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“The Tin Soldiers have pledged their support.” Johanna barks gruffly. “Like November said over the comms, they’re ready to move when we give them a target in need of protection.”

Casting a furtive glance over towards the hulking platinum homunculus that is Heather Neeson, a.k.a. November, Rath’s aunt tilts her angled helm towards you in agreement.

“Having another team at our disposal to respond to threats and work damage control is invaluable, and thanks to this...“ The seasoned soldier intones, retrieving a familiar, if dated device from her side. “...they’re only a phone call away.”

“Is that a fucking Nokia?!” Gina blurts out incredulously at the sight of the nigh-indestructible device, and November just chuckles as she places it back in its holster for safekeeping.

“My thoughts exactly, November. If the Soldiers prove true to their word, then I’m sure they’ll be a tremendous help.” You say, pulling GG back from practically throwing herself across the table as Rath snickers beside you.

“The Flies wanna help out, too!” Amara chimes in before Orwell can stop her, the seven-year-old practically bouncing in place as she speaks. “I made friends with all of them and I told them all how cool you are and they said that they want to do whatever it takes to stop the Crucible!”

“The more the merrier...and I want to hear more about you flying when things settle down a bit.” You grin, shifting focus to the trio of girls across the table from you. “Holly, Uzu—what’ve you got for us?”

Holly’s happy to answer, with B’ni and Uzu standing beside her...both of the introverts more than happy to let the bubbly blonde speak on their behalf.


“Okay, so you all know how the Green Hats are all super-sweeties, right?” The athletic young woman says, addressing the table with her usually bouncy enthusiasm. “One of their own kinda-sorta sacrificed herself to be a self-perpetuating pool of Biomass thanks to her unique skill tree and a coupla’ Relics. Catch is that the edible flora she’s turned herself into has a long-ass regen period, so she could really only support a few more people other than her friends that make up the rest of the Green Hats.”

“Intriguing...also, where the hell is Tailor?” You demand, suddenly realizing that the twitchy, wired young tinkerer is nowhere to be found.

“Forge’d be my bet.” Comes Rath’s answer, the red-head glancing over to the doorway to your left, glowing with tell-tale orange light of the super-heated relic within. “I’m sure she’ll debrief when she’s ready...kinda hard to get that one to sit still.”

You’re well aware...and now that your family’s all in one place, you suppose it’s high time you decide on a course of action moving forwards.

Idle hands, and all that.

>>Determine you and your family’s next course of action.

>>Ask your family for more specifics on what they learned.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM, Eastern time. I hope you all had a pleasant week, and that your Monday is going well thus far.)

>>4430306
>Ask your family for more specifics on what they learned.
>"So, no real threats to or from any of them to be aware of? all seem stable enough, yes?
>After letting the basic question go answered, thank everyone.
>Then, call over Amara and ask her to give you a much more detailed story on what she and Orwell got up to, optional for the rest of the family if they choose. no need to jump the gun, hear what happened from them both first before you decide if and what you may need to say to her.

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>>4430308
hah, the week was... well *saturday* was pleasant without a doubt. but it is what it is.
to be honest i wouldn't of caught this if it wasn't for my daily chores due to simply not going to bed til past 3am, so gonna go back to that.

hope your week was good though, aswell as am curious how the background projects went?

>>4430313
(Similarly to yours, it sounds like. The week was chaos while the weekend was spent recovering. As far as the system changes, its slow going...I fear a final large push will be needed to finish it once and for all.)

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>>4430321
oof, well sorry to hear your week wasn't much better, but that is just the gist of things it seems. glad it sounds like the weekend wasn't so bad though.
as for the system, dang, but I understand. you do what you think you need to though, im sure you'll figure it out.

>>4430306
Supporting >>4430311

>>4430308
My week was alright. Nothing really of note to comment on, just a typical week. Sorry to hear yours was more chaotic, though.

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>>4430313
>>4430308
My week was slow. The Cradleton Story has been going at a pace of "two steps forward, one step back."


It turns out Andersen's characterization problem opened up a can of worms whose effects have now forced me re-write certain parts of chapters 7 & 8, as well as and write multiple versions of chapter 9 just because of how deep the characterization problem is. The problem is technically resolved, but the fallout isn't what I expected. So now I'm having to write and re-write my way back in order to keep a handle on the bloody Monster's characterization and keep it consistent.

Have some a comedic horror video game trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYRRqQWJGIc

>>4430306
>Settle down with Amara and have her share a story time of her fun time with the Green Hats with you. This time it'll be her that's telling the story.

>>4430365
Amara was with the Lords of the Flies, Uzu and Holly were the ones at the Green Hats.

>>4430311
>>4430326
(Gentlemen, to clarify; do you want to talk to Amara alone or to both her and Orwell at once?)

>>4430383
I think we should talk to both at once, then take Orwell aside to hear a version without Amara's youthful exuberance. Try not to intimidate Orwell too much, we're not happy but currently more upset with ourselves than with her. And then after we've heard both explanations, then we can talk to Amara about her attitude in regards to violence and its role in making friends.

Here's a rather amusing idea I had for a relic. It's great for combat encounters where the main focus is about the chase.

>Aggressive Appalachian Instrument: Five steel strings laid over a drum and neck of parchment and bone. This relic while normally an instrument for merrymaking and rustic music has a rather amusing yet powerful effect when used in the field of combat. With steady hands and fast appendages capable of strumming the instrument, as long as the daughter holding the relic plays the instrument will always match the speed of the fastest combatant on the field in addition to a large speed boost, with allies receiving a speed boost to keep up. In addition, the music will stir up the terrain into a frenzied chaos in a large radius centered on the instrument player. Strumming while Running is highly advised for the daughter who dares play the relic, the fleshscape is rather indiscriminate when riled up as it does all it can to stop the relic’s annoying tune.

>>4430383
Both at the moment, though im sure Amara will do most of the talking.

>>4430443
(This is both potent and hilarious. I approve wholeheartedly.)

>>4430528
>>4430323
huh, my I.D. changed on my phone. that doesn't usually happen when im home.

>>4430360
sounds tough. glad you're taking it seriously but dont let it consume you either.

>>4430531
>Crucible version of a chase scene between redneck daughters running from an angry giant boar Amalgam in the muscled hills of Alabama to this tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85mDyWCgHy0

>>4430443
Looks like it would be better at escapes than chasing down people. Leaving a trail of rough terrain while running faster than the fastest enemy is better for staying away from them than for catching up. Still, pretty nice.

>>4430535
God, wild hog Amalgams sound like a complete nightmare. Those things are already terrifying omniphagous monsters, make them bigger and give them Gluttonous powers and you've basically recreated the Erymanthine Boar of Greek myth.

>>4430543
>Looks like it would be better at escapes than chasing down people.
The entire point of the relic. It basically encourages a playstyle similar to Singed from League of Legends, where you fight an opponent by basically running away from said opponent.

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>>4430306

"So, no real threats to or from any of them to be aware of?” You ask, glancing around the table. “All seem stable enough, yes?”

“Surprisingly enough, yeah.” Gina replies, earning a series of nods from the other investigatory squads. “Unless there’s something we missed, but c’mon…it’s *us*.”

“I could see where the Soldiers and the Flies could turn combative if not handled with kid gloves…perhaps literally…” November follows up with a glance towards Amara, who replies with a beaming grin. “…but nothing Johanna or I saw led us to believe that they were headed the same way as some of the other settlements we’ve run across, or even-“

“The Monastery.” Uzu interjects solemnly. “I have to admit that with everything we’ve seen thus far, I was beginning to suspect that there was an ulterior motive for the settlements’ creation, but now? I don’t really know what to think, anymore.”

“Regardless, I want to thank everyone present for taking the time to do a deep-dive on these groups. It was sorely needed, and I think it’ll pay dividends down the road. For now though, I think we’ve all earned a rest, don’t you think?”

The collective sigh of relief that rises up from the group is the answer you were expecting.

“After a little while I’ll be available to talk if anyone needs me.” You say before bidding them to relax with a languid motion of your hand, though it turns into a beckoning one as you look to Amara and Orwell.

“But first…I want to hear how it felt to fly.” You say with a smile, and Amara wastes no time to dashing over to your side and seizing your hand. Catching Orwell’s eye out of the corner of your own, her nervous expression promptly vanishes from sight as you’re hauled bodily into Amara’s room with the teen hot on your heels to do damage control. Amara sits you down on the edge of the bed, oblivious to Orwell’s tension as your young ward begins pacing back and forth in front of you, and the second she opens her mouth the words spills forth in a breathless and excitable torrent.

“Okay so the Lord of the Flies’ leader is this super-cool girl only a year or two or three older than me called ‘Elze’ pronounced ‘el’ and then ‘zee’ and she was really specific on that part so anyway I introduced myself and Orwell and everyone already knew who were were—obviously—but as I was talking with Elze this girl came down on legit wings that sprouted from her back and I was all like ‘is she an Unnatural Predator’ and Elze said that she wasn’t she was actually a Flesh Artisan who just figured out how to do that to other people and I asked-“

Amara draws in a frantic, hasty breath as you just cup your chin in your palm with a barely-suppressed grin.

(Continued)

>>4430574

“-and I asked if she could give me wings too but then Elze said that her mom said to never give anything away for free but that I seemed really cool so she wanted to see what I was made of and I said ‘meat’ and then everybody laughed really hard but then I said I knew what she meant and then we laid some ground rules before fighting-“

“W-which I said was an excellent…” Orwell interrupts, her shaky voice petering out when you glance her way. “…idea. Yep.”

“-and it was like fighting you!” Amara continues, pointing towards you excitedly. “There were flies everywhere! Big ones, little ones, ones with barbs and blades and pointy bits and nobody could hear anything even when we started sword fighting ‘cause she had this pair of black scythes that’re like fly claws and I had my white sword so it was *super* cool and I wound up beating her and at first I thought she was gonna be real mad but then she was really cool about it and then she introduced me to all the Flies which means the actual girls and also all her actual flies ‘cause she’s named them all and one of her friends makes them little hats that they wear into combat and she made a little top hat for Sir FuzzBuzz and when I got to fly and it was AMAZING and then they asked if Orwell wanted to join but then I learned that Orwell really doesn’t like heights unless she’s got floor under her feet but anyway flying was SO fun and then Elze joined me and showed me the ropes and we got to talking about you and your plan for the Crucible and she said that they wanna help me and you out as much as they can ‘cause they want people to be happy again!”

You nod, struggling to take in Amara’s tale as you shift focus to Orwell.

“Anything to add?” You ask with measured nonchalance.

“No…she, uh…superfan hit the high points.” Comes the teen’s reply, coupled with a barely-audible swallow. “They flew, I tried to make small-talk with some of the other kids there, but I have to say that they’ve got memes I can’t even begin to understand…makes me feel kinda old.”

You allow your gaze to linger on the slight girl for a moment longer before fixing Amara with a smile, scooping her up in a hug with both arms thrown around her.

“I’m glad to hear you had fun, seriously.” You say earnestly, while at the same time pondering just how you’re going to address the considerably less enjoyable points you know you need to make.

>>Take Orwell elsewhere to have a private conversation with her about what transpired.

>>Send Orwell away for a short while to allow you and Amara a moment to discuss what she told you over the commling.

>>Have a discussion with them both present…they’re both a part of what you need to say.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours though posting may take place a short while after, as I must make a grocery run after work.)

>>4430576
>naming ALL your swarmlings AND giving them hats.
truly, Bhop does not forget any joke we make. that is a very adorable image though, even if they are flies.

i also forgot to mention the nokia joke was great aswell.

i'll hold off on voting just yet, as i am unsure of what to say.
to be honest? i dont think Amara did anything wrong. the ONLY thing i can even think Orwell may of done wrong is, it felt like she didnt have enough spine to mention the situation made her uncomfortable or something, which really sounds like she needs a pep talk more than a scolding or anything.

and sure, i get it, we dont want her thinking you SHOULD make friends through violence, but im actually unsure thats what she actually wanted to do or thinks, over that just being what she needed to do in this instance and her being Amara she has no tact when it comes to how she words and reveals that to us. feels odd to get onto her about a situation our worries in my opinion dont actually really apply to.

>>4430576
>Have a discussion with them both present…they’re both a part of what you need to say.

>>4430592
>>Nokia joke landed
(Excellent.)

>>4430607
so... is it basically confirmed now that Nokia phones/products are somehow fleshscape resistant?
what with the Tins needing to have a phone of their own to use Novembers, and it being implied they may have more and suspect there to be more out there?

>>4430620
(Yes...just like how Gina used to mess with scraps of tech and November found and restored a full-blown tank, there are some pieces of tech from the old world that weren't subsumed by the Crucible.)

>>4430623
right, so we need to get a squad of Amaras with hard hats and shovels to go old tech digging, got it.
we will need to teach them a digging/excavation song though.

>>4430576
>>4430592
>Have a discussion with them both present…they’re both a part of what you need to say.
>find a way to distract Amara a bit, maybe ask her if theres anything new to show off FuzzBuzz has learned? plus, you think its about time you see this hat of his.
>While thats going on, talk to Orwell, not secretly but not loudly either.
>"Im not mad, you know? It sounds like it made sense, at least within the context of the situation."
>Give her an eyebrow raise and a half serious smirk though.
>"...but you DO know its ok to say no to her if you're not alright with something, right? I get it, shes a hassle, and you dont want to upset her, but that doesn't mean you should upset yourself either, nor that upsetting her might not sometimes be whats necessary."
>"Trust yourself more, i guess is what im saying."
>Assuming she doesn't have any baggage there to unload, or it wraps into it, ask her her version of things, if she thinks it might help, or just wants to talk about it.

best i can think of.

>>4430576
>>Write-In
>"Next time, though, sweetie? Please give me some more context when explaining over the phone? You had me a bit scared, leaving it at just 'I made friends with extreme violence!". It's fine, I wasn't upset at you, just worried for your safety. And now that I have the full story I'm not scared anymore. But still, I was worried. Next time you have an adventure, give me a bit more detail on the first pass, alright?"
>"Now go get Sir FuzzBuzz and his new top hat, of course I want to see that. Take a look at the fluffy B'Ni while you're at it, I told her to wear that suit until you could see it."

>While she's out of the room, talk to Orwell.
>"I'm not mad at you. Even before this conversation, I was mostly upset at the thought I had taught her wrong. And now, it sounds like my fears were mostly groundless. But you acting so nervous didn't help. Both because it made me think the situation was worse than it was, and because if you're so worried it's just going to distract you. If you think that something is going to be too dangerous, I want you to act on that. I trust you to keep her out of trouble. Trust yourself some, too."

(Back home and shall be posting within the hour, Gentlemen.)

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>>4430576

"Next time, though, sweetie? Please give me some more context when explaining over the phone? You had me a bit scared, leaving it at just 'I made friends with extreme violence!’” You explain with a weary laugh as you hold your daughter at arms’ length. “It’s fine, I wasn't upset at you, just worried for your safety. And now that I have the full story I'm not scared anymore…but still, I was worried. Next time you have an adventure, give me a bit more detail on the first pass, alright?"

She gives you a dutiful nod, and you give her a reassuring smile in return as you run a hand through her hair to fix some strands that were shaken loose by her emphatic retelling.
“Now, do you think you could show me Sir FuzzBuzz’s spiffy new hat?” You ask, and as soon as the words leave your lips Amara’s eyes go wide. You barely have time to blink before she bolts out the door to retrieve him, and the moment her feet carry her past the room’s threshold you’re turning to Orwell with a sympathetic expression.

"I’m not mad, you know? It sounds like it made sense, at least within the context of the situation." You say with a cocked eyebrow and a half-smirk playing on your lips. For her part, Orwell heaves a shuddering breath, one that you suspect she’d been holding this entire time.
"...but you DO know it’s okay to say ‘no’ to her if you're not alright with something…right? I get it, she’s a handful and you don’t want to upset her, but that doesn't mean you should upset yourself either, nor that upsetting her might not sometimes be what’s necessary."

“I…you’re sure?” She asks, skepticism evident in the arch of her brow. “I didn’t wanna overstep any boundaries, or upset her, or least of all *you*, I just-“

"Just trust yourself more, Orwell.” You say as you gently interrupt the stammering young woman. “That’s what I’m saying.”

“Trust myself?” She echoes.

“Why not?” You say with an earnest smile. “I do.”

Orwell regards you with a surprisingly stunned expression before your eyes are drawn to the newest arrivals in the room; Sir FuzzBuzz, sporting a dashing black-chitin top hat with Amara beside him, beaming like a proud parent. The preteen promptly throws her arms at a wide angle, framing her loyal (if beleaguered) pet swarmling as she introduces his new look to you with an expression that’s brighter than the sun. You have to admit that he looks rather adorable with the latest addition to his wardrobe, and Amara’s more than happy to parade him around the room for you and Orwell to admire. After several long minutes of admiring the dapper swarmling, Holly’s voice calls out to Amara from the main room to demand an audience with the ‘great gentleman’ Sir FuzzBuzz, with Dorian’s half-joking grumble of protest following on its heels.

(Continued)

>>4431066

“Hey.”

Orwell’s slight voice gives you pause as you rise from the bed, about to follow Amara and her swarmling friend as they dash once more out into the living room.


“About…about what you said, earlier.” The young woman hesitantly begins. “You meant it?”

You regard her for a brief moment, and in those few fleeting seconds you realize that the voice of the Fleshscape is still a young woman barely through her teens…as strong and as vulnerable as anyone else that you call family.

“Without a doubt. Trust in yourself. *Be* yourself. If not with family, then who else?” You reply with a simple shrug.

“...Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” She nods, mulling over something she leaves unsaid before she speaks again, though you get the feeling that her words are a preamble to what she was actually considering.

“Hey, uh...I don’t mean right now, but once you have some time, I’d like to talk to you a bit more about…other stuff. If that’s okay?”

It’s as she stands before you—here and now—that you have to wonder if the measure of her surprise at your words is at the sheer novelty of the statement. It’s almost as if this is the first time anyone’s told Orwell to have a little faith in herself…

...but as much as you’d like to have the time to play therapist, you can’t help the world-ending fears that forever play upon your mind.

>>Give your family a little while longer to relax, but once they’ve had time to rest? You have your marching orders ready.

>>You and a few of your less-tired allies will go exploring, leaving the remainder here to recuperate.

>>You’re deserving of some rest yourself, so select present company to spend time with or a family member that is somewhere in the Dragon’s Roost [Select Ally to spend time with]

>>Tell Orwell that you’d be happy to talk to her now, if she’s open to it.

>>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 at approximately 3:00PM tomorrow, Eastern time. Thank you all for your continued participation, and I wish you a restful evening.)

>>4431068
>Tell Orwell that you’d be happy to talk to her now, if she’s open to it.

otherwise, if she isnt
>You’re deserving of some rest yourself, so go find a quiet corner with a comfy cushion to family watch from.

>>4431073
thanks for running, and i hope your own afternoon is restful aswell.

>>4431068
>>Write-In
>"Whenever you feel up to it, Erica. I can take the time now, but if you need some time that's fine."
>If she wants some time to gather her thoughts, then:
>Head back to the main room, discuss marching orders with the team. Details can be discussed in a later post.
>>4431073
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you tomorrow.

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Cradleton Update

It took a while, but I think I finally got Andersen's characterization down.

Took inspiration from a fellow QM about a very compelling narrative theory he developed regarding a paradigm between Monsters, Heroes, and Humans, and used it to smooth out the inconsistencies in regards to Andersen's characterization problem. End result is a character who is clearly monstrous in origin, but with a human side to the character that slowly develops as you read on.

All the chapters that feature Andersen have minor edits that reflect the characterization.

Fun fact: I went and wrote about 4 separate versions on how the climatic confrontation would go down just these past 2 weeks only to look and find the version that best fits the continuity and characterizations so far is the original draft.


Have a picture that I found on the boorus that looks like an alternate version of shirtless Carter.

>>4431068
Supporting >>4431176

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>>4431068

"Whenever you feel up to it, Erica. I can take the time now, but if you need some time yourself, then that's fine too."

“Yeah, maybe not now, but…thanks for listening.” She says, before adding with a chuckle; “In the present and future tense.”

With that, you join Amara and the rest of your allies in the main living room, contenting yourself with staying off to the sidelines as you admire your family simply *existing* in the space you call your home. From the sound of Rath and Tailor tinkering in the ever-illuminated Forge to Amara, Holly, and even B’ni giving chase to the ever-patient Sir FuzzBuzz. Gina’s lounging on the circular couch, engaged with Johanna in some idle conversation while Uzu converses with Dorian at the bar, the young man immersed in a detailed and enthusiastic explanation of several bottles of shining liquid arrayed before the seated girl.

You want these moments to last forever…and that’s why you have to keep moving.

Allowing everyone a little while longer before you give them a call to arms, it’s all too soon that you find yourself once more at the head of the onyx war table, addressing your family like the warriors they are.

“Now that the majority of Mara’s settlements have been addressed, I’d like to posit that we at least send a vanguard to continue the journey westward, though I’m open to items that you all think demand our immediate attention.” You declare, your solemn gaze meeting the eyes of each Daughter present. “Thanks to Mara playing goalie the Cord should remain a stable goal for now, and one that doesn’t demand that we rush in where demons fear to tread. That being said, I wanted to open the floor for any questions or concerns you all want to bring to our attention.”

“Apocalypse Amalgams and Magpie’s Nest are the only other big things on my radar…but they don’t gotta be if we’re gonna be marching west.” Rath replies, folding her single pair of arms…and looking slightly odd without more, if you’re being honest.

“We’d be fine with continuing towards the Cord.” Johanna announces firmly, her arms around Holly, Uzu, and B’ni as she draws them in close. “We discussed it. We agree. We’re good to go.”

“Same here.” Comes November’s reverberating voice, with Dorian’s sharp ninety-degree bow serving as his silent agreement as Orwell chimes in.

“I can put the internship on pause if you need superfan’s skills at your disposal…hate to keep a badass like her cooped up in my stuffy old Panopticon.” Jokes the lanky teen with a swift tickle directed at Amara’s ribs, prompting a squeal of laughter from the younger girl.

At that, Gina turns to you with a twinkle in her hazel eyes. “Well, you heard the Defiants…”

“…where to next, Shu?”

>>Continue westward with a team of your choice [Please select party and Relic Loadout].

>>Tackle another item of business on your ever-growing docket.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

So I realized that we forgot to do something...not super important, but it's inconsiderate that we forgot. We didn't tell Granny Van what happened in regards to Selene, feels like even if she wants nothing more to do with Arcadia she should have an update on "so, the girl who killed and replaced your granddaughter has surrendered and the Council are deciding what to do with her". Is it worth it to try to contact her on the commlings we left with Mary and Raynier?

Also, on the topic of being considerate, did Orwell and Amara ever post that Skinternet message that Sam asked us to do? We really should get that sorted out, if not. Just to avoid breaking a promise.

>>4432133
>>4432130
paging mr. Bhop.

>>4432129
>split up into two teams, each heading west down a different path.
>Team 1 will hold Shu, as her swarm gives the best alternative to the Tank for Travel, while November will lead Team 2, letting her tank carry hers.
>Though it should be noted, if anyone has any personal projects they wish to stick to, they are welcome to do so.

>Team 1 will include; Shu, Amara, Francine, Gina.
>Team 2 will include; November, Rath, Dorian, and Orwell, if she would like to come along for an adventure.
>>Relics loadouts to come.

>While everyone is preparing, call up our Hexxane power-couple to see how things are going.

figured the tank can make up for the lacking of Julia or Orwell, if it doesn't happen.

>>4432133
>>4432137
>>Also, on the topic of being considerate, did Orwell and Amara ever post that Skinternet message that Sam asked us to do? We really should get that sorted out, if not. Just to avoid breaking a promise.

(They did, yes. Sam is resolving that now, actually.)

>>4432133
(Also, regarding Selene - Magnus and Aeren are delicately handling that situation.)

>>4432154
Oh, good. You work on that positive self-growth, Sam. Maybe someday after you get enough practice apologizing for being a jerk you can give Isabel a call. Someday far in the future, because she's still working through her own shit.

>>4432169
Also good. I am fine with leaving the "so the acausal monster that ate your granddaughter actually seems like a better person than she was, so we're keeping her" conversation to someone else.

>>4432129
>>4432141
Team 1
>Shu; Arbiters Judgement, Matrons,.
>Amara; Paranoid Pendant, Vocalis Nocere, Red Devils, Hearth Rod, Crimson Jesters, Vocem Virtutis, Upgraded Shawl.
>Francine; Surgeon Generals, Spectacles, Hydras Heart.
>Gina; Tollo Cadere, Membrum Automata, the Spine.

Team2
>November; Gamma Pharynx(Head), Gunslingers(Chest), Dainsleif(Arm1), Whistle(CUNT RHO)(Arm2), Sui Sacrificium(Core).
>Rath; Deliverance of Ego, Gutgrab Daggers, Shawl.
>Dorian; Ventrem Lanceam, Manus Caelorum, Sui Interitus.

And because i forgot;
>Johanna and Holly Team 1.
>Isabelle and Uzu Team 2.
>>Any leftover relics to Dream Team and Orwell(if she comes) as they see fit.

>>4432193
Actually, before we assign Relics to November, how do her new crafting powers work? >>4432169 BHOP, can you fill us in? Not looking for a huge detailed stat sheet right now, just a general summary so we can know if it's worth leaving any slots open for her to fill with her powers.

>>4432193
also, i just realized i gave both Rath and November a stylish longcoat.
i think i feel a pose incoming...

>>4432200
we literally do not have the relics to fill out her legs properly anyways so it wont be an issue, she will have open slots regardless. the only way to fill them is to just put whatever we can in them even if it makes no sense to do so.

>>4432200
(It's been a while since I've reviewed those notes, so I'll have to get back to you on that as I don't want to give you half-remembered data. However, you will have access to any Relic you have or know of, and both Francine and November rolled very well for the Core integration so the latter is very versatile, now.)

>>4432204
I suppose. We are kind of lacking on leg Relics, aren't we? We need to make some boots. Well, I'd still like a general overview, but it's not super important in that case.

Oh, another thought that occurred to me: Viola (Dart Rafflesia, the creepy flesh-flower Daughter) gave us the coordinates for some Waystations further west. Should we take advantage of those, or do we want to fill in the space between them and here?

>>4432207
Cool. Thanks, BHOP.

>>4432207
>>4432193
alright, so use this for November if it doesn't interrupt/ we still have a reason to use her slots beforehand.

if they do get interrupted or we just have no use for premade relics in her, then it doesn't matter and we assign nothing, because she will just fill them with whatever she needs when she needs them.

sound fair BHOP?

>>4432208
fill them in.
both because we need the experience, and some of those seemed super close. aswell as supposedly peaceful, which, would leave us with little to gain, as much as we may not like thinking like that.

and desu, i think we have too many relics. i actually miss them being much rarer and fewer in numbers significantly. now its just an unfun slog trying to sift through them to find them all a spot, and it just not feasible already to use all of them properly already.

for November, its really just leg slots we have nothing for, but part of the issue in general there is, we have non leg slot relics that do initiative and movement quite well, which is what most leg relics would do without arbitrarily making them leg relics just to fill out the slot, which just feels too forced.

>>4432215
(Affirmative.)

>>4432220
Yeah, I also want to fill the space in, though in my case it's because I'm worried some of them will be too distant. New Olympus, for example, is the closest spot we have to the Cord, if we go there we might actually hit too high-level opponents. Let's level-grind our way across the Fleshscape, make sure we're as high as we can be by the time we get there.

As for having too many Relics and it being kind of a slog to assign them to everyone...yep. Honestly, it's the part of assigning teams that is most discouraging. It's pretty easy to think of personnel assignments, but giving everyone the right gear is annoying. It helps that we've got some standard load-outs, but it's still a clutter. I like the tools we have, and I don't think there are any that are useless, but it's still the biggest slog. It's like Consume votes, but every time we have to go somewhere.

I propose that aside from using November's crafting powers on the fly, we should avoid making any Relics for a while. We're good for our Tier 3 and 4 stuff, and Tier 5 is going to be some time before we can afford it. If we don't craft anything new until we've got Tier 5 available, that will make the Tier 5 toys feels more significant for reasons other than just being strong. Keeps us from expanding our arsenal too much, and gives us something to look forward to.

>>4432240
yeah, though with the obvious exception of if we have a relic we actually do need crafted, and i guess the obvious 'dont stifle Rath and Tinker' stuff.

...you also just reminded me we have the hook armor BHOP still doesn't have on the relics list, but while its far from useless im just not thinking of anyone to put it on.
though im fine leaving it around as something for the Dream Team to use i suppose.

>>4432240
>>4432220
(Regarding the Relic situation; I agree. After the level consolidation goes into effect, I've been considering either consolidating Relics or making a 'standard' Relic build for each character since it's not really changed all that much between missions.)

>>4432262
the second would probably be better.
albeit the biggest caveat is November, and how your notes at home actually say she works now, as we do sometimes borrow standard relics from others for her if we think we need to.

>>4432262
>>4432265
or both, i suppose.
it would really depend on how and what you plan to consolidate i guess.

>>4432262
Standard Relic build sounds good. Like you said, we keep them fairly consistent. Having a character's Relics just be part of their character sheet instead of this communal pool could make things a lot more streamlined. Though also yes, this>>4432267, consolidation might work depending on how you combine things.

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>>4432262
>>4432267

Cradleton story has now resumed its flow of time.

Chapter 7: Misery loves Company
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_ysVefzVhs8ejG7l9n4xxB5T_66-wWWQTyo3Uc7u4g8/edit
Synopsis: After a misunderstanding that led to near diplomatic disaster. Carter receives a pep talk from an unlikely source of wisdom.

Chapter 8: Blackmail makes for a poor Icebreaker
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqcSgg8zsteEaH52MY2Ry9zOMTvdnLcaAbeWQu_EH8U/edit
Synopsis: Carter finds out what his contracted Demon was up to during the time Carter played 'Achilles in his tent', and rectifies the problem.

Author's notes:
It's been more than a month (far too long for my liking), but I feel like I'm ready to finally advance the fucking plot for the Cradleton saga. Goddamn.
pic related as to how I feel when I read my drafts as well as my notes.

Onwards to Chapter 9.

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>>4432346
glad to see you think you got it hammered out in a way you like.
hopefully ill be able to get to this much sooner than last time.

(Apologies, Gentlemen. I just arrived back home from a particularly busy workday so I'll be posting as soon as possible.)

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>>4432431
take your time, and sorry your day was so busy.

>>4432346
(Also, very glad to hear you've gotten it to the point where you feel like you can advance the plot to your liking.)

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>>4432404
>>4432472

It wasn't easy I'll tell you that. I had to ask for outside help.

Half the problem was pinning down Andersen's characterization and making sure his behavior didn't steal the spotlight.

A fellow QM summed up my problem in a rather succinct line:
>"Monsters generally barrel into other people's stories in a very Disgaea fashion under the logic: "If I can beat up the hero, then that means I'm the real protagonist of the story."

(Gentlemen, I'm terribly sorry but I believe I must adjourn here for the evening. The latter half of the day took a lot out of me, though I will endeavor to post the next update tomorrow morning at 11AM Eastern time if that suits you all. Let me know, and know that I appreciate your patience with what turned out to be an emotionally draining day.)

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>>4432546
oof, so it was that bad?
hey, i understand, and you do what you gotta. If you think 11am will work then so be it, but dont feel like you need to push the post time forward from your usual to make up for this.

horrible joke time;
>pic related is BHOP trying desperately to hold onto a consistent posting schedule.
i apologize ahead of time.

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>>4432546
We feel ya.

>>4432550
>>that image
(Pfhahaha, that got me good, and I needed a laugh.)

>>4432556
is that supposed to be a queen bee?
all it brings to mind is the fact that queen bees are too fat to fly, so if the hive needs to be relocated her workers chase her around til she is skinny enough to do so.

...which means Shu might be in for an interesting future.

>>4432564
(Oh good Lord, that brings up some fun mental images.)

>>4432564
>>4432568

>too fat to fly
>ignoring the fact that queen bees have to fly out of the old hive and survive the winter before setting up a new hive elsewhere.

>>4432564
>too fat to fly
>forgetting that Bumblebee queens were thicc in the first place.

>>4432546
I'm sorry to hear that, BHOP. Go get some rest, friend, we'd all rather have you doing well than posting for us. 11 AM works alright for me, and I'll see you then.

>>4432564
>all it brings to mind is the fact that queen bees are too fat to fly
Why do you think she's in an airplane?

>>4432575
yes, and before then her workers will chase her around for a week to get her skinny enough to do so.
its also not like there is only one species of bee so im sure that effects the process aswell.

>>4432568
>Shu regrets her hive gaining semi-independence from the ant gift due to them randomly deciding she is being too lazy and needs to 'get up and go on vacation' all too often.
>its even worse when the Amara clones join in wearing bee costumes.

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>>4432584
>>4432568
>>4432583

>Shu: I wanna sit down and relax but Sir Fuzzbuzz and his knights think I'm too dummy thicc because my ass cheeks clap whenever I sit down.

>>4432594
>Shu: Is this just a joke because I have a Gluttonous power? Blame Holly for that.

>>4430531
Do you think Tailor would appreciate the Aggressive Appalachian Instrument? It feels like it would be something that fits her given the fact that she's pretty much all jitters and is practically on the go.

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So I was looking for images to edit to make a meme of Sir FuzzBuzz wearing his new hat, only to discover that "bees photoshopped to be wearing top hats" is already a subreddit. Because of course it was. So anyway, here's Sir FuzzBuzz getting ready for a fancy night out.

>>4432780
(Oh, she'd be all over that.)

>>4432794
(Absolutely adorable, and an excellent share.)

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>>4432129

“I think it’s best we split up into two teams, each heading west down a different path.” You announce after a moment's consideration. “Team one will be me, Gina, Francine, and Amara, while tea-”

“YAY!”

“-duly noted, Amara. Meanwhile team two will consist of November accompanied by Rath, Dorian, and Orwell.”

The slender Skintalker reacts with a considerable measure of surprise at your marching orders, prompting you to add; “Unless you have any objections?”

“Just a quick question, actually…” She says, turning sheepishly to November. “…are we gonna ride in the tank?”

“Hell yes we are.” The veteran replies with a sharp thumbs-up.

“Yep, then I’m sold.”

“Now that that’s decided, I will say that if anyone has any personal projects they’d like to stick to, then they’re welcome to do so but now would be the time to tell me.”

In the absence of any protestations from your family, you and the teams set about preparing for the journey ahead…though you take a moment to stand in front of the massive bay windows that frame the vastness of the Fleshscape before you, the Crucible’s grotesque majesty prompting your mind to wander to a pair of wanderers you haven’t thought of in a short while. The commling that scuttles from out of your hive and along your neck sends a shiver down your spine as it nestles against your ear. After sending out a call to a pair of lovers who’ve been through hell and back, you’re not left waiting long for an answer.

“Shu! This is the truest of pleasures!” Veilen joyously declares, her enthusiastic greeting catching you off-guard. “How have you been carrying on?”

“I…great, all things considered. How-“

“Superb! And your kin, are they well?”

“Yeah, yeah they’re great.” You reply, a little flustered at how swiftly the Hexane usurped the conversation. “Look, I wanted to check up on you and Thelis to see how things have been. Is he close by, too?”

“Oh, we are both here, Shu.” Veilen replies. “My heart had the marvelous plan of stabilizing our individual forms by combining them into one!”

“My idea? It was all yours, my dearest.”

An unfamiliar voice sends a second chill down your spine, the unnerving tenor prompting raised hackles from you and a giggle from Veilen.

“We’ll call it *our* idea then, Thelis.” She replies.

“I believe that this is the first time we’ve spoken, Defiant.” Thelis intones, shifting his icy focus to you. “From what my heart says, you gave me second chance…you have my thanks for that, in addition to the constructs you gifted us.”

“He said his is cute!” Veilen interjects.

“…because it is.” Thelis agrees. “Now, I’ve spoken with Veilen at length regarding the nature of your goals, and I wished to dispense with mere words of thanks in favor of offering you something far more substantial.”

“So, Defiant—how may we assist you?”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. Apologies for the delay, but it’s been an absolute Monday of a Wednesday.)

>>4433526
er, well if you want to combine into one being then do as you please, who are we to decide how other couples stabilize their half-unnatural accidentally independent statue bodies?

Vote;
>"well, i was calling in part to check in on your stabilization efforts, but it sounds like you figured it out. Im glad, truly. Just removing that worry from my shoulders is more than i could ask for from my friends."
>"I suppose besides that, how are things going? anything curious going on out there? info alone is always helpful, no matter how little."
>"Otherwise... dont be strangers, and dont be afraid to ask for anything YOU need on your end. My family is about to try and make progress Westward in two groups, so if you're in eithers path feel free to visit."

>>4433530
sorry to hear, but its no longer a surprise, sadly.

did you get a chance to look at your notes on November?

>>4433535
(As far as November goes, I'll be posting the cliff notes version of that after the next update once I'm back home, as I'll be leaving at the usual time today.)

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>>4433558
sounds good.

>>4433526
Huh. Come to think about it, Veilen's body was the one holding the Phalanges together as a single unit. Maybe the plant her Unnatural Predator Core is based on is an epiphyte, and she's got a lot of powers based around fusing to allies.

Also, blarg. I keep freezing up on a basic write-in. Not sure what's wrong with me today. Just posting this here and now so it's apparent I'm here in the thread, don't want BHOP thinking that only one person is watching. I'll get back to trying to compose my scattered thoughts after this.

>>4433561
(Thank you for posting, as it's always nice to know that people are around, even when the day gets the best of me. I appreciate it.)

>>4433559
(Also, absolutely loving this picture.)

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>>4433559
>>4433577
I'mma drop this picture of cute horror.

>>4433578
(Marvelous, and eminently adorable.)

>>4433526
>>Write-In
>"Nothing in particular at the moment. I'm calling you in some free time before my family heads out on another expedition, mostly I just wanted to check on your well-being rather than interrogate you for information. I'm so glad to hear that the two of you have stabilized together. Any worry calmed is a good thing, right?"
>"That said, I'd be a fool to neglect such a source of knowledge on the Crucible as you two. I'd like to contact you again at a later time, if that's alright, when we can make a serious discussion of it instead of something rushed."
>"Other than that, how are you doing? Have you seen anything interesting or concerning in your wandering? Like I said, we're venturing further west, so if there's anything you'd like us to check out on our way we'd be happy to. Or if there's just anything you need, don't be afraid to ask."

Blerg why was this so hard for me to write what's wrong with my brain today

(Back home and writing now, Gentlemen.)

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>>4433526

"Well, I was calling in part to check in on your stabilization efforts, but it sounds like you figured it out.” You say, allowing yourself a small sigh of relief. “I'm so glad to hear that the two of you have stabilized together. Just removing that worry from my shoulders is more than I could ask for from my friends."

“Isn’t she so pleasant and sweet? I told you she was, Thelis!” Veilen prompts, to which her heartbound merely ‘hms’.

"I suppose besides that, how are things going? Anything curious going on out there? Info alone is always helpful, no matter how little.” You ask, pacing idly in front of the yawning windows of the Dragon’s Roost.

“We have been able to avoid conflict for the most part, aside from a handful of Amalgams whose biomass we used to bolster the fusion process.” Veilen promptly informs you. “I have to say that there are far fewer Amalgams active in your Crucible than there were in ours. I assume most have been hunted down due to the length of yours, correct?”

“Roughly two solar revolutions for this planet have passed according to my calculations.” Thelis chimes in, just as you’re about to ask how they figured that one out. “Interesting biosphere, I admit. Quite novel.”

“Uh, thanks.” You say, not quite sure how to respond to the Hexane’s planetary compliment.

“Thelis and I were actually planning to investigate the remains of Almath to try and recover some of our belongings and research at one of the laboratories there.”

“I’d...advise against that, given the ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Veilen repeats, confused.

“Empathic remnants, I assume.” Thelis supplies drolly. “If that is the case, then Veilen and I can handle it. We were very well-regarded in Almath, so I doubt that the remnants would bear us any ill will.”

“...they wouldn’t bear *me* any ill will, my heart.” Veilen gently corrects her other half, giving him pause for a moment, and then...

“...duly noted.” He says soberly. “I believe it is for the best that we fused our physical shells before we delved into our past.

“Just let me do the talking, Thelis.” The other Hexane chuckles.

“Well, all that being said I'd be a fool to neglect such a source of knowledge on the Crucible as you two. I'd like to contact you again at a later time, if that's alright, when we can make a serious discussion of what you’ve found instead of something rushed."

“Of course! We’d be delighted to!” Comes Veilen’s immediate reply.

“We’ll have more to report after Almath.” Thelis coolly adds.

"Otherwise... don't be strangers, and don't be afraid to ask for anything YOU need on your end. My family is about to try and make progress Westward in two groups, so if you're in either’s path then feel free to visit. Alternatively, if there's anything you'd like us to check out on our way we'd be happy to. Or if there's just anything you need, don't be afraid to ask."

(Continued)

>>4433803

“As Veilen established earlier, we are far from strangers.” Thelis responds haughtily. “Failing to maintain an open line of two-way communication would be foolish.”

You smirk at the socially awkward Hexane’s sideways acknowledgement of your friendship before wishing the pair farewell for now, turning your attention to a few last-minute preparations. Once you and your allies have made your selection of Relics and said your temporary goodbyes, you take GG’s last-minute gift of a set of Waystation coordinates that would put you a little further West than you’ve ventured, only just past Almath and a stone’s throw from a few of the westward settlements you’d researched earlier.

Emerging from the confines of the obsidian tunnel and into the nauseous light of the Fleshscape, you and your allies are greeted with a haze-obscured horizon and a noseful of rancid-smelling air. Francine swiftly weaves a mask for herself while you and Gina armor up, with Amara seemingly oblivious to the sour smell of festering wounds. The source of the offensive odor is revealed as you pick your way across the porous, springly flesh that sprawls underfoot—the haze and odor emanate from the innumerable gaping holes that dot the landscape, with one nearby orifice issuing a steamcloud of yellow-green vapor into the atmosphere to further obscure the Crucible’s false sky.

“Yeah I, uh...if I’d known it was like this, I’d-” Gina begins, faltering as you just shrug.

“Can’t all be follicle fields and crystal cliffs, can it?” You reply with a grin that’s lost behind the shimmering chitin on your helm, and with that, you lead the way into the mist.

“The color reminds me of those acidic stormclouds we took shelter from a while back.” Gina murmurs, looking skyward as she walks beside you. “Remember that, just before we met the Sororitas?”

“You may be on to something.” Francine murmurs, adjusting her glasses to better rest above her hastily-crafted facemask. “This gas appears to exponentially grow in acidity the longer it’s exposed to oxygen. It’s lighter than the surrounding air, however, so it seems as though it’s been engineered by the Crucible to serve as a natural barrier against aerial progress.”

“How do you mea-” You start to ask before a soft thud sounds just ahead of you. You whirl around to see the body of a winged Amalgam a few meters before you, its body having burst like an overripe melon from the impact. A trio of misshapen wings twitch once, twice, then fail entirely, the contents of its asymmetrical form spilling out onto the supple ground.

Amara’s about to dash forwards to investigate before your hand flies out to catch her shoulder...just in time for you both to watch the body dissolve before your eyes, scoured away by the very forces that precipitated its demise far overhead.

“I’m saying that it’s a no-fly zone, Darling.”

(Continued)

>>4433807

After a stern order for Amara to touch precisely nothing she sees in this place, you and the others continue to make your way through the misty terrain, giving the coughing holes a sizable berth as you proceed.

You’re not sure how long you’ve been walking when you notice Gina pause beside you, head tilted to the side as she listens intently.

“Do you hear that?” She asks quietly as you, Francine, and Amara come to a halt. “Kind of like a string instrument, but kind of out-of-tune?”

“It’s a song!” Amara supplies helpfully, a twitch of her cat-like ears reminding you that she probably heard it long before GG.

““God, why does that sound so familiar? Anyway, where’s it coming from?” The Neuromancer asks, rounding on your young ward. She responds by pointing northeast...and then north. Amara’s brow furrows as she takes a cautious step back, and then…

A lonely silhouette makes its way through the mist just ahead of you, the notably equine form of the creature betraying no obvious instrument as it appears to hold its arms across its chest. A human torso its above a horse-like body, the throaty ‘twang’ of taught chords echoing around you, plucked by a languid, taloned hand.

The being pays you no heed, and you’re not sure if it’s even taken notice of you as it clops along, continuing its ambling pace...before it disappears entirely, the flesh where it was stood suddenly torn asunder only for it to reappear over a dozen meters ahead, having moved west at speeds that you’ve only ever seen Dorian match.

“That’s...a Daughter, it seems.” Francine whispers mere centimeters from your ear, nearly making you jump. “One of the ones we’ve researched, but much remains unknown. My glasses are having trouble registering a stable diagnostic of her abilities, but she has us eclipsed as far as raw health and biomass goes.”

“Us?” You echo, drawing a tense breath. “Which one of us?”

“All of us. Combined.” Francine softly corrects you.

...oh.

“Imma ride it.” Amara murmurs, with you and Gina immediately clamping a hand down on each of the girl’s shoulders.

>>Hell...nothing ventured, nothing gained. You may as well try to establish some sort of communications with the other Daughter.

>>Give the woman some space...you’re getting an odd feeling from her, and you should trust your instincts.

>>Stay still, stay silent, and just let the Daughter continue on her merry way.

>>Try to focus in on the song...you have to admit that it sounds a little familiar to you as well, but you can’t quite place it...


>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours. Additionally, a breakdown of how November’s new Relic creation mechanic is to follow shortly once I type it up from my physical notes...and eat something, because I am starving.)

>>4433816
>keep going for a bit, keeping an eye on the Daughter. If she seems to be heading someplace besides where you are, let her be on her way. If it seems like your paths coincide with eachothers, keep a safe distance but try and call out to her, careful to make sure she knows you mean no harm to her.
>try and keep everyone cautious of the song. It could be coincidence, but its unusual effects of sounding familiar could be an ability you want want to let work into your mind.

>>4433816
Viola said something that I think is about this Daughter.

>“Well, if you run into a…well, a centaur Daughter, then tell her we should catch up. A little creepy, not much for words, very fast. You’ll know her when you see her.”

Think we should risk it, if Viola says she's friendly? I mean, she did tear through that one Daughter that was hassling her in the interlude thread, but just her and not anyone else in that girl's party. Probably the worst that would happen is she tells us to back off.

>>4433817
Go get some food, BHOP.

>>4433816
>Hey Francine, I remember Viola told me about a centaur-like daughter as an acquaintance of hers when I was visiting her in your dreamscape. Can you prod Viola and ask if she recognizes the centaur daughter?

>>4433817

(Regarding November’s updated Relic creation mechanic, some high points.)

(Relics of Tiers 1-2 require no cost to summon, and may be duplicates of Relics you already possess OR Relics that you know of/are on the known lists.)

(Created Relics disappear at the end of combat along with any persisting effects they would have produced, but remain persistent for the entire fight unless dismissed.)

(Dismissing a Relic and replacing it with another one forces the new Relic to suffer ‘summon sickness’, rendering it unusable until the start of November’s next turn. However, spontaneously crafting Relics is a free action thanks to how well November rolled.)

(Tier 3 Relics may be generated by spending 100% HEALTH to craft.)

(Tier 4 Relics may be generated by spending 200% HEALTH to craft.)

(Tier 5 Relics may be generated by spending 500% HEALTH to craft, though November may only have 1 generated Tier 5 Relic at a time. Tier 5 Relics you own do not count against this limit.)

(Created Relics may not be ‘gifted’ to other party members, because November’s already plenty broken as-is.)

>>4433849
(Oh, and I almost forgot—November may 'prime' a set of Relics to craft for when combat is initiated, and Relics created in this fashion do not incur the 'summoning sickness' effect.)

>>4433849
>>4433854
(Also, I'll say this as a disclaimer—I playtested November this way against a few foes and found it to be fairly easy to track alongside everything else on my end, but if you foresee any glaring issues or have any suggestions, I'm open to them as always.)

>>4433849
>>4433854
thanks.
but hows does this interact with her Relic slots?
do they still fill them up with the same effects as they would pre-made? or do they work different that pre-made relics do in her slots?

>>4433816
>>Write-In
>"Francine, can you contact your Dream Daughters real quick? Viola mentioned a friend of hers to me that I think might be this gal. Pretty sure, she fits the description, but I'd like the confirmation."
>Continue deeper into the fog. If we wind up wandering closer to the Nuckelavee girl, try to talk to her to pass on Viola's message, but don't do anything that would spook her and get her seeing us as a threat.

>>4433849
Well, that's pretty powerful, dang. Okay, I like this. I like this a lot. How does it interact with levelable Relics, though? What stage of their growth do they manifest as?

>>4433861
(They add their full HEALTH and effects, same as if they were pre-made. She wasn't going to originally, but given that Francine rolled a natural 20 on integration, that's just one more of the boons November now has.)

>>4433854
>>4433861
oh, and you didnt say what the difference is for Tier 3-5, in terms of what she can make.

>>4433844
>>4433866
id like us to at least be cautious of the song. the Fact Gina recognizes it while BHOP is hinting at Shu also recognizing it despite there at least being potential for there to be no reason both would worries me in terms of us ignoring what it could be.

otherwise i just dont think her relation to viola really matters in terms with how we interact with her.

>>4433868
(Ah, apologies for my wording. For Tiers 3-5, it's anything you currently possess.)

>>4433866
(In regards to level-able Relics, they manifest at max level, though ones that 'fuse' to their user obviously do not do so.)

>>4433873
alright, thanks for the info.
that actually limits us pretty heavily though, as the issue is we already dont have a good enough selections for her.

>>4433867
awesome.

>>4433867
>>4433873
Very nice. November could still use some high-Tier Relics to be able to copy, but expanding her arsenal would just take her from "very strong" to "broken strong". Cool.

>>4433870
I suppose the song might be some sort of psychic vector. Want to put the Neurotic Halos into lockdown mode? Except we never gave Francine one. Shit, why did we never do that, again? I think it was worry about how it would interact with the jailbroken Neurotic Halo that used to be her connection to the Proxy Collective, but now that West Prime's influence has collapsed that shouldn't be a problem anymore. Well, regardless, that's something for a later dater. Right now I guess we just have to rely on Unyielding Spirit providing some defense.

>>4433891
best it does for us is November no longer needs to steal T3-5 relics from others, but the fact we still need to own is is still super limiting.

and maybe the Halo sure. i was leaving it open a bit as i assumed Gina/Francine might poke at it to figure out if its dangerous so long as we put it in the vote.

>>4433891
>>4433894

I think it's safe to try and put halos in lockdown mode.

If I remember, her name relates to the Nuckelavee, a scottish horse demon whose breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller.

The fact that it's the same physical description of the centaur-like daughter Sam encountered in her interlude probably is safe to say it's the same entity.

>>4433849
>(Created Relics may not be ‘gifted’ to other party members, because November’s already plenty broken as-is.)
And then we hit a Floor in the Cord tower where Relics are forbidden...

>>4433894
>best it does for us is November no longer needs to steal T3-5 relics from others, but the fact we still need to own is is still super limiting.
True, the higher Tiers being limited to copying existing Relics is less powerful than it could be, but even just being able to swap them on the fly with no need to worry about managing other characters' Relics in relation to November is really nice. It improves her versatility a lot and is just a nice quality of life upgrade for us the players.

Though mostly I'm excited for the "levelable Relics spawn fully leveled" part. That's huge, that gives November some very powerful tools for not much cost given that most are Tier 3 or even Tier 2. I like that a lot.

>>4433915
true, but i mostly meant even with that we dont really have much versatility in our relics. some, its not useless, but we certainly cant really take advantage of that as we would hope. the ability works, our relic selection doesn't.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

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>>4433816

With a subtle flick of your wrist, a jack lances from your hand and into Francine’ as you keep your unblinking gaze locked on the imposing figure.

[Francine, can you contact your Dream Daughters real quick?] You ask, watching the stutter-stop motion of the languid centaur as it plucks a few more errant strings. [Viola mentioned a friend of hers to me that I think might be this gal. Pretty sure she is, but I'd like confirmation]

Slowly and with great care you continue forwards, keeping the bizarre figure just at the edge of your sight. The longer you watch, the more you notice the inherent pattern in the stop-and-go method of movement the Daughter employs, how the movements and string patterns seem to match in an odd sort of lazy harmony.

No, she couldn’t be…

Francine matches your pace with a single long stride, turning to you with a long-suffering expression.


“I’ll spare you the idle flirtations, but Viola says that the woman’s name is Inghean. She’s from Scotland, she’s mute, and Viola once...danced...for her, when they were much further east.”

“Wait, I...what? Were they, like…” You look, trying to will an unfortunate image out of your mind as Gina stifles a snicker. “...a thing?”

“No no no, She said that Inghean came to her establishment out of idle curiosity. ‘Found it funny’, to quote Viola.” The good doctor explains with a sigh. “Inghean spent two days there, and the two of them got along rather well. Before she left, Inghean told Viola that if she ever needed help, then she’d come as fast as her hooves can carry her.”

[Kind offer, but still doesn’t tell us much about the girl herself]

“True...there’s another thing, too; Viola recognizes the song she’s playing. Said it might be wise to sing along, just to get her attention….because considering her powers, she absolutely knows we’re here.” Francine continues, sighing as she takes off her glasses and rubs the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. “It’s-”

Suddenly, Gina’s frozen in place, her face a mask of stricken realization...as a slow smile begins to work its way across her lips.

“....Ridin' on a horse, ha...you can whip your Porsche...” Gina mutters, tapping her foot to the pluck of the rider’s strings. “I been in the valley, you ain't been up off that porch, now…”

...what.

“Bullshit.” You say aloud, though Gina’s smile fades as she glances past you. Turning slowly, you find your eyes locked with the empty black holes of Inghean’s chiseled bone mask, as well as the yellow, sunken eyes of the stallion.

The song’s stopped.

You don’t *think* Viola’s teasing would extend to putting you and her host in danger…

...at least, you hope not.

>>...Sing the song.

>>Have one of your other allies do the dubious honors.

>>Greet her. Y’know...like a normal person would do.

>>Just keep moving...she could be Hunger-mad, at this point.

>>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 at approximately 12:00PM, Eastern time. Let me know if this time works for everyone's schedule, and I do want to thank everyone for your patience and participation. Rest well, sleep wonderfully, and I shall see you all in the morning.)

>>4434088
>>...Sing the song.
Let's take this horse to the old town road.

>>4434088
>Greet her. Y’know...like a normal person would do.
>But dont stop someone else(Probably Gina or Amara) from singing the song if they want.
>make sure she knows your just fellow travelers up for some company, nothing more or less.

>>4434090
should work for me. you have a restful night aswell BHOP.

>>4434092
lets at least have Shu take this a bit more seriously please.

>>4434090
Thanks for running, BHOP. Noon works for me, so with all luck I'll see you tomorrow.

>>4434095
>>4434097
(Thank you for letting me know, Gentlemen. As much as I'd like to continue tonight, I'd like to get an early night's sleep to try and offset my rather abysmal sleep schedule as of late.)

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>>4434103
hey, i get it.
been trying to get myself used to my new glasses aswell as my contacts, after years of only having contacts, and due to a slight differences between the lenses and the contacts on top of the usual differences ive had an odd sense of offset balance all day thats driving me absolutely nuts.
but, its only gonna be worse when i actually need them as a backup if i dont get used to both now, so it is what it is.

>>4434088
>...Sing the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5WHx8QCVk
We're using the Lil Nas version of the song right?
>Spawn some Wing-lings.
>Have Sir Fuzzbuzz and the winglings start Buzzing/vibing their wings (at an audible level) and serve as the bass track/sub-woofers.
>Amara, gets to play the chorus if she wants to join in.

>>4434109
(Ah, I know the feeling. I've had glasses almost all my life, and my wife's glasses broke recently so she's been dealing with that perspective shift until we can get a new pair for her. The weird balance issues that arise when switching lenses leaves me nauseous, so I hope you adjust soon.)

(As an aside, the robot from Forbidden Planet as a biomechanical horror is an absolute treat to see. When I run the next intermission Vein, I'll likely also dump a lot of images that I haven't been able to find a place for the Quest but are too fun to leave unseen.)

>>4434117
>>Have Sir Fuzzbuzz and the winglings start Buzzing/vibing their wings (at an audible level) and serve as the bass track/sub-woofers.

(That's brilliant, I have to say.)

>>4434109
Oh, god, I hate the vertigo you get when adapting to a new prescription. Just having things be a bit closer or nearer than you expect throws everything off. My condolences, anon. I hope you adapt soon.

>>4434117
(Also...)

>>We're using the Lil Nas version of the song right?

(It's the one I've had playing whenever I write Inghean's explots, alongside 'Horse with No Name'. She adheres very close to the 'horse girl' archetype.)

>>4434117
...please do not.

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>>4434119
ive got over 100 images in my 'to post' folder so i kinda get it.

>>4434119
>>4434123
yeah, thanks.
i was not expecting switching between the two to throw me off so much, but damn it hits like a truck. ill get past it im sure.

>>4434125
How many Crucibles has the Nothing seen that result in freestyle body horror rap battles? There has to have been at least one clash for the Cord that was determined by who could spit the hottest fire. Possibly literally, via a Skintalker/Generator hybrid.

>>4434131
(Not enough for Nothing's taste, honestly. I all seriousness, fights between Skintalkers get really weird really quickly, doubly so for hybrids.)

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>>4434119
>>4434109
I found it easier to just get the prescription number from my eye doctor and go buy glasses that match the prescription.


>>4434120
Hah. Glad to get a laugh out of your reaction.

>>4434119
>>4434103
I feel ya.

Today's an off-day for me so Cradleton chapter 9 is put on hold until tomorrow when i remember to take my meds. Already the muse is giving me another scenario in how the climatic event in chapter 9 would go down and I'm trying to wrangle it into consistency. Andersen's plan and how it affects the key cast is quite the beast.

Also. pic related when you look at your keyboard and dyslexia strikes.

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>>4434137
hate when my own dyslexia strikes. mines not so much mixing up letters though, just words spelling getting jumbled up.

and i bought my glasses online using info aswell. the problem i think is, i have slight stigmatism in one eye. but its so slight with contacts they dont take it into account, but lenses are more precise i guess so my lenses do. so i was used to the contacts without it, then put on glasses that correct it, then put contacts in that dont.

>>4434132
i get it might be mild spoilers, but it is more common for skintalkers to use their ACTs to cast multiple spells, or really weird long spells? or does it highly depend on what they have in their lexicon and their specific form of skintalking?

>>4434143
(It depends mainly on the contents of their Lexicon and how hard they lean on their other powers. Shorter, more useful spells are more common, but then you get these Skintalkers that just absolutely flex on people by chaining these ludicrous spells that ruin peoples' day.)

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>>4434143
also, i just realized how hilarious it is we're all 'cripples' in one way or another.
not sure if it was a fever dream or an actual thing, but reminds me of a setting i was saw about people who gained terrifying abilities based off their disabilities. besides this story, obviously.

>>4434145
(Personality powers have always intrigued me, which should be obvious with...anything I've ever written, now that I think about it. One particularly interesting instance was an anime called Speed Grapher, which had some solid body horror related to peoples' desires.)

>>4434149
(I am also very tired, so it's only now that I realize the way that post is worded makes it sound like I wrote Speed Grapher, which I most certainly did not. I have two quests to my name and a heap of drafts, so there's that.)

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>>4434149
>Speed Grapher is a 2005 anime series produced by Gonzo. The series ran for 24 episodes from April to October 2005 on TV Asahi. It tells the story of former war photographer, Tatsumi Saiga and his quest to save Kagura Tennōzu from Chōji Suitengu and the members of a fetish club, the Roppongi Club.
>the members of a fetish club

i mean, sounds interesting but boy does that description put it in a different light than you did BHOP.

>>4434144
ah, interesting enough, thanks.

>>4434158
i did not realize you had two quests to your name, unless you mean the game you run with your RL friends.
assuming not, what was the other one.
(unless your minds too shot, in which case, feel free to sleep.)

>>4434164
oh, well now i guess i am the tired one.
i thought the person was trying to save the club, not someone from them.

yeah... changes the context drastically, my bad hah.

>>4434149
Speed Grapher had pretty good body horror, yeah. That dentist, ugh.

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>>4434129
>100 images
>checks folder specifically made for bhop's quest (including memes and all the potential images for Cradleton story)
>1200+ images.
Jesus. what am I doing?

>>4434158

Also fun fact. The japan expo 2025 had a logo design competition.
The theme for the expo is "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", with sub themes of "Saving Lives", "Empowering Lives" and "Connecting Lives".

Of the 5 entries, the winning logo was an icon that looked like an eldritch abomination horror because it looked eldritch.

https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/news/news-20200825/

Which naturally, artists whose tastes are aligned with horror quickly jumped on the trend.

>>4434164
(I've honestly run countless campaigns IRL, as I was always for better or worse the DM-of-choice for whatever group of friends I was in. As far as the first quest I did, it was a DC Universe fanfiction quest several years ago called Speedster Quest, which was uniformly terrible, confusingly sporadic, possessed of insane pacing, and an experience that I had a marvelous time with. It was absolutely absurd. Unfortunately, when I was let go from my past job literally a week before my wedding, that ended up killing the quest given my overall mood at the time.)

(Considering that I'm a sucker for references, there have been several to that quest sprinkled throughout this one, namely the fact that the trio of girls that helped you navigate the cult were the three main characters of said quest, as I'd used them for ability testing purposes when I was first drafting the system.)

>>4434168
(I legitimately burst out laughing hearing how you read the plot, as that would make for a *vastly* different viewing experience. That would actually be a hilarious plot, now that I think about it. But yes, it was pretty solid.)

>>4434178
wait, thats what all of those are about?
ive been seeing those sorta images around for a bit now wondering what was up with that, so thank.

also, i know that feeling. my horror folder has an additional 700+ images, with a few dozen more of saved images for this quest. the 100 images is just art ive YET to post here before.
and you, always, ALWAYS, find more to add to the pile.

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>>4434178
(My personal image folder is over...two thousand images all told, I think? I've always been amazed that given just how much I've amassed, you and everyone else here somehow manage to find and post amazing art I've never even seen before.)

(Also, when I found out about the logo thing very recently, it just struck me as one of the funniest and coolest things I think I've ever seen happen with a mascot/logo.)

>>4434178
Ha, yeah, I've seen that mascot thing. It's cute, in that creepy body horror way that I guess all of us here are on board with.

>>4434182
>(I legitimately burst out laughing hearing how you read the plot, as that would make for a *vastly* different viewing experience. That would actually be a hilarious plot, now that I think about it. But yes, it was pretty solid.)
I kind if want to see this now, too. Just a bunch of weird mutants running their completely above-board fetish club, a bit libertine but nothing creepy, only to need to be saved from a superpowered teenage girl. I feel like that would be up Studio Trigger's alley.

>>4434191
(Just, perfectly legitimate and above board, having a great time until this teen cape just comes in to screw everything up. That's absolutely Studio Trigger material, you hit the nail on the head.)

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>>4434182
>Always the DM of choice.
fuck me i know that feel. nothing would get played with my RL friends if i didnt run.

as for past Quests... yeah, a train wreck can be fun. Ive only had two Quests i'd call successful... one back at Quests beginning about a murderous robtic cube. the players made him murderous when they had him kill the first other being he saw, not me, which was certainly something. the second was the one ive mentioned before where each update was at least 5+ posts long, some reaching as much as 13 posts long, based around an endless forest full of nightmares and cryptids/scp like stuff. I was lucky to get even one voter but damn do i wish i could find the drive i had for that one again... its the most fun ive had writing ever, even if no one really read it...
all my other attempts just flopped since that one, to be honest.

and not a fan of references like ive said myself, but that is a fun one to sprinkle in from your own past i can respect.

>>4434182
>>4434191
i could see that working as an awkward comedy a bit more than i would like to admit, yeah.

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>>4434186
>>4434184
>>4434191

At this rate, the true challenge is finding a picture that either of us "don't" have in common.

>>4434198
...those veins in the bottom looked like little alien dudes to me at first glance, and i was like 'godamn they make someone manually turn that thing? thats evil.'

>>4434196
>based around an endless forest full of nightmares and cryptids/scp like stuff.

(This is up my alley like you wouldn't believe. I'd love for you to pick it back up, or for you to share anything you're comfortable with.)

>>4434198
>>4434202
>>"T-this turret! It was made for me!"

>>4434205
Damn it, beat me to the punch. That was what I was thinking. They look like the Amigara Fault monsters.

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>>4434203
i actually have it all saved and in my google doc drives(because i didnt know how to archive the 4chan way at the time), so sure.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12llM6WA-N392iv3wZsdSRg-aJ0_uBB3g?usp=sharing

not gonna lie, dont get your hopes too high. I still love my time with it and dont regret a single line, but im not gonna say it is close to anything spectacular either. Ended poorly, a mix of the one voter and myself helping back me into a corner at a time i did not have the time or skill to find a way out of it.

but hey, it was a good learning lesson, if nothing else.

oh hey, speaking of, hot damn i still have the images from my box quest. holy hell i think that was like, two computers ago, how did this even end up on this one!?
>pic related, the murder that made me realize you can NEVER plan for your players actions.
probably the most important lesson i ever learned for damn sure, and one i hope every potential QM/DM takes to heart. players are crazy and unpredictable, 100%.

>>4434221
>probably the most important lesson i ever learned for damn sure, and one i hope every potential QM/DM takes to heart. players are crazy and unpredictable, 100%.
Especially when it comes to murder. You never know when your players are going to decide to suddenly kill someone.

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>>4434227
>"they're playing a cute, innocent curious cube."
>"i think i'll give them a friend for their journey, whats the worse that cou-"
>"oh, they killed him and ate him, well that was a thing."

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>>4434221
>>4434227
(You also never know when one's players *aren't* going to kill someone.)

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>>4434233
NO!
REGRETS!

>>4434221
(Also, thank you for sharing! I'm looking forward to delving into this.)

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>>4434227
>>4434221
>>4434182
>tfw I realize that this is just a group of DMs playing a collab quest with each other
>tfw I'm probably the only one here who has never DM'd
>mfw

>>4434233
Ha, true. Though I think that was actually not too unreasonable, in hindsight. Julia was in the right range of potentially very dangerous but not immediately threatening that it made sense for the party to try to talk her down. And then it worked, so it made sense to keep going and actually try to not just keep her calm and non-hostile but actually befriend her.

>>4434237
HUG LIFE 4-EVA

>>4434239
Nah, I don't GM, I just have enough experience from the other side of the table to know how groups work.

>>4434239
(Ha, no need to feel bad. It's fun, though there are times that I would like to be in the player's seat, myself. My wife's actually a very skilled DM, though her intense work schedule has hijacked most of her attempts to run a full campaign.)

>>4434237
(Also, as one last aside before I go to bed; I adore this edit.)

(Rest well everyone, and take care.)

>>4434262
Good night, BHOP. Sleep well.

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>>4434088

Screw it…let's take this horse to the old town road.

A fleet of Winglings take flight, having squirmed their way out of your spinal nest to vibrate in chorus around you, their high-pitched whine lowering to a deeper bass.

“Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road…” You begin tentatively, an accompanying pluck of Inghean’s string raising your spirits. “…I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more.”

She plucks a few more, turning to face you fully and revealing that her instrument is her over hollowed chest cavity, a series of blackened tendons stretched taught between her bare ribs. “I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road…I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more…”

You sense that Gina’s about to join in before Inghean’s shoulders begin to shake, with both you and your allies collectively tensing up as tremors wrack the corrupted Daughter’s equine form. Her shuddering slows, followed by the sharp, dry clack of her hands being brought together with startling speed. One, then, twice, and…

…you’re pretty sure she’s clapping.

“I’m Shu…not sure if you’ve heard of me, but my family and I were heading west.” You begin, calling out to the figure framed in xanthous mist. “I’m guessing you’re headed that way, too?”

Both her humanoid and equine heads nod simultaneously, a low, solemn gesture.

“Care for some company?” You ask simply, and for a long, terrible moment, there’s only the sound of your own breathing as the rhythmic hissing of the acidic steam escaping around you. Then, Inghean finally moves—not to pluck at her own strings, but rather to make a series of arcane gestures with both hands.

“She says ‘suit yourself’.” Francine says, interpreting the other Daughter’s sign language with her own hands folded primly behind her back

“Holy shit, you know ASL?” Gina blurts out, clearly impressed even as Francine shakes her head with a furrowed brow.

“I’m afraid not—Viola does, and she’s offered her services as translator for British Sign Language.” Francine announces, walking primly beside you.

“Didn’t know there was a difference.” Gina fires back as Inghean begins gesticulating with her gnarled fingers.

“That makes two of us, Darling.” Francine mutters, eyes narrowed at the gentle movements of the equine Daughter. “Also, she’s says, ‘don’t expect any stimulating conversation, but let’s hit that old town road, shall we?’”

At that, she languidly gestures for you to come closer…so with considerable care and caution, you oblige. About ten minutes of walking later, it strikes you that Inghean was true to her word; she hasn’t signed or uttered anything more than when you first spoke to her…and Amara simply won’t abide that, not when there’s such unique company to be interrogated.

(Continued)

>>4434918

“Why are you a horse?” Your young ward asks with genuine curiosity, prompting a fleeting cringe from Gina.

Inghean gives another soundless chuckle, her charred, gnarled hands dancing in the air as Amara watches and waits with intrigued patience.

“’Because the Crucible has a sense of humor’, she says.” Francine interprets. “Her core granted her equine capabilities, which she assumes came from the fact that she preferred their company over that of most people.”

“Neat! I wanna be a ninja! That kinda like a fast raccoon!” Amara informs the misshapen Daughter, to which she merely gives a languid thumbs-up. “I can tell you’re a Skintalker, too! So why don’t you wanna talk?”

“She says that she’s made it this far without talking.” Francine answers after observing Inghean’s reply. “Why start now?”

“Oh, so it’s a matter of prince…pring…pra-“

“Principle, Darling.” Francine supplies gently.

“Yeah, that!” Amara grins, and she’s met with yet another lazy thumb by way of reply…at least until the black rider signs something that gives Francine pause.

“She…she is asking if Amara would like a piggy-back ride.” The good doctor asks, directing the question to you. Amara’s bout to gasp just before she claps her hands over her mouth, and you have to admit that you’re impressed on some level at your ward’s measure of restraint.

About to reply, you suddenly find yourself running into Inghean’s excessively long arm, the tight, muscled limb thrown in your path stopping you just before the ground opens up before you, exuding a hiss of rancid steam where you would’ve been a half-second later.

“Thanks for that.” You say with a nod before looking back at Amara. “And you’re more than welcome to take Inghean up on her offer, if you let her know how much you appreciate it.”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” The young girls exclaims, and with a sudden and tremendous sneeze directed at her feet, she launches herself atop the other Daughter, much to the latter’s amusement.

With Amara happy as a clam, the familiar and surprisingly comfortable silence resumes, with Inghean’s subtly guiding you and your allies through the volatile landscape without comment. Gina’s focus in on the phone clasped tightly in her hands, her thumbs darting over the glowing screen as she swiftly updates her map, while Francine keeps having to catch up after pausing every few seconds to intently inspect a nearby vent or curious aberration of the relatively uniform Fleshscape.

Well, you’re not sure where this grotesque terrain leads or what lies beyond, but at least you’re in good company.

>>Try to make some idle conversation with Inghean.

>>Strike up a conversation with one of your other allies, to honor Inghean’s apparent preference.

>>Allow the rider to guide you through this wasteland…she seems to have a good enough lay of the land.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4434919
>Allow the rider to guide you through this wasteland…she seems to have a good enough lay of the land.

sometimes silence is golden.

>>4434919
>>Allow the rider to guide you through this wasteland…she seems to have a good enough lay of the land.
>Stay on the lookout. One can never be to careful while traveling... there might be something out there stupid enough to actually try and attack you.


>>4434921

Damn am i late to the party.... It me the writer of Journey through Europe..... I had some real life shit to deal with... small incident at work that really showed me how fucked my back is from my lifestyle.

I hope life has been treating you better than it has me Op

>>4434919
>“Neat! I wanna be a ninja! That kinda like a fast raccoon!”
...yeah, I keep turning this phrase over in my head and it doesn't make any more sense. I guess because racoons are stealthy and good climbers? Oh, Amara, you come up with some weird thoughts.

>>Allow the rider to guide you through this wasteland…she seems to have a good enough lay of the land.
It can be nice to just have some companionable silence.

>>4434937
Hey, EuropeAnon. Sorry to hear you've been having some trouble. Are you doing better now?

>>4434941
"That kinda like a fast raccoon!”

(Bah, it was meant to say 'they're kind of like fast raccoons' but my phone decided that it knew better grammar.)

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>>4434937
sorry to hear about your back, hope you find a way to deal with it.

>>4434937
(I'm sorry to hear things have been so hectic...I do hope they calm down for you soon and that your back heals fully.)

>>4434944
No, I parsed the grammar right, I got what was intended to be said. That doesn't make it make any more sense. "Ninjas are kind of like fast raccoons" is just an odd thought. But that's what we love about Amara, so I'm glad.

>>4434941
>>4434947

The pain is bearable(With Painkillers) until i can get an appointment with a doctor... the next appointment i could get however is at the end of November so until then i will have to live with it.

The worst thing i was completely fine not three days prior and then i had a goddamn relapse and now i cant use the same methods as before since that now hurts my back........ its really great living in a miserable pile of carbon based compounds....

>>4434952
Ah, geez, that appointment is a long way away. You'll probably have healed on your own by then. Ideally, anyway. Well, I'm sorry to hear that your organic frame is malfunctioning on you, anon. I wish you a speedy recovery.

>>4434955
Well i am not sure if a nerve that is being squeezed will just unsqueeze by itself..(I had a friend who suffered from something similar for almost a year until they got it fixed) but i hope that it will heal without any aid needed... then i can start to finally do something against the root of the problem.

(Gentlemen, I shall be heading home momentarily and will finish the update after lunch. Just wanted to let everyone know.)

>>4435030
Hey Bhop. Is there such thing as a "Vitruvian Halo"?

>>4435068
well, we already know that.
yes, there is, or at least was, a Halo for every class. each Haxxeane ascendant had one, and there was a Hexxane for each class.

>>4435068
>>4435070
actually we have no reason to assume all of them didn't survive. we already have two, know West Prime has one, and i think we have heard humors about anothers whereabouts.

pretty good track record i think to assume the rest are about. maybe not in any place we will ever get them, but still.

>>4435068
There should be Halos for all the classes except Deprived. Charon made one for each of the Ascendants. Though we don't have any info on the Vitruvian Ascendant. They and the Hive Mistress, Phantasmal Conduit and Humoral Conduit are all in Charon, so we've never gotten the chance to speak to them.

>>4435073
Prime has two, actually. Cassandra said she had the Phantasmal and Fibrous Halos. It would make sense for her to have copies of the Neurotic and Generator Halos as well, given that she used the Generator for making Alpha and jailbroken Neurotic Halos to make the Proxy Network. I doubt she gave up her own access to them, and West Gamma's notes mentioned Prime being able to wield Neuromancy/Generator abilities thanks to a few REDACTED tools she had access to. The Halos seem likely.

>>4435068
(There is, yes.)

>>4435075
thought we had proof from somewhere she didn't keep the halos, or at least not the Neuromantic one. plus BHOP confirmed at some point there was at least one piece of Hexxane tech we haven't found yet, and i assumed that is what her REDACTED was.

>>4435081
Gamma's notes mention Prime being able to make use of Neuromancy/Generator hybrids thanks to two separate REDACTEDs and a Halo. No mention of which one, though upon further thinking the singular could mean that one of the REDACTEDs is not another Halo. But with two REDACTEDs that means that I would agree it's likely that at least one of them is a different piece of Hexane tech. Or worse, a piece of Crucible Maker tech, like the Orrery or Silver Key. Huh. Had not thought about that before, certainly worrying now that it comes to mind.

As for Prime and the Neurotic Halos, we've got no idea what her deal is with those. Why she underestimates their functions, why she left a fully intact one in an abandoned lab, it's all unclear right now. I'm just putting her having access to a Neurotic Halo as a tentative theory for safety's sake. Would rather makes expectations that don't turn out to be needed than to be blindsided by her having it.

>>4435094
huh, didnt think about it being maker tech either, that is worrying.

and fair enough i suppose. i personally feel like theres signs to the opposite of her having the Neuromatic Halo at least, but really we just dont know.

>>4435080
Then would it make sense for the Vitruvian halo's previous cycle name be called the "Hexane Halo"? Because my impression of it is that particular class's properties tailors itself to the participating race of each cycle.

>>4435100
(It actually would, yes.)

(Also, after putting out a few last minute fires, I am settling to to finish the next update. Thank you for your patience, everyone.)

>>4435100
>>4435104
is this implying the Halo is still tailored to the Hexxane then?

>>4435111
its no problem, take your time.

>>4435100
>>4435104
I'd expect it to be named after some ancient Hexane artist, personally. Vitruvius was a Roman architect and artist who wrote about the importance of proportions and ratios. Makes sense for the name of the class about bodily wholeness. The class should have been named after a similar Hexane figure.

>>4435111
No worries, BHOP. Take as much time as you need.

>>4435111
(it is not tailored to them anymore, no. It attunes its effects to the 'host' species of the Crucible. Apologies for the confusion, as I meant to imply that the Vitruvian Halo could accurately be called the Hexane Halo during the course of the previous Crucible. I had simply named it as Vitruvian, but >>4435100 brought up a valid point that it owuld not be called that to the Hexane, and would thus more accurately be named for either the species as a whole or, as >>4435116 mentioned, an analogous figure from their history.)

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>>4435129
ah, my bad for reading the thought wrong, but thank you for the answer.
but not for quoting the wrong post, that one you have to live with.

>>4435143
(...oh, damn it.)

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>>4434919

The five of you settle into an easy, ambling pace as the scenery fades into idle, ill-defined monotony. You stay vigilant, however, and it’s that abundance of caution that alerts you to fleeting movements deep within the haze. A few assorted Amalgams skirt the edges of your vision, but they aren’t intent on hunting you—rather, they’re giving you and the rider as wide a berth as possible, darting off into the haze as soon as you cross their line of sight. It almost reminds you of when you met that young Polish woman, mere moments before making the acquaintance of Ivey and her accompanying Hyenas.

An act of self-preservation in the face of an apex predator.

The longer you walk, the more you notice the incline that’s started under your feet as the terrain begins to slowly, steadily shift at an upwards angle. Glancing around, you also take note of a few scattered shards of bone that peek out from beneath the porous ground, their recent emergence made obvious by the pus-like fluid that’s streaked along them and oozing out from around the superficial wounds.

“We’re approaching an exceedingly steep mountain range, one that shifts itself around every few hours.” Francine explains, translating Inghean’s steady signing. “We’re welcome to brave it if we like, but she’s warning us that ambushes are common for the Daughters that’ve made this place their home, to say nothing of the corrosive clouds.”

“I appreciate the warning...and I take it we won’t be relying on your guidance from here on out?” You posit, reading the other Daughter’s body language and receiving a nod from both her heads. “Any advice you can give us, then? Any alternate paths?”

“She says we’re welcome to go underneath the range, as there’s a network of tunnels that form every time the range shuffles around. Alternatively, we could travel north or south, to try and find a shorter route. She just prefers the Occam’s Razor approach...and doesn't appreciate being slowed down.” Francine mutters, giving her loose interpretation of Inghean’s words. “We won’t have long, either way...the shift happens every few hours, and the clock is ticking since the last one."

You follow Inghean’s extended index finger to the puncture wounds that surround you.
“We need to make haste, either way.” Francine urges.

Given the last time you tried to scale a mountain range only to wind up meeting a valuable ally and a true friend, you’re tempted to try it again...but you worry that might be pressing your luck further than is wise.


>>Between you and your allies, you think you stand a fair chance of scaling the mountains on foot, especially given the anti-corrosion properties of your armor.

>>You’d rather brave the confines of the tunnels than the open air up above.

>>Opt to travel further [North/South] in search of an easier time than the sheer cliffs you’re facing.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4435199
>Opt to travel further South in search of an easier time than the sheer cliffs you’re facing.

its not that i dont think we could handle an ambush, its that the corrosive nature of the air would still effect some of our allies, and if the mountain range starts to shift, flight is our only way to avoid it up there, which just sounds like asking for trouble. same with the tunnels, we DONT want to be down there if the mountain starts shifting.

If our humble horsey companion wasn't hinting at the mountain shifting soon, id risk going over, but it just sounds like a silly risk to take given the issues PLUS the potential strained timeframe.

>>4435199
Okay, here's my worry: Going over the mountains sounds really dumb. But if there are ambushers there, that must mean that going around them is dumber. No one climbs Crusher Acid Mountain if they have better options. Going under is a bad idea for obvious reasons, even with terrain-manipulation you'll probably get crushed. But what's the reason why going around is a bad idea?

>>4435245
there isnt in my opinion.
even if there are ambushes around it, it will still be easier to deal with them when not on top of a mountain you have to worry about shifting and inside acid clouds.

>>4435245
actually, we could wait til the mountain shifts then just head over.
once it shifts, all the ambushers, both on and by the mountain, will be scrambling to find the new spot to setup. might not avoid them but will give us a big advantage, and avoids the issues of running into them while they are prepared in either case.

i suppose if the mountain is close to shifting though, they might already be on the move, rather than in ambush, but we would still have the mountain shifting to worry about to complicate things unless we wait.

depends on how quickly we want to make it over i suppose, and how much time before it shifts that we have... and how long it would take to cross. certainly trying to cross while we already know the clocks been running itself dry though sounds like a very bad idea.

>>4435252
The ambushers are on the mountain range, not around it. So there are, for some reason, enough people climbing up into that place that it's viable to camp there and ambush them. That just feels really suspicious. What do those travelers know that we don't? I mean, I'm going to vote for "go around" anyway, because I don't want to deal with the mountains any more than you do. But it's still going to have me paranoid. I guess I'll just add a write-in for us to be on guard.

>>4435199
>Opt to travel further South in search of an easier time than the sheer cliffs you’re facing.
>>Write-In
>Send out various stealthed construct scouts (with any fliers staying low to the ground) and have Gina scanning around with Neuromancy for any dangers.

>>4435257
Actually, how do the inhabitants manage to maintain ambush positions if the mountains shift every couple of hours? They'd spend all day putting their preparations back in place after each shift. Maybe there are islands of stability they base themselves in?

>>4435274
maybe, though with the right abilities id imagine setting up an ambush would be super quick, or you could have a mobile home ambush fort type thing.

>>4435279
>>4435274
Wait. don't we have that Psychic Spiralis swarmlings?

They basically allow us to take control of the terrain right? So what if we tested out a theory and see if the terrain affected by the mountain range shift affects the terrain under Psychic Spiralis control? If the terrain shift doesn't override Psychic spiralis, then we have a clear shot of moving about unaccosted.

>>4435279
>>4435274
Either that, or the mountain range shifting has a pattern that they figured out.

>>4435283
Well, we've got a lot of anti-rough terrain abilities. Psychica Spiralis for the whole group, Gina can use Neon Ascendant and Francine can copy it, and Amara has anti-terrain features in Hollistic Lexicon, Might be able to calm large regions with OMA SUTH TER, too. I'm not too worried about us being crushed, just the chaos of dealing with a shifting terrain while potentially being ambushed and we can't ascend too high without risking the acid clouds.

>>4435283
i dont like that.
that could interact in some really wonky and bad ways we dont want, like the terrain we are on being locked to its altitude while the terrain around us isnt, thus slamming several thousand tons of flesh rock into us from a sideways angle as we are not technically trapping ourselves in a bubble in the mountain too small for us, on top of other possibilities.

its one thing to say we can prevent some terrain from shifting, its another to say we can prevent enough of an entire mountain range from shifting for it to be safe.

>>4435295
*as we are technically
no idea where that 'not' came from.

(Gentlemen, my apologies—I just woke up from a nap I most assuredly did not intend to take. Writing now, and thank you for your patience.)

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>>4435541
oh, well that was not what i thought.
but if you need sleep then go for it, ive had a busy day myself.

>>4435541
Have a tiring day, BHOP? No need to apologize, everything's good.

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>>4435541
If you need sleep, then go sleep bhop. Don't write under impression like you feel like you're keeping us waiting.

>>4435553
>>4435556
(Honestly, at this point it may be better for me to just try and get some rest. Naps are always paired with disorientation and nausea, so I'm not feeling very well at the moment. Would everyone be alright with resuming at approximately noon tomorrow?)

>>4435561
I'm fine with that. Go get some sleep, BHOP. We all want you well-rested.

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>>4435561
We're more than fine bhop.

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>>4435561
sure, that works well enough.
please, take care of yourself, that way you can make sure to put the effort you truly want into the Quest.

>>4435564
>>4435566
>>4435569
(Thank you, Gentlemen. I wish you all a restful evening, and I shall see you in the morning.)

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>>4435586
and you aswell BHOP.

(Good Morning, I do hope everyone is doing well. I am currently wrapping up the next post after a busy morning, so I shall be posting here soon. Thank you all for your patience.)

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I finished my Eloise drawing, at least so far. I kept putting off declaring it finished because I kept thinking I should be able to do better, but I really should move on and improve instead of staying fixated.

I'll also get back into doing the Daughters of the Crucible doc.

>>4436493
(Oh, this is absolutely spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing, she looks fantastic!)

>>4436493
I think your doubts are unfounded, anon, that's quite good. This is both a technically well-done drawing and a really nice design for Eloise. You've got that sort of vaguely-aristocratic look, the reminders of her past in fencing and skating, and the bone constructs are great. Especially that sword. The scrimshaw on the handle and the ulna attached to the blade? Fantastic.

>>4436498
>>4436499
Well, everyone's their own worst critic and I'm no exception. Thank you for the kind words though. They're much appreciated. If I work on another BHQ drawing, I promise to finish faster that time.

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>>4436493
Artist's paradox. And as a former artist myself. I can wholeheartedly say that there is plenty of room for improvement.


>>4436478
Take your time. Writing is something that shouldn't be rushed.

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>>4435199

With utmost care and a sickening crunch of her shoulders, Inghean reaches behind her and gingerly picks Amara up by the waist to set her down beside her.

“She wishes us the best of luck on our way to the Cord.” Francine declares after carefully watching the rider’s steady signs. “…she says we’re going to need it.”

“To you, as well.” You reply, taking a step back alongside Amara and the rest of your fellows. As you all bid the Unusual Predator farewell, you watch her give you one last double-nod before she flickers out of existence, the ground underhoof shredded as she disappears into the mists.

“Rather odd sort, wasn’t she?” Francine breathes, thrusting her hands into her pockets once enough time’s passed and you’ve all put some distance between you and the curious Daughter.

“She was the best!” Comes Amara’s emphatic declaration, the little girl’s arms swinging in wide, enthusiastic arcs.

“You’re just saying that because she gave you a piggy-back ride.”

“Are you mad ‘cuz *you* wanted a piggy back ride?” The child fires back earnestly.

“Wh-…no. By no means.” Francine sniffs…a little unconvincingly, you might add. You’re walking just ahead of them, listening to Amara’s interrogation of the good doctor when Gina sidles up to you, bumping you with her hip and snickering at the sound of your chitinous shell against her calcite armor.

“Hey. How’re you holding up?” She asks, threading her arm around yours as her hazel eyes shining up at you through the slits in her ivory helm.

“Pretty well, all...this…considered.” You answer, gesturing around at the fetid haze that obscures even the false sky overhead. “What about you? How were things with the think-tank?”

“I mean, they were interesting and all, but the most intriguing thing was that Fran and I ended up having some good talks.” The brunette replies, the two of you walking a little ahead of the other two. “She’s loosened up a whole hell of a lot, since she used to not nerd out like she did when we were over that way.”

“Wait…so you’re saying that I *haven’t* seen her at maximum science nerd yet?” You ask, voice low. “Good Lord.”

“Hey now, be nice!”

“Oh, I’m not judging…I like seeing any member of our family nerd out. It’s just fun to watch someone you care about get exci-.”

Your words are ripped away by the sudden blast of wind that tears past you, carrying with it the haze and distortion as the scarlet sky is unceremoniously revealed to you in full. Whipping around to find the source of the south-bound gust, you’re faced with the first sight of the mountain range in full—a jagged, vicious expanse of forbidding cliffs that curve eastward like a bared mouth of needle-like fangs. Almost a mile away, you catch a glimpse of something incomprehensibly large settle in among the cliffs, just out of sight. Something impossibly vast…

…apocalyptic, even.

(Continued)

>>4436516

The Amalgam ooses a strange, warbling cry—something between a diving hawk and the song of a whale—and immediately its newfound root warps and shifts, transmuting from a patch of thorns to a throne of dulled spires before your eyes. The change appears to alter the mountainside on a fundamental level, the forbidding slopes altered to something apparently easier to pass…for now, at least.

“Is everyone alright?” You bark worriedly, rounding on your companions as the vents around you continue billowing their acrid smoke into the air, replacing what had been torn away by the wing beats of the tremendous being. “Do you all feel okay?”

“I don’t believe any of us had Hunger pangs, no.” Francine studiously replies, smoothing out her hair and adjusting her lab coat across her narrow shoulders. "I assume we were out of it's range, this time."

“Amara, are you-?” You begin, realizing that your young ward’s back is turned to you, one diminutive fist clenched tight at her side while the other tightens around the hilt of her sword. Striding over, you find her heterochromatic gaze locked on where the titan disappeared, even as the field of ever-coughing vents work to obscure the mountain range from view once more. With brow furrowed and lips pursed tight, she just stands there glaring daggers until the haze cuts her line of sight.

“You okay, sweetie?” You ask tentatively, kneeling down beside her and placing a hand gently on her slight shoulder.

“That’s the thing that ruined Uncle Dorian and Aunt Julia’s date.” She says, turning to you with spite flaring in her eyes. “I’mma make it pay for that.”

Christ, she knows how to hold a grudge…

…you’re *pretty* sure she didn’t learn that from you.

>>Continue Southward…and stay well away from the thing that just landed.

>>Double-back to the North to see if you can’t examine the Apocalypse Amalgam a little closer.

>>Get to a better vantage point to see if the altered landscape stays that way when the mountain shifts back. You might’ve just found an easier way around.

>> Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours as I close out the work day. Additionally, the next post will likely be the last before the usual weekend pause, just as a head’s up.)

>>4436518
>Take a moment to calm Amara. You understand her feelings, but everything in its due time.
>Continue Southward…and stay well away from the thing that just landed.
>Send some swarmlings up though to keep watch on the thing and its land, to see if it proves advantageous to go down its path... assuming it ever leaves to let you.

>>4436519
sounds fair to me.
hope work doesn't bash you down too hard.

>>4436493
not bad. though i will have to say the coloring, mostly the skin, does seem a bit off to me. but good work nonetheless, and thank you for your willingness to provide us such things.

>>4436518
>>Continue Southward…and stay well away from the thing that just landed.
>> Write-In
>"Don't fixate, Amara. I'm glad you want to stop that thing, but we're a little too small for that right now. Let's just focus on getting around this obstacle so we can keep growing stronger and someday come back to end it. We'll get there, okay?"

Well, I'm very glad we chose to head south and not north. I hope Inghean's okay.

>>4436519
Sure thing, BHOP. Hope your day's going well.

>>4436526
well, if we think Dorian is randomly coming towards us but we know it cant actually be him, then...

>>4436518
Oh, and another thought to add to >>4436526m occurred to me after I posted.

>To Gina: "You said the Gemeinschaft were tracking sightings of the Apocalypse Amalgams, right? We'll have to forward them this data point when we get back."

>>4436529
You mean because Inghean is also really fast? Yeah, if we see a compression cone of supersonic displaced air coming at us, that's not a good sign.

>>4436529
>>4436533
(A 'NOPE' that breaks the sound barrier.)

>>4436536
>Horse running at supersonic speeds.

that reminds me of tailenders, an absurd racing animation video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vujCg5g8cWc

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>>4436539
>>When someone mentions one of my favorite short films

>>4436539
I was hoping the car would turn into a robot. I was not disappointed.

>>4436518
I think this is a good time to teach Amara about grudges and anger management.

>To Amara: "Amara? Before we get angry and vengeful, lets first relax and take deep breaths...Lets count to three with me okay? One...two...three..."
>"Now...You're not alone in the feeling the way you are."
>"But we still have a ways to go before we can take it down. Even Dante had to level grind, learn new tricks and combos, and get new powers, before he could defeat the final boss with a flawless SSS rank."
>"We'll get there some day."
>"But holding onto a grudge super tight will just make you cramp up and feel icky when you finally take it down. It'll take the fun out of the other things in life."
>"This is why I had you take deep breaths with me. Loosen up for a bit."
>"That bird will always be ready for you to challenge it at any time like a final boss, it's not going anywhere."
>"So settle down, and relax. Let it go for now. When we're ready to face it, We'll face it together."

>>4436579
>Even Dante had to level grind, learn new tricks and combos, and get new powers, before he could defeat the final boss with a flawless SSS rank

(I'll admit, I chuckled.)

>>4436579
to be fair i dont think we are going for flawless.
our fights would go very differently if we were i think....

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>>4436744
looks like a SSS flawless run if you only look at the cutscenes in where Dante styles his enemies and mocks them and leave out the gameplay.

Amara probably can't tell the difference between cutscene and gameplay unless she's given a grade.

>>4436764
i dont think thats true.

i also actually am now curious how much Amara would even know such cultural references, or games in general, given her age and upbringing.

>>4436744
That's because we're doing a challenge run. Take damage to save time, it's the classic maneuver.

>>4436775
Yeah, who exposed the child to spectacle fighters? Is this the result of Amara's mom leaving her with an iPad as a babysitter, Amara wound up on Twitch and started watching pro-level streaming?

>>4436775
>>4436779

>is a big fan of Devil may cry at a young age
Just how young/old is her mom anyway?

Moreover, if Amara's mom wasn't that big of a parental figure in her life, then who was?

Not to mention, what does Amara see in us that made her view Shu as her surrogate mother figure?

>>4436779
assuming a shanty town and outside the city factory either even had internet, or good enough internet for that.
the shanty town alone kinda implies its a bit of an area behind in the times.

>>4436786
>>4436779
Does anyone feel that we should set some time aside to learn more about Amara's past?