[x] Harmuph must be alerted. They are the only ones with the manpower to encircle and subdue such a horde. Take Chariot on an endless Natural Energy maintained sprint the whole way.
[X] If it really must come to violence, I will protect those I love.
[X] [Dream within the Forest]
- [x] Continue trying to gain some control over the hardness of your body.
[X] [Cleaver of Fortune]
- [X] The words of guidance are fickle and seemingly random. Try to get a handle on how to control or at least steer them.
[X] [Brave Blood]
- [X] The Pithe Resonance might one day be used to predict your opponents motions with split second precision and perhaps even more, work towards that lofty goal.
[X] Keep focusing on Mace/Shield training.
[X] Defensive
Okay, well its pretty clear which immediate choices have won.
Power Training choices are dead even tied, so if that doesn't change I'll just pick the most popular sub-option amongst the lot of them when that comes up (not in 1.9).
For those interested in how I use the Tally system for sub-options under normal circumstances. Top option count to decide winning option, then sub-option count to find winning sub-option within. Ctrl-C Ctrl-F Ctrl-V is my friend.
So for example if [Dream] was split 7 for choice A and 6 for choice B, and [Brave] was 9 for Choice A and 1 for Choice B. [Dream] wins because it has 13 total votes to [Brave]'s 10, and then [Dream] Choice A wins because its most popular in that category. This means its entirely appropriate to vote for a sub-option without voting for its top option. Sort of a "I don't want this, but if it wins the total count then I'd prefer to work on this sub-option at least" vote. This would mean your vote doesn't help that option win, but if it does win, your sub-option vote does count to what gets chosen.
...
Vote for 1.9 is now closed.
I just did some initial rolls for next chapter and holy f*ck... of all the times for a Crit 1…
…Well, the dice will fall where they may. It's out of the player's hands now, hope our choices serve Lilly well.
In any case, now I can take some time to review some aspects of the last update and character sheet from BEFORE Werewolf Central happened.
I'm glad that Mathew respects and appreciates our desire for privacy…but now we've discovered that the stakes get even higher if we're found out. This is going to be a continuing pattern as we get stronger.
I'm a bit concerned about Mathew being able to tell when our level-ups will happen (and which aspect is getting leveled up). I know that it's very helpful for him (and us) as a trainer, but one day he's going to detect that we have an Oath power or something and start asking some pointed questions.
If I'm relating things to the character sheet correctly, an expansion is getting a new subability within a Level, while a Dynamic Shift is unlocking the next Level of abilities. Mathew's explanation seemed to indicate that people have been known to have at least 40 expansions over the course of their life, but it's very rare to get a Dynamic Shift. It is…not rare for us, to say the least.
I think that Oaken Core used to be a Level 0 ability, but then it shifted to a Level 2 ability when we upgraded to wooden skin. If I had to guess, the wooden skin was enough of a deviation from our baseline that Oaken Core now fit the "In thy Likeness" category.
…We are a Tier 100 Ascendant Singer right off the bat!? Is there someone with a dedicated Singer ethos that we just upstaged by accident? The most I can think is that another Ethos is better suited to singing what people want to hear, rather than inducing a specific emotion. ("Sweetie, when we hired you to sing at the bar, we were looking for some light entertainment, not providing an introspection into the soul that causes patrons to rethink their lives and give up drinking.")
Looks like Mom and Lilly have some irreconcilable differences, but at least they know where the other stands without confusion. I think that the wolf invasion might help Lilly convince Mom that danger is coming whether one is ready or not, and Lilly has chosen to be the one who is ready.
I don't think The Ladder will intentionally deceive Lilly or that it has a secret agenda. What I do think is that it doesn't really care about anyone other than Lilly. If Lilly wants to get a better relationship with a family member, her wish is its command, but if the path to getting what Lilly wants at the moment involves hurting or emotionally manipulating others (i.e. punching her friend in the face), then that's what it will provide.
So, Fate magic has few defenses, even for higher-level threats. Might be useful when looking to fight a god…or godling.
Ah, The Ladder can act as an unprompted Danger Sense. That is extremely helpful to avoid surprise attacks.
I'll fully explain things once you and Mathew get a chance to talk about how it all works if you live through tonight.
But expansions = level ups. (Just makes everything slightly better)
Milestone expansions = level ups with a new ability (which is every time for Lilly so far). Mathew said this happens about one in five normally. So you'd expect a Level 50 to have 10ish.
Dynamic Shifts = level ups where the core stats of your Ethos significantly improve in some way (Lilly gained Directed Pithe Shaping), about once every 30 levels on average. Lilly got one on her 5th level up.
Up to 40 you can reasonably expect someone to be the same level as their age, after that all kinds of special conditions and restrictions start really narrowing the field. Mathew said Lilly shouldn't expect to ever top level 50. But there are some famous people presumably well past 100. Ethos are not the only magic system at work in this world though, so using someones level to estimate strength is a poor metric.
That's only your natural singing that is tier 100. So you can sing at peak human ability. You need the {True Song} to push past that. There are dedicated singer Ethos yes, and they are more impressive. You actually have access to a couple of them on your unlock roster now.
Cirella the Siren has a memetic song capable of sharing harm between all who are currently singing it in a wide field, frequently used to share damage between 1000 soldiers at a time rendering them nigh invincible for example. She also has more than 10 other music based abilities.
For those interested in how I use the Tally system for sub-options under normal circumstances. Top option count to decide winning option, then sub-option count to find winning sub-option within. Ctrl-C Ctrl-F Ctrl-V is my friend.
13 people have voted
[X] [Dream within the Forest]
13 people have voted
[X] [Cleaver of Fortune]
13 people have voted
[X] [Brave Blood]
10 people have voted
- [x] Continue trying to gain some control over the hardness of your body.
10 people have voted
- [X] The Pithe Resonance might one day be used to predict your opponents motions with split second precision and perhaps even more, work towards that lofty goal.
9 people have voted
- [X] The words of guidance are fickle and seemingly random. Try to get a handle on how to control or at least steer them.
3 people have voted
- [X] The 'Weight' you can throw around is minuscule, but maybe it can be grown?
2 people have voted
- [X] Return to the site of your first awakening. Try to reconnect with the serenity and peace of the Dream.
I half-suspect the tie happened for the simple reason of the choice lacking the "pick one" side-note, instead treating as a set of priorities for the future in case a decision needs to be made in the middle of an update. I don't know if you meant it this way, but this is how it came across to me. Thus people picked all of them, creating a tie.
When counting by line, you can further make things easier for you if you mark the suboptions with a prefix that would instantly let you know which option it refers to.
This lets you know the winner in each category at-a-glance, without requring you to verify every vote. This is what it would look like:
13 people have voted
[X] [Dream within the Forest]
13 people have voted
[X] [Cleaver of Fortune]
13 people have voted
[X] [Brave Blood]
10 people have voted
- [x] [DwtF] Continue trying to gain some control over the hardness of your body.
10 people have voted
- [X] [BB] The Pithe Resonance might one day be used to predict your opponents motions with split second precision and perhaps even more, work towards that lofty goal.
9 people have voted
- [X] [CoF] The words of guidance are fickle and seemingly random. Try to get a handle on how to control or at least steer them.
3 people have voted
- [X] [CoF] The 'Weight' you can throw around is minuscule, but maybe it can be grown?
2 people have voted
- [X] [DwtF] Return to the site of your first awakening. Try to reconnect with the serenity and peace of the Dream.
The winners of the category will be at the top, followed by the most popular suboptions.
Ctrl+F also runs the risk of counting votes twice since people repost their new votes instead of altering old ones, because the tally software only counts the last vote (and if you just silently change your old vote a couple pages back, chances are no one will notice and retally).
When counding by line, you can also make things easier for you if you mark the suboptions with a prefix that would instantly let you know which option it refers to.
I'm crying of laughter, because I only just implemented this in 1.9, I even used the precise same acronyms as in your example
Just in time too, because there are 6 separate votes across a total of 27 different total options, so I might have cried blood sorting things otherwise.
I'll add a note to the Power Priority votes to go for your favourites. As it is the most popular sub-options amongst them still win, so I guess its not that bad.
Figured it out after 1.1 which I think I just counted by hand. I can't believe I was willing to do it by hand the whole way when I started this thing 3 weeks ago.
...Ohhhhh, you were more asking us to pick our favorite 1 of 9, not our favorite 1 of 3 for each power. I think my first vote started everyone off with my assumption, which made things very confusing on your end. My apologies.
You can pick any combiantion of power options and sub-options. So I might vote for [Dream] and my favourite two sub-options. I might also vote not for [Brave Blood], but for my favourite sub-option under it for if it wins over [Dream].
I'm starting to think I've made this too complex. I might just make the specific sub-options the only things people vote for, just a flat 'most popular sub-option wins' situation...
I'll decide based on how the votes in 1.9 go whether to simplify the system or not.
I think voting directly for the specific sub-option might be a bit more intuitive than "I'm voting for Brave Blood but I don't care which". But we'll figure it out one way or another.
If you're willing to share, how bad an idea would having taken Form Fracture have been? Are there any other things we're locked out of now you might want to talk about?
I'll probably be a bit more open about that stuff once we leave Harmuph or it burns to the ground.
Taking [Form Fracture] put you one roll away from game over. Each level up option was hideously powerful and dysphoric meaning keeping a consistent sense of self would have been one of the main challenges.
Trying to do good without doing more harm in collateral would also have been a big issue. It also would have mutated future Ethea into far more hideous forms.
[X] Harmuph must be alerted. They are the only ones with the manpower to encircle and subdue such a horde. Take Chariot on an endless Natural Energy maintained sprint the whole way.
[X] If it really must come to violence, I will protect those I love.
[X] Defensive
You begin to run toward the front door even as you draw in a lungful of air and through the {True Song} let a single high pitched "Eeep!" out into the Pithe Resonance.
The affirmative feedback reaches you as you slam open the front door, your projected instinctual warning waking everyone in the household with a subliminal awareness of just how much danger you are all in.
Your father is the first to burst out into the main room as you have already dashed over to the cupboards to find any knives worth using. You curse yourself for not trying to convince Mathew to leave you with a weapon, it just didn't seem important when you'd only be using them with him.
"Wolves! Lots. Too huge to be natural!" you yell as your brothers and mother also pour out of the rooms.
The hunger rippling through the Strands of Natural Energy seems to grow thicker without end. Your father stands looking out the front door and down to the pasture. You imagine he can probably see that Alpha onto its third or fourth meal by now, you only owned 15 heads of cattle to begin with.
"Never mind the knives girl! Everyone, to the workshop, NOW!" your father commands.
You bring your paltry collection bunched up in one hand as you and everyone else obeys.
As you each run out into the night and the short leg across to the workshop, you see the damage to your livelihood is even worse than you expected. The Alpha seems to taken its fill of food for now, which simply means it has set about the task of efficiently slaughtering every animal in the pasture, it will take years to recoup the cost.
Your father slows down to allow everyone into the workshop before him, saying "There is a Seal we can activate, we'll be safe for days," as you near the entrance.
You also slow to stop at that, a moment of indecision.
As your father notices you stop and looks at you franticly, your Will settles into an iron resolve.
This is it. This is the moment you've fantasised about since before you really even understood what heroes were. Right here, right now; this is where you decide what kind of woman you are.
Do you hide safely inside a Runeforged bunker? Let the children you grew up with and their parents be murdered a half-hours walk away?
Or do you ride out into the dangerous night? Push down your fears and risk it all for the chance to make a difference?
"Lilly! Get inside now!" your father almost screams. He reaches out to pull you inside with him, but you quickly step out of the way.
"What about everyone else?" you ask in a small quiet voice.
"Lilly! This isn't… the…" your father notices you are quite serious, he changes tack, "Listen. I know at least five families with a similar precaution, you don't have to-"
"There's more than thirty families in the valley," you cut him off. "Besides, I think that-" you gesture to the blood-crazed Alpha who has nearly finished its extermination, "-might be able to eat through anything short of magic."
You can do this. You can make a difference. You push down the fear that keeps trying to jump up again, you're ready, you're know you're ready… you hope you're ready.
The way forward becomes clear as you once more cut off some reply from your increasingly mournful father, "Chariot can sprint for hours with me astride, there's not a single person who get help faster than me."
Stand your ground. He knows you're correct. You do need push with guilt to fully convince him though, like {this}…
The revelation twists in your gut. The Phrase needed to get your way, you know the precise words necessary to make father relent and they make you sick in your stomach. The Words of Guidance are a true bastard.
Any strength your father has seems to leave him as he kneels down before you to lay his hands on your shoulders, begging, "Lilly, there'll be someone else… I promise it's- Y-You don't have to-"
But I guess I'm a true bastard too, because here I go…
"-Our neighbours won't get their daughters back from the grave tonight father," you say the words. You understand on some level why they would be so convincing, but there a deeper truth going on you are ignorant of.
Your father recoils as if struck, you know with the utter certainty only the Words can provide that the fight has been stolen from him. This doesn't feel noble, but the truth of why you need to go has not changed.
A silence passes between you both, before your father answers in defeat, "Straight to Harmuph. I mean it Lilly, no heroics."
How many more times in your life will you manipulate people with supernaturally empowered words? It is a victory tinged with regret, but you understand the importance of the task you are undertaking, "I understand father, I love you." It is a simple attempt at comfort, both of you know the journey will be a dangerous one.
"Aye daughter, and I-" your father's face suddenly contorts "-LOOK OUT!"
You spin around to see the Alpha careening toward you in full bounding strides, four seconds off.
You waste most of that time with simple shock. Just as you remember you are holding a small serving knife you are distracted by your father trying to step in front of you into the way of the charging monster. You push him aside as its full bulk slams into and carries you crashing against the workshop's outer wall.
The knife is dropped, your head ringing from the impact. You manage to recentre yourself just in time to see the wolf close its mouth over the back of your head and neck, spinning you round in another full-bodied slam against the wall. Pain blossoms all the way from your head down through your arms and legs, you don't know if anythings broken, but you are rattled and barely able to tell up from down as the giant creature begins thrashing you backwards and forwards through the air like a puppies' playtoy.
The Neck! You can reach its neck.
More than their actual content, the Words themselves appearing in your head help you refocus. Your body creaks and groans as the whiplash bends you to the limit back and forth, your skull creaking under the massive pressure of the jaws locked around it. Sharp stabbing teeth probe deep wherever they press. The pain is everywhere, you can't tell any of it apart.
But you can still call on {Pulse Surge}, with a single maximally compressed thrust from your left hand, you plunge a pointed jab into the thick throaty flesh. Clenching onto any purchase within that you can, you grip and rip back outwards on the following downbeat, wrenching out splattering pieces.
You are dropped and quickly scramble back onto your feet to try and defend yourself from the inevitable second attack. A whining cry fills the air as you now see the injured animal quickly backpedalling a few paces from you, a blunt puncture wound freely bleeding black viscous blood at the base of its throat. It clumps onto the ground like dark mud more so than any natural blood.
You think your left hand might be broken, the animal's flesh was unnaturally solid and you punched past {Pulse Surges'} ordinary limits. Blood coats your clothes, your right hand comes away wet and a slick red when you press it against the back of your head. You feel a little light and dizzy. You don't know where anyone else is and you don't have time to look away, this thing is strong and fast.
Indeed, much to your dismay the Alpha eyes you hungrily once more, clearly still intent on finishing things. The Natural Energy makes no sense around it, like its natural instincts are screaming that it should run away but being summarily ignored. It's wounded, but arguably you are even worse off, you are not sure this is a fight you can win. You hum a gentle {tune} when the panic begins to rise, ebbing it back down to a dull ache in your stomach rather than something crippling. You really wish there was some distraction to help you.
Unfortunately, your wish is granted in the worst possible way.
You must have been carried some distance from the workshop while in the wolf's jaw, because your father only just catches up to the two of you now, charging with a runemarked axe in his hand. But your opponent proves to be of quick wit, quickly dashing at him faster than you can give chase. By some divine fortune, in that short distance before you can rejoin the fray all that happens is your father's axe being yanked away in the Alpha's jaw leaving him disarmed but unharmed.
Somehow this thing has combat instincts far surpassing an animal, unexpectedly twisting and slamming its rump against you as you reach them, sending you in a short backward tumble. You are back on your feet immediately, just fast enough to witness your father's left arm be ripped clean off from the elbow down. He crumples as a red fountain spurts out from the stump.
"Yaaaarrr!!" you fly through the air lunging off a {Pulse Surged} jump to land on the wolf's back, frantically clawing out its eyes with your bare hands. You do more damage to your broken hand in the process, but that is the furthest thing from your mind as you imagine this thing further savaging your father. You are buckled and thrown far off as its shrill cries echo out. In an act of uncharacteristic grace you twist and land already standing.
Every part of you wants to rush and help your father, who lies barely moving a short distance away. He's alive; the Strands tell you that much. But the creature is wounded, not down. The bleeding ruins of its eye sockets still somehow track you sluggishly, the danger is not passed.
"Just go away!" you scream. "I don't want to fight you!"
There are no more sounds from the Alpha, its natural instincts still present but no more effectual and being heard than in the beginning. This fight is to the death, though perhaps for one of you that would be a mercy. Whatever did this to these creatures deserves the most wretched punishment.
Your sense of 'Weight' tinges slightly into a tone of unseen danger, you're not sure what it-
Another on your left, 10 seconds.
No!
How did you miss it until now? Without taking your eyes off the first, you indeed can see another Alpha fast approaching side on.
You can't do it. It's impossible. One has nearly killed you and even blinded still unerringly prowls waiting for its chance to strike should your guard slip. You can't even save yourself, let alone your father. And once the two of you are gone, did your father seal the workshop before running after you? Or will your mother and brothers be next?
The grim certainty of the future ahead becomes clear. You will all die screaming, the first among hundreds tonight. Your blood chills as you let out a warbling cry at the injustice of this dark night. You call on any power, any patron, no matter the price, who might rescue you.
You'll never know how you managed it, but you feel the {True Song} twist and splinter into harsh hateful fragments. The Song is silenced and broken, but first; a {Note} escapes you that is not a sound, it cannot be heard by natural ears, yet it is more than sharp enough to rupture your eardrums.
And everyone else's.
The sharp note rushes out in an invisible wave to strike the oncoming Alpha right as it prepared for the final pounce, taking it completely off guard and aborting its leap into a failed tumbling mess, pockmarks of black oozing blood erupting from under several places on its body.
This is not the time for hesitation or self-preservation. Running forward the short intervening distance, you compress the {Pulse Surge} harder than it should ever go. The Resonance screeches in offense as you stretch the Pattern almost to the point of breaking, bringing your already partially hurt left arm down onto the head of the discombobulated creature.
The air cracks like a whip from your blurred strike. Even prepared for the incredible pain, it still shocks you. You practically piledrive the skull partway into the earth. You feel your shoulder wrench and dislocate as most of the bones up your arm shatter along with the cranium of your would-be attacker.
You dimly note your Ethea feeling an intense sensation of satisfaction, but your mind is on far more important things.
You quickly pull your arm out of the crumpled mess and spin expecting an ambush from your first assailant during your short moment of distraction. But as you take in the stumbling pitiful creature amidst the eerie silence of your hearing loss, it is quite clear it had been relying on its ears to track you without eyes. Blind and deaf, it is lost and vulnerable. Your inflicted wound to its neck has finally began to slow it significantly, its movements becoming sluggish without the constant adrenaline of battle.
A bitter piece of you considers leaving it as it is to suffer. But your heart softens at the sight of your glassy eyed but still very much alive father blinking in delirious confusion. The wolf is not to blame, whoever twisted it is. A piece of sharp bone from the second wolf is in your shattered hand, taking it in your good arm you walk up to the slowly dying creature. It is a simple matter to slip inside its non-existent guard and slit the throat.
You feel strange.
Committing an act of mercy, yet ironically finding the grizzly task easy for the fact that you are ending something that hurt your kin. When you imagined what it would be like to kill, satisfaction was not the emotion you'd prepared yourself for and you're not sure what it says about you that that is what you feel. Killing should be hard, but the girl who retched at illusory blood yesterday has evaporated like morning dew held up to the sun, you are a natural.
The pain in your ruined limb is insane, yet you can feel the [Dream Within the Forest] providing a strange serenity, the shock lingers at the edge of your consciousness but cannot grow. You can persist in this slightly mellowed state indefinitely.
The danger finally passed, you give one last very thorough scan of the horizon, you would be a true fool to try and help your father and inadvertently doom both of you for lack of caution. The initial wave has passed you by, no others are nearby. A brief act of concentration, [Cleaver of Fortune]'s tone agrees.
Your father has been blearily clutching at the stump of his still bleeding arm, you see his eyes regain some sharpness as you place your hands on him. Unlike with Mathew, there is no need to push open the channel between you and father at all, Natural Energy flows along a link that has existed since your conception. You still shove at the throttle willing it to pour forth all that it can, though you don't know if it makes any extra difference.
You knew even while facing the wolf he was not in immediate danger of death, that much was clearly visible within the Strands surrounding him, but now that you gain a sense of his body's state it is evident he would not have lasted the night. His eardrums are burst, your doing, though with the amount of Natural Energy you are pushing out that will hopefully change soon. You need to get his arm bandaged; the bleeding is far beyond your ability to reverse.
You cannot make out the words, but you think you see his lips say "Workshop" amongst others. Helping your father to his feet, the two of you slowly make your way back toward the Workshop's open doors. Your family was indeed unprotected and in mortal danger. You idly note all sense of panic or fear is somehow muted and deafened, your ability to feel rendered distant. It is more than just the simply mellowing of the [Dream]. You don't know the cause, but right now you welcome it.
Partway back you see Zach running to meet you, followed closely behind by your brothers. There's barely heard shouting and cries all around you as you are both lead back inside. At some point your mother is by your side too wiping matted blood from your eyes and hair. Your hearing returns a few minutes later in your left and then very soon after right ear.
You pick up the gist of what happened, Zach and Micah were busy restraining Marcus who wanted to help you fight whilst mother at first tried to figure out how to activate the Rune Seal, eventually giving up into fetal sobbing when it became clear she could not do it.
Though still not fully awake, your father manages to communicate that he wants someone to pry a white gem from a heavy lump of wood over in the far corner. When it is retrieved and placed in his hands, all bleeding immediately stops. It does not heal him, but prevents further loss. You can feel your (slow) healing able to work more effectively.
The Rune Seal is activated, the entire outside of the workshop slowly melds in a single solid barrier of wood with no seams, bright mutli-coloured glyphs releasing a consistent dim light, though you use candles for proper illumination.
Safe. You let out an unnecessary breath of air, somewhere during that fight the process of breathing Natural Energy became automatic.
But.
This is not over.
There is a question you do not want to know the answer too. But could not live with yourself if you did not ask it.
Power, just this once. Please answer me this. If I stay here how many more people die?
2732. 1143 if you go.
You chuckle bitterly at your power's cooperation now of all times. Sealed behind the Runes your family will be safe, but how many of the other homesteaders outside Harmuph's walls have such robust protection? Less than half you'd wager.
You feel your father's left eardrum heal. Your healing is a poorly directed thing, not prioritising the more important injuries.
"Father. I have to go."
Your voice is almost a whisper, though easily heard by everyone present. The room remains silent.
"Then," you father answers in a moment of better lucidity, "you'll need this." He tries to press the white gem that stops his bleeding into your hands. You refuse to let him retract his hand without it.
"No dad, you need this," you argue.
"Lilly, if there are more-"
"NO!" you shout, standing to make his height as he sits. "No. I leave you with this and I know you're okay until help comes. I'm not taking it." You pointedly gesture at the blood-soaked rags bunched up around his arm and along the ground, you both know it is the only reason anyone can be confident he will survive the night.
You will not relent on this, and father sees that. "Very- well-" he says between weak coughs, "It is not finished, but take the Heartstaff on the counter."
Still feeling worked up over your father's lack of self-preservation (an achievement given your muted emotions), you welcome the distraction to search out and find whatever the 'Heartstaff' is. Quickly locating a branch set atop a counter in the back, nearly as tall as you are. It is a profound thing, the heaviest you've ever felt through the 'Weight' of [Cleaver of Fortune] and also hungrily siphoning in the ambient Natural Energy around it. As you lay your hands on it, you immediately know this thing has been made for one person alone, there is a wordless parallelism between the two of you. No matter what path you take, this has been crafted by the same man who crafted you to forever be the perfect fit. Even incomplete, you can feel your father has put more work into this item than any of the other projects you've ever witnessed. It is as if a living piece of him resides within.
There is also an aching sadness at its core. Your Wood Memory demands to be seen, and you find yourself alone in the workshop.
The maidens brought the wreathe yesterday. Made from 'Nights Lily' flowers as is the custom. You had to run to the workshop again, lest they see you whimper.
Tears fill your eyes as you berate yourself for being such a worthless man. Truly you are the most wretched of fathers to have driven your daughter to flee her own home. History repeats. You failed your sisters, and now you have failed her. You don't cry in front of Sarah or the boys, but here in the workshop thick rivulets flow freely down your chin. Were it not for your remaining sons, you wish you could simply march off into the woods and join her in death.
You work away at the Heartstaff late into the evening every night. You know people look shocked at your haggard appearance, but you don't care. How young was she when she stopped asking you to make her a magic weapon? You don't remember when, but you do remember the cruel words you used to admonish her. She reminded you too much of Clarissa, who thought herself equally invincible until that noble murdered her before your eyes. So you snapped, you used words like 'waste of time' and 'useless'. You explained why it was stupid and reckless to want such a dangerous thing. You made her feel small, made sure she understood how childish her dreams were. She looked at you differently after that day, and never asked such a thing again. Though perhaps all those years ago were the last time you actually saw your daughter as she truly was.
In your darkest moments, a cruel twisted question plays through your mind. Maybe she didn't have an accident running away…? Maybe she just decided to stop performing anymore and end it. You sought to make her strong enough to survive in this world, instead you made her life not worth living. Oh Lord, you're a blight upon the women you love.
Well you're making it now. Too little. Too late. But you will stretch your craft toward the greatest item you've ever imbued. A true masterpiece she would have adored. When it is done, it will be for no one else. You will lay it to rest before the empty grave that does not hold her body. Then you will beg for the forgiveness you know a dead girl can never give.
And just as suddenly you are no longer alone, a mere second passed since you claimed the Heartstaff. There were newer memories there too, recent changes, but none nearly as strong.
You clamp down hard on the waves of emotion that want to swell up to try and drown you in heartbreak, surprisingly feeling the Heartstaff easily drink in and contain them.
The jarring return of clear-headedness stills you a moment before your thoughts catch up to the emotional whiplash. There is so much you want to think and say, but every second counts right now. You settle the matter in your head that you and your father will be having words when he is once more fully cognizant.
The {True Song} is a broken thing right now, but you will find a way to restore it, you will Sing to your father of the way things truly are and you will make him understand. Once this night's danger has passed, you will also allow yourself to cry long deep tears over the horrible thing you just saw.
But not now.
The Heartstaff rests easily in your hand nearly weightless, so at home you could almost forget you're carrying it.
Time is of the essence; people's lives are at stake. Yet before asking for the Seal to be dropped you cannot help but spend a few precious moments embracing your father. As you pull away you look clearly into his eyes and say, "Dad, you are a good father. I know my aunts would have agreed."
Your father returns a thin smile. He is not fully there, even if he was you don't think he would believe you. But if Fate does not favour you tonight, then these last words feel noble and right.
In a better world you could stay here together through the night, but right now other boys and girls are being ripped apart one limb at a time. That image settles your Will back into steel.
- - -
The Seal is partially reversed enough for you to exit and immediately set about the task of getting help from the Watch.
Chariot is a lucky horse, the only wolves nearby vanquished before he could become the next snack. You are happy you insisted on some lessons in riding, you don't think Natural Energy could have covered all the difference if you didn't have some skill to fall back on. No signal is necessary, Chariot can sense the desire and need to go to Harmuph from you and as soon as you are outside the stable he quickly picks up to a sprinting pace.
For a short time you find it difficult to maintain the channel of healing energy flowing to your father whilst also keeping Chariot fresh, but the Heartstaff helps significantly with the former task, you soon settle into the natural rhythm of sustaining both. You are glad, because you don't think you'd have had it in you to continue if it meant severing the channel to dad.
Your left arm is barely restored at all, scarcely enough for the simple task of helping hold the reins and even then only because of its magical hardness.
Still, you make good time ranging north, your keen eyesight allowing you to avoid nearby wolves. Their numbers are a bloody scythe descending over your valley and beyond, but you hold the Words of Guidance's promise to heart; 1589, that was the difference in people if you did something.
Time passes in a blur, the task at hand consuming your full attention. Though you keep having to divert further and further west to not come across too dense a collection of animals, eventually you are barely heading in Harmuph's direction at all and the coincidence of sightings causing you to change course start to add up to suspicion.
They couldn't possibly be…?
It is as you suspect, they have abandoned their original destinations to instead hem you in. Four Alpha's nearby. Six more within ten minutes. The Lessers cannot keep pace with Chariot.
Shit! How are they tracking me?
Is this what fighting magical creatures is going to be like? One new trick after the next?
You are out in the countryside, no animals are in sight. Yet now that you are aware you can sense the predatory intent lingering at the edges of the Strands of Natural Energy. Yes, they know where you are and they coming for you en masse.
Perhaps your only salvation is that you can feel your Ethea are all about to expand.
You're going to win this, your going to come back to your family alive, healthy and a hero. You have too.
We're in a tight spot Chariot. What do I do now?
- - - - - - - - - -
Have you ever tried to take on a Level 15 quest when you're like Level 4 in an RPG? This is the situation we are in right now. Make it just a bit further and we'll be out of instant epilogue territory at least. Choose your level ups well…
- - - - - - - - - -
Choice Time:
*** Make sure you copy paste exactly from the options, the only change is adding 'X's.
*** Approval Voting Allowed.
The Unwilling Shepard: You're hurt, being tracked by means unknown. Chariot may be able to outrun them, you are quite possibly hopelessly outmatched if they catch you. [ ] [TUS] Race for Harmuph hoping to meet help coming the other way in time. These creatures are potently magical, surely a Diviner has noticed. (+5 Roll, you have made it partway already.)
- [ ] [TUS] [RfH] If you come across help, stand your ground with them.
- [ ] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[ ] [TUS] It is a cruel option, but leading the animals to your neighbours presents your best chance of losing them and sparing your own life long enough to make a bigger difference.
[ ] [TUS] Further west of here is a large field of boulders. Perhaps you'll prove more manoeuvrable and able to stall for time amongst them.
[ ] [TUS] The southern river is wide and deep, gamble they are poor swimmers.
- [ ] [TUS] [TsR] Tread water in its centre.
- [ ] [TUS] [TsR] Cross it, then keep running along the banks.
[ ] [TUS] They left the forest, perhaps something will prevent them following you back inside? At any rate, you could try climbing the largest tree you find before they catch you.
[ ] [TUS] Write In
Caught in the Net: Backup Plan: If you are unable to evade your pursuers, what do you do? [ ] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[ ] [CinN] You can feel expansions coming. Stand your ground. Killing even one will save others' lives.
[ ] [CinN] Try to pervert your powers into something more lethal, any price is cheaper than death.
[ ] [CinN] Write In
Level up Votes:
[Dream within the Forest] Lvl 2 -> Lvl 3
[ ] [DwtF] They wrung their fists in frustration. They didn't know their eagles' eyes were already her own.
[ ] [DwtF] The Strands became as a web, only she could walk them unstuck.
[ ] [DwtF] Leaves die, and new ones grow anew.
[ ] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[Cleaver of Fortune] Lvl 1 -> Lvl 2
[ ] [CoF] All paths trace back to you.
[ ] [CoF] The magician closed his act in disgust, her guess was right every time.
[ ] [CoF] The Path forked in the woods, she walked down both.
[ ] [CoF] To the Craftsman's shock, the varnish on her armour never faded from that day.
[Brave Blood] Lvl 1 -> Lvl 2
[ ] [BB] In the last moment, she took the blow meant for her brother.
[ ] [BB] Her blood burned hot and thick, the enemy knew to avoid its scalding spray.
[ ] [BB] There was no gap in the armour, each segment fit perfectly into its neighbour.
[ ] [BB] His assailant was unable to break free, the grip like a crushing vice.
Fourth Ethos Selection:
[Tamer] (Lesser): Pithe
The bonding is a special thing. Many Tamer's do not take partners, feeling it would tarnish the sacredness of the link they share with their companion. Take a mundane creature, raise it up into the most extraordinary example of its kind. {{This ain't gonna do squat to the bad woofies}} [Militant] (Lesser): Pithe{{Likely to develop Oath as a Secondary}}
Even if all he has is a stick, bone and his own fists, the Militant makes do with what he's got. A natural sort of violence born of necessity. It need not be flashy, merely effective. Lock him in chains and gag his mouth, the Militant will always find a new way to be armed. They'll put you in a diversion dress and shank high heels, you've still got some surprises waiting for them… {{Didn't know this one's Weaver, but looks like it does what is says on the tin.}} [Reverent Advocate] (Common): Pithe
There are those who cannot speak for themselves, who cannot find the words to say or the people to listen. You have been that person, now rapidly ascending beyond the shallow grave that is the threatened ignominy of those who do not know their 'place'. Take up causes not your own. Be the patron in the night that other little girls have prayed to with no answer until now. {{Loath as I am to admit there's another good choice other than myself… this has some excellent social applications.}} [An Iron Shape] (Rare): Oath
To look into an uncomfortable future and emerge from such a test stronger rather than weakened. The soul must be tempered and moulded to fit the trials that lie ahead of it, for only that which has been placed in the furnace knows what it will take to not buckle under a greater flame. The visage of she who is clad in grey is a known tale of folklore. No mercy did she provide the indecisive. There have been many to call upon some part of her aspect. You now join the legacy of those who have tapped into the Well that is the Pale Vessel. You will find the promises that helped form and hold creation together and add your own tiny contribution to the tapestry of the fundamental. May your ambition endure when you are dust. {{Be very careful. The Pale Vessel is a total bitch. Her honeyed words always seem fair at first…}} [Temporal Redeemer] (Mythic): Concordance
She wished she could take it back, so she did. He missed the mark by a mere moment, except he actually didn't. The forward facing path is merely a suggestion to those who know the more crooked and interesting tracks, though beware what sort of wild things can be found outside the bounds of the causal. A promise need not be kept if it was never given. The loan never taken need not be repaid. The timeless are few in number, and jealously guard their domain. {{May knock you out, so yeah…}} [Effervescent Animus] – Ambrosia of Joy(Ascendent):Deific | Unique {{Hello Lilly, my name is Ev'aclliál, or just Evie. If you are feeling this then I successfully managed to transmit alongside their stable translation channel. I'm a… …you actually don't really have a word for it; A 'Greater Spirit' I guess. Technically your niece too, sort of. I sincerely hope that you choose me and I promise I would do whatever you asked of me in good faith and with pep in my step! Uh, not to guilt you or anything, but I think you're actually my last chance to get out before the M̴̲̄̕ā̵͇ẘ̷̬̟̂ ̸̗̅ṭ̷̗̃͋h̶̢̗̀a̸̺͝t̷̺̍ͅ ̵͚̣͊́H̸͉͆u̷̡̿͂ͅṇ̵̉g̷̝͂e̷͔͛r̶͉͆̆s̶̳͜͠ consumes this demi-plane, most of the others are already munched… Oh, And I'm 9! You'd be signing off on child murder . I've died lots of times, but this one's gonna stick. I understand if you can't trust me, I did replace another Integration Vector, uh, Ethos, without your consent, but I could really use a leap of faith right about now. Shit, nearly out of time. My memories won't be able to bridge the gap, I'll be a newborn again (barf), but I promise I can be helpful. I could patch up that overstressed Pithe you've managed; mess with those woofies too. I've synched up your perception of the Incepting Links, that'll stick around even if you don't choose to save me. Good luck Lilly, quite a few of your sisters up here are rooting for you. But like, please pick me...}} /\ None of what was said is a lie. – {The Ladder}
AN: (Thanks to Ev'aclliál, you'll know the most likely Primary Source of an Ethos before choosing it from now on.)
- I gave Lilly three chances to determine how tough these wolves were before the last vote, she failed all three.
- Crit 1 mentioned the other day snagged you the extra Alpha.
- You my friends have passed your first imminent death save, by 2. Future consequences will be far harsher for skimming so close. Your shiny new Song feature comes from the 93 on the follow up roll. The DC was 70 for something called the 'ShatterHeart Malignancy' to not happen.
------------
- /\ Honestly, that whole fight though… where to start…
- The DC to keep an eye on the first Alpha and not get surprised by its charge was not hard, you just failed it hard anyway.
- That grapple the wolf locked you in, without {Pulse Surge} would have been completely inescapable, not even a roll, just death.
- You passed your "Don't Panic" rolls so well you have essentially gain a weak 'Combat Calm' power connected to the [Dream Within the Forest].
- Yolun nearly got his whole shoulder ripped off, DC was only 30 and wolf rolls a 23, Fate supports your family goals I guess.
- Then you of course follow up with a 92, hence the epic smackdown and blinding.
- You didn't need to go so far into overkill smashing that wolves skull, but Lilly could not maintain tactical restraint even with some positive modifiers from your 'Defensive' Vote.
------------
- Good pass on the Wood Memory connection. Yeah, Yolun has some self-esteem issues that go pretty far back, your 'death' just knocked everything loose.
- You had a genuine shot at slipping the wolves' net, but they kept winning the opposed rolls, so now you're mostly boxed in.
- This was the first choice where your roster had some natural Legendary and Ascendent Tiers below DC100 and you popped one first try, not Apotheotic crazy, but still an excellent roll.
- Ev'aclliál only just rolled above the DC 65 to send you a clear message, otherwise you'd be dealing with a half-scrambled mess.
Current XP: (congrats on living) [Dream within the Forest] Lvl 3: 616/1000 (+205) [Cleaver of Fortune] Lvl 2: 312/300 (+109) [Brave Blood] Lvl 2: 561/600 (+347)
Character Sheet and Maps: Public - It's a Girl's World
[X] [TUS] Race for Harmuph hoping to meet help coming the other way in time. These creatures are potently magical, surely a Diviner has noticed. (+5 Roll, you have made it partway already.) [X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further. [X] [DwtF] Leaves die, and new ones grow anew. [X] [CoF] The Path forked in the woods, she walked down both. [X] [BB] There was no gap in the armour, each segment fit perfectly into its neighbour. [X] [Ethos] [Effervescent Animus]
it like going to the gundam universe and having to pick a zaku or a gundam, are you really not going to pick the gundam and all it op gundam perks?
. I've died lots of times, but this one's gonna stick. I understand if you can't trust me, I did replace another Integration Vector, uh, Ethos, without your consent, but I could really use a leap of faith right about now. Shit, nearly out of time. My memories won't be able to bridge the gap, I'll be a newborn again (barf), but I promise I can be helpful. I could patch up that overstressed Pithe you've managed; mess with those woofies too. I've synched up your perception of the Incepting Links, that'll stick around even if you don't choose to save me. Good luck Lilly, quite a few of your sisters up here are rooting for you. But like, please pick me...}}
