A Wormquest set in an alternate 'timeline' of events in which two Entities get separated and one of them ends up on our Earth.
Wanderlust (Worm Quest AU)
- Thread starter Gabbie
- Start date
- Action Modern Superhero
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- Tags
- worm power levels
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 97
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 31
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Statistics (23 threadmarks, 56k words)
User Total Gabbie 23 -
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Prologue
Gabbie
That One Writer
- Location
- Italy
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Hello! This is my attempt at starting my own Quest. It was commissioned by a kind benefactor, and as such, the premise has been decided together - a pair of Entities are interrupted and separated during their voyage to Earth (Earth Bet? Who knows), and one of them ends up starting a proto-Cycle on... OUR Earth! So yeah, this is our Earth in 2022, but what if Entities from Worm came and did their thing? We shall see how it goes.
Note: frequent and high-quality discussion will have in-story effects regarding the characters' circumstance, their luck, and other seen and unseen variables. That aside, enjoy Wanderlust!
Destination. Agreement.
A Mind that had never slept unfurled its wide attention over the cosmic web of rocks that it had chosen for the experiment, its unblinking eye absorbing the necessary details. Its companion - a Guard that had never rested - traveled close, spiraling around its companion like the smaller star of a binary star system.
A shudder in the fabric of space, and from it, a Stranger came.
Collaboration.
The Mind's eye turned for the smallest fraction of an instant - innumerable eons from the perspective of an external observer. The Stranger and the Mind shared information, exchange experiment results with each other. The Mind seemed satisfied with the exchange, but-
Caution.
Space shuddered again, and the Mind was flung towards the planet at relativistic speed. Not the work of the Stranger. Something else entirely, distant, alien, hostile. It would've crashed much faster, had it not been for the Guard intervening and lightening the attack's striking force with its own array of kinetic manipulation abilities.
Witnessing these events unfurling, the Stranger utilized its predictive abilities, at a slightly larger expenditure of energy than it thought was necessary. Its shards vibrated in harmony and the Pathing shard released the output.
Path. Consideration. Decision.
If the Mind had crashed into the planet below, it would've perished beyond possibility of recovery. The Stranger decided to intervene and seize the opportunity.
Space shuddered between the Mind and the planet, intercepting its ally's collision course and the eleven dimensions of space these entities operated within split open at the seams, allowing the Mind to fly through relatively undamaged, to dimensions unknown.
The wormhole closed shut with a violent conflagration of heat, radiation, and kinetic energy, rending the planet into a lifeless chunk of flaming rock in moments, planetary debris being flung into deep space by the detonation. The Guard was hit by several of these pieces of debris, but they washed over it harmlessly.
The Stranger attacked while the wormhole's explosion was dying down. Its shards roared with several thousand vectors of attack - radiation, heat, kinetic energy, dimensional displacement, exotic matter, dark matter, antimatter, all being flung at the Guard at speeds several thousands of times faster than light.
The Guard countered with its own array of attacks, quantitatively and qualitatively superior. The Stranger had made an error in its calculations, considering how much energy its Path shard had utilized. The Guard didn't need the Mind, nor its own Path shard, to know the outcome of this battle.
The Stranger would perish, and be assimilated.
In an attempt to avoid this fate, The Stranger's shards rearranged, formed new connections between each other, and formed shields and appropriate defenses. It was buying time, to regenerate enough energy to blast off into space, to escape the confrontation.
It wouldn't work.
Several of the Guard's main offensive shards beamed in concord as they struck, releasing an array of effects. Nuclear fusion to create the attack force, kinetic and magnetic manipulation to direct it, and exotic dimensional condensation to ensure the attack struck true despite the defenses. The work of a powerful, if newly acquired, shard.
The missile was released. The shields parted pathetically around the sheer force of the blast, and the Stranger's core network was hit. Its main functions began failing catastrophically, and the Stranger came apart at the seams, and the Guard moved it to consume it.
A significant portion of the newly acquired shards will be deconstructed and consumed to repair the damage accrued during the battle, while the rest of them will be incorporated into the network.
After some time, The Guard attempted reaching out to the Mind, but it was distant. Beyond even its most powerful communication shards. It knew where the Mind was, but couldn't commune with it the way they used to. In time, it would even be able to reunite with it.
It would be the work of centuries, but those timescales are nothing to its kind. A mere blink of an eye.
On the other side of the wormhole, the Mind took in its surroundings. Its awareness spread, but not in full; it found it could not use its precognitive abilities to their fullest. Regardless, the Mind gathered enough information.
It was in a rather ordinary solar system, very similar to the one it was in before, composed of a single main sequence star halfway through its lifespan, four rocky planets and four gas planets. All of the planets were lifeless and had been for all of their existence, except one.
The Mind focused its attention on the planet, and more specific information came flooding in. More than two thirds of its surface was covered in liquid dihydrogen monoxide. The average temperature was warm enough that the planet was livable and comfortable for its inhabitants, but that was changing quickly.
The dominating species on this planet was an organism which evolved from early primates. It stood upright, walking on two hind limbs and utilizing its front limbs to manipulate and interact with objects. Intelligent, though that variable could vary enormously from individual to individual. A creative mind, built for problem solving and for quickly adapting to new situations.
Confirm.
This would do, with some modifications to the Cycle's structure. Only a few thousand hosts to start with.
From the Mind's corpus, dozens of shards detached and flew towards the planet - Earth, as the primates called it - while the Mind slipped between dimensions to conceal its presence from the primates' observation devices. Primitive, but surprisingly effective. The shards chose their hosts and latched in the night, bubbling with their primary directive: gather information.
That night, all of the hosts dreamed of a great being, immeasurably large, crystalline and fractal-like, traveling through space.
Who are you?...
[ ] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
Michael Ringstein, a brilliant prodigy in every subject that involved numbers. Skipped elementary, middle and most of high school. Graduated university with the highest honors, got a Ph.D in computer science and a Master's Degree in Math and Physics by the time he was twenty. Unfortunately, this led to him being a social recluse.
His only focus had always been studying, knowing more, knowing better. He had ever been interested in having friends, or sports, or a social life in general. He didn't need to work, as all of the schools he ever went to just paid for his studies through scholarships he acquired by merely breathing in their direction.
Nobody was on his level - every conversation with someone who wasn't a teacher felt like a trudge to get through instead of a genuinely enjoyable experience; an obligation instead of something he wanted to do. So, he did what everyone in his situation would. He turned to a hobby that required no interaction with anyone else, ever. Writing.
By age twenty-five, he hit rock bottom. Depression hit him harder than anything else in his life, and he came to the haunting realization that he was alone, but most of all, he was lonely. Humans were innately social animals, and required connection to live happily.
At first, he could trick himself into a sense of 'contentment' by forming parasocial relationships with the characters he wrote about, but they couldn't hug you, or eat a pizza with you, or hold your hand. He decided he'd go back out into the world again, to hopefully find what he was missing so desperately.
He could even write about his experience, once he succeeded or failed. It was bound to be an interesting experiment either way.
~
Michael is a tall, lanky, pale young man. He wears thick glasses, has no facial hair, and has very long and unkept red hair. He tends very little to his physical appearance, whether he's outside or inside - his clothes are almost always either stained or crumpled, often both. It's rare to see him wearing something that isn't an old, barely held-together college t-shirt and a pair of trousers.
STATISTICS [3 is the human median. 5 is the peak of average human capability.]
Brawn: ▰▰▱▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▱▱
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▱
Social: ▰▰▱▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▰▰▰▰ (!!!)
Guts: ▰▰▱▱▱
Special Trait: Learning Blitz - Learning anything will take half as much time, and his learning cap is increased by half. Retrieving academic information is trivial, be it in a library or online, and as a result, information-gathering in general is easier.
––––––
[ ] Jessica Clavi - "I'm never sleeping again. I hate space."
Witty, bright, and with a knack for playing violin, Jessica led a relatively ordinary life for a girl her age. Always had an instrument under her fingers from childhood, whether that was violin, piano, percussion or objects that could produce a sound that might sound like a musical note. People in her life used to call her the 'Tiny Paganini,' due to how obsessed and crazed she was about music.
Regardless of her (un)healthy obsession with the twelve sounds of the octave and combinations thereof, she had a close-knit friend group, had a boyfriend for several years but broke it off due to different priorities in life and due to the distance that formed after college. Her family was rich enough to put her through high school and college, so she could focus on her passion.
Everything changed, unfortunately, when her best friend - Achilles, a boy her age whom she'd been very close to in the years of high school and beyond - committed suicide. What made it worse is that Jessica was the one to find his body, hung by the neck in his house's backyard while his family was out for work.
Nobody had ever noticed any signs of Achilles' mental health issues, Jessica included. She asked herself so much: why did he do it? What was happening in his life that he felt like he couldn't share with her? Was someone involved? Did someone push him to do this?
All those questions destroyed her. Her whole world came tumbling down on her. She cut off most of her less close friends, barely left her room or went out the house, and buried her pain in her music.
It took her three years of therapy, boxes and boxes of antidepressants and even one internment into a psychiatric facility, before she got back on her feet again. She would never fully be who she was, she knew that, but she looked forward to having a normal life again.
For Achilles.
~
Jessica is a pretty average-height girl, averagely fit, with a mild tan coloring her skin slightly. She wears a black bob cut, and she always dresses very sporty or very elegantly, with no in-between. She cares a lot about her appearance, especially when she has concerts or outings with friends.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▰
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▰
Social: ▰▰▰▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▱▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▱▱
Special Trait: Cold Read - Whenever Jessica is attempting to get a read on someone's motives, current emotional state, or opinions, she has an eight out of ten chance of success.
––––––
[ ] Steve Loranis - "How much did I drink last night?"
Single child of a single mother in Kansas, Steve had always been what you'd consider a good boy. He was never the brightest tool in the shed, as his mother and teachers noticed very often, but his talents lay elsewhere: specifically, in his freakishly efficient and never-still physique.
Always moving somewhere, barely able to stay still for more than an hour. He barely took the bus or the car to go anywhere, instead opting to walk, run, or bike. He did all the sports as a child - if it involved moving, he did it.
He only ever had one true friend. His name was John Wickersham: the two met in elementary school and had been inseparable ever since. John was being picked on by a few older kids, because he was pestering them with facts about his D&D character. Steve intervened and beat the three kids within an inch of unconsciousness. He got suspended, obviously, but he had earned a friend for life through that unbelievably violent action.
In high school, Steve's mother fell ill. Money was tight already, and this put them in the red. Steve had to drop out of high school and start working every job and odd job he could find to sustain the family, which is when he started working as a barista. Which, at his age of seventeen, was illegal.
Years later, Steve lived a pretty chill and normal life. He still worked in that bar, his mother got better but was now too old to work her old job, and everything seemed to be fine. Unfortunately, things had been too good for him in the past years.
His best friend, the man who he'd wanted to ask to be best man at his eventual wedding, disappeared without a trace. The police had searched for months, but had given up the search when all evidence of John ever leaving was naught but unfindable.
It was like he literally disappeared in thin air.
~
Steve is basically a Greek statue. Tall, short blond hair, a sculpted physique honed by years of all the sports. Two piercing, green eyes that would make any guy swoon head over heels. The only imperfect part of him was the stubble, which he'd never managed to grow out past the 'Porn Stache' phase.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▰▰
Athletics: ▰▰▰▰▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▱
Wits: ▰▰▱▱▱
Social: ▰▰▱▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▱▱▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▰▱
Special Trait: Heart of Gold - People will instinctively know when Steve is being honest about something, and will be more likely to believe him than not when he's lying.
––––––
[ ] Christie Davis - "Dang it, already forgot. Shucks.."
A woman of principle and high moral standards, but above all, a woman with a big heart and with way too much care to give out into the world. Grew up parentless in an average orphanage in Toronto, Canada, she led a rather ordinary and uninteresting life for most of her childhood. She was put through middle school and high school by the orphanage.
She'd always been passionate about drawing, for all of her life, to the point of spending most of her free time practicing art, using most of her money to purchase better art materials, and ignoring school duties to study the practice of the brush. She had some friends who shared her passion, with whom she'd spend entire afternoons in silence, drawing in company and sharing a few words every now and then.
When she reached the age of eighteen, she got a job in graphic design online and moved out of the orphanage with one of her artist friends. Her life was pretty boring, as she spent a majority of her time doing what she'd always done during her childhood, which was drawing. She was incredibly good at it, becoming a niche internet celebrity over the quality of her art.
One day, her friend - Olivia - brought home a little bag of weed. They both tried it together, and enjoyed it a lot. That was the start of the end, as the two let go of all inhibition, indulging in things that they'd never really cared for. Weed turned to stronger strains, those stains turned to cocaine at parties, cocaine turned to pills and shrooms, and those eventually turned to the stuff that doesn't even have a name.
It was when Christie overdosed on heroin and ended up in the hospital for several weeks, in a medically induced coma to prevent her from dying, that she realized that she went too far. Such a close dance with death put the rightful fear of God into her, and she decided to put her life back on track.
She cut contact with Olivia, moved to another smaller apartment on her own, and resumed her art career on the internet; she took a few nursing classes as well, and started volunteering
~
Christie is a cute, short, slightly chubby young woman. She wears loose, hippie-themed clothing and always keeps her hair untied. She has big, hazel eyes and beautifully curated medium-length brunette hair, cut in a pretty long mullet.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▱
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▰
Social: ▰▰▰▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▰▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▱▱
Special Trait: Risk-Taker - Every action that could result in a probability of death bigger than 25% will be marked in red. Additionally, risky actions that don't have a large chance of resulting in death will generally go better.
––––––
…Which shard latched onto you?
[ ] "Radiotrophic Effector" - This shard was one of the agents responsible for manipulation of the various types of radiation. Be it photonic radiation, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, sonic radiation, the Radiotrophic Effector manipulated it. Some examples of abilities it had bestowed in the past were: creating photon constructs, changing the intensity of the photon waves around the user, and controlling sound waves. Often deployed Shaker and Blaster-type powers.
[ ] "Morphing Grafter" - This shard is one of the ones responsible for biological manipulation of carbon-and-silicon based lifeforms, with a focus on physical enhancement. Reinforce bone, extend muscle strands, improve senses, or even increase neuron density for increased mental faculties. Some examples of abilities it has bestowed to hosts were: supernatural physical condition, hyper-enhanced regeneration, additional senses. Often deployed as Brute and Striker/Trump-type powers.
[ ] "The Painter" - This shard was one of the more unique ones, and was responsible for interfacing with creative lifeforms and understanding their thought process. As such, it had a 'personality,' so to speak, and would meld itself to its host more than an ordinary shard would. What it gabe up in immediate power, it made up for in compatibility, versatility and potential for improvement. Some examples of what powers it gave are: emotion-based minion summoning, emotion-altering energy blasts. Often deployed Master and Thinker-type powers.
[ ] "Kinetogen Effector" - This shard very simply dealt with kinetic energy in all of its forms. There are many variations of this one shard, with very little variation between them. It generally dealt with motion in general. Some examples of abilities given by this shard are: general purpose telekinesis, inertialess flight, protective forcefields, telekinetically-aided strength. Often deployed Shaker and Striker-type powers.
[ ] "Gleaming Rogue" - This shard was part of the sub-network which deals with propulsion and space travel. Turning objects partly to light to make propulsion more energy efficient, teleportation, creating portals - those were all the purview of this shard. Some examples of abilities have been: superspeed, turning one's body to electricity. Often deployed Mover and Breaker-type powers.
[ ] "Armament Registry" - The weapon-focused shard of this particular network; whether that was registering information about weapon systems, replicating them, or deploying weapon-like offensive effects, this shard could do it. Some examples of abilities granted were: shooting laser projectiles, manifesting explosions, creating highly technological weapons. Often deployed as Blaster and Tinker-type powers.
[ ] "Extractor Engine" - The shard that took care of extraction, processing and storage of elements. Absorption of toxic material, removal of asteroid belts that are in the way. Some examples of powers granted by this shard are: pocket-dimensional storage spaces, portal-making, touch-based material processing. Often deployed Shaker and Blaster-type effects.
[ ] "The Heart" - A foreign shard, leftover from the exchange with the Stranger. It seemed particularly apt at interacting with other bonded agents, specifically within the confines of a Cycle. It depended on other shards to function at its peak capacity, but when it was at its prime it shone greatly. Some of the powers it gave were: boosting powers, granting powers to non-parahumans, emotional control, thought control. Often deployed Trump and Master-type powers.
…Where do you wake up?
[ ] Sonnesburg - A sprawling city numbering at least one million people. Sonnesburg stands as a testament to progress and diversity. Founded in the late 19th century by a Dutch family as a trading post in Minnesota, it rapidly evolved into a thriving industrial hub, attracting people from all corners of the world seeking opportunities and a new life for themselves.
Its iconic skyline is adorned with glass and steel, with the magnificent Sunlight Tower reigning as the city's crown jewel, housing offices, businesses, and the city's government at its very top.
Over the years, Sonnesburg has grown to become a cultural mosaic, with various neighborhoods reflecting the vibrant tapestry of its inhabitants' heritage. The bustling streets are alive with a constant flow of activity, and the rhythm of the city is marked by the symphony of car horns and laughter.
Unfortunately, over the past few months, the city has begun suffering from cyber-attacks. They disrupt essential services, and threaten the city's technological infrastructure - on which it heavily relies on, these days.
Nobody had managed to trace the source of these attacks until last month, when the leader of the hacktivist group 'Cypher', Caesar, came out with an announcement. The attacks would not stop until 'the right people do what is right.' No further details had been given.
[ ] Jackston - A sleepy, old American town nooked between several mountains in rural Oregon, among the evergreens and crystal lakes. Jackston's a little place, out of the ways, with not much in the way of tourism or travel, and a stable population of about thirty thousand citizens.
For most of its history, Jackston's role in the western economy was modest: milling, lumber, fishing, and exports of carpentry and furniture. It founded its backbone as a provider of fine wood and accessories, and most of the town's industries were founded on supporting that output. Its citizens lived a pastoral existence.
Over the 90s, however, a number of forest fires centered around Jackston and its neighboring towns of Redwell and Pineville have put its entire industry in severe jeopardy. Crime rose as a result, as people turned to less savory means of feeding themselves and their families. The authorities weren't able to provide the relief and help the people needed, and for that, the town is still paying the price to this day, in the form of dilapidated neighborhoods, locked-down facilities and warehouses dotting the streets, and ancient lumber mills in the woods, long-defunct and dead. The milling industry is now half-dead.
In the modern day, Jackston is ruled over by a corrupt elite, a one percent upper class that keeps its people suffocated beneath the weight of the collapse, and then feeds off of them parasitically: this mostly includes the mayor and his select few: those he calls 'the most promising citizens.' The upper crust is almost impossible to dislodge, as both the criminal element and police serve its interests with few exceptions.
Now, Christian Stillwell is running for re-election, promising improvement to the people of Jackston even as he lines his own pockets with the taxpayers' money, feeding the problems of corruption and rapacity. His only major opponent, Christine Smith, has few chances of winning the election, as her support is slim, and Stillwell's hired goons and 'friends' in the local families keep an eye on the running, a finger on the scales. She's determined, but what can determination do in the face of human greed?
[ ] Agua de Colores - Nestled along the sun-kissed coastline, Agua de Colores is a quaint port city on the shores of Florida with a storied past that dates back centuries. Legend has it that it was discovered by a group of Mexican explorers who were mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of colors beneath the crystalline waters, where an intricate coral reef thrived.
As a result, those explorers named this area 'Agua de Colores' - colorful waters in Spanish - to honor this natural beauty, and founded the city that we know today.
The city's history revolves around its maritime heritage, where fishing and sailing have always been at the heart of daily life as well as the city's economy. The locals take great pride in preserving their oceanic legacy, fostering a deep connection with the sea and marine life. Agua de Colores' charm lies in its laid-back atmosphere, where beachfront cottages and boardwalks provide respite for those seeking a tranquil escape.
As the sun dips below the horizon, and as the city's respectable elements fall into slumber, the criminal underbelly comes alive. Drug-dealing, weapon manufacturing, racketeering, vandalism and extortion happen all the time, almost every hour, as the drug cartels funnel their produce through the town.
However, mysterious figures clad in hockey masks and stolen police armor take to the streets, dispensing their own brand of justice. The locals are torn between fear and admiration for these nighttime 'heroes,' unsure if they should embrace the vigilantes' actions or entrust the law to handle the city's safety. As the moon rises high, Agua de Colores' quaint atmosphere returns.
[ ] In A Room You Don't Recognize… [Warning: this will make the Quest much more difficult and dangerous.]
Note: frequent and high-quality discussion will have in-story effects regarding the characters' circumstance, their luck, and other seen and unseen variables. That aside, enjoy Wanderlust!
WANDERLUST
Destination. Agreement.
A Mind that had never slept unfurled its wide attention over the cosmic web of rocks that it had chosen for the experiment, its unblinking eye absorbing the necessary details. Its companion - a Guard that had never rested - traveled close, spiraling around its companion like the smaller star of a binary star system.
A shudder in the fabric of space, and from it, a Stranger came.
Collaboration.
The Mind's eye turned for the smallest fraction of an instant - innumerable eons from the perspective of an external observer. The Stranger and the Mind shared information, exchange experiment results with each other. The Mind seemed satisfied with the exchange, but-
Caution.
Space shuddered again, and the Mind was flung towards the planet at relativistic speed. Not the work of the Stranger. Something else entirely, distant, alien, hostile. It would've crashed much faster, had it not been for the Guard intervening and lightening the attack's striking force with its own array of kinetic manipulation abilities.
Witnessing these events unfurling, the Stranger utilized its predictive abilities, at a slightly larger expenditure of energy than it thought was necessary. Its shards vibrated in harmony and the Pathing shard released the output.
Path. Consideration. Decision.
If the Mind had crashed into the planet below, it would've perished beyond possibility of recovery. The Stranger decided to intervene and seize the opportunity.
Space shuddered between the Mind and the planet, intercepting its ally's collision course and the eleven dimensions of space these entities operated within split open at the seams, allowing the Mind to fly through relatively undamaged, to dimensions unknown.
The wormhole closed shut with a violent conflagration of heat, radiation, and kinetic energy, rending the planet into a lifeless chunk of flaming rock in moments, planetary debris being flung into deep space by the detonation. The Guard was hit by several of these pieces of debris, but they washed over it harmlessly.
The Stranger attacked while the wormhole's explosion was dying down. Its shards roared with several thousand vectors of attack - radiation, heat, kinetic energy, dimensional displacement, exotic matter, dark matter, antimatter, all being flung at the Guard at speeds several thousands of times faster than light.
The Guard countered with its own array of attacks, quantitatively and qualitatively superior. The Stranger had made an error in its calculations, considering how much energy its Path shard had utilized. The Guard didn't need the Mind, nor its own Path shard, to know the outcome of this battle.
The Stranger would perish, and be assimilated.
In an attempt to avoid this fate, The Stranger's shards rearranged, formed new connections between each other, and formed shields and appropriate defenses. It was buying time, to regenerate enough energy to blast off into space, to escape the confrontation.
It wouldn't work.
Several of the Guard's main offensive shards beamed in concord as they struck, releasing an array of effects. Nuclear fusion to create the attack force, kinetic and magnetic manipulation to direct it, and exotic dimensional condensation to ensure the attack struck true despite the defenses. The work of a powerful, if newly acquired, shard.
The missile was released. The shields parted pathetically around the sheer force of the blast, and the Stranger's core network was hit. Its main functions began failing catastrophically, and the Stranger came apart at the seams, and the Guard moved it to consume it.
A significant portion of the newly acquired shards will be deconstructed and consumed to repair the damage accrued during the battle, while the rest of them will be incorporated into the network.
After some time, The Guard attempted reaching out to the Mind, but it was distant. Beyond even its most powerful communication shards. It knew where the Mind was, but couldn't commune with it the way they used to. In time, it would even be able to reunite with it.
It would be the work of centuries, but those timescales are nothing to its kind. A mere blink of an eye.
On the other side of the wormhole, the Mind took in its surroundings. Its awareness spread, but not in full; it found it could not use its precognitive abilities to their fullest. Regardless, the Mind gathered enough information.
It was in a rather ordinary solar system, very similar to the one it was in before, composed of a single main sequence star halfway through its lifespan, four rocky planets and four gas planets. All of the planets were lifeless and had been for all of their existence, except one.
The Mind focused its attention on the planet, and more specific information came flooding in. More than two thirds of its surface was covered in liquid dihydrogen monoxide. The average temperature was warm enough that the planet was livable and comfortable for its inhabitants, but that was changing quickly.
The dominating species on this planet was an organism which evolved from early primates. It stood upright, walking on two hind limbs and utilizing its front limbs to manipulate and interact with objects. Intelligent, though that variable could vary enormously from individual to individual. A creative mind, built for problem solving and for quickly adapting to new situations.
Confirm.
This would do, with some modifications to the Cycle's structure. Only a few thousand hosts to start with.
From the Mind's corpus, dozens of shards detached and flew towards the planet - Earth, as the primates called it - while the Mind slipped between dimensions to conceal its presence from the primates' observation devices. Primitive, but surprisingly effective. The shards chose their hosts and latched in the night, bubbling with their primary directive: gather information.
That night, all of the hosts dreamed of a great being, immeasurably large, crystalline and fractal-like, traveling through space.
***
Who are you?...
[ ] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
Michael Ringstein, a brilliant prodigy in every subject that involved numbers. Skipped elementary, middle and most of high school. Graduated university with the highest honors, got a Ph.D in computer science and a Master's Degree in Math and Physics by the time he was twenty. Unfortunately, this led to him being a social recluse.
His only focus had always been studying, knowing more, knowing better. He had ever been interested in having friends, or sports, or a social life in general. He didn't need to work, as all of the schools he ever went to just paid for his studies through scholarships he acquired by merely breathing in their direction.
Nobody was on his level - every conversation with someone who wasn't a teacher felt like a trudge to get through instead of a genuinely enjoyable experience; an obligation instead of something he wanted to do. So, he did what everyone in his situation would. He turned to a hobby that required no interaction with anyone else, ever. Writing.
By age twenty-five, he hit rock bottom. Depression hit him harder than anything else in his life, and he came to the haunting realization that he was alone, but most of all, he was lonely. Humans were innately social animals, and required connection to live happily.
At first, he could trick himself into a sense of 'contentment' by forming parasocial relationships with the characters he wrote about, but they couldn't hug you, or eat a pizza with you, or hold your hand. He decided he'd go back out into the world again, to hopefully find what he was missing so desperately.
He could even write about his experience, once he succeeded or failed. It was bound to be an interesting experiment either way.
~
Michael is a tall, lanky, pale young man. He wears thick glasses, has no facial hair, and has very long and unkept red hair. He tends very little to his physical appearance, whether he's outside or inside - his clothes are almost always either stained or crumpled, often both. It's rare to see him wearing something that isn't an old, barely held-together college t-shirt and a pair of trousers.
STATISTICS [3 is the human median. 5 is the peak of average human capability.]
Brawn: ▰▰▱▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▱▱
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▱
Social: ▰▰▱▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▰▰▰▰ (!!!)
Guts: ▰▰▱▱▱
Special Trait: Learning Blitz - Learning anything will take half as much time, and his learning cap is increased by half. Retrieving academic information is trivial, be it in a library or online, and as a result, information-gathering in general is easier.
––––––
[ ] Jessica Clavi - "I'm never sleeping again. I hate space."
Witty, bright, and with a knack for playing violin, Jessica led a relatively ordinary life for a girl her age. Always had an instrument under her fingers from childhood, whether that was violin, piano, percussion or objects that could produce a sound that might sound like a musical note. People in her life used to call her the 'Tiny Paganini,' due to how obsessed and crazed she was about music.
Regardless of her (un)healthy obsession with the twelve sounds of the octave and combinations thereof, she had a close-knit friend group, had a boyfriend for several years but broke it off due to different priorities in life and due to the distance that formed after college. Her family was rich enough to put her through high school and college, so she could focus on her passion.
Everything changed, unfortunately, when her best friend - Achilles, a boy her age whom she'd been very close to in the years of high school and beyond - committed suicide. What made it worse is that Jessica was the one to find his body, hung by the neck in his house's backyard while his family was out for work.
Nobody had ever noticed any signs of Achilles' mental health issues, Jessica included. She asked herself so much: why did he do it? What was happening in his life that he felt like he couldn't share with her? Was someone involved? Did someone push him to do this?
All those questions destroyed her. Her whole world came tumbling down on her. She cut off most of her less close friends, barely left her room or went out the house, and buried her pain in her music.
It took her three years of therapy, boxes and boxes of antidepressants and even one internment into a psychiatric facility, before she got back on her feet again. She would never fully be who she was, she knew that, but she looked forward to having a normal life again.
For Achilles.
~
Jessica is a pretty average-height girl, averagely fit, with a mild tan coloring her skin slightly. She wears a black bob cut, and she always dresses very sporty or very elegantly, with no in-between. She cares a lot about her appearance, especially when she has concerts or outings with friends.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▰
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▰
Social: ▰▰▰▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▱▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▱▱
Special Trait: Cold Read - Whenever Jessica is attempting to get a read on someone's motives, current emotional state, or opinions, she has an eight out of ten chance of success.
––––––
[ ] Steve Loranis - "How much did I drink last night?"
Single child of a single mother in Kansas, Steve had always been what you'd consider a good boy. He was never the brightest tool in the shed, as his mother and teachers noticed very often, but his talents lay elsewhere: specifically, in his freakishly efficient and never-still physique.
Always moving somewhere, barely able to stay still for more than an hour. He barely took the bus or the car to go anywhere, instead opting to walk, run, or bike. He did all the sports as a child - if it involved moving, he did it.
He only ever had one true friend. His name was John Wickersham: the two met in elementary school and had been inseparable ever since. John was being picked on by a few older kids, because he was pestering them with facts about his D&D character. Steve intervened and beat the three kids within an inch of unconsciousness. He got suspended, obviously, but he had earned a friend for life through that unbelievably violent action.
In high school, Steve's mother fell ill. Money was tight already, and this put them in the red. Steve had to drop out of high school and start working every job and odd job he could find to sustain the family, which is when he started working as a barista. Which, at his age of seventeen, was illegal.
Years later, Steve lived a pretty chill and normal life. He still worked in that bar, his mother got better but was now too old to work her old job, and everything seemed to be fine. Unfortunately, things had been too good for him in the past years.
His best friend, the man who he'd wanted to ask to be best man at his eventual wedding, disappeared without a trace. The police had searched for months, but had given up the search when all evidence of John ever leaving was naught but unfindable.
It was like he literally disappeared in thin air.
~
Steve is basically a Greek statue. Tall, short blond hair, a sculpted physique honed by years of all the sports. Two piercing, green eyes that would make any guy swoon head over heels. The only imperfect part of him was the stubble, which he'd never managed to grow out past the 'Porn Stache' phase.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▰▰
Athletics: ▰▰▰▰▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▱
Wits: ▰▰▱▱▱
Social: ▰▰▱▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▱▱▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▰▱
Special Trait: Heart of Gold - People will instinctively know when Steve is being honest about something, and will be more likely to believe him than not when he's lying.
––––––
[ ] Christie Davis - "Dang it, already forgot. Shucks.."
A woman of principle and high moral standards, but above all, a woman with a big heart and with way too much care to give out into the world. Grew up parentless in an average orphanage in Toronto, Canada, she led a rather ordinary and uninteresting life for most of her childhood. She was put through middle school and high school by the orphanage.
She'd always been passionate about drawing, for all of her life, to the point of spending most of her free time practicing art, using most of her money to purchase better art materials, and ignoring school duties to study the practice of the brush. She had some friends who shared her passion, with whom she'd spend entire afternoons in silence, drawing in company and sharing a few words every now and then.
When she reached the age of eighteen, she got a job in graphic design online and moved out of the orphanage with one of her artist friends. Her life was pretty boring, as she spent a majority of her time doing what she'd always done during her childhood, which was drawing. She was incredibly good at it, becoming a niche internet celebrity over the quality of her art.
One day, her friend - Olivia - brought home a little bag of weed. They both tried it together, and enjoyed it a lot. That was the start of the end, as the two let go of all inhibition, indulging in things that they'd never really cared for. Weed turned to stronger strains, those stains turned to cocaine at parties, cocaine turned to pills and shrooms, and those eventually turned to the stuff that doesn't even have a name.
It was when Christie overdosed on heroin and ended up in the hospital for several weeks, in a medically induced coma to prevent her from dying, that she realized that she went too far. Such a close dance with death put the rightful fear of God into her, and she decided to put her life back on track.
She cut contact with Olivia, moved to another smaller apartment on her own, and resumed her art career on the internet; she took a few nursing classes as well, and started volunteering
~
Christie is a cute, short, slightly chubby young woman. She wears loose, hippie-themed clothing and always keeps her hair untied. She has big, hazel eyes and beautifully curated medium-length brunette hair, cut in a pretty long mullet.
STATISTICS
Brawn: ▰▰▰▱▱
Athletics: ▰▰▰▱▱
Dexterity: ▰▰▰▰▱
Wits: ▰▰▰▰▰
Social: ▰▰▰▱▱
Knowledge: ▰▰▰▱▱
Guts: ▰▰▰▱▱
Special Trait: Risk-Taker - Every action that could result in a probability of death bigger than 25% will be marked in red. Additionally, risky actions that don't have a large chance of resulting in death will generally go better.
––––––
***
…Which shard latched onto you?
[ ] "Radiotrophic Effector" - This shard was one of the agents responsible for manipulation of the various types of radiation. Be it photonic radiation, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, sonic radiation, the Radiotrophic Effector manipulated it. Some examples of abilities it had bestowed in the past were: creating photon constructs, changing the intensity of the photon waves around the user, and controlling sound waves. Often deployed Shaker and Blaster-type powers.
[ ] "Morphing Grafter" - This shard is one of the ones responsible for biological manipulation of carbon-and-silicon based lifeforms, with a focus on physical enhancement. Reinforce bone, extend muscle strands, improve senses, or even increase neuron density for increased mental faculties. Some examples of abilities it has bestowed to hosts were: supernatural physical condition, hyper-enhanced regeneration, additional senses. Often deployed as Brute and Striker/Trump-type powers.
[ ] "The Painter" - This shard was one of the more unique ones, and was responsible for interfacing with creative lifeforms and understanding their thought process. As such, it had a 'personality,' so to speak, and would meld itself to its host more than an ordinary shard would. What it gabe up in immediate power, it made up for in compatibility, versatility and potential for improvement. Some examples of what powers it gave are: emotion-based minion summoning, emotion-altering energy blasts. Often deployed Master and Thinker-type powers.
[ ] "Kinetogen Effector" - This shard very simply dealt with kinetic energy in all of its forms. There are many variations of this one shard, with very little variation between them. It generally dealt with motion in general. Some examples of abilities given by this shard are: general purpose telekinesis, inertialess flight, protective forcefields, telekinetically-aided strength. Often deployed Shaker and Striker-type powers.
[ ] "Gleaming Rogue" - This shard was part of the sub-network which deals with propulsion and space travel. Turning objects partly to light to make propulsion more energy efficient, teleportation, creating portals - those were all the purview of this shard. Some examples of abilities have been: superspeed, turning one's body to electricity. Often deployed Mover and Breaker-type powers.
[ ] "Armament Registry" - The weapon-focused shard of this particular network; whether that was registering information about weapon systems, replicating them, or deploying weapon-like offensive effects, this shard could do it. Some examples of abilities granted were: shooting laser projectiles, manifesting explosions, creating highly technological weapons. Often deployed as Blaster and Tinker-type powers.
[ ] "Extractor Engine" - The shard that took care of extraction, processing and storage of elements. Absorption of toxic material, removal of asteroid belts that are in the way. Some examples of powers granted by this shard are: pocket-dimensional storage spaces, portal-making, touch-based material processing. Often deployed Shaker and Blaster-type effects.
[ ] "The Heart" - A foreign shard, leftover from the exchange with the Stranger. It seemed particularly apt at interacting with other bonded agents, specifically within the confines of a Cycle. It depended on other shards to function at its peak capacity, but when it was at its prime it shone greatly. Some of the powers it gave were: boosting powers, granting powers to non-parahumans, emotional control, thought control. Often deployed Trump and Master-type powers.
***
…Where do you wake up?
[ ] Sonnesburg - A sprawling city numbering at least one million people. Sonnesburg stands as a testament to progress and diversity. Founded in the late 19th century by a Dutch family as a trading post in Minnesota, it rapidly evolved into a thriving industrial hub, attracting people from all corners of the world seeking opportunities and a new life for themselves.
Its iconic skyline is adorned with glass and steel, with the magnificent Sunlight Tower reigning as the city's crown jewel, housing offices, businesses, and the city's government at its very top.
Over the years, Sonnesburg has grown to become a cultural mosaic, with various neighborhoods reflecting the vibrant tapestry of its inhabitants' heritage. The bustling streets are alive with a constant flow of activity, and the rhythm of the city is marked by the symphony of car horns and laughter.
Unfortunately, over the past few months, the city has begun suffering from cyber-attacks. They disrupt essential services, and threaten the city's technological infrastructure - on which it heavily relies on, these days.
Nobody had managed to trace the source of these attacks until last month, when the leader of the hacktivist group 'Cypher', Caesar, came out with an announcement. The attacks would not stop until 'the right people do what is right.' No further details had been given.
[ ] Jackston - A sleepy, old American town nooked between several mountains in rural Oregon, among the evergreens and crystal lakes. Jackston's a little place, out of the ways, with not much in the way of tourism or travel, and a stable population of about thirty thousand citizens.
For most of its history, Jackston's role in the western economy was modest: milling, lumber, fishing, and exports of carpentry and furniture. It founded its backbone as a provider of fine wood and accessories, and most of the town's industries were founded on supporting that output. Its citizens lived a pastoral existence.
Over the 90s, however, a number of forest fires centered around Jackston and its neighboring towns of Redwell and Pineville have put its entire industry in severe jeopardy. Crime rose as a result, as people turned to less savory means of feeding themselves and their families. The authorities weren't able to provide the relief and help the people needed, and for that, the town is still paying the price to this day, in the form of dilapidated neighborhoods, locked-down facilities and warehouses dotting the streets, and ancient lumber mills in the woods, long-defunct and dead. The milling industry is now half-dead.
In the modern day, Jackston is ruled over by a corrupt elite, a one percent upper class that keeps its people suffocated beneath the weight of the collapse, and then feeds off of them parasitically: this mostly includes the mayor and his select few: those he calls 'the most promising citizens.' The upper crust is almost impossible to dislodge, as both the criminal element and police serve its interests with few exceptions.
Now, Christian Stillwell is running for re-election, promising improvement to the people of Jackston even as he lines his own pockets with the taxpayers' money, feeding the problems of corruption and rapacity. His only major opponent, Christine Smith, has few chances of winning the election, as her support is slim, and Stillwell's hired goons and 'friends' in the local families keep an eye on the running, a finger on the scales. She's determined, but what can determination do in the face of human greed?
[ ] Agua de Colores - Nestled along the sun-kissed coastline, Agua de Colores is a quaint port city on the shores of Florida with a storied past that dates back centuries. Legend has it that it was discovered by a group of Mexican explorers who were mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of colors beneath the crystalline waters, where an intricate coral reef thrived.
As a result, those explorers named this area 'Agua de Colores' - colorful waters in Spanish - to honor this natural beauty, and founded the city that we know today.
The city's history revolves around its maritime heritage, where fishing and sailing have always been at the heart of daily life as well as the city's economy. The locals take great pride in preserving their oceanic legacy, fostering a deep connection with the sea and marine life. Agua de Colores' charm lies in its laid-back atmosphere, where beachfront cottages and boardwalks provide respite for those seeking a tranquil escape.
As the sun dips below the horizon, and as the city's respectable elements fall into slumber, the criminal underbelly comes alive. Drug-dealing, weapon manufacturing, racketeering, vandalism and extortion happen all the time, almost every hour, as the drug cartels funnel their produce through the town.
However, mysterious figures clad in hockey masks and stolen police armor take to the streets, dispensing their own brand of justice. The locals are torn between fear and admiration for these nighttime 'heroes,' unsure if they should embrace the vigilantes' actions or entrust the law to handle the city's safety. As the moon rises high, Agua de Colores' quaint atmosphere returns.
[ ] In A Room You Don't Recognize… [Warning: this will make the Quest much more difficult and dangerous.]
GamingandReading
Browses and Replies With Haste
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] The Intellectual
-[X] Michael Ringstein
-[X] "The Painter"
-[X] Sonnesburg
-[X] Michael Ringstein
-[X] "The Painter"
-[X] Sonnesburg
[X] Risks of Engine
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] "Extractor Engine"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
[X] Risks of Heart
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] "The Heart"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize...
Team Christie, Go! Go!
[X] Himbo Mystery
-[X] Steve Loranis
-[X] "Gleaming Rogue"
-[x] In A Room You Don't Recognize
[X] Invisible Ties
-[X] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
-[X] "The Heart"
-[x] In A Room You Don't Recognize
[X] The Tinker Option
[X] The Risk-Taker
[X] Sculpted Greek God with a Heart of Gold
-[X] Steve Loranis - "How much did I drink last night?"
-[X] "Morphing Grafter"
-[X] Jackston
[X] The Grab-bag/Tie
-[X] Michael/Jessica/Christie
-[X] The Painter/Armament Registry/Heart
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] "Extractor Engine"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
[X] Risks of Heart
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] "The Heart"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize...
Team Christie, Go! Go!
-[X] Steve Loranis
-[X] "Gleaming Rogue"
-[x] In A Room You Don't Recognize
[X] Invisible Ties
-[X] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
-[X] "The Heart"
-[x] In A Room You Don't Recognize
[X] The Tinker Option
[X] The Risk-Taker
[X] Sculpted Greek God with a Heart of Gold
-[X] Steve Loranis - "How much did I drink last night?"
-[X] "Morphing Grafter"
-[X] Jackston
-[X] Michael/Jessica/Christie
-[X] The Painter/Armament Registry/Heart
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So, what's everybody's thinking behind the plans?
I know I'm obviouslyRepping that big dumbie with a Heart of Gold(Tm) in a mysterious situation, but whats everybody else got in mind for their choices? 😁
I know I'm obviouslyRepping that big dumbie with a Heart of Gold(Tm) in a mysterious situation, but whats everybody else got in mind for their choices? 😁
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Girl Artist and Mystery.
Guys I know you want the Himbo playthrough, but were just gonna corrupt him.
[X] The Risk-Taker
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] Morphing Grafter
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
Besides who bettee to survive the room but Christie?
[X] The Risk-Taker
-[X] Christie Davis
-[X] Morphing Grafter
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
Besides who bettee to survive the room but Christie?
I'm more about the powers.. portals and subspace. If we didn't have planned votes I'd be happy to just vote for them regardless of the characters - all of them are interesting archetypes in their own right.
Danger sense and risk have a potential to bring an interesting flavour to the action choices..
Also the room option is just irresistible.
Danger sense and risk have a potential to bring an interesting flavour to the action choices..
Also the room option is just irresistible.
Interesting potential titbit from discord with Team Christie.. The shards promote conflict right? So the more red options she takes, more oomph she can dish out with her powers.
[X] Michael Ringstein
[X] "Morphing Grafter"
[X] Sonnesburg
I like the idea of an incredibly intelligent individual with bio-manipulation. Lots of opportunities for interesting projects. Self improvements and minion creation/enhancements.
[X] "Morphing Grafter"
[X] Sonnesburg
I like the idea of an incredibly intelligent individual with bio-manipulation. Lots of opportunities for interesting projects. Self improvements and minion creation/enhancements.
Maximum Power
The Unchosen One
- Location
- The Ormulum
I have a plan to offer.
[X] Invisible Ties
-[X] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
-[X] "The Heart"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
My reasoning for each option is thus:
Michael Ringstein: He's a loner who desires companionship, and he'll be one of the "first" people with powers. This will make him very valuable to those without, as well as a relatable figure for those with. With the right approach, he could make friends for life. Add that being so knowledgeable and intelligent will be exceedingly valuable on the frontier of superpowered beginnings, especially with the learning aspect, and we've got ourselves a formidable protagonist. He's got a lot of potential, and a very relatable personal struggle. I want to see him succeed.
"The Heart": Tying into my choice of Michael, this will likely manifest in a way conducive to his goal of forming personal connections. Referencing the plan title, this could lead to us drawing power from our bonds with others, or facilitate the creation of those relationships, either directly or indirectly. Now, the idea of boosting powers or granting them to others (like Galvanate, Teacher, Othala, etc.) appeals to me for several reasons, and any power that requires interaction with other people or building off of the bonds between humans would both bring Michael closer to his desires while also generating conflict from his difficulties in that same category. He's no social butterfly as it stands. Almost took Painter for roughly the same reason, since it might have resulted in some kind of bringing characters to life power or a Hantengu-esque emotional minions ability. I could still be convinced, but this is my current preference. I think he'd generally make a good Master, or at least mastermind.
In A Room You Don't Recognize…: Now don't get me wrong, I do like a lot of the location options and I hope we can visit those places sometime, but I'm a sucker for mysteries and challenges. Besides, cities and towns don't have expiry dates, mysterious circumstances do. This is a limited time offer, I feel. Certainly, it's going to be harder, but difficulty can make things even more exciting if approached carefully. And adding to my prior explanations, whatever dangerous situation we've found ourselves in could be the key to a fire-forged friendship with anyone else in the same predicament. Alternatively, this might bring about the ideal scenario to utilize a Master power if we've been abducted, forming a Lima Syndrome like bond where our captor(s) begins to sympathize with us, making for a bizarre but helpful initial ally. Maybe we're even on our own at first, further emphasizing in Michael's head the struggle of being alone as he has to tackle this problem without help. As we don't have a lot of information, I can't say much on the subject, but I would like to seize the moment and face this hardship head on.
I hope I've made a decent enough case. I believe we could go very far in life and fulfill our character goals with this setup, so long as we strengthen our heart and overcome the obstacles in our path.
[X] Invisible Ties
-[X] Michael Ringstein - "That was an interesting dream. I should write it down."
-[X] "The Heart"
-[X] In A Room You Don't Recognize…
My reasoning for each option is thus:
Michael Ringstein: He's a loner who desires companionship, and he'll be one of the "first" people with powers. This will make him very valuable to those without, as well as a relatable figure for those with. With the right approach, he could make friends for life. Add that being so knowledgeable and intelligent will be exceedingly valuable on the frontier of superpowered beginnings, especially with the learning aspect, and we've got ourselves a formidable protagonist. He's got a lot of potential, and a very relatable personal struggle. I want to see him succeed.
"The Heart": Tying into my choice of Michael, this will likely manifest in a way conducive to his goal of forming personal connections. Referencing the plan title, this could lead to us drawing power from our bonds with others, or facilitate the creation of those relationships, either directly or indirectly. Now, the idea of boosting powers or granting them to others (like Galvanate, Teacher, Othala, etc.) appeals to me for several reasons, and any power that requires interaction with other people or building off of the bonds between humans would both bring Michael closer to his desires while also generating conflict from his difficulties in that same category. He's no social butterfly as it stands. Almost took Painter for roughly the same reason, since it might have resulted in some kind of bringing characters to life power or a Hantengu-esque emotional minions ability. I could still be convinced, but this is my current preference. I think he'd generally make a good Master, or at least mastermind.
In A Room You Don't Recognize…: Now don't get me wrong, I do like a lot of the location options and I hope we can visit those places sometime, but I'm a sucker for mysteries and challenges. Besides, cities and towns don't have expiry dates, mysterious circumstances do. This is a limited time offer, I feel. Certainly, it's going to be harder, but difficulty can make things even more exciting if approached carefully. And adding to my prior explanations, whatever dangerous situation we've found ourselves in could be the key to a fire-forged friendship with anyone else in the same predicament. Alternatively, this might bring about the ideal scenario to utilize a Master power if we've been abducted, forming a Lima Syndrome like bond where our captor(s) begins to sympathize with us, making for a bizarre but helpful initial ally. Maybe we're even on our own at first, further emphasizing in Michael's head the struggle of being alone as he has to tackle this problem without help. As we don't have a lot of information, I can't say much on the subject, but I would like to seize the moment and face this hardship head on.
I hope I've made a decent enough case. I believe we could go very far in life and fulfill our character goals with this setup, so long as we strengthen our heart and overcome the obstacles in our path.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
This is technically true, but the red options are 25%+ chance of death so farming them is not viable, especially repeatedly doing so.
Not if we are very selective about it though. And keep to power using instances where we choose red - and make smart use of it. It's like getting a free roll modifier. We can make plans on red decisions that strain our power usage - and get away with it.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
That depends on what 25% means here. If it's a Watsonian "25% of the ways you could handle taking this path will kill you" in the style of a Dinah prediction then sure, we can be clever and cautious about it.
Given that Quests often integrate actual RNG into the results I'm worried it's more of a Doylist "I will flip two coins and if they are both tails you die no matter how clever you are."
I guess in the latter case we should be able to get WoG on whether whatever tactics we outline will pull us below 25%, which is something. Though that wouldn't tell us how low it went aside from the threshold so I'm still not too comfortable relying on it unless we're truly desperate.
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- Location
- Louisiana
[X] Invisible Ties
This has everything that called out to me originally. Michael is the most interesting character, throwing the most interesting power that requires human interaction is a great combo. I'm also a sucker for mystery boxes, surely this location can't go wrong.
This has everything that called out to me originally. Michael is the most interesting character, throwing the most interesting power that requires human interaction is a great combo. I'm also a sucker for mystery boxes, surely this location can't go wrong.
PSA: Voting, Discord and Meta-Resources
Gabbie
That One Writer
- Location
- Italy
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Provisional vote tally. The vote will go on for at least 2-3 days, and as such, I will put your Discussion Modifier at 2x. I'll take the opportunity to mention that, by producing thread wordcount, you will accrue a meta-resource called 'Charges,' which you can spend on various things, such as (in ascending order of cost):
-Re-rolls
-Special trait upgrades
-Plot opportunities
Additionally, this is the Discord Server on which I am most active and on which I will answer the most questions regarding the Quest.
Thank you for your attention.
- Location
- Louisiana
I'm gonna make a quick case for Michael and why I think he's such a good choice. The one that most explicitly stands out to me is that he's the only one that already has a super power. He's smart beyond the normal peak human limits. He's basically a Thinker 1. That's before any powers are thrown into the equation.
We're about to get thrown into worm verse (powers wise) before any of these standards are set into place too. We'll be one of the very first people to get powers at all. What the characters need the most from that point is information, and Michael is the most likely to be able to put the pieces together. Especially if we give him a power that specifically interacts with other shards. We'd be giving him the route to dissecting how these powers function.
The room works to that degree as well. Whatever the danger is, I'm sure it'll put us directly into the thick of the plot. We'll jump into the action immediately before anything can snowball too bad.
Not to mention that giving him a power that forces him to interact with others provides for some great character building moments. He has to face his greatest weakness in order to use his power to the fullest. He must build bonds. It's just such a good combination for character growth.
We're about to get thrown into worm verse (powers wise) before any of these standards are set into place too. We'll be one of the very first people to get powers at all. What the characters need the most from that point is information, and Michael is the most likely to be able to put the pieces together. Especially if we give him a power that specifically interacts with other shards. We'd be giving him the route to dissecting how these powers function.
The room works to that degree as well. Whatever the danger is, I'm sure it'll put us directly into the thick of the plot. We'll jump into the action immediately before anything can snowball too bad.
Not to mention that giving him a power that forces him to interact with others provides for some great character building moments. He has to face his greatest weakness in order to use his power to the fullest. He must build bonds. It's just such a good combination for character growth.
- Location
- USA
[X] The Intellectual
-[X] Michael Ringstein
-[X] "The Painter"
-[X] Sonnesburg
-[X] Michael Ringstein
-[X] "The Painter"
-[X] Sonnesburg
I think at the end of the day, all the options are good and I feel like that we will get a fun game no matter what.
Regardless, I think that Christie will be the best option because of her special trait and nothing alone. Every other character option can be something that can be at least somewhat be replicated through training or powers, however Christie gives us an actual meta ability.
Is this meta ability game defining? Not really.
But, it is often said that risk and reward are intertwined and while in reality this is of course is not true, most of the time in quests it is the case.
Basically all I'm saying guys, we will never be in doubt of the most risky option and then potentially most rewarding option, every time.
- Location
- Louisiana
My biggest issue with Christie is that I'm worried her ability will incentivize excessive risk taking. Quest voters are already trigger happy on risky votes, if we throw in an incentive of better under pressure plus the hunches I'm worried we'll throw ourselves into an early grave. Especially since the hunches don't show the exact risk, we could vote for the "high risk high reward" option only for it to be near certain death.