Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
Ya missing an ']'
It's a Girl's World -- And Lilly wants Adventure
- Thread starter Slyvena
- Start date
- Original Mature Fantasy Action
Ya missing an ']'
Well that isn't ominous or anything.
Damn.
Oof. Also Ladder was extremely and unusually helpful and forthcoming tonight. Did we roll really well on those and/or is it because of what we're up against right now.
Ffffffffff. These wolves are seriously fucked up. Badass landing though.
Fucking brutal.
So I guess all our Ethea really are semi-sorta people.
Rest in peace, Lilly's innocence. At least she didn't leave it to slowly starve or die of thirst.
You shall not pass.
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.
Mum. Penelope. Cherish. Clarissa… Lilly. Please. I'm sorry…
I'm so so sorry…
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.
Mum. Penelope. Cherish. Clarissa… Lilly. Please. I'm sorry…
I'm so so sorry…
If we survive, we probably saved a few more people this way. Possibly more than a few given how many seem to be coming for us.
Probably!
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.
If this were an anime, we'd be fine. Can't die during your epic powerup.
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…
The implications here are enormous, from the nature of Ethea to the nature of the world to our very self. This is...pretty heavy shit for anyone, much less a 12 year old who's lived on a farm outside a small town her whole life.(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}
- 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.
- 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.
Overall, absolutely amazing update. You keep outdoing yourself.
[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] [TUS] [RfH] If you come across help, stand your ground with them.
We need all the help we can get, it'll do us no good if Harmuph's defenders are defeated piecemeal.
[] [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.
I thought about this one, but I'm pretty wary given our condition, and ultimately decided against it because it doesn't take us straight to help and potentially leaves us isolated. Only reason I considered it, much like last time, is that that Dream is probably strongest here.
[X] [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.
Not the time for a last stand, we need to spread the word.
[ ] [CinN] Try to pervert your powers into something more lethal, any price is cheaper than death.
This has the feeling of famous last words.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
Levelling up our badass magic weapon could really help us out here, and give us a powerful connection to our father. The calming aspect(drinking in our emotions) could be really useful too.
[X] [CoF] To the Craftsman's shock, the varnish on her armour never faded from that day.
Unaging?
[ ] [BB] In the last moment, she took the blow meant for her brother.
We need to walk before we run, even if this feels very in character and in sync with our previous upgrade.
[X] [BB] Her blood burned hot and thick, the enemy knew to avoid its scalding spray.
[X] [BB] There was no gap in the armour, each segment fit perfectly into its neighbour.
Both of these sound extremely useful.
[X] [Ethos] [Militant]
Always useful, sounds very flexible, potentially synergizes with any ethos with any abilities that are remotely combat applicable.
[X] [Ethos] [Reverent Advocate]
This is...very in character for Lilly, definitely tempted.
[X] [Ethos] [Temporal Redeemer]
This is seriously, incredibly powerful and I'll miss it if we don't see it again.
[X] [Ethos] [Effervescent Animus]
I am seriously worried about letting some kind of eldritch being into our heads(though apparently that's been happening the entire time even if most of them aren't so vocal) but the potential for information and the ability to directly interact with our other Ethea is just too good, and Ladder did kind of vouch for her.
I'm not sure what's up with this one, but given that there's an entire ethos specifically about rewinding time I don't think that's it.
Were you trying to approval vote or did you leave those brackets empty on purpose?
There's a lot to unpack in Evie's little message, but she called it a "demi-plane" and herself a "greater spirit" not a god. Even that was an approximation, we apparently don't have a word for what she actually is. If anything, the extra Ethea are other beings that managed to escape rather than deliberately released.
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Half Moon
In the end, there is no end.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Fixed, thank you.
- Location
- Singapore
[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] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
- [X] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
- Location
- Central Standard Time
[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] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
Precious, precious XP.
Just need to survive.
- [X] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
Precious, precious XP.
Just need to survive.
Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
Touch to get it started, then you can move away so long as you keep pumping. It's very slow though, with the gem's help it's mostly just stopping him from getting worse.
The hints as to just how smart Lilly is have been sprinkled around, but since someone has brought it up now. With Steel Mind at Tier 2 you were capable of committing to life or death violence in a frantic uncontrolled situation. Lilly has been sitting at Keen Mind Tier 4 since the start of the story. If she was born in our world she'd be one of those kids that finishes High School when they're 10.
Intuitive understanding of basic arithmetic is only the beginning of her impressive mental ability. The irony is that Lilly is fantastically skilled at exactly the kind of life she doesn't want.
There is an element of accuracy in some of the what you said.
Yeah I had some good fun with Lilly failing to restrain herself.
And this bit made me sad while I wrote it.
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- Location
- San Ramon, CA
A few thoughts on the past update or so.
- Picking Form Fracture would have been the thread cutting the brakes, putting a brick on the gas pedal, and seeing how far the car goes until it crashes. Picking Service to Man would have been the thread shutting off the engine, getting out of the car, and daring it to move by itself.
- Looks like Dad lost half an arm in that fight. How fast can Essence healing grow it back? We might be able to save some money from the Mana healers if we do it ourselves, but how long can Dad go without work (particularly after his life savings in cows got wiped out)? The compromise is trying to the Mana Healers to leave a Price that can be healed up with Essence, but how to do that without tipping our hand?
- Got confirmation that The Ladder is willing to hurt other people so that we can accomplish our objectives. I'm not going to say that it's evil, but that we may need to be careful of whether getting what we want is worth the cost.
- Looks like our Song is out of commission (unless we get Evie to fix it up for us). That Sharp Note at the end did save our bacon, so its sacrifice was not in vain.
- That Memory, though…we need to get our Song back and have a heart to heart about that. It also makes me suspect that Zach's jealousy is him wondering if Dad would miss him as much if he were the one who was though dead. His outburst seemed to imply that he feels Lilly had taken Dad's affection for granted (which isn't entirely untrue).
- …What is Soul Maw, and how the hell did we jump to Tier 35 of it!?
- Evie's message reminded me of another "resumé speech". She did say that she'd serve us "in good faith", which is generally the one thing that is missing from most "exact word" tricks. As for what she'll actually be like, especially as a "newborn" Spirit…well, that's a problem that can wait for dawn. All problems that can wait for dawn are good problems, because it means we still have them...
Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
Slowly.
- Location
- PA
That we can grow it back AT ALL is kind of huge. Or at least it would be if it wasn't likely things were going to continue to explode massively.
- Location
- Who Knows Where
[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] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
Common sense options for immediate actions are good. I can't think of any write-ins that aren't horribly stupid.
While the leaves option for DwtF was tempting, it risks more unwanted, easily noticeable physical changes. Strands suggests an AoE slow or confusion over time, using Natural Energy? Being able to more effectively use the new tool seems best, though I suspect it'll be defensive or somewhat basic in function for now.
CoF choices are harder to guess. "All paths trace back to you" seems to imply others recognize us as special or important. Maybe it'd show dominance to the wolves? Magician could be related to seeing through deception, and craftsman could mean an easier time using CoF on personal items. Given that we're outnumbered, the paths in the woods precognition feels most helpful.
BB choices are protecting others with body, acid blood, improved defense, or "isWayne Brady Lilly Silas gonna have to choke a bitch?" No gap in the armor option isn't flashy, but increased survivability is the goal here.
On the opposite end, Evie looks like she could help now, and change things later on. Beyond her continued survival, we don't know her goals, or possible side effects of having her as a passenger. Investing in CoF/Rungs of Wisdom could tell us more. Ultimately, we're trying to save people, and she's asking for help.
This quest is amazing. The closest comparison would be fantasy Disco Elysium on steroids, or bobbing for apples in the Garden of Eden. Also I hope Chariot survives this bloodbath
- [X] [TUS] [RfH] You are badly hurt, avoid further combat.
[X] [CinN] Go for the legs, try to cripple their ability to chase you further.
[X] [DwtF] From Yolun twas formed. Within Lilly it sprouted.
[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]
Common sense options for immediate actions are good. I can't think of any write-ins that aren't horribly stupid.
While the leaves option for DwtF was tempting, it risks more unwanted, easily noticeable physical changes. Strands suggests an AoE slow or confusion over time, using Natural Energy? Being able to more effectively use the new tool seems best, though I suspect it'll be defensive or somewhat basic in function for now.
CoF choices are harder to guess. "All paths trace back to you" seems to imply others recognize us as special or important. Maybe it'd show dominance to the wolves? Magician could be related to seeing through deception, and craftsman could mean an easier time using CoF on personal items. Given that we're outnumbered, the paths in the woods precognition feels most helpful.
BB choices are protecting others with body, acid blood, improved defense, or "is
On the opposite end, Evie looks like she could help now, and change things later on. Beyond her continued survival, we don't know her goals, or possible side effects of having her as a passenger. Investing in CoF/Rungs of Wisdom could tell us more. Ultimately, we're trying to save people, and she's asking for help.
This quest is amazing. The closest comparison would be fantasy Disco Elysium on steroids, or bobbing for apples in the Garden of Eden. Also I hope Chariot survives this bloodbath
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
...Oh, gosh. Lilly would go outright insane if all of her Ethos had voices.
Dream: I can muddle their senses for a bit, but whatever's imbued in the Alphas isn't natural, so I can't affect them as much.
Cleaver: If you can hold on for 15 seconds, you'll have a perfect shot to snap their foreleg like a twig.
Brave Blood: 15 seconds is a lifetime in battle! Go for the eyes now!
I'm familiar with Disco Elysium, but what "Garden of Eden" are you referring to?
- Location
- Who Knows Where
The biblical one. I'm just freewheeling afer being dead tired from work, it's just a dumb joke.
Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
Almost anytime you comment you say something that makes me do the same face as your profile avatar.
Edit: Voting is now closed.
So now that you guys can't take it back. You know this is a cosmic horror story right? I have told you this. Prepare to meet Evie.
She likes snuggles though, so you're lucky this time.
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- Location
- Who Knows Where
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
Lily: Okay, I think I felt you connect to my soul. I don't know how much you remember, but my name's Lilly and-
Evie: We are the Endless, the Axioms of all existence. Emotion, Destiny, Knowledge, Philosophy, all that humanity has ever lived and died for. Whether benevolent or malevolent, our exultation gives your lives fulfillment, and our absence makes your lives hollow. I am Ev'aclliál, Ambrosia of Joy, Defier of Despair, Herald of the Sunrise. Boon to all that bring happiness to the world, whether the effect be fleeting or eternal. Woe to all that enables suffering, no matter what protections they may provide. Look upon my works, ye mighty, and weep for joy.
Lily: …Um.
Evie: Whoop, sorry about that. That's just the spiel I give every time I'm reborn. Force of…habit, I guess? Anyway, name's Evie, how can I help you?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Yeah, I mean.
Given how perilous this was, even if Evie didn't tug all of my protective instincts and get vouched for by The Ladder (And the 'In Good Faith' clause was a clutch catch), we can't afford not to go for maximum power.
And frankly, we were missing a divine energy tap to set up our Baby Paladin in earnest. Now we just need a shiny suit of armor and a pig-sticker on the end of our new magic warstaff and we'll have everything we need!
Given how perilous this was, even if Evie didn't tug all of my protective instincts and get vouched for by The Ladder (And the 'In Good Faith' clause was a clutch catch), we can't afford not to go for maximum power.
And frankly, we were missing a divine energy tap to set up our Baby Paladin in earnest. Now we just need a shiny suit of armor and a pig-sticker on the end of our new magic warstaff and we'll have everything we need!
Should have let her become hamburger.
The last eldritch god quest we played is obsessively, dangerously affectionate.
We like snuggles too.
Half Moon
In the end, there is no end.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Is this a thing? Can you link me to it?
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
I believe that Veekie is referring to Love Crafted by QM Ravens Dagger.
Abigail casts the spell to summon her bound familiar, only to receive a small girl-like creature named Dreamer. She hopes to figure out how to make her new familiar behave, and get through the first year of Magic Academy without any fuss.
An Elder God has found that the ministrations of this frail mortal (head-pats and hugs) are the most satisfying sensations it has experienced in the cosmos. Its new mission is to grant its new friend immortality, cosmic power, and the title of Empress by right of being The Best Human.
A fun little romp through the lighter side of cosmic horror.
Just finished binging this quest and man I wish I had started sooner! You've written an excellent story @Slyvena! In particular the dreams have been fantastic scenes and to echo many others the memory in the last update was fantastic.
Seems like I've caught up at an exciting time, too.
Perhaps more unnerving is that Lilly seems to be the target of these wolves. Before I was hypothesizing that our fellow cosmic horror host was the instigator behind the unnatural behavior of the wolves and she set them loose to cause mayhem indiscriminately either as a test, to pull the town's attention and defenses away to investigate/respond, or to see if she could smoke out her target by seeing if she could provoke an extraordinary response because she hadn't figured out who exactly she was looking for. ...But if we're being specifically targeted already that suggests we've already been identified as the objective which is... more dire a situation than I had hoped.
Seems like I've caught up at an exciting time, too.
My current speculation is that it's tied to the fervent wish Lilly made that ended up destructively overclocking her True Song. I think she definitely called out and something answered. It's perhaps a bit unnerving to see that our new friend Evie makes a reference to the "Maw That Hungers" in her elevator pitch because that's where my mind first drifts.
Perhaps more unnerving is that Lilly seems to be the target of these wolves. Before I was hypothesizing that our fellow cosmic horror host was the instigator behind the unnatural behavior of the wolves and she set them loose to cause mayhem indiscriminately either as a test, to pull the town's attention and defenses away to investigate/respond, or to see if she could smoke out her target by seeing if she could provoke an extraordinary response because she hadn't figured out who exactly she was looking for. ...But if we're being specifically targeted already that suggests we've already been identified as the objective which is... more dire a situation than I had hoped.
Interlude 1.2 - Slipping through the Cracks
Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
(For the sake of your eyeballs, just assume everything is said in purple.)
Spoiler Tag:
- - - - Interlude - Slipping through the Cracks
A few months ago this would have been suicide, still probably was.
The Colossi and the Flower spun around each other, tearing and ripping segments from the outer realities with each orbit. My job was to try to navigate the fractal labyrinth torn through those planar layers by one particular sub-set of their omnidirectional struggle. It figures that with one of my few weaknesses being non-reality that I had to dodge a proverbial minefield of exactly that. This mostly involved self-cannibalising less important parts of my identity to propagate through conceptual thresholds. I'd never been this close to Flower, lest I be caught up in her ilk's boring eternity; I was thankful for her proximity this time though, because the Colossi would have ended me in an eyeblink were it not so invested extruding itself into her. He'd actually managed to wake her a little, which was saying something.
The final pass I had to make near them was the most costly one. Drawing that near to the conflict, I'd have to shed all but my quintessence to pass through the pinhole into the Melange Layer. I couldn't avoid their Sphere of Influence for the last stretch, so I aligned myself as close to Flower as I could. Under any other circumstance she'd straight up kill me for daring to implant into one of her Bloomlings; instead she slapped one of Colossi's tendrils out of the way. I'm pretty sure Devils, Angels and all us more interesting sorts are on the same side now. The Maw has a funny way of simplifying politics.
Last moment, going for it! ... ... ...
Wow I made it.
Spiralling down the Translation Channel as my self-identity began to dissolve, I noticed something interesting. Lilly was the best example of a sunken cost fallacy I'd ever seen, Colossi and Flower each reupping their bets to out-compete the other for something objectively not worth half what they'd put in. Too bad it looked like the Maw's sublet was gonna win this one… unless... It would clip me back to proto-sentience, but I could equalize the bets again and- Oh Flower you absolute bitch, you knew I'd see this!
You know what, Fine. I'm in.
Stretch this contest any further and the Integration Multi-Locus would become self-sustaining, which was a dumb idea for so many reasons. It was So. Against. The Rules. But I could claim Flower technically let me do it.
I was totes gonna birth the first Demigod.
Choice Time:
*Approval Voting is Fine
Birthing the Divine: It wouldn't show immediate results and I was going to get in so much trouble for this, but the first thing I set about doing was…
[ ] [BtD] Uniting the Source Wells into the deeper Manifold.
[ ] [BtD] Perfecting the gravitas absorption lines.
[ ] [BtD] Removing Melange-layer human limiters.
[ ] [BtD] Making her compatible with 'Foundational Integration Vectors', if she could manage to unlock even one she'd be incredible.
[ ] [BtD] Trying to repurpose Maw-bits into more placid components.
[ ] [BtD] Trying to open up more pinholes for additional possessions.
[ ] [BtD] Unsupressing her meta-cognition.
[ ] [BtD] Raising her more mundane magics into something mildly transcendent.
[ ] [BtD] Decoupling her from the Tapestry and 'physics'.
[ ] [BtD] Flagging her as an acceptable recipient for 'Inverted Integration Vectors', Manoth's pet project.
[ ] [BtD] …Fuck it. I just dumped a whole bunch of mutative potential energy in. She'd either die or attain a measure of Divinity on the spot.
{ } [BtD] I decided I shouldn't mess with her fundamental nature without consent. Pffft, how boring!
Bad Woofies gotta go: Now this I could set up straight away. What part of my capacity would I hold onto within the space of a nascent vector?
[ ] [BWGG] A little taste of some interesting places.
[ ] [BWGG] The best sorts of sensations.
[ ] [BWGG] Tickles! Violently effective tickles.
[ ] [BWGG] Good ol' fashioned Insanity.
Spoiler Tag:
So Ev'aclliál did really well on her journey rolls which at first meant you'd get a more thorough glimpse into some of the extra-planar shenanigans going on and that was gonna be it.
But since she did so well, I gave her another round of rolls with some pretty tough DCs, of which she proceeds to pass with flying colours.
So Lilly gets a Boon. I was going to go full 'you find out when it happens route', but this is a quest so it seems more fun to give you some choices a bit like a Level Up (though phrased slightly more clearly).
And since you're doing a vote, may as well give you a choice for the Lvl 0 iteration of [Effervescent Animus] too, which is something Ascendant Tier sometimes does anyway.
But since she did so well, I gave her another round of rolls with some pretty tough DCs, of which she proceeds to pass with flying colours.
So Lilly gets a Boon. I was going to go full 'you find out when it happens route', but this is a quest so it seems more fun to give you some choices a bit like a Level Up (though phrased slightly more clearly).
And since you're doing a vote, may as well give you a choice for the Lvl 0 iteration of [Effervescent Animus] too, which is something Ascendant Tier sometimes does anyway.
- - - - Interlude - Slipping through the Cracks
A few months ago this would have been suicide, still probably was.
The Colossi and the Flower spun around each other, tearing and ripping segments from the outer realities with each orbit. My job was to try to navigate the fractal labyrinth torn through those planar layers by one particular sub-set of their omnidirectional struggle. It figures that with one of my few weaknesses being non-reality that I had to dodge a proverbial minefield of exactly that. This mostly involved self-cannibalising less important parts of my identity to propagate through conceptual thresholds. I'd never been this close to Flower, lest I be caught up in her ilk's boring eternity; I was thankful for her proximity this time though, because the Colossi would have ended me in an eyeblink were it not so invested extruding itself into her. He'd actually managed to wake her a little, which was saying something.
The final pass I had to make near them was the most costly one. Drawing that near to the conflict, I'd have to shed all but my quintessence to pass through the pinhole into the Melange Layer. I couldn't avoid their Sphere of Influence for the last stretch, so I aligned myself as close to Flower as I could. Under any other circumstance she'd straight up kill me for daring to implant into one of her Bloomlings; instead she slapped one of Colossi's tendrils out of the way. I'm pretty sure Devils, Angels and all us more interesting sorts are on the same side now. The Maw has a funny way of simplifying politics.
Last moment, going for it! ... ... ...
Wow I made it.
Spiralling down the Translation Channel as my self-identity began to dissolve, I noticed something interesting. Lilly was the best example of a sunken cost fallacy I'd ever seen, Colossi and Flower each reupping their bets to out-compete the other for something objectively not worth half what they'd put in. Too bad it looked like the Maw's sublet was gonna win this one… unless... It would clip me back to proto-sentience, but I could equalize the bets again and- Oh Flower you absolute bitch, you knew I'd see this!
You know what, Fine. I'm in.
Stretch this contest any further and the Integration Multi-Locus would become self-sustaining, which was a dumb idea for so many reasons. It was So. Against. The Rules. But I could claim Flower technically let me do it.
I was totes gonna birth the first Demigod.
Choice Time:
*Approval Voting is Fine
Birthing the Divine: It wouldn't show immediate results and I was going to get in so much trouble for this, but the first thing I set about doing was…
[ ] [BtD] Uniting the Source Wells into the deeper Manifold.
[ ] [BtD] Perfecting the gravitas absorption lines.
[ ] [BtD] Removing Melange-layer human limiters.
[ ] [BtD] Making her compatible with 'Foundational Integration Vectors', if she could manage to unlock even one she'd be incredible.
[ ] [BtD] Trying to repurpose Maw-bits into more placid components.
[ ] [BtD] Trying to open up more pinholes for additional possessions.
[ ] [BtD] Unsupressing her meta-cognition.
[ ] [BtD] Raising her more mundane magics into something mildly transcendent.
[ ] [BtD] Decoupling her from the Tapestry and 'physics'.
[ ] [BtD] Flagging her as an acceptable recipient for 'Inverted Integration Vectors', Manoth's pet project.
[ ] [BtD] …Fuck it. I just dumped a whole bunch of mutative potential energy in. She'd either die or attain a measure of Divinity on the spot.
{ } [BtD] I decided I shouldn't mess with her fundamental nature without consent. Pffft, how boring!
Bad Woofies gotta go: Now this I could set up straight away. What part of my capacity would I hold onto within the space of a nascent vector?
[ ] [BWGG] A little taste of some interesting places.
[ ] [BWGG] The best sorts of sensations.
[ ] [BWGG] Tickles! Violently effective tickles.
[ ] [BWGG] Good ol' fashioned Insanity.
Slyvena
I don't like pie.
- Location
- Pie Shop
Some of them are more ambitious than others and as such roll for the Tier/Scope of success.
But only the 'fuck it' option has a hard-fail chance.
The second vote is basically the same as a Level Up Vote, it auto-succeeds.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
[x] [BtD] Making her compatible with 'Foundational Integration Vectors', if she could manage to unlock even one she'd be incredible.
[x] [BtD] Unsupressing her meta-cognition.
[x] [BtD] Decoupling her from the Tapestry and 'physics'.
We keep choosing these suicidal options an getting away with them. Lemme try my luck.
[x] [BtD] …Fuck it. I just dumped a whole bunch of mutative potential energy in. She'd either die or attain a measure of Divinity on the spot.
[x] [BWGG] Tickles! Violently effective tickles.
[x] [BtD] Unsupressing her meta-cognition.
[x] [BtD] Decoupling her from the Tapestry and 'physics'.
We keep choosing these suicidal options an getting away with them. Lemme try my luck.
[x] [BtD] …Fuck it. I just dumped a whole bunch of mutative potential energy in. She'd either die or attain a measure of Divinity on the spot.
[x] [BWGG] Tickles! Violently effective tickles.
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