File: spe4.jpg (1.96 MB, 3000x1500)

1.96 MB JPG

>>5214651

Regardless, if it’s an invitation, traipse, or trespass you can’t relinquish the opportunity to finally reach the elusive heart of this gruesome affair and measure with your own two hands to whose beat it pulses. If the earlier cogitations were a preemptive measure of dissonance the organ has with the body of the Sanctuary’s plan, then now may be the only time to play that organ to the beat you desire. You’ll head deeper within this forest realm and converge upon the being herself.

A subtle, but growing sting along your face, chest, and legs reminds you of the tether you have to the frigid world where your true body rests and hurries your movement to a steady trot.

Yet, along the way you feel your feet sink slightly into the damp forest, feel the heat of each sunbeams peeking through the thick canopy upon your skin, and your animal ears are primed to hear the collective infinite and infinitesimal leaves responding to the exact same stimuli you do. As you carefully clamber over the thick roots in your path, your hands feel the protruding knurls on their ancient bark, geotroped in perfect synchronicity with the uneven topography. Passing under the branches overhead pauses the pleasant songs that birds sing as they gaze upon the worms that openly cultivate the fertile soil, to be made into meals. Furtive, shadows of small animals dart out of sight as you tread further and further within this forest.

To have lived through a winter in Impel would cause anyone to dream of a vivid spring, but as Sayazade informed you, this is no dream. Much like the fleshscape, there is detail down to the very venation that run through every single leaf, on every single tree. The collective details of this forest would only ever exist in an Elin’s mind, which begs the question…Who is creating this place, and...

Who creates the fleshscape?

File: spe5.jpg (1.1 MB, 1600x900)

1.1 MB JPG

>>5214653

As quickly as clouds slipping in front of the sun, the landscape morphs around you. The endless hues of green are set upon by their crimson compliment, and the gentle sloping terrain twists into sharper, rounder, fleshy protuberances.

Incompletely.

For your own safety, you remain still as the realm shifts around you.

Under the light of a sickening sky, lush lichen grows off the fleshy backsides of tree trunks, soft weather-worn stones sink deeper into the ground as their bottoms shape and recolor into pointed teeth, and now a competing duet rings from the canopy as one bird continues to carry the same melody as before, but its brother now painfully squelches and shrieks its way through a distorted malady.

There’s a potent aura of energy within the air as the metamorphosis affects the space around you. Fortunately, your mana easily resists the change, but you can only imagine what you might twist into had you not been gifted with the mana you have...

File: spe6.jpg (199 KB, 1271x1112)

199 KB JPG

>>5214654

The change ceases as the energy dissipates, but now the wide-open path to the center of the forest has been rendered hazardous in almost all areas due to sharp bone bramble rising from the ground where it once laid as roots. Their points have already pierced through a number of small creatures that dot their curling mass, and many shards have been dropped to the ground. Completely bare as you are, to venture through safely would require far more time than you have to spare to avoid the bone thorns yet on the root, and the shards that have fallen to the ground. Yet, a single weaving path has been provided to progress toward your goal.

You note that the width of the path is barely large enough to accommodate your frame, which seems an unlikely coincidence… But, you have no other choice if you wish to find what lies at the center of this realm.

You cautiously press forward through the dissonant flesh forest.

It isn't long before you encounter a perverse amalgamation looming over your thin path through the flesh forest. A thick rising stem of primitive meat with large flowering tissues ranging from sickly whites to potent reds. The flesh plant looms well over your head, and stretches its stalk and bares long translucent fangs within each flower toward a pair of small trapped fawn. They panic nosily as only a their fur caught within the sharp bramble . Numerous fully dead creatures are well within its grasp, but still it persists to reach toward the fawn.

As you move closer, it senses you and instead bares its knife-like appendages directly toward you.

Charming, but you can do without these flowers.

With it perfectly blocking the only path as it is, this impasse has the appearance of a test. If the one responsible for this realm is giving you this test, then it is asking how you specifically think you should get across this obstacle. With the pain growing from your predicament in your own world, you make quick but careful consideration before giving your answer.

>Write in how you think you should get across the flesh flower.

>Dash across to save time and rely on your agility despite the narrow path.

>>5214664
1st plan
>Pick up some of the shards of bones
>Use them to cut some brambles and fashion a whip. Weave multiple stalks together to prioritize durability over flexibility

2nd plan
>wrench some of the fallen creatures in the brambles
>use them as meat shields to get through the flower

3rd plan
>Speak to the flower, or the world at large. What's important is the message you convey to them to get them to doubt when you need it most, rather than anything they could tell you anyway.

4th plan
>We got here by receiving a huge influx of emotion and memories. But Elewyn's got nearly the whole mortal population beat in that department. Can she remember things in such intensity and quantity to overload the one creating this realm? It doesn't necessarily have to be traumatic memories, either.

5th plan
>Spit. Does it get distracted by that?

Heyo everyone, good work making it to the end of the week!

I'll be leaving the vote window open for about 7 hours to see if we can't get one or two more posts in that time.

>>5214670
>Does it get distracted by that?
Unlikely, as it's predatory attention is rather focused on you, but also as if waiting for you to act.

>>5214664
>Speak to the flower
I don't have time for this. Get out of the way, or I'm out of here.

See if it reacts to speech, if no response, plan B of:
>Dash across to save time and rely on your agility despite the narrow path.

Alright! I will roll 1d2 between the votes that we have, andI will divide each post into a main plan and a back up plan.

For >>5214670 (Roll = 1)
The 1st plan of using the shards as a weapon is the main plan, while using the fallen creatures as a shield is the back up plan.

For >>5215437 (Roll = 2)
Speaking to the flesh flower to demand it move it out of the way is the first plan, while dashing across is the backup plan.

Rolling to decide which we go ahead with!

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5215510
At least once per thread, I'm doomed to forget the dice. Hopefully I got it out of the way early.

>>5215512
Going ahead with speaking to the flesh flower first, or otherwise dashing across.

>Writing!

File: spe11.png (921 KB, 1024x692)

921 KB PNG

>>5215516

The notion of being tested by god-like beings is certainly nothing new to you, but within your extensive life, you’ve encountered far more than enough of them to know that one need not blindly accept the premises of their tests. She has cogent thoughts of her own, so if this nascent god has doubts or insecurities toward your motivations then let her put forth words in this realm of her own creation. If she speaks her questions, then you can speak answers.

“You.” You cross your arms sternly while speaking directly to the belligerent flesh flower. “It’s rather impolite to set forth a path for me, only to have it lead to hostile wildlife. Not only that, but you place that path such that one misstep and I’d end up easily skewered like the rest of these unfortunate animals.” You place a hand on your increasingly aching chest. “I’d like very much to meet with you, but I think it unfair to deal with such hazards when I have hardly the time or equipment to do so.” You motion to your bare form for emphasis.

Each word of yours impacts against snarling flesh flower such that by the end of your scolding the stalk has retreated several feet, and the multi-colored blooms have meekly wilted at your words. To your sides the same occurs with the twisting coils of the brambles surrounding you and the other fleshy perversions within the forest. Upon this change, the fawn manage to free themselves and dart away, leaving behind a scattering of fallen animals, with perfectly punctured holes steadily oozing blood onto lively growing green flora.

So, she can both hear and understand your words yet she either chooses not to manifest herself here, or perhaps she is unable to do so...

“Thank you for listening to my words-” Your interrupted upon detecting a strange set of squelching sounds. You cautiously glance over the shifting landscape and notice that the reverting flux is challenged by numerous pockets of effusing grotesque viscera, vying against the fey forest to dominate the landscape.

A potent realization forms within your mind. “You aren’t able to fully control what happens here…”

Then whose desire drives the transformation of this place into another fleshscape?

Without another word, you sprint forward toward the core of the forest whilst avoiding the sharp bone thorns littering the ground. The counter force of blossoming flesh steadily dominates the land as you do your best to avoid the growing fields of meat. With the locus of the energy nearing, the forest floor suddenly ruptures directly under your footfall like torn skin, revealing a yawning gash of the endless fleshy innards of this realm.

File: cyr4.jpg (217 KB, 1400x995)

217 KB JPG

>>5217665

Your immediate instinct is to will mana that does not come forth, before you harrowingly slide and descend deeper and deeper into vast unknowable flesh domain.

The vast fey forest that surrounds Pora Elinu was well and truly only a fleeting dream.

~

You harshly tumble and fall down the steep slope of offal, slamming repeatedly against the rigid rinds of meat. Your ribs are bruised beyond tender to a burning pain that is kindled with every impact, your jaw rattles and slams repeatedly against itself disorienting your head along the way, and your fingers a violently stretched well past their natural limits as you attempt to slow your descent. For several minutes you are dropped deeper until mercy comes in the form of plunging into a murky and lukewarm pool of liquid.

The viscous liquid fills your lungs and you frantically grasp for a surface with your broken hands. Finding the rounded lumps of flesh, you awkwardly and excruciatingly pull your way out of the murky depths and gasp and cough of the foul and humid air.

The profound chasm you’ve fallen into is poorly lit by a sliver of the fey forest’s blue sky. The razor thin slice of blue traces a direct path to the core of the realm but as you take a moment to regain composure, you discover that you’re not the only one within this subcutaneous river.

One by one, bloated and rotted pale corpses rise around you, held aloft by their noxious gas discharge. They float around your feet in countless number and in countless forms of old and young, man and woman, human and non-human. The dizzying fumes and rendered fat blend to create a glistening mixture of color that blurs the shape where one corpse end and the other begins.

You begin to consider whether to proceed forward or to attempt to wake from this realm when a final familiar figure emerges from the meat mixture.

“Hi, Elly.” Cyrene greets your warmly but with energy far more subdued than usual. “You’re hurt all over again, aren’t you?” She admonishes you as she calmly floats amongst carcasses with her limbs blurring in the macabre mixture of meat "Oh, but you have very cute ears."

>>5217686
Welp. Cyrene's not holding on for much longer huh.

>>5217686

“I suppose can’t hide either in this place.” You share her gaze until eventually she looks away from you. "Can you get out of the water, Cyrene?"

She shakes her head without any worry. "No, I'm stuck." She grins. "But that's okay, it's only my arms and legs. I guess last time it was just my feet..."

If her body is continuously melding with the contents of this realm, is there a point of no return?

"There's no way that it could be good if you fully sink into the water is there?" You probe to gauge her understanding.

She's silent for quite a long time before speaking again. "Since I'm asleep, it's only like a dream. It doesn't matter if I sink or whatever. I really like the warm feeling..." She closes her eyes. "Anyway, the meat is no good. It's been making my dad feel sicker, so I have to find the flowers, Elly. For my dad, for your friends, and for everyone else that's left... It snowed so much last night the flowers might be buried. I have to stay until they bloom on me. It'll be soon, I can feel it." She opens her eyes and smiles. "You have work you need to do too, right? You should hurry. The dream always ends right after the flowers bloom on me."

Blood seeps within your mouth as your jaw tightens. If what she says is true, then you don't have the time to linger here any longer if you wish to meet with the being within the core of this realm. However, what might happen if you leave her here? She's right about needing to acquire whatever food she can get, but your mind keeps recalling her strange question about a womb, and your discussion with Sayazade. At this moment, Cyrene being involved with the creation of a womb is unconfirmed, but to know for certain would mean leaving her behind.

What is that you want to accomplish here in Impel, and which path should you take to do so?

>Gently and quickly warn Cyrene that she's needed in her father's life just as he needs food, and that the more she lingers here the more she runs the risk of being lost for good. Then, head toward the core of this realm and toward the being central to all of the events in Impel.

>Show Cyrene your desire to help her by remaining here, explain that you can make a plan to find alternative food for the remaining humans in town, and convince to awaken with you.

>Write in.

>>5217697
I'm starting to suspect that Cyrene is becoming a similar entity to "The Girl", which is why the Sanctuary want to stop it. Unfortunately, even if it means not having a normal life anymore, that may still be an improvement for her and the village at large. If it means power, or food, or just warmth, it'll do more for them than we can provide with scavenged fish.

>Praise Cyrene for her kindness, but warn her to stay alert. She needs to take care of herself before she can take care of her father or the other villagers. The flowers won't do any good if she's not there to bring them.

Huh, this is still going.

I'm catching up through the archives.

>>5217688
she has a bit of mana, likely. that's why she can resist becoming the way Luca did I think
if so Elewyn should certainly make sure to help her reach the potential that magic gives her IMO. sympathetic humans with power is necessary. as for whether Elly should do so, that's another matter...
>>5217697
I'd guess the flowers mark an alternative dream. the flesh ends when cyrene becomes mushroom food?
>Praise Cyrene for her kindness, but warn her to stay alert. She needs to take care of herself before she can take care of her father or the other villagers. The flowers won't do any good if she's not there to bring them.
I like this write-in, assuming Elewyn then goes about her business. it's certainly no good for Elewyn to stay here or callously abandon her, and it's also consistent with Elewyn's prior approach to the Devan: they have to make their own rebellion. she can assist but it's ultimately not her fight. Elewyn has work to do, towards her own people's liberation.
Cyrene has to stand on her own. Elly can help but she can't lift her up entirely. yes, her father needs her, yes, she can help him, but no, sacrificing herself won't help him, no, not at all. he would prefer she go on without him than the other way around, most likely.
but also I prefer this:
>Show Cyrene your desire to help her by remaining here, explain that you can make a plan to find alternative food for the remaining humans in town, and convince to awaken with you.
over the other, harsher, provided option. Cyrene presents something Elewyn knows she can do to help, and while Elewyn's goals are important to be sure, it's also no good to ignore what's in front of you chasing an unsure dream that might not even give you what you want.

Heyo everyone, I hope that you Sunday has been restful and relaxing as mine has been!

Thank you for the votes thus far. This time round, I have a strong desire to avoid a roll off for this decision, so while I will tentatively be closing the vote in ~7 hours, if need be I will extend past that. I'll be around, so let me know if I can provide any information to guide your decision.

>>5217776
It is indeed! If you have any questions along the way of catching up, feel free to post them.

>>5217697
At this point, we're committed to meeting the thing. Awakening with Cyrene would whisk away our most likely only shot at this.
I agree that option 1 as it is feels like abandoning her, and I don't see why we can't take a bit of both.
>>Praise Cyrene for her kindness, but warn her to stay alert. She needs to take care of herself before she can take care of her father or the other villagers. The flowers won't do any good if she's not there to bring them.
>"There is food out there, beyond the town. But it'll make your father just as sick as the meat if you're not there tasting it with him. One way or another, this is coming to an end soon. I'll make sure of it. It's a promise."
>Go forth toward your meeting.

We can talk to her before we leave, convince her without waking up. Bringing up scavenged fish isn't a bad idea, since it gives more than food. It gives hope. It gives her a third option. I still can't shake the feeling that leaving her here tonight is condemning her in a way, but if we don't go through with this, the same thing will happen next night, and we'll be no closer to understanding or stopping it. Basically, let her do it this time, but tell her she won't have to do it anymore soon, then go.
I wonder if we could tell her that we're on our way to solve what's been killing the fishes. Do you anons think it'll help ?

I kind of wonder whether the godling can see us. If so, let's hope it can understand that we're trying to help it too.
It's still a bad compromise, but I have no better plan, and right now we must focus on the godling. Let's hope she makes it.

>>5217697
>Gently and quickly warn Cyrene that she's needed in her father's life just as he needs food, and that the more she lingers here the more she runs the risk of being lost for good. Then, head toward the core of this realm and toward the being central to all of the events in Impel.
We must go, we can't wait around to try and convince her, and if we awaken now we might miss our best chance to follow the invitation of said godling. Every second we waste our body grows colder outside.

>>5218239
Considering the contaminating of the fish happened at some point in the past, and was resolved somehow. If we can stop the deluge of outflow into the sea, that would probably solve the fish problem. Again, however, that requires us to cut off the source or redirect it somehow. I still don't think this extent of pollution is natural, and it's being seized and exploited by Sanctuary.

>>5217703
>>5217804
>>5218239
>>5218361
I believe that overall, the consensus is to continue onward to the core of the realm and meet with the fledgling god, but there's a lot of great input from every post to pull from for our overall course of action. So:

Since she can't wait around for too long to try and convince her, Elewyn will quickly praise Cyrene for her kindness but to warn her to take care of herself if she wishes to take care of others. As she does with the Devan, she'll encourage this form of rebellion to continue, but she can't be the one to save them all. Elewyn will conclude that, in one way or another, the Sanctuary's plans will come to an end soon, and she'll do what she can on her end to help.

>Writing!

Heyo everyone, very sorry for the delay in the usual post. I did not had nearly as much time to write as I wanted yesterday, but I will be working on the update throughout the day, and hopefully will have it posted by the evening US time!

Countless grains of snow descend on your body within your own realm, demarcating the limits of time both within and without. Together, they mercilessly pile into towering, amorphous mounds to haphazardly press upon life trapped below, in essence, best not to dwell within. Yet, the lattice of an individual snowflake can be formed perfectly symmetric down to the most minute of branches, a detail of structure needing pause to appreciate. Although to do so means its irreconcilable obliteration. A duality to decide upon, but one’s hesitation will cause both the aggregate nature and individual essence to be lost forever in cold and damp absence.

If this realm is a crystallization of the nascent god’s emotions, and one in turmoil with itself, then turmoil brings compounded instability. You will swiftly delve deeper to discover any insight into the exact essence of those emotions and how to utilize them for your own ends.

You will press onward.

“You’re right that I must go, Cyrene, but first, you must listen carefully." On bruised and battered feet, you calmly step into the corpse mire where the young human placidly lies. “You have a kind heart, Cyrene. Despite the bleak and cold conditions in which it was raised, despite the terrible circumstances it much deal with now, and even despite all that which it has lost, it emits so much warmth to those around it. People depend on that warmth in such cold times.” You kneel closely and rest your injured hand upon her forehead. “But to look after others, you must also look after yourself. All the food in the world means nothing to your father compared to having you.”

>>5220582

Her eyes widen upon listening to your words all the while she focuses upon your animal ears. “B-but, he needs it, and it will make him happy.”

“It is true that he needs it, but you make him the happiest. You being with him makes him happy. That’s simply how it is to love someone.” You slowly straighten your body. “I know better than to tell you to put aside looking after your father, but I still want you to stay alert. This isn’t a simple dream and what is given up here could very easily be lost when you awaken.”

Her lips press together. “I could say all the same things to you, with how you’re always coming back home with all kinds of bad things happening to you and how you’re even hurt now.” Her eyes begin to water with her growing anger. "Why can't I do the same for my dad? He makes me happy so I want to take care of him too!"

She sees her actions as the same as yours, but there unfortunately isn’t time to explain the differences.

“But I always come back, Cyrene. In Impel and in so many other cities, I always come back. So you need to come back too.” You cross your arms and smile at the pouting young girl. “That’s all I suppose I have the right to ask, and all I suppose you’ll listen to anyway.” You wink at her before turning toward the thin path toward the core of this realm. “Let’s you and I keep making trouble for all those cloaked idiots, and before you know it, all the trouble they make for us will come to an end.”

You begin to head off just as Cyrene calls to you one last time. You look over your shoulder as she speaks.

“You better come back to my house and visit then! You’re my friend and… I want to see you again, and I want pet your ears!” Her eyes meet yours fully with clear conviction.

You hold her gaze and fully appreciate her will. “I always come back, so you better as well.”

~

File: spe15.png (793 KB, 1280x905)

793 KB PNG

>>5220588

~

Through the narrowing chasm of carrion, you hastily follow the fading strip of light and watch as the fleshy walls begin to pulse steadily with gurgling life of their own. The spectrum of quivering red tissue beneath your bare feet soon squelches with every soft step. The warmth grows greater and wetter as the secretions rise from the hot, living terrain.

The space around you grows rich with vivid flesh and blood as the light from far above finally disappears.

You turn behind you to find that the path leading back to Cyrene has been tightly sealed beyond a ring of flesh which pushes forward as you progress. Then turning upward, you find that the precipitous darkness has closed in a short distance above your head with the same ever-present flesh.

You are the only thing left not resembling the meat held within your cold-numbed skin.

A macabre thought occurs to you that the all the troubles held within the land of Impel are forgotten here. There’s warmth and flesh aplenty to imbibe within and not even the smallest of snowflakes could disrupt this primal comfort.

Why flesh you find yourself wondering. Why so much flesh? Why is this the form of this being within both realms? Why this form?

Your thoughts refocus as the end of the entrails comes abruptly in the form of a sunken crater in which lies only a single, trembling polyp with diameter to accommodate a singular form.

Immediately, you sense that the source of everything you’ve worked tirelessly to discover these past ten years, everything that you’ve fought against here, and the source of all the suffering the town has come to bear is kept within that fleshy cell.

Everything is within.

You drop down the short distance into the sunken pit and are affixed unflinchingly on closing the distance between your broken hand and the Spore of Flesh.

Your hand pushes through the remaining space between you and this being, and soon you rest it upon her.

The barrier of meat between you is torn asunder to reveal the goddess that sits at the center of the horrific atrocities for the sake of suffering.

File: Spoiler Image (843 KB, 692x910)

843 KB PNG

>>5220600

“H-hi, Elewyn…”

Alys meekly peeks at you beyond the knees raised to her chin. The young Elin presents herself with the same diffident aura as she did over ten years ago with the exact same body as well. She fidgets nervously as you study her bare form in pure bewilderment and the walls and ground of flesh respond to her movements.

“How?...” You’re finally able to utter quietly. “I saw you. I saw your body.”

Her eyes widen and she downward toward her feet. “Umm, yeah. It’s… It’s a long story. But umm, instea- I mean. How have you been, Elewyn? It’s been a while.” She squirms awkwardly with every single word, quaking the world around you.

With your less injured hand, you pull her up by the arm and inspect her completely unblemished neck. “You’re alive, Alys. You're alive.”

How can she be alive? Her head was completely severed from her body. You saw her broken and bloody corpse.

“Yeah…sorta” She murmurs. "Oh! Did you like the forest? I tried to make it exactly as it was around Pora Elinu, since I figured it'd been so long since you last visited. I guess it's been a while for me too."

Your blood races in your ears as you can hardly register the words she's saying to you. "Where are you, Alys? I can take you away from here. I can bring you back to Ru...Rynna."

It will be difficult, but surely, surely one day everything can be back as it once was for them. Surely...

"That would be nice if it were possible..." She smiles sadly while still avoiding your eyes. "How...is she? Is she alright? Is she eating well? I always knew that she was out there, but she's probably glad I'm gone right? The last thing I did was yell at her and she's not even here with you-"

In pure anger throw her hand down and roughly grab her by the shoulders ignoring the pain in your hands.

>>5220632

"Losing you broke her." You state coldly. "I can never forget what happened to you, but I will also never forget how she screamed that day when we found you. Rynna... It was too much for her. Her body had to forget everything, even her own identity because it was far too terrible for her to know you were gone."

You could never blame her for it, as you understand far too well. But everything is different now, you can bring them back together.

Alys' eyes well up at you berating her, so you sigh and loosen your grip. "But all that matters is that you're alive, Alys. I can help you. I can help both of you."

"Elewyn." She reaches out and brushes your cheek. "It's okay. You're the one that needs help right now, don't you? You've done so well learning what's happening here, you even sneaked into the tower and saw me..." Her cheeks redden at the memory of your encounter. "F-forget that! But, I'm sure that you have lots of questions, but there's not a lot of time, unfortunately." She looks at the fleshscape around herself. "It's gotten a lot stronger these past few months."

It? There's so many questions. But where to even begin?
_____________________________________________________________________

You may ask as many questions as you may like, but there's no guarantee that all of them will be answered nor that Alys will know the full answer. Any questions that you want asked foremost, please place as your first question in your post. Preference will be given to questions that receive the most support.

>"What is "it" that you're referring to?

>"What happened to you that night after you left?"

>"What do you have to do with the Sanctuary's plans?"

>"Is there a way you can help me save the Elin trapped here?"

>Write in.

>>5220635
>Where is the divide between you and "it"? I can sever it. You let me worry about pulling you out of the problems that comes with doing that.
>"What happened to you that night after you left?"
>There was a human girl here, Cyrene. Could you feel her, or the flowers?
>Rynna's grown stronger, in her own ways. I'm sure you can too.

>>5220635
>"What is "it" that you're referring to?
What's the dividing line between godling and fuel? Are they symbiotic, or parasitic?

>How aware are you of this realm and the physical world outside?
Establish guilt, how much is she willing and invested in Sanctuary's plans? Victim or Participant?
Hopefully this leads into:
>"What do you have to do with the Sanctuary's plans?"

>>5220635
The first question is the only one that's mildly useful here.
We pretty much deduced what happened that night, and now is not the time to break her focus or cause a PTSD episode.
Saving the Elin is not something she can do. If they've been consumed, they're dead. If they're in the ship, they're out of her control. If they're in the pits, she isn't the one keeping them there. So no help to be found there.
The plans we've pretty much guessed. Create a god. Anything after that isn't important right now. I suppose its your typical takeover or revenge or "restore our previous power over the world" deal.
So let's start with
>"What is "it" that you're referring to?
As the others said, is there a clear divide, a part of her left isolated, something we can extract ?
>Can you feel the world outside of this place?
How much ? Is it an area, can you feel living beings ? Can you affect them.

If she says yes, the two things I think we need is asking about the flowers and their dangers and growth, and then asking about normal fishes. I'm suspecting Sanctuary has an installation up river somewhere. Restoring food supply is not nar the top of the list, but this post did change our objectives a bit.

Alys is an Elin. All Elins enslaved by Sanctuary must be rescued, that's the mission.
We may need to consider staying in the region until Sanctuary is destroyed and we figure out a way to get Alys back. Restoring food supply with fishes, at least for a while, would cause Sanctuary to lose their hold on the townspeople, or even better, to try and keep people from eating them. At that point it wouldn't take much to turn the town against them, especially with the tavern owner on our side.

After that, I suppose we can ask these if we have time:
>Any ideas on how I can help you ? Anything you want ?
>How can we meet again like this ?

Then we need to leave to avoid freezing to death,and get back to the safehouse to recuperate.

>>5221060
I think her status as a victim has been established with the snow flashbacks from the end of last thread.

Might also be good to ask where her physical body is kept, even if we can make an assumption that she's in the tower. Just for confirmation.

Also, your sense of timing with invites is really really inconvenient. I'm freezing outside in the snow, right now.

>>5221080
>>5221083
Yeah, I think I'll amend my post so that
>How can we meet again like this ?
is asked whenever we feel like we only have time for another question or two.
I guess we can mention her physical body either in the "what is it" or in "the ideas to help you" questions. I also think it ought to be in the tower, for ease of surveillance and access by Sanctuary. As for her original body, I think it was just the head. Or were the arms gone too ? Point is, finding her original body is only the first step. After that, we'd need to make it habitable, then somehow drag her consciousness back while keeping "it" out, if possible. If not, then we have several other problems.

Heyo everyone, I hope that your days have all been going well.

There's a great number of questions posted already, and from tallying/combining similar questions, the ones that have the most support thus far are:

>"What is "it" that you're referring to, and what is the divide between you two.

>What are you aware/can feel of this realm and the realm outside of this place.

As it currently stands, these questions would take preference, followed by those remaining at the tops of your lists. I'll be leaving the vote window open for another ~3 hours so please feel free to post if you haven't done so already!

>>5220635
>>"Is there a way you can help me save the Elin trapped here?"
I'd rather Elewyn remain mission-focused.
It's pretty clear that Alys' brain was taken - the tactical details of how that occurred are not important. I think the 'it' is her hunger for other Elins' brains and generalized flesh.
>Rynna's grown stronger, in her own ways. I'm sure you can too.
Giving Alys herself some encouragement and comfort wouldn't be out of place at all. The only difference I'd make is 'you have too' instead of 'you can too'.

Rolled 4 + 1 (1d4 + 1)

>>5220699
>>5221060
>>5221080
>>5221087
>>5221446

Thank you all for the thoughtful set of questions. It took a little bit of consideration to gather what your main goals were with all of your questioning, but we will go ahead with the following questions as our main set:

>"What is "it" that you're referring to, and what is the divide between you two.

By far the front runner, to establish where Alys begins and "it" ends and their relationship with one another.

>What are you aware/can feel of this realm and the realm outside of this place.

To establish what Alys knew of the Sanctuary's plans and what effect she can have on the outside world.

>Rynna's grown stronger, in her own ways. I'm sure you have too.

Freebie comment because I like it.

Overall, a modest amount of questions as front runners, so I'll guarantee these and add the potential for more by rolling a 1d4+1 for any additional time for the other six potential question!. (Same rules apply as before for selection.)

>>5221676
That's a meaty amount of questions!

>Writing!

>>5221678
Boo
>Alys will remember that

Hey everyone,

Perhaps it's because it's early in the morning, but I've been repeatedly assessing the viability of my writing the quest at this point of my life.

I really, really wanted to find time for this story with all that I have to deal with right now in real life, but it's been difficult to do so. I'm not a fast writer, and I write even slower when I'm unrested. Pair those factors with consistent overtime shifts and the looming necessity of finding a new job and something will have to give eventually.

I want to give this quest the attention it deserves, and I sincerely don't think I can do that right now. For that reason, I'm going to put this quest on indefinite hiatus.

For the past seven months, I've enjoyed developing this extensive story with all of you, I eagerly looked forward to seeing your strategic responses to the choices I lay out, and I took a great deal of satisfaction in sharing my own spin on a setting has meant a lot to me for many years. For all of that, I thank you all very much, and I thank you for taking the time to read EVQ. I hope to write with you again soon.

>>5222757
Not a problem, your writing has been interesting so far.
Take the time to sort out real life and maybe when you're ready, we'll see you around again.

>>5222757
Ouch, well take your time. You got some serious consistency and deserve to take a break and deal with RL

>>5222757
oh no! I hope you return to it, it was one of the best constructed and written quests I've read in a long time.

>>5222757
We'll be here, waiting for your return.
Thanks for the heads up.

>>5222915
>>5222926
>>5222927
>>5222935
Thank you all for your compliments and your understanding, it makes me even more eager to return in proper fashion.

For this thread, I think I'll refrain from archiving it since it's only been a few updates. When I resume in the future, I will start by reposting the updates that we have so far and adding the new one.

>>5223003
Well,now I feel bad for mentioning the curse last thread.
Good luck out there, QM.
I'll be waiting too.

Also, I'd still archive it. Partly to keep easy access to what little thinking we did between the updates, and partly to give an explanation to anyone going through the suptg archive, so they don't wonder where the next thread went.
I don't think there's a rule against small threads ? I've archived smaller than this.

>>5223011
Don't worry at all about any mention of the curse of real life, haha, and thank you as well.

You did change my mind. You brought up a good point about the between post discussion and to serve as a explanation to anyone going through the archives. I'll be sure to archive it.

>>5223036
Good luck.