Quickly spam Health to smash down Silvis with a single Act.
>Dorian should be quickly heading for Julia the entire time, with Julia using Cutis Tractus to meet in the middle and cut the necessary time down to as minimal as possible, to turn and get to Yurei.
>Dorian should quickly hand off the Rebuke Armor to Julia.

JULIA, DORIAN, and NOVEMBER;
>Get HORROR at RED HOOK up around Yurei, isolate her.
>Have Julia just go nuts on her, using Health to make each ACT a flurry of attacks, as you work her down and into position, being relentless in setting her up where you want her.
>Combine Dorians Threads and Julia's Cutis Grapple, along with just Julias raw power. Burn your Frozen Fury stacks at just the right moment to Force Yurei to hold still and keep her where she must be.
>Dorian should have Slouching Armor primed, just incase, for when November fires.
>At just the right moment, when November is ready, have Dorian open up the Dome into just Masque form, and have November Get the best shot she can, unleashing Autumn Protocol onto Yurei from a distance she cant reach.
>BURN. THIS. BITCH. It's time this came to an end.

AMARA;
>Out of Action
>Send an empathic message to Amara from the Family ‘You did good Amara, we’re proud of you.’

(2/2)
>>
>>3856452

I have nothing i wished to discuss other than the point i made.

It was more a question to see if you just forgot to sleep.

maybe he can just Mistform out of the Armor and Julia can put it on in two or three acts?

>>3856457
Sadly Dorian cant do all of that. He needs an Act for the Sloughing Armor and he needs two acts to activate Horror at Red Hook

He only has two acts
>>
>>3856462
no, he can do Slouching Armor purely with Biomass.

>SLOUGHING ARMOR (Flesh Artisan Augmentation): Dorian is now able to shed a layer of his own skin and the attached armor to rid himself of any topical or subcutaneous status effects or debuffs currently active on his person at a cost of 1 ACT or 50% BIO. Additionally, Dorian gains a level of acid resistance as his flesh gains greater resilience against one of the more common damage types in the Fleshscape. (BIO REGEN +10%)

>cost of 1 ACT OR 50% BIO

he's fine here. he might not be able to use his threads to help Julia grapple her though, but i dont think he was gonna be doing much with that anyways out of the two of them. that parts more a 'sometimes BHOP lets us have a smidgen extra and if so thats where it would be useful' type of thing. we're fine tough, Dorians real job is just to keep Yurei there and from teleporting, so thats not really an issue.
>>
>>3856464
oh okay i read that as an 'and'

okay so he is fine there

>>3856464
With a bit of luck her teleport is also a neuomantic or Phantamal based ability so even if she would manage to get out of there she would take massive damage from trying to teleport away from November
>>
>>3856465
maybe but we really dont know, and that would be terrible to rely upon. Dorians own is Flesh Artisan for example, so it is entirely possible hers isn't either of those too. plus keeping her contained and trapped with Julia so she cant run even the normal way is still a good idea.

it probably is though, considering she changes places with her constructs, but hardly worth the risk like i said. it could also possibly be some unique or bum fuggery work around for its class type via being Tindalos based too.
>>
>>3855904
Casting my Vote

I will support this plan>>3856456
>>3856457

We need as many chacnes to kill Yurei as possible...... and this plan has the most contingencies to achieve that plan
>>
>>3856456
>>3856457

This

No such thing as overkill.
>>
Random 'i should probably be asleep now' thought. but with our action economy, its probably actually going to be a very bulked out very angry Julia aggressively 'undressing' Dorian to get that relic from him.

i don't know why im saying this but it was stuck in my tired ass mind and now its in your mind too, and you have to come to terms with having to live with that now.
>>
>>3856534
Please remember to link your vote to OPs original post that you wan tthe vote to affect. OP is colourblind and as such it will be helpfull for him if he can find the posts from his own post instead of needing to go through all of our discussions and itterations of the plan

>>3856535
I was thinking more Dorian flowing out of the armor while Julia is very agressively murdering Silvis and then throwing the armor onto herself.

And there are certainly worse images to have in ones head..........

Make sure to get some sleep till OP posts
>>
>>3856535
(This is the first thing I saw when I opened my phone, and I cannot thank you enough for such a great start to my day.)

>>3856536
(It was mentioned earlier in the Vein, but I appreciate you all taking that into consideration. I just mentioned it offhand, but it really does help. Thank you.)
>>
>>3856536
thanks and i will once i finish my burger. though we only have bout an hour left for voting, so i may mingle til its closed, as we then have 2-3 Hours before BHOP posts. (hes saying we will have 2, but sometimes work gets in his way, which can add an hour or two.)
its harder than it sounds though as i feel a need to be there to try and discuss the plan though. i feel a probably unnecessary obligation to be there to discuss it if im going to vote for it.

>>3856539
glad i could help your morning start out right. catch up on at least some of that sleep BHOP?
>>
>>3856539
Your Welcome. No sense in making things difficult for the one providing us with such quality enteretainment.

We should be thanking you for making this quest so..... exciting i would say You really got my adrenaline pumping during this fight
>>
>>3856535
> its probably actually going to be a very bulked out very angry Julia aggressively 'undressing' Dorian

Wording please. This place is Freud's playground here. Admittedly some of us have been guilty of this.

>>3855904
I guess I'll have to go and support this plan >>3856456 and >>3856457 since I've been outvoted here

but I do have issues with Shu's verbal rebuke towards Yurei. It just feels too cheesy and cheap if you ask me.
I hope you don't mind if I add in the following:
>"And that's why you'll fail Yurei. Because you're willing to sacrifice your mind, your body, and your humanity. All of that just to climb into a god-damned chair in the sky and reenact 'The Matrix'. And we all know what happens at the end of the Matrix Trilogy, The Matrix breaks down."

Add some extra actions to Julia to get the point across for bhop:
Julia
>Take Dorian's Artisan's Rebuke.

>>3856539
Bhop, I hope you take the best bits of both plans.

>>3856541
Now that I'm wide awake, I wanted to discuss the methodology of some of the action economies of November's initial actions as well as that of Shu's and the Tank.

If anything sending Yurei and Isabelle several Grapplings to have them perform leg locks, arm locks and full nelson holds will secure them and preventing them from doing much. As for having the Tank Ram Isabelle, to get her away, Isabelle has Hideous strength which could let her block the Ramming effect. I would rather have the tank Ram the katamari balls that Shu would create from her initial move, which frees up November trying to do something tricky with the Dainsleif. As for the dainsleif plan with November, why don't we just impale Isabelle and then simply Yeet her by tossing the spear with Isabelle on it? The full body bind from the grapplings would theoretically prevent Isabelle from spawning a Resentment's Mirror and Tossing the spear would do the same thing as having Marco drive the tank to ram Isabelle.

Your thoughts?
>>
>>3856549
>Wording please.
to be fair BHOP himself has put forth worse wording before, on purpose too.
yes im throwing you under the bus here BHOP, or more like dragging you down with me!

>but I do have issues with Shu's verbal rebuke towards Yurei. It just feels too cheesy and cheap if you ask me.
i mean, id argue its right, but i do understand. part of my thought on it was too that i felt by now she would be a bit annoyed, so cheesy felt a bit appropriate, if that makes sense.

still not a fan of direct references, but otherwise adding more im fine with.

>Now that I'm wide awake, I wanted to discuss the methodology of some of the action economies

>If anything sending Yurei and Isabelle several Grapplings to have them perform leg locks, arm locks and full nelson holds will secure them and preventing them from doing much.
i guess i dont have it on yurei but thats probably implied on Isabelle to hold her more still.

>As for having the Tank Ram Isabelle, to get her away, Isabelle has Hideous strength which could let her block the Ramming effect.
not while in the air, which is the plan. doesn't matter how strong she is, if she has no ground to apply it with. that and hopefully the spear will be forcing her attention elsewhere too and be throwing her game off.

>As for the dainsleif plan with November, why don't we just impale Isabelle and then simply Yeet her by tossing the spear with Isabelle on it? The full body bind from the grapplings would theoretically prevent Isabelle from spawning a Resentment's Mirror and Tossing the spear would do the same thing as having Marco drive the tank to ram Isabelle.
because its a feint, and that puts November in more potential for things to go wrong and her get tied up. this has a higher potential to trick them into thinking November plans something else, but then instead get November away from Isabelle and where she needs to be.
>>
>>3856539
oh also, an image i found that reminded me of the quest. while not explicitly bodyhorror, something about a woman of a certain look with a special looking green gem brought the quest to my mind.

also has some interesting mental ideas of some possible 'what if' scenarios of a certain gem being found a few decades or centuries after the crucible perhaps...
>>
>>3856565
The World has been somewhat normal. No more absolute monsters runnign around devouering everyone in sight.

An Archeologist stumbles upon a gem and finds out htere is a daughter inside.

"Why werent you revived" they wonder.
"Only one Way to find out" they say and revive the person inside
Their face when Isabell wreck their shit for wakin gher up when had just wnated to sleep one more Millenium. No one can stop her as she is to strong for even groups of daughters to fight her until she breaks down when she finds out that Shu has long since passed away from old age
>>
>>3855904

I just stumbled into work in an exhausted daze. I read this and goddamn it BHOP, you're making me downright loathe our enemies lately. Isabelle, our broken Isabelle, does not deserve this.

>>3856456
>>3856457
with the Tank/Dainslief modifications suggested here: >>3856549

Aviators - Signed on for a Sequel is the first thing playing on my work Spotify... apropos m'thinks.
>>
>>3856570
>cranky and then sad Isabelle
even despite some of my thoughts on her, congrats on making me laugh hard and then feel a bit sad. im not sure even Isabelle deserves to feel that isolated. there are fates and punishments worse than death and all that.
>>
>>3856562
>>3856539
>yes im throwing you under the bus here BHOP, or more like dragging you down with me!
This is my response. Quote Willy Wonka. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB401RfGMlM

Also, Exalted Samsara. Should we consume or no? Because looking at the benefits it gives from its max level skill, we can summon forth our own dream daughters (those that want to fight that is) with the benefits that it brings. Downside is that it's probably Yurei's core ability unless her vitruvian skill (Unyielding Spirit) is her core.

Also, moving forwards we'll need to be more careful of how we present and show ourselves with the added benefit of knowing that our potential threats have solid information on us. Yurei is high level Phantasmal conduit, and has a skintalker under her employ. Shu's reputation has gone so global that all skintalkers can glean lots of information about us. That's how Yurei was able to accomodate for such tactics as pulling a feint and exploiting our habits of relying on our family to multiply our combat power.

>>3856575
If it weren't for the fact that Yurei's holding Isabelle's leash at the moment, Isabelle would also be cranky and sad. She's cranky because this bitch who's set to to ruin Shu's life and happiness just conscripted her, but seeing Shu's face full of regret, sadness, and just pure emotional pain would make her sad as well.
>>
>>3856577
nah, the Unyielding Spirit specifically said it was her core. we already have Spiritus, and id imagine with both being a hybrid of the same type and on a similar vein, Spritus is probably just as powerful, just in a different way. also Exalted would just becomes an Augment of Spritus, or vise versa im sure of that. my issue is Exalted turns them into slaves, but its implied heavily Spiritus does not, or does not have to. feels... wrong, to yell at her over the ability, then take it for ourselves. also feels less personal than Spiritus.

and yeah, we will have to. especially after this. mind you, i do think we have solid foundation for our fight here, and with how info works in the Crucible, no one can hide the truth of why we fought her either really, but that still doesn't mean some other groups might not just be iffy on talking to us just on that principle. i mean, we put our foot down pretty hard on some things here. i still think it was right to do and we needed to do it, but sadly i also doubt Yurei is the only one out there whos plan is so... forceful, on what it wants to make everyone do.

>If it weren't for the fact that Yurei's holding Isabelle's leash at the moment, Isabelle would also be cranky and sad. She's cranky because this bitch who's set to to ruin Shu's life and happiness just conscripted her, but seeing Shu's face full of regret, sadness, and just pure emotional pain would make her sad as well.
yeah. hopefully Isabelle can get back to sleep soon.
unless this changes her mind on it or something.
as much as i understand the sentimental reasons of keeping her crystal on us, we might owe it to her to put it somewhere safe from now on...
>>
>>3853673
>Core – UNYIELDING SPIRIT (Vitruvian Core - MAX): Yurei is rendered immune to the vast majority of status effects, and abilities that would apply stacks or debuffs now how have high chance of outright failure.

>>3854607
>Exalted Samsara (Phantasmal Conduit/Hive Mistress Hybrid, MAX): Grants Yurei the ability to manifest and control not only her own Dream Daughters at full power and with individual stat pools, but those of her foes as well. Additionally, the destruction of these manifested Daughters poses no risk of deletion, as they count as neither construct nor Relic, allowing Yurei to safely manifest and control Daughters that would otherwise be locked within armor, Relics, or anywhere else they may reside.

>>3856577
here, just so you can look it over. it specifically says CORE for Unyielding, and even if the 'Core' only meant it was 'someones' core, hybrid cores still say they are cores, and Samasara does not say it involves a core. plus the big 'CORE' before Unyielding would imply its her core.
not saying you couldn't figure all that out on your own or anything, simply trying to be helpful and make you not have to find it yourself[/spoiler[
>>
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>>3855904
> VOTE:
I will support the plan outlined in>>3856456 and >>3856457. Solid and with appropriate redundancies.
TALLY: This makes a TOTAL of 3 votes for this plan.

In an unrelated topic, this was my reaction when I saw how much you elegant tg/entlemen managed to buff JULIA. Ever since this fight against the depression Amalgam, I knew that JULIA had the seed of greatness in her. I have always been a fan of her, never anyone strode with greater focus nor fell foes with a mightier hand. Fly free, my wonderful goddess.

I wait for the battle and her performance with baited breath....My only concern is that Yurei may have an active counter or evasion that interrumpts JULIA. If I could, I would have assigned FRANCINE so that she locked down any kind of ability that would allow YUREI evade her impending doom.
>>
Right, crap, never voted properly. I'm a couple minutes past the deadline, but going to anyway. The vote I want is winning already, but might as well.

>>3855904
Supporting >>3856456 >>3856457

>>3856597
Julia's always been OP. This is an extreme circumstance, but even without twenty ACTs her ability to burn Health for extra attacks means that she could get off a good couple dozen hits against anyone who she need to. She's ridiculously strong, if used properly.
>>
>>3856539
Hey bhop, out of curiosity, if Yurei does die from Julia's onslaught, can you give us the overkill damage?
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>>3856063
>>3856074
>>3856070
>>3856091
>>3856079
> "There is a roar, one that strikes a cold pang of fear in your heart as it rips forth from Julia's throat as sight returns to her. It dies in a gurgle of fury, her throat torn asunder as she brings a madness-fueled flurry of tooth and claw against the thing that would dare hurt her ward."
SOUNDTRACK FOR THE NEXT TURN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNPSxTmkOZQ

JULIA is so angry and insanely powerful she tore her own vocal chords bellowing her fury? Dear Gods, Dorian, marry this woman, marry this woman NOW. The universe has ever seen, and shall likely NEVER see the equal of what is going to happen next. Screw all anime or real-life rage reactions, or any written word that has graced the surface of the Earth before, BHOP is bravely writing his way into where no one dared before. So carve your way into history, Julia. RAMPAGE. Our prayers lie with you...

PS: I really recommend to watch the "Secret War" short story from the "Love, Death and Robots" Netflix saga for which the video is the soundtrack for. It really reflects our family´s rage against the dying light in this fight...
>>
>>3856539
Oh, a bit late on this question BHOP, but what symbol appeared on the Deliverance of Ego while on Rath?
not sure if we ever saw what... November (?) Had when she wore it too.
>>
>>3856577
I'm definitely against consuming Exalted Samsara. Both because Spiritus Ex Testa does everything we actually want out of such a thing, but better suited for us (because swarmling modifiers can be added to them), and as an ideological point. Our Spiritus avatars are allies, Exalted Samsara produces slaves. We're not going to be some hypocritical mahadeva like Yurei is. I'm actually kind of laughing at that, that she's trying to be posthuman Buddha while having an ability that inflicts Samsara on people. Just proof of her evil, I guess.

>>3856626
I think she will, if the onslaught happens at all. I can't see Yurei surviving it, only managing to avoid it entirely. We're talking somewhere in the region of one hundred quintuple-criticals.
>>
>>3856634
Mt joke guess for Rath is fire. Literally just her back is on fire.
>>
>>3856634
I've been imagining it as an upraised fist, on fire, surrounded by a gear tooth-patterned circle. Represents Rath's themes: punching, heat, craftsmanship.
>>
>>3856627
think about this. One round lasts 1 minute. at most a daughter can perform 6 ACTs per round, which is one full action every 10 seconds.

Julia's extra ACTs give her 20 ACTs this round. She's doing a full action every three seconds. Crossing a Long range distance (100 meters) in three seconds? That's scary. Spending 80% bio to attack 17 times for one full action? even scarier. Now combine the image of Brute Ratel (from Killing bites) with wolverine claws sprinting across the field with electricity arching off of her while on fire.
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>>3856086
Dear BHOP, I have seen the descriptions of the TIER 5 core abilities for November, and together with your descriptions as AMARA and RATH struggled for their lives, FRANCINE came into her own and JULIA bellowed her rage to the heavens... They are a work of beauty. You really have a talent for writing the likes of which I have rarely seen. Your only equal, to my opinion, is "Proximal Flame", the Author of "The Last Angel" open-access, free novel on the Spacebattles forum. From the holy cows, only Stephen King and George RR. Martin may be above you. And, if I may be inmodest, there was a time I literally read 200 books a year. Now this may be hyperbolic, but for an author that said that he was once dyslexic, you have grown into a literary beast. Kudos to you, honestly.

It is also one of the reasons I can stand when we are losing: it is at those moments that your writing feels truer. When death looms near, when horrific injuries are dealt to our family, is when they shine the brighter. Teeth are gritted; fatal injuries are shrugged for the crucial second for retribution to be met; teammates jump in the way of incoming blows and teeth are bared in defiance.
And as everything teeters in the edge of the abyss, we have a glimpse of our family members very souls, and are invigorated to fight the hardest for them.
Congratulations, BHOP. You are a legend. Never change.
>>
>>3856639
i could see it being that yeah. still imaging it being a burn mark into the leather or made out of literal fire though.

>>3856640
has it actually been confirmed a rounds only a minute? also not joking, im wondering if to attack that fast that many times in 3 seconds Julia is having to break the sound barrier.

>>3856643
>>3856086
yeah BHOP you do good. guys a bit over the top but he's not wrong at all either. you've got talent, and thanks for sharing it with us out of all the things you could do with it.
>>
>>3856643

Not gonna lie, if I can ever get half as much pathos out of my tabletop/LARP fight scenes as you manage, I'll die knowing I've accomplished a lot BHOP. I've gotten players by the emotions before/after fight scenes, but the way you do it _during_ is masterful.
>>
>>3856639
I second this motion. A bit like the art for the virtues in "darkest dungeon", but cast in flame instead of golden light.
>>
>>3856657
it's going to be hard to differentiate the colors though.
>>
>>3856643
Yeah, BHOP does some amazing work with these desperate battles, and it all comes down to the level of emotion he puts into them. Hope and despair and rage and fear, it really draws us in and gets us invested in the events. Sometimes I find myself comparing Shu to Taylor from Worm, I'm sure you know who that is if you go to Spacebattles. They're both characters who have a view of the entire battlefield thanks to their swarm of insect minions enhancing their senses, but Taylor's fight scenes are always so boring. She never appears to feel much emotion, if any, and so it' like she's a camera. A dispassionate observer of the goings-on, even when she's facing down the Endbringers. Shu is in pretty much the exact situation, but I actually care about what she's doing. She reacts to what's happening, feels despair when enemies pull off powerful moves, fear when allies are severely hurt, hope when the battle turns. She feels pain and exhaustion from the strain of fighting a powerful enemy. She's actually here, part of the scene, not just throwing bees at people from off screen. It's really good stuff, and I absolutely love it.
>>
>>3856634
(I'd actually imagined it would be a flaming fist, and I absolutely love the thought of a gear behind it, as mentioned here >>3856639 )

>>3856643
>>3856663
(Thank you so very much for your incredibly kind words, Anons. Though I believe I pale in comparison to such literary giants, the comparison is immensely appreciated. I'm truly glad to hear that I'm able to do the characters justice, and I hope to improve even more as we move through the Crucible.)

>>3856650
(Thank you for your kind words, and while the timing of the round is somewhat variable, scaled to how fact and how many individual actors there are, I've rolled the dice and Julia is about to do some fun things, very quickly.)
>>
>>3856677
looking forward to seeing our wonderful, meek, but brave artist absolutely wreck whatever she touches like the meteor did the dinosaurs.
>>
>>3856681
While I agree with you, I think that a meteor made of pure antimatter or a supernova event are more in the magnitude of what we are going to witness ;-)
A Crucible´s first? Crucible-chan will always remember when JULIA-chan stole its hearth and showed it her first glimpse of what "enough dakka" might really mean...
>>
>>3856685
............enough Dakka.......

What Heresy are you speaking. There is never enough Dakka what we will witness today might be on the level of an orbital bomabardment or maybe even an Exterminatus...... but it is not enough we have to achieve even greater heights of Dakka
>>
>>3856681
Right now she's Kenshiro, if Kenshiro was a badger-person and also on fire. My one regret is that she's going to have to just stab Yurei, instead of deliver the stacks so that we can finish off with an Artist's Peak "You're already dead".
>>
>>3856692
Yurei is basically immune to stacks though so thats a moot point. even with Julias insane number of attacks its unlikely from a MAXED core that it would still happen.
>>
>>3856695
Right, that's what I'm saying. Yurei is practically immune to stacks so we have to just stab. Ah well. Flaming badger Kenshiro is still good, even if the enemy dies from the initial barrage of jabs instead of having a moment before they explode.
>>
>>3856699
oh, i thought you were misinterpreting if we could even apply stacks with stabs at all or something, my bad.
>>
>>3856703
No worries.
>>
>>3856685
>>3856688

Oi, you gits! You be mistakin choppa for dakka. Dis is choppa territory!

This is definitely SF Akuma levels of fast hits though.
>>
>>3856712
But da badger is hitting them with Fire! Our choppas dont have fire. da burnaz use fire she is a burna boy
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>>3856721

We're approaching the heights of Orkish philosophy here!

I really can't wait to see Julia go full Tasmanian Devil on Yurei.
>>
(Writing now, Gentlemen. Thank you for bearing with me, as it's going to be a long update.)
>>
>>3856826

Can't imagine why... Take your time BHOP. As always you're good to us.
>>
>>3856826
No worries, BHOP. Take as much time as you need.

Yeah, this is going to be a big one. Yurei's about to have a gamma ray burst go off in her brain, something's going to happen with Exalted Samsara being disrupted, and Julia's about to turn into flaming badger-Kenshiro. Lots to manage.
>>
>>3856826
take your time Bhop, you know how it goes.

>>3856841
gonna be interesting to say the least. my natural pessimism aint doing me no favors for sure right now, heh.
>>
(Shooting to post the longest update of this Quest's history starting at 5PM Eastern time. My sincerest apologies for the wait, and I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate your patience through that's been one hell of a work day. I hope yours is going well, one and all.)
>>
>>3857077
Depends.....

On one hand i have been looking forward to this for several hours and i am pumped to see what happens

...On the other hand the cake i wanted to eat for dinner had gonne off (i didnt notice at first until had nearly eaten my entire piece) so i feel slightly sick right now
>>
>>3857077
>Shooting to post the longest update of this Quest's history
Wow, going into that much detail. Here's hoping it's good details.

>My sincerest apologies for the wait, and I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate your patience through that's been one hell of a work day. I hope yours is going well, one and all
I figured it was probably being a rough day for you. Sorry to hear it's been a hassle.
>>
Ah, damn it, I've got to go take care of something. Probably gonna come late to the update. See you later, anons. Keep up the good fight.
>>
>>3857077
figured it was work. you do as you need BHOP, looking forward to it.
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>>3857077

RL > QST Life. Take care of yourself, and we'll be waiting to see what the whirlwind reaps.
>>
>>3855904

"And that's why you'll fail, Yurei.” You say, sensing Dorian’s familiars emerging from your fallen allies. “Because you're willing to sacrifice your mind, your body, and your humanity. All of that just to climb into a god-damned chair in the sky and reenact 'The Matrix'. And we all know what happens at the end…it all comes crashing down. No one should have all that power."

Your eyes close ever so briefly as you focus your empathic channel directly into your little girl’s mind.

[You did good, Amara. We’re proud of you, so just rest…]

Your eyes open, helm tilting towards your target as you take aim at Yurei.

[…We’ve got it from here]

Twin barrels roar as you open fire, your Grapplings descending upon Niku and Gemma, the pair two slow to avoid getting wrapped in a blend of arms and honey. Hera’s body explodes with writhing limbs, her form becoming a blur of motion as she avoids your opening barrage to speed towards Gina, still desperately fending off Lepisma’s ceaseless talons.

All you can do is focus on what’s about to come, dull emerald eyes racing towards you with terrible haste as B’ni crosses the gap on shining calcite razors. Your hive buzzes to life, Cicadalings and Banelings tearing through the air on newborn wings to distract the dark-haired blur that speeds towards you, but Isabelle is as you knew her; a girl of focus, or sheer, unrelenting will, and it’s those that carry her to mere inches of you in the time it takes to blink. Her fist is cocked and her aim is true as her knuckles speed towards your nose, the sheer force more than enough to carry her hand straight through your helm and to the other side.

Your Maw is opening, but it’s far too slow compared to your old foe’s blistering speed.

She’s got you. Dead to rights.

When Isabelle seizes up, her knees buckling beneath her as she collapses to the ground at your feet, you think at first it’s Gina’s doing. The slight girl’s fist is trembling, and as she tucks her shaking hands under her arms it’s as if she’s desperately trying to suppress movements that are not her own.

“No…no no no, I’ve…you’re not her, you’re not.” She mutters, arms tightening around her torso as she shakes her head. “I saw Sam leave, I saw…”

Her eyes meets yours as a flicker of brightness flashes through them.

“…I saw everything, Shu.”

>>[RATH: STABILIZED]

Francine hauls Rath to her feet, the doctor’s golden strands sewing the smaller girl back together before your eyes as she struggles to regain her breath, gasping desperately as her lungs are stitched shut while she fights to stand on her own two feet. Your Dominus immediately switches from Gina to Rath, bolstering the latter’s latent regeneration as Yurei howls across the battlefield in frustration.

“Move!” Yurei roars in the face of B’ni’s resistance, her agonized expression betraying a crumbling focus. “MOVE, GODDAMN YOU!”

(Continued)
>>
>>3857124

Stumbling back, you spare a glance to your right across the Spiral to see the Fleshscape rise up on either side of Lepisma, flickering with stunning amethyst as the encroaching walls erupt with a series of brutal spines. With a terrible crash Gina’s iron maiden slams closed, removing Lepisma from the equation in a single, decisive stroke.

>>Lepisma: ANNIHILATED

GG doesn’t lose a second as her eyes snap to Isabelle, amethyst lines flaring to life at the corners of her eyes and down her arms as she taps directly in the mind and soul of the girl that once killed her. Her thoughts interweave with B’ni’s and, through the Crimson Cord, so do yours.

[We’re sorry we let her do this, we’re sorry you had to go through this, Isabelle] You say, your exhaustion and raw nerves evident across the channel. [We’ll make sure she can never do it again…I promise]

<You can fight this, Isabelle> Gina pleads, her brow knit with single-minded focus as she fights to free your old foe. <You ca->

Gina’s mind goes blank with shock as a line of stabbing knife-hands lance out from the tangle of limbs that is Hera, spearing through her chest and burying themselves in the ground behind the Neuromancer.

Her focus is broken, shattered as Isabelle is freed and her eyes snap to yours just November looses the Dainsleif, the unwieldy blade slicing through the air with perfect aim to carry the girl out of arms reach of you. Isabelle’s hand snaps to action, the earth at her feet buckling from the force required to seize the blade from midair as the fingers of her other hand curl around the grip. Her eyes are blazing, a pair of defiant emeralds piercing into your soul as you bring your swarm to bear, a fleet of Knightlings racing to your aid to intercept the lethal spear. She aims, pivots, and sends the Dainsleif hurtling at speeds no Daughter could hope to avoid.

The strike is perfectly, utterly lethal.

Hera is cut cleanly in two from the force of the blade as Gina fights to stand tall, her body surviving the wound thanks to Kosi’s impossible drive.

>>Hera: ANNIHILATED

The screeching crash of shattering glass makes you whirl around in time to witness your Grapplings disintegrate, their frozen shells carrying honey with them as Hiku and Gemma are freed by the effects of Yurei’s frigid winds and their own bolstered strength. The Forgemistress’ hands glow with an awesome power while Gemma’s body undulates, her ravenous skin hungering for yours. Yurei’s face is contorted into a mask of unhinged, desperate focus as she closes the gap to you in a single stride, the ground blooming with frost behind her as she lunges for you on merciless winds.

In that moment, that single instant before you’re both thrown to the ground by the tremendous force that rocks the battlefield…

…you feel sound itself buckle and fail in the face of your kind, gentle artist’s unstoppable fury.

(Continued)
>>
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>>3857130

You land in a heap, pushed back in time to witness the aftereffects of the raging blur that is Julia Pickman, the fastest woman alive. Silvis just…disintegrates, the previously whole warrior blown to pieces, the slivers of his temporary form scattered in the hurricane that follows in the sculptress’s wake, the ground shredded by her footfalls. Dorian’s speed is elegant, a bolt of lightning and scarlet mist that glides along the battlefield, but this…Julia’s a cataclysm, a raging tornado granted a woman’s shape and a mother’s fury.

>>Gemma & Niku: ANNIHLATED

Gemma and Niku are shredded instantly, mere afterthoughts in the warpath Julia carves in the pursuit of a vengeance that carries her toe-to-toe with Yurei, completely unable to react in the face of such unfathomable speed. A high, screeching cry rips across the moor as talon endlessly clashes against bone, as if it’s an alarm that Julia sounds as a warning for all who would dare hurt her family. The first fourteen blows land before Yurei can bring her arms up to make her fruitless defense, her body shimmering with distorted space before both she and Julia are surrounded by a prison of crimson mist, Dorian hampering any attempt to escape his beloved’s bloodthirst.

>>[Calcite Halo - Hollow Bastion: ACTIVATED]

The cinnabar dome of shifting fog moves as Julia forces Yurei’s footing back before she lands a savage uppercut, a reverse guillotine that rakes up the front of Yurei’s body. Yurei leans back, avoiding the worst of it as she retaliates with a brutal jab…one that comes out too slow, too sloppy, her eyes going wide as her belt-like armor shatters on the ground, reduced to useless shards.

Even in her rage, Julia has a plan.

>>[Sui Sacrificium: DESTROYED]

November’s ready, her chestplate sliding back to reveal the Core glowing a blinding azure-ivory light like that of a newborn star. Dorian’s prison recedes to reveal Yurei stripped to the bone, her endoskeleton scarred and pitted from Julia’s supersonic assault. The artists fall back, twin bolts of lightning that evacuate before they’re caught in what’s to come.

Yurei staggers, her dazed and desperate eyes darting across the battlefield…finding Isabelle just as the girl’s eyes meet yours. Isabelle looks at you with blend of regret and hope, and you realize what’s about to happen as the air around her and Yurei starts to shimmer.

It’s with a single, fluid motion that B’ni tears her left arm free, and with every ounce of hideous strength she can muster sends it spearing into Yurei’s chest. The body before you dissolves, Isabelle’s right hand falling to the ground as she reappears directly on top of the mad puppeteer, Yurei’s face awash in horror as her one avenue of survival is robbed by her own power.

The would-be god’s scream of rage is drowned out in a sea of white, the world engulfed in a supernova's glow.

Fire.

Fury.

…silence.

(Continued)
>>
>>3857131

When your vision returns it’s to see the moor illuminated with cobalt flame, a kilometer-long road of glass with small fires dancing along its reflective edge. November falls to one knee, Core dimming, then flaring as she forces herself back to her feet before she turns and breaks out into a run past you. Your eyes follow to witness the soldier throw her arms around her niece, shoulders shaking with sobs of relief devoid of the tears she cannot shed. Francine steps back, both to allow the two a moment and make way for Dorian and his Familiars, Amara cradled in his arms as Julia almost overshoots them before skidding to a halt.

“Is s-she…?” Julia barely coughs out, tears in her eyes and a trickle of blood down her lips as her claws recede, allowing her palms to delicately cup Amara’s pale cheeks.

“She’ll make it…she still has to meet the Ant Queen, after all.” Dorian says with a choked laugh, his fired nerves and racing heart audible in the weary chuckle. Julia coughs again, stumbling forward to as she wraps her arms around the two of them. Tearing your eyes away from your family, you sweep your vision across the field, frantically looking for…there, staggering towards you as she skirts the edge of the Spiral.

Haste brings you to Gina’s arms as your helmet-Plateling takes flight, allowing you to see her unhindered, with your own misty eyes. A hiss of pain escapes her lips as you hold her a little too tight, a little too fast as her wound struggles to close.

“Shit, I’m so sor…” You apologize, your words coming to a halt as her mouth finds yours. Your eyes flutter closed as she pulls you close, a whimper of pain and joy rising in her throat as she desperately clings to your armor. She pulls back after a long moment, staring up at you before the click and whir of a camera makes you both turn to see Rosa and Sugar standing mere meters away, the latter taking out the Polaroid and shaking it while sporting a grin.

“Ahhhh, so flippin’ cute!” Rosa squeals. “Defiant Heart is best, hands down.”

“Really? I’m more a fan of Julian, myself.” Sia mutters, her inscrutable set of features studying your pair of artists.

“…What?” Gina murmurs, still holding you tight.

“Ship names.” Sia dismisses casually as you fix the group with a scowl. “God, you should hear the Skinners just ream each other over who they think should pair up.” The Gemma shard sighs wearily, jerking a thumb in Sugar’s direction. “Sucrose here let me listen in one time, and my head nearly exploded from all the salt.”

You worry for Amara as the reality of the Skintalker network dawns on you, just before the sound of assorted gasps shifts your attentions in time to witness Isabelle erupt back into existence from the hand she left behind.

(Continued)
>>
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>>3857133

The Metall Geschoss’ turret swivels to lock on her, Rath leaping in front of her exhausted Aunt before the latter hauls Rath back with one hand before training the B.A.R. on your old friend.

“Wait!” Gina calls out as Rath ignites, halting mid-step at her friend’s plea. Francine’s gaze meet yours across the space, Isabelle’s cold body shivering on the moor’s damp terrain until a series of quick strides bring the doctor’s lanky form looming over the smaller girl. You and Gina approach warily as Francine takes off her ragged coat and drapes it gently over Isabelle’s shoulders. She quickly backs off, stepping over to the two of you before extending her arm defensively, ensuring that any effort to get to you will have to see through her, first.

“…not over.” B’ni breathes harshly as you approach, rising to her feet as she quickly buttons the loaned coat and stares into the distance, “I’m still here…it’s not over.”

(((sSShe’s right, DdDefiant)))

Ice slices down your spine as a chill wind sweeps the moor, the immaculate path of glass cracking when a distorted figure rises from the shining wasteland. Yurei’s remains stand tall, flesh and clothes atomized from the Autumn Protocol and leaving a wire frame of blackened bone and flame-polished ivory that sneers as your helm locks back around your face, your fingers curling into fists.

(((TtThis is the pPpower of the hHHalos, DddDEfiant))) Comes Yurei’s chattering boast, her voice creaking, echoing across the misty fields as she strides forward, every footfall sending hairline cracks along the road of glass. (((tTthis is power, rRRRrefined to a rrRazor’s edge in ppPpursuit of something your ccCCouldn’t possibly uUUndersta…)))

Her next words are lost in the Metall Geschoss roars once, twice as the space Yurei occupies blooms in two billowing clouds of shrapnel and hellfire.

Silence, and then…

>>[Calcite Halo - Hollow Bastion: SPENT]

>>[Siege Forme – Yume Gashadokuro: ACTIVATED]

The radiant detonation goes dark, a gaping void torn open to swallow it whole. A shade darker than black, a vantic scar in the tapestry of existence opens as something terrible begins to form deep within the soulless void. Yurei’s become a wound in space as the Waking and Dreaming worlds collide at her command, reality swept aside as delusion and fantasy spiral into madness…and when she reaches out, it’s with a colossal hand of bone, digits clawing into the earth as she hauls her new body from the realm of impossibility. She has thrown mere humanty aside, becoming the thing that slowly rises to loom over you and the moors; a titanic skeleton, half real, half desire made manifest with a Conduit’s power pushed to the breaking point. Geists like those in Almath swirl and scream about her towering form in clouds of pain and sorrow, and when she takes a step towards you and your family, the very earth trembles from the force of her madness.

(Continued)
>>
>>3857136

“What…what the FUCK that thing?” Rath asks, horror and awe in her voice as she leans back to witness the full height of the abomination that’s slowly stalking towards you.

“Yurei, if I was to hazard my best guess, Darling.” Comes Francine’s droll reply, her curiosity clearly piqued in spite of her better judgement. “Hunger-mad to be sure, and appears to have made an exoskeleton of biomass and….something else. Apparently quite incapable of turning off her own powers at this juncture, just going by our newest arrival, but…Yurei, nonetheless.”

Your empathic field grazes the edge of the goliath, its mind is awash in denial, defiance, and despair. Yurei threw herself against you, again and again until she broke, and this…this is what’s become of her, in her seemingly infinite capacity for self-delusion.

“I can still fight…just tell me what to rip and tear.” November announces, flexing her hand as talons extend from her metal digits.

“Lookin’ forward to knocking that thing on it’s ass.” Rath growls as she tests her right arm, the air sizzling around her radiant form. Dorian and Julia are silent as they pass Amara to the Matron and Sibling, cradling the unconscious girl between them with utmost care as the artists affix their foe with a vicious set of glares, lightning dancing between the painter and sculptress, both.

“Rosa. Sia. Everyone.” You ask, turning to the younger group as they collectively stumble back from the looming giant. “You’re not obligated to stay. This is our fight, so…”

“Oh, HECK yeah we’re gonna help!” Rosa exclaims, her eyes wide and shining as Sia folds her arms, and you can practically feel the Neuromancer roll her eyes. “Are you KIDDING me?! We’re gonna fight side-by-side with the flipping DEFIANT! This is, like, a once-in-a-lifetime kinda thing, no way we’re gonna pass this up!”

“What she said.” Sia adds with a small shrug. “Be kind of a dick move if we dipped out now, so…yeah.”

“Alright. We do this, together.” You relent, turning to Gina. She squeezes your hand, hazel eyes shifting from your gaze to settle on someone just past your shoulder. Turning, you find Isabelle’s stooped low in a runner’s stance that’s aimed at Yurei’s colossal new form, the very pose you’ve seen her take before throwing herself headlong into the fray.

“Everyone?” You roar, your call to arms echoing through your armor as your swarm whirls above your family in a cloud of blades and chitin.

“Together!” They echo as one, and in that moment it occurs to you that it’s also a question, hanging in the air as you catch Isabelle’s eyes flicker to you.

She takes a shuddering breath, remorseful emeralds tearing themselves away from you and back to the Hunger-mad colossus that’s rapidly approaching.

“…Together.” She replies softly.

>>Isabelle has joined the Party.

Friends.

Enemies.

Family.

Together.

>>Thirty-First Vein: Closed
>>
(Gentlemen, thank you all for your time, participation, and patience. The 32nd Vein is set to open Monday, October 7th at 9AM, Eastern time. I’ll be around part of this evening and most of tomorrow to address any questions, comments, and concerns you may have, and I welcome them all before I buckle down on Sunday to set everything up for the following day and make any corrections or updates, so if there’s anything you’d like for me to update [aside from the Relic and Swarmling sheets, which clearly need some TLC], then please let me know. I’ll likely be posting my pastebin for your fic reviews tomorrow evening or Sunday afternoon, so stay tuned for that.)

(I cannot stress enough how honored I am to have a group of players like yourselves, and I do hope you have a fantastic weekend. Rest well and take care, Gentlemen.)

(Oh, and a fun fact before I leave you; November's Autumn Protocol Dealt precisely 16,935% damage. Julia, when all was said and done?)

(24,518% Damage.)

(With that, Julia broke both the speed and damage record for the Crucible Strain in a single round.)

(Well done, Gentlemen...and I shudder to think what you'll do when youre able to use the Calcite Halo at max level like Yurei has.)
>>
>>3857152
Jesus. Yurei's ability to summon dream daughters was powerful and terrifying, but it backfired catastrophically against Julia.
>>
>>3855427
Dude..... you were right...... with everything

>>3857140
So our defiance rally broke her...... I almost feel sorry for her but then i remember all the things she has done and will do if we dont stop her and it all just disappears into nothingness

I would really like to have Amara with us for the buffs and the Health Scrambling....... alas it is not meants to be....

And apperantly Isabelle can stand us now.... at least somewhat now that Sam is gone and she has seen all of what had happened.

We should ask her before all of this is over if she wants to become a regualr dreamdaughter or wants to go back into the stone to sleep. And i am expecting a lot of pushback we should consider her attitude and maybe she will be willing to talk. Or maybe she wants to go into a relic.....

God what kind of buff she could give out to a relic. I belive that could be absolutely awesome.


I am a bit sad that we could not get any of the hexxane to talk fight with us but i completely understand that if we had left them unmolested we would not have made it here.

>>3857152
I will be looking forward to it

Are there any other Dreamdaughters that have managed to hold out until now that we could potentialy recruit or are they all gone except for Isabelle?

And can we potentially recover the shards of the sui Sacrificum and maybe repair it?
>>
>>3857152
Also the Artisinal Appetite said somethign about grantign HEALTH and BIO. Would Julia gain anything from eating the Armor or are thsoe buffs temporary at this level?
>>
>>3857158
Oh yeah it did now imagine if those ten odd dreamdaughters in still in the pit would have all been crished aroudn teh same time..... God what Julia would have done would have probably torn reality a new outlet for all the madness that hides behind the facade of normality.
>>
>>3857140
geezus christ we just cant catch a break. not gonna lie, disappointed. knew it was gonna be a hard win if we did pull this off, but this just feels silly levels of 'fuck you' honestly. we already spent our party honestly past its breaking point and had to pull out everything we had, i really cannot see any way to get a victory here.

>>3857152
how the hell does someone with 3,729% health left survive 41,453% damage? 11.11x her current Health in damage? i dont care how good those Halos are, she was still taking damage through it and thats utterly insane to tank all that. this just doesn't sit well with me, not gonna lie. its one thing to throw a hard battle at us, sure we took it, its even enough to make us lose. but this just feels beyond what im willing to take as reasonable. feel like i want to say more, but nothings flowing. this just feels like another attempt at grandstanding like before over actually trying to make things feel right like before.
>>
>>3857152
This was amazing, thanks for running BHOP.

>>3857160
>>3855427
>Dude..... you were right...... with everything
Or BHOP borrowed from our ideas again. Who can know?
>>
>>3857169
I agree Julia should have murdered her well beyond her Death saves and Novembers Autumn Protocol should have glassed her(like it did to the swamp) or turned her into a fine calcite ash

>>3857152
OP does she have and Invul Save? Or somethig akin to a phasing out ability(like partially shifting into another dimension to avoid damage like the construct in pic)?
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>>3857169
>>3857187

(Oh, Yurei's very, very dead. Part of maxing out Phantasmal Conduit trees is the ability to skirt death, if only for a time and at great personal cost, as first shown by the unnamed Conduit that possessed Bella after death, and on addition to Elder Uzu's constructs. That form Yurei's taken? At its core is her mind, surrounded by a body crafted from her own Dream Daughters and what biomass they've cobbled together...a last stand, as it were. What's coming next is not a 'normal' fight, by any stretch of the imagination, and you're in a solid spot to do well.)
>>
>>3857191
So will she pretty much break apart ever faster as her mind starts crumbling and realizing she is well and truly dead?

Will there be anything left of her to devour or will she break herself down completely?

And what of her Dreamdaughtres? Can we possibly safe them? They appear to be in massive pain.
>>
>>3857169
She's an end-game level daughter. There's always someone bitching about how the fight's too tough, whether it's Lepisma or now this. Sheesh.
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>>3857191
you said that was a Neuromancer in Bella and being a pest inside another's mind via being consumed alive a bit of a different ball game, and Elder Uzu was a construct with a preloaded copy, with specific ways to make Constructs independent known.

yeah no, im sorry, but this just isnt sitting right with me. honestly maybe ill just chalk it up to the fact you have pull cliffhanger endings way too much with no actual way to view as anything but negative, and its not a fun experience, at all. even a confirmed loss would be better, at least then its confirmation and settled, and feels like we at least got a conclusion, instead of making it seem like all we did was wasted just for more bullshit to be thrown at us.
>>
Right, back from my errands, what did I miss? Oh, a lot. Neat.

>>3857133
>“Ahhhh, so flippin’ cute!” Rosa squeals. “Defiant Heart is best, hands down.”
>“Really? I’m more a fan of Julian, myself.” Sia mutters, her inscrutable set of features studying your pair of artists.
Girls, girls, please. There's room for more than one ship in this story.

>“Ship names.” Sia dismisses casually as you fix the group with a scowl. “God, you should hear the Skinners just ream each other over who they think should pair up.” The Gemma shard sighs wearily, jerking a thumb in Sugar’s direction. “Sucrose here let me listen in one time, and my head nearly exploded from all the salt.”
Wait, what? There's a Skintalking-based forum that's writing fanfiction about us? I am now torn between asking Amara to tell us about it and banning her from ever going on it.

>>3857136
>>[Siege Forme – Yume Gashadokuro: ACTIVATED]
The Dream Starving Skeleton. Darn, I was right. Why is it that my guesses about how this quest is going to go only come true when I'm predicting some horrible thing we'll have to fight?

>>3857140
>>Isabelle has joined the Party.
Well. Ain't that a thing. This is going to be interesting.

>>3857191
Are we going to have a psychic battle against her and the manifestations of whatever trauma convinced her she needed to upload everyone into virtual form?
>>
>>3857191
[Stein-anon home from work]
BHOP, First off, holy shit. What you just did with Isabelle, Julia, November and even Yurei... that was amazing.

Getting the insight as to what Ozmas did to the city in a smaller form right now, it's kind of horrifying. Except Yurei did it to herself as well. That... thoughtform?... is the very idea of Yurei given physical form. I'm so very, very okay with this as it's another wake up call to Shu that the physical world is only a very small part of what makes up the Crucible. It's almost like especially towards the end game, the Daughters' ideology is tested as much as their physicality... and I'm here for that.

I have faith in where you're going with this BHOP.
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>>3857203
Personally, I'm fine with a third stage to the boss fight, I'm seeing this more as Yume's last gasp instead of a proper fight. I'm actually kind of excited to see where this goes. However, I do dislike that it meant we spent November's Tier Five Core effectively for nothing. I would have liked to have kept Mind of Platinum for this next stage, given that we're probably going to be fighting Yurei's mind more than her body. Ah, well. I'm still looking forward to it.
>>
>>3857140
A fun bone fact for anyone who cares since we are now fighting a giant spooky skeleton. (very thematic for the time of year, good job BHOP)

Bones are both organic (carbon based) and inorganic (calcium based). If you remove the inorganic part only and leave the organic part intact, they become like rubber. How does one remove only the inorganic part of a bone one might ask? Well, calcium is a positively charged atom. So if you introduce a sufficiently negatively charged atom, say chlorine or fluorine, the calcium will abandon the bone to be with its new, more negative, lover. Conveniently, HCl and HF are both very strong acids that we are (hopefully) very capable of producing.

Therefore, I think Shu can probably turn this skeleton into flubber without even getting her hands dirty.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGaOcp33rHw If anyone wants more science, but definitely not for the weak of stomach)
>>
>>3857140
As always, thanks for writing Bhop.
>>
Well i will head to bed now i will have a long day ahead of me...... tomorrow i would have said but its already past midnight so... i guess that today will be busy for me

Have fun anons and take care

Bye
>>
>>3857238
Depends on if Yurei still has her acid immunity. Or if being "half desire made manifest" affects the physical properties of the bone. We'll see.

>>3857251
Good night, anon. Sleep well.
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>>3857251
night Anon. hope its not too stressful for ya, busy or not.
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>>3857203
How is being able to have a bit of post-mortem fighting out of the realm of balance and feasibility in this setting? You seem to just be bitching needlessly at what is by no means an unwinnable or unbalanced encounter. This isn't even a fucking loss! She's already dead!

Also, we weren't even aware of conduits when Bella first rolled around and neuromancers and conduits aren't mutually exclusive.
>>
>>3857251
(Sleep well, Anon!)

(Also, I had a long post written up that addressed everything, but then my phone decided to eat it. I'll be responding more in depth as soon as I can, but to hit some high points; Mind of Platinum is still active, since it's a passive. Thus, November is absolutely still anathema to Yurei's new form. Also, I had such a hard time holding my tongue on the Gashadokuro and Dream world reveal, since both Anons hit it right on the nose.)

(Also, to answer the last point of this post; >>3857213; A
bsolutely.)

>>3857225
(Finally, the form this fight will take will be very reflective of what the Cord will throw at you.)
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>>3857312
>I'll be responding more in depth as soon as I can, but to hit some high points; Mind of Platinum is still active, since it's a passive.
Oh, that's right! It's just the plasma weaponry that powers down when Autumn Protocol is used, not the entire power set. I got worried over nothing, I just forgot how the ability works. Feel rather silly now. Rock on, then, time to keep burning Yurei's brain with gamma radiation.

>(Also, to answer the last point of this post; >>3857213 (You); Absolutely.)
Excellent. I'm very much looking forward to this.
>>
Work is horseshit. still at work, will catch up when I’m able to escape
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>>3857347
(I hope it improves for you, Anon. Best of luck to you.)
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>>3857347
Sorry to hear that, anon. I hope you get free before too long. There's some good stuff to catch up on.
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>>3857152
Finally got back from work. Themed dinner nights suck. period.

>tfw we've just force Yurei to enter her Final Form.
pic related.

First off. How am I going to come up with a appropriate thread description when I archive this vein?

Second: Is Amara down and unable to participate for the of the upcoming battle against Yurei's Hunger-mad form?

>Regarding Skintalker Shipping Forums:
What shipping fandoms are there? I know Shu x Rath, Shu x Gina, Shu x Amara, Shu x Isabelle are probably the most popular ones, but are there any runner ups? And are there any notable pairings outside of Shu's Family?
>Is the Shu x Isabelle ship name called "Bunny Bee (a pun on honey bee)"?

>>3857187
>>3857203
Oi. You got what you exactly wanted in exact words: Killing Yurei. Yurei is 'dead'. Now we just have to Exorcise the giant spooky hunger-mad skeleton-ghost that used to be Yurei.

We've did the rip and tear part and killed Yurei with impunity, now is the time where we do the introspective empathy part where we try and figure out what went wrong in Yurei's life and put her at peace. It's really the key to conquering the Cord since bhop stated that the Cord will test Shu and her character in a similar manner.
>>
>>3857287
>>3857351
yeah, because someone tanking nearly 50,000 damage and still being around, worse, looks even more deadly, while your team through the last of what you had to try and finish her off and is basically depleted, doesn't feel like a stupidly shit and unreasonable situation by itself. thats not a hard battle, thats an impossible battle, from the context of just the post itself. and if BHOP has to explain things OOC to make his Vein ending feel like he wanted it too, then he's failed as a writer this time around.

this feels more ridiculous then Isabelle and Almath did, which had and still do have plenty of complaints about that whole mess still. to me, this just looks more like the same of what BHOP said he wasn't going to do anymore. i want to give him his fair shot, im really struggling and want to, regardless of if anyone believes me, but this isnt the first time now he's done something that just simply doesn't sit right no matter how long i sit on it, and wouldn't be the first time i dont think he's truly made up for it with why he did it either.

but its my opinion, and its BHOPs question or comments to answer. i dont care or think ill convince anyone else of my opinion, but i wouldn't be posting it if i wasn't simply at least just trying to get more info on it, or whatever. id not even be trying if not for how much i enjoy and care about the quest, and respect and think BHOP is a good writer. which means when something feels this out of place to me, i dont ignore it, and want to really figure out why. simple as that. dont have to like it, but you wont stop me either, and its not you who'll change my mind here, because its not you that my issues here are coming from.
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>>3857130
>Her focus is broken, shattered as Isabelle is freed and her eyes snap to yours just November looses the Dainsleif, the unwieldy blade slicing through the air with perfect aim to carry the girl out of arms reach of you. Isabelle’s hand snaps to action, the earth at her feet buckling from the force required to seize the blade from midair as the fingers of her other hand curl around the grip. Her eyes are blazing, a pair of defiant emeralds piercing into your soul as you bring your swarm to bear, a fleet of Knightlings racing to your aid to intercept the lethal spear. She aims, pivots, and sends the Dainsleif hurtling at speeds no Daughter could hope to avoid.
>The strike is perfectly, utterly lethal.
>Hera is cut cleanly in two from the force of the blade as Gina fights to stand tall, her body surviving the wound thanks to Kosi’s impossible drive.

The Dainsleif is a Spear. Did November throw the Dainsleif or did she throw Margrave's Greatsword?

Also, Spears don't cleave , they pierce, unless Isabelle threw it like a high speed spinning sawblade.
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>>3857544
>Shu x Amara
That better not be a popular one. I'd hate to have to ban Amara from the Skinternet because of perverts imagining sordid things happening with her.

>but are there any runner ups?
Dorian x Julia, obviously. Probably some Rath x Julia, too, just because of how Rath used to rib her and because shippers can't see any behavior like that not as romantic. Maybe some Dorian x November, since they've been in a lot of scenes together, and that's all shippers need.

>And are there any notable pairings outside of Shu's Family?
Shu x Jackie given how they got along after we became friends with the Crew, especially if they also heard Mara telling us that Jackie's threats when we first met might have just been flirting. Maybe some Shu x Magpie, too, with Shu comforting the older woman and Amara noting that Shu smelled like Magpie waking up the night after the party (I still think that's because of Magpie pulling an Itachi, but it's good shipping fodder).

>Oi. You got what you exactly wanted in exact words: Killing Yurei. Yurei is 'dead'. Now we just have to Exorcise the giant spooky hunger-mad skeleton-ghost that used to be Yurei.
I like thinking of the upcoming psychic battle as that. We busted the ghost, now we lay it to rest.
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>>3857578
>Shu x Amara
Its Shippers. disgustingly, you know it exists, and possibly worse.

>Shu smelled like Magpie waking up the night after the party
we still have no idea what thats about. honestly by this point im willing to just chalk it up to cigarette smoke stick to fleshscape bodies really well so just those 5-10 minutes around her stuck harder than one would expect. that, or maybe Magpie mentally started to see us as an adoptive daughter or something to some degree, what with all the 'remind me of my son' talk, and so Amara was just smelling a fresh emotional connection on us, and Magpies just the type of woman whos emotional connections smell like cigarette smoke.
>>
>>3857578
>>3857589
>That better not be a popular one. I'd hate to have to ban Amara from the Skinternet because of perverts imagining sordid things happening with her.
Nah, That ship likely to be explicitly reserved for wholesome slice-of-life stories and fanfiction.

Oh now. you've just made me think of a relic idea.
>>
>>3857591
you say that, but so far we haven't met a skintalker that doesn't have a personality type that makes me think they would be all over shipping honestly, no bars held back.

random, but i just realized we haven't heard Sugar talk once yet. even the unnamed shy giraffe-ish girl has spoken a few times, but i dont think Sugar has once. which is odd, considering her outward personality.
>>
>>3857589
>Its Shippers. disgustingly, you know it exists, and possibly worse.
I know. Just...just let me deny reality in this matter. We're too busy with other issues to go around punching out pedophiles skeeving on our daughter.

>we still have no idea what thats about. honestly by this point im willing to just chalk it up to cigarette smoke stick to fleshscape bodies really well so just those 5-10 minutes around her stuck harder than one would expect. that, or maybe Magpie mentally started to see us as an adoptive daughter or something to some degree, what with all the 'remind me of my son' talk, and so Amara was just smelling a fresh emotional connection on us, and Magpies just the type of woman whos emotional connections smell like cigarette smoke.
True, those are very possible options, and with the evidence we have equally likely. I'm really just jumping to conclusions because Magpie has eyeball powers and crow minions. It's a natural place to go, under those circumstances, though I admit there really isn't any textual evidence for it. It would be neat if right, if only for the reaction from Gina and Rath about an anime scene being reproduced in real life.

>>3857591
I guess? I still think of "ship" as referring to romantic or sexual pairings, though. Unless the Skinternet has an AO3-style massively over-bloated tag system and they can label the relationship as familial.

>>3857604
The giraffe girl is Betty, we got told her name by our Gemma shard/alter last Vein. Though Gemma also said the Barbers' leader was named Abbey, not Rosa, so maybe she got their names wrong/BHOP changed them.
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>>3857589
>>3857578
>>3857312

BEHOLD THE PERVERSE RELIC.

>SHIPPING GOGGLES: An accessory relic that takes form of Binoculars or goggles. The Magnifying Lenses is replaced by a pair of Eyeballs that disconcertingly ogles those that fall under its gaze. The Daughter that looks through the Relic will be able to see the unseen network of Crimson Cords and Social links between Daughters. Upgrading the Relic allows the Daughter to gain more insight of any given relationship provided as long as the required persons involved in said social link/Crimson Cord are within eyesight (meaning if Person A has a link with Person B, both Person A and Person B must be visible). However when the Relic is in active use, the bonding pair of daughters which the Relic gazes upon will gain an uncanny feeling of being watched, and if the user is found out the Relic will send unavoidable feedback damage at the ogling Daughter.

>>3857604
>>3857624
Given it's the Skinternet, there probably is an AO3-style tag system, otherwise the network would be filled with nothing except degenerate stuff. There's probably a 4-chan styled containment Cortex Forum that was made exclusively for that given the extreme wild-west nature of the Skinternet and the fact that there's no equivalent of a telecom company that strangles the Neuro-bandwidth.
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>>3857624
to be fair, i have no idea what you mean by 'pulling an Itachi' so ive got no context for that really. thats from Naruto right? Sasukes brother? as far as im aware Magpie didnt slaughter our family so we would chase her down and become all powerful in our need for revenge, so im not seeing the connection.

ah right, Betty. name just slipped my mind. i doubt Sugar is Sugars real name, so maybe thats causing some names to be moved around on accident(or purpose).

as for shipping, not defending anything or anyone mind you, but for what little it might matter, they might not be pedophiles so much as Shippers ignore that stuff to fangirl harder.

>>3857636
we really would have to ask Amara, funnily enough. but honestly, if theres Shippers, theres degeneracy, its a natural law of the universe.

>Relic
honestly i dont know what to say about that one at all, not gonna lie.
>>
>>3857645
it's a joke relic.
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>>3857636
>BEHOLD THE PERVERSE RELIC.
Potentially very useful for social maneuvering, though I'm not liking that feedback effect. Still, pretty cool. Gina would totally wear these just as a joke, too.

And I hope you're right about the Skinternet having containment cortices. It's going to need it.

>>3857645
>to be fair, i have no idea what you mean by 'pulling an Itachi' so ive got no context for that really. thats from Naruto right? Sasukes brother? as far as im aware Magpie didnt slaughter our family so we would chase her down and become all powerful in our need for revenge, so im not seeing the connection.
Itachi can summon crows as his minions. And the entire Uchiha clan are all about their eyeballs' powers. So at one point shortly before he dies Itachi takes an eye, implants it into one of his crows, and then shoves that crow down Naruto's throat. It's programmed to pop up (apparently unharmed by the months it spent in Naruto's stomach) in response to a pre-programmed trigger and use that eye's power, as part of a scheme to ruin the plans of the person really responsible for the massacre. And Magpie has eye powers and crow minions, and we smelled like her, so that got me thinking "oh, she put an eyeball in a crow in Shu". Like I said, not really any textual evidence, but it's where my mind went.
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>>3857665
yes i got that, but still.

>>3857667
ah, fair enough. we have been through way too much since then for that not to have activated though it think, unless she is REALLY hoping we come across a very very specific target. which seems unlikely, unless she has a good reason to believe its unavoidable for us to find/meet said target, but that feels like it brings up more questions, like 'why would you not just tell us about this' for one.
>>
>>3857675
>>3857667
Either that or it's just a Crow that Magpie put inside Shu's stomach so Magpie can keep track and listen in on Shu's conversations and actions like a Mother who frets about her child and simply wants to be there with Magpie by listening in to the adventures she's having.
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>>3857725
i guess, but it still feels like she would've shown up in person at least once by now over the crap we've put ourselves in since then.
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>>3857730
I'm just wondering what Mara is thinking about all this. BHOP mentioned once that Mara has Skintalker powers. We were wondering how she tamed her dragon, posited that it might be Skintalking, and he lead us away from the big reveal by telling us that she does have Skintalking. So Mara is on the Skinternet, and so knows all the things we've been getting up to. I'm just imagining her there in the battlefield by the Cord, getting a ding on her feed in between battles, and shouting "Jesus Christ, Shu, I've only been gone for three days. Three days, Shu!"
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>>3857740
shit it really has only been like 3 IC days, hasn't it? Shus a workaholic.
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>>3857748
I think it might be closer to four by now, but yeah. Shu's fought three would-be gods in half a week. Work never stops. And today was supposed to be a day off for Dorian and Julia, too. Sorry, guys. After we're done here, we should all head over to Laoc for a couple of hours. Find a bar, unwind a bit and bond with the Barbers, while Dorian and Julia get back to their date.
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>>3857766
we'll see, but im not against it. would want to at least wrap things up with Gemma though, unless Julia did that in the little time she had before we sent Francine for her.
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>>3857773
Oh, yeah. I figured we'd do that as part of bonding with the Barbers, but now that I say it I realize that obviously won't work if Julia isn't there. Darn. Guess we should do that before we let them have their alone time.

Another thing we should do before leaving to chill out is speak with the Hyenas. Explain what Yurei really wanted, justify our actions fighting her, maybe even try to recruit them if we think we can swing it.
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>>3857790
if they're even still around, but sure. cant see us leaving as friends right now though, even if they understand somewhere in their head, the situations pretty tense. they got their asses beat down and they dont seem like the type to not feel like their pride was hit by that, and then we killed her boss who she genuinely believed in. good reasons or not, might not get through to them in a single conversation, given all the things piled on their mind at once.
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>>3857748
>>3857740
You know what? I think after fighting Yurei, we should have the entire family just spend one whole day just relaxing and spending time with family. Maybe Craft some relics, go see the Disassociated One's Rocket Launch as a family outing event. Actual slice of life stuff.

To think we went to Yurei to ask about her plan about the Cord, only to go immediately get into a disagreement that escalated super quickly into violence when Yurei confessed that she sought the Neurotic Halo and the Phantasmal Halo to complete her plan (a plan which Shu openly completely disapproves and does not want) and was willing to Kill Shu over it (which was a death threat that Shu took seriously).

>>3857790
At the same time I'm worried about how us breaking Yurei's sacred Hospitality would affect our standing. To the Hyenas, we basically killed their employer. There's also the fact that they're still hanging around near the Waystation watching the battle despite being subdued. They probably can see the Giant Gashadokuro in the distance and would have seen the Autumn Protocol fired twice.

>>3857799
We probably have gotten ourselves a nemesis group of daughters who will oppose us directly in the end no matter what in the long term. We broke sacred Hospitality, killed their employer, and ruined their hq.
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>>3857816
>We broke sacred Hospitality, killed their employer, and ruined their hq.
i'd still argue its wasn't real hospitality, but its not you id need to convince of that, and thats a hard one to get people to listen to. regardless of how good our reasoning's, yeah that ones hard to bite through. context matters, and theres few things or rules, including that one, that i think cannot contextually be ok to break under the right circumstances anyways, but its still not an easy thing for people to accept.

>one whole day just relaxing and spending time with family
sure.

>go see the Disassociated One's Rocket Launch as a family outing event.
isn't that still like a week off IC? probably more likely to have a family outing to the Ant Queen than that id imagine, anytime soon, if you want a big event to 'relax' over. hell depending on some things, lets be honest, the Ant Queen meeting might be significantly safer and more relaxing.

>To think we went to Yurei to ask about her plan about the Cord, only to go immediately get into a disagreement that escalated super quickly into violence.
yeah it was a shame but we did what we had to do. seriously Yurei there was an engine right there, you even have a Halo and know how they work. i get we outright disagreed with you and said we would stop you if it came to that, but we still at the end said we wanted to give you a chance and not be THAT big of enemies, more like philosophical rivals really. but no, you couldn't even put the easier way on the table, instead you had to threat us and our whole family over it. even acted like Shu alone had the only copy with three of them right infront of you. it all just felt like such an excuse to brush our arguments aside and like she WANTED us to be a bigger enemy than we could've been. which, if so, she got what she wanted i guess.

not gonna say we played it perfectly or didn't push her at all, just really feel like she could've done a boatload more on her side too.
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>>3857799
I think they're alive but unconscious, the Barbers beat them down before coming for us. I suppose they might have recovered in time to leave before our fight was over, though. And yeah, it's unlikely we'll part on good terms even if we can convince them that we have a point, but I want to at least try. Maybe if Amara's woken up in time we can have her conjure up some Skintalker memory-echoes of Yurei ranting about how we had to die for being idealistic while violating the free will of the dead. That might help.

>>3857816
>Maybe Craft some relics, go see the Disassociated One's Rocket Launch as a family outing event. Actual slice of life stuff.
The rocket launch still isn't happening for another three days. But yeah, we should go see it, definitely.

>At the same time I'm worried about how us breaking Yurei's sacred Hospitality would affect our standing. To the Hyenas, we basically killed their employer. There's also the fact that they're still hanging around near the Waystation watching the battle despite being subdued. They probably can see the Giant Gashadokuro in the distance and would have seen the Autumn Protocol fired twice.
Yeah, we did violate hospitality, but I really think it only goes so far. We had probable cause to believe that she would attack us, respect for hospitality goes both ways and is dependent on both host and guest. Also, we know that Yurei was in fact completely willing to kill everyone in that mansion. She can try to claim that detonating the Engine was just a feint, but Francine's glasses read intent, not just action. It was a feint she was perfectly willing to follow through on, Yurei would have killed the Hyenas along with anyone they hadn't managed to get out of the manor in time.

>We broke sacred Hospitality, killed their employer, and ruined their hq.
Their HQ that was in fact a run-down house in the swamp, possibly not even really providing any shelter but just the illusion of it. They can be mad about the hospitality bit and killing Yurei, but come on. They can find a better HQ.

Actually, that begs the question of whether we should be considered bound by sacred hospitality. The formality of that is you are at truce with someone who offers you food and shelter. Yurei technically did neither. She gave us the illusion of food and the illusion of shelter. It's kind of like the mythological trope where a wandering hero realizes that the being offering them shelter is really a ghost (oh, look, that's even her name) and has to escape before it eats them.
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>>3857852
well, like i said, im willing to give talking to them a try, i was just saying i cant seem them being all too keen to listen.

>Actually, that begs the question of whether we should be considered bound by sacred hospitality. The formality of that is you are at truce with someone who offers you food and shelter. Yurei technically did neither. She gave us the illusion of food and the illusion of shelter.
yeah a major part of my point too is this.

on another note, im still interested in the Barbers rep compared to how they actually are acting. with both them and the Midnight Crew both seeming super decent in person(so far at least), im beginning to think both their 'hardcore cunts' reputation is just salt at them being kicakss, over the actual context of if they are any worse than most daughters out there.

though im thinking we can trust the Barbers here. we have more than just implied context people know our reasoning behind our actions, not just said actions. so they without a doubt id say know we did our big Ozmas fight with the whole 'Defy the Crucible and fight for Humanity' bits in place. id think(though fair i could be wrong) you wouldn't fanfgirl so hard over someone if you didn't at least agree with their reasoning at least a bit, no matter the feats they have pulled off.

also i feel like Shu should give Rosa a 'thank you' hug once this is over. i feel like she would appreciate that.
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>>3857869
I'm just worried about the thought of when the Skinternet started following us. Did all this shipping only happen with us taking out B'Ni at Almath, or does it date back to earlier than that? Also, when are they able to see us, what places do we have or not have privacy in?
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>>3857881
well, id actually very much argue the penthouse. i simply cannot see Mara not having heavy precautions against that. maybe WITHIN it theres a separate, confined skinternet, but i cant see it being connected to the outside one.

otherwise, we were probably always in the datastream, except in maybe the waytations and maybe other places with heavy interference or little fleshscape biomass, but i doubt we were really on the Radar much til Ozmas really got involved. we would've been lost more than less in the sheer stream of daughters and info in it, unless said Skintalker was looking for info specifically relating to something we had or had done. the only other things that may of drawn some growing attention is just how fast we have grown in strength, but even then until probably the Engine destruction or maybe the Tindalos fight i cant see it getting too much except from those specifically watching for unusual and dangerous growth, basically those looking for who might next be a big shot.

Once we started being on the radar at all though, id imagine as things do, we become 'known' widespread pretty quickly, and thus sooner like you said. we were just more on the 'interesting daughters to watch and use as new shipping material' list, over the 'shes a celebrity im gonna write shipfics of her with all my other favorites and kill anyone who disagrees with my fav ships' list.
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>>3857881
>>3857906
I think we first appeared on the radar blip when we made the Fool's choice since apparently we're the only Hive Mistress Class Daughter to ever take the "fool's choice" albeit briefly, which did provoke Ozma's Ire.

But then our popularity spiked when we snatched Kosi out of Mara's hands.

We can safely guess that Mara was the one that gave us the Colbert bump us on the skinternet map by telling them about how this one cheeky daughter managed to steal her prize, after she interviewed us in Rust Town Mara started shamelessly shilling and hyping up Shu's reputation.
The next spike was the Monastery destruction, Uzu's descent into becoming a Hunger-mad daughter, and Shu dealing a heavy blow to Isabelle which quickly turned heads.
I think Peak popularity happened at Almath in the aftermath of Shu killing Isabelle and ruining Mother's Resurrection Gambit. the Shu x Isabelle shipper definitely suffered a massive salt storm from that.

E gads, I forgot about one more strange ship: Sam x Shu now that Sam's got a functioning body.
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>>3857930
wait, we're/ we were the only Hive Mistress to make the fools choice? i dont remember that at all.

>But then our popularity spiked when we snatched Kosi out of Mara's hands.
oh yeah, nevermind, besides maybe the fools choice that without a doubt was our first big event and without a doubt put us on the radar. might of even instantly put us into the 'celebrity' list even. Mara pumping up our feats after that certainly id think did it if it didnt happen before on its own.

why do i feel like that one in your spoiler probably has way more popularity then it should?
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>>3857945
I may have exaggerated on being the "only" hive mistress to make the fool's choice, but the source is from Gamma West's Notes in the 17th Vein on Hive Mistresses. Shu's the only documented Hive Mistress that took the Middle Ground.
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>>3857975
Leetchgirl did it, but she's one of the people who got vivisected by West the second they left our sight.
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>>3857975
fair enough i guess, but given even Wests reach is still limited, i find it hard to believe we would be even close to the only one to do it. id also argue we have seen ample proof the multitude choice is the weaker of the three, and have not heard or seen of a single minimal numbers choice, so my guess honestly is simply those with Hive Cores really dont last long enough for her to have proper data on, and those she captured probably arent ever the most powerful either.

mind you, we have seen a good few WITH Hive Mistress abilities, but not as their Cores. which again, implies some things. also we had TWO Hive Mistress Cores that were swarm type butterflies. and both got horrible rekt. unsure what that says, but its an odd thing for sure.
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>>3858005
also i just realized two girls had a chance to make themselves their own personal Mothra and turned the chance down.

for shame, for shame on them and BHOP.
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>>3858016
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>>3858016
We'll just have to settle for Lara. I'm still hoping that her title of "Cheshire Larva" means that she's eventually going to pupate. Of course, even if I'm right it may turn out that she's not a butterfly or moth, and she'll actually turn into a cicada or fly or something, but I want to believe.
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>>3858049
lets help her stay alive that long and find out.
also dammit we still haven't invited her over for tea. we're dropping the ball on some incredibly important things here.
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>>3857312
Dont sweat it, as long as we get the answers before we start the Vein on Monday its all good.
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>>3857675
>ah, fair enough. we have been through way too much since then for that not to have activated though it think, unless she is REALLY hoping we come across a very very specific target.
We've never really had our health reduced below 500% since then have we?
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>>3858594
actually i think we have, though id have to look. know our allies have. its also contextual, as we have somewhat regularly faced enemies that have been able to do 500%+ damage in a single turn, so 500% Health isn't as big a safety net as it was in earlier battles, if one at all.
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>>3858595
I'll give in on your point that 500%+ health damage has been very possible against several of the enemies we've faced, but (and I'm not familiar with the Naruto stuff being referenced) if this Crow thing was flatly set to go off as a safety if we ever reached <50% health or something (which would be the easiest and surest way to implement a safety net) then context is irrelevant.
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>>3858597
maybe but 50% health would be a foolishly low amount. Magpie would know we're only going to be facing stronger and stronger opponents, it would need to scale off our maximum health, not a set digit, and/or be based off the level of opponent we are facing. its not a good safety net if it doesn't prevent us reaching deaths door, and 50% would be insanely low to try and use as a trigger without us getting way too overkilled beforehand. it also isnt a very good one if it doesn't take into the context of our team as a whole, over just Shu, especially given Shus core. we as a team could be hardcore losing with Shu otherwise not in the worst state simply due to not usually being in the outright center of the fight, but due to the teams situation as a whole, still 'need' the safety net by that point.

but this is entirely irrelevant and conversation, as we literally have no idea if she 'did' anything to us, and if so what. could've easily just been Amara smelling the cigarette smoke on us, for all we know. if anything, all it makes me think is its not a safety net, and if it is, its an utterly useless and shitty one.
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>>3858597
>>3858601
in truth though, lets be honest, this is probably one of those details BHOP mentioned that he didn't mean for us to latch onto so hard and meant it to not mean much. im sure by now he may have it mean more just because we wont let it go, but switching gears on it like that probably means its still gonna be something more minor.
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>>3857152

>"A simple visit to Madam Yurei’s Mansion to talk about her proposal for the Crucible turned into a ballroom blitz of escalating violence."

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3848948/
The 31st Vein has been Archived Bhop. It took a while, but I managed to make an apt description of the overall synopsis for this Vein. I hope you like the reference.

>>3857906
>>3857881
Given the whole talk of the Skinternet, I'm just imagining this hidden team of stealthed daughters trying to film and record footage of global events like a on-scene team of news reporters filming the battle.

>*Meanwhile*
>[I'm here reporting LIVE at Madam Yurei's Mansion! The Mansion, or rather what used to be Yurei's Mansion you can see here in the distance! where minutes ago the Defiant went to have a chat with Madam Yurei, and now they're duking it out!]

>[You getting this Cammie?]

>{April! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS HERE! I'M SCARED! I NEVER GOT TO EAT THE PUDDING CAKE!}

>[We're fine Scribbles! We're completely out of-]

>#GET DOWN#

>*JULIA SCREECHING IN THE DISTANCE FOLLOWED BY LASERS AND VIOLENCE*

>[What was that?]

>{Can we go home now? That screeching was too scary}

>#Stay under cover, I'm going to peek abit#

>[Are we in the clear? Seems clear and the fighting died down...]

>#Wait. It's not over yet#

>{There's m-more!?}

>[really?? Cammie? Give me visuals! I want a closer look!]

>{Nooooo! April! Stop!}

>#This is the best magnification I can do April! We can't get any closer or else!#

>[Can't you do better than this? The others won't make sense the video footage....of...of...she just turned into a giant sized Skeleton.]

>[We should go.]

>#Agreed#

>{oh thank god.}
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>>3858787
>>{oh thank god.}
Girl im pretty sure even if there is a 'god' of some form in this universe, they arent one to thank for anything here. while i still like the idea of potential spirituality still existing perhaps, the evidence still points more towards either the Buddhist or something interpretation if anything, or the 'gods so big they dont care about even individual species, much less individuals' scenario.

on an actual note, thats not a bad idea though. would be hard to pull off though, but i guess the most important people and events naturally being around and coming to the Cord at least makes getting to a location a bit less of a mess. still though, unless they have teams following certain people around 24/7 and/or certain locations watched as such, they probably would miss alot. unless they have passed around a really really potent long distance teleportation ability, so they can get to wherever the skinternet is saying the action is in an instant. but that also brings up the question of to do their job they would have to find a balance between survivability, and not having anything worth it on themselves worth consuming them over, even if they keep their levels low.

also if the one Anon writing that Carter story is around, id love to hear how its coming along.
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>>3857194
(You'll find out shortly after the next Vein begins, but rest assured that no matter your foe, I'll always have a method of leveling up available for you. As far as her other Dream Daughters go, I'm afraid I'll have to remain silent on that for now.)

>>3857238
(This is really cool to know, thanks for sharing, Anon!)

>>3857544
(Sorry it sounds like you had a rough night, Anon. Regarding your second point, little Amara's down for the count...for right now.)

(Now, on to the important shipping bits; Shu x Julia had some early traction, but quickly fizzled out when Dorian came on the scene. Meanwhile, Shu x Jackie remains a very popular, yet contested ship.)

(Shu x Sam is darkest ship, yet has a small and secretive collection of followers.)

>>3857572
(Very good catch, and I must admit a fair amount of frustration with myself that I left out the fact that the spun the spear, making it a 'spinning sawblade', like you said.)


>>3857816
(Honestly, I'd rather enjoy a slice-of-life Vein. As much as I like writing the combat scenes and the like, I really have fun writing the little cozy scenes and conversations between everyone, advancing their character arcs and showing off their own individual quirks.)

>>3858016
>>3858028
(Oh, a glorious moth Daughter is waiting in the wings, I assure you. I love moths and moth motifs, so I couldn't not include her. Also, that art is fantastic, thank you for sharing!)

>>3858603
(I'd like to go ahead and say that Amara has answers to a lot of questions, being a Skintalker. She's just not saying as much because she wither doesn't know it's relevant, or simply assumes you know it already.)

>>3858787
(First, I love the reference, and thank you as always for archiving the Veins. I try to shout out every time you do, but if it slips my mind then please know I always appreciate it immensely, and I look forward to your summaries since they’re always so apt and fun.)

(Continued)
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>>3858787
>{April! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS HERE! I'M SCARED! I NEVER GOT TO EAT THE PUDDING CAKE!}
The cake was a lie, Cammie! This isn't even a meme, its existence was genuinely a deception. There was never any cake.

But yeah, that's a fun image. It's probably actually being done with long-distance Skintalking psychometry, but an on the scenes camera crew in stealth would be pretty awesome. Like there's a Crucible Broadcasting Company, and they're bringing the news to the people via their psychic newscast. "Around the globe to your frontal lobe, it's Crucible News Tonight. Our top story, Shu the Defiant just killed god?"

>>3858805
>(Oh, a glorious moth Daughter is waiting in the wings, I assure you. I love moths and moth motifs, so I couldn't not include her. Also, that art is fantastic, thank you for sharing!)
Please be Lara, please be Lara, please be Lara...
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>>3858805
>>3857203
>>3857566

(Alright, I’d like to start off by thanking you once again for being willing to share you opinion. It matters a lot to me, since when I say ‘I welcome and questions, comments, or criticisms’, I absolutely mean it.)

(First of all, in retrospect I probably should have scrapped the skeleton form of her second phase altogether, as I realize it set the wrong precedent for what you’re about to deal with, which you simply getting sucked into the Dreamscape would have set the stage for much better, in my opinion. If I’m being completely candid and a little juvenile…I just really liked the idea of Yurei turning into a Gashadokuro, ‘cause I think they’re really neat [being one of my favorite concepts from Japanese ghost lore] and I was jazzed that a couple of the readers had mentioned it earlier, too. It may be silly, but by God I wanted Yurei to be a big ‘ol dream skeleton, and that’s what I made. I have no regrets about that aspect of the Vein’s closure, as silly as it may seem.)

(For my second point, I think that some Anons are thinking that you’re complaining about the difficulty, but [and please correct me if I’m wrong] it’s more the feeling that your efforts to defeat Yurei's second phase felt meaningless, and I’ll be the first to admit that you feeling that is on me, as a writer. I’m still growing as a creator, and in my desire to wrap the 1st phase, hint at what a max-level Halo is capable of, leave on a cliffhanger, AND hopefully hype up Yurei’s Hunger-mad second phase while also foreshadowing her weaknesses, I realize that the wrap-up made you feel like your victory was hollow. It’s never my intention, and the fact that you obliterated Yurei twice over with such ludicrous damage stands as a testament to the fact that you absolutely won your victory fair and square. You beat Yurei. You completely demolished her. But you don't feel like it, and I want to make your victories and defeats hold weight and feel 'right', to you.)

(Thus, I would like to ask for help, not just from you but from any of the players that are willing to speak up; that’s twice now you specifically have felt sour at how a combat has gone, and that just doesn’t sit well with me as a writer or a QM. I strive to make my players happy and satisfied, so I want to know how to avoid things like this to become a better writer, QM, and storyteller overall, so I can then use that growth to deliver a superior exerience to you and everyone that's playing and reading alongside you. I feel like the fact that I know what’s coming next in most story beats ends up clouding your victory with overwhelming elements when I’m trying to raise the stakes and keep developing the characters through different types of conflict, so while I realize that if Yurei's second form feels like it came out of left field, then I want to figure out how I could have handled Yurei's second form reveal better, if you're willing to share.)
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>>3858801
>also if the one Anon writing that Carter story is around, id love to hear how its coming along.
Yes this is anon, you have the right person.

It's been put on hold from several irl factors (work is one of them) and having to digest the events of the 31st vein, not to mention reading November's T-5 character sheet has given me a small inspiration on trying to craft a relic tailored to preserve November even after the Winterfall initiative, not to mention trying to come up with T-5 Relics, which does beg the questions of T-5 Forge Cores and the requirements to make T-5 Relics.

Related to the story however, I've hit a snag since I discovered that balancing the escalating conga line of subjecting Carter to increasingly hilariously absurd scenarios of harem tropes and sexual molestation is getting quite difficult, and it's almost clashing with the planned ending that I originally had for Carter. Needless to say, I need some time to thnk.

Also, I'm eagerly awaiting feedback from bhop himself so I can refine my writing regarding Luna and Carter.
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>>3858823
Well, personally, I feel okay with this outcome. Part of that might just be because I was happy to have my guess as a gasahdokuro second stage to be right, that's pretty cool. But I think for the most part it's because this feels appropriately dramatic.

I was one of the people who got really dismayed at the Almath stuff with Isabelle's ruse. And the reason for that was because it was an anticlimax. We went all this way, pushed on despite impossible odds and taking grueling punishment, got right to the finish line...and then were stopped in our tracks. Quite literally, with Ozmas paralyzing us. We lost all that dramatic momentum we had built up, and had to rebuild it in order to make the final fight with B'Ni appropriately satisfying. And we did, I'm not saying I didn't like where the story went ultimately, but that hitch in the road interrupted the flow of the narrative arc. It took me out of the drama, interrupted my immersion in the story.

This didn't. Because there's a clear escalation in the stakes and Yurei's capabilities. We fought her normally, we fought her with an army of ghosts, now we fight her as a giant half-real skeleton. The arc is maintained, I'm still flowing along with the narrative instead of being taken out of it. So even if Yurei managing to survive that epic beat-down might feel a bit unfair, it feels unfair for in-universe reasons. It's already been established that Yurei is stupidly powerful, it's not a complete swerve when she pulls off something like this. Moreover, I can see this outcome as a result of our actions. Yurei is not becoming a giant monster in spite of us but because of us. Ozmas paralyzing the party so Isabel could act with impunity just happened. We had no say in that. Yurei becoming the Yume Gashadokuro is an act of desperation, us having pushed her so far beyond her limits that she has no choice but to do this. I can trace a clear line from our actions to her responses.

Plus, it's just cool. I like the idea of a dramatic third-stage form to the villain, after the heroes have killed them normally and they're clinging on to existence by turning into a twisted monstrosity. Abandoning their pride, becoming something hideous, because the heroes have won so hard that vengeance is all they care about anymore. I'm looking forward to this fight, I expect it to be really neat.
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>>3858823

Okay then.

To be frank I don't have that same emotional investment (due to work) as much as that other anon, so the feeling of frustration didn't quite come across and I didn't voice any sort of complaint, but

Given the times that we've been soured upon from situations like these...

As for the other times like Spiraling fear...That was a sort of frustration was where the initial rewards were given out too early and you acted in haste to post the level up options, which we sorta felt burned by idea that we still had to think economically and make use of what meager rewards we were given in proportion to an epic fight to stop what seemed to be a mountain that cannot be stopped if we didn't kill it at the golden opportunity. So the mistake there was that you were too hasty to give out the rewards which colored our initial perception of what we got for our efforts, but overall it was well done.

The frustration on the boss fight against phase 1 of Isabelle part 2: electric boogalo was the fact that the boss fight and the circumstances in which you had set up the bossfight proper was that it gave us the sort of apparent cut-scene incompetence where Ozmas (and by extension Isabelle) had a villainous victory moment. I think the key thing was that you gave us the impression that Rath somehow got to Isabelle but it didn't matter the moment Isabelle touched Ozma's corpse. It would've been better if you had stated that Rath clearly missed Isabelle by whiffing the grab despite our best efforts, which would convey the sense that we did our best but fell short in a fair manner. Instead you gave us the vague scenario where Rath caught Isabelle which made it look like we've succeeded, but Isabelle still managed to get to the Corpse of Ozmas, which led to the "cutscene" moment of powerlessness. I need to stress and let you know, it was VERY DIFFICULT in regaining our footing and rousing the playerbase's spirits enough to dig ourselves out of that mess to try a comprehensive plan to fight our way out instead of submitting to defeat.

As for Yurei, I believe that some anons didn't know the true power of the Calcite Halo when maxed out, and they were still riding that power high of having Julia go on a 20 ACT rampage that delivered mass amounts of damage to Yurei and having November fire a T-5 Autumn Protocol at the same time. So while it did result in a "why won't you die" feeling of frustration because we didn't take (or rather forgot to at times) into account on of how powerful the Calcite Halo could be, the frustration was more in part of us kicking ourselves mentally for having squandered our trump cards too early.

On the narrative side, I think you did a good job with keeping the narrative flow and establishing the second phase which is very well done. A bit of levity, the scene of Julia's rampage, then the second phase.
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>>3858884
>I need to stress and let you know, it was VERY DIFFICULT in regaining our footing and rousing the playerbase's spirits enough to dig ourselves out of that mess to try a comprehensive plan to fight our way out instead of submitting to defeat.
As one of those people despairing, I can attest to that. Thanks for rallying us, once we got our heads back on straight we were able to turn it around pretty quickly. But yeah, in the moment it seemed so pointless, Isabel had godlike power and the entire party was paralyzed, it didn't seem like there was much we could do to change anything.
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>>3858823
well, first off, and actually this is something ive been meaning to kinda talk about with everyone, so I do apologize here BHOP if some things i'm about to say feel odd, but some of it won't be directed only at you keep in mind.

I voice my opinion because I care. I know that may look or sound odd, given my wording and tone alot of time, but it's really as simple as that. I also simply feel I have a right to, and in some ways an obligation. maybe it sounds like im taking the quest too seriously, and fair enough on that, but it's just how i am and i can live with it personally, and frankly that's all that matters to me on that small snippet.

But i'm also one person. while I truly do appreciate and adore all our discussions and love having them, and hope to have many more with everyone, i'm a singular person. loud, sure, and honest to god i'm not trying to float my boat here or anything, I really don't like ego trips or patting your own back, i just don't know how to get that across without just saying it plainly like I am now, but i do think people listen to me because what I say usually holds some merit, certainly not for my tone that being said, and for the point im getting to, again, im one person, and as much as i appreciate you and everyone takes my opinion seriously... well, i really don't know how to word this, so I do apologize. but, sometimes it feels like people take my opinion too seriously? if that makes sense? sometimes it feels like people feel like they HAVE to convince me of their opinion, like for some reason my opinion holds more weight and matters more than everyone else's. yet at the end of the day i'm still a single voter who still only counts as one vote, and any disagreements are not up to me alone to decide what is voted as the correct course of action. yet it often feels like people simply do not agree that is the case, with how they come about interacting in our conversations. i'm Discussing it because i think it's important to discuss and let people see the discussion, aswell as of course defend my views if i think they're right. but it's alright if im outvoted or you disagree with me, while of course no one would be upset over convincing someone of their points, i'm not actually upset if you disagree, i'm just not against a discussion being heated or harsh. this is what i'm passionate about, and i have no regrets about it, and appreciate everyone else's passion too. feeling like i lost the point a bit, wrapping back around to 'i'm just one person' and people need to remember that, and i feel they for some reason overlook that.

(1/4)
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>>3858909
>>3858823
to get to the point for you specifically BHOP, is that point of me being a singular person. while I appreciate you listening and responding and hope that doesn't stop, and will get to a more Game Focused response in a moment, what i'm trying to point out is that I am alone here if you look in feeling this outcome was bad, or well, bad enough to mention. not gonna put words in empty mouths, if that makes sense. while I appreciate it, really, i feel like you are being a bit harsh on yourself over the opinion of one anon, longtime and known reader or not. Its alright to take my opinion seriously, and it's appreciated, but you also don't have to take it as gospel when no one else is agreeing with it.

Now, onto the actual points.

No, it's not about difficulty. Honestly at least twice in that fight, i expected us to lose. No ones gonna believe me, but i'm tired of trying to convince people of this, but I expected it and would’ve been ok with it, if that's the outcome our actions in those moments were to lead to. Difficulty has the same ideas to it. This was a hard fight, I was ok with that, and it felt right even in those moments I thought we may lose. But how and why you are lead to defeat matters aswell as how it feels, and in those moments it did, but at the end here, albeit not a technical defeat, the outcome just didn't feel right.

A part of the issue is, without you saying so OOC, that doesn't look like we defeated Yurei, or even that she died. That looks like she had a final form left, despite her very clear and very real reaction making it look like she had no tricks left up her sleeve. You made her never seem like she really thought she was gonna lose, then made it look very clearly like she had just realized her last resort was gone and she was done for,then within the context of the actual story by itself, made it look like it was all bullshit and you pulled the rug out from under us. You made us throw everything at her for any hope of victory, drain ourselves to our limits, make her seem like she herself thought she was defeated, then throw something at us that looks like she's more powerful than ever, and expect us to think we stand a chance.

She also has a Calcite Halo then is implied to pull off some nonsense with it you would expect only to be possible from the Phantasmal Halo at best, or so seemed the given context.

(2/4)
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>>3858913
>>3858823
And I guess that’s also a point of contention and my point. It felt like you are again ignoring giving the players a proper sense of control, be it to their doom or success, to instead go for as you said earlier, a cinematic situation that you think is neat. I, personally, do not want a cinematic nonsense. I don't find this neat or cool, given the context. I find it annoying and tiring. If we were to lose, there were plenty and proper moments it could've been done. If we were to win, it felt like our moment to win.

Instead, it feels like you didnt care what our actions should result in, instead you were gonna throw this at us regardless. And just like in Almath, i find that in poor taste and not what or why i love and stayed in this quest. I don't want or expect things to constantly ramp up. I don't want or expect every scene to constantly get bigger or more… whatever you think this is.

Yurei was a hard, good, tough fight i thought was fun and was willing to accept a defeat over. But what you have already thrown at us was more than enough to make a defeat or victory feel worth it and well done. But then like before, it feels like it just wasn't enough for you, and you stepped over the line for what i personally feel is reasonable on either front into, as it is presented to us in the moment, a ludicrous situation for us to just be pumped up about or accept, given everything we just went through and how hard we fought to even get as far as we did.

To me, this shit just ruins the impact and feel, it hollows out the entire fight, like you dont think what we did was enough, or that what was done was good enough. It makes it feel like all of it was wasted and makes any and all mistakes sting more, and like we were lead on hard just so we could be slapped in the face by more when we already got ourselves some damn hard metaphorical wounds already.

There's a good, epic, hard and honest fight, then there's just making the entire situation feel ridiculous.

(3/4)
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>>3858918
>>3858823
My personal take on it as far as i can think for advice is, you just take things too far sometimes i guess. Sometimes it IS better to reel things in and make a fight have a reasonable sized ending, that can and to me, does often have alot more impact and lasting effect to the fight and make me remember it more.

The Kosi raid? The engine fight, the Monastery, the Ice Doggo? Even our first fight with Isabelle? Those and many more i look back on fondly and come back to my mind all the time. Alamath? I don't just try and forget it, it just legitimately wasn't memorable to me, because for reasons stated then and here, you pushing certain parts of it too hard and leaving certain feelings just made me… not care. It hollowed out the feeling and just made it feel like a boring chore instead of a hard and important battle, and still despite the interesting location you crafted, I hope and want us to never return to Almath because I just don't have any good memories of the place, if any feelings left on it at all.

I'm sorry I can't give more advice, I am really trying to find the words here, but all I can think of for myself personally is you just make our investment and struggle feel wasted when you push things a step too far at times with its feeling, and sometimes make it feel like your taking the weight and impact of our actions away just to get something into the quest, which I just don't like one bit.

For what it's worth, overall you still do a fantastic job and I understand you don't mean to bring forth these feelings, but that's both why im not quote about it, and why it's so hard to accept it, if that makes sense.

But again, i'm just one Anon. I don't expect anyone to agree with me, I just don't feel I should stay quiet on it either, even if it's just me.

(4/4)
>>
as for other, less heavy topics...

>>3858805
>a glorious moth Daughter is waiting in the wings, I assure you. I love moths and moth motifs, so I couldn't not include her.
glad to hear. Moths are surprisingly cute. glad you liked the artwork!
and much better than butterflys, fite me ppl.

>I'd rather enjoy a slice-of-life Vein.
im feeling a trend here. something perhaps not supposed to be so wearing turns into a big mess, so we then let our family have some time to recover and cool off. the Crucible really doesn't know what a 'middle ground' is, does it?

>Amara has answers to a lot of questions, being a Skintalker. She's just not saying as much because she wither doesn't know if it's relevant, or simply assumes you know it already.
I mean, i figured yeah, its just hard to find the time or excuse to ask her things. besides just how busy we are, shes also a kid, and even with showing some great maturity for her age, its still hard to poach alot of questions to her.

>>3858820
yeah i hope its Lara too, but i wouldn't be upset if theres another out there somewhere. to be fair, Lara could have a julia like combat transformation, so the Caterpillar is just her usual form, but then during battle she can go 'full defense' as a 'cocoon', then emerge in 'full offense' mode or something as a moth/butterfly. would be a super neat way to do it actually, rather then it being a permanent transformation. we'll have to ask her when we finally invite the nice lady over for tea.

>>3858832
ah, alright. i mean, just as some advice, dont force yourself to write it a specific way or for specific tropes. if something is just too difficult to fit with how you want the story to end/play out, its alright to drop that idea and go with another, even if it lessens the overall theme, it still might make for a better flow than trying to fit to said theme too hard.

just some thoughts, do what you want, and know i look forward to it, and am willing to let you take your time with it, of course.

also i apologize if after what i just posted posting this too feels out of place or anything, i just already had all this typed out and felt like if i didnt go ahead and post this now too, it very well might never really 'find the time' to do so, as it was, but still wanted to continue/say this stuff.
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>>3858805
BHQ is gonna have its own in-universe "what your favorite ships say about you".

>November x Francine: you have a crippling addiction to cyborg girls, or your ideal relationship dynamic is jock x nerd.
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>>3858823
Yurei's second form reveal was fine, as is the way you presented what a max-level halo is capable of.

The plan we chose created an excessive overkill of her first form. It's completely reasonable for advanced abilities to render all of that overkill null and void. We hadn't yet seen a daughter undergo a transformation like this so it was somewhat unexpected but not unreasonable. Personally, I suspected Yurei would have some sort of ability allowing her to nullify full-annihilation physical damage using phantasmal conduit or other shenanigans from the get-go. Her original ploy with the Engine seemed as if she was going to put us and our family to sleep once they'd arrived, withdraw herself into the dreamworld to fight with us, and then detonate the engine to take us all out while remaining unharmed (if she couldn't just smack us down in the dreamscape with her then-unknown powers).
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>>3858934
>Dorian x Ringo: You need to stop writing crackfics to mess with your friends.
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>>3858823
On the other hand, personally I think the third phase is entirely legitimate and I'm looking forward to it. We totally annihilated Yurei's body, overpowering the calcite halo completely, but that was never where her true power was. We have known for a long time that the physical manifestation of a Daughter is only a fraction of the whole, but maybe it wasn't stressed enough during the final scenes for some. Obviously we had a huge overkill on Yurei's body though, perhaps if that had more obviously carried over to handicapping the skeleton in some way everyone would be a little more satisfied?
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>>3858978
I feel like this one is wrong in many layers of ways. Which means it too is more popular then it probably should be, and not for the reasons you stated, knowing shippers.
Amara is never allowed on fanfiction.skin, ever.
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>>3859400
Yeah, but I was thinking of it in the context of one of the "what it says about you" posts, which wouldn't really be examining the logic in-depth. Like the "you have a crippling addiction to cyborg girls" bit but for November x Francine.

Speaking of Francine, if the Skinternet is blogging about us, does that mean that Francine having betrayed the rest of the West collective has been blown? Because if our actions are being observed, any Skintalker (something West Prime certainly is) will have seen her here fighting alongside us. Even if the scrambler implant prevents the other Wests from sensing her actions at range, blurring Francine out on their own senses, all they'd have to do is listen in to the gossip of other Skintalkers while gathering intelligence.
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>>3859400
>>3859419
inb4 a skintalker neuromancer hybrid figures out a way to transmit images through the skinternet
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>>3859419
Yeah that is a big worry now that we know it exists, and it would be foolish to think west isnt watching it. Maybe some of the other skintalkers are blocking her out of it.

>>3859437
Oh thats both probably possible and not good.
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>>3858909
>>3858913
>>3858918
>>3858922

(I really appreciate your response! I'm going to be completely honest, and it may sound silly when I say this, but realizing I don't necessarily have to 'go big or go home' or keep escalating things alternatively blew my mind and relieved me. I think I was operating under the delusion [for whatever reason] that I had to keep topping myself somehow, and for some reason when you pointed that out, I felt like something clicked, creatively. I'm honestly feelingpretty inspired right now, so I'll be writing a bit this evening and posting my fic reviews tomorrow, which I'm looking forward to. I'll also have an open question time, since I'm sure there are things the other creators on here would like address that I may gloss over and/or not touch on, so I'm really looking forward to it. I'm a far more reactive writer when it comes to commentary, so dropping my impression and then drilling down on specifics is the best way to go, I believe.)

(Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my question, and I'd like to also extend my thanks to >>3858865 / >>3858884 / >>3858904 / >>3858961 / and >>3859098 for your kind words and comments, as well as for the work you put into your replies.)

(I can't wait to see where you take things from here, and I hope you have a fantastic evening, one and all.)
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>>3859455
Well, i am truly glad you got something positive out of my response. Not exactly what i expected you to get out of it, but glad to see you insipired regardless.

Looking forward to your review!
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>>3859455
The constant escalation cycle is a dangerous place to get into, for an action series. As much as I like the really high-action over the top fights, I'm glad you're going to try to keep yourself from constant escalation. It's not sustainable, ultimately. We've got to dip back down sometimes. I think you did pretty well with that for the hunting trip fights. Lepisma was dangerous without feeling like a huge escalation of the stakes (even if she opened up with a sandworm), the tiger was really just an animal, and the Kinetic Remnant was deceptively strong but subtle and localized. Maybe look back to where you were creatively when writing them, that might help you going forward.
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>>3859455

am>>3858884 phone posting

I don’t know about the other anons, but I’m honestly relieved that you came to the realization that there’s an alternative to the horrifying sensation of there being a trend of serial escalation that has been occurring in the past 10 veins. It’s been discussed amongst us anons but it didn’t seem to quite get to you that our concern about the constant escalation of threats and stakes was something tangible and could damage the longevity and quality of the quest. to be honest, the increased rep and attention from our actions have put a pressure on both you and us with you seemingly having to raise the stakes and us anons having to constantly respond to that and I was actually worried that you were going to write yourself into a corner from raising the stakes too high.

Thank you and I will be looking forward to some of the more creative scenarios and challenges you might come up with to throw at us.
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>>3859455
>>3859484
>>3859500
Yeah as these Anons said, constant escalation isnt necessary, and glad you see that now, and hope it helps you aswell.
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>>3858922
the almath fight against demigod isabelle was something that could be improved upon, but the the lead up and build up was spectacular. fight against the hexane statues in the vault was really memorable since it gave the vibe of doing archeological exploration and subsequently triggering a dangerous trap. while playing mind games that we waged against Ozmas was very memorable for me (Demigod Isabelle did take some of the wind out of our sails), but despite the stumbling block that nearly broke us, that arc did end on a strong note.

but now there’s the awkward issue that has raised its head once again: Isabelle is back in the flesh due to Exalted Samsara. There’s going to be some very awkward interactions between Isabelle and our family. Also, it feels like Isabelle has become a “Lost Lenore” figure to Shu as the mere mention of her gives Shu (and much of family) visible emotional pain Even moreso when Isabelle was raised from Samsara. Shu’s holding lots of regret and guilt, yet Isabelle was the intrinsic catalyst of Shu’s entire character development.
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>>3859528
Oh no, the hexxane statue fight is still my favorite one. There's a reason I specified Almath, not the entire arc.
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>>3858823
Well i think i will add my pinch off salt to t eh entire thing.

The Yurei Fight up to this point was completely fine. She was challenging and felt like she had things under control until she realized she jsut fucked up massively.

My main problem was that she got overkilled so much he mind should have4 been shattered from th epure trauma of being hit several times at probably more the speed of sound. She should have been so disoriented by being blast to smitherines that her final gambit her final and absoilutely last resort should not have taken place on the physical plane but a mental one if at all.

It could have been explained as her loosing all control over her power at the utter shattering of her mind and us being sucked into the Dreamscape with her as her powers try to safe her. Her mind should be in absolute shambles she probably shouldnt even be able to speak anymore only rage mindlessly at her own failing from and how she herself failed.

It could have been over then and there with us trying to lay a restless spirit to rest and make sure she does not explode further disrupting the waking world. Another fight this time against a mosnter bone mech just feels...... boring? unfulfilling would probably be a better word.

Her body is dead now lay her spirit to rest. Sure that is entirely reasonable but i would expect that to require talking or maneuvering through a dream of some kind and dealing wqith Yureis traumas. Another fight....... just does not feel right for what i would expect from a conduit.


>>3859455
And as you realized constant escalation is not necessary. We escalated enough during the Yurei fight up till now. Deescalation would have been more appropriate at the end and been more satisfying as well with it devolving into a mystery solving or a more social encounter again without massive stakes like Yurei turning hunger mad
Sorry about me being a bit late to the party but i was at a birthday party most of the day yesterday and then went and played DND with my friends and as the GM i did not have time to write down my own thoughts
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>>3859528
right, for your second part, and sorry i missed it last night, but i really dont think it was a 'lost lenore' situation. she really was at best only a close friend in Shus eyes, we saw to that for sure, the issue really for Shu when it comes to Isabelle(and the rest of the family perhaps) IS that she was a friend, even possibly by that point a part of the family, but as has been stated before, neither of those was good enough for her. it a double edged sword scenario i think. hearing about her or seeing her both Makes Shu think 'what? was what i could offer not good enough?' and 'we gave you everything and you spat in our face' at the same time. brings forth negative feelings about herself and Isabelle.

i was gonna disagree with how Isabelle was Intrinsic, but then i realized i was jumping to conclusions about why you thought that, and realized i still agreed, just cant be sure we agree for the same reasons without context there. in alot of ways, Isabelle was important by forcing us to accept just because you want to be friends and close to someone, doesn't mean you can ignore their negative traits. while ill listen to arguments about if we could've done more or done our discussions with her better, any time we got onto her about something, i still think without a doubt it was something we needed to get onto her about and she needed to hear, and i think us being willing to do that despite her being the first in the party was really important, not just to getting Shu some spine, but to solidifying alot of who Shu was and how she wanted the group to evolve and change going forward. its just a shame Isabelle stabbed us in the back over wanting more group unity basically, due to not actually wanting the group in the first place. it's also i think she inadvertently brought the group closer together and helped make it a true family, as her leaving helped people realize how close we were and wanted to be, due to how much her betrayal stung.

im not even sure its actually guilt, just the pain Isabelle brings forth of being reminded about how even with trying your best, throwing everything you have into a situation, wont result in a very good outcome, just not the worst you saw possible.
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>>3860155
I think the bone mech is largely symbolic. BHOP said that this isn't going to be a conventional battle, and confirmed when I asked if we were going to be fighting the manifestation of Yurei's trauma. So this is going to be a battle on the mental plane, us fighting more the dream of Yurei's power than a physical threat (it is the Yume Gashadokuro, after all, the Dream Skeleton), the giant skeleton monster is just there to look cool while we peel back her neuroses and lay her spirit to rest. Think of it less as an actual giant skeleton monster and more some metaphorical avatar. This isn't going to be a test of our ability to fight a bone kaiju but a test of our ability to navigate the psychic realm and penetrate through all the mental barriers and obstacles that can exist there.

>>3860296
Agreed. I'd put the pain at Isabel being up and about as just that whole mess having been a really shitty time. Also one that was only two days ago from Shu's perspective. It was a painful scenario in general, and while Shu regrets that she couldn't find a better solution for Isabel, I don't think that she misses her, per se. Because, again, two days time, it hasn't been that long since they spoke. The compacted time frame of this quest can really screw with the head sometimes, when you realize how quickly Shu's been going from one world-ending threat to another.
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>>3860325
that Anon may of been responding to BHOP under the same idea of 'im talking about how the actual story comes off, not what was said OOC'.

>The compacted time frame of this quest can really screw with the head sometimes.
yeah, without a doubt, but from a gameplay perspective it kinda is necessary. one of those sacrifices/compromises to get both parts working in tandem.

also, its interesting Isabelle knew Sam left, when she should be fully isolated. wonder if Isabelle just has more control over that than was implied, or if her deep(no matter how twisted) connection to Sam simply gave her an exception to that isolation a bit.
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>>3860325
But in the Moment it felt like we would have to fight the Ghost skeleton so it was still taking qutie a toll on my enthusiasm

It would have been much clearer that this would be more metaphysical experience if we would have been sucked into the Dreamscape.

I gave my response based on the fact of what i felt in the moment and then after sorting through my emotions for a day and a half i wrote that response

>>3860333
It could also be that her mind recorded all that info but couldnt react to it like she saw it all but her mind was in sleepy times mode and as such did not react until she was brought back and then she got hit by all of what happened at once
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>>3860340
possibly, but seems like it would ruin the point of the 'deep sleep' and isolation points of it if her mind still was 'seeing' things outside her crystal.
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>>3860340
Fair. I personally got a good enough sense that it was a dream world thing from the initial posting, but I admit that I expected the giant skeleton to be more literal. Like it was a giant skeleton fight AND a metaphorical fight against Yurei's psyche at the same time. it being mostly the psychic fight is something I needed BHOP's comments for.

Still, that giant skeleton sure is neat. Kind of wish we got the chance to fight it in its own right, instead of as a metaphor. Maybe if Yurei had opened with that, I guess. Ah well, Rath will probably have her own bone mecha eventually, we can see it then.

>>3860367
Maybe the fact that she was connected to Yurei allowed her to get some context from Yurei's knowledge? Yurei knew Sam was gone, so Isabel picked up on that in the process of being dragged out of the crystal?
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>>3860369
nah, its not that, because Isabelle said;
>“No…no no no, I’ve…you’re not her, you’re not.” She mutters, arms tightening around her torso as she shakes her head. “I saw Sam leave, I saw…”
>Her eyes meets yours as a flicker of brightness flashes through them.
>“…I saw everything, Shu.”

the wording and context to me seems to imply she was seeing everything the entire time, not just only when she got brought out by Yurei. which actually means my 'Sams an Exception' ideas wrong, and that the other anons probably right. but that still makes it seem like the point of the crystal option totally and utterly failed.
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>>3860378
Ah, good point. Then yeah, sounds like she sleeps lightly, and while not conscious inside the crystal is still picking up on her surroundings. Not the best sleep she's getting, then. This has interesting implications for the minds stored in the Cord, too, since Charon compared their existence to Isabel's. I wonder how far their senses extend? Are they seeing all of this, dreaming the entire Crucible, and when they wake will understand what happened without needing it explained?
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>>3860378
>>3860369
We are probably gonna have a talk with Isabelle then. If she wants to become a regular dreamdaughter that is.

If the Crystal Option holds no real difference then she might feel more comfortable gettign to meet the other dreamdaughters.

Sure it will be awkward at first but she would be much more mentaly stable if at least soem people would be willing to talk to her sometimes. But maybe she either feeels to awkward or to guitly to go for that option and wants to go back as a sort of selfimposed exile
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>>3860388
...oh god, if its *exactly* like isabelles, then all they are seeing and will remember upon waking up of the crucible is stuff inside the cord too. will depend on where exactly they are 'stored' in it, but imagine waking up and suddenly having two years worth of memories of seeing cosmic horrors hunt down and slaughter the females of your species.

>>3860389
i mean, the fact its still actual sleep/dreaming might still matter, its only because she woke up she may even really be connecting the dots. we'll have to figure out how it all works though yeah.
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>>3860399
imagine all of the existential masculinity crisis all the men would have in the face of this.
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>>3860589
I cant see a vast majority beating themselves up over that, as it was entirely out of their control. the scale and context of the situation i think would easily outweigh stuff like that, not just for men and masculinity, but for most with similar context in their situation. Earth was just eaten and transformed by a giant space parasite and humanity only exists by the skin of their teeth. less then like what? 5%? of the population was even left to do anything about it. you lost two years of your life. the worlds collapsed and probably now a giant fleshy alien world.

honestly the insane asylums might overflow after all this, over things like people beating themselves up over not being able to be a man and fight the crucible.
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>>3860610
Yeah, that's my thinking about it. It's definitely going to be a thing that affects people. But compared to the overall future shock everyone is going to be experiencing in regard to everything else? Probably not the biggest issue on people's minds. It'll be some low-key cultural influence that nobody directly thinks about but shapes discourse subtly.
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>>3860621
yeah theres gonna be alot of shit people are gonna have to get used to and come to terms with. technically, assuming crucible 'genetics' stick around, wont everyone not even be human anymore? or well, 'evolved' so far past what human was before as to be a new species. hell even mentally while theres of course still the baseline human psychology, and some classes dont change it much, but others like Neuromancers, Phantasmals, and Skintalkers almost necessitate major changes in how one thinks and behaves, not to mention if corruption sticks around the issues with Vitruvians.

biologically speaking, well, biological sex does have alot to do with what you can do and ow you behave. yet i think afterward class type would have more to do with that.

oh hell, if natural reproduction, or even a cobbled together replacement for it is made, how the hell is a babies base class type chosen? that alone is actually way more important a question than i thought at first, considering how important that would be to how they develop and their role going forward. does it take time to form? or is it 'genetic'? imagine giving birth to a skintalker, and its cries being lined with lexicon words on instinct, or having to deal with a phantasmal kids imaginary friend not being so imaginary.
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>>3860837
Didn't Charon say that their Civ had researched and found out a method to detect a person's base class type before "the Crucifixion"?

>"Our Crucible was planed for. It was a known thing, for all involved. We were told by our leaders that we as a people were beyond the Hunger, that we were attuned to each other in such a way that the barbarism we'd seen on other planets would not apply to us, that we'd evolved past our primal urges. We thought we were special, mortal things in our little rock floating through a cosmos we barely understood. We thought a great many things...and perhaps we'd have learned, if any had survived. But I digress." They finish bitterly. "When study of the Crucible was well underway, it was found that one's particular classification of power could be determined before the Crucible began, and thus the Twelves Ascendants were brought together. A collection of noteworthy Hexane who were to be the proud representatives of our race in the trials to come. Everyone else would rest, safely protected as we swiftly and efficiently ended the Crucible and brought a new wave of prosperity to our people. That is what we were told...and we, in our infinite naivete, believed it."

They also gave us a really big hint about the Hexxane's Technology level. They were able to venture to space and actually study other civilized planets in the middle of their Crucible, emphasis on the plural form of planet, which means they had advanced space faring technology that could likely go ftl or exploit space-time wormhole physics. It would also explain how Tindalos exist.
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>>3860849
yes but thats pre-existing adults, and in a species where ones just a necessarily divergent clone of their single parent. as we know, your personality, behavior, and issues have alot to do with what class type you get. guessing and even coming up with a pretty perfected method to guess ones starting class for adults i dont think would be that hard.

but kids not even born yet? i think thats a very different situation, especially for a species whos biological reproduction isnt based off self cloning.
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(Gentlemen, two items of note.)

(First, I have compiled some of my initial thoughts on your very own writings into the pastebin you'll find below. It's not terribly long for reasons that are delved into in the foreword section, since I'm opening up the Vein to questions from the creators themselves since I'd love to delve deeper and even ask my own questions when we get rolling.)

https://pastebin.com/wEssDFa0

(Second, the 31st Vein will be postponed until October 8th at 9:00AM. The reason for this is twofold, with the latter being of far more import than the former. First, I've not been able to get nearly as much done today as I'd anticipated due to work/life factors, so postponing it will allow me to refine what I have so that we can launch into the next section a bit more smoothly than if I cranked it out in the hour or two I'll hopefully have to write this evening. The other and more pressing reason is the fact that I want to give the creators here the time and attention they deserve, both for them to ask me questions about what I didn't cover, and for me to ask them questions once they come forward, as well. To that end, I'll start off tomorrow morning by addressing questions and posing some of my own in reply, if that's alright for the writers present. Having re-read your work, I'm just awestruck at everything you've crafted and I 'm very much so looking forward to talking to you about your work.)

(I hope your weekend is going well, one and all.)
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>>3860890
>Pastepin
awesome, ill read it now and get to you soon. looking forward to answering any of your questions on stuff aswell BHOP!

>Vein Postponement
well, honestly wouldn't want the Vein postponed over myself, but i also highly appreciate the thought and understand your own personal wants for doing that, thank you. as for the first, totally understandable, and sorry you haven't gotten as much time to yourself as you would like. take more than just Monday for stuff if you need to BHOP. though only you could say its important, some of the pastepins have been getting behind again as you know, so id actually appreciate it, not just recommend, them being in order first, unless you dont think said pastepins would be necessary for upcoming sections and would prefer to get them done later, ill trust your judgement there.
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>>3860890
I will come back to you with Questions tomorrow if that is alright. I will neeed some time to analyse what you have written down and try and find what questions i would like to ask you.

The Vein Postbonement. Sure if it was that difficult for you to get everything ready take your time.

So long as you dont push yourself to much (and are then sick for possibly weeks) its all good in my book

As for my weekend. I think i caught a cold but other than that is was great
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>>3860900
(Compared to your full review of this Quest, I have to admit I find my reviewer abilities a personal embarrassment. I greatly favor dialogue and discussion over me just word-vomiting over what I liked about your and everyone elses' work, so please don't feel offended if I don't go into as much detail as you might like. I want active discussion about these plots and characters, since I'm absolutely in love with them all, no exceptions.)

>>3860908

>>Postbonement

(I laughed, not going to lie. I appreciate your patience, and I truly hope you get to feeling better soon, Anon. Rest well, and take care of yourself.)
>>
>>3860900
(Excellent, I look forward to your questions. I'd have easily written something four times as long if I was going to go in-depth about abilities, their inspirations, and your thoughts on the characters, so I figured I'd wait to see what you'd like to hear me talk more about, as well.)
>>
>>3860970
I greatly appreciate your appreciation and praise for Luna as a character.

And I'm sure you have have questions regarding Luna, which I would have wholeheartedly answer/discuss with you. and play the part as Luna IC and as Luna's translator, but sadly I'm not OP so Luna's text-warping madness will have to be channeled in a different manner...

ŢI̷ME F͟ÓŔ I͞NV͜ENTǪŔY S̶CRABB̧LE͢!

Oh, there's Luna.

BU͡T̢ THE͝ ̡MO̕C̛HI͢ IS̨ ͢M̀I͞SSI͝N̵G!

Luna, Lemony Snicket is here and he wants to know about the festival.

O͟H. H̷ELLO̕ ̀B̴H͡O͜P̡

So, what do you want to ask? What are your more in-depth thoughts and questions?
>>
>>3860923
hey no i understand. everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. for me, theres a reason the Pepperbox Gang started out as random stories, and even as things going forward will now be 'in order' most likely, will still be more of individual happenings than a planned longterm story, because i honestly suck at those. its actually why i love the Quest format so much, because i too, am somewhat better at reactive or spontaneous writing, compared to long planned out ideas. its just not something im good at, but i also am ok with that. theres nothing wrong with playing to your strengths.

>>3860970
id be more than happy to answer any and all questions of those types for you BHOP, even if any questions above dont segue into them the easiest for you. though, obviously, specifics always help over 'literally everything', though i also do understand the urge to ask about 'literally everything' too.
>>
>>3860890
Pepperbox Gang and Carter Author here;
First off, those were all short but lovely reviews, for all the stories. I kinda feel like you should’ve said more negative haha, but hey, don't force yourself to find something to complain about either. Glad you liked them, for sure, if nothing else.


Pepperbox Gang;
>Hera is best girl
Dangerous territory BHOP, to tell us your type like that. all jokes aside, glad you liked her and her story so much. Not gonna lie, Heras Heart was the story i felt the most for, and am both glad to hear you liked the most and wanted to hear your opinion on the most too.

>Athens
Hah, thats a funny coincidence. I do feel ive lacked a little bit in showing off her ability set though, not just cause how much was added once I fleshed out the Character Sheets, but I also kinda put her in an odd situation due to the rest of her set not being as easy to write in a straight up battle.

I'd like to hear about how you perceive her as a leader, if you don't mind, though I know it might be an odd and difficult question to answer.

>Run-On Sentences
Yeah i do need to work on that a bit. Do wonder if my own dyslexia has something to do with that, as I write as my brain perceives things to make sense and flow well. But clearly, it seems perhaps, though I do try, that something makes me read tone and flow alot differently than most, which makes it hard even re-reading my stories to notice that or figure out how to change it without it feeling horrible to read myself.

>the Siege of Grettatown
If you wouldn't mind, and i know it's still a bit of what you struggle with to answer, but as it is the story that brings them more or less up to date with the Crucibles actual time and is a springboard story for some future ones, any comments on it id love to hear.

My own biggest complaint with it was i still do feel i fell a bit short making the battle feel like it should, given just how different every daughters abilities can be. But the scale of it just made it nearly impossible to differentiate that much and still not bog the story down, at least for me.

>Abilities
While I don't expect you to go ham wild with it, i do feel i struggled to balance and make individual levels anywhere near as interesting as you do, though im not as upset about the second part. Still, any suggestions, comments, and though it's not your thing, crtisms on their abilities would be wonderful.
>>
>>3861020
>>3860890
Carter;
I both will and would love to write more stories for him, though I will admit i was looking forward and hoped both making him open ended to be used and his extremely open ended nature of how he can be used(location wise at least) would inspire others to use him, but we’ll see there i suppose.

His story with Luna was wonderful to write, as the Author of her gave me a great character to work with and they bounced off eachother really well too. Doubt its the only time they may ever meet too, as Carters not allowed to have luck. it was fun though to write him being abusively used while knowing he was, but really having no better choice in the matter, poor sap.

Jokes aside, id love to see the opposite, Lunas Author writing one of their encounters, but ah, not the right person to be speaking this too i suppose.

>Waystations
Hrm, the only question i can think to ask relating to him is also actually funnily enough kinda a Main Story semi-important one and may also be spoilers, but it fits to ask too for him. Basically, where could one expect to find a Waystation, and does any landmass, no matter the size, that had someone who was to become a Daughter on it have a Waystation, to prevent wasting resources on islanders that fit the criteria but without one could never actually level up enough to leave without one, is my thoughts on it at least. It would also help for both me and others for figuring out his possible travel destinations, but like always, dont ruin spoilers if you dont want to.
>>
>>3860970
>>3861009
W̃ͬ̒H͆E͊̇̓͒ͯ̆R̍̋̒ͪ̂̔ͦE͋͆͂'̏Sͪ̌̐̈̈́̉́ ͛̏͌ͮ̃T̊͛̌ͨHͧ͗̿ͮ͛̉ͫE͑̊͂ͣ̔ Ő͊͊ͫ̏ͯͭVͦͨ̐Ẽ́Rͣ̏́C̈́͋OOͭ̋̎͊K͌ȄͦD̔͛͛ͭ̍ ̎̚C͆̽̓ͮ̓A̾ͯR͊Rͯ̽͌̚Ō̎̒̚T̆̎ͨ͂̔ͪS̋̃ͫ̈́!̊̃̃ͩͭ̂?̾̓̆ ̄ͯ
ͣ
́̽͛̏T̀̿HE͐́̌ͨ̈́͌̚ ̊̾H͋͆̚A̽Rͩ̐͑VE̐S͊̔ͨ̓ͪͮ̆Tͯ̒̇ W͂A͐̌S ͛Sͩ̓ͯ̆̃ͭǗ͋̓̀ͭ̈́P̀̎̒Pͤ͂̈̌̿̔͊Ò̇Sͬ̈̊Eͨ̊̾D̐͛͌̂͒̋̀ ͤ̂ͪT̃͒ͧ́̓Õ̍̀ͨ ́ͨͪ̑B͑E͊̒̇ ̑̿I͂ͩͤ͂Nͦ̓̍̽ ̀̂T̆ͤ͊́H̀̽̒E̍ͯ̋̿ͨͯ ̋̓̏͑WI̊̚N̐͊͆TEͭ̽ͨ͆ͭ̊R!͂̐ͮ̏

hmm.... Luna's asking about if you've got any pet peeves about my writing style...or it could be that she's saying that she wants me to hurry up with her second encounter with Carter.

>>3861023

W̔̽͐̍̓h͂̍́̐ͮă̄ͩͦ̎ẗ'ͮͮŝ͂̆̚ ͛̀̋́t͋h̿ȋ͋s͐ ̈ͨ̇̄́ͧ̚ä́ͧb͂̎́̊̉͆ͧō͗͑͆̆̄ủͬ̈́ͪt ͌Pͤ͒iͣ͊̋́̍c͊̎̏k͛ͫ̐ͪleͧ̉ͭͬ͑ͦ ̎́̓̽̂and ͌̏č͑͂̍à͆ͦͬ̍k̏̐̒͒ͬͦe͒̓͑'̔ͣͪs ͭͩ̆̆͋̐̆ō̏́̾ͤ̇r͒ͮ͌ͤ̉̈̈́b̌ḯ̓̆̋͗t͆ͨ̆̂̉?͐̿ͧͮ͐ ̆̄W͂ͯ͐͊͌̽̚aͪͩ̎s̎ͬ̓̀̊ ̑th̓̂̽ͯ̀̓e͊͒ͦ̋̏̊ ̿̈ͨ̋͒r̃̈́ā͑̇͐b̓ͤ͌ͪ͌ͣ̿b̿͛͑͊̓̄ï̑t̄̐̌́̌̄ͦ ̔̈́hͨ́̎̏͆oͦͧ̄̐l̒ͧͨ͂è͛ͮ ́̇̑̀͗͌p̀̌ͫͩe͊͊̑ͦͮ̃r̂ͧͪ͋f̾eͮͫc̐͌ͧ͂t̒́̒̉͛͑l͛͆ͤ̃̈́̉y̆ͬ ̈́̽̉ͤsͮq͒̿͗̉ͧͣ̓u̽a͂̏͋r̿̆̊e̎ͫ̎ͧ̏̇ͧ?̔

Luna says hi.
>>
>>3861048
hi.
not if you wanted the cake to get to the rabbit. also rabbits are round. and if they aren't, they are divergent. death to the square rabbits.
>>
>>3860923
First off. the Postbonement was entirely on accident

What are your thoughts on Avenger as a whole with how it has shaped up until now and its interactions with Mina? Do you have a guess what Avenger is based on?

What do you think of Minas style of clothing herself? Wearing Hotpants and a Bra made form her own strings only..... it may be a bit too lewd if you think about it.... well at least now she can start having a variety of clothing not that Scarlet TGhread is high enough fo her to have full concious control over them

I did have some semi lewd parts interspersed here and there what with Lydia tryign to safe Mina after she nearly choked herself to death by using her powers to safe Selene. What did you think of those parts?

Any criticism you have about the numbers I use? I think I am somewhat overestimating the amount of Daughters, Amalgams and Biomass available in a relatively small area(granted it was a very very densly populted area befoire the crucible but still) One of the most populated areas in Europe aside from London, Berlin and Paris

Regarding Gabi the barkeeper. Would you consider her a terrain based daughter or just a daughter that has her core condensed into a small balll that pilotes a body(kinda like the Mad Hatter) made from manipulating the calcite around her?

Did you figure our to what the XK-Troupe is a reference to?

Fun Fact:
Raras abilites, name and personalty were based on a Fey Warlock i had played in DND 5e about a year back
Minas Core..... You said you have a soft spot for Unnatural Predators. I do as well and when i came first up with Mina as a concept i asked myself "How can i weaponize a cute Harpy Girl?"
Minas secondary Ability Scarlet Thread is based upon a weapon wielded by elven killer clowns from space that come form the far future of the 41st millenium
For the twisted Fleshvortex I originaly thought about using a miniature I had in my room as the picture
Selene would have been way more flirtatious and open if she hadnt had that encounter with Iota Alpha. Iota Alpha pretty much condensed her personalityy inot her blood which awakened her Humoral Paladin Powers Yes she would have had the option of becoming a Humoral Paladin instead of a Conduit
I came up with Selenes Conduit Power while i was sitting around just kinda chilling and watching random videos.....
Melissa has a pretty Isabelle Powerset minus the Vitruvian bits(all of those are replaced by Fibromancer Powers) and more geared towards fast paced punches and kicks with which to make use of her almost 20 years of Martial Arts Training


If you have anything you want to ask me specifics aboput please go ahead and ask. I will do my best to answer you. Though i will be unavailabe during the day for probably four to five hours (in your timezone that would probably be from 10 am to 3 pm)

If i can think of anythign else i will ask again later
>>
>>3861023
>>3860890
oh, i did think of another Carter Question;
>What would be Charon's opinion on Carter, Both actual and forced via their job?
i still cant decide if they would get along or not, as Carters entire thing is kinda circumventing Charon, in a way.
>>
>>3860923
I would also like to know what you think of the Powersets i gave them individually. At least to the point they are up to now.

At least for their main two abilities that are well developed (and maybe your opinion on the Forge Tentacles and if it would be possible to create something like that maybe half a year or a bit later into the crucible)
>>
>>3860970

Are th͠e ̢m̡oon͞ r̕unes ̴S͠a̡ute͘e̕d̕ ͜to̧ Roa͘st?̕ T̀he w͘indo͜w's got͟tà ̛b͠e m͟as͟hed ͠with y̵o̶ur̕ carrơts!̡

Luna's asking if you get the gist of her usual word-salad sentence plates.
>>
>>3861834
i thought the point was not to be entirely sure of what she meant?
>>
>>3861020

>>Not gonna lie, Heras Heart was the story i felt the most for, and am both glad to hear you liked the most and wanted to hear your opinion on the most too.

(I could really tell there was some heart and soul in that one in particular, and it was very well done in all respects. Things like that is part of the reason I included the Dreamscape and the Choice in the setting, to allow these fun explorations into individual characters.

>> I'd like to hear about how you perceive [Athens] as a leader, if you don't mind, though I know it might be an odd and difficult question to answer.

(Well, she has more work cut out for her than Shu, that’s for sure. While Shu’s surrounded herself with a fairly even-keeled and reasonable bunch, Athens is in the unenviable position of being caught between three very big personalities in their own ways, which make her job of keeping them on task much, much, harder than what Shu’s had to deal with. That said, you’ve charted her growth as a leader quite well, and while she still has room to grow, I feel like that will come with time and the Gang growing closer as a cohesive unit, which I’m really looking forward to seeing.)

>>Run-On Sentences

(Like I mentioned, it’s something a struggle with, too. Getting into acting when I was younger helped once I realized that if I started running out of breath when reading a sentence, then it was time to try and trim it down. Even still, I forget that a lot and still have run-ons, but you’ve recently been using them to your advantage, such as in the Siege of Grettatown. Speaking of which…)

>>The Siege of Grettatown

(Absolutely spectacular. Starting a massive fight off with one of the heroes actively shutting their foe up is one of my favorite tropes, and it was done perfectly here. Page fourteen is my favorite, as the combat is blisteringly brutal and very well-defined, with such a breathless pace that a couple of run-on sentences actively help the experience to make things have a certain chaotic flow, if that makes sense. Athens is a great fighter to follow as she wades into the thick of the melee, and the way you handled the utter chaos of so many moving parts was done superbly. Not dwelling on everyone’s powers is sometimes the best bet, I’ve found, since combat can absolutely be over-written to the point where you lose where you are in the moment, a pitfall you avoided for the most part. The ebb and flow of the fight was very well done, and ending on a bitter-sweet note with the gift of the Forge Core was a heartfelt touch. Overall, it was a joy to read, truly.)

(Continued)
>>
>>3862085

>>Abilities

(Work’s been a Monday, but I’d like to refer back to your ability sheets to give specifics when I can. That said, I get giddy whenever I peruse the character sheets because the abilities are well done and flavorful. I’m not sure what you mean about them not feeling as interesting; I find them quite enjoyable and very fun to think about playing around with, so you’ve succeeded in making a very enjoyable suite of powers.)

>>Carter
>>Waystations

(The Waystations are empathic things, set up to appear in locations that fit one of two criteria; places where travel or communication hit a high point pre-Crucible, or places where it would otherwise be impossible to escape from or get to, ensuring that save for some very unlucky incidents where the Crucible glitched no Daughter is ever left stranded in a place they cannot leave. For the first point, the Waystation where you met Charon for the first time was a city-wide tramway, while the Waystation on Yurei’s property was where the mailbox was, as both locations were deemed viable waypoints due to their importance to the people that were there before. Thus, a radio station, and post office, or even a server room are all equally valid and potential Waystations due to the aforementioned criteria. Additionally, there are some that are truly baffling and bizarre, such as one that sprung up around a girl’s phone, deep in a secluded wood when she was hiking and the Crucible hit.)

>>Charon and Carter

(Charon would be quite delighted by Carter’s personality and goals, an before recent events they would even be somewhat envious of the sheer breadth of Carter’s freedom. Charon’s always enjoyed the presence of quiet, sensitive types, so they’d happily welcome a conversation or two with Carter. As a little side note, Charon would likely refer to him as ‘Honored Traveler’ in lieu of their usual honorific, as a sign of respect to his irritation at being referred to a female so often.)

>>My Own Questions

(Without treading into the realm of spoilers, where are you planning on taking the gang next, either in their own personal character arcs or geographically? Also, I’d love to know what inspired each of the members, as their designs are incredibly striking. Also, kudos on the formatting of their character descriptions in their intro story; it’s clean, precise, and sharply-designed. You have an eye for things like that, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to how solid everything looks.)

(Continued)
>>
>>3862089

LUNA

>>3861048
>>3861834

>>O͟H. H̷ELLO̕ ̀B̴H͡O͜P̡
>>So, what do you want to ask? What are your more in-depth thoughts and questions?

(I’d love to know where you got the idea for Luna, first off. She’s an exceedingly clever lens through which to view the Crucible and the world at large, so I’m intrigued to see what inspired her creation. Compared to where Shu and family are in terms of power right now, where would you say Luna stands? As far as her Core goes, I’m still getting over just how much fun and chaos she can wreak upon anyone she meets, and the thoughts of her getting into trouble make me smile. In that same vein, does she have any other concrete goals, or is she mostly just an agent of randomness? Finally, would you say that Luna is fairly up-to-date as far as the recent events regarding BHQ’s protagonists are concerned? Is she firmly in the present, or is that still up in the air? Apologies if you’ve referenced this before, as I have issues pulling up Google Docs on my phone or otherwise I’d find the bookmark I made and check it again.)

>>hmm.... Luna's asking about if you've got any pet peeves about my writing style.

(Not at all. One of the things that makes Luna so striking is your own very clever formatting with her text and the sheer incomprehensibility with how she speaks and acts.

>>3861834

>>Luna's asking if you get the gist of her usual word-salad sentence plates.

(For the most part, though much of what she’s said in this Vein has been utterly baffling to me. However, when I was reading her interactions with Mother she made a good deal of sense, in a sideways manner.)

(Also, kudos on some superb music selections, Anon. I’ve saved them to the Body Horror Playlist for future listening!)

(Continued)
>>
JOURNEYS THROUGH EUROPE

>>3861705

>>What are your thoughts on Avenger as a whole with how it has shaped up until now and its interactions with Mina? Do you have a guess what Avenger is based on?

(Honestly, Mina and Avenger’s interactions are a major highlight of your writings to me. I’ve always been a huge fan of the ‘sentient weapon’ trope [as Karma is a testament to], so Avenger chiming in is always fun. As far as inspiration goes, it’s not so much that I’m drawing a blank as it’s the fact that I’m such a fan of that trope that I’m uncertain of what media I’ve consumed that I could definitely point to and say ‘yep, Avenger’s based on this, specifically.’ I’d love to know, though.)

>>What do you think of Minas style of clothing herself?

(Making her clothing out of her own power is something I’m a fan of, so well done there. It just makes sense to have a regenerating set of clothes crafted from your own powers, since having something that you’ll just have to repair or discard after every fight becomes tiresome, so Mina gets points for creativity. As far as lewdness is concerned you handled it well, in my humble opinion. I don’t have any issue with her outfit and I’m certainly in no position to judge; as one Anon mentioned quite accurately, the fact that B’ni has spent roughly 50% of her screen time without clothes is a fact I prefer to gloss over, even though all Daughters with self-destructive powersets have a hard time keeping a working wardrobe.)

>>Any criticism you have about the numbers I use?

(Regarding Daughter and Biomass, not really. Considering that there are some hubs of activity that are far more densely-packed than even the Monastery, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility. The numbers of Amalgams you’ve had is a little high, but certain high-level Amalgams are easily capable of creating gigantic swarms of constructs, so have such a large amount of moving pieces at once is also possible, though thankfully quite rare. It’d also depend on how early in the Crucible a lot of your story is happening in, as Amalgams were far more plentiful at the early stages.)

>>Regarding Gabi the barkeeper. Would you consider her a terrain based daughter or just a daughter that has her core condensed into a small ball that pilots a body (kinda like the Mad Hatter) made from manipulating the calcite around her?

(Depending on what level you imagined her being she could be either, though the latter would be more appropriate for a higher-level Daughter, for sure. Cool character concept too, by the way!)

>>Did you figure out to what the XK-Troupe is a reference to?

(I’m afraid it’s escaped me, but I’d love to know!)

(Continued)
>>
>>3862096

>>Fun Facts
>>Minas Core..... You said you have a soft spot for Unnatural Predators. I do as well and when i came first up with Mina as a concept i asked myself "How can i weaponize a cute Harpy Girl?"

(You’ve succeeded, and well done!)

>>Melissa has a pretty Isabelle Powerset minus the Vitruvian bits(all of those are replaced by Fibromancer Powers) and more geared towards fast paced punches and kicks with which to make use of her almost 20 years of Martial Arts Training

(Ah, I hoped I wasn’t imagining that. Nicely done, it was written well.)

>>I would also like to know what you think of the Powersets i gave them individually. At least to the point they are up to now. At least for their main two abilities that are well developed (and maybe your opinion on the Forge Tentacles and if it would be possible to create something like that maybe half a year or a bit later into the crucible)

(The Forge Tentacles are quite possible, and overall I really enjoy the powers and their manifestations. They’re clever, striking, and fun to read in action. Mina’s my personal favorite, but they’re all very imaginative and well-executed, to boot. Like I mentioned to the first Anon I replied to, my phone doesn’t like Google Docs so I’d need to pull that up at home to give you some more in-depth reviews, but if there’s anything specific you’d like for me to touch or focus on, let me know!)

>>My Own Questions

(What made you decide to start in Cologne? It’s a great place to really kick the journey into high gear, and I’m curious as to where the starting point was inspired by. If it’s not too much to ask [and feel free to not reply if you’d rather], but are you German? As a student of German in high school and college I personally really enjoyed Mina’s comments, and having a multi-cultural group as your story’s main focal point is really, really cool to me. Finally, kudos on the formatting of the recent chapters. As a very visual person the art is great, and it flows very well.)


(Sorry for the lateness of my reply Gentlemen, as it's been a day. I hope everyone is doing well and feeling if good health, and I look forward to your replies and further questions, if you have the time.)
>>
>>3862103
(Ha, excellent! Krieg was one of my favorite characters in BL2 and was my main. I'm very happy to hear that, and well done!)
>>
>>3862105
I'm sorry, but you just got bamboozled.

But I'm going to re-post my more detailed answer later.
>>
>>3862096
>(Sorry for the lateness of my reply Gentlemen, as it's been a day. I hope everyone is doing well and feeling if good health, and I look forward to your replies and further questions, if you have the time.)
No problem I was busy anyway and would not have had time to reply to this

>Sentient Weapon.....
You could say that. If you know of Warhammer 40K you probably have an idea if i just give you a name. Feel free to not look at it if you would consider it a spoiler as it could be one going forward in their relationship. Avenger could be considered a minor Chaos God in its own right. Dont say i did not warn you.

Here is the name Drach'nyen

>XK-Troupe
The XK-Troupe is a reference ot the SCP Universe where the short XK is used to put in front of end of the world scenarios They were all masssive nerds and loved that kind of material greatly. They had been online friends before and when they met after the crucible hit they only found one name fitting for their little group of Walking Weapons of Mass Destruction.

>Timing of the crucible
It is still pretty early in the crucible around the end of year one.

>Specifics reagardign Powersets
The Act reduction Selene can posssibly generate with her abilites was consideed quite strong by some anons. I would like your opinion on that.

How typical is Raras Powerset for a Neuromancer to inflict alll kinds of status effects and creating semi-illusions while being jacked into an enemy (also would controling aggro work on other daughters or owuld it be difficult to do it when the target is intelligent?)

Obsidian Revenge. How typical is it for a relic to grant an Ability Augment that can only be used in tandem with the relic? (mostly asking because most of the relics we have used so far were created from the community)
>>
>>3862139
>>3862102
>(What made you decide to start in Cologne? It’s a great place to really kick the journey into high gear, and I’m curious as to where the starting point was inspired by. If it’s not too much to ask [and feel free to not reply if you’d rather], but are you German? As a student of German in high school and college I personally really enjoyed Mina’s comments, and having a multi-cultural group as your story’s main focal point is really, really cool to me. Finally, kudos on the formatting of the recent chapters. As a very visual person the art is great, and it flows very well.)

You studied German. Gut zu wissen. Ich hoffe du bist noch damit klar gekommen. Ich bezweifle das es in Amerika viel Gelegenheiten gibt das Wissen aus zu packen Yes I am german... and maybe you have noticed but I suck at the french language. One of the reasons i stopped using it too much. Another is I just could not deal with it
Whay i started in Cologne?

I wanted a larger city with an airport where a retired military helicopter could concivably be stored and some Sightseeing spots that woul dbe pretty famous. Also beer and some military bases in pretty close proximity as well as a good landmark/obstacle with the Rhein

And my own Home town would not have a university for what Minas parents would have wanted her to study. I have been to Cologne multiple times and had a good idea of how the city was layed out and how it might look after the apocalypse hit it. Granted teh tunnel they went through was purely fictional. The Rhein is only crossed by bridges at that point

And to be fair my own home CIty while coonsidereed a mayor city kinda just feels like a small village where everyone knows everyone else and local news spread faster than the newspaper can be delivered.

The starting point itself was inspired by the House a good friend from university had there with his family and the surroundign little village. It is located roughl in the same area as the startign point of Minas journey with some liberties taken as to the placement of trees small creeks and trees/fields. I had visited him there once while we were having a get together with the old crew form University and to go to Gamescom
>>
>>3862092
>>3862105
As a repost, I'll detail my answers:

>Inspirations:

Reisen choosen was for the final appearance, but my initial inspiration was Clownpiece the stars& stripes Lampad fairy from Touhou 16 where her torch would spread lunacy and madness on-sight. It then morphed into a sideways path as I wanted to convey the same sort of lunacy which then turned to crazy talk. For the internal methodology of insanity I looked to Krieg from Borderlands 2 and Risa Schrodinger from Hollow Quest Redux (a character who's basically the Cheshire Cat whose insanity screwed with the Quest's unreliable narrator).

Music was key to getting the sort of mood that Luna would go into when it comes to her insane mindset hence much of the frantic touhou music with clownpiece's theme again becoming a basis. The non-touhou music is from Madness combat (a 2d animation series about ultraviolence and insanity), which also gave inspiration to Luna's MO when in combat.

>Statline comparision:
It's very hard to compare Luna's stats and abilities to where Shu and family are in terms of power because I haven't even begun to flesh out her character sheet. I would hesitantly say she's on the high end, but that's the closest I can get. Making a statline for Two core powers that are based off of insanity and spreading it has the high probability of breaking the quest setting. That and her Two Cores + Moon-touched Mind make a very effective defense mechanism against probing Neuromancers, Phantasmal Conduits, and Skintalkers. The number of daughters that have outright died/went hunger-mad from attempting to probe Luna's statline number in the double digits.
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>>3862159
>>3862102

>Whether Luna is up to date with Current events (if she's in the present)

H̹̓A̵̻̜̦̙͆̂ͨ͌ͪH͍ͬ͂ͭ͑̕A͔̘̱̣̪̣̰͢Ḫ̮ͦͦ̌ͩ̆͒̚͘A̬̣̜̳ͬ̌̽̐̀H̫͇̣A̡̰͕̹̹̠̮͕̒̐H̳̣̯͝A͓͔ͯ̀H͎̆ͫ̋̚A̭̟̘H̴̫̟͈̫̩̯̃͛̾͑ͩͅĄ͇̟̟̻̮͆̉̓̿ͤ̄H̫̜͐͆͌ͤͯ̎A̸̖̮͉̠͈͍ͬ̇ͣ̔H̱̥̭͞A̾ͧ͐ͨ̑H͚͙̜̐͋̉ͨ̓̕Â̪̙̳̾H͗ͮ͌A̛̳̮̪͇̮ͩ͐H̝̭̮̠̙̦͎̍Ä̤̬͍̫̻͐͒͂̋̚H̗̬͍̺͈̬͓̓͘Ȧ͑̎ͨ͗̔

She started laughing in the middle of combat against a team of 4 daughters when Mother's gambit fell to pieces upon Isabelle's backstabbing. And continued laughing for 5-hour straight. Which completely terrorized and demoralized the opposing group of daughters. Half of them even joined Luna's laugh chorus for a brief 2 minutes from hitting peak LUNACY before being forcibly dragged away by her peers for the sake of everyone's health.

>(For the most part, though much of what she’s said in this Vein has been utterly baffling to me. However, when I was reading her interactions with Mother she made a good deal of sense, in a sideways manner.)

Well that's a relief. I wanted to write out crazy talk, but not pointless crazy talk. Much of Luna's dialogue have some sort of sideways message that takes awhile to get the vague gist, but because it's Body Horror, almost no one has the time nor sanity to try and figure out her statements nor put up with Luna's antics. There's a fine distinction between complete gibberish and madness-induced word-salads that have a hidden message within the Vocabulary Vegetables. Think Krieg where he tries to interact with Maya.

>In that same vein, does she have any other concrete goals, or is she mostly just an agent of randomness?

The Moon is involved. That's the only consistently concrete thing that Luna has in her already fractured mind. Otherwise, Luna is as about as open ended as Carter. She can be an agent of randomness, but in the same vein Luna does have the capability to be as laser focused as Isabelle if given enough motivation. Hence her new mood track:

>Killer’s Insanity (The rabbit has been provoked. Pray for deletion, death will not save you.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0_983F2AmY

While we're at it, I would like to recommend you watching the Madness Combat Series. An oldie, but a really good series that came about in the Internet's early wild-west days.
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>>3862085
>Work
Sorry to hear the stereotype of Mondays is being true for you BHOP, hope your afternoon at least will be calm, even if just so you can sleep.

>The Siege of Grettatown
You make some good points about how avoiding too much can actually work better yeah, and am exceedingly glad you liked it.

>Abilities
Looking forward to any comments or suggestions you have for them. As for ‘Interesting’, what I meant was for individual levels. While I think I did a good job overall on the base Ability and some levels, unlike how you do… almost all your abilities, most of mines individual levels are just upgrades of past ones, while you have a good knack for making almost every level of an ability almost a sub-Ability at times, and usually exceedingly unique than other levels of the ability, something i have no idea how you do and simply gave up trying to do, and without a doubt is simply less interesting, in my opinion at least.

>Waystations
Oh, ok yeah neat. I was right then on one of the reasons they spawn, but didnt even guess on the first main one. Yeah that… makes a stupid amount of sense, no idea how we didnt think that ourselves. I guess everything being covered in flesh and changed heavily in perception influences how obvious that is though. Not like Yurei’s mailbox was still there, afterall, for example. It does mean, if im reading this correctly, that besides some odd happenstances, majorly sparse areas or uninhabited areas would for the most part still be disconnected, at least via waystations, though id imagine it to a degree takes into account whats typical for the area in terms of ‘busy’? Still though, very helpful to know and very neat, thank you.

>Carter is Charon's type
Oh dear. But yeah, it does sound like they would get along, and am delighted to imagine so. My worry really was more if Mother would see Carters ability to travel so freely as a threat, though, for the second part of this question. The fact Charon would understand and respect Carters past and situation with a different title would probably make Carter internally respect and think of Charon as a friend to no end too, though he would have trouble admitting to it. Though mind you, i feel like Charon’s the type to somewhat see through such charades, as they have experiences that would make them try a bit harder to…

(1/4)
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>>3862170
>>3862085
>Where will the Gang go Next?
Well as I said, I don't plan things out too heavily. I plan their story to continue, no worries there, and like i said be more consistent in going forward(and be more inline with the main stories actual timeframe), but a full plan I simply don't have. I will say Grettatown was in New Mexico, nextled up next to the Rocky Mountains in a very defensible spot and in a good place for travel up towards the Cord to the north. As the events have convinced them to try and take a more active role in helping humanity, they will technically be heading North, though not really directly towards the Cord just yet, as at the moment they more are looking for that big ‘what’ and ‘how’ they can even do to help fight it, as currently they are utterly clueless at how fighting it can even be done. Their only real goal right now is ‘we’re good at breaking stuff and skulls, so let's find things that need breaking that will somehow help the cause’.

They also dont know if they should avoid the Society of Humanism, or Actively be a deterrent to them. They are in the deep Southwest of the US, which I don't think will surprise anyone, with them actively trying to spread their influence and support quite heavily and harshly now, and are making good headway, if you read how far that means they are extending with Grettatowns location, albeit Waystations allowing you to jump around heavily does muddle things a bit, aswell as exactly where one's ‘borders’ actually are. making the decision quite hard for where to go.

But the short of it is at least somewhat North for the Pepperbox Gang, though in truth exact location they dont have in mind. It's actually a dangerous situation, for both them and others. They’re good people, but they’re also like i said basically a demolition team, and one that thinks all they can do is detonate themselves on a problem, and have no one to give them a problem to go for, which allows for some interesting scenarios for sure. They’re not like Yurei either in that they see the ‘greater good’ too, which is both good and bad, in that that means they have trouble seeing the long term impact of their actions too. For instance, though i'm not sure ill ever write the story, the Pepperbox Gang once destroyed the only bridge for miles in either direction in order to stop a dangerous daughter. But as you can imagine, that solved the short term issue of the Daughter, but made a long term issue of no longer having the bridge. Meaning well doesn't always mean you do the best outcome, and the Pepperbox Gang know they are like that, the issue is, what else are they to do?

(2/5)
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>>3862173
>>3862085
Which i suppose somewhat answers your question on their personal Arcs. they’re not idiots- er well, Athens and Hera are not idiots, but they also need to learn and find themselves an actual goal here, and/or a cause to support, even if its their own. Just wanting to help fight the Crucible and what it wants isn't enough, and that's something they will have to struggle and find a solution too, as otherwise they might just be hurting the cause on accident.

>Inspiration
Well, as ive said, direct references i'm just not a fan of really, so if you were looking for something super specific, it doesn't exist. Mind you, im not against nor am I ignoring even subconsciously will things you like influence your work, I just mean things like basically straight up purposely ripping design elements from other characters, not that i'm trying to harp on you or anyone else who does, just saying not my personal style. With that though…

>Athens
Besides some influence from all their pictures, Athens came from the idea I wanted a Leader who was a bit in over their head, someone who clearly wasn't the best choice but was trying their best to grow into the role. She’s smart, intuitive, creative to a degree, but horribly young to be in charge, and with a crew that means well but it horribly individualistic. And i love that about the dynamic.

Ability wise, I wanted something that simply showed her uniqueness. Its a bit cheeky ill admit, but her Core really should be a hybrid, but that was kinda the point. She was too on the fence so it gave her her ability to express herself without sacrificing her natural adaptability, and use the forge Core as a work around to give it to her. She owes the Hexxane her Cores existence, though she doesn't know it. For Impish Shadow, it fit the picture sure, but really i wanted a bit of that awkward dichotomy in her. Her core is very outgoing and attention seeking, while Impish Shadow shows her old side of being ignored and pretending to want to be. They actually dont go well together at all, and thats the point, just like the two halves of her own personality.

(3/5)
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>>3862176
>>3862085
>Cajun
A Texas belle through and through, and simply a blatant and unapologetic homage to my home state. But otherwise, I loved the idea of a Southern/Appalachian wild woman who was forced to reel it in a bit. Im not sure ive done her and what i want with her justice honestly, as my idea was she was still herself, that wild woman from before, but had in many ways tried to become the mother of the group, and while i have tried i am unsure if ive done that well or if its ever really shown through properly. Regardless, i loved the idea of such a character, struggling to be the mature one for those she loves, while still having the temper and temperament of who she was before, and being unable to really find her balance.

Ability wise, it just made sense for her to be a shooter, and the Chain was just something that fit her to a tee. Wild, hard hitting, brutal, yet effective. Just like her, once she lets loose, there's no stopping it.


>Veronica
Simply loved the idea of someone who is exactly who Cajun used to be, and a reminder to Cajun of that. Veronica is Cajun if Cajun never wanted to change right out of the bat. While Veronica still has a kind and bleeding heart, she is unapologetic about having no actual control over herself, or at least, was for a long time in the Crucible. She herself still has the most to grow, and is starting to come to terms with just how bad her attitude has been for everyone, but simply has no idea how she would even begin to change, and struggles with the fact she actually still to some degree doesn't want to.

Her Abilities simply revolve around the fact she is so wild and so loves to fight, while she has not one lick of a damn about hiding anything about herself. An ironic twist of fate that such things have actually lead her to start hiding things from herself without realizing it, to a degree.

(4/5)
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>>3862178
>>3862085
>Hera
Oh man, is she a fun one. I just knew I had to have a type like her in the Party. She without doubt, was another Isabelle, and probably was on her way to being one of Isabelle's biggest competitors. It just how her type works.

Instead, she just barely got saved from that fate, yet has the baggage being saved from it brings, and it's something that was too fun and offered too much to work with to not have. She broken, horribly broken, but she's found hope and that hope is happily helping her mend herself back together, though as has been shown, she struggles to find worth in herself and sees herself more as a tool to keep her loved ones alive, over something they should actually cherish. Not that shes blind to the fact they do, thats almost part of the problem for her. But she’ll come around to it, the Pepperbox Gang wont let her do anything else, and it’ll be a fun journey to write.

Ability wise, I wanted to experiment with Skintalker hybrids, and mixing her want for family with her want to be heard just felt like a super natural way to do it. Her plethora of Phantasmal Ability was just a good way to show how emotionally fucked up she is in alot of ways, and how much baggage she really has.

>You have an eye for things like that, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to how solid everything looks.
I thank you tremendously, it means a damn well of alot. As ive put forward, im happy to help with such things if you or anyone else ever needs it elsewhere.

>Sorry for the lateness of my reply Gentlemen, as it's been a day. I hope everyone is doing well and feeling if good health, and I look forward to your replies and further questions, if you have the time.
It's no issue, i understand. Doing well enough. I look forward to your further replies and any further questions you have for me. Feel free to ask anything that comes to mind, really.

(5/5)
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>>3862170
>>3862089
>Carter is Charon's type
>How Waystations are made

Well that certainly throws me in for a loop/makes it more interesting Carter's escapade. I'm glad this information has come to light.
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>>3862183
Is Charon gonna safe Carter form thirsty daughters?

>>3862102
Oh yeah a small question. Can Waystations be destroyed? Because otherwise the Dom of Cologne would have definetly had a Waystation i will need to finagle my way around
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>>3862187
I think the Waystations are permanently there. They had to be established when the Crucible set-up shop on planet earth so the infrastructure has to be intact.

We'll need to wait for Bhop's word however.

>Is Charon gonna safe Carter form thirsty daughters?

Too much of a cop-out. They might make a Cameo however for a tongue-in-cheek reference.
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>>3862187
i think Charon might BE the thirsty Daughter.
im joking by the way. heavily joking.

>>3862183
yeah same. helps to know tremendously where not just Carter, but anyone, might be able to waystation too aswell. a nice balance there where its still very open ended, but has clear limits in where they could be to help one set the stages for them, as it were.
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>>3862089
>or places where it would otherwise be impossible to escape from or get to, ensuring that save for some very unlucky incidents where the Crucible glitched no Daughter is ever left stranded in a place they cannot leave
Ah, that might torpedo an idea I had for a story I'm outlining right now. Would an island count as "impossible to escape from", given the acid sea full of monsters? The framing device for the story is that it's a group of Daughters from Hawai'i trying to sail to the mainland before the local Amalgam population runs out and they have to contend with the other Daughters on the island hunting them. They quickly get sidetracked, but I do like that opening framework.

>>3862196
I don't know, it might be possible to destabilize them with enough energy. Like some really high-stakes battle involving Generator powers could probably destroy one. But in the process it would just cause even greater devastation. I think you'd recognize a place where a Waystation used to be by the crater it left.

I think Carter's relationship with Charon should be like a cab driver and their passenger. Carter venting his worries to this world-weary transporter, who doesn't really have much advice to give but just having someone to talk to helps. "YES, HONORED TRAVELER. BITCHES INDEED BE CRAZY. ONCE, MY BEST FRIEND ATE THE PLANET. I GET IT, BROTHER. YOU STAY CAREFUL OUT THERE."
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>>3862226
well, id say the issue there is Hawaii is so well traveled id of expected it to have at least one Waystation before we got this info, and certainly afterwards. its not actually a very small set of islands at all, as far as such things go.

as for islands, i think it would depend. the Island would have to be big enough with enough levels total on it for at least one Daughter to be able to get strong enough to escape via another method, to not have a waystation.

if you want help saving the story, it could easily be they simply dont know about the Waystations. it took Gina having the increased senses from the Halo plus her phone to map it to find them without it being an accident for us.

>"YES, HONORED TRAVELER. BITCHES INDEED BE CRAZY. ONCE, MY BEST FRIEND ATE THE PLANET. I GET IT, BROTHER. YOU STAY CAREFUL OUT THERE."
oh fuck you i hit my head on the wall i threw it back laughing so hard. fucking ow, but seriously, laughed my ass off, good show.
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>>3862226
(Oh, I love that idea for a setup. The Crucible is, by and large, a jerk, so your idea is very possible.)

(Haha, oh goodness, that interaction at the bottom of your post gave me a good laugh.)

>>3862187
>>3862196
(It is exceptionally difficult to do so, but it is possible. For example, it would take someone of Mara, Doctor West, or Alpha's caliber to break one irreparably.)
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>>3862241
Okay so there would be one daughters there capable of doing so. Good then i dont have to try and explain my way around that one

I am guessing you still need to get home before being able to answer my other questions
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>>3862247
(Indeed, I'll be addressing everyone's questions when I get home this evening.)
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>>3862234
>if you want help saving the story, it could easily be they simply dont know about the Waystations. it took Gina having the increased senses from the Halo plus her phone to map it to find them without it being an accident for us.
Yeah, that could work. It could also just be that they don't have the coordinates to anywhere, I suppose. Unless someone else stops by Hawai'i they're not going to get access to Waystations not on the island until they've already left it. Yeah, I think I'll go with that answer. There is a Waystation, they understand its theoretical use, but nobody has been to the Big Island yet. There have been a few people hitting up Honolulu since that's where most of the populace actually lives (being a tourist destination, the island of Hawai'i itself has a very low population density, making up 63% of the state's land mass but housing only 13% of its inhabitants). But I've also got it in the outline that Honolulu is for that reason mostly dead, and they don't expect there to be anyone living there. Larger population, smaller area, anyone who was on Honolulu has succumbed to the Hunger by now.

>oh fuck you i hit my head on the wall i threw it back laughing so hard. fucking ow, but seriously, laughed my ass off, good show.
There's just something inherently funny about an incredibly dignified character like our alien warrior-artist speaking in the vernacular.

>>3862241
>(Oh, I love that idea for a setup. The Crucible is, by and large, a jerk, so your idea is very possible.)
Yeah, I've got a neat adventure planned out. It involves swashbuckling skeletons. Because if you've got people that can animate bone, every sea voyage should have swashbuckling skeletons. There is no excuse not to.
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>>3862256
oh yeah, my bad, i totally forgot you need coordinates to use them anyways. that being said, BHOP did accidentally reveal there is something in place to avoid that being a major issue, but i suppose then again Gina just used neuromancy to control them before so naturally wringing at least one other location out of them might not be impossible. that and maybe Charon is supposed to give one out, in certain circumstances, like when said waystation is the only way for a Daughter to move on with their journey. i can see that, given they are placed to avoid that happening, the real question though then becomes, if that daughter has to be the last thing on their isolated location for Charon to be allowed to or not.
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>>3862234
you are now imagining Charon trying out the major accents of humanity whenever they speak and had just spoken that line with a thick Italian accent and dialect
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(Good Evening, Gentlemen. As my evening was completely shot, I believe I've come up with a solution to my desire to both continue this discussion and open the 32nd Vein; as the 31st still has some life in it, I'll be posting my replies here, while continuing the Quest proper in the next Vein. What are your thoughts on this, Gentlemen?)
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>>3862761
Sounds fine to me, though I'll probably be going to sleep soon.
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>>3862761
Sounds good, and im fine with it personally, though the new Vein will naturally eat up people's attention heavily, so you should keep that in mind.
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>>3862761
Sure we can do that, i will keep an eye open to this vein then as well but replies might just take a while longer than normal
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(Good Morning, Gentlemen. The 32nd Vein is now open.)

>>3863033
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>>3862139
>>Sentient Weapon

(Ah, I'll avoid looking up for now to remain spoiler free. Thanks for letting me know!)

>>XK-Troupe

(Downright embarrassed I didn't catch this one, as I've run through the whole SCP Universe site forwards and backwards...then again, that was when it was first out, so I'm sure a lot's been added.)

>>Powerset Specifics

(ACT reduction is a powerful thing, and in the current system there are only a handful of mechanics that play with that, and they usually are either finicky to work with, have a wind-up, or allow the victim to circumvent it through clever strategy. Potentially scaling back Rara's ability is advised if you want it to be balanced, but it's your story, so working in ways for the opponents she encounters to maneuver around it could allow you some interesting avenues and fun fights.)

(Rara's ability set is not uncommon among Neuromancers, and controlling aggro is absolutely an ability set that both they, Skintalkers, and Conduits share.)

(Obsidian Revenge: it's a very clever idea, and I would say that given the sheer scope of what Relics are capable of, it's not outside the real of possibility.)

>>3862141
(Ah, I noticed your syntax and grammar in German were too good to be mere translations. Also, your use of Cologne was inspired; it's an excellent locale.)

>>3862159
(I recognized Reisen, and I'm glad to see you use Clownpieces' ability to such amazing effect. I'll say it again; I really enjoyed Krieg from BL2, so very, very well done on the writing side. I can hear Luna screaming her lines with the same timbre of voice as Krieg, and it's glorious.)

(The best defense is a potent madness, it seems. That's just really cool to me, I love Luna's powerset.)

>>3862162
(I'll have to take a look at Madness Combat...it seems very familiar, so I'll check it out.)

>>3862170
>>Abilities
(I still think you do a good job with the powersets, absolutely. As for how I do my abilities, I usually like to think of how to either tweak the function of a power or grant a new tool in a Daughter's kit. Hive Mistresses and Calcite Armorers were the first classes to be created and fully fleshed out, so they're some of my favorite to work on.)

>>Waystations
>>It does mean, if im reading this correctly, that besides some odd happenstances, majorly sparse areas or uninhabited areas would for the most part still be disconnected...?

(You're quite correct, hence why there was a sizable distance in-game between the waystation in the Envious City and the one in the Town of Rust.)

>>Carter and Mother
(Mother wouldn't really consider Carter much of a threat, specifically due to his lack of disruptive behavior. That would change quickly should he align himself with any rogue elements, however.)

>>3862176
>>3862178
>>3862180
(Thank you so much this explanation of their abilities, I was very much so looking forward to it, and it certainly didn't disappoint.)

(Continued)
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>>3863935

(I've actually expanded the list of questions I want to ask, so I'm refining those a bit and will post them later.)

(Thank you for your fantastic replies, I really enjoy hearing about your design processes, inspirations, and thoughts on your characters.)
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>>3863949
looking forward to them, and thank you for your interest in the first place, though ill admit my own steam for the nights running a bit low so it's probably a good thing you got more haha.
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>>3863935
Would it be better uf i made it so that the enemy would haave to be stunned with her field, hit with a critical from Selen herself and then stunned again with her field?

That would give it a more considerable wind up timer and make its duration shorter, only affectign the nextr round instead of the entirety of the battle
I also rewrote the ability a bit so that the enemy can not be stunned in the first round they come into range and made it a chance instead of a guarantue that they get stunned

FRIEDFERTIGKEIT(Lvl 5):Peace. A thing so easily exploited by those willing to compromise on their morals to hit an opponent that cant fight back. Now whenever an enemy is affected by her powers for more than one round, they have a chance to be stunned. If they are then hit by an attack, that attack is a guranteed critical hit that can not be countered and deals two level of extra damage.
(BIO +15%)

FRIEDFERTIGKEIT(Lvl 8): Violence directed towards another is such an ugly thing. Now whenever a critical hit is scored by an enemy affected by Selenes field there is a chance that of 1 to 5 that the attack is downgraded to a normal hit. And if an enemy is hit by a cricital hit and then stunned inside Selenes Field they have a good chance to loose one act in the following round as their minds try to process what just happened.
(BIO REGEN +15%)

Becaus to be honest i want to stay as close to canon as possible

RED BLADE(Lvl 8): If Selene infuses an enemy with her weapon she can spend an additional 15% BIO to cause the charge to increase on its own every round without needing to expend a new weapon on furthering the growing of her burning blood. The maximum amount of stacks that can be put onto an enemy with this burning blood increases to five. If a weapon is created from 5 stacks of burning blood the nemey not only takes high heat damage but has a small chance of losing one Act during the next round as their metabolism tries to cope with the massive blood loss. If they are not dependent on their blood this does not work.
(HEALTH +25%, HEALTH REGEN +5%)

I think this one is okay as it requires her to hit the enemy and deal damage 5 times (each time with a new weapon) which is not that easy. She then also needs to hit the enemy a sixth time to activate the effect and get her weapon.
Would you consider this ability more balanced?
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>>3864100

>>Would it be better if I made it so that the enemy would have to be stunned with her field, hit with a critical from Selene herself and then stunned again with her field? That would give it a more considerable wind up timer and make its duration shorter, only affecting the next round instead of the entirety of the battle.

(I think that would be a wise move, actually. It would feel a good bit more balanced, in the end.)

>>I also rewrote the ability a bit so that the enemy can not be stunned in the first round they come into range and made it a chance instead of a guarantee that they get stunned.

>>FRIEDFERTIGKEIT(Lvl 5) & FRIEDFERTIGKEIT(Lvl 8)

(Much more balanced. Also, I'd like to point out how much I enjoy the flavor text you've put into these abilities. Nicely done!)

>>RED BLADE(Lvl 8) - I think this one is okay as it requires her to hit the enemy and deal damage 5 times (each time with a new weapon) which is not that easy. She then also needs to hit the enemy a sixth time to activate the effect and get her weapon. Would you consider this ability more balanced?

(Much better and closer to canon ability triggers, since that's what you're going for.)

(Continued)
>>
>>3868488

JOURNEYS

(So, when I first conceptualized the main plot of BHQ, I had a beginning and an end in mind, with the quest itself filling in the major gaps. However, the nature of the players has shifted around the endgame considerably, which I believe is for the better in the long run. Given where you're planning to take the story, do you already have an 'endgame' in mind for Mina and her allies? I'm not necessarily asking for spoilers, but I'm more looking for how you conceptualized the story; if you're like me, having a solid beginning, a vague ending, and writing to connect the dots, or if you just write and see where the story leads you from there as part of your creative process.)

(This next question may delve somewhat into spoiler territory so I'd certainly understand if you'd rather not answer it, but here goes; could you see Mina and her group crossing the ocean at any point in their journey? I'm curious, if more for my own set of reasons.)

LUNA

(Do you see Luna traveling alone for the duration of the Crucible, or have you come up with other characters you'd like to explore? I know that in my own narrative I have a great many characters that are more interesting to explore with solo playthroughs, while others like the Barbers and the Midnight Crew are more enjoyable as a unit. Do you have other characters you've been working on that you'd like to explore?)

PEPPERBOX GANG

(I've tried to figure out the best way to word this question for a while now, and really the best way to put it is with part of my own experience as a prelude; when writing characters, as in when it comes down to their personality and quirks, I sometimes have them all set in my head but when it comes to putting pen to paper they end up very different, almost as if they take on a life of their own once they start talking which is what's happened to a lot of side characters, and even some main ones, like November and Francine. Has that happened in your own writing, or have you been able to keep a close reign on how you want your characters to turn out and act? Have they evolved in ways you didn't expect?)

EVERYONE

(Sort of an open question for everyone; what aspects of the Crucible do you most enjoy exploring in your own writings? It should be pretty obvious by now that I enjoy writing domestic scenes, exploration of the strange and/or bizarre, and vicious combat, but what other aspects of the Crucible or the world in general are you looking forward to exploring with your narrative and characters? I don't necessarily mean physical locations [though that's certainly an excellent avenue, as Journeys shows quite well with the view of Europe and how it's changed due to the Crucible's influence], but I mean more with characters and people. For example, I know there are different organizations that are beginning to rear their heads in at least two works that have been shared here, so what else do you plan to or look forward to highlighting in your narrative?)
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>>3863935
>As for how I do my abilities, I usually like to think of how to either tweak the function of a power or grant a new tool in a Daughter's kit.
yeah thats how it looks too. maybe i just add too much function to the base ability or something a bit comparatively. could also be a side-effect of them starting out as a full Ability meshed down to a single description i suppose.

>Hive Mistresses and Calcite Armorers were the first classes to be created and fully fleshed out, so they're some of my favorite to work on.
yeah this makes too much sense haha.

>Calculating Halo
Oh, kinda wanted to ask if you were alright with this passive on Veronica. Wrote that one up a bit before we knew as much about the Halos or how there's really only one of each(originally), so unsure how it feels now.

If so, any ideas to change it would be appreciated.

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>>3868556
>>3868490
>when writing characters, as in when it comes down to their personality and quirks, I sometimes have them all set in my head but when it comes to putting pen to paper they end up very different, almost as if they take on a life of their own once they start talking.
>Has that happened in your own writing, or have you been able to keep a close reign on how you want your characters to turn out and act?
That's… difficult to answer, as I don't even try. I mean, I know who the character is and how i want them to act, what their personality traits are and all that, but once iget writing i just write them as it feels natural to write them in the flow of the story, even if it may not always be perfectly in line with their description. The same goes for initial character creation. I'm a very ‘by the flow, as it comes’ writer. I just… can't really do something too horribly planned out. A framework sure, but trying to pre-fill the structure just never ends well for me, and never feels right.

So because of that, im almost unsure myself. I can say for sure i am not upset and do make sure the characters are themselves, but i do not think i otherwise keep a tight leash on them, if that makes sense. As odd as it may sound, in a way when I write, the story and characters are just as in control as I am, and I let that go where it pleases.
>Have they evolved in ways you didn't expect?
Somewhat yes, but some of it is also just due to the overall story ideas ive ended up writing, and less so outright characters changing. For instance, Cajuns motherly side hasn't shown through the best, but there's also not yet been a story where the focus is on her or that her being as motherly as I envisioned would fit the flow, so its less that isn't there or is being ignored, and more circumstance simply hasn't made it relevant, but it still results in a side of her showing through i didn't expect to write so much on or see grow. Not a bad thing mind you, but still.

Similar with Hera. I expected to keep her boxed in and much more emotionless and stoic than I have, but instead she's done alot of opening up and showing her softer center. Which, I think has ended up with some great scenes and stories, so no complaints, but still isn't exactly the direction I expected for her.

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>>3868558
>>3868490
>what aspects of the Crucible do you most enjoy exploring in your own writings?
Hrm… I really have no idea. Ive simply focused mostly on character interaction and combat, which I enjoy both of, but to say either is my favorite would be ignoring the fact ive not really touched heavily on other aspects. I did touch a bit on the horror aspect, which i did enjoy, but seemed to fall very flat with some. But thats over heavy differences in opinion on how people would behave and react to the fleshscape, so im never gonna really please people there or get the same feeling from them as it did me… but at the same time that can makes it feel less interesting to write.

>what other aspects of the Crucible or the world in general are you looking forward to exploring with your narrative and characters?
>but I mean more with characters and people.
Again, hard for me to answer as i just write as inspiration comes and flows, but i suppose i want the Pepperbox Gang to really and truly see what lengths the cord climbers may be willing to go to to claim Mothers throne. Seeing some horrific stuff would be neat too, but as mentioned above, im middle ground on for reasons, so we’ll see. What I really need to figure out is a person or group with enough impact to them to set them on an actual strong goal and to throw their support behind in full, but thats a difficult thing to find writing a side story, as such people and factions are kinda naturally expected to be in the main story, and thus sorta off limits.

>so what else do you plan to or look forward to highlighting in your narrative?
Well, like i said i don't do super deep plans, but I've always been a fan of less straightforward groups with more gray moralities, like the anti-Neuromancer/Phantasmal Inquisition i'm most certainly going to use, albeit when and how I couldn't tell you.
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>>3868490
I have a rough endgame in mind for them. For the most part i have made some bulletpoints. I can reveal the first few to you since i have already set them up or finished them.

-Set up Mina and find a crew for her
-establish a motive for them to quest to a specific part of the continent
-create an antagonist and support cast that can sometimes show up and create toruble nearly everywhere in Europe still in progress
-create a method of transport that will allow them to travel, far distances even to places they had not been to before or may not be accessible otherwise

So i had a solid beginning with where i wanted to set the early game. The ending is bit vague and between that i just fill the gaps between mayor points as i go. Though i do have the mayor beats planned out for some time ahead in the story thoug not all of them. As a GM i prid myself on being able to improvise a story on the spot and make it feel natural. While not the same as writing a story you have complete control over it does require a similar skillset i think.


>(This next question may delve somewhat into spoiler territory so I'd certainly understand if you'd rather not answer it, but here goes; could you see Mina and her group crossing the ocean at any point in their journey? I'm curious, if more for my own set of reasons.)
yes i plan to take Mina to the other continents the US being one of them. But she will be a different person by that point in time, her time in Europe and seeing the things that happen there having changed her

>what aspects of the Crucible do you most enjoy exploring in your own writings?
Right now i am trying to expolore the civilisation that could spring up durign the crucible and what challenges they face by either rutheless and downright evil or uncaring people.

I also quite enjoy taking iconic landmarks and twisting them into the asthetic of the crucible world like i did with the Dome of Cologne and its old city parts

>so what else do you plan to or look forward to highlighting in your narrative?

I plan to highlight to what lengths people will and can go when you give them a goal and hope
Either with how Mina will pursue the goals she has set for herself or the Cult of the Smiths and their religious ideals



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