Rihaku
The Internet
Searing your name and identiy from your soul has consequences that cannot be trivially undone merely by being reminded of it! Else why would such fuel have value at all, in the language of metaphors?
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
Searing your name and identiy from your soul has consequences that cannot be trivially undone merely by being reminded of it! Else why would such fuel have value at all, in the language of metaphors?
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
She's from an alternate universe compared to the one Seram went to IIRC, where she isekaied herself rather than serve the King of Hordes. I wouldn't count on it.
Aabcehmu
Confusion as a Natural State of Being
- Location
- Chicago, IL
- Pronouns
- Any/All
Neither God nor the Devil can dissuade me from my course.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I laugh but only because I don't have a "o7" rating to offer. Your loyalty is worthy and one day, your faith will be rewarded.
Just not today.
His situation just keeps getting worse the more we learn of it! Hopefully some of these lost memories can be reclaimed, or there's not permanent metaphysical damage preventing him from building anew.
It's unfortunate Muscle Wizard didn't get more play, it was the only option with Relinquishment and the hero's fighting style last update was enjoyable. Still, to commit to CQC with only one limb discards lots of striking power and might've locked us into the maimed appearance.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
I realized something. What it might mean for the art not picked to have never been present in the heroes home realm. Assuming the Hidden Masters were once residents, this may well literally determine the fighting style/capabilities of the Hidden Masters once we're finally able to inflict vengeance upon them.
Edit: Though in hindsight, I'm not sure how much this matters. Apparently both styles are capable of transcending linear time if my theory is right.
Basis: A Simple Transaction I Original
Edit: Though in hindsight, I'm not sure how much this matters. Apparently both styles are capable of transcending linear time if my theory is right.
Basis: A Simple Transaction I Original
Last edited:
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Tally incoming
- Location
- US
Ah, I got outsped by a margin. Deleted my Tally in salute to your speed.
- Location
- USA
Maybe I'm misunderstanding but my fear with Accretion is that it's not going to really have choices and is just going to be very strong but somewhat boring.
Do we instead choose aspects of things we do to embody or "add to the myth"?
Like let's say a choice on combat style and it would be between The Swordsman, The Battle Demon, and Hero. And we choose whether our combat manifests more as skill, lust for battle, or in defense of others with conceptual abilities to match?
Do we instead choose aspects of things we do to embody or "add to the myth"?
Like let's say a choice on combat style and it would be between The Swordsman, The Battle Demon, and Hero. And we choose whether our combat manifests more as skill, lust for battle, or in defense of others with conceptual abilities to match?
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
The Accretion result will be the choices we make. Guaranteed thematic results!
That's one of the big appeals of it really.
- Location
- Canada
Compelled to Battle analysis (927 words)
One could say that growing ever stronger to be able to bear a greater fraction of the selected curses is repayment in and of itself, but our Hero seems to have something greater in mind...
Interestingly, his first departure for another world happened in a glade, so Truck-kun was apparently not involved... Though one never know, it's not impossible that a truck could end up in a Glade somehow, just rather improbable...
More seriously, it would be nice if he could remember more about the events leading to his first interworld travel. It would probably give us precious information about the forces behind the tragedies of his second life.
Interesting that the Hero would feel all these things so viscerally. The Accursed did say that the user interface of a cursebearer adapts to take a form the user would find intuitive and comforting, so it's probably a symptom of that.
And thus the Hero primary remittance is consumed to only partially restore his strength. A high price for such a paltry boon, but need must. Our Hero is guaranteed to grow strong enough to accomplish is vengeance as long as he survive, so therefore maximizing his chance of survival is paramount.
This is kind of a surreal scene, to see possibly the most powerful being in existence having a genuine bonding moment with a literal cripple. And our hero is pretty damn ambitious to think that one day he'll be strong enough to actually be able to meaningfully repay the Accursed!
One could say that growing ever stronger to be able to bear a greater fraction of the selected curses is repayment in and of itself, but our Hero seems to have something greater in mind...
These soldiers are in for quite a surprise! Particularly if the Hero actually survive and manage to return, having surpassed the limits of linear time...
Those two can't but come together for a Progression-type Cursebearer suffering under the grasp of the Apocryphal Curse. Progression guarantees that as long as one survive, one will grow arbitrarily strong in time and the Apocryphal Curse make it so that one need to grow strong in order to survive.
And our Hero get his first view of his third world. Not nearly as scenic as the view Seram first got of the Manifest Realm, but otherwise pretty similar: a sunny day and a burning agglomeration on the horizon.
And so his first mission is a conquest mission. For all that he feels he's not particularly well prepared for this task he's still likely to have a far easier time of it than Seram would have. Imagine if Seram first mission had been one of conquest! I can't really imagine Seram ruling anything... I feel poor Seram will have a rough time when will come the time for his first conquest mission...
So he was American or Japanese, but he can't remember which? That's some pretty heavy amnesia... Also did nobody ever use his name after he lost his memories in the final confrontation? Or was he only known as a myhtical figure to the populace and all those who were close enough to him to know his identity before the death of the Tyrant were already dead at that point?
Interestingly, his first departure for another world happened in a glade, so Truck-kun was apparently not involved... Though one never know, it's not impossible that a truck could end up in a Glade somehow, just rather improbable...
More seriously, it would be nice if he could remember more about the events leading to his first interworld travel. It would probably give us precious information about the forces behind the tragedies of his second life.
It's nice to know that he do intend to bring back all those he lost and isn't thinking only about achieving his vengeance. Though given the immense amount of danger that comes with the Apocryphal Curse, it is far from guaranteed that he'll live long enough to actually accomplish that goal...
He probably would have hesitated a bit more before throwing away his democratic ideals if he hadn't picked the Doom of the Tyrant, but what does the masses's opinions matter to someone who suffer from that curse? The Accursed did warn him about becoming what he despised... Though, hopefully, he'll be a lot nicer to the populations he rules than the Tyrant was.
And we immediately get thrown into a fight, just like Seram was! Thankfully we picked Scepter, so it's not much of challenge.
That's some impressive fighting for someone with only one, one eye and one and an half lung! But it is but the palest shadow to what he shall one day become, shall he survive...
It's interesting that he actually still like fighting (at least against monstrous enemies) even after all the trauma and loss he had to suffer through while fighting the Tyrant. There's a reason he was chosen twice, it seems...
And just like that our first fight is already over. Imagine if we had picked Sword, the quest might have already been over by now! In any case, the Hero certainly had an easier time of it than Seram did. He had a lot of previous experience, to be fair...
Not gonna lie I immediately thought about the grimm when I reads about the monster bodies dissolving on death. Also interesting that the Hero first thought after vanquishing those monsters was wondering whether they are edible... Those years of guerrilla warfare against the Tyrant must have been even rougher than I thought to instill him with that mindset!
I thought this was some kind of sci-fi world, but if they're using stone as the main material for their buildings, that's probably not the case.
So they have mechs which are implied to be biomechanical but they're still using stone for their buildings and no roads... What's the setup here, exactly? Do they just have a very strange tech tree for some reason?
That's probably not another cursebearer so what's the connection here? Maybe that's another hero, possibly a summoned one? We can find out by going for Cutting Off The Head, I suppose... Which is just another reason to go for that!
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Is anybody here familiar with Unknown Armies and the concept of the Avatar? I've realized another analogue for Accretion and it's starting to concern me/make me realize what may be the full implications of that lack of control. Can our powers be attacked by making us break taboos/act out of character to the archetype we're trying to embody?
In a modern media environment, this sound absolutely terrifying from a superpower standpoint. How much of a slave to PR might we become with Accretion? How vulnerable to PR assaults are we?
For context, here's the Life as An Avatar bit quoted from Unknown Armies 2e Stratosphere pg 21-22:
A Simple Transaction I Original
A quest about a simple transaction and the consequences that follow.
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
In a modern media environment, this sound absolutely terrifying from a superpower standpoint. How much of a slave to PR might we become with Accretion? How vulnerable to PR assaults are we?
A Simple Transaction I Original
A quest about a simple transaction and the consequences that follow.
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
For context, here's the Life as An Avatar bit quoted from Unknown Armies 2e Stratosphere pg 21-22:
- Location
- Pindorama
Compelled to Battle reaction: 1342 words.
It is kind of interesting to see how much more visceral becoming a Cursebearer was for the Hero than it was for Seram. Compatibility may be the issue, his lower affinity for being a Progression-type making the power "fit badly", so to speak. Or it may be that such a reaction is what he expected would happen, and thus the power provided. Impossible to say, really.
It is good to see that despite his circumstances; the hero continues to have this determination. I find his resolve to repay the Accursed very touching, in fact. Instead of staying resentful, he realizes the tremendous nature of what is being offered. And despite the the incredible road ahead to give something back to a being whose power literally defies description, it's uplifting. The power of the bonds between men, some would say.
Huh. I wonder how they actually planned to kill him. Since he seems to be alone in a room yet nonetheless the guards seem to know he would be dead at a specific time. Poison is the most natural conclusion to this. They wanted his death entirely covert and deniable to the masses. His reforms must have been quite popular if his opponents fear the reaction of the people so much.
(The most reasonable answer is that we are on green hills again as a direct parallel to Seram's adventure and to contrast the violence that follows, but nah)
I don't know why, but reading the words "Human Sphere" brought to mind Buddhist cosmology and the Realms of Humans, Beasts, Devas and the like. Considering the later biomechanical monstrosities to be revealed, it may hold some parallels to where we are.
I wonder what is it with unfathomable cosmic forces and grabbing random teenagers of the street. In a world of billions of people, you'd think there'd be more variety to their choices. Is it union regulations or something?
I wonder, did he forget even the Tyrant's name? It's possible.
It's nice that he isn't going to let a trifling matter like death separate him from his companions now that he is a Progression-type.
They attack us using classic pack-hunting strategies. Why fix what nature deemed optimal, right? If we could have defeated them even had we chosen Sword, they must not have been very strong. Maybe they were scout units?
The hero demonstrates his combat experience and badass credentials by trying to disrupt their coordination with an impromptu dog missile. That they even were confused briefly suggest that their controlling intelligence has limited processing power. Maybe they just devote little to what is normally clean up duty?
Melt away if killed. Are they projections? Or is their cellar structure so unstable they collapse after heavy trauma? We know at least some materials remain if it's implied people have biomechanical weapons platforms in this world, so maybe there's a way to preserve them?
The city doesn't seem very technological, or the narration would have remarked on it. Considering Catherine's backstory, the possibility of a Post-apocalyptic world rises significantly.
Ignore the ominous feelings and go save the civilians. Charisma boost. Worse if pick Hunger due to avoiding a fight. Might not do anything depending on how the fight above goes. This might have given him some peace of mind had he been less commited to Vengeance.
Go fight. Better with Hunger. Investigates the plot intuition forthwith. Maybe end up actually saving more people if we can help enough.
Second highest power, and very stable throughout the game. Lacks versatility, and Accretion makes hard to direct growth to specific parameters, instead being a power that develops more organically. My second option had I not sold out.
Cursed option that isn't worthy of discussion. The ultimate betrayal after abandoning the Praxis. thankfully, it's already eliminated, so I won't break completely.
The despair I felt when I realized this meant King's Scepter won. I rushed to the end of the update just to make sure. How bitter, the taste of defeat, all that work for naught... Truly, I can now fully sympathize with our protagonist, the ultimate immersive experience!
It is kind of interesting to see how much more visceral becoming a Cursebearer was for the Hero than it was for Seram. Compatibility may be the issue, his lower affinity for being a Progression-type making the power "fit badly", so to speak. Or it may be that such a reaction is what he expected would happen, and thus the power provided. Impossible to say, really.
The bonds between fellow men are the strongest!
It is good to see that despite his circumstances; the hero continues to have this determination. I find his resolve to repay the Accursed very touching, in fact. Instead of staying resentful, he realizes the tremendous nature of what is being offered. And despite the the incredible road ahead to give something back to a being whose power literally defies description, it's uplifting. The power of the bonds between men, some would say.
Huh. I wonder how they actually planned to kill him. Since he seems to be alone in a room yet nonetheless the guards seem to know he would be dead at a specific time. Poison is the most natural conclusion to this. They wanted his death entirely covert and deniable to the masses. His reforms must have been quite popular if his opponents fear the reaction of the people so much.
The visceral reaction to the Curses continues. Instead of being half-mad or feeling like someone who is sacrificing his own emotions, he feels more like someone compartmentalizing; a skill that must have been honed by his years of struggles, no doubt. Sentimentality will get in the way of his mission, so he must not let that impede him. He must live and grow strong despite that.
Huh, does the Geas of Indenture have a set type of place it lets off people at? If the whole world is a blasted wasteland, would it create green rolling hills and turn the sky blue for us? Would we not just get sent to a world if it doesn't have stereotypically peaceful scenery?
(The most reasonable answer is that we are on green hills again as a direct parallel to Seram's adventure and to contrast the violence that follows, but nah)
Immediate information given by this Geas: This place has humans, they have enough of the world for them to a have a "Sphere", they are spread out enough and/or poweful enough that conquering nine-tenths of it is a worthy challenge for a Progression-type Cursebearer.
I don't know why, but reading the words "Human Sphere" brought to mind Buddhist cosmology and the Realms of Humans, Beasts, Devas and the like. Considering the later biomechanical monstrosities to be revealed, it may hold some parallels to where we are.
Hah. As they say, the second time's the charm! The stakes are higher than ever, though.
He broke in more than just spirit, half his life is missing from him. Depressing that he has lost so much, and inspiring how he still fought for his ideals after that, despite not even remembering the place where his ideals came from.
I wonder what is it with unfathomable cosmic forces and grabbing random teenagers of the street. In a world of billions of people, you'd think there'd be more variety to their choices. Is it union regulations or something?
It seems he considers his eleven years with his companions more important than anything that came before. Makes sense, those eleven years with them are far more formative than his former memories of Earth.
I wonder, did he forget even the Tyrant's name? It's possible.
I believe someone wondered what entity or group of entities that need the power of a progression-type to defeat would find so valuable and crucial in the Hero's original world that they'd need to interfere. I think we're not just thinking big enough. It's entirely possible that the architects of our tragedy haven't even been born yet and their future existence affects time retroactively to ensure the conditions of their creation are always present, and the Hero's tragedy was just another cog for their plan. With entities of this scale, it is impossible to know.
It's nice that he isn't going to let a trifling matter like death separate him from his companions now that he is a Progression-type.
We have been tasked with assuming a role fought so much against before. Even if it brings him closer to the one he most hated, it's worth it for his friends.
Armored dog-like things out of nowhere! Their unnatural coordination implies some sort of intelligence in command, maybe a hive mind, maybe RTS-like control.
They attack us using classic pack-hunting strategies. Why fix what nature deemed optimal, right? If we could have defeated them even had we chosen Sword, they must not have been very strong. Maybe they were scout units?
He blew a hole clean through an armored abomination! That is strenght.
The hero demonstrates his combat experience and badass credentials by trying to disrupt their coordination with an impromptu dog missile. That they even were confused briefly suggest that their controlling intelligence has limited processing power. Maybe they just devote little to what is normally clean up duty?
The Hero has quite the bloodlust. He avoids killing humans at least; good that he still has some mercy in him despite his grueling fight of years.
Just busting through the sudden encirclement with brute force. Once they realized their own ineffectiveness, they retreat.
Melt away if killed. Are they projections? Or is their cellar structure so unstable they collapse after heavy trauma? We know at least some materials remain if it's implied people have biomechanical weapons platforms in this world, so maybe there's a way to preserve them?
Tried again with more numbers, failed. Restricted communication? Or are their instincts so honed they just move and act as though they were a single organism, like some form of eusocial behaviour?
The city doesn't seem very technological, or the narration would have remarked on it. Considering Catherine's backstory, the possibility of a Post-apocalyptic world rises significantly.
The classic giant robot versus Kaiiju. Both seem biological; the monster reminds me more of Getter Robo, while piloting a humanoid abomination is the classic EVA twist. Both seem to fly despite not emitting any obvious thrust; unfortunately given the capabilities of "Science" in Super Robot shows they could still technically be scientific.
Just thought this was weird at first before I noticed the whole "two of their kind in the whole universe", which heavily implies a Cursebearer. They could merely be fellow Heroes, however.
Ignore the ominous feelings and go save the civilians. Charisma boost. Worse if pick Hunger due to avoiding a fight. Might not do anything depending on how the fight above goes. This might have given him some peace of mind had he been less commited to Vengeance.
Go fight. Better with Hunger. Investigates the plot intuition forthwith. Maybe end up actually saving more people if we can help enough.
Trades initial direct offense for max mitigation. Relies on the thread choosing companions wisely, which, heh. Progresses the least until we get Retinue synergies due to not having Hunger.
My preferred option. Gives a dynamic I think would be interesting to see. It also seems the most balanced; Seals give utility, Forebear's curse mitigation, Catherine gives combat prowess, Hunger increased progression. A build that stands ready for anything, in my view.
Second highest power, and very stable throughout the game. Lacks versatility, and Accretion makes hard to direct growth to specific parameters, instead being a power that develops more organically. My second option had I not sold out.
Cursed option that isn't worthy of discussion. The ultimate betrayal after abandoning the Praxis. thankfully, it's already eliminated, so I won't break completely.
Rihaku
The Internet
Often one grows to enjoy what one is good at. And the skills of battle were something the hero was forced to hone quite extensively.
Rihaku
The Internet
I hadn't considered RWBY when planning this story at all... surprising that it's had this level of cultural impact. Are Grimm memorable villains?
The Tyrant is above mere nomenclature!
They're not flying, they're just really tall! And the walls themselves aren't massively high.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Not particularly but I think SV and SB had a few quests, stories and other misc. threads that made it more popular than it would otherwise.
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As a sidenote, I'd wait till the update but I gotta pass out now so I've updated the Index till this post. I'll begin reorganizing it to make it more useful during the rest of the week.
Nah, I like RWBY a bit but the grimm are generic video game baddudes, complete with fading away post-death. I only mentioned them because it's the first thing that came to mind with dissapearing corpses, that wasn't an aforementioned video game.
Rihaku
The Internet
Yeah, I'm thinking of adjusting some things so that updates come at a more optimal time. Should still be an update today a bit shorter than usual, then another update tomorrow during late afternoon or evening EST.
Quite a number of reactions have mentioned it, along with the grass and hill scene... I wonder if reading others' reactions influences even subconsciously what one writes during one's own reaction!
Might be, but I remember thinking it on the first read-through. Maybe it's because they're generic dog-like cannon fodder? Though looking it up, hyenas seem more closely related to cats than dogs... yet jackals are canids?! As expected of monsters produced by something taking on the image of a dragon, it knows no limits or boundaries, especially when it comes to species. Or does it have a partner somewhere?