Not Quite Lovecraft
- Thread starter Blacksheep
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- Fantasy Historic Mystery Horror
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Seeking Answers
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There was a lot left from when you escaped the train that you wanted to know. Was Robert alright? The waitress? What did the gem that Robert had found do? How did the terrifying creature that would appear in flashes work? Could you befriend it? What did it mean to no longer be entirely human? What had Yog-Sogoth sought in approaching the train?
Approaching Emily was the easiest place to start. She was writing in one of her notebooks. Whether it was poetry, observations of the world, or something more you did not know. She glanced up as you approached and welcomed you with a smile. "Oliver."
"My dear Emily." You smiled and took a seat near her. "Could I trouble you for your wisdom?"
Her smile widened, eyes glittering with mischievous glee. "You may."
You reached into your pocket and drew out the gem. Emily took in a sharp breath and immediately reached out for it. You let her took it and she cooed over the treasure. "It's beautiful."
"It was the center of the ritual on the train that trapped me in a time loop while calling to Yog-Sogoth." Emily nodded absently continuing to admire the gem. "As I approached the center of the ritual, reality felt...compacted. I was there, and there, and there. Do you know what the gem did to manage such a thing?"
Emily smiled. "The details of the ritual likely helped there. This is a focus, granting power beyond what most can hold, and a light to our world. Those that do not live in it can have difficulty finding it without something to direct them. Without this, no doorway could be opened, no communications drawn out. The rest was pertaining to the ritual, and not in the gem itself. It is a beautiful treasure. Will you give it to me?"
[ ]Keep the gem for yourself
[ ]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him
[ ]Let Emily have the gem
"My other question is of the creature, the hound, that hunted through time in the loop. I think...it was hungry. Do you think it could be tamed, like Nemo?"
Emily outright laughed at that. "You wish to invite a creature not of this dimension here? And how do you suppose it would fit, or live in a place not meant to contain it? Perhaps it could visit the Red Realm, but I do not think it can touch the edges of the shore we live upon, save for when things go wrong."
[ ]Ask Emily to try anyways
[ ]Leave it be
[ ]Write-in
Since this was a multi step plan, I'll be spreading it out over multiple posts
Approaching Emily was the easiest place to start. She was writing in one of her notebooks. Whether it was poetry, observations of the world, or something more you did not know. She glanced up as you approached and welcomed you with a smile. "Oliver."
"My dear Emily." You smiled and took a seat near her. "Could I trouble you for your wisdom?"
Her smile widened, eyes glittering with mischievous glee. "You may."
You reached into your pocket and drew out the gem. Emily took in a sharp breath and immediately reached out for it. You let her took it and she cooed over the treasure. "It's beautiful."
"It was the center of the ritual on the train that trapped me in a time loop while calling to Yog-Sogoth." Emily nodded absently continuing to admire the gem. "As I approached the center of the ritual, reality felt...compacted. I was there, and there, and there. Do you know what the gem did to manage such a thing?"
Emily smiled. "The details of the ritual likely helped there. This is a focus, granting power beyond what most can hold, and a light to our world. Those that do not live in it can have difficulty finding it without something to direct them. Without this, no doorway could be opened, no communications drawn out. The rest was pertaining to the ritual, and not in the gem itself. It is a beautiful treasure. Will you give it to me?"
[ ]Keep the gem for yourself
[ ]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him
[ ]Let Emily have the gem
"My other question is of the creature, the hound, that hunted through time in the loop. I think...it was hungry. Do you think it could be tamed, like Nemo?"
Emily outright laughed at that. "You wish to invite a creature not of this dimension here? And how do you suppose it would fit, or live in a place not meant to contain it? Perhaps it could visit the Red Realm, but I do not think it can touch the edges of the shore we live upon, save for when things go wrong."
[ ]Ask Emily to try anyways
[ ]Leave it be
[ ]Write-in
Since this was a multi step plan, I'll be spreading it out over multiple posts
[X]Let Emily have the gem
Robert was unable to keep the gem safe. This is just going to keep drawing the wrong sort of Occultists.
I think if we could put our collective minds to it, we could figure out a way for the Hound to be safely contained or sated. After her interlude the idea of her just dying to childbirth is just too sad..
She is exceptionally dangerous, but as we learned also sentient alien as she may be. I do understand if we decide not to pursue this venture though. We've overcome a lot of odds in the story through sheer creativity. If we can make a viable plan, it could be worthwhile. Imagine if we never were brave enough to offer Nemo fish.
Robert was unable to keep the gem safe. This is just going to keep drawing the wrong sort of Occultists.
I think if we could put our collective minds to it, we could figure out a way for the Hound to be safely contained or sated. After her interlude the idea of her just dying to childbirth is just too sad..
She is exceptionally dangerous, but as we learned also sentient alien as she may be. I do understand if we decide not to pursue this venture though. We've overcome a lot of odds in the story through sheer creativity. If we can make a viable plan, it could be worthwhile. Imagine if we never were brave enough to offer Nemo fish.
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- Location
- Philippines
[X]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him
[X]Leave it be. For now.
[X]Leave it be. For now.
Digging into the dimension isn't easy. Time is slippery and doesn't wish to be bitten and torn apart for her to feed her young. But the hound has her prey now and it will not run loose until she has bitten through it all. Parts of her catch glimpses of the smaller beings living in the dimension time is holed in. Most are not right, not layered properly to have substance. But some she can taste the layers on, and knows time is caught on them.
She rips and bites and tears into time. It knots itself frightfully, and she swallows it down. Parts of the small beings in the dimension fragment and break away. She sees time smooth out in them and run free. Other parts she gulps down to satisfy her hunger, teasing apart what was and savoring each layer.
One of the smaller beings is strange. It is as flat and empty as the rest of the beings of this dimension, yet it responds to her. It attacks/it runs/it hides/it reaches out. She doesn't understand these strange actions. It shouldn't be able to do this, not when she is greater than it. Not when it hardly exists. It steals one of the fragments of the smaller beings from her. It tries to talk but does not even have a proper mouth/s to talk with.
The hound is curious. She wants to know more about this small being. But she cannot fit into the tiny hole she has dug. She has eaten time, and there are no whiffs left for her. She does her best to shove herself back in, breaks off a fraction of herself to do so. It looks dead, so small and splintered. The hound is forced to resign herself to the failure. She turns and resumes her hunt. Her young hang heavy inside her.
Was she feeding on the Ritual itself? Or rather seeking sustenance from the Time of other creatures?
The strange smaller creature would be Oliver. For speaking to the Hound a magical way that uses connections to communicate feelings could work.
I'm thinking, we could use the gemstone along with Emily to create a smaller place of arrested Time/looped time, and then draw the portrait of the Hound as a beacon, Paint in the painting your intentions and empathy. Let her feed on timelooped animals in their many instances - actively make the animals do different things. Set up a countermeasure to create a tether you could use to banish her if this goes wrong. Do not attempt the ritual unless you figure that out first.
And I know it feels like the right thing to return the Gemstone to Robert but please do consider guys. He's still a non-magical person. He cannot protect it as we have already seen.
She rips and bites and tears into time. It knots itself frightfully, and she swallows it down. Parts of the small beings in the dimension fragment and break away. She sees time smooth out in them and run free. Other parts she gulps down to satisfy her hunger, teasing apart what was and savoring each layer.
One of the smaller beings is strange. It is as flat and empty as the rest of the beings of this dimension, yet it responds to her. It attacks/it runs/it hides/it reaches out. She doesn't understand these strange actions. It shouldn't be able to do this, not when she is greater than it. Not when it hardly exists. It steals one of the fragments of the smaller beings from her. It tries to talk but does not even have a proper mouth/s to talk with.
The hound is curious. She wants to know more about this small being. But she cannot fit into the tiny hole she has dug. She has eaten time, and there are no whiffs left for her. She does her best to shove herself back in, breaks off a fraction of herself to do so. It looks dead, so small and splintered. The hound is forced to resign herself to the failure. She turns and resumes her hunt. Her young hang heavy inside her.
Was she feeding on the Ritual itself? Or rather seeking sustenance from the Time of other creatures?
The strange smaller creature would be Oliver. For speaking to the Hound a magical way that uses connections to communicate feelings could work.
I'm thinking, we could use the gemstone along with Emily to create a smaller place of arrested Time/looped time, and then draw the portrait of the Hound as a beacon, Paint in the painting your intentions and empathy. Let her feed on timelooped animals in their many instances - actively make the animals do different things. Set up a countermeasure to create a tether you could use to banish her if this goes wrong. Do not attempt the ritual unless you figure that out first.
And I know it feels like the right thing to return the Gemstone to Robert but please do consider guys. He's still a non-magical person. He cannot protect it as we have already seen.
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[X]Let Emily have the gem
[X] Invite the Hound
-[X] Ask Emily to first see if the God of the Red Realm grants permission of Sanctuary for the Hound and the folding of time. Don't attempt if she is unsuccessful.
-[X] Together with her use the focus to select a small shallow lagoon to use the gem to twist time on. Create non-Euclidean works of art to dictate the gem's working on the fishes below only. Nothing else, powered by the tides that sets the geometric sculptures in motion.
-[X] Set the fish there swimming inside to loop in myriad paths of time, looping in branches, slipping ahead or back.
-[X] Paint the Hound, drawing forth a connection and inviting her in. Paint into the canvas your offer of Sanctuary telling her to come in peace.
-[X] Spend time studying the Summoning painting if you need to prepare. Specifically look for how to send guests back to their realm - setting in clauses.
-[X] Should the Hound attempt you or your own harm she will be pulled back through the tether back from where she was. Should this Clause not be worked, abandon the whole endeavor and decide not to Summon her.
I know this isn't perfect, but I had to try. If you guys can think of any other way to maximize safety please help me out flesh this out even more..
If we try something later on she might have already given birth by then.
[X] Invite the Hound
-[X] Ask Emily to first see if the God of the Red Realm grants permission of Sanctuary for the Hound and the folding of time. Don't attempt if she is unsuccessful.
-[X] Together with her use the focus to select a small shallow lagoon to use the gem to twist time on. Create non-Euclidean works of art to dictate the gem's working on the fishes below only. Nothing else, powered by the tides that sets the geometric sculptures in motion.
-[X] Set the fish there swimming inside to loop in myriad paths of time, looping in branches, slipping ahead or back.
-[X] Paint the Hound, drawing forth a connection and inviting her in. Paint into the canvas your offer of Sanctuary telling her to come in peace.
-[X] Spend time studying the Summoning painting if you need to prepare. Specifically look for how to send guests back to their realm - setting in clauses.
-[X] Should the Hound attempt you or your own harm she will be pulled back through the tether back from where she was. Should this Clause not be worked, abandon the whole endeavor and decide not to Summon her.
I know this isn't perfect, but I had to try. If you guys can think of any other way to maximize safety please help me out flesh this out even more..
If we try something later on she might have already given birth by then.
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[X]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him
The gem is not ours, is not our right to give it away.
[X] Invite the Hound
The gem is not ours, is not our right to give it away.
[X] Invite the Hound
Should we give the gem back to Robert.. I propose we make a write in to take steps that it's not going to be misused in any way.. Something like the locket, that hides it from supernatural eyes. Or, advise Robert to keep it somewhere with an organisation that could protect it, the original keepers of the artifact (after making sure they can keep would be cultists in bay)
[X]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him. And..
-[X] Warn him if he accepts your explanation of the dangers. That its a foccii for the occult and other cultists might be drawn to it to misuse its power.
-[X] Advise him to return it to where he found it, assuming there are still protections and its former keepers can keep it hidden in secrecy. Urge him to check the keepers are not compromised themselves. Offer your investigative aid.
-[X[ If that is not possible, invest time to craft a hiding protection for it. The magical focus used to empower into hiding itself from all occult senses - even yours. Only mundanes like Robert will be able to see it.
-[X] Alternatively, if Robert feels too overwhelmed and not yet ready for the responsibility, offer Emily as an alternative for safekeeping for now, should he choose.
[X] Invite the Hound
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Yeah, i like your plan.
[X]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him. And..
-[X] Warn him if he accepts your explanation of the dangers. That its a foccii for the occult and other cultists might be drawn to it to misuse its power.
-[X] Advise him to return it to where he found it, assuming there are still protections and its former keepers can keep it hidden in secrecy. Urge him to check the keepers are not compromised themselves. Offer your investigative aid.
-[X[ If that is not possible, invest time to craft a hiding protection for it. The magical focus used to empower into hiding itself from all occult senses - even yours. Only mundanes like Robert will be able to see it.
[X] Invite the Hound
- Location
- Earth
How about suggesting to Robert that he give the gem to Emily? Emily having it is sensible to me, but it's not our decision.
Hmm makes sense, after offering up the explanation and warnings offer this alternative as well for safe keeping.
Alas, all this contingency making might be in vain. We missed the initial window to pitch it.
Edit, does it suffice?
-[] Alternatively, if Robert feels too overwhelmed and not yet ready for the responsibility, offer Emily as an alternative for safekeeping for now, should he choose.
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- Location
- Earth
Yep, I'll vote for that.
[X]Robert was meant to be its keeper - return it to him. And..
[X]Leave it be
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Welcome to Manitoba
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You nodded, disappointed but accepting. Perhaps you would encounter the hound again, or something similar. Perhaps not. But you decided to leave it alone for now. Speaking with Robert about the gem was more important. You had to gently let Emily down, telling her that it wasn't yours, and you were due to return it to its owner. You did promise to see if he would be willing to give it to her, and she was pleased with that.
With that decided, you went about buying a train ticket to Manitoba. Hopefully this one would go smoother than your last, and you could seek out Robert where you had originally planned to camp together.
The trip north was pleasant, if set with an edge of worry. You couldn't help expecting things to go wrong right up until you found yourself exiting the station at the other end. Your need to see Robert certainly increased, part of you now convinced that he had turned dead when time had unfolded itself. You tried to tell yourself it wasn't so, but it was hard to push past that negativity after hours of being on edge.
You were now faced with a truly difficult problem: you were not made for the wilderness. You were most comfortable in your estate, or in towns and cities. You could certainly travel through the country, but hotels were the word to go by there. You hadn't really camped as a child, more day expeditions made into the land surrounding your family's estate. You had been counting on Robert's familiarity with what to do to help you along. Unfortunately, you had been separated, and Robert might not even know you were here, despite sending a telegram to him of such an affect. You would need to figure out how to make your own way to Robert.
[ ]Try on your own, you can read a map
[ ]Hire a local guide to aid you, expert help is best
[ ]Look for the native tribe Robert was in touch with
[ ]Write-in
With that decided, you went about buying a train ticket to Manitoba. Hopefully this one would go smoother than your last, and you could seek out Robert where you had originally planned to camp together.
The trip north was pleasant, if set with an edge of worry. You couldn't help expecting things to go wrong right up until you found yourself exiting the station at the other end. Your need to see Robert certainly increased, part of you now convinced that he had turned dead when time had unfolded itself. You tried to tell yourself it wasn't so, but it was hard to push past that negativity after hours of being on edge.
You were now faced with a truly difficult problem: you were not made for the wilderness. You were most comfortable in your estate, or in towns and cities. You could certainly travel through the country, but hotels were the word to go by there. You hadn't really camped as a child, more day expeditions made into the land surrounding your family's estate. You had been counting on Robert's familiarity with what to do to help you along. Unfortunately, you had been separated, and Robert might not even know you were here, despite sending a telegram to him of such an affect. You would need to figure out how to make your own way to Robert.
[ ]Try on your own, you can read a map
[ ]Hire a local guide to aid you, expert help is best
[ ]Look for the native tribe Robert was in touch with
[ ]Write-in
- Location
- Philippines
Kinda like this more though not sure how they would react of him holding the item bute he is not a camper or hiker so a guide is needed... and a guide that knows the supernatural is more than prefered.
Hmm we must remember that Oliver's supernatural features can now be seen by other occultists. Native tribe would first need some convincing, but we do have magical charisma now.
Is there any rivers on the map? Oliver could cover the distance swimming underwater to reach near his place.
Is there any rivers on the map? Oliver could cover the distance swimming underwater to reach near his place.
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Oliver can't breathe underwater.
Good point about disguises though. Better to do the social thing in town I'd think.
[X] search for a guide on town that is aware of the supernatural, or at least somebody aware of the supernatural who could then help find a guide
He just swam deep underwater through so traversing through a river wouldn't be too much of an issue I think. If it lets him fast travel.
[X] Plan By Water
-[X] Study the map and start near the closest water body. Tap into Nemo's senses to navigate by water. Prepare your supplies accordingly to remain water proof, etch a minor water repelling design on the folds to keep your supplies safe. Look for the landmark and use your senses to orient.
[X] Plan By Water
-[X] Study the map and start near the closest water body. Tap into Nemo's senses to navigate by water. Prepare your supplies accordingly to remain water proof, etch a minor water repelling design on the folds to keep your supplies safe. Look for the landmark and use your senses to orient.
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[X]Look for the native tribe Robert was in touch with, and see if you can hire a guide from among them.
Let's not complicate things too much, as the chapter itself says, wilderness survival is NOT Oliver strength. We should use instead his good social skills to find help with the natives, they should already have an interest in helping us find Robert.
Let's not complicate things too much, as the chapter itself says, wilderness survival is NOT Oliver strength. We should use instead his good social skills to find help with the natives, they should already have an interest in helping us find Robert.
No particular objections to guide option, but seeing he got underwater travel 101 from Nemo seemed like an interesting way to circumvent the wilderness by land part. Maybe he'll run into trouble once he resurfaces in the land part of the journey. Mostly I was interested to see how far we can take Oliver's new capabilities in his day to day.