[X] An enormous eye, ancient and beyond your ken, stares back at you. Within its endless depths lies a great malice and evil, as if it had absorbed all sin from the surface of Orbis. Your heart beats once, then twice, before a bone white mass of flesh covered in black and red veins erupts from the depths, rocking the boat further and dwarfing your puny vessels.
[X] An undulating pillar of flesh wraps itself around the ship, a small portion of the chromatic, shimmering tendril visible on the windows. You watch, fascinated for a moment by its mesmerizing movements and smoothness… before the feeling quickly fades away. Gripping the Ame no Shisen, you watch warily as more and more tendrils wrap themselves around the ship.
[X] An enormous eye, ancient and beyond your ken, stares back at you. Within its endless depths lies a great malice and evil, as if it had absorbed all sin from the surface of Orbis. Your heart beats once, then twice, before a bone white mass of flesh covered in black and red veins erupts from the depths, rocking the boat further and dwarfing your puny vessels.
[X] An undulating pillar of flesh wraps itself around the ship, a small portion of the chromatic, shimmering tendril visible on the windows. You watch, fascinated for a moment by its mesmerizing movements and smoothness… before the feeling quickly fades away. Gripping the Ame no Shisen, you watch warily as more and more tendrils wrap themselves around the ship
Adhoc vote count started by Stilling on Jan 31, 2025 at 8:42 PM, finished with 11 posts and 8 votes.
[X] An enormous eye, ancient and beyond your ken, stares back at you. Within its endless depths lies a great malice and evil, as if it had absorbed all sin from the surface of Orbis. Your heart beats once, then twice, before a bone white mass of flesh covered in black and red veins erupts from the depths, rocking the boat further and dwarfing your puny vessels.
[X] An undulating pillar of flesh wraps itself around the ship, a small portion of the chromatic, shimmering tendril visible on the windows. You watch, fascinated for a moment by its mesmerizing movements and smoothness… before the feeling quickly fades away. Gripping the Ame no Shisen, you watch warily as more and more tendrils wrap themselves around the ship.
[X] The captain gestures for you to come over, and you look through the window to see a fleet of… what you think are ships dragging your vessel towards them with strange, fleshy lines stuck to the sides of your ship. You know for a fact that they were not there in the small glimpse you had of the view before this attack, so how did they manifest?
[X] An enormous eye, ancient and beyond your ken, stares back at you. Within its endless depths lies a great malice and evil, as if it had absorbed all sin from the surface of Orbis. Your heart beats once, then twice, before a bone white mass of flesh covered in black and red veins erupts from the depths, rocking the boat further and dwarfing your puny vessels.
Vote closed! Time to go fight a whale. Going to roll some dice here. I think I've figured out most of the rolls I want to do but there may be some added later if I forgot or feel it's needed.
The average result when rolling multiple d6 dice is 3.5 per die. For three d6 dice, that means rolls of 10 and 11 are the most average result. (You can see this on Anydice.) Rolls over that are above average, and rolls below that are below average.
[X] An enormous eye, ancient and beyond your ken, stares back at you. Within its endless depths lies a great malice and evil, as if it had absorbed all sin from the surface of Orbis. Your heart beats once, then twice, before a bone white mass of flesh covered in black and red veins erupts from the depths, rocking the boat further and dwarfing your puny vessels.
For a moment, you are transfixed. Eons clash against each other as its sickly green eye stares into your own. Your mouth parts and you make to move your body, but it does not respond to your wishes. The sheer impossibility of its size, its grandeur, its weight, renders all your actions so infinitely small and slow. A single step is all you take, its echo resounding in your mind.
It has been a long time since you have seen a being older than you are here on Orbis…
There is no corruption clouding your mind, though its effects are plain to see on the whale's body. The sheer presence of its being and newfound malice towers over everything in its vicinity however, a blanket suppressing all movement and action. Its eyelids slowly close shut, and as your vision darkens, you realize you are in the midst of blinking as well.
The moment passes.
DC 15:
Deirdre Leadership Roll: 3d6: 2+2+6 = 10 (10+3(Good Charisma)+1(Aura of Regard)+2(Ame no Shisen) = 16) Success.
And your eyes reopen.
"Focus, everyone! We go to kill that whale!"
You draw the Ame no Shisen and hold it up high, its reflective blade causing everyone to flinch in the bridge with you. So it doesn't just work on its wielder… that's one theory confirmed. With everyone still a little disoriented, you march over to the captain and shake his shoulder.
"Captain. Take command here. I will go out to deal with this."
The old human stares at you with wide eyes. "I've sailed these waters for decades and have never seen one that big."
"I've seen bigger. All monsters can die after getting hit enough," you say confidently.
You're actually uncertain if you've seen anything larger than this whale, but you've seen enough that you can exude confidence to the people around you. Putting faith in the old wisdom of your previous parties has rarely led you astray as well. The crew around you busies themselves after you leave the captain's side, leaving you to glance out the window as you rush outside.
Though it was not idle while you spoke, a being of such enormity cannot so easily pivot to crush your small fleet. Its eye takes in the entire space in which the ships inhabit and more, but your spine tingles as you feel its gaze lock onto you. Or perhaps more specifically, the Ame no Shisen. You can feel a vibrating thrum as you hold the blade up high course through your arm, sending your body and teeth almost rattling.
With the ship rocking from the waves forming from the whale simply emerging, the increasing panic from those onboard, and the sight of a monster large enough to swallow them all whole so close, it's a struggle to maintain your composure. Still, you manage as you reach the deck and lean over the railings to stare out at the monster from the depths.
Much of it is still submerged, but you note that its pure white skin seems unnaturally smooth from what you can pick out. A creature that has lived this long must have accrued various scars and debris, but the sheen that almost seems to pulse into your brain with its vibrancy tells you more than anything else of its transformation. A mass of glowing veins runs through it all, the mixture of colors alone causing you to squint in discomfort.
The whale's mouth opens, revealing rows and rows of jagged teeth. Your vision distorts further as a mix of colors and streams of light begin to gather in its maw. As others gather around you to gawk at the behemoth, they all shout as something begins flying out towards your ship from its mouth. Catching the clear signs of flesh and bone before anyone else, you quickly turn back to meet everyone's gaze.
"Spread out and brace yourselves, everyone! Enemies incoming!"
There's a short pause as everyone registers your words but doesn't react to them immediately before a nondescript merman mercenary steps forward to rally them further.
"You heard er'! Let's get going lads!"
The myrmidon Battle-Queen slams the butt of her spear on the deck with a loud clang. "This one agrees. To arms!"
With that she begins clicking her mandibles at the array of myrmidons behind her who quickly begin to spread out. The others are a bit slower, but they are jolted to action by the two commanding voices barking at them. Glancing back at the whale before taking a brief look at the merman's choice of weapon, you make a snap decision and march towards him.
"You seem to have things in order here. Take this blade, it will ward off the corruptive effects whatever these monsters will have. I will handle the whale."
You offer the hilt of the Ame no Shisen to the merman, who takes it with a surprising ease and flourish as he adjusts to its weight.
"Aye aye, captain," he cheers with a mock salute. "Oh, I can get used to this…"
With no time to decipher that, you turn back to the volley of monsters with the Hurricane in your hands, the familiar feeling of the bow settling your nerves. Nocking an arrow, you draw and focus your sight on them. Unnatural smoothness with strange protrusions of a material that acted as both bone and more, you can't say you have seen beings quite like this. It seems to almost be a combination of demons of temptation and various mythical beasts, but there is something more at play here than that.
Just as some are about to crash into the ship, you release the arrow you've been preparing and watch as it launches forward with a large whoosh, a trail of blue light trailing from it. The creature closest to you lets out an ear-piercing screech as it is run through, followed by several more behind it as the arrow continues on its path. You have little time to appreciate the shot however as you hear numerous impacts around you followed by the cacophony of their roars and screams.
Loosing a few arrows in those near you, you eye the nearly translucent skin they have oozing out their pulsating blood. An… almost blue-green fluid tinged with bits of red and black shudders and boils as it runs free from the wounds you inflicted. It does not invoke any disgust or revulsion in you however, and indeed you note how alluring it is. There's a quality to it that you can't help but notice, almost as if it is similar to… you shake your head when you find yourself staring at it for a second too long.
Eyeing the rest that landed, you're relieved to see everyone dealing with them quite well. The Battle-Queen skewers one with her spear before whipping it into a group of three. Lancer fire is coordinated by several leaders, while the merman almost seems to dance between them all with his pistol and the Ame no Shisen. You even spot the gnome from the Magi Magi sitting atop one of the giant's shoulders, launching beams and blasts of pink energy.
You turn away to focus on the true threat, confident that you can leave them to defend the ship in your stead. Raising your bow into the air, you take a deep breath before connecting yourself with the weapon, linking your respective magical signatures together with a metaphorical chain. The air thrums around you as your hands grow slightly numb in response to the now dull golden glow emanating from the bow.
The Hurricane at its full power may not be necessary at this moment, but a hailstorm of arrows will give you the firepower you'll need to punch holes in this whale. You nock an arrow against the string and take a deep breath as you draw it. Rings of light begin spinning in front of the tip, its hum deafening all other noise around you as your vision narrows into the target. Then with a brief exhale—
Wind rustles your hair and clothes as the arrow streaks through the air and towards the monster, a missile strong enough to blow apart metal and tanks. Without missing a beat, you draw another arrow and shoot it straight towards your quarry, the Hurricane still glowing with that otherworldly light. Then another, and another, and another, and more and more as you let loose a salvo fit to destroy a fortified encampment with ease.
You take deep breaths after what feels like your fifteenth arrow, lowering your bow to see the effects of your attack. It… is difficult to tell. Distance is deceptive on open waters, and even with its sheer size looming over everything, the whale is much further away than it seems. Despite the large trails of light each arrow traveled with, they're but small pinpricks once they reach the whale and explode against its skin.
Though you aimed at various points of its body, it's simply so vast that you feel like you only covered a fourth of it. Still, you watch the last arrow you shot with some trepidation as it soars through the sky straight towards its eye. The moment before it pierces through the membrane, you brace yourself for either an earthshaking roar or a twitch that rocks the ships with the waves it'll create.
… the arrow explodes against the eye, causing visible lines to radiate from the impact to about a fifth of its diameter before fading away. You curse. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Still, the whale reacts as it lets out a low keening noise that stops all action for a moment before closing its mouth and diving back into the depths. Its eye locks onto you the whole time before it disappears fully beneath the waves.
Staring for a few seconds in case of any surprises, you look away to see the rest of the ship littered with the dissolving corpses of the monsters. Contrary to the riot of colors the corpses still seem to be displaying, the "smoke" is a dull grey, though it would be more accurate to describe it as small flecks disappearing into the ether.
"Here ya go. Useful thing, but feel like you might need it more soon."
You start as the merman sneaks up on you with the Ame no Shisen outstretched. What is it with these mermen you've been meeting and being so unbelievably stealthy? Nevertheless, you nod and take the sword from him, noting how pristine the blade still is despite seeing it cleave through multiple monsters.
"You have my thanks, but why do you think so? I still need my bow for the whale."
He shrugs. "Just got a feeling. Saw you shoot at the whale and it didn't seem to do much. Dunno how you'll get close, but I feel this thing will hurt a lot more for it."
You frown and begin walking around the ship, gesturing for him to follow. In truth, you think your arrows will eventually get to the colossal beast, but it's true that the Ame no Shisen might have an effect on it. After checking on everyone and making sure nothing is amiss, you stretch your senses and try to detect where the whale might've disappeared off to. You doubt it simply came to the surface to harass the ships with weak monsters.
Unfortunately, you are right.
All of a sudden, the whale almost jumps out of the water a distance away from your ship's bow, causing everyone to stumble from the ship tilting over. Your eyes widen in horror as it swims forward with more speed than it has any right to move at. The ship barely reaches the bottom of its teeth. You'll all sink if it crashes into you! Running forward as fast as you can while sheathing your sword, you immediately begin charging up your bow once more. This time, you won't be holding back.
DC 18/15
Paragon Combat Roll: 3d6: 3+5+1 = 9 (9+5(Phenomenal Martial)+3(Beholder's Chosen) = 17) Bare Success
Beholder's Chosen Adds Half of Conviction Stat to Combat Rolls.
Just when the Hurricane is about to be unleashed however, a black blur slams into the whale with enough force to send it careening away from your ship. Barely a moment after, another black shape follows it up with an impact that stops it in its tracks and drives it further into the sea. Of course, this causes your ship to almost flip over from the resulting waves, and you lose your hold on the connection with your bow.
That must've been the Hand of the Beholder. You'll admit, that is a rare strength, even for a martial-focused Paragon. The whale continues on its way despite its path being diverted after a few moments however. Regaining your balance, you run several plans through your mind before once again making a quick decision and turning to the suspiciously reliable merman following you.
"Tell the captain to steer the ship away from this as far away as he can."
The fins on the side of his head perk up. "Oh, and why ain't you going to?"
You spin your bow with a little flourish before charging up a spell.
"I'm going in as well."
Taking a deep breath, you fire off a somewhat transparent looking arrow at the whale, small particles drifting in its wake. Already connected to it by a tether you've made, you focus your mind and run through the snap calculations needed for this before stepping forward suddenly and jumping off the ship. Ignoring the shouts behind you, you grit your teeth and slip through the trail, following through the path made in the Currents.
You shout as you exit and reappear mid-air above the whale in place of the arrow, landing with a pained cry as you crash on its body. Immediately you feel like vomiting, both from the spell and the revulsion you feel from touching the unnaturally smooth, pulsating skin of the whale. Jerking away from it and standing up as swiftly as you can, you put away your bow and draw the Ame no Shisen.
"Nice. That was pretty cool, even if you didn't stick the landing."
You narrow your eyes at the Paragon striding towards you with a smirk on her face. Still dressed in that ridiculous black get-up of hers while looking like she's been bleaching her skin, she nevertheless cuts an imposing figure with the two spears of darkness in her hands, each emanating a sort of smoky substance from its blackened metal. The human twirls the longer spear and settles it on her shoulder as she stops before you, black lips and painted eyes fully visible to you now.
"Hand," you say, ignoring the playful jab. "You have my thanks for your timely intervention."
She sighs. "Suppose I deserved to be called that. Ah, whatever. Just doing what I need to do, I guess. Got any ideas on how to kill this thing?"
You shake your head. "I was hoping to do more damage with my blade here and hopefully drive it away."
The Paragon stares at the Ame no Shisen speculatively as you draw it out and put your bow back. "Yeah, I can see how that might work. Alright, let's do this then. This kind of plan is what I prefer anyways."
With that, she quickly turns and begins to twirl her spears in a deadly dance as she races down the whale's body, each gash and wound gushing with copious amounts of that strange blood you saw earlier. Feeling the whale begin to groan beneath you, you debate trying to go for the eye before dismissing it. There's no way you'll be able to reach it like this. On that note, you're a little unsure how you'll be coming back to the ship…
Shaking off that thought, you raise the sword in your hands above your hand and sink it into the whale's flesh without hesitation. The whale jerks almost immediately and you struggle to maintain your hold as you fall to your knees. You grit your teeth as it lets out that damnable keening noise, near bursting your eardrums as its entire body begins vibrating in a manner that makes your whole body feel like it's trembling.
Still, you hold onto the sword and drive it deeper and deeper, hoping that it'll end up doing something. It isn't quite thrashing yet, but you feel it trying to shake you off. Your grasp on the blade almost slackens as you hear something boom and explode onto its side. One of the ships must've fired its weapons. With so much of your focus on recovering from the chaos and holding onto the blade however, you don't notice when the whale begins to sink deeper and deeper into the sea until it's too late.
You panic and splutter as the Ame no Shisen is yanked out and you are sent drifting into the waters desperately trying to resist the waves and currents dragging you away. Holding your breath, you flail about for a bit before rushing to the surface to keep your head above water. The shivering of your body combined with the gasps of breath you take does little to help you observe the situation, but it doesn't take long for you to see the whale resurface and wheel about for another collision.
That's when she finally appears, the person whose capabilities you've wondered about since you chose her for this expedition.
DC 18/15:
La Encantada Ennui Roll: 1d6: 4
La Encantada Intervention Roll: 3d6: 5+1+6 = 12 (12+7(Peerless Magic)+4(Mourama's Wisdom)-4(Ennui) = 19) Good Success
"La Encantada" ability allows her to use her full magic stat for combat rolls.
"Ennui" ability forces her to roll a 1d6 die before most rolls, and subtracts it from the total result of a dice roll.
Beatrice Ross, La Encantada and Pedra Moura, flies high above the ships to match the whale's height, visible from the flickering lights of her teleportation. It's difficult to see even with your vision, but you note that her robes aren't even fluttering as she slowly raises a hand. As the whale rushes past her, about to turn, it suddenly stops, the water and waves around it freezing in place.
Blinking as the sight begins to distort and causes your eyes to water, you watch as she casts her hand down as if launching an attack. Small streams of light instantly pierce the whale from all directions, but nothing happens. Looking around for any sign of additional spells even as you continue floating, you're about to devise a plan to get back on a ship and continue your attack when you finally notice something odd about the behemoth.
It hasn't stopped moving, and neither has the water. You can see it now with the spell weakening, but its motions continue unabated, incredibly slow to everyone outside but as if the whale does not notice anything off. At least, until its body begins to "explode" from within, if you can call it that. You see points on its body where some… conflagration and smoke begins to be emitted in slow-motion, the behemoth broken apart from within.
Huge chunks of flesh begin separating from its body, appearing as if it is floating in mid-air when you know it should be flung away from the explosive force. Smoke and bright flashes of light appear slowly before fading away, a sight you know would've instantly seared the vision of many without the control exerted by the Pedra Moura. Soaked and shivering as you are, you can't help your mouth parting in slight awe at the sheer mastery displayed. There are several instances where you may have seen some of those spells before individually, but never all combined and with such ease.
This is the power of the newest La Encantada, then. Were previous ones as powerful as this? More so?
Still, the spell must've faltered at one point as around a fifth of its body including the head escapes the space and suddenly speeds across the waters, a strange keening gasp escaping it before it dives back into the sea. Popping your head below the water to check, you see it definitely fleeing from the encounter, blood and blubber trailing it.
Resurfacing and shaking the water off, a voice suddenly speaks up.
"That girl's… something, huh?"
You start as you see the Hand floating beside you, staring at the sight with a complicated expression.
"Yes, she is," you agree. What else can you say?
You manage to get back onto your ship by firing a tethered arrow and dragging yourself and the Paragon by it until someone notices and gets everyone to help you both back up. Following that is the chaos of figuring out what happened, what was damaged, and the various casualties. Soaked and miserable as you were, you're only a little annoyed in handling all of it after a sympathetic mage casts a drying and cleaning spell on you.
All the ships are in good condition still, with mostly cosmetic damage on the decks from the monsters crashing into them. The water that got onto the ships thankfully didn't lead to any difficulties. Many are frightened, but the lack of any damage alleviates most concerns and leads to the mages asking to study the pieces floating in… whatever the Pedra Moura did, bringing the topic everyone was skirting around by to the forefront.
When she appears before you, she listens with a blank face devoid of any expression and stares past all of you once finished before being nudged by her partner. She then nods and floats out without a word, robes still unaffected by the air around her. A few minutes later, and both your and the Tarshish ships are now proud owners of corrupted whale flesh.
However, it isn't long until you hear a final recounting of the various casualties from all the ships. Quite a few injuries, but only the death of one old veteran who got too eager with his harpoon and dragged to a watery death by the whale. You offered his surviving friend your condolences, but he just laughed and said he went out like he always wanted to. What concerns you however is the one delirious mercenary currently experiencing symptoms of corruption.
It's something everyone discussed but hoped would never happen, and now you have to make a difficult choice. Thankfully, the stellar defense of the ships prevented more from being turned, or else there may have been a genuine risk to the ship's safety with the first choice. Still the choice is a heavy one.
Choose One:
[] Place him under observation
Have priests, magicians, and medical experts oversee his status and do their utmost to prevent the corruption from taking hold of him until you reach Yashima. (Requires roll for success)
[] Put him out of his misery
While there is still much to learn about the corruption, what everyone does know is that the process permanently alters the soul and essence of someone. If he were to be fully corrupted before death, there's no telling what would happen to him after his death.
Additionally, you are approached by someone stating they have new insights now that they have encountered the whale.
Choose one:
[] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts
[] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[] Sroz Vaald, the representative sent by Lumen Corp, has called to say they have discovered some interesting readings that may point to some of why machinery gets broken down in the Yamikiri's presence
AN:
And that's the fight done! I'll admit, it was difficult wrapping my head around how to depict an encounter such as this, and I know I definitely didn't do all I can in describing it as best as I could. Still, this isn't meant to be a super big important fight for the volume, so I hope it was an enjoyable action scene. Next chapter we'll finally be reaching the shores of Yashima, and then a chapter after that finally getting started on doing stuff there.
For those wondering, La Encantada is indeed incredibly powerful, but the whale was perhaps the perfect opponent for her to go up against compared to the other three options. A single, big target that she can work her magic on let's her do her crazy shenanigans with a lot more ease. If the kraken encounter was chosen for example, the Paragon would've taken a larger role in the fight, and Deirdre would probably take charge more against the strange ships.
Additionally, it's not important now, but it was also entirely possible to do this without their help if you guys voted to not to accept the help of the superhero team back then, though it would've definitely required more rolls from everyone else haha. Their presence essentially gives very large bonuses to rolls you would've need to make anyways.
[X] Put him out of his misery
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[X] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts.
[X] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts.
[X] Place him under observation
[X] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts
[X] Place him under observation
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
These two seem to fit together well. Perhaps the Hand and the priests figured out something that will let us help the guy. Corruption is going to be an ongoing issue from here on out, we should probably get started on that sooner rather than later.
[] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts
[] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
More info on how corruption works and some info on the Yamikiri.
[] Sroz Vaald, the representative sent by Lumen Corp, has called to say they have discovered some interesting readings that may point to some of why machinery gets broken down in the Yamikiri's presence
Technical information that may help us keep our stuff working.
It's maybe not wise, but I think I'll go with the mystery box.
[X] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts
[X] Place him under observation
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[X] Place him under observation
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[X] Put him out of his misery
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
[X] The leader of the Magi Society's contingent has called you to inform you that the Pedra Moura has been acting strange ever since her dismantling of the whale. You should go check on that, and perhaps ask her for her thoughts.
Closing the vote probably in 24 hours. The vote between who to talk with is pretty close. Should probably note that none of the meetings will tell you everything about their respective topics, though there may be some insights different from what you'll all learn shortly from the Yashimans themselves.
[X] Place him under observation.
[X] The Hand of the Beholder has called to report that she and the priests may have learned some pertinent details about how the corruption works as well as general information on the Yamikiri
You look over the miu lying on the bed, taking in every detail. There isn't anything wrong at first glance save for the dwindling mutterings he had been uttering for the past few days. His brown fur needs a comb, and he'll need to work to regain some mass, but he otherwise looks fine. It's when you stretch your more esoteric senses that you see the sheer wrongness of his affliction that has remained during this time.
"Yeah, it's not great," Willow, the Paragon, says when she sees your expression. "I've been seeing the way his soul and essence seems to be meshing with his body thanks to the Eye's blessings and haven't been able to turn it off. No excuses, but it's why I took a bit to get going during the attack."
You shake your head. "It's unlike anything I've seen. Demonic taint targets the spiritual makeup of individuals and alters it, but they never… changed it like this."
"When people get suckered by demons, their hue changes," the human explains. "A lot might change with them, but ultimately, demons just encourage us to give into our worst selves. This… well, I'm sure the Yashimans have a proper name for them, but this is just changing the self completely, rearranging and replacing parts of their spiritual and physical structure to create something else. I imagine it's much worse for the folks in the Currents, like demons are with us."
Your eyebrows furrow. The gist of what Willow is saying seems reasonable, but something doesn't add up in your mind. If what the celestial messenger says is true, then the Demiurge is actively forcing everything in its domain to undergo these changes. In some twisted way, you do understand why the demons act the way they do. There seems to be no real motivation or direction for the Demiurge however despite their supposed intelligence. What purpose is there in mutilating the vessels of those lesser than it?
It must be something related to the Impact, but no one knows anything about how that disaster started.
"Troubling," you end up saying. "I've heard the spread of his corruption has stopped, however?
She tilts her head. "In a way, yeah. It's difficult to measure, but both our people and the Magi folks seem to have stabilized it. Would like to pick the brain of La Encantada on all this, but she's been stuck in her room doing who knows what. Hells, her little girlfriend has been more helpful."
"Is there a problem here I need to know of?"
Willow raises an eyebrow at you. "No, just giving my thoughts. I have nothing against mages, just don't have the best experiences with them. And before you say it, I know it's ironic given who used to worship the ol' Eye. She's powerful, no doubt, but there's a lotta things you can't solve through blowing it up like she did."
"You think I made a mistake in bringing her," you state bluntly.
"Nah," she denies. "I think Archie screwed up by not sending us all here. This whole organization is shady as hell in my opinion, and I joined after a lotta conditions and considerations. We're doing good here at least, so I'm bearing with it. I'm just warning you to be careful of people who, well, don't care."
You huff, but don't dismiss the warning she gives.
"You're not quite what I expected, Mallory."
She smirks. "You're not so predictable yourself, Grandma. I was wondering what kind of person you were, what lurks behind the benevolent elf shtick you show to everyone."
Ignoring what she just called you, you let out a curious hum. "And what's your verdict?"
"I'm critical of people with power, and I've seen the darkness each person's light is submerged in," she says, a serious expression on her face now. "There's a lot of darkness around yours, you know."
You meet her stare, not backing down even as the void in her eyes seems to take in your entire being. There have been many gazes and glares you've stood against, and the Hand does not rank even in the top ten in terms of terror and presence. Still, you know there is little you can do to stop the Beholder's Eye from seeing the true core of your spirit and soul. Not when its presence is so difficult to hide.
"Yes, I know," you say.
She continues on as if you didn't speak. "It's not the cloying, oily texture of sin. No, it's worse. The heavy blanket of gloom, despair, and desperation is what wraps around your light. I can't say I have even a tenth of your experience, but I know enough that it's those people who tend to have the most drastic… breakdowns."
"And what is your point?"
Willow shakes her head. "I study a lot more history than people think. Have to understand what I'm fighting against, yeah? What I know of elves are that they aren't immune to going insane either through corruption or simple stress. The Breaking of the High Magi is proof enough of that."
"I've seen enough to know you're the real deal, and I respect those who take action," she says, turning away now and walking out of the room. "But the fight in the dark is never ending. Whatever this new force from the Demiurge is, it's something that'll take advantage of any vulnerability within you. The damned thing seems to reveal things in the dark that hurt you, then shows you a path in which it'll make it go away. In a way, not too different from the Eye, except a lot more misleading and forceful."
You look down at the miu fighting off the corruption as she opens the door.
"Thank you for the warning, but I will persist as I always have."
"Heh," you hear a snort before she leaves. "Hope so. Orbis needs more people waking everyone up. Beholder watch over you, and all that."
As the door closes shut, you mull over what you've learned. The exact manner in which people are transformed is horrifying in its implications, but much still remains unclear. Willow's point on how, or rather, what the Demiurge seems to be targeting though worries you. A demon's temptation nearly got the better of you not so long ago, but if something were to deliberately target the cracks in your psyche…
The Ame no Shisen shields you from it for now, but you don't intend on keeping it forever. It'll be much more useful wielded by someone who can bring out its full potential. You prefer having your hands free for your bow as well even if you know a few sword techniques. Perhaps the Yashimans in Tsukishima will know more on how to protect themselves, but as you look at the miu before you, you can't help but remember the celestial's warning that the Demiurge will figure out a way eventually.
The Yamikiri has gotten thicker the closer you get to Yashima, and now even the least observant person can see the shimmering cracks in reality. More and more people have gone below deck to hole up in their rooms, either repulsed by the environment or struggling to resist the allure of its perceived beauty. There have been attacks on the ships ever since the whale, but they are no where near the same level of danger. Just small skirmishes from beasts that manage to climb, jump, or fly over the vessels.
Shielded by the mental effects as you are, you eye the mist surrounding you. It's not a heavy fog blocking everything from sight, nor is it like a glass pane reflecting light all around it… if you had to describe it, it feels almost like a mirage or reflection constantly being overlaid in different ways on the air. Most of the time it's distracting colors or nonsensical shapes, but even you've seen something that momentarily catches your attention. It's not an insidious force trying to sneak past the barriers of your mind. It's a bludgeon that waits for you to let your guard down before smashing you in the face.
Still, the expedition will probably reach Tsukishima within a day or two. Even if the navigation systems are malfunctioning a bit, people know a lot more about the distances and pathways between nations nowadays. However, when you're about to leave the bridge after receiving the crew's report, one of them suddenly shouts out in alarm.
"I'm receiving a signal! H-hold on one second…"
You approach the speaker, a mermaid, and are quickly followed by the captain and several others on the bridge. There is a palpable tension in the air as you wait for the technician to work through whatever she's doing. Despite all you've done so far, you still know very little of the current situation on Yashima. That communication technology might still exist is a relief, as it implies there's still a semi-stable population there.
However, you can't help but feel a little worried as well. The fact there may be something functional over there all this time… you have no idea what that might look like exactly. Will they be grateful and relieved for the aid? Or will they feel resentful and wary of the expedition's arrival? You know very well that many unsavory leaders with power might seek to establish themselves over a suddenly vulnerable populace as well. Though the possibility was raised, you know that a hostile population on Tsukishima will surely doom the expedition as it is.
All those thoughts are put aside when you finally hear a burst of static and garbled voice.
"...do…. ou…. opy?"
The mermaid technician adjusts the equipment on her head before replying, "Affirmative. Radio check?"
A pause and a few more bursts of static later, the speaker on the other side comes through once more.
"Do you copy?" he repeats.
"Read you loud and clear. This is the UPN Covenant speaking. What is your current status?"
Another pause, and this time you know it's not because of fixing technical issues. Everyone on the bridge is waiting with bated breath for the response, knowing that this is the first communication between the continent and Yashima for over a decade.
"... we're doing fine. Can you confirm that you are part of the UP?"
Though the voice remains neutral, you can detect the traces of disbelief in his tone. The captain steps in at this point and introduces himself before rattling off their call sign along with a series of codes. Meanwhile, the technician seems to be transmitting something as she types on the device. All of it is indecipherable to you, of course.
You turn to a nearby crew member and state, "Bring the YRRA and other officials over here."
The lacerta blinks at you before saluting. "Yes ma'am!"
As you prepare for a lengthy wait as the two sides confirm each other's information however, the captain beckons for you to come over.
"They want to know who is leading this, and well, you're the closest thing here."
Raising an eyebrow, you take the device he hands over with some hesitation before raising it to your mouth.
"Greetings, this is Deirdre Pathstrider speaking. Are you well?"
The voice is different from the first speaker. "Things are… stable for now. I hear you are the one leading this… 'expedition'?"
You nod, before realizing they can't see you. "Yes. I've spent the past month garnering support for Yashima before bringing the matter before the United Peoples."
"I see... you have our thanks. This is… I apologize, we didn't expect this to happen so..."
"Do not worry, we are here to assist. Orbis has not forgotten Yashima. The time has come for our lands to be reconnected once more."
With that, you interact with the speaker a bit more before handing the device back to the captain. As people begin streaming into the bridge to see what's going on, you look outside the window at the Yamikiri. It's just the start, but someday, you will see the skies and waters return to their pristine state once more.
Even if no one living today will.
As you near the artificial island city of Tsukishima, a welcoming reception awaits the expedition. At the front stands an exhausted but authoritative figure, that being…
[] A kitsune in a traditional red-white miko outfit, four tails swishing behind her. She's surrounded by other miko and religious officials
Main Objectives:
Restore the Faith
Fushmi Fumi believes that Yashima was uniquely vulnerable to the Impact due to the loss of faith of its people. Perhaps there is some truth to that. By reconnecting the Yashimans with their spiritual and cultural roots, she hopes to strengthen the protections in Tsukishima guarding against the Demiurge's corruption. Yashima's advanced technology and developments made it a prosperous and powerful nation, but it led to the Impact. The kami have always watched over Yashima, and reviving their influence and power in the nation will perhaps help restore the land faster than anything else.
Understand How To Reverse the Corruption
The Gūji has been hard at work studying how to reverse the corruption inflicting the survivors in Tsukishima, and has allocated much of the space in their shrines for their stay and protection. The divine protections from the Amatsu-Kami have aided greatly in stalling its progress, but removing the Demiurge's taint is proving to be much more difficult. Help and assistance from those outside Yashima might unlock new discoveries and solutions, and despite Fumi's distaste for the Light, the position and trust others give her will not allow her to refuse foreign aid.
[] A mokujin dressed in a cross between a military uniform and traditional Yashiman wear surrounded by other uniquely-dressed individuals, all brimming with a strange power
Main Objectives:
Recruitment, Security, and Taking Back the Homeland
Aoki Junpei seeks out others like him who have been touched by the Yamikiri after the Impact and gained strange powers and abilities. He wants to gather them under his banner to protect Tsukishima against the various threats together, believing that they should be at the forefront of the fight. And after securing the city and establishing a proper organization of powered individuals, finally strike out and take back the land stolen by the Demiurge. Despite the devastation, power has been granted to the Yashimans to protect themselves. He will make use of it the best he can while bringing out the strength within others.
Understand how the powers that have come with Impact work
Aoki Junpei realizes that there are still many mysteries and unknowns with how their power works and what it means that they have them. While he is no researcher, actively studying and training others in how it works is a priority for him. The responsibility on his shoulders has forced him to consider the various concern and issues with leaving the question of their powers unanswered in the long-term. Power never comes for free after all, and while he'll do whatever it takes to protect Tsukishima, others are not as strong or willful as him.
[] A scruffy-looking bake-danuki wearing a worn lab coat over a suit, surrounded by various officials, mechs, and soldiers
Main Objectives:
Implementation of a Proper, Stable Civilian Government
Sanada Tomoko, the Administrator, is intent on reestablishing secular society and governance in Tsukishima. She stands against those with either military or personal power attempting to exert their authority and control over the survivors, and tries her best to preserve a semblance of normality in the ravaged nation. While she is currently forced to enforce this with her mechs and technology, she has no wish to become an autocrat or despot. She believes Tsukishima has to get it right and be the starting point for the political, societal, and physical rebuilding of the nation, or else Yashima risks losing its once bright future once and for all.
Understand How and Why the Impact Happened
Sanada Tomoko knows a few of the architects and minds behind the Impact. They consulted her for advice on several matters, and she regrets giving it to them to this day. Though busy with maintaining order in Tsukishima, her position as de facto leader of the city has given her time and perspective to think on what exactly happened after delegating some of her work to others. She has many hypothesis on the matter, and perhaps your perspective may give her the final push she needs to finally put it all together. Not just the Impact, but how the demons came and destroyed the Lost Continent as well. Perhaps a future catastrophe can be prevented...?
AN:
And here we go. This is a pretty important vote that'll dictate the kind of direction and theme of what Tsukishima currently looks like right now. Though I don't tend to give too much prior information, I figured this vote warranted more background stuff. If you want a more spiritual take focused on healing the land and people, go for Fumi. If you want a more martial, expansionistic take led by powerful individuals, go for Junpei. And if you want mechs and valks, go for Tomoko.
A bit of an oversimplifcation of course, but those are some of the things you'll be deciding. The other two sides that are not picked will not disappear, of course, though they'll take a side role and possibly antagonistic one in some way. Also, the three potential leaders are not exactly ignoring other concerns(mostly), they are just particularly inclined and able to tackle their main priorities. Read the Yashiman side story if you want a refresher on them, though I may change some things slightly.
Side note and somewhat ashamed to admit this, but thought I should let you guys know that I've been having some motivation problems. I'm hoping reaching Yashima will reinvigorate it, but may or may not take some more time to figure things out. Doesn't help that some IRL stuff has been creeping up. We'll see, I'm still very intent on completing Volume 2, and I haven't taken much longer than a week to get an update out so far.
[X] A scruffy-looking bake-danuki wearing a worn lab coat over a suit, surrounded by various officials, mechs, and soldiers
Seems like the most likely to have solid, actionable information on some pretty large-scale issues. Plus, three cheers for anyone who can hold together a functioning government in this dumpster fire.
No need to be ashamed to be experiencing motivation problems--basically every writer has had to confront that at some point. There's as many different creative processes as there are writers, so what impacts it for the better or the worse can be highly arcane. But if it reaches a critical stage, an adjustment to the update frequency or a hiatus is better than catastrophic burnout, so don't hesitate to take care of yourself. I'm sure your readers appreciate all you do!
