Dynamesmouse
Bzzzzzz
Pretty much all joker scenes are perfect Adorjani stunts, just add more murder-hurricane. The Pen-trick, the Hostage switcharoo, the bombs on the boat, ect...
Ascensions and Transgressions: the Tales of Keris Dulmeadokht (Exalted game)
- Thread starter Aleph
- Start date
Undead-Spaceman
Skeleton Supreme
- Location
- Somewhere in Orbit
I can't help but think the combo of 'returning Kerisa to life', 'Keris needs a Dragonblooded child' and 'Malek patented fruit babies who could Exalt' will interact in very interesting ways.
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greensun
You shall all burn beneath my light!!!
Calesco, sweety, don't call the aging bio-scientist an old hag. You'll end up as the core of a Hell-Strider.
Pardis is so cute, and her badgering of Calesco was adorable and endearing. To the reader, Calesco could probably do without it. It was actually interesting how much she was favored by her Mother, though whether that's her liking the child who is both more like her in being a Wood Aspect and who is enthusiastic about her mother's art, or because she's younger and she dotes on her baby.
So is Keris just going to straight up gank Lie-Mei or is she going to try and talk her to either willingly giving up the pact?
Pardis is so cute, and her badgering of Calesco was adorable and endearing. To the reader, Calesco could probably do without it. It was actually interesting how much she was favored by her Mother, though whether that's her liking the child who is both more like her in being a Wood Aspect and who is enthusiastic about her mother's art, or because she's younger and she dotes on her baby.
So is Keris just going to straight up gank Lie-Mei or is she going to try and talk her to either willingly giving up the pact?
On-topic and functionally irrelevant, got it. Thank you.
Baby Dragonblooded are both cute and often spoiled rotten. Pardis is both. Keris is probably getting contingency plans to steal her if anything happens to her mother.
As for the Lei Mei plan... do ho ho. I know how this ends.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She does have her veil, which promises a terrible, awful doom for anyone who tries to harm her while she's acting as an emissary or messenger. And, you know, also Keris would fucking murder anyone who hurt her.
Oh, Pardis. She's really not at all capable of standing up to Keris as she is now - not when Keris is being Social Tsunami Keris and pulling her in with sweet tidal currents and the sheer oceanic weight of her personality, applying Exotic Beauty Style by being a mysterious older lady who dresses in fashions Pardis has never seen before and is accompanied by strange and super-cool new people roughly her own age.
It's very unfair.
(Much like baby Keris vs Sasi was. Oh Keris. The circle has closed. You have become the master.)
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
A little late reply about the session before the latest one, but I would like point out one important thing about future Elloge Charms for Eko: While it seems that they will supplement Eko's blood-thematics, as well as probably give her better means to communicate, I think one point was wholly missed in the couple of posts that talked about them.
On the latest session, I liked a lot the whole plant-nerding-out section, but the part with the bow was kind of jaw-dropping with the context, as my thoughts were basically "...This is a 2CD-ish being with a just-crafted non-artifact, non-panoply bow (well, except for the tongue-sash-bowstring), trying it out for the first time. What happens when she is a fully grown up 3CD with the bow as a fully integrated panoply-artifact? ...What kind of scenario would get Calesco to use it with its full might in the first place against a non-peer opponent?"
Or something along those lines anyway. Because I bet that as Calesco grows in her power, its very likely that she will also grow even more hesitant and careful on how often she uses that power as a blunt instrutment. For now, she might take on mortal opponents in a fight if she truly feels that she needs to do it, like we saw with her and the illuminationists. But I'm pretty sure that being so powerful that mortals basically cannot oppose her on their own on a meaningful level, at least in her themes if she puts her mind into it? It would make someone like her exhaust all other options before resorting to brute force, as I think her nature would let her see herself very easily falling into the same kind of casual cruelty that most of the Unquestionables and their souls commit, all to strive towards whatever goal their own natures compels them to seek.
Eko clearly wants (or will want) all dat sweet, sweet Ellogean-shipping-Charmtech, all to be a better annoying big-sis / eldest daughter who pushes her dating advice to the rest of her family (with varying amounts of poking fun at them), whatever they want it or not. Which I'm looking forward to very eagerly, if my analysis happens to be correct.
On the latest session, I liked a lot the whole plant-nerding-out section, but the part with the bow was kind of jaw-dropping with the context, as my thoughts were basically "...This is a 2CD-ish being with a just-crafted non-artifact, non-panoply bow (well, except for the tongue-sash-bowstring), trying it out for the first time. What happens when she is a fully grown up 3CD with the bow as a fully integrated panoply-artifact? ...What kind of scenario would get Calesco to use it with its full might in the first place against a non-peer opponent?"
Or something along those lines anyway. Because I bet that as Calesco grows in her power, its very likely that she will also grow even more hesitant and careful on how often she uses that power as a blunt instrutment. For now, she might take on mortal opponents in a fight if she truly feels that she needs to do it, like we saw with her and the illuminationists. But I'm pretty sure that being so powerful that mortals basically cannot oppose her on their own on a meaningful level, at least in her themes if she puts her mind into it? It would make someone like her exhaust all other options before resorting to brute force, as I think her nature would let her see herself very easily falling into the same kind of casual cruelty that most of the Unquestionables and their souls commit, all to strive towards whatever goal their own natures compels them to seek.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, technically it's an Artifact 5 bowstring that's made for exactly this - the bow is only important insofar as it can handle the string (though it will probably develop into an artifact of its own with non-combat-enhancing powers after being fired ten thousand times). Eko can do some pretty scary shit with her knife that's on a similar level. But yeah. Being an archer is one of her central expressions that shape her core themes, and Adorjan gave her a 5-dot artifact for going wherever she likes and killing anything she wants that's archery-focused, so at the 3CD level she is a fucking terrifying archer.
Baughn
Healing-type writer
- Location
- Dublin
She'll have Keris to caution her against precisely that, based on her own not-really-past-life memories, so... yes. Yes, indeed.
greensun
You shall all burn beneath my light!!!
I can't wait for her to meet Hanyel. It'll be amazing.
Session 108
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Part 108 drops, and... well, it's probably not much of a spoiler to say that a demon lord drops with it.
It is, however, a spoiler to say that...
As a question for the class, since Parenthood is already the longest-by-wordcount arc in the game thus far by 36k words and probably still has at least a couple more sessions left in it... how are you finding it? Both the arc and the game in general? This has probably been the arc with the most major changes to Keris in narrative, circumstantial, relational and perhaps even characterisation terms. She's undergone several major revelations, specced into two new Yozis and a Pantheon-Anchored Charm tree, learned not one but two transformation-type Shintai where before she had none, given birth, met her brother and uncle and extended family, started her fracturing from Hell by officially subverting Dulmea and swearing against the Unquestionable and murdering a demon lord, found out her mother is dead, possibly picked up a new (Solar) boyfriendo... to name but a few. There's a lot here, in other words. I realise Kerisgame isn't an actual narrative story, but I'm still interested in critique as if it were, so... how are people enjoying the arc? Does anyone think it's dragging? Are there pacing issues? What elements don't you like, and what would you want more of? How do you feel all these big events and running subplots being handled? Are they all being given sufficient time and attention and tension and payoff?
Thoughts and feedback and effortposts are always greatly appreciated. I'll also ask @EarthScorpion to give his thoughts on the arc as a whole, partly because I'm interested and partly as a jumping-off point that may make others more comfortable giving their feelings or building off what he and I have said.
Extras, as per usual:
It is, however, a spoiler to say that...
... she drops to lamia-Keris. Who is a horrible thing to do to a demon lord. We get to see just how murderous she is, though we did in fact make a mistake here in that the (+Enlightenment) SNEK FORM boost counts as dice added by Charms and so it shouldn't be usable in concert with a full Excellency spend. Whoops.
(she'd have lost anyway to 22+ dice and lots of poison, though, so meh)
It's notable that Keris has really taken to "I'm a snake" much better than "I'm a murder wind", as a self-image thing. She's embraced "I am half snake" much more than "I am a wind", in the sense that Scarlet Rapture Shintai is what she does, while Twin Souls Synthesis is what she is. This is probably because, as she sees it, Pekhijira is her, while Eko is her daughter. One is her power, the other is her soul's power that she's borrowing - it's an interesting view of Keris that she doesn't consider many of her Charms to be her own. When she uses Green Sun Nimbus Flare she's burning things with Haneyl's fire, when she uses Attention-Holding Grace or Beauty-Over-Truth she's surrounding herself with Rathan's light. It's an interesting paradigm that could potentially allow her to learn charms she personally can't think her way into using, but her souls could - if she wanted to learn Factual Determination Analysis, for instance, she might be able to have Rathan develop it and then call on his sense of justice.
Before that, though, we see Firisutu! Keris's Eleventh Soul! Hah, yes, he's the [REDACTED] from that post a while back; a serf-become-soul who normally wouldn't be possible but in this case is - because he's the First Demon She Ever Made, and that gives him enough plot resonance that he can piggyback-hijack a Principle she's been developing into a demon lord of its own ever since she found Baisha and put so much effort into setting up new lives for her people; fed further by the thought and planning she's been putting into taking over the Hui Cha, aiding the Gullites under Darling Yellow, building up a place of her own on Shuu Mua, etcetera. He's her first Psyche soul - and we can already see that he's quantifiably different from her Progeny; both weaker and also with no resemblance at all to the human form; unable to even remotely pass as human or even godblooded under any circumstances. He's also been "born" fully grown, and much more classically demonic. His Principle is, of course, her three-dot "Lead My People Well" - and based on the "E6 demon lords are the average, E7 ones tend to have bigger downsides or be harder to work with", his comparative weakness (at E5) may be why he's pretty much "easy mode" as it stands; happy to serve his empress and cause her less stress than her children.
Though her children may not be best-pleased to hear that he's appointed himself regent of their lands in their absence, lol.
We then have Asarin, who is turning out to be a hilarious BFF for Keris - "Aww, you're so nice to me, Keris. You're a good friend." - and then, sigh, goddamn fucking Adami turns back up.
I kid, I kid. I had a lot of fun with Keris's tsunning here. She's not as amused and willing to play along as she was last time, because in that setting her valuable people were far away and they were on his turf which she didn't mind getting broken if things turned bad, while this time he's come to her so it feels like he's the invading force, and on top of that he's near her squishy vulnerable weak spots; eg the rest of her entourage. So there's considerably less dere and rather more tsun, which Ney of course reacts to like the glorious asshole he is.
I particularly loved "a gentlemen would have been a week early" and "Hey, not all random washerwomen would be me. Some of them would be my legion of secret commando-scouts, also dressed as washerwomen.". : D
And so it looks like Keris is next heading to the capital - the one that a Twilight-caste naib has spent five years turning into "a wonder to live in"; there to pull off the assassination of a regional governor under his very nose. Which, heh, Ney is likely to get called in to investigate even if it looks innocent, because you want to be sure about these things. If he does find evidence that it was Keris but it's well-hidden, he may lie. If he genuinely can't find evidence that it was a murder and only knows it was because he knew Keris was going to do it beforehand... honestly, that might worry him, because that's frightening levels of assassination skill right there. I don't know how he'd react to that, save for probably wanting to make sure Keris left Malra relatively soon afterward.
(she'd have lost anyway to 22+ dice and lots of poison, though, so meh)
It's notable that Keris has really taken to "I'm a snake" much better than "I'm a murder wind", as a self-image thing. She's embraced "I am half snake" much more than "I am a wind", in the sense that Scarlet Rapture Shintai is what she does, while Twin Souls Synthesis is what she is. This is probably because, as she sees it, Pekhijira is her, while Eko is her daughter. One is her power, the other is her soul's power that she's borrowing - it's an interesting view of Keris that she doesn't consider many of her Charms to be her own. When she uses Green Sun Nimbus Flare she's burning things with Haneyl's fire, when she uses Attention-Holding Grace or Beauty-Over-Truth she's surrounding herself with Rathan's light. It's an interesting paradigm that could potentially allow her to learn charms she personally can't think her way into using, but her souls could - if she wanted to learn Factual Determination Analysis, for instance, she might be able to have Rathan develop it and then call on his sense of justice.
Before that, though, we see Firisutu! Keris's Eleventh Soul! Hah, yes, he's the [REDACTED] from that post a while back; a serf-become-soul who normally wouldn't be possible but in this case is - because he's the First Demon She Ever Made, and that gives him enough plot resonance that he can piggyback-hijack a Principle she's been developing into a demon lord of its own ever since she found Baisha and put so much effort into setting up new lives for her people; fed further by the thought and planning she's been putting into taking over the Hui Cha, aiding the Gullites under Darling Yellow, building up a place of her own on Shuu Mua, etcetera. He's her first Psyche soul - and we can already see that he's quantifiably different from her Progeny; both weaker and also with no resemblance at all to the human form; unable to even remotely pass as human or even godblooded under any circumstances. He's also been "born" fully grown, and much more classically demonic. His Principle is, of course, her three-dot "Lead My People Well" - and based on the "E6 demon lords are the average, E7 ones tend to have bigger downsides or be harder to work with", his comparative weakness (at E5) may be why he's pretty much "easy mode" as it stands; happy to serve his empress and cause her less stress than her children.
Though her children may not be best-pleased to hear that he's appointed himself regent of their lands in their absence, lol.
We then have Asarin, who is turning out to be a hilarious BFF for Keris - "Aww, you're so nice to me, Keris. You're a good friend." - and then, sigh, goddamn fucking Adami turns back up.
I kid, I kid. I had a lot of fun with Keris's tsunning here. She's not as amused and willing to play along as she was last time, because in that setting her valuable people were far away and they were on his turf which she didn't mind getting broken if things turned bad, while this time he's come to her so it feels like he's the invading force, and on top of that he's near her squishy vulnerable weak spots; eg the rest of her entourage. So there's considerably less dere and rather more tsun, which Ney of course reacts to like the glorious asshole he is.
I particularly loved "a gentlemen would have been a week early" and "Hey, not all random washerwomen would be me. Some of them would be my legion of secret commando-scouts, also dressed as washerwomen.". : D
And so it looks like Keris is next heading to the capital - the one that a Twilight-caste naib has spent five years turning into "a wonder to live in"; there to pull off the assassination of a regional governor under his very nose. Which, heh, Ney is likely to get called in to investigate even if it looks innocent, because you want to be sure about these things. If he does find evidence that it was Keris but it's well-hidden, he may lie. If he genuinely can't find evidence that it was a murder and only knows it was because he knew Keris was going to do it beforehand... honestly, that might worry him, because that's frightening levels of assassination skill right there. I don't know how he'd react to that, save for probably wanting to make sure Keris left Malra relatively soon afterward.
As a question for the class, since Parenthood is already the longest-by-wordcount arc in the game thus far by 36k words and probably still has at least a couple more sessions left in it... how are you finding it? Both the arc and the game in general? This has probably been the arc with the most major changes to Keris in narrative, circumstantial, relational and perhaps even characterisation terms. She's undergone several major revelations, specced into two new Yozis and a Pantheon-Anchored Charm tree, learned not one but two transformation-type Shintai where before she had none, given birth, met her brother and uncle and extended family, started her fracturing from Hell by officially subverting Dulmea and swearing against the Unquestionable and murdering a demon lord, found out her mother is dead, possibly picked up a new (Solar) boyfriendo... to name but a few. There's a lot here, in other words. I realise Kerisgame isn't an actual narrative story, but I'm still interested in critique as if it were, so... how are people enjoying the arc? Does anyone think it's dragging? Are there pacing issues? What elements don't you like, and what would you want more of? How do you feel all these big events and running subplots being handled? Are they all being given sufficient time and attention and tension and payoff?
Thoughts and feedback and effortposts are always greatly appreciated. I'll also ask @EarthScorpion to give his thoughts on the arc as a whole, partly because I'm interested and partly as a jumping-off point that may make others more comfortable giving their feelings or building off what he and I have said.
Extras, as per usual:
Aleph: Heh. When was the last time Keris was that bewildered?
EarthScorpion: It was probably Eko's fault.
Aleph: Heh. Well, hmm. Salina certainly managed it, with her casual "ah yes, young Yamal, he was barely into his second century".
Aleph: Which had Keris going "... wha... buh... tha... huh?" for a good half-minute or so
Aleph: Hee. This is the sort of thing Keris does to other people more often than the other way around.
...
EarthScorpion: Heh. Punch-drunk Eko wasn't meant to happen.
EarthScorpion: but I realised she's funniest when she's being kind of a dick
Aleph: And it's amusing when something genuinely does take her by surprise.
Aleph: She doesn't like it at all when that happens, and Firisutu's been nestled by the Spires this whole time, where she doesn't go all that often.
EarthScorpion: lawl
EarthScorpion: The thought occurs
EarthScorpion: that the fact that he doesn't like keruby and they don't like him means other demons have someone in their corner against the keruby priest-nobility.
Aleph: yup : P
...
EarthScorpion: Well, anyway, did you feel the flow was good? And the ascension of a demon? And the summoning stuff?
Aleph: Yeah, I liked Firisutu's emergence; that was a good start-off to get us into good flow through an RP segment. And the look at DB beckoning with demon lords was a nice setpiece. Loving the Cecelyne almost-demesne and the "jolly interesting" from Malek.
EarthScorpion: she's such an awful person
Aleph: : P
Aleph: I also liked every single one of the Things In Corners and most of the blood apes prostrating themselves as soon as Keris walked in.
Keris: "Aww, they know power when they see it."EarthScorpion: I rolled in secret for Per + Presence + Prince of Hell Style to see what they'd do when Keris walked in.
Aleph: Oh? What did she get?
EarthScorpion: 8.
Aleph: 8 on 12; nice.
...
EarthScorpion: So, Keris now has to deceive a demon lord
EarthScorpion: with pathetic politics
Aleph: Keris: "... time for MENDACILOQUENT MAVERICK, WHEEEE~"
Keris: "Also Rathan aura"EarthScorpion: Zanara: "For fuck's sake, Keris, buy more Politics."
Aleph: Keris: "But it's haaaaard. And I don't favour it. :c"
EarthScorpion: Zanara: "If you don't, I'll tell Hanny and Rathan that you're cheating them by leaning on them for it and then the three of us will go on strike."
Aleph: Keris: *whimpers pitifully, looks pleading*
EarthScorpion: Zanara: "You'll wind up owing us as many favours as you owe Eko. If not more."
Aleph: Keris: *is suddenly surrounded by books* "Okay so which one do you think would be best to learn Politics from?"
...
EarthScorpion: lol
EarthScorpion: Malfeas non-dancing Performance
Aleph: dammit zanara
Aleph: stop giving yourself extra arms to play more guitars at once
Aleph: sigh
Aleph: Zanara would totally answer a prayer from a young boy who had offended his family and the conservative values they held with his iconoclastic music
Aleph: and would indeed tell him to go to a city where the ocean met the sand
EarthScorpion: oh zanara
EarthScorpion: Or Vali, too, and Vali prefers metal. : p
Aleph: sigh
Aleph: yes
Aleph: Vali would definitely also be of that opinion.
EarthScorpion: "And then Vali and Zanara showed up to challenge a demon lord to a rock off contest."
Vali: "Wait, but aren't we..."EarthScorpion: (Zanara is the one saying that the demon lord can take Vali back to hell, on the grounds that he'll just break out if they do lose.)
Zanara: "Shhh! Don't ruin it and keep pretending to be god-blooded!"
Aleph: also because Zanara is teriblu
Aleph: sigh
Aleph: neither of them would be terribly scared, though
Aleph: Zanara: "I mean, if this goes totally belly-up we just call mama and she'll stab him to death."
...
Aleph: ... heh
Aleph: 3CD-Kerisi would quite like hobbits.
Aleph: She'd certainly adore Bilbo and Frodo.
Aleph: These tiny unassuming little creatures whose choices shaped the entire fate of Middle-Earth and ultimately brought down Sauron.
Aleph: ... she'd also like Gollum, of course. For the same reason.
EarthScorpion: You know it's quite possible that Keris wouldn't survive the ascension to Primordial - that she'd be consumed by the process, leaving only the pantheon.
Aleph: Oh, Kerisi wouldn't be Keris.
Aleph: Like, that's something I fully intend - the demon her hun soul would become would not be very human in a lot of ways. In a lot of ways she'd be less human than her children.
Aleph: She'd like Tom Riddle, too.
Aleph: That scene with Lilunu pretending to be a peasant springs to mind.
EarthScorpion: yes but alif that was literally something directly taken from what the french pre-revolution nobility did
Aleph: I am aware, yes
EarthScorpion: "In addition to her biological children, Marie Antoinette also adopted four children: "Armand" Francois-Michel Gagné (c. 1771-1792), a poor orphan adopted in 1776; Jean Amilcar (c. 1781-1793), a Senegalese slave boy given to the queen as a present by Chevalier de Boufflers in 1787, but whom she instead had freed, baptized, adopted and placed in a pension; Ernestine Lambriquet (1778-1813), daughter of two servants at the palace, who was raised as the playmate of her daughter and whom she adopted after the death of her mother in 1788; and finally "Zoe" Jeanne Louise Victoire (born in 1787), who was adopted in 1790 along with her two older sisters when her parents, an usher and his wife in service of the king, had died"
EarthScorpion: Kerissssssssssss
Aleph: But yeah, I do like Kerisi as a thing; a Third Circle whose statement is "small things can become great" and who adores little creatures who change the world - because that's not actually game!Keris. It's a demon defined by what game!Keris was; a peasant girl who became a Primordial - and moreover, it's one without the bits of her that are held by her children. One who therefore likes Tom Riddle and Gollum just as much as Steve Rogers or - heh - Sokka.
...
Aleph: Hee.
Aleph: Talking to Asarin recharged Keris's tsun batteries. : P
EarthScorpion: Keris has acquired:
Aleph: Hee~
- 3-dot demon soul artefact thing of Lei Mei
- 1 dot Dragonblooded Ally - Malek Qaja
- And honestly, her relationship with Ney has advanced to the point where he can probably be counted as a 1-dot Solar ally, to a large degree because Keris was the best sex he'd ever had and he's finding her a fun challenge mentally, physically and socially
EarthScorpion: And that's the Malek miniarc basically done.
Aleph: Yay! ^_^
EarthScorpion: Keris is off elsewhere into Malra, possibly even to the capital.
Aleph: Almost definitely the capital, because that's a one in three chance of finding her father and also the last man responsible for her mother's murder.
Aleph: So, uh
Aleph: that'll be interesting
EarthScorpion: Hee. Yes.
EarthScorpion: A place basically Inks + 5 years of teching up.
Aleph: : D
Keris: "It's so pretty!"EarthScorpion: Did you like the session? Everything feel ok? Any pacing issues, etc?
Keris: "... but also I envy the fuck out of it and it has my mother's murderer in it and also two major threats."
Keris: "I am conflicted. Hmm."
Aleph: Yeah, I liked! ^_^
Aleph: I think it started to drag once or twice, but it's probably for the best that we pushed through and got it finished.
EarthScorpion: Yes.
Aleph: Very satisfying Lei Mei conflict, and I always love Keris's tsuntsun episodes.
EarthScorpion: Yeah, I still need to work a bit on these resolution mechanics, but that was a test of them as a prototype of "each party has a goal for a scene and tries to get actions succeeding to advance their goal".
Aleph: yeah
Aleph: hee
EarthScorpion: lol keris
EarthScorpion: It says a lot about her that she slept with him on the first date, but when she realised it was a date and an ongoing relationship-thing now, she immediately got much more stand-offish.
Aleph: Well, it's more that he managed to charm her that first time, but now he's back to being annoying again.
EarthScorpion: lol
...
Aleph: Oh, I did wonder.
Aleph: I thought "stand still and let me kill you" wasn't an order you could give to bound demons?
EarthScorpion: That was just her grumbling to task bond demons.
EarthScorpion: You can't give them orders.
Aleph: Yeah, but when she started killing them shouldn't they have been able to fight back?
Aleph: A binding isn't able to give Unacceptable Orders.
EarthScorpion: They were, just... not very effectively.
EarthScorpion: Basically, they only fought back once she was attacking them, so she could fight them one at a time.
EarthScorpion: And they were extras so a grand daiklaive splats them.
Aleph: ah
...
Aleph: ... sigh. Keris and Haneyl are actually really creepy to be around when they're eating.
Aleph: Because neither of them are at all affected by vegetation-based Poison effects, and they find everything tasty so they aren't put off by extreme bitterness like a human is - or more accurately, their sense of taste doesn't recognise bitterness as a threat/bad thing.
Aleph: so they'll just
Aleph: casually put deadly nightshade into their salad
Aleph: because they like the flavour
Dynamesmouse
Bzzzzzz
There is a major problem with the Parenthood arc, namely, there is not enough Adami/Keris interactions. Literally unreadable.
pheonix89
Wants to be Seven Of Nine
- Location
- North American Plaguelands
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hahahaha that was great.
Keris taking out evil hellsnek by turning into a giant hellsnek was amazing.
Also nice reminder that 2CD+ demons have an entirely different relationship with death than mortals. And ex-mortals. The Tsun Sun had no issues with going to war against Lei Mei but the thought of hellsnek getting whacked seriously bothered her.
People will know that Lei Mei isn't dead, just very thoroughly imprisoned, when no replacement soul forms, right?
And goddamn is Lei Mei thoroughly imprisoned. Yeah, all that needs to be done to free her is destroy the gem. The gem that Keris has. Good luck with that part. Especially if she gives it to Pekhijira - as best I can tell that means that freeing Lei Mei requires either killing Keris or convincing Keris to get the gem from Pekhijira.
Keris taking out evil hellsnek by turning into a giant hellsnek was amazing.
Also nice reminder that 2CD+ demons have an entirely different relationship with death than mortals. And ex-mortals. The Tsun Sun had no issues with going to war against Lei Mei but the thought of hellsnek getting whacked seriously bothered her.
People will know that Lei Mei isn't dead, just very thoroughly imprisoned, when no replacement soul forms, right?
And goddamn is Lei Mei thoroughly imprisoned. Yeah, all that needs to be done to free her is destroy the gem. The gem that Keris has. Good luck with that part. Especially if she gives it to Pekhijira - as best I can tell that means that freeing Lei Mei requires either killing Keris or convincing Keris to get the gem from Pekhijira.
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So, here are some unordered opinions about the arc:
-Keris tracking down her home visit and learning about her roots felt super satisfying after all the build up and was totally enjoyable.
-The search for her parents so far feels less awesome. The ghost of her mom hasnt really added anything to the story yet and I actually managed to forget that her dad is still possibly alive before this chapter. The whole "figure out which of these dudes is your father" thing sounds like a fun setup though. Even if it probably wont play out as hilariously as I imagine since both Xasan and Ghostmom are here to spoil the investigation.
-This vacation that just ended was a bit weirdly placed. Keris sitting around and planning gifts just feels a bit off considering the current bigger arc, even if the new characters were fun and there is a decent in-story reason for the rest.
-I think Malfeas and especially the Althing is like the coolest set piece ever, so all the time spent away from it makes me a bit sad.
-I dont really enjoy Ney. His first big scene was fun because Keris doesnt get to "fight" with peer opponents often enough and both of them had actual goals for the conversation, but that recent scene was just aimless flirting while both of them act like excessively obnoxious human beings. It is a matter of taste of course but all the Tsuning makes me want to just glance over stuff until he leaves the scene.
-Rathan totally improved leaps and bounds over earlier and now he is pretty much my favourite child.
-Keris tracking down her home visit and learning about her roots felt super satisfying after all the build up and was totally enjoyable.
-The search for her parents so far feels less awesome. The ghost of her mom hasnt really added anything to the story yet and I actually managed to forget that her dad is still possibly alive before this chapter. The whole "figure out which of these dudes is your father" thing sounds like a fun setup though. Even if it probably wont play out as hilariously as I imagine since both Xasan and Ghostmom are here to spoil the investigation.
-This vacation that just ended was a bit weirdly placed. Keris sitting around and planning gifts just feels a bit off considering the current bigger arc, even if the new characters were fun and there is a decent in-story reason for the rest.
-I think Malfeas and especially the Althing is like the coolest set piece ever, so all the time spent away from it makes me a bit sad.
-I dont really enjoy Ney. His first big scene was fun because Keris doesnt get to "fight" with peer opponents often enough and both of them had actual goals for the conversation, but that recent scene was just aimless flirting while both of them act like excessively obnoxious human beings. It is a matter of taste of course but all the Tsuning makes me want to just glance over stuff until he leaves the scene.
-Rathan totally improved leaps and bounds over earlier and now he is pretty much my favourite child.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Given that Keris is letting her mom take the wheel for the assassination, I don't think Ney has to worry about it being subtle.
Also, I look forward to seeing the Psyche Soul formed by her relationship.with him. Especially if she also forms one for Testolagh.
...kind of picturing the Sasi-linked soul just pinning both of them under her front sphinx-paws like wayward kittens now.
Also, I look forward to seeing the Psyche Soul formed by her relationship.with him. Especially if she also forms one for Testolagh.
...kind of picturing the Sasi-linked soul just pinning both of them under her front sphinx-paws like wayward kittens now.
- Location
- Queensland, Australia
Firstly? I've been loving this story. Like usual.
Ney and their relationship is highly amusing, and makes me very interested in seeing how it'll develop in the future. It's nice seeing Keris pick up new things ,and then using them to great effect. And I absolutely love seeing the kids and all the family bonding/development that is happening this arc.
That said, two complaints.
1. The narrative for this arc can be a bit disjointed at times. I mean, sure everything flows well and there's no jumping all over the place leaving you wondering how the hell this thing is connected to that thing... But sometimes you are left wondering why'd Keris go for/do this and not that which feels like it would have flowed better. But that can come down to personal mindset/etc, things like that. As well, we already know that even in real life, things don't necessarily perfectly flow. Hell, sometimes they definitely don't. So that's really just a 'You two aren't perfect gods of writing' complaint, not a serious one.
2. You call this a single arc. Honestly, this feels more like two arcs really. The first one is finding her birthplace, learning about her family, etc, etc. The second one probably starts somewhere around when Keris gives birth. Not sure where exactly, and if it's before or after that. Hell, it might have been once Keris sent her brother and his family off on the trip to the South-West and started the focused hunt for her parents.
I suspect things might flow better/etc/you get the idea, if there were two arcs. The first being a 'Finding Yourself' arc, where Keris learns who she is, and where she came from. The second arc being... Well, Parenthood. Both finding her parents and being a parent.
And that's really all I can say/think of right now. Looking forward to the next chapter!
Ney and their relationship is highly amusing, and makes me very interested in seeing how it'll develop in the future. It's nice seeing Keris pick up new things ,and then using them to great effect. And I absolutely love seeing the kids and all the family bonding/development that is happening this arc.
That said, two complaints.
1. The narrative for this arc can be a bit disjointed at times. I mean, sure everything flows well and there's no jumping all over the place leaving you wondering how the hell this thing is connected to that thing... But sometimes you are left wondering why'd Keris go for/do this and not that which feels like it would have flowed better. But that can come down to personal mindset/etc, things like that. As well, we already know that even in real life, things don't necessarily perfectly flow. Hell, sometimes they definitely don't. So that's really just a 'You two aren't perfect gods of writing' complaint, not a serious one.
2. You call this a single arc. Honestly, this feels more like two arcs really. The first one is finding her birthplace, learning about her family, etc, etc. The second one probably starts somewhere around when Keris gives birth. Not sure where exactly, and if it's before or after that. Hell, it might have been once Keris sent her brother and his family off on the trip to the South-West and started the focused hunt for her parents.
I suspect things might flow better/etc/you get the idea, if there were two arcs. The first being a 'Finding Yourself' arc, where Keris learns who she is, and where she came from. The second arc being... Well, Parenthood. Both finding her parents and being a parent.
And that's really all I can say/think of right now. Looking forward to the next chapter!
The Phoenixian
The Glacier Witch
- Location
- My own little world
Pffffft. Wow. I was hilariously wrong in my guess as to who the [Redacted] psyche soul would be. Though Firisutu ascending does raise the question once again of whether or not any of the Progney soul's second circles will be drawn from the ranks of Keruby.
Also that has to be just insult to injury for Eko: Not only can her Sziomkeruby not ascend, but even Mom's dumb monkey skull beat them to the punch, and it outright became a demon lord to do so.
Story structure wise, I don't have any detailed analysis but the difference in challenge due to Keris facing more peer opponents is quite notable. It's an interesting and refreshing change of pace.
Also that has to be just insult to injury for Eko: Not only can her Sziomkeruby not ascend, but even Mom's dumb monkey skull beat them to the punch, and it outright became a demon lord to do so.
Story structure wise, I don't have any detailed analysis but the difference in challenge due to Keris facing more peer opponents is quite notable. It's an interesting and refreshing change of pace.
I like this arc a lot, especially the babies and Ney.
I am very much looking forward to seeing Sasi and Hanyl again, though.
Maryam...is it intentional that she's mainly felt by her absence? it seems like Keris is trying very hard not to think about ghostmom whenever she doesn't have to.
I am very much looking forward to seeing Sasi and Hanyl again, though.
Maryam...is it intentional that she's mainly felt by her absence? it seems like Keris is trying very hard not to think about ghostmom whenever she doesn't have to.
I don't blame her. It's been established (and Keris realizes) that Maryam doesn't care about her anymore. That's the sort of thing that nobody really likes to dwell on.
- Location
- oregon, usa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The length of the chapters/parts/sessions is, a bit of an issue, for a narrative piece. That last part was 17k words and could likely have been two separate sections. One part given to the summoning and subduing Lei Mei, and a second to the interaction with Ney.
That aside, the present format, on AO3, is leagues improved from the google doc's endless scrolling potential, and this is not a true narrative piece, so, I am quite a bit more forgiving of such long chapters than I might otherwise be.
That aside, the present format, on AO3, is leagues improved from the google doc's endless scrolling potential, and this is not a true narrative piece, so, I am quite a bit more forgiving of such long chapters than I might otherwise be.
I've really enjoyed this arc, though I did think of it as a pre-Baisha arc and a post-Baisha arc.
It feels like a lot of lingering plot threads are being resolved, and the story is moving onto something new. This feeling is helped by Keris facing peer opponents for the first time.
I do miss Haneyl and Sasi, and it feels like Maryam hasn't done much. I know that Keris is avoiding her because of the... situation... but it felt like something that was going to be a large focus when she was possessed, and then Maryam just sat in the coffin.
I definitely like Rathan more than I did before.
Keris has been so out of her comfort-zone and stressed that it will be interesting to see her do something as familiar to her as an assassination.
It feels like a lot of lingering plot threads are being resolved, and the story is moving onto something new. This feeling is helped by Keris facing peer opponents for the first time.
I do miss Haneyl and Sasi, and it feels like Maryam hasn't done much. I know that Keris is avoiding her because of the... situation... but it felt like something that was going to be a large focus when she was possessed, and then Maryam just sat in the coffin.
I definitely like Rathan more than I did before.
Keris has been so out of her comfort-zone and stressed that it will be interesting to see her do something as familiar to her as an assassination.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
As a whole, while I've found this arc to be the most interesting one to read thus far, it also feels like a foreshadowing-arc for the very likely coming arc of "Keriskanda, the Land With (Better) Blackjack. And Hookers!" I mean, Keris keeps getting hit with all these ways that come from Marla being a Celestial-Exalt -led nation with all these impressive and beautiful things, she has been tying up the final loose ends about her past, while also picking up strays to take home with her at an unsuistainable rate if she want to keep being as mobile as she has been till now. With all those people depending on her, and her ambitions driving her, it seems to me that the days of her being a murderhobo are slowly starting to be behind her, at least for the most part.
On more specific things, the relationship between Rathan and Calesco as bickering siblings that are starting to tolerate each other to some extent as they grow up has been wonderfully amusing to read, as well as the revelation of Keris having been secretely a tsundere this whole time, and her interactions shaped according to it with Ney. (The legend tells that if five tsunderes of demonic orgin and with each the power that of or equaling that of a demon prince gather together, a path to the sixth one residing in a world far away from Creation will appear. #DesperatelyWantingToSeeKerisgameAGSITVCrossoverSpinOff)
But about the last session: if I had one minor irration, I was severely dissapointed in the lack of huuubriiiiis by Keris regarding that wonderful suggestion by Zanara about using the pretty jewel to make her pretty lance even prettier snake-themed lance that would go along perfectly with her own naga-lamia shintai and other snake-themed bleedoff to her physical form via Pekhijira. I mean, she didn't even seem tempted like she was with the Shogunate art! Who cares about messing the remaking process of the lance and maybe getting an evil demon-lance that thirst for her blood (and/or Ligier or a spy of Orabilis getting a passing look at it and noticing something off), when you could make something so very fitting to thematics Keris has going on and at the same time relating to the irony on how she got the artifact-jewel in the first place.
That pro-Zanara rant aside, it had many parts that had me smirking, especially the whole snek-on-snek action. The irony warmed my heart up, which could be somewhat because I might have some grudge against those darn XCOM 2 Vipers disrupting my carefully laid out plans by snatching up my soldiers out into the open before starting to constrict them. Anyway, we also finally see at least some of that Malek's promoted amorality in action with the executions, which I think she didn't mean to show as she probably thought that Keris wouldn't mind her killing some brute 1CD mooks. Might be the reason why we haven't seen it before this, as Malek has probably figured out that Keris is actually a pretty compassionate hell-spawn, which isn't actually that rare in demons, even if it is usually adapted to the realities of Malfeas.
But yeah, the increased connections that Keris is starting to build up outside her "work-circle" of Malfeas/Reclamation and her own souls? Those have vastly improved the already-entertaining-session-records by giving us readers new interesting and deep characters and setting-locations to read about, while also tying Keris better to the setting itself at the Creation-side of things, at least IMHO. And relating to that, can't wait to see the Pirate-Empire-Builder -part to truly start!
On more specific things, the relationship between Rathan and Calesco as bickering siblings that are starting to tolerate each other to some extent as they grow up has been wonderfully amusing to read, as well as the revelation of Keris having been secretely a tsundere this whole time, and her interactions shaped according to it with Ney. (The legend tells that if five tsunderes of demonic orgin and with each the power that of or equaling that of a demon prince gather together, a path to the sixth one residing in a world far away from Creation will appear. #DesperatelyWantingToSeeKerisgameAGSITVCrossoverSpinOff)
But about the last session: if I had one minor irration, I was severely dissapointed in the lack of huuubriiiiis by Keris regarding that wonderful suggestion by Zanara about using the pretty jewel to make her pretty lance even prettier snake-themed lance that would go along perfectly with her own naga-lamia shintai and other snake-themed bleedoff to her physical form via Pekhijira. I mean, she didn't even seem tempted like she was with the Shogunate art! Who cares about messing the remaking process of the lance and maybe getting an evil demon-lance that thirst for her blood (and/or Ligier or a spy of Orabilis getting a passing look at it and noticing something off), when you could make something so very fitting to thematics Keris has going on and at the same time relating to the irony on how she got the artifact-jewel in the first place.
That pro-Zanara rant aside, it had many parts that had me smirking, especially the whole snek-on-snek action. The irony warmed my heart up, which could be somewhat because I might have some grudge against those darn XCOM 2 Vipers disrupting my carefully laid out plans by snatching up my soldiers out into the open before starting to constrict them. Anyway, we also finally see at least some of that Malek's promoted amorality in action with the executions, which I think she didn't mean to show as she probably thought that Keris wouldn't mind her killing some brute 1CD mooks. Might be the reason why we haven't seen it before this, as Malek has probably figured out that Keris is actually a pretty compassionate hell-spawn, which isn't actually that rare in demons, even if it is usually adapted to the realities of Malfeas.
But yeah, the increased connections that Keris is starting to build up outside her "work-circle" of Malfeas/Reclamation and her own souls? Those have vastly improved the already-entertaining-session-records by giving us readers new interesting and deep characters and setting-locations to read about, while also tying Keris better to the setting itself at the Creation-side of things, at least IMHO. And relating to that, can't wait to see the Pirate-Empire-Builder -part to truly start!
Incidentally, correct there - Rosseah was his first sensei and later his friend. They were willing to stay with him and try to get him out, rather than escape - which they could probably have managed. So, yeah, they Lunar Bond'd the tie to him, but that was their choice for their student, not anything forced.
Session 109
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So I'd like to make it clear that this session was in fact played out on the 5th-6th; before most of the discussion on how Maryam hasn't been showing up much. So, you know. There's been the expected amount of behind-the-scenes giggling going on between us. It was going to be longer, but the second half of the session was basically just shit, so we scrapped most of it and decided that this would be a fair, nuanced and hilarious rational place for a cliffhanger session break.
Aren't we nice? : 3
Enjoy Part 109, suckers.
Extras:
Aren't we nice? : 3
Enjoy Part 109, suckers.
Extras: