>>5175886
E

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>>5175886
After the intense static and chanting of Sierra's flashback subsides, again you find yourself in the ink-black mirror of your subconscious. There's a curiosity that blossoms after learning this lucidity, growing in your heart. Then, slowly, a line of orange spread sideways, and resolved itself into a horizon. You were about to steel yourself against the nostalgic feelings you've experienced in the past - only to find a kind of optimistic enthusiasm growing instead.

The orange line then rose slowly into a sun, illuminating a goblin village much like Goblìnton. But as the red orb rose higher and higher, the village develops further; At first, more huts spread, then the first brick and concrete buildings start to appear. And before your very eyes, you see the village became a town became a city; And the spires and the gables grew in orchards to the sky. You start to rise along with the glorious sun and see that it's not just Goblinton, but to all settlements across Gongalla - cities sprouting around Zimmingham, Wreck, Ossuary, Isocube Fortress, and more that you didn't even know before.

It was a full noon when you look up at the sun with an intensely patriotic feeling around your chest, and came face-to-face to a nervous Petunia.
"H-hey, you ok, handsome?" A dizziness descended upon you, as if you've slept too long.
"Yeah, I... I think so." You reply, barely noticing that Warden Bianca and Frank's also in the room with you.
"Oh, good! You strsight up fainted when we uh... at the bed..." Petunia stumbles upon her words.
"When you two had sex." Bianca said bluntly, her stern facade betrayed by a blush.
"Um, yea, you were out so deep I thought you were dead... good thing that wasn't the case." Petunia's worried face shows a bit more relief. "You sure you're fine, handsome?"
You feel like a million bricks, but then again, you've got things to do today.

>CHOOSE
>□ You feel fine, time to contact Abraxas
>□ You feel dizzy, rest more with Petunia and let the others handle things
>□ Tell them of what you've seen while you were out
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5175918
>□ You feel dizzy, rest more with Petunia and let the others handle things
Yeah, we probably shouldn't try to do stuff when we're in a bad condition.

>>5175918
>>□ Tell them of what you've seen while you were out

>>5175918
>□ Tell them of what you've seen while you were out
"I, James Calaca, have a dream!"

Welcome back, by the way.

Dizzy

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>update tomorrow
But in the meantime,

GAOL PLAYLIST
~Beats to quest to~

>Audioslave - Your Time Has Come (Opening)
https://youtu.be/Ce-h3stcOD0

>King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Crumbling Castle (Gongalla theme)
https://youtu.be/qZwr511qGoY

>Fleet Foxes - Third of May / Ōdaigahara (James Calaca theme)
https://youtu.be/qYkSUIOoEAg

>Sofi Tukker x Amadou & Mariam - Mon Cheri (Petunia Karachova theme)
https://youtu.be/UPsrZV5JcNQ

>Blur - Good Song (Gobson G. Gobson theme)
https://youtu.be/7xndZN16-KQ

>Maaya Sakamoto - Anata o Tamotsu Mono (Sierra 2 theme)
https://youtu.be/fQrZYRU3eUE

>Rom di Prisco - Paradigm Shifter (Frank theme)
https://youtu.be/2FnD-JKXRVU

>Etsuko Yakushimaru - Kamisama no Iutoori (Warden Bianca theme)
https://youtu.be/lMQK5MbIb1E

>Radiohead - I am a Wicked Child (Pedro Rubeda theme)
https://youtu.be/g-Iy8M7tHMI

>Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower (Paulo Rubeda theme)
https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY

>Fleet Foxes - Featherweight (Pablo Rubeda theme)
https://youtu.be/LoZ4q_lft2A

>Tinariwen - Sastanaqqam
https://youtu.be/2I3PLVuKNtw

>Coldplay - Violet Hill (Sierra 1 / James Calaca childhood theme)
https://youtu.be/basedWh_EzEoU

>Audioslave - Out of Exile (Ending 1 theme)
https://youtu.be/8S1TMaqjvCA

>Blur - Out of Time (Ending 2 theme)
https://youtu.be/UkLWf-fbsLo

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5175928
>>5176065
> 1) Dizzy

>>5175934
>>5176059
> 2) Tell them

Let us consult the winds of chance.

>>5177328
hgood time

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>>5175928
>>5176065
>>5178344
"Yeah, I'll be f-"
The syllable had barely left your lips when a wave of dizziness hits you. You try to sit up, which does nothing - just throbs it in a bit more. Feels somewhat akin to blood rushing somewhere else.
"Oh, James, handsome, please tell me you're ok." Petunia grew even more concerned for our well-being.
"Huh, just a bit of head-" another wave, harder this time. As if a void behind your left eye is pulsing with this raw sensory overload. Each throb amplifies the next one, although strangely, it is not all that painful. "Petunia, I- Ahhhhh!"

You wouldn't believe it even as you witnessed it right now. Your left eye detaches, and grew as big as your face! It floats in the air, hovering, and you both see it with your right eye and see through it, as if it's still connected.
You can see everyone's stunned faces clearly from the higher vantage point - Petunia concerned about you, Bianca recoiling, trying to make sense of all this, Frank taken aback yet scanning all of this for future review, and Nemo, who rushed into the room, probably because of your scream earlier.
"James! Petunia! I sensed something that came from my home, what happened?" He sees your eye and didn't even blink.
It seems like with the detachment of your eye, the dizziness abated completely.

>CHOOSE
>□ Try to put the eye back on your face
>□ Try to move the eye somewhere else
>□ Try to see out of it again
>□ Ask Nemo what had just happened, he seems to know
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5179039
>□ Try to move the eye somewhere else
EYE can't believe what I'm seeing!

>>5179039
>□ Ask Nemo what had just happened, he seems to know
I'm really hoping someone, anyone knows what the actual fuck is going on

>>5179039
>□ Ask Nemo what had just happened, he seems to know

>>5179039
>Try to move the eye somewhere else
>On the back of his head
Can't trust these hoes so we watch our own back
360 vision here we come

>>5179039
>□ Ask Nemo what had just happened, he seems to know

>>5179039
>□ Ask Nemo what had just happened, he seems to know

>>5179292
Agreed

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>>5179145
>>5179277
>>5179327
>>5179338
Despite your eye condition (and the absurdity of the situation), you notice that Nemo's own eye starts to embolden itself. "Nemo, care to explain what is happening?"
"Ah yes, of course you haven't experienced an Abstraction like this. Your existence is rigidly defined, no surprise there - but for me, who came from Nothing, this is Nothing's new." Nemo tries to explain.
"I'm sorry, what?" Petunia asks.

Nemo stares at you, well, your floating eye. "This Abstraction is called <¤>, or the Wandering Eye. It should've appeared in your dreams before." Nemo takes on a more supernatural tone. "An Abstraction can be a curse, a blessing, or both. It is up to the Abstracted to define it - seeing that you're only partially Abstracted, you are more in control than it."
"So you're saying that it's up to James to decide what this floating eye means?" Bianca makes an observation.
"Correct." Nemo resumes his voice.

"Myes, after much analysis, this might become some sort of Proto-Panoptikon. There is much similarity between them..." Frank interjects.
"Yeah, well, that's fine and all, but will his handsome face be forever half in the sky? Or is that up to him, too?" Petunia asks, a little less worried but still concerned.
Nemo inspects the eye. "I am... unsure. But it seems like it'll fit back in." He then turns to you. "So, what is the significance of your left eye?"
Well, what was that all about? You kind of catch the gist that your eye might have cool powers, and it's all up to you...

>EYE DECIDE
>□ Eye of Horus, the moon and a boat
>□ Eye of Odin, a sacrifice and a wisdom
>□ Eye of Balor, seven-covered and a blaze
>□ Other (fill in)

Well, let's see, Balor was evil, Horus was gay, Odin was not the kind of person you'd want to be...any idea?

>>5180974
Argus? Alex DeLarge? Somebody else?

>>5181017
No idea, honestly. It probably has to do something with eyes, what with Odin, Horus and Balor.

>>5181132
We can decide on another god, I think is the point. Maybe Prometheus? Not sure what he'd represent, though.

>>5181137
I'd guess that it has to be a god with something related to eyes, right? Prometheus is about sacrifice, but he doesn't have anything eye-related.

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>>5180950
>Such fine mythological references! But let's be a complete Videogame Dweeb and have it be the Sheikah 'Eye of truth' from the Zelda series.

>>5180950
>Other (Fill in)
>Eye of Ra
Forgive me if I dont have this completely right im just looking at wikipedia, but despite it being James left eye I think it would cool if he has 2 right eyes as the eye of horus is gay as fuck and is all about health and good fortune and shit while the eye of Ra was definitely more used for violence and bloodlust which is fitting for james
>quote about the difference in eyes
"The Eye of Ra symbolizes Ra's daughter's revenge on mankind and the fury and blood lust behind the act. Its protection is in the form of violence and power. In sharp contrast, the Eye of Horus promises aid and healing to the wearer in the tradition of the moon god Thoth replacing the damaged eye of Horus" If you wanted to get real fucky you could even say that someone is the "Daughter of Ra" who put it on us without us knowing, for example that nice revolutionary woman we had a crush on as a wee lad

>>5181204
Eye of Ra sounds cool, but it is also the feminine counterpart to Ra according to wikipedia, and James is the opposite of that in pretty much every way.

>>5181216
Feminine spiritual energy doesnt mean your gonna start wearing pink and losing your cock, its just duality, a lot of old concepts use it, most languages even have masculine and feminine words, that doesnt mean you are gonna get fucked like a woman for sitting at a table just because its a feminine word, in gnostic tradition Jesus actually carried a feminine soul being a counterpart to Sophia

>>5181231
Also she literally is just his eye, like she is a floating eyeball that attacks those who didnt follow the laws of Ra, everyone feared she would kill everything so Ra got his eye drunk on red beer till it calmed down and hopped back on his face

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>>5180950
>Eye in the heart
What can change the nature of a man? Let's take a look...

I really wanna make a joke about eye of the beholder and how James seems to go full nuclear at the sight of petunia, but i can't find a way to do it.

Rolled 1 (1d3)

A three-way tie, eh? Let us consult the winds of fate.

>>5181196
>Sheikah 'eye of truth'
"The eye is open wide to seek the truth, while the teardrop represents the willingness to go to any lengths to achieve a goal"

>>5181204
>Eye of Ra
"Symbolizes Ra's daughter's revenge on mankind and the fury and bloodlust behind the act. Its protection is in the form of violence and power"

>>5181238
>Eye in the Heart
This one's a hard one to track down the references for. It's either sourced from:
Edgar Allan Poe's Tell-Tale Heart motifs, "The old man's eye as a reason behind the murder" and "The heart as a symbol of passion, that caused both the murder and the confession"
Or, it could be a mixture of the Eye of Providence and the Sacred Heart, "The eye of God that watches over humanity" and "God's boundless love and passion towards humanity"

>>5181204
+1

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>>5181196
A plethora of symbolism flit through your mind, some recalling mythical eyes, some reaching into literature. But you recall one thing that Sierra once told you about revolutions - it happens because the truth was obscured. You saw it with your own eyes how the Eternal Empire ruled over Libertad, where propaganda posters were plastered on the walls daily, the airwaves full of Empire jargon, and how dissenters tend to disappear overnight. There is a truth they tried to cover up in Libertad, so Sierra said back then, so you need to open your eyes to see it.

"My eye," you say confidently to Nemo, "is the eye that sees the truth. It seeks the truth, no matter what, and at any cost."
As your statement rings true, a teardrop forms near your floating eye. It glows with clarity, a powerful presence ascertaining your control over it. It shrinks and reattaches itself to your face by your command.

With that, you see the hidden truths in your gaze. Petunia's love for you depicts itself as your image in her heart, while her worries are written on her face. Nemo's true form densely packed in him, thanking you for existence, and becoming the captain of its own fate. Frank's connection to the Gaol's systems were laid bare, complete with mushrooms infesting the connections. Bianca's orderliness and loneliness spinning about Frank's effigy. And strangely, ciphered messages ablaze under a muscle facade, something about saving Gongalla means also saving 'her'. Borges?

With a blink, you command your normal vision to return. Apparently you've just seen the personal truths that people will do anything for.
"Good mornink, sleepyhead! The nuns are ready. Just waitink on you, now."
"Ready? Ready for what?" Honestly, your mind's still recovering from both the revelatory dream and the eye thing.
"The summonink of Abraxas, of coursh! Have you prepared your questions yet?"
You haven't, but you have some ideas.
"Don't forget about the log disk - We still need to read it. And find a data crystal with an engram in it." Frank reminds you.

>CHOOSE THREE
>□ What is Gongalla?
>□ What are the Reality Anchors?
>□ How were the Reality Anchors built?
>□ What would happen if the anchors break?
>□ Why did the Eternal Empire use Gongalla as a jail?
>□ Other (fill in)

>ALSO CHOOSE ONE
>□ Do the summoning first
>□ Read the log disk first
>□ Check your two data crystals first

>>5182476
Now that's nice. As for the qeustions, we should choose stuff that will obviously give us better information
>□ What are the Reality Anchors?
>□ What would happen if the anchors break?
>□ Other (fill in)
Maybe we could ask how to fix them? Do we know how to fix them?

>>5182483
Oh, and i forogt
>□ Read the log disk first
Better be sure. Do we have time to read the two data crystals?

>>5182484
Yeah, but be warned that if the summoning's done last, Borges and the nuns are probably going to start without you.

>>5182483
+1

>>5182484
>>5182483
+1

>>5182483
+1

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>>5182483
>>5182484
>>5183969
>>5184021
>>5184453

"Alright then, let's see what the log disk has. Make it quick." You hand over the disc to Frank.
"Very well, here we go, then." Frank takes the disk and inserts it in his mouth, from which several strange, rapid mechanical sounds was heard. Within moments, a holographic window emerges, with the emblem of the Eternal Empire emblazoned on the top. Under it, you were able to read the first few passages... which you promptly glaze over when you realize it's legalese to prevent unauthorized reproductions and so on and so forth.
Thankfully, Petunia offers herself to read it on your behalf. "Hmm... this will take a while. Go on to your seance, handsome, I'll handle this." she says as she scrolls down into more legalese.

You leave Petunia, Nemo, Frank and Bianca in your room as you went next door to the nuns' room. The first thing you see is the Necrologue in the center of a chalk circle, with a bottle of lifewater and an empty cup - you realized that the circle is kind of wet, possibly sprinkled with lifewater. Sister Beryl and Delarue are kneeling in front of the book, while Borges is sitting a ways out.
"Ah, James! You're just in time, we were about to start." Beryl says with a chipper tone. "You are welcome to join us in prayer, or you could just observe from the sides." She moves her hands into a religious position. "If you are to join us, follow what we say and keep thinking of the name, Abraxas."
You're not that confident, being brought up without religion in Libertad. Should you join?

>CHOOSE ONLY ONE
>□ Join (roll 1d20, best of 3)
>□ Observe

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5185479
>□ Join (roll 1d20, best of 3)
It's all goode

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5185479
>□ Join (roll 1d20, best of 3)
this motherfucker >>5185489 rolled nat 20 straight up, but I wanna see what else we can get

>>5185489
oh fuck

good indeed

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Next update a bit delayed, in a bit of laptop service kerfluffle. Sorry for the delay.

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>>5185489
https://youtu.be/gawKAeTayNY

"Yeah sure, why not." Try anything at least once, that is how you keep the Revolution going.
"Alright, take a seat, please." Sister Beryl intones as you do so. Borges watches on, a passive indifference about him.
"Alif-lam-mim," Beryl starts, her hand moving in certain poses as each syllable rings. You mimic it easily.
"We call upon the bones buried in the past, of the soul once known as Abraxas." The hand gestures repeat, cyclically, rythmically.
"By the saints Mandible and Maxillae, we contact you." Beryl stops her hands, and pours the lifewater into the glass.
"If Abraxas is here and now, then come, o soul! Take shape, as you once did! We request your council!" She raised the cup as if in a toast, and pours its contents onto the waiting Necrologue.
Immediately the chalk likes vanish as the liquid sublimes into ectoplasmic vapor, snaking upwards into a miniature cloud. From the formless mass of ghostly essence, you come to see features taking shape - a forehead here, a nose there, hair sprouting in wisplike tendrils - until you can recognize someone in the fog. It reminds you of Nemo before Nemo.
Its lips starts to move, and you faintly hear a distant whisper at first, before coalescing into legible, normal speech.
"...llo? Hello? Alright, there we go. Now, supposing you three weren't summoning a random entity from beyond the grave for shits and giggles... what's the emergency?"
Abraxas, you presume.

>CHOOSE (SEQUENCE MATTERS)
>□ Ask the questions given here >>5182483
>□ Explain to him about Gongalla's current situation
>□ Tell him of the broken reality anchor
>□ Get Borges to open with the questions
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5188880
>□ Explain to him about Gongalla's current situation
>□ Ask the questions given here >>5182483
>□ Tell him of the broken reality anchor
This makes sense, right?

>>5188902
+1
Hmm, by the way, did we ever find out about those revolutionnaires on gongalla?

>>5188902
+1

>>5189483
Nah. We can do that in the postquest epilogue

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>>5188902
>>5189483
>>5189527
"I'm going to put it bluntly: Gongalla is dying. Several places have been struck by magical flux, reality distorts quite often - simply put, it's deteriorating." You quickly explain it to the ectoplasmic wisp.
"Hmm, one of the reality anchors must have broken down." the ghostly Abraxas deduces. "Have you got the bones? Got the engram? Got the mirror? You should be able to fix it with those. It will be clear to you what you must do at the anchor site."
"Yeah, we already knew that - but what we want to know is the truth about these reality anchors. Just in case this kind of thing happens again." You stare, and asks Abraxas a question.

"What -are- the Reality Anchors?"

You can see Abraxas' ethereal face contract, like a shadow of regret passed by for a moment, or an unconvenient truth about to surface.
"...Dead gods, to put it simply." He exhales, a ghostly sigh. "You wouldn't believe the lengths the Eternal Empire went through to turn Gongalla into what you see now. They'd even kill four gods to serve as the pillars to this place."

Around you, you can see Borges, stunned but not that surprised, as if he guessed it before, and the two nuns incredulous, more mortified at the implications of their religion.

>ASK ONLY ONCE
>□ Ask about the lengths the Eternal Empire went through
>□ Ask about the dead gods being used as pillars
>□ Ask about Abraxas' own involvement
>□ Ask about the significance of the ingredients - why bones, engram, and mirror?
>□ Other (fill in)

>□ Ask about the dead gods being used as pillars
We know the empire invades other realities, so it's not like they're beyond doing things that are well beyond a normal nation. Better to task about the gods themselves.

>>5192165
>□ Ask about the dead gods being used as pillars
That mean the bones are worshipping dead gods right?

>>5192223
>>5192605
+1

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Sorry, a 1 day delay is in order, there's a death of old age in the family.

>>5195361
It could always be worse, but that doesn't mean it will. Hang in there

>>5195361
Wishing you and your family the best, man--sorry to hear the news.

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>>5195424
>>5196578
It's alright - great-grandma had a fulfilling life of 102. She's resting now.

>>5192223
>>5192605
>>5193107
"About these gods... would learning about them help in fixing them?" You ask, still half-incredulous.
"Hmm, yes! When I worked on them, they were already dead, and I don't remember their names, but - some detail lingers...
One already had a foot missing when they got here. There was something like black obsidian on their chest, and come to think of it, on their stump-foot, too.
Another had these long poles of sturdy wood on their feet, and looks severely malnourished. Their body is cold to the bone.
The third one looks like an adult, but was acrually a child - we had to stitch them up from eight pieces before we could work on them. And, there were fire clinging to their skin.
The last one came in with bloody clothes, the officer who came with them said they put up a hell of a fight. Certainly interesting with their multiple arms, I'm sure.
Now, I don't know which god is the broken anchor - you'll need to avoid accidentally awakening them, because the other three will also wake up as well. I don't know what would happen should all the pillars awaken..." Abraxas starts to blur. "I hope this information works, it's time for me to go."

With that, Abraxas' ectoplasm dissipates, leaving you with Borges and the nuns. Sister Beryl seems to take the news of the dead gods harder than the rest of you.
"Dead gods, supporting the very existence of Gongalla? Then, then... who have we been praying at, this whole time??" Delarue seems to be trying to comfort Beryl's crisis of faith.
Borges, however, takes it in stride. "Well, that's somethink I've guessed at. Turns out it's true. Anyways, we're not goink to waste time, let's get on to the next step: findink an engram."

>CHOOSE
>□ Soothe Beryl's crisis of faith
>□ Ask Borges what his hunch was
>□ Get on to searching for the engram
>□ Check back in with Petunia and the log disk
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5196694
>□ Soothe Beryl's crisis of faith
Listen, sister: have you heard the word... of REVOLUTION?

>>5196694
>□ Check back in with Petunia and the log disk
Delarue knows more of religion than we do.

>>5196694
>□ Check back in with Petunia and the log disk
We can't console Beryl here, we aren't exactly religious.

>>5196694
>□ Soothe Beryl's crisis of faith

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5196700
>>5198424
>Soothe Beryl's crisis of faith

>>5196936
>>5197031
>Check back in with Petunia and the log disk

Let us consult the winds of fate, shall we?

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>>5196700
>>5198424
>>5198864

"Hey uh... I know I'm not the most religious person here, but... a friend of mine told me that sometimes, we get our own personal revolutions to go through. So hang in there, alright?" You offer some comfort. "It will all be alright."
You've just noticed that Beryl was shaking and mumbling something all this time. Even Sister Delarue (or the bit you can see, anyways) look concerned for her partner. "Uh, you alright, sister?" You say, as you reach toward her to check on what's wrong.

Next thing you know, her mask clatters on the ground. What seems to be a distant wailing growing closer was in fact Sister Beryl - whose face is black as coal, candle-lit eyes dripping with wax tears - you recognize as an urban legend from your time at the orphanage. The Crying Lady! "Dead, dead, dead, dead! My children, they are dead! Why, why?! To whose bones did I pray for their safety??" Her rambling has a tinge of sadness in her.

"Shto?! There was no briefink for this!" Borges stood up, as Delarue slightly recoils from her partner. It's obvious she still wants to help, but doesn't know how. During the chaos, you faintly noticed some noise from above the goblin rooms. It might be that Pedro had returned from patrolling. Or was it Gobson from his fling with Ko? Whatever you do, do it quick.

>CHOOSE
>□ Talk some sense into her
>□ Leave this to Delarue and Borges
>□ Violence
>□ Ask for help from upstairs
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5199091
>□ Talk some sense into her
Maybe be less religious and more try to personally comfort her? You know, help her calm down?

>>5199091
>□ Talk some sense into her
It ain't easy, but maybe she can try to focus on the spirit of what she's been doing all this time? You know, besides prayer?

>>5199091
>□ Talk some sense into her
Sister Beryl's resolve is being tested...
>HOPELESS

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>>5199096
>>5199486
>>5199987
"Everyone calm down!" You state, before things escalate out of your control. "Beryl, come on - it doesn't matter who you pray to, what matters is what deeds you've done while you believed, right?" You try to defuse the situation. "Right?"

Beryl's frantic movements slow down, but her hands still clutch her head. "My, my... I've- I've done bad things in the past..." she stammers in grim realization. "It was in the war. The Eternal Empire invaded us. I was in the trenches, defending my homeland. Me and my comrades move at night, when we were at our most powerful. The blood, the blood, the blood, and my thirst unslaked. My children waited for me at home..."
It was at this moment that you've noticed Pedro at the chamber door, looking as if he saw a ghost. "beryl?" The name squeaks out of his mouth, diminutive and shaken.
Things might have escalated in complex directions.

>CHOOSE
>□ Urge Beryl to continue talking about her past
>□ Get Pedro out of there
>□ Get Pedro to calm Beryl down
>□ Get Delarue to calm Beryl down
>□ Get Borges to subdue Beryl
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5202538
>□ Urge Beryl to continue talking about her past
>□ Ask her what she has done to atone for those bad things
>□ If necessary get Pedro to calm Beryl down

>>5202538
Uh...maybe we should get someone to get pedro out of the room? Not sure if it's a good idea to keep him here. We should try to keep talking to her, though.

>>5202538
>□ Get Pedro out of there
*Slaps Pedro's hat*
This little shit can fit so many fucking traumatic memories

>>5202538
>>5202582
+1 to this. Gotta nip this shit in the bud somehow. Besides, Pedro's already a fucked-in-the-head child soldier! He can take more trauma!

>>5202582
+1

>>5202538
>□ Urge Beryl to continue talking about her past
>□ Get Pedro out of there

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Seems like urging Beryl to talk more about her history and atonement is unanimous. But about Pedro...

>>5202582
>>5202900
>>5203371
>Pedro in

>>5202601
>>5202895
>>5204736
>Pedro out

Let us consult the winds of fate.
>captcha sez: 4SYSN

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>>5202601
>>5202895
>>5204736

You move to vacate Pedro from the premises, to avoid further emotional damage, but Beryl continues her story.
"I-It was the day the messenger came - when I had to return from the battlefield. An artillery shell... My children, my children - they're gone, with my home..." It's subtle, but you don't hear the otherworldly wailing anymore. Time to get Pedro out the room. "She hurts like I hurt" you hear Pedro say.

"Surely you've done good deeds, afterwards? As a way of atonink for your past?" You hear Borges from the inside.
"Yes, yes... I quit the army and joined the Church of the Eternal End afterwards. But the Eternal Empire won, and I am sent here..." Beryl turns to you, putting her bone mask back on. "The sisters suggested me to wear this mask, as a reminder. I guess I'd have to thank you for calming me down. You're right, it doesn't matter if my god is real or not - as long as I believe..."

It was at this moment that Petunia enters the room. "Uh, awkward moment. Is this why Pedro is crying buckets in the hallway?"
She gets closer to you. "Anyways, handsome, I got some info from the logs. If you could come over here for a sec?"

>CHOOSE
>□ Make sure Beryl and Pedro's fine before continuing
>□ Vacate the awkward premises immediately

>ALSO CHOOSE TWO
>□ Info about a method of tranquilizing deities
>□ Info about location of an engram data crystal
>□ Info about the protective equipment the builders use
>□ Info about the sub-layer of reality under (overlaid over?) Gongalla
>□ Info about the Eternal Empress' involvement

>>5205959
□ Make sure Beryl and Pedro's fine before continuing
And
□ Info about the protective equipment the builders use
□ Info about the sub-layer of reality under (overlaid over?) Gongalla

>>5206163
+1

Hmm, is this what, the 5th traumatic moment pedro's had? Dude is basically collecting them at this point.

>>5182476
a bonus is that a tattooed tear means you killed someone

>>5206163
+1

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>>5206163
>>5206226
>>5210577

Before you go see what Petunia's got, you quickly check on Beryl and Pedro. Beryl seems to be more or less normal, although Delarue's clinging close to her, while Borges is still planning something in silence. Undoubtedly because of the new information. As you step outside you can confirm that Pedro's bawling his eyes out; surprisingly, Paulo's also there, lending a shoulder to cry on. Or, well, a stomach. Same thing. You leave quietly so the two aren't interrupted.

Petunia's back at her room, with Frank still stuck opening the log disk. "There you are, handsome! Good news and bad news... the bad news is that parts of the log's corrupted and unreadable. So the list of Anchor workers is gone. However!" She grins with glee, "We've found that the parts about the equipment the workers wore and the thing about reality in Gongalla. Well, as we know it anyways."
Petunia scrolls up and down on the document until a diagram rolls into view. "Ok so, Gongalla's been designed - or rather, renovated, so that things can get in, and none can get out - almost next to none. Also, the builders managed to squeeze in a pocket reality inside Gongalla, where they stuck the anchors in."
She turns from the computer and towards you. "So, this is where it gets interesting - The Crack is, as its name implies, a literal crack between the 'top' layer of reality and the Substrate - that's what I call the pocket dimension - and it should be easy to go through the other side from there, no portals or sigils necessary." You nod, signaling her to continue. "But, you can't survive in the Substrate just like that. Apparently you'll unravel under its metaproperties. So, you need these goofy-looking suits." She scrolls to a schematic. "Behold, a realitynaut suit. Inscribed with runes and sigils on the inside to stabilize the user, and a life support system that lasts six hours."
Petunia shuts down the hologram window. "Thing is, seems like this thing is hard to come by - at least the actual, ancient suits. We could try making our own suits - but the quality is debatable."
"So, handsome - what's your choice?"

>CHOOSE
>□ Look for some reliable old suit
>□ Make your own
>□ Other (fill in)

>ALSO CHOOSE
>□ Check your data crystals for an engram
>□ Prepare for the trip and choose who to join you (choose up to 3 aside from yourself)
>□ Tell your crew about this
>□ Other (fill in)

>>5211090
>□ Make your own
Even an new, manually made suit is better than something that's been laying about for god knows how much time

>>5211110
Oh yeah and
>□ Tell your crew about this

>>5211090
>□ Make your own
>□ Look for some reliable old suit

>>5211110
>>5211111
+1

>>5211090
>□ Make your own
>□ Tell your crew about this
I'd wager someone can whip one up for us--possibly an upgrade from the old design.

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>>5211110
>>5211111
>>5211128
>>5211215
>>5211316

"Well, firstly, I'd like to get everyone-" your choice is interrupted by two presences entering the room.
"Ello, everybody! Back from my date, what'd I miss?" Gobson makes an entrance, riding on Ko's shoulder. "Oh yeah, Ko's real interested in what we're doing, so I brought her here too. Everyone, meet my girlfriend, Ko! Ko, meet everyone!"
"Gobson?! You have a GIRLFRIEND?!" Oh yeah, Petunia haven't met Ko yet.
You grin, happy at seeing Gobson is having a good love life too. "Eyy, nice, Gobson! Now, gather everyone here, I've got an update on this 'Saving Gongalla' deal..."

A couple of hours later and some quick explanations later, you've summarized the situation thus far. "...and that's why I'd rather make our own meta-suits. Can't quite trust ancient, probably rusted ones we don't quite know the location of." You finalize. "So, any suggestions for the suits?"
Petunia whips out a familiar thing from her inventory. "Hmm, how about re-using our old armors? Could make for good protection, at least."
Borges mulls. "You know, the Dead Numbers had tried developink a haz-mat suit, I believe they have a workink prototype. We could refit that."
Ko thumps her chest. "If it's sewing and tailoring, I can handle it! Just give me the materials."

>CHOOSE
>□ Reuse your old armor
>□ Reuse Dead Numbers' prototype
>□ Build them from scratch using Ko's skills
>□ Other (fill in)

>ALSO CHOOSE
>□ Build one suit
>□ Build two suits
>□ Build three suits

>>5214445
>>□ Reuse Dead Numbers' prototype BUT be sure to sew in any weaker points
>□ Build two suits
Seems like the logical choice. They look the most protected

Also congrats to gobson for getting the girl, and condolences to his hip.

>>5214645
+1 since the other ones look weaker

>>5214645
+1

>>5214445
>>5214645
+1 to this. Always bet on Borges

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>>5214645
>>5214684
>>5214722
>>5214789

"Having those prototypes will save us the hassle of making a suit from scratch. Borges, have you got two of them?"
"We have three acktually. I will be contactink headquarters about this." Borges then steps outside, possibly to do his contactink.

Later, a largish teleport rune starts to appear in the seance room. Quickly making sure the area is clear, you alert the others. "Stand back, this one's heavy!" You hear Bianca say.
"I am hopink we can repair that pillar good, I spent many favor getting two suits." Borges explains.

Sure enough, as the teleport runes finalize, two heavy boxes marked 0-1 and 0-2 materializes. They indeed contain two armor-like suits, but they're missing hand and feet protection. "You were saying that these were supposed to be haz-mat suits?" You point out at the missing parts.
"Yes, also prototypes." Borges dismisses the notion easily.

"Hey, can I do something to them?" Ko speaks up, her orcish accent almost nonexistent. "Saw that armor you did, got inspired. Gimme a needle, some rolls of thread, and some of that cubicle part you use."
You were going to modify the suits anyways, so why not? "Gobson, can you ask Nanna for these?"
"Already on it, guv!" Gobson scurries away, and returns with the requested materials.
Ko does some stretches before threading the needle, not even looking at the hole. "Now, I'll need some room, stand back so none of you get hit." Suits lined in front of her and the coast clear, she lets loose a flurry of needled fists. She's fast, powerful, and precise - and soon you have an improvised realitynaut suit, mark Gongalla. "Told you I have a knack for tailoring." Ko puffs her chest in pride.

"So now we have the materials and the suits... what now?" You mull.
"No wastink time, we go to The Crack." Borges urges. "Heard worryink thinks while orderink suits. Gongalla deterioratink faster, they say."
"Wait, what about the engram? That's important, right? Why not check the data crystals first?" Petunia cautions.

>CHOOSE
>□ Go to The Crack immediately
>□ Check the data crystals for engrams

>>5219543
>□ Check the data crystals for engrams
>□ Make some tests in the suits to see how strong they are, we can ask Nemo for space manipulation bullshit tests because he came from Nothing after all

>>5219543
>□ Check the data crystals for engrams
That seems wise

>>5219543
>□ Check the data crystals for engrams
LIKE THE ONE WEIRD TETRAHEDRON WE GOT IN THREAD 1

>>5219602
this write in is good, supporting that too

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>>5219602
>>5219774
>>5219866
>>5219900
"Petunia's right, we need to make sure we've got this right - there's no risk in checking. But before that..." you turn to Nemo. "Any chance you could test these suits with your Nothing powers?"
"Testing? Sorry, James, now that I'm Nemo - and thus no longer part of Nothing - I don't have such powers. However, I have the Sight like you, I could inspect them." He then circles once around each suit. "Well, as far as my Sight go, they're a-ok. They will retain your identity in the sub-reality. You could double-check with your Sight."

"Alright, I'll trust your judgement, that's one worry crossed out." You then took out the data crystals in your inventory. "Frank, you can read data crystals, right?"
"Myes, hand them over and I'll read them posthaste." Doing so, you watch as they float towards Frank's hands and start to softly glow. "Oh my! Both of these contain engrams. Where did you find these?"
You shrug. "One under a bed in the cells, another in a janitorial closet, why?"
"Usually engrams are coveted by the prisoners, as a memento mori of sort - they contain the brain patterns of the deceased. Some might even say they contain the soul as well." In a smooth motion, Frank puts each crystal on opposite hands, and each crystal separates - showing the mugshots of two individuals.

"Hmm. One 'James Baxter' - hang on, is this a pseudonym? Strange. Adult male. Crimes: unauthorized reality trespass into Eternal Empire, unlawful access to Eternal Empire mainframe, unauthorized possession of foreign military equipment, and a minor thoughtcrime besides."
Frank then turns toward the other one. "Millie Twelvetrees. Child female. Crimes: unauthorized reality trespass into Eternal Empire, unauthorized use of telepathy. Huh, it seems that both were arrested at the same time. Border jumpers, I see."
Frank then turns back to you. "Well there you have it. If you want, I could re-activate these crystals so that you could converse with them. Or perhaps you'd like to copy and upload them to Gongalla's digital network if you'd like?"

>CHOOSE
>□ REACTIVATE (who?)
>□ COPY AND UPLOAD (which?)
>□ STORE THEM BACK IN YOUR INVENTORY

Honestly? Not sure. Anyone have an Idea?

>>5221686
>□ REACTIVATE (who?)
James hacked into the eternal empire's mainframe, right? So he probably knows about all this fancy imperial tech.

Not to mention he'll be useful later, when we want to make an independent gongalla.

>>5222007
+1, horsebro looks cool

Huh. Baxter, really? I remember him. Millie I feel like I should, but nothing's coming to mind...surprised Baxter pulled that shit off, though. From what I remember of the guy he might've just lucked out into all that.

>Millie Twelvetrees

I KNOW I've seen that face before. Just can't remember where. It's gonna bug me.

Just so we're clear on this, you may choose to Reactivate or Copy and Upload one or both engrams.
Keep in mind that Reactivating an engram just enables you to converse with a hologram projection of a simulation based on the brainwave patterns stored in the crystal.

>>5222053
These characters are from something?

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>>5222007
>>5222050
>>5222053
"Let's start with James Baxter here - I want to know how he hacked into the mainframe." You say decisively.
"Hehehe, you'll be having a James-to-James interaction, handsome." Petunia giggles at the thought.
Frank shrugs, but slowly because he's holding the crystals. "Well alright, here goes. System, reactivate data crystal 'James Baxter'."
The corresponding crystal glows with glyphs, and a life-sized hologram of James' - wait, Baxter's disembodied head materializes, as lifelike as a horse fellow looks like. You've realized you've never seen nor heard something like him before.

At first, the hologram blinks once, then twice - and then it screams. "MILLIE! MILLIE! WHERE IS SHE?!" The simulated Baxter demands to know, genuine simulated concern and fear on his face.
"Whoa there, easy, boy." You calm down the engram. "You're an engram, and Millie is too. She's safe in that other crystal there."
"An engram? Ah, damn. I'm dead, am I?" Dejection written across his face. "You've activated me for a reason, then?"
"Yes, I'm curious about you, and your supposed hacking of the Eternal Empire's mainframe. So let's start with how you two ended up here, shall we?" You inquire.
"Huh... that's fine, I guess." Baxter's face relaxes. "Our reality was being consumed by something called a Singularity - or rather, it -intersected- with ours, and destabilized our reality. Time loops, anomalies, the works. We've found a way to go to another reality before ours was too decoherent..."
"Let me guess, you landed in the Eternal Empire's." Petunia chirps from behind you.
"Yep. We were able to stay undetected while we gather information about that reality - but it seems the Eternal Empire got to us. Then we were sent here." Baxter nodded in rememberance. "I don't know how we perished."
"Turns out Gongalla's not the only reality with, well, reality problems, who knew?" Petunia observes.

"It's not just my original reality and yours... from what I've gathered during my deep dives into the mainframe, the Singularity hit the Eternal Empire as well." Baxter says, dead serious. "It's gotten so bad that before we were captured, I've read on a top secret file that the Eternal Empress herself has been transported to Gongalla."
The news hits you like a truck. Not just you, it stunned everyone in the room.
The Eternal Empress, abandoning the core reality of the Eternal Empire? Then what would happen to the other, conquered realities when they realized the capital's out of commission? What would happen to Libertad, then? Your heart beats faster as you realize the answer is Revolution.

> THREAD 8, END
> THANK YOU FOR PLAYING
> FINAL THREAD WILL RESUME IN MID-MAY
> I HOPE YOU WILL BE THERE TO WITNESS
> THE FINAL FATE OF GONGALLA
> SEE YOU AT THE END OF THE WORLD, REVOLUTIONARY

very nice

I'm hyped to see the end.

>>5224398
Yup. And I looked them up. I remember exactly where they're from now.

It was unfinished.

>>5224859
Thanks for running, man! Eager to see the EXCITING CONCLUSION

>>5224859
Amazing, see you in the last one

Yo wtf
That's it Indo? Been following since jump and it feels so sudden. Won't blame you for ending on a high note but this doesn't hardly feel like it's began.

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>>5226245
Next thread's the endgame for Gaol, I never planned this quest to be spanning double digit thread numbers from the start. I've learned since my previous quests that:
>1) long term quests tend to degrade in story and focus (desu Gaol was starting to do so)
>2) I don't want to get burned out on a quest and never finish a single one like what happened to Ouroboros Parable
>3) all good things must come to an end, and I think Gaol is good
>4) I've already got another quest idea queued up, eager to see where that leads