SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Possibly, though I'm not sure how that ties into her attaching herself to Lirra as a fellow Changeling. Unless Changelings can learn to turn into dragons and she killed her party.
Gravedigger Quest
- Thread starter Renu
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Location
- The state of Paranoia
Here's our new hypothesis! :lol
It would explain how she got her hands on fresh dragon blood without being torn into tiny pieces. She was the dragon that attacked her party, so she obviously didn't die either. Plus she didn't want us to see the scene of the fight, which could be because she didn't want anyone to know that there was a dragon around. Adding on to that, her exact wording was that everyone knows that dragons are extinct. She didn't say that they are actually extinct, or even that she thought they were. She said that everyone else thinks that dragons are gone, which technically isn't a lie if she knows that they are still around.
That being said, why would a dragon be carrying around a vial of their own blood? Furthermore, I was under the impression that the academy had wards that kept out the monster-y things, so I think a dragon wouldn't actually be able to sneak in (I think?).
Overall, I like the idea, but I don't think it's very likely.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Nobody has seen a non undead dragon since the Gnashing Furnace was destroyed, around a century ago. There's even a tablet at the Academy, which acknowledges the success of their first batch of graduates and all.
It doesn't mean much if they actually can shapeshift, but eeeeh, if you ask questions your town might burn, so do you really want to know?
(as dragons are stupidly magical and powerful and stuff, their corpses don't decompose and very rarely reanimate, so they're still harvested to this day for their precious, precious blood)
Of course. It is the best (well, ok, only) Academy for Heroes in the whole known world.
- Location
- The state of Paranoia
THAT is a wonderful name.
Slightly more likely that she is a dragon, just because @Renu didn't deny that dragons can shapeshift. Didn't say that they CAN either though, so still pretty unlikely.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well... let's adress all the theories then.THAT is a wonderful name.
Slightly more likely that she is a dragon, just because @Renu didn't deny that dragons can shapeshift. Didn't say that they CAN either though, so still pretty unlikely.
Demon Lords are a general classification that can pretty much say anything, kind of like "moe" or "mary-sue" nowadays. They generally are used to show gravitas around a very powerful hostile being, the leader of a Dungeon or, well... a demon who's a lord. Sometimes, it's even used to talk about natural occurences. Really, the old timers always complain that the word has lost its meaning since it's so used. The one they'd all agree on using the term for, however, would probably be the lady of the Fallen Sliver, the last dungeon who remains standing. Partly because what the hell who designed this level this is stupidly broken, and partly because the monsters seem to be content to stay there and only kill those who come find them.
Fantasy racism can be a thing. I mean, it's so ugly how they don't have horns growing out of their heads, and it's clearly a sign that they can't elevate themselves towards -insert divinity name-. Clearly, they are inferior. Even if they can put on their shirts with much more ease.
Trauma. Yes. Always. Everywhere. Have you read my things?
I think that's all?
I've... just been assuming she was a dragon or possibly some sort of dragon-kin all along, since back when she first offered the shady deal for dragon blood.
The changeling thing is part of why, actually: her first appearance was pretty much "Oh er yes right I am also a changeling that is exactly why I have horns. Uh, how are you today, fellow changeling? I am fine. Let us go do changeling things together. Also I owe you a drink for providing a socially acceptable reason for people to have horns. Uh, not that I had any socially unacceptable reasons. Perfectly Normal Citizens With Perfectly Normal Horns 4 lyfe, yo."
Thus it seemed very likely that she was, uh, not a changeling. Just something else with horns.
And then in the trial it turned out that said something else has dragon blood conveniently on hand. And was willing to trade a rare, powerful reagent-slash-healing-item away for a nebulous life debt from a classmate. Which is a rather more favorable trade if your healing item is in fact less "so rare as to be the stuff of legends" and more "ok, let me get a bit more iron in my diet for a couple days before I refill this bottle."
(Also note, Tanwen was familiar with the weird idiosyncrasies of using dragon blood at that point as well, not just the basic "it heals good" thing.)
So even before this update I figured she was probably a dragon (or half-dragon or something), with the outside chance of "her dragon-ness is a red herring planted by the author." This is yet more evidence on the dragon pile.
Also present in this update: Tanwen has reflective, slit-pupil eyes. Because she's a Perfectly Normal Changeling Girl, of course.
---
Why wouldn't you be carrying around a vial of your own blood when it is such a very convenient trade good? Easily traded for such things as life debts from
(Tanwen's subtlety is matched only by Lirra's suspicious and untrusting nature.)
Dragon blood is a useful and valuable commodity, just one that's also very hard to come by... unless you're a dragon, in which case it's a renewable resource. Also bear in mind fantasy dragons are often big enough that "a lot of dragon blood" to a human is "you may feel a little pinch" to a dragon.
The academy's wards seem to deal with holding back Ye Powers of Darknesse. They may simply not be calibrated to perfectly normal magical apex predators rather than "creatures of darkness." ...Which is actually pretty sensible, if dragons are so super rare as to be thought extinct and meanwhile dark spirit critters just pop up en masse the moment they take the wards down.
Heck, if (a) the academy was founded by adventurers who were the right sort of crazy, and (b) Dragons can and historically always have been able to shapeshift into socially-maladjusted-party-members-with-hearts-of-gold, it's very possible that any draconic exclusion from the warding scheme is a feature of the original design, not a bug.
(While I don't think it's likely, I would be very entertained if Perfectly Normal Student Tanwen unexpectedly wound up face-to-face with Perfectly Normal Senior Faculty Member Varithrax or something. "Oh cra- uh, good morning, sir." *eyebrow-raise* "Does your mother know you're here, young lady?")
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- Location
- Castle Oblivious
To go off the Tanwen train for a moment.
Pupa is most lickely a magic construct of Some kind, either a humonculous or a golem. We Also know She was 'instructed' to Come here.
Furata seems to Come from fantasy Japan. Which is extra interresting as it was not in the base options, Which means we probally don't know about all nations of the world yet...
(Edit: Aight found the OOC post on the land of Storms. Fantasy Japan confirmed)
Alvy is simple and Nice, like him but not much to say about.
So back to Tanwen.
Proud, a-empthetic, playfull Tanwen.
She is totaly a Dragon, Which is good as I love dragons.
Wonder What kind She is...
Butt we can Also look at it from another perspective...
Does Tanwen show the Abilities/traits we know a changeling has?
Illusion, geass, can't touch iron, can' lie etc.
If we spot Tanwen doing things She shouldn't as a changeling...
More credit to fire flying Lizard Tanwen.
Pupa is most lickely a magic construct of Some kind, either a humonculous or a golem. We Also know She was 'instructed' to Come here.
Furata seems to Come from fantasy Japan. Which is extra interresting as it was not in the base options, Which means we probally don't know about all nations of the world yet...
(Edit: Aight found the OOC post on the land of Storms. Fantasy Japan confirmed)
Alvy is simple and Nice, like him but not much to say about.
So back to Tanwen.
Proud, a-empthetic, playfull Tanwen.
She is totaly a Dragon, Which is good as I love dragons.
Wonder What kind She is...
Butt we can Also look at it from another perspective...
Does Tanwen show the Abilities/traits we know a changeling has?
Illusion, geass, can't touch iron, can' lie etc.
If we spot Tanwen doing things She shouldn't as a changeling...
More credit to fire flying Lizard Tanwen.
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- Location
- The state of Paranoia
More likely for Tanwen to have stolen/bought the blood.
So, we can amend the Demon King hypothesis to 'Tanwen is A Demon King.' It also makes it possible for her to be both a Demon King and a dragon at the same time.Well... let's adress all the theories then.
Demon Lords are a general classification that can pretty much say anything, kind of like "moe" or "mary-sue" nowadays. They generally are used to show gravitas around a very powerful hostile being, the leader of a Dungeon or, well... a demon who's a lord. Sometimes, it's even used to talk about natural occurences. Really, the old timers always complain that the word has lost its meaning since it's so used. The one they'd all agree on using the term for, however, would probably be the lady of the Fallen Sliver, the last dungeon who remains standing. Partly because what the hell who designed this level this is stupidly broken, and partly because the monsters seem to be content to stay there and only kill those who come find them.
Fantasy racism can be a thing. I mean, it's so ugly how they don't have horns growing out of their heads, and it's clearly a sign that they can't elevate themselves towards -insert divinity name-. Clearly, they are inferior. Even if they can put on their shirts with much more ease.
Trauma. Yes. Always. Everywhere. Have you read my things?
I think that's all?
Personally, my idea of the fantasy racism thing was more along the lines of "every human I've met has been a complete jerk to me, they're all the same. Just lesser, disgusting beings; they don't deserve to live, they're not even people. People wouldn't have abandoned me, spit on me, lied to me, thrown rocks at me. I bet a fellow changeling would never act that way, if only I had friends who were changelings, they'd understand me!"
And then she somehow decides that other races are probably just as bad as humans (possibly from some bad experiences with the first ones she met). And then she meets Lirra, the first fellow changeling she's met. Who just happens to be kind of nice to her (or at least not as bad as those scumbag humans).
But yeah, them not having horns is pretty bad too.
I have not read anything else by you (to my knowledge), but that sounds like it makes the emotional damage hypothesis more likely.
I've looked a little bit for any instance of Tanwen lying (since that would show that she definitely isn't a changeling. I was thinking she might be half demon at the time), but I haven't noticed any lies, unless you count her saying that people don't matter. I assume though that if she is a changeling she can still say that because she believes it to be true.
Changelings only can't say anything they believe to be a lie, right? If they couldn't tell a lie even if they believed the lie, that would be very exploitable.
Definitely something to look out for though, any sign that Tanwen isn't actually a changeling, or has dragon traits. We could just touch her with iron, but I think that would be a rather bad idea, since then we either just burned her on purpose or exposed her as not a changeling, all while she's right beside us.
Good point.
And now, the Everybody Else Section!
I'm going to add the possibility that Pupa is, well, a pupa. There is little to no evidence for this other than her name, but I like the idea that she is the larval form of her species (perhaps dragons?), and that one day she'll spin herself a caccoon and emerge 6 months later with moth wings and an exoskeleton.
Predictions: if Pupa is a living organism(larval or not), she should still need some kind of food. If we see her around the mess hall and she's not eating anything, she's probably an artificial lifeform or undead. If we catch her recharging on magic or some other non-organic energy source, that points towards her being an artificial lifeform rather than undead (I think), since I don't think that undead need energy inputs. If she's scarfing down all the (organic) food she can eat though, that would be a good sign that she's a natural lifeform, particularly one that may not be in her adult form yet.
I'm guessing that the name Pupa refers to her being a prototype of whatever homunculus or undead she is, but it would be pretty cool if the name was literal.
In other news, I don't have any ideas for what might be strange about Chloe. She just seems like a nice, shy person, like us. Maybe there's some kind of damage to her throat or voice in general, since she doesn't seem all that shy through telepathy, but I don't know. Obviously, we need MORE information about Chloe!
- Location
- Castle Oblivious
*Puts on hat*
Alright, time for conspirocay mode.
Here be all qoutes I found of vague importance to figuring out the bread crums of clues we have on Tanwen.
...oh wait, fancy that (looks at part I bolded) huh.
Just a thing.
So she must have run when goings got tough...?
Tanwen was suprised (and hurt) about us being uncertain about her and thinking her mean. Like letting your companions die is...wel a normal thing.
I am also intresseted in the What was that, confusion and or suprise.
I dunno, I kind of hope that Tanwen is a dragon so maybe I am projecting.
Maybe Renu is cackeling at our wild speculation.
But lets look back at what we know, from our precious grave girl, to be typical of a changeling:
>Obviously, horns and sharp ears.
>Changeling are connected to nature
>Animals kind of respect Changelings, won't attack unless provocked
>Have illusion powers
>Can place a geass
>Can't touch Iron or lie
>Are often mischievious.
Now, from the above we know of Tanwen (atleast what I noticed):
>She has horns and sharp ears
>Talks about people like tools, doesn't seem to care about the lives of others.
>Clearly likes Lirra and was hurt when Lirra distrusted her
>Knew we were a keeper of the Grey...without us noticing or seeing or hair I think...which is odd.
>Got claws for a moment.
>Has slit eyes
>Got fresh dragon blood from SOMEWHERE
Now the claws COULD be explained as an illusion...but why? She wasn't trying to intimidate us, she thought she needed to kill us.
I don't think Changelings can take on aspects of animals, so that is very, VERY odd.
It is clear that Tanwan is hiding something, but likes us, so that is good thing.
Now, shortly about ze others.
It was mentioned by the QM that Pupa was inspired by Pinocio.
She was sent here, told to come here. She was not sure about her need for sleep.
She was very, very cold.
Humonculous or ice spirit?
Chloe was mentioned to be similiar to another small person...Gnomes/Halflings maybe?
Also we know Chloe CAN talk but often whispers...doesn't like to talk?
We know Furata's from Fantasy Japan where leaving your clan is...not good.
===
Now to take a step back from analysing...
May I mention how happy I was while reading we got Melkorka and the bard whose name right now escapes me and I am to lazy to look up?
They were some of the most interresting party members to me...Chloe looked fun aswel but a bit more, wel cliché.
Melkorka is especially fun because she plays with the support role of staff by being an armourer. It is also support, but not what you'd expect from a staff.
What I am trying to say
[X] Go back to the Academy
- [X] And inform the staff (high risk of revealing you're a Gravedigger)
- - [X] Melkorka walks pretty slowly. There's no way she can run away once you find her.
Melkorka needs some love, I like this girl.
That and have we given the living armory her spear back?
...
We know al party members give support abilities, wonder what the other characters we met would give.
Like golem man...wasn't it mentioned that golem limbs fail outside of magyc city?
...I am getting off-track a whole bunch.
Also I would kind of hope that Team mate perks get beter the more they like us, but that is probally not the case.
Alright, time for conspirocay mode.
Here be all qoutes I found of vague importance to figuring out the bread crums of clues we have on Tanwen.
As others pointed out, she jumped on the chance to get in as a horned girl, which can mean she isn't a changeling and is just using us a shield.
...oh wait, fancy that (looks at part I bolded) huh.
...Tanwan has claws.
Disapperaing claws at that.
Dunno why I felt this was important, just did.
The whole 'Tanwan left her team to die and doesn't really care' bit.
Changelings can't lie, so if she is and she got dragons blood that is fresh...wel fresh would probally mean very recently harvested, right?
Did you know Renu drew Tanwen? I didn't.
Some pointed out that she knows quite a bit about dragons blood.
Is it me, or is it implied that Tanwen has a great sense of smell, something that changelings don't often have but dragons do?
Just a thing.
Wel again, Tanwen does not care about her party but she mentioned she left them to die. She wasn't mentioned to be hurt either.
So she must have run when goings got tough...?
I dunno I found this kind of cute. Sad too.
Tanwen was suprised (and hurt) about us being uncertain about her and thinking her mean. Like letting your companions die is...wel a normal thing.
Slit pupils
Here it kind of feels like Tanwen wants to avoid finding these corpses a bit, when we find them it is about 'left us alone' and '(D)ragon' which is important.
I am also intresseted in the What was that, confusion and or suprise.
I dunno, I kind of hope that Tanwen is a dragon so maybe I am projecting.
Maybe Renu is cackeling at our wild speculation.
But lets look back at what we know, from our precious grave girl, to be typical of a changeling:
>Obviously, horns and sharp ears.
>Changeling are connected to nature
>Animals kind of respect Changelings, won't attack unless provocked
>Have illusion powers
>Can place a geass
>Can't touch Iron or lie
>Are often mischievious.
Now, from the above we know of Tanwen (atleast what I noticed):
>She has horns and sharp ears
>Talks about people like tools, doesn't seem to care about the lives of others.
>Clearly likes Lirra and was hurt when Lirra distrusted her
>Knew we were a keeper of the Grey...without us noticing or seeing or hair I think...which is odd.
>Got claws for a moment.
>Has slit eyes
>Got fresh dragon blood from SOMEWHERE
Now the claws COULD be explained as an illusion...but why? She wasn't trying to intimidate us, she thought she needed to kill us.
I don't think Changelings can take on aspects of animals, so that is very, VERY odd.
It is clear that Tanwan is hiding something, but likes us, so that is good thing.
Now, shortly about ze others.
It was mentioned by the QM that Pupa was inspired by Pinocio.
She was sent here, told to come here. She was not sure about her need for sleep.
She was very, very cold.
Humonculous or ice spirit?
Chloe was mentioned to be similiar to another small person...Gnomes/Halflings maybe?
Also we know Chloe CAN talk but often whispers...doesn't like to talk?
We know Furata's from Fantasy Japan where leaving your clan is...not good.
===
Now to take a step back from analysing...
May I mention how happy I was while reading we got Melkorka and the bard whose name right now escapes me and I am to lazy to look up?
They were some of the most interresting party members to me...Chloe looked fun aswel but a bit more, wel cliché.
Melkorka is especially fun because she plays with the support role of staff by being an armourer. It is also support, but not what you'd expect from a staff.
What I am trying to say
[X] Go back to the Academy
- [X] And inform the staff (high risk of revealing you're a Gravedigger)
- - [X] Melkorka walks pretty slowly. There's no way she can run away once you find her.
Melkorka needs some love, I like this girl.
That and have we given the living armory her spear back?
...
We know al party members give support abilities, wonder what the other characters we met would give.
Like golem man...wasn't it mentioned that golem limbs fail outside of magyc city?
Something like that.
...I am getting off-track a whole bunch.
Also I would kind of hope that Team mate perks get beter the more they like us, but that is probally not the case.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
As any QM would.
Wait, really?
Lucilia. Best girl Lucilia. Have you seen her hat?
(and she also looks fabulous without it)
(and she's a big sister-ish bard. Now, who had a thing for big sister-ish bards?)
Shameless art thread plug. Did I mention I also do commissions?
Yeah, once he runs out of batteries, he'll probably literally be dead weight.
- Location
- Castle Oblivious
My reactions, in orderAs any QM would.
Wait, really?
Lucilia. Best girl Lucilia. Have you seen her hat?
(and she also looks fabulous without it)
(and she's a big sister-ish bard. Now, who had a thing for big sister-ish bards?)
Shameless art thread plug. Did I mention I also do commissions?
Yeah, once he runs out of batteries, he'll probably literally be dead weight.
True any QM would cackel
I THOUGHT Chloe was mentioned to be shorter but I am very tired to lazy to fact check ATM so I am probably wrong.
Someone did look like Chloe though I am sure of that at the very least...
I did not, in fact, see her hat, good sir.
(Goes to check your profile if your a sir or not)
Do not know of anyone who was a thing for big sister ish bards
On Golem man, I hope he brought plenty batteries.
But we know they can be battery powered so there is that.
Maybe it wise to make a posting the NPC's? At the very least of the art you made for them?
Now if you excuse me I am going to look at that art thread.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Inserted tally
Looks kind of bandwagon-y so I doubt there'll be an upset. I'll lock the votes tomorrow.
Looks kind of bandwagon-y so I doubt there'll be an upset. I'll lock the votes tomorrow.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
IC, as soon as you Pyre someone, you get their memories. A bit murky and chaotic, though, but you get some skills from there. Delayed purchases is that you need more time to "digest" them, (and the cost is that you need more flashes from various sources to understand it all) but it's pretty much instant.
Of course, given you buy the skills at the lowest level, you don't always get the full mastery of the Pyred, so it could be argued that it takes a long time since you need to save to purchase the higher tiers
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ And the more time you spend with someone, the more you understand them. That's the reason why important people, people you like, will give you better skills. Make lots of friends and let them die, it's the road to power ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
- Location
- Castle Oblivious
Hey, its was Lirra's goal to make friends wasn't it?
People to spend her time on the mortal coil with.
And when these people die, they can still help their friend Lirra in death!
They can still help us and we get more power, win-win for everyone.
Accept Lirra's psyche...but eh, sacrefices must be made.
Also, I must note that the one skill we are master in is necromancy...
If you want to know about corpses we're your gal.
...
...
That sounded a little wrong.
People to spend her time on the mortal coil with.
And when these people die, they can still help their friend Lirra in death!
They can still help us and we get more power, win-win for everyone.
Accept Lirra's psyche...but eh, sacrefices must be made.
Also, I must note that the one skill we are master in is necromancy...
If you want to know about corpses we're your gal.
...
...
That sounded a little wrong.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Ah, is that why we didn't have any skills at the start of the quest? Because the people we'd pyerd before had been dead before we met them at all, and unlike the academy hopefuls didn't have a similar experience to us?
- Location
- Castle Oblivious
That or our power wasn't fully realised...
Doesn't Explain Why we got the two important Echoes tho...
Eh, mechanics and world building can have odd effects on eachother...
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Lirra didn't Pyre many people before.
Ilinca was her first, followed by her mentor a few months later. As he was the last victim of the plague that ravaged Emoulin, he was still operating during it and so Lirra didn't really take care of any corpses during it. Then she went to the Academy.
So unless I forgot a detail I wrote somewhere, she didn't actually pyre anyone but these two before the quest's start. She has some experience with it because she helped her mentor, but he was the one actually doing the Pyring.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Read the Apocrypha threadmarks.
I should probably put a link in the related chapters...
- Location
- va
[X][shop] Plan Save Faded
-[X] Shield Mastery (novice) (5 Violent)
-[X] Forge (novice) (10 Wistful)
-[X] Etiquette (basic noble) (5 Lost)
-[X] Etiquette (basic criminal) (5 Lost)
-[X] Barter (basic) (5 Lost)
-[X] Magical Theory (basic) (5 Obsessed)
[X] Go back to the Academy
-[X] Don't inform the staff (next day free to spend with someone else)
--[X] Furuta will practice her swordsmanship. You're welcome to train with her.
-[X] Shield Mastery (novice) (5 Violent)
-[X] Forge (novice) (10 Wistful)
-[X] Etiquette (basic noble) (5 Lost)
-[X] Etiquette (basic criminal) (5 Lost)
-[X] Barter (basic) (5 Lost)
-[X] Magical Theory (basic) (5 Obsessed)
[X] Go back to the Academy
-[X] Don't inform the staff (next day free to spend with someone else)
--[X] Furuta will practice her swordsmanship. You're welcome to train with her.
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Gravedigger is an even more depressing role than I realised. Guess Chloe just about missed out on getting her own Apocrypha page too
SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Did you not notice the note next to her Singing skill?
Of course, if Tanwen is a dragon it raises a couple of interesting questions. Like, did she kill her own party? And if so, why?
And if not, who is this other dragon and how does it relate to Tanwen?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Quick heads up: since some people apparently missed it, I've added this at the end of "Restless sleep? A walk through the past!".
So if you have no idea what this is about, click those links or simply go through the Apocrypha threadmarks.
So if you have no idea what this is about, click those links or simply go through the Apocrypha threadmarks.