Not Quite Lovecraft

Tascion said:

I feel remarkably weird debating with the QM, but...

The sins of the father are visited upon the son, but that does not make the son culpable for the actions of the father.

Just because Yog-Sogoth had some kids that turned out alright doesn't make him a good or trustworthy person. I'd also expect that which aspect is focused on during his summoning could play a significant role as well. Maybe Yog-Sogoth can have kids in this world is because some or all of his more consuming nature is locked out of expressing itself in this world by the gem.

As another example, maybe the outcome for kids is irrelevant to Yog-Sogoth and all that matters to him is that they exist such that he can orient on this speck of a world in the vastness of full reality. Whether or not a kid is good doesn't stop them from being useful targeting flares for Yog-Sogoth, and them being his kids might not even stop him from eating them. Maybe we stop Yog-Sogoth from coming into our realm this week and next week we stop the death of an innocent targeted just because their blood makes calling collect to Yog-Sogoth easier.

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You are in fact correct, there is a LOT of nuance to what's going on with Yog-Sogoth. I just wanted to make sure that you guys were keeping in mind the person met previously, as Oliver actually can't go on a rant about Yog-Sogoth not having done anything for the world. At this time it seems Yog-Sogoth is going to eat the world, which is super important to stop! And trust me, you do not want Yog-Sogoth to actually arrive.

But like I said, Oliver can't say Yog-Sogoth has given nothing. He already knows that there are things in the world hidden because they break minds after all, and that there are those out there with knowledge beyond what most have. Did it come from Yog-Sogoth? Maybe, he doesn't know!

May we opt for Oliver!agency modifying his approach then in light of this information?

Or better yet a combination of all the plans informing Oliver's conversational approach depending on how the maid reacts well to. The different approaches could easily mesh with each other. Softness and harsh reality, good cop bad cop.

Plans should be guidelines anyways than strict actions.

Ah, I should clarify that when I said "Describing them in detail" I meant stuff like true appearance and other stuff that isn't personally identifying.
Not like, where precisely we met them or how to track them down. They implied they had trouble with people coming and bothering them before. So it wouldn't be good to hand the information on how to track them down to a bunch of cultists.

Wonder if he can tame them?

Well, we don't have any spells useful for direct combat. So we will have to do this the old fashioned way i suppose.

[X] Fighting an Horror
-[X] back away towards the door and pull out your gun. Shoot at the creature as many times as you can while you move, keeping it at bay.
-[X] if the creature closes the distance and enters melee range, draw on Nemo strength and strike it as hard as you can. Try to push the creature back inside the cabin.
-[X] call out to Robert and ask him to help you. Once you are outside the door, you will both try to lock the door and trap the creature inside the cabin.
-[X] if the creature gives signs of breaking down the door or escaping from the cabin, retreat along the hallway. Try to find a weapon for Robert and keep the distance from the creature.

My idea is basicaly that we should use the terrain to our advantage. Using the narrow spaces of the train to slow down the monster or trap it, so we can kill it from a safe distance with our gun.

Arbitbit39 said:

Wonder if he can tame them?

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I mean, i don't think this thing is as safe as Nemo. And Nemo was wounded when Oliver found them, so they couldn't kill him on the spot.

Well, that was slightly more combative then I intended, but I guess the situation has changed.
A whole half hour passed already? I guess it took 20 minutes to find the waitress or something? It was 9:30 when we went to confront the waitress, and the conversation hasn't been going for more then a few exchanges.
I find it kinda funny that we are jaded enough that even with failing the sanity roll we still don't take any damage. (1-1=0 I assume.) And interesting that with our improvements we can see into higher dimensions.

Hmm, we aren't really that well equipped for a straight fight with a supernatural horror. At least not without prep. I guess we could attack it with our/nemo's claws? Might not be enough though. Maybe Pachamama's Gift will help when we do so too?

I'm guessing it doesn't count as "unclean" but it probably counts as a "horror of negative connection"
We could try throwing water of forgiveness on it. But that also runs into the "oomph" issue. And there might not be the right sort of connection to disrupt.
The biggest thing we could do would be to use our Portrait of a Horror to summon our own monster to fight it. (Assuming we have it on us). But that uh, has a chance of making things twice as bad.
We really should paint a proper weapon next time we have a chance to make something good.

If nothing else if we win the fight here somehow it will really boost our credibility.
We don't necessarily need to win though. We could just stall until the other people get away and then run too. Maybe barricade it in here?
We are in a small compartment for the staff in the dining car. Maybe we can use the environment somehow?

Hmm, looks like wasting time had adverse effects. Imagine that.

And I'm no expert, but that description sounds like a Hound of Tindalos. Makes sense that it'd be drawn to time being messed with, it's probably hunting the waitress.

Not necessarily, we always knew it appears during ten. This was the most productive loop of all. If it is the Hound of Tindalos then they'll be able to attack or move through any conceivable corners. We could try to lure it into a circle I guess.. but I don't like the odds of that, and it might not work.

With a time beast like so Oliver going toe to toe means dying for this loop here. Instead..

I propose we take a vitality hit and cut off the connection with the maid with an empowered forgiveness water. Next loop Oliver should be hale again. Only SAN damage carries over.

[X] Bleed off the Trail
-[X] Take out your vial of Water of Forgiveness
-[X] Dig your sharpened nails into your wrist drawing forth rivulets of life blood amplifying its potency.
-[X] Use it to sever the connection with the beast and its prey.
-[X] Draw all three of you together in a circle of your anointed blood and sacred water until it leaves.
-[X] Draw fully into the powers of locket to hide, not caring if you damage it. Everything physical is immaterial now.

_brightwing said:

Not necessarily, we always knew it appears during ten. This was the most productive loop of all. If it is the Hound of Tindalos then they'll be able to attack or move through any conceivable corners. We could try to lure it into a circle I guess.. but I don't like the odds of that, and it might not work.

With a time beast like so Oliver going toe to toe means dying for this loop here. Instead..

I propose we take a vitality hit and cut off the connection with the maid with an empowered forgiveness water. Next loop Oliver should be hale again. Only SAN damage carries over.

[X] Bleed off the Trail
-[X] Take out your vial of Water of Forgiveness
-[X] Dig your sharpened nails into your wrist drawing forth rivulets of life blood amplifying its potency.
-[X] Use it to sever the connection with the beast and its prey.
-[X] Draw all three of you together in a circle of your anointed blood and sacred water until it leaves.
-[X] Draw fully into the powers of locket to hide, not caring if you damage it. Everything physical is immaterial now.

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I don't like the risk of a vitality hit. If Oliver dies we don't know what could happen. The SAN damage for THAT would probably be really bad.

Also, i think you plan would take too much time. The Hound is RIGHT THERE in front of us. We don't have time to draw circles or make complicated rituals.

We have a gun, we shoot it to keep it at bay and we retreat to a better position.

Mystic Pentagram said:

I don't like the risk of a vitality hit. If Oliver dies we don't know what could happen. The SAN damage for THAT would probably be really bad.

Also, i think you plan would take too much time. The Hound is RIGHT THERE in front of us. We don't have time to draw circles or make complicated rituals.

We have a gun, we shoot it to keep it at bay and we retreat to a better position.

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If it was a normal supernatural creature, I'd have happily gone along with your plan. But we might be dealing with a timeless creature for whom normal space time have little meaning. And is functionally immortal in our dimension.

It doesn't need a whole lot of time like you're thinking. Oliver should have a vial of Water of Forgiveness with him. First action would be the blood tribute to amplify it so it doesn't fall flat like our fight with the avatar in Peru. Then comes the next move using it on the maid to sever the connection, to confuse the only thing drawing the Hound to our realm - their primary sense of seeing too, their target.

Third action would be to use the rest of the bloody water to draw simple circle - a curved space. That's antithetical to the Hound - they need corners to move or strike. Fourth remaining action is to use the hidden aspect to ride it out, sacrificing use of the locket for the loop.

I am sure going for a melee takedown with it is a grisly end with a lot more mental trauma from dying horrifically. We need to, play to Oliver's strengths. Even if Oliver's body is physically weakened from the bloodloss, he should be fine after the timeline ends. Next loop we should see about sending the Hound after its true target, the Cultist - by ten. And then use the remaining two hours to close the gateway.

[X] _brightwing

So, this creature is terrifying, but after rereading this chapter a couple times, I'm fairly certain it hasn't taken any aggressive action.

It looks scary, but the sum total of its actions is "it stepped into the room."

Shooting it is likely not appropriate. I'm also leaning against hacking open a wrist.

My current guess is that the creature basically fell through some kind of temporal rupture and into reality.

Regrettably, I'm not sure how to turn these ideas into a plan

Tascion said:

So, this creature is terrifying, but after rereading this chapter a couple times, I'm fairly certain it hasn't taken any aggressive action.

It looks scary, but the sum total of its actions is "it stepped into the room."

Shooting it is likely not appropriate. I'm also leaning against hacking open a wrist.

My current guess is that the creature basically fell through some kind of temporal rupture and into reality.

Regrettably, I'm not sure how to turn these ideas into a plan

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Last time we saw a glimpse of the creature was when we barged into the cultist's room. It abstained from attacking because of the huge crowd of mundanes. That might be a possible defense but not something we could pull off right now. It is a hungry creature based on what Ternesta said, drawn to hunt down temporal anomaly.

I'm not sure but Robert might have been attacked by it in the first loop? Or was it just the Cultist? Since we are looping it might indiscriminately attack all three of the characters or focus more on the maid who is one of the culprits.

I understand the hesitation sacrificing vitality, but Oliver as he is doesn't really have anything more as a power source. And lost vitality and SAN is so hard to regain, even after winning arcs. Magic has never been without price - be it memories, health or time. If it's a permanent vitality loss that carries over the loop it would be bad. But if we gamble that physical things would all revert next loop maybe it could work out.

I'd have like an approach to handle it like we did Nemo, but circumstances are different. Nemo wasn't in a position of power when we first met them. We nursed them back to health and took them back with us. The Hound is hungry and the fish in this situation is us.

I think we might be able to redirect the hound to the cultist, who committed the temporal sin. But the maid isn't working with us yet. We don't know their identity. We don't have their hair either this loop to offer to the hound.

It if previously avoided attacking us due to witnesses, perhaps that is the solution? We are in:

Blacksheep said:

You walked back down to the dining car and checked around until you found the small compartment set aside for the staff. The waitress was resting in there and looked up. Something flashed across her face before it cleared into a pleasant smile. "Hi, can I help you?"

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So if we exit we should get into the main dining car. Since it is 10:00 there are probably still people there. Maybe eating dinner or cleaning up.

I would also caution against the idea that any sacrifices we make are temporary due to the loop. It might be true, but it might not too.

So I would propose:

[X] Plan: Discretion Is The Better Part Of
-[X] If it seems aggressive, hastily exit into the compartment. Prioritize bringing Robert with you, and then the waitress if possible.
-[X] If necessary defend with Your/Nemo's claws and Water of Forgiveness.
-[X] If it does not attack immediately, try communication. Attempt to discern it's purpose, and redirect it if needed.

It might actually be after the waitress. Which if so... well it would be unfortunate but we have to prioritize. Risking our life/sanity for them is likely not worth it.
With our enhancements and unique perspective we may even be able to communicate with it.
Whereas if it is after us or Robert, then a fighting retreat should give us the best chance. Getting into a public area may also discourage it.

A dead waitress who remembers the loops hurts us in the final loop. If we ensure her loyality by protecting her from the hound, next loop we get the keys and the cultist's identity and potentially, their hiding spot. We can get the crystals and stones and get into the ritual cabin without wasting time breaking in. This is what stand to lose if we fail.

In the second loop all the guards were on high alert actively checking all the cabins. Everyone was peering out watching. I don't think the circumstances now are the same with everyone retiring after dinner for bed. We cannot escape the Hound easily, not if it can instantaneously teleport through any corner. Utilizing a curved space would be the only form of deterrent.

_brightwing said:

A dead waitress who remembers the loops hurts us in the final loop. If we ensure her loyality by protecting her from the hound, next loop we get the keys and the cultist's identity and potentially, their hiding spot. We can get the crystals and stones and get into the ritual cabin without wasting time breaking in. This is what stand to lose if we fail.

In the second loop all the guards were on high alert actively checking all the cabins. Everyone was peering out watching. I don't think the circumstances now are the same with everyone retiring after dinner for bed. We cannot escape the Hound easily, not if it can instantaneously teleport through any corner. Utilizing a curved space would be the only form of deterrent.

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I mean, if the hound does go after her and she remembers it, it should provide us a pretty strong lever for getting her in our corner. Worst case we call her over at the start of the next loop.

We don't know if it can instantaneously teleport. We don't know if there is some specific number of witnesses required to deter it. (If nothing else the rest of the staff should be here, seeing as the waitress was.)
We should still be thinking of this loop, not just next loop. If the waitress dies here, we can still go and break into the luggage compartment now. The keys are a convenience not a necessity.

And ultimately attacking directly is a big risk. We might win, or we might not. And the "not" sounds like it could be bad.

Would she be inclined to trust us if we do not protect her though? If she dies she might be too unhinged to cooperate with us next loop. The idea of Oliver forcing the keys from her is always an option, but kinda feels a bit ehh narratively. She could toss it through the window in spite - people in this setting, does not handle SAN damage well at all. Oliver is a different breed now.

I fully agree on not getting into melee range with the hound. It's an extradimensional being, if Oliver gets savaged by it there might be some dire consequences. The wounds inflicted by it might potentially carry over across time loops. I'm really worried about Water of forgiveness not working as well - the avatar in Peru laughed when we used it against him. It only has worked on the Revenant so far, and as an ingredient lacing the King in Yellow's stage before we used our powers in conjunction.

_brightwing said:

Would she be inclined to trust us if we do not protect her though? If she dies she might be too unhinged to cooperate with us next loop. The idea of Oliver forcing the keys from her is always an option, but kinda feels a bit ehh narratively. She could toss it through the window in spite - people in this setting, does not handle SAN damage well at all. Oliver is a different breed now.

I fully agree on not getting into melee range with the hound. It's an extradimensional being, if Oliver gets savaged by it there might be some dire consequences. The wounds inflicted by it might potentially carry over across time loops. I'm really worried about Water of forgiveness not working as well - the avatar in Peru laughed when we used it against him. It only has worked on the Revenant so far, and as an ingredient lacing the King in Yellow's stage before we used our powers in conjunction.

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Hopefully because death has disillusioned her to their plot. At least if she is sanity damaged she is unlikely to pull off something like throwing the keys out the window.
Over all I would prioritize escape here first, and heroics second. You are right that the hound may be a threat cross-loop. Getting her to trust us is secondary to survival.

There isn't any heroics or offensive action on the bloodletting vote though. It's purely dedicated to escape. Trying to leave the room puts us on melee range of the hound.. which is concerning. Putting Nemo's gifts into action here might not be wise. Even if Oliver focuses on evasion than strength Robert might run afoul of it. The bloodletting targets the hound's sight, their primary means of navigation is their prey - violators of timeline, us and the waitress since the Cultist is missing. After the tracks of the prey is cut, we'd move onto the next venue the hound cannot pass. Curved space in the circle. Hallways outside the compartment means corners. Normal space and rules have different meanings with the hound in play. Do we want to gamble there would be enough people there before the hound takes a bite?

_brightwing said:

There isn't any heroics or offensive action on the bloodletting vote though. It's purely dedicated to escape. Trying to leave the room put us on melee range of the hound.. which is concerning. Putting Nemo's gifts into action here might not be wise. Even if Oliver focuses on evasion than strength Robert might run afoul of it. The bloodletting targets the hound's sight, their primary means of navigation is their prey - violators of timeline, us and the waitress since the Cultist is missing. After the track of the prey is cut, we'd move onto the next venue the hound cannot pass. Curved space in the circle. Hallways outside the compartment means corners. Normal space and rules have different meanings with the hound in play. Do we want to gamble there would be enough people there before the hound takes a bite?

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I mean, it basically starts with us attacking the beast with our claws right? Rather then running or such. I would say that leans more to heroics.
I assume if it was between us and the door it would have been mentioned.

It is a gamble either way, but my hope is just to pick the smaller one.

JayTar said:

I mean, it basically starts with us attacking the beast with our claws right? Rather then running or such. I would say that leans more to heroics.
I assume if it was between us and the door it would have been mentioned.

It is a gamble either way, but my hope is just to pick the smaller one.

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No, no it uses the sharpened nails on Oliver's own wrist in a swift action to draw blood to empower the Forgiveness Water.

To then use it to cut the connection between the hound and the waitress and us. We're not coming in range of it.

I don't like the vitality hit, but we've got nothing else. I'd rather it be self inflicted than claws of the hound.

_brightwing said:

No, no it uses the sharpened nails on Oliver's own wrist in a swift action to draw blood to empower the Forgiveness Water.

To then use it to cut the connection between the hound and the waitress and us.

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Assuming that there is some connection between the hound, the waitress and us, and that it is something we can cut.
Or that we could do so without getting into melee range.
It might be that the hound is drawn to the ritual, not us. Or it might be that it was summoned intentionally by the person doing the ritual. There were still all those runes in their room that are unaccounted for.
Heck, if we run we can go there and mess up the runes.