Ways of Perishing on the Apocalypse (ORV Quest)

[renren_writes]

Ways of Perishing in the Apocalypse​

What is Ways of Perishing?

Ways of Perishing is a quest set in the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint world, where earth is subject to scenarios and put through what's called the "Star Stream" for the entertainment of beings called constellations. Think of it as like a twitch stream showing a reality show, and the people watching the stream can donate money to people they like in particular, but with magic and powers. Ways of Perishing is about a newborn constellation, controlled by you, overseeing their "incarnation" through the Star Stream.

It's not quite set in the same "world" as ORV, as that narrative takes place in a stable time loop and I don't have the mental capacity to keep track of… all of that time jumble. But it's confirmed that alternate realities exist in ORV, and as such this quest takes place in one without that loop present! Nifty, huh? As stated above, you will be a newborn constellation whose story was sent through time by an ally in your journey as an incarnation, and now your name is considered a common myth among humanity - but your power is still budding, your coins are still coming in, and your probability is still lacking, so rather than waste probability to put as many fingers in as many pies as possible, you opt to bet it all on one incarnation to spread your name once more.

What's a constellation?

A constellation is, in essence, a legend or historical figure that becomes remembered through the ages by records of their existence or word of mouth, and their existence relies extremely heavily on being remembered. Even one person remembering a constellation can keep it alive. Constellations can be part of a "nebula", which is a way to describe constellations of similar myths and are related to each other somehow - for example, the "Olympus Nebula" or the "Norse Nebula". Not every constellation is part of a nebula, but it goes without saying every nebula is made up of constellations.

Constellations also have ranks and power structures from those ranks. How does it work? Well, as simply put as possible, a constellation is either a Historical grade (the lowest and most common), a Narrative grade (mid-tier and second most common), or a Myth grade (highest-tier, uncommon and significantly powerful in their own right). And to differentiate those ranks, the best way I can think of is… Someone like King Henry VIII is a Historical constellation as he is known to be real and recorded in recent history, someone like Sun Wukong is a Narrative constellation as he is written in a historical narrative that has withstood time, someone like Gilgamesh would fall between Narrative and Myth for being the earliest recorded narrative that doubles as a myth by Sumerian standards, and someone like Hades would be a Myth constellation as with his age and stories passed down for generations as well as the awareness people have of him on a basic level, he has been remembered most frequently. It's a weird system to rank and the best way to make it make sense is that some constellations have a little plus next to their rank, meaning that while they rank as "historical", they may actually be closer to narrative or myth.

Anyway, constellations are the ones who watch the Star Stream and donate currency called coins to their incarnations. I'll explain what incarnations are below, but the biggest purpose of participating in the Star Stream for many constellations is to keep the memory of their legends alive, and thus themselves (plus earn a little more power, which never hurts). Constellations can also spend what is called "probability", but it is much more costly to the wellbeing of the constellation to spend than just coins.

I can't really TL;DR this thing so… Constellation is a fancy colloquial term for historical figures, gods and fictional characters that are remembered and spread through public consciousness, which gives them power. Yes, Ash Ketchum counts as a constellation and probably a Narrative+ grade after he won his first damn league in 20+ years.

Okay, what's an incarnation?

An incarnation is basically a person sponsored by, or could be sponsored by, any constellation in the Star Stream. They function as a method of continuing a constellation's legend and, in some cases, can be possessed by their sponsor constellation for a time to act out their will. It's a very give-and-take relationship between humans and constellations: Survive the first scenario, get a sponsor, and they'll give you funds and items if they're rich enough while you act on their behalf, spreading their legend and empowering them. It sounds complicated at first, but in tandem with everything else it starts to make sense!

Same with constellations and nebulae, every member of humanity is eligible to be called an incarnation, regardless of whether or not they have a sponsor - the chance to get one later down the line at the cost of probability or when the overseers allow a selection again is always on the table for those without a constellation support.

With those out of the way, what's the Star Stream meant to be?

Like I said before, think of it like a twitch stream. With the Star Stream, it's controlled by a species of creature called a "dokkaebi", which I'll be using despite the name being used for Korea's version of goblins, but if enough people would prefer region-specific names, I'll switch to that as well. Dokkaebi is, after all, only what humanity in Korea calls them for the sake of understanding. We don't know what other countries called them as the dokkaebi themselves never stated their names and go along with the general "goblin" moniker. But I'm getting off track.

The dokkaebi are hosts of something called the Star Stream, which is a stream for constellations to watch. All right there in the name, right? The Star Stream encompasses all of earth, and it's not just limited to earth in its events. Several events in the Star Stream and constellations who watch are from other worlds, meaning that yeah, aliens went through this shit too, and some of them were almost entirely wiped out save for those who became constellations themselves. Through the Star Stream, there are several functions that allow the dokkaebi to rake in a profit and boost their own ranks among each other, as well as support incarnations with more than just encouragement and the occasional donation.

The Star Stream has a function called the Dokkaebi Bag, a shop where constellations can purchase things like "starter packs" and items for their incarnations, and in turn, incarnations with sponsors can also access the shop to spend accumulated coins. The Star Stream also functions on a rule of probability - that is, the more believable something is to happen, the less probability it costs to execute. We aren't given an idea of probability costs and limits in the series, but I'll be keeping track and giving the option to spend and replenish probability as time goes on. An example of using probability can be for a Deus Ex Machina, which costs an insanely high amount and could only be safely pulled off by a whole nebula of constellations splitting the difference, or possessing your incarnation to reenact a historical, mythical, or otherwise noteworthy battle. The cost of probability CAN and WILL have an adverse effect on incarnations if they do something that costs probability, but a constellation can opt to lessen the otherwise fatal effects to just discomfort and fatigue by gazing upon them and taking a certain amount of the drawbacks onto themselves.

For the sake of the quest, running out of probability means becoming too weak to properly help your incarnation, which means you will be out for the count until your incarnation does anything to earn back probability. That could take a long, long time, so spend it wisely and carefully.

What about scenarios?

Scenarios are what the "missions" of the Star Stream are called for humanity. A lot of scenarios have a set time limit to complete them in and require compliance from incarnations unless they can pay a penalty fee, and some scenarios will inevitably result in incarnation deaths and conflicts. There are four kinds of scenarios you can find in the Star Stream: Main, which is the main "goal" of the incarnations to follow and what you can be penalised for not following; Sub, which can happen in tandem and between main scenarios and are a good source of extra rewards, coins, and items to use down the like; Hidden, which is a scenario not publicly advertised to the masses and unknown in number, often found only when certain conditions are met in particular succession; and Bounty, which is a scenario issued by constellations and the dokkaebi specifically like commissions for incarnations.

Both bounty and hidden scenarios can be declined, especially when the penalty for failure is death or the time is too short. But main and sub scenarios are mandatory and have a set time to be completed, though sub scenarios are noted to be more lenient in the time it takes to complete.

Scenarios are the best way to earn coins for incarnations if they can't entertain other constellations enough to be donated some. The way they handle scenarios can also endear or disgust constellations and bring more eyes to their actions, and thus boost their sponsor's power. "Is that X's incarnation? Look at them go." All that jazz.

You didn't ask, but there's modifiers too.

That's right, constellations use modifiers. Not every constellation wears their identity boldly for everyone to see. There's power in anonymity, but some constellations have also lost their names to time and are better known as their modifiers too. There is no set standard for modifiers among the Star Stream - Prisoner of the Golden Headband is used by Sun Wukong, and Demon-Like Judge of Fire is used for Uriel, while the more ridiculous modifiers used by others include Monarch of the Small Fries and Lame Trickster. It really depends on the constellations themselves.

I'll be deciding your modifier based on how you say your legend went, and any additional information you guys can agree on may also play a part in your modifier. And don't worry, I've tested a few plans to make sure I can make something better than "Lame Trickster" for you guys, haha!

Where do we go from here?

From here, I set everything up and you guys decide if you want to watch! I'll say this now for anyone who wishes to put in suggestions, ask questions, or leave a general comment, but I'll be reserving a few posts. After I reserve a post titled OTHER INCARNATIONS OF NOTE, that's when you guys can start replying!

This will, without saying, take some time to set up and get ready. It's not something I can update as frequently as Hotel Solomon as it's essentially a third-person omniscient video game in written form from the POV of the person watching the game on screen, but I hope to make updates as bulky as possible to make up for the wait.

Any house rules?

Sure! I had to think on this for a bit but… Rather than wait for a prompt to write in a vote or action, each post is itself open for voting or commentary whenever you guys want! There will be a few forms of that, which you'll need to format as such to register as a vote.
- [The constellation "X" wishes to sponsor the incarnation "X" ### coins.]
- [The constellation "X" is (insert reaction to an event here).]

Some votes can be edited in later to past posts too! Quote the section of the post you want to have the constellation commentate or react to, and the most-voted ones will be edited in so it reads like you're reacting in real time. Hell, since your incarnation will see these messages, they'll even be able to reply or take your words into account.

So you might also ask, Ren, can we not talk directly to our incarnation? And normally the answer is no. In the series, it's a bit of a coin cost to directly address an incarnation and even then it's always formatted in the way the above shows. However, for this especially, I'll be implementing a "mod chat" of sorts. Overseen by a dokkaebi, you will be allowed to spend probability to directly chat with your incarnation through telepathy so that no words are missed, you can get direct, unspoken replies so your incarnation can keep their contact with you under wraps, and it'll last for 24 hours before you need to renew it.

You forgot the most important thing: What's a stigma? How is it different from a personal attribute or skill?

A stigma is the skill that you, the constellation, can give your incarnation if they pick you as their sponsor! Stigmas are incredible abilities and some constellations can give more than one, but it's very common to see just a single stigma be given to an incarnation. Unlike stigmas, personal attributes and skills are things that the incarnation already possesses by the start of the scenarios, such as "incite" for someone who has a way of manipulating people with words or "flexibility" for someone who is physically nimble. Unlike personal skills, however, a personal attribute is something that can be attributed to an incarnation and influence their starting skills - an "author" attribute can gift the "avatar" skill, which allows you to make copies of yourself or dummy people that can be infused with magic power to withstand so many hits. Like with the stuff mentioned before, it really all does make more sense when you see it in action and put together.

And… that's all I can think of, I think? Of course, any questions asked that I feel warrant adding here will be edited in as time goes by! But for now, that's my dumbed down explanation and a signifier of when I'll be done reserving posts. I hope you guys are willing to wait for however long it takes to set up and that, when it does commence, you all enjoy!

 

[renren_writes]

Reserved for the list of known scenarios of all kinds.

​

Main Scenarios​

Spoiler: Main Scenario #1

<Main Scenario #1 - Proof of Value>

Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Clear Conditions: Kill 1 or more living beings
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 coins
Failure: Death

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Sub Scenarios​

TBA

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Hidden Scenarios​

TBA

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Bounty Scenarios​

TBA

 

[renren_writes]

Reserved for Dokkaebi Bag, its contents and prices

Spoiler: Items Shop

Item​	Effect​	Type​	Grade​	Cost​
Affection Meter​	An item that lets you know what the other person thinks about you. Press the button on it and think about the name and appearance of the other person. An affection number will automatically appear in the air.	Miscellaneous​	SS​	100,000c​
Ancient Dragon Heart​	The heart of an ancient dragon. Possesses near-infinite magic power. When transplanted into an incarnation, permanently boosts magic power and grants attribute Hellfire* * This is only if a heart transplant is done successfully.	Miscellaneous​	SS​	1,500,000c​
Ellain's Forest Vital Force​	Recovers fatigue and wounds in exchange for two hours of sleep.	Recovery​	D​	500c​
Ellain Monkey's Lungs​	An air purifier. Wedge it between your teeth and breathe through it in toxic air. Neutralises poisons in the air and becomes darker with use. Lasts 20 minutes.	Recovery​	D​	500c​
Magic Recovery Potion​	Recovers Magic Power. When opened, the potion releases a blue mist into the air that envelops the user.	Recovery​	D​	600c​
Shortsword​	A basic sword of low quality. Will serve its purpose for a decent amount of time.	Weapon​	E​	500c​
Glaive​	A basic polearm of low quality.​ Will serve its purpose for a decent amount of time.	Weapon​	E​	500c​
Morning Star​	A basic club of low quality.​ Will serve its purpose for a decent amount of time.	Weapon​	E​	500c​

Spoiler: Skill Shop

Skill​	Effect​	Cost​
Dispel Evil​	A passive skill that prevents "evil" from influencing the mind. Takes 1 minute to activate	10,000c​

Spoiler: Packages

Package Name​	Effects/Boosts​	Cost​
Starter Pack​	* Works best when used on an incarnation whose stats average under 10 total. A package that grants an incarnation +1 in all stats and the skill [Weapons Training]. Should the incarnation already possess the skill, its level will instead jump by 1.	2,500c​
VIP Membership​	* Used exclusively by constellations for further perks. A membership that grants discounts on purchases and opens more items available for purchase.	1,000,000c​

 

[renren_writes]

Reserved for all information regarding the player, the constellation, and their funds (both probability and coins)

>Constellation Info<​

Modifier: [Humanity's Preserver]

True Name: TBA

Grade: Myth

Stigmas:
* [First Eye of the Past]
* [Second Eye of the Future]
* [Third Eye of the Present]

Personal Attributes: TBA

Personal Skills: TBA

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Coin Funds

Current Coins: 2,500,000

Spend Coins to:
- Donate to an incarnation. (No set amount. Cannot exceed 500 coins as of Main Scenario 1.)
- > Use command [The constellation "x" wishes to sponsor the incarnation "x" ### coins.]
- Donate items to an incarnation. (See Dokkaebi Bag pricing. Additional 250 coin fee for delivery applies.)
- > Use command [Purchase "item"] followed by [The constellation "x" wishes to gift the incarnation "x" with "item".]
- Open a contract with another constellation. (Minimum fee of 100 coins and VIP membership. See Dokkaebi Bag pricing for membership.)
- > Use command [Propose contract with the constellation "x"] and lay out your conditions below. Make sure to make as many points in favour of this contract as possible.
- Send direct messages to an incarnation. (200 coin fee. Message cannot exceed more than a few sentences.)
- > Use command [The constellation "x" addresses the incarnation "x": Message here.]

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Probability Funds

Current Probability: 98/100

Probability Costs:
- Deus Ex Machina: All probability. Must have <70 to use. Must wait for incarnation to replinish it with good karma.
- Interference with a Scenario: 20 probability. Must wait for incarnation to replenish it with good karma.
- Physically Manifest on Earth: All remaining probability. Previously spent probability is replenished through good karma, but the probability spent from this action permanently reduces max accumulated probability.
- Possess Incarnation: 20 probability. Earn back half the spent amount if an objective is cleared during this time to positive reactions. Otherwise, must wait for incarnation to replenish with good karma.
- Purchase above Scenario Level: Starting point of 20 probability, extra 10 probability for more levels breached. Must wait for incarnation to replenish it with good karma.
- Gift Star Relic to Incarnation: 70 probability. Sacrifice one of your items from your legend to the incarnation with an additional 30,000 coin fee for delivery.
- Direct Telepathic Link with Incarnatoin: 10 probability per day. Must wait for incarnation to replenish with good karma.
- Sponsor an Additional Incarnation: 90 probability. Must wait for all incarnations to replenish with good karma.

 

[renren_writes]

Reserved for information regarding your incarnation, their inventory, skills, stats and overall health

>Character Information<​

Name: Trista Pomeroy

Age: 19

Constellation Support: [Humanity's Preserver]

Personal Attributes:
* Psychoanalyst (rare)
* Wunderkind (rare)
* Student (common)

Personal Skills:
* [Lie Detection Lv. 1]
* [Apt Student Lv. 3]
* [Profile Lv. 2]
* [Hand to Hand Combat Lv. 2]

Stigmas:
* [First Eye of the Past]
* [Purloin]

Overall Stats:
- Constitution: 7
- Strength: 6
- Agility: 7
- Magic Power: 1

Overall Evaluation: A shining star among her peers whose future holds many investments for those around her. Thanks to being a gifted child, keeping up with expectations is a breeze for her—however, it will all eventually catch up with her and bring about her downfall.

Balance: 700 coins

​

 

[renren_writes]

Reserved for other incarnations deemed noteworthy to remember, as well as their known skills and capabilities and their relationship with your incarnation

>Other Incarnations of Note<​

TBA

 

[renren_writes]

"You've done well to make it this far. Why don't you rest now? It's time for the new batch to make their mark on the world."​

The stars part in greeting, the soft hands of the clouds offering you solace. A walkway before you is lined with figures you recognise, and figures you have yet to know the names of. All of them stare, welcoming you and assessing you, but none of them reach out for you to join their ranks just yet. It is the warm embrace of ascension that guides you, reminding you that your physical body is gone. Your time has come, your mortal life expired. Now, through the whispers of time and with the warping and misshaping of your legend, you have been reborn.

This is how most of your rank, the highest of them all, are born.

It is a quiet existence for the most part. There isn't much in the way of entertainment or social gatherings. Maybe once in a millennia you'll be invited to a banquet held by constellations who'd been fond of your actions as a human. But for now, you are alone. You have yet to choose a modifier, a way to hide your identity, and so you roam this new existence as [The Nameless, Newborn Constellation]. For now, you are no one. Just another star in the cosmos, waiting for the day you explode and leave the impact of a supernova in your wake.

Preparations for a new Star Stream will take place soon. There's hardly ever rest between worlds, and you recall the conditions of your rebirth among the stars as your soul was chipped away by the stories told about you. This is not the world you were born into, fought in, survived in; it's a world without you, an earth like your own but distinctly lacking your existence and influence. You are, just as your life was intended as it was passed through time, just a story.

So perhaps, before the Star Stream begins and you are forced to play the role of sponsor, you should reflect on your story a little. You stare among the faces lining your path, searching for one in particular. Someone familiar.

Your sponsor before you became a constellation was…
[] She Who Descends Foolishly - A constellation whose stigma granted you the ability of Prophecy, allowing you to navigate the scenarios with ease and manipulate the future as you saw fit.
[] Saviour of Corruption - A constellation on the side of Absolute Good who, when giving you their stigma Judgement Field, lodged bounty after bounty for you to fill so that you could purge evil from your midst, however violently.
[] Rider of the Hallows - A constellation whose strength grows on a particular day, and whose stigma, Headless Hunter, allowed you to survive fatal injuries once per day, and for beheadings to be ineffective against you.
[] The Trickster Earned His Punishment - This constellation had a way with words and tricks, and you were gifted two stigmas from them as a package deal: Shapeshifting, which allowed you to pose as others and flee or fight as creatures and animals most didn't know of, and Sweet Nothing, a bartering stigma that allowed you to convince others, through confusion or loopholes, to give you whatever you wanted or break and enter contracts as you saw fit.
[] You didn't have a sponsor - Whatever the case, be it you refused to pick one or none of the constellations took interest in you, you finished the scenarios without a support constellation. Surviving off of bounties and donations for meeting certain criteria was how you persevered. This is no small feat!

As you search for someone, anyone who might be familiar, you slowly decide to save it for later. You can't see a constellation whose modifier you recognise here, nor are any approaching you and claiming to know your story. They may not know the exact details of it all, having been the constellations of another worldline that supported you, but the fact remains that a constellation's existence is almost always rooted in their incarnations. And a newborn constellation surely was an incarnation that earned enough of a right to stand among the elder stars.

Maybe your story isn't as appealing to the older constellations. Maybe these ones weren't part of your stream when you were human. Or maybe, despite your rank and fledgling power, they simply do not care. Not every constellation is on the side of Absolute Good, just like not every evil entity is necessarily an Outer God. You should tread carefully here. This will be nothing like what you experienced as a human. Your existence hinges on doing the right thing and keeping your story alive.

The story in question—an ally of yours, or perhaps a follower if you feel less companionship with them, they'd used their stigma to scatter your story through the flows of time when you died. You weren't there when it happened, in fact you were certain you'd find yourself in one of the countless underworlds that manifest on earth with the constellations' arrival, but time flows differently for constellations after all. In the time it took for your story to be passed through the ages, its names and tones shifting just like the classic myths would through dynasties, it had only taken a blink of an eye for you.

You're now a Myth-grade constellation. And the most common iteration of your myth, if the thoughts of humanity keeping you alive are anything to go by, is the story of you…
[] Rising to power and becoming a tyrant - Nothing was out of your reach and through your greed and cunning you were able to become an overlord in your area, leading a large-scale invasion once the dome around your city went down and you were allowed to venture out. Through your intimidation and merciless intent, other incarnations and even constellations were paralysed with fear in your presence.
[] Stealing from the constellations and using their gifts for your own gain - Upon meeting a constellation whose incarnation allowed them to dwell in their body, you at first stole their armour and weapons for yourself and made an enemy of certain nebulae. As time passed, however, your sticky fingers turned to honeyed words and you were able to steal even intangible concepts from others, though with a heavy cost.
[] Rebelling against the Star Stream - An ambitious feat not uncommon among incarnations, you rallied together with your fellow warriors and brought the fight to the Star Stream. Due to the constant efforts to keep you, their champion, from falling in the front lines, your allies spent resource after resource bringing you back to life and turning you into a legend that defied death up until the last moment.
[] Investigating and archiving your findings - Though it took longer than most stories and feats would, you dedicated your time to the preservation and rescuing of history in the apocalypse and seeking out hidden scenarios with your allies for side-quest-worthy loot. Though an overlooked feat to most, your dedication allowed you to live in the past, present and future through your research and find all of the world's secrets with ease.

You're certain that you'll find an incarnation among the masses to keep you alive. You recall seeing one constellation in your time, dubbed [Radiant Pariah], and when their incarnation explained their myth, you saw the power such a niche knowledge held. Asushunamir was kept alive thanks to the few who went out of their way to research them, and you can only hope to have a bit more success compared to the cursed being. You aren't destined to live in the gutters and for all like you to be persecuted. You have a fighting chance, compared to them at least.

That being said, you only have enough power to support one incarnation for the first few scenarios. Maybe down the line, you'll pick another and give them a fighting chance with what probability you can spend. But for now, you're stuck with just one. You had better choose carefully, you think as you take your place among the stars. It won't be long until the Star Stream starts.

So when you pick an incarnation, you decide to go for…
[] A Legacy Incarnation - Someone just like you had been, as it would be easier to predict and influence their actions
[] An Underdog Incarnation - Someone who would benefit from the help, but won't necessarily survive if they have it unless they trust you
[] An Average Incarnation – An incarnation that's just average. Average stats, average life, average looks. A real regular Joe
[] A Protégé Incarnation - Someone with the right skills to survive the first scenario, but not the drive to continue after their friends and family are gone and thus needs encouragement
[] An Outcast Incarnation – Shunned by their peers, a black sheep, overall someone with very little allies outside of those like them
[] No Particular Incarnation - You aren't sure, and so you leave it up to whoever catches your attention the most among the incarnations

With the decision of incarnations out of the way, the hardest part is to come. For all the people you could pick from, you had to reduce your pickings by narrowing it down to one country. You couldn't watch every stream, couldn't pick and choose from all of them. As much as the creatures that run this stream love to pander and make things easier for their guests, they love to avoid sowing bias among their ranks. They all want to rise to the top, naturally, but they are forbidden from recommending any particular stream to you for the obvious reasons presented. So, even if you pick at random, you're just going to have to pick yourself.

You narrow it down to five. After much deliberation, you opt for:
[] Japan
[] North America
[] England
[] Russia
[] France

Finally, as the image of the earth is illuminated by the light of the stars staring down at it, you hear the cackles of various little creatures fill the void. They welcome you and all constellations like you to the Star Stream. You stare up at them. Such small things, furry and with horns of varying kinds. You've heard many names for them. You suppose, if you're going by a region-specific incarnation, you should use what name they have for these creatures. An ally from Korea, back when the domes had gone down, had called them dokkaebi—and learning that name had changed the name of the shops you could access, like your mind had been opened up to something else.

You suppose in Japan, they would be called tengu—and not because they resembled the modern depiction, you note, but because they resembled the older depictions. Less humanoid and more bird-like, fuzzy like this creature in front of you. Truly what you would call a "goblin".

In America, you're certain they're just plain goblins. But if Native American folklore was to be followed… Yes, "puckwudgie" is what you'd call it. Small? Check. Tricksters? Check. Liable to punish humans that scorned them? Double check.

England would probably use something related to the fae to describe these things. You try to recall the names you know, but you're pretty sure just one stands out when you compare these things to the fae: A traditional goblin, nothing like the bald little things in stories found nowadays. These ones were hairy, grotesque and greedy, though you won't say it to your host's face just yet.

You know Russia has wood-goblins… But you never really knew or noticed if these things had overt gender norms or the like. The one you'd been calling "that guy" during your time may have really been closer to "that lady" or "that one". So you suppose calling them shishiga counts just as much as the other terms.

As for France… What was it called again? You know the creature the French refer to are less malicious, but they still fall under the goblin umbrella. It started with an L… Lute? Lookie? No, no. Ah! Lutin! That's what the French called them. They were closer to hobgoblins than goblins, but like you said, they fell under the goblin umbrella.

All these names in mind, should you opt for a region-specific name for these things?
[] No. Now that you know of them as dokkaebi, you'd rather stick with the name.
[] Yes. It might help to be on the same page as your incarnation for what to call them.

You think that's all of the important stuff out of the way. Your host greets you, as do the other constellations joining your chosen country's room, and you settle in for the long haul. Really, you can afford some time to think of a modifier while you watch out for prospective incarnations. Hell, maybe you can hand-craft a name that'll grab their attention and make them pick you quicker.

 

[renren_writes]

Your decision finally lands on France for your destination, and you're fairly certain it'll all take place—at least when it comes to the domes—in Paris itself. It's not a bad decision, and it's not like France doesn't have a rich history for the dokkaebis to structure scenarios from. You're kind of expecting someone to start using the guillotine at some point too.

There's still some time before the first scenario starts, you think as you settle in among the other constellations. There's definitely a lot of French constellations, most of them kings looking for an incarnation to carry out their will, and once or twice you see names you recognize from your life as a human. You even see one in particular, [Give Them Cake], and you pointedly avoid making eye contact. Oh, this is going to be a messy area to spectate in. You hope she doesn't pick an incarnation in the same stream as you.

The others, you note, are from all over the world. You recognize [Radiant Pariah] again, though you withhold trying to get their attention. They don't know you. Only your past sponsor would know you, and acting haughty after being reborn would be detrimental. But you are glad to see another by their side, keeping them company and doting on them before heading over towards the American streams.

You realize then, as you take in the competition for an incarnation, that you're still nameless. You lick your lips, think on your past exploits. You open the small window of your information and funds, and, with a huff of a breath, you enter in your new modifier.

[Humanity's Preserver].

It feels flashy, almost, but you kind of were that by the time you died. You used your gifts to keep artifacts from being destroyed or used by foul means, you made deals and exploited contracts to take back what others had stolen, and you even developed a talent for retrocognition in your prime. You were the wellspring of knowledge for all who had questions, and it was only natural you'd been a guide who helped "preserve" humanity towards the end of the scenarios.

It's a shame that it's such an endless cycle, you think to yourself as you look back to the streams. If you had known it would repeat itself with you absent from the playing field, maybe you would've made a different decision. Maybe you would've stopped your ally from spreading your story through time and letting it become warped as a myth known even more than someone like [Radiant Pariah].

As soon as you dismiss the window, something collides with you. You're on alert at first, panicked, but the arm that slings over your shoulder and the cloak along with it are familiar now. This was the constellation you'd been looking for earlier, before picking France. It's good to see you both still think on the same wavelength after all this time.

[The Trickster Earned His Punishment] cackles in your ear and holds you close, a half-hug if you ever saw one.

"Look who finally showed up!" he ribs. "You just have to be fashionably late to everything, don't you?"

You shove him off, smiling despite yourself. When you ascended to this new timeline, he had assured you he would remember you. It's good to know he wouldn't lie to you like he would to others.

"What about you? You normally stick with your nebula, right?"

He snorts. "Yeah, not this time. After my stint with you, I find I do a lot better without all the others jumping down my throat for every decision. Everything has to be so uniform, so proper, but they let their favorite members do what they want, whenever they want."

"I'm sorry to hear that," you sigh. He never did get along with his nebula all that much, being the outcast even when people considered him to be just as famous, though you suppose this outcome is better than the punishment in his modifier. "I'd say form your own nebula, but I'm still learning the ropes with that stuff."

"Sure, sure. We'll make our own and do whatever we want." He winks at you. "In all seriousness, though, it's good to see you. After all that bonding we did last time, I think I'd do something stupid just to lose it all."

You huff a nervous laugh. You aren't sure how a constellation would go about what he's implying, but you assume he'd use up all his probability to accomplish it. The consequences of that alone would probably erase him from existence, if he messed with things hard enough. You're almost glad, as sick as it is, that you being around has influenced him to stick around and remain calm. You have someone on your side, and he has someone on his.

"So then, [Humanity's Preserver]," the trickster drawls. "I look forward to seeing the riveting performance you and your incarnation put on display."

He floats off, presumably to bother the other constellations with… lower IQs than himself. He always did take joy in tricking those who couldn't follow his phrasing and riddles. You cringe as you see him wave down [Give Them Cake]. Poor woman was in for a hell of a time, if he conned her into a deal.

He is right about your timing, though; no sooner had you picked your modifier and he'd left, the Dokkaebi King's announcement rang through the atmosphere. He welcomed everyone warmly, pleased to see so many revered faces joining his humble stream, and his well wishes were as brief as the announcement itself. It's a formal affair, full of flattery and thanks, and then it's over with a request to pick a particular streaming room to join. You look for your former sponsor—your friend, perhaps? And you see him with the poor constellation from before head towards one stream in particular.

You might as well see what you can find there. He did make a right call with you last time, after all.

It's noon in Paris when you join the stream. Your host has yet to show, everything still being set up as the stage is set for the hopeful incarnations. This particular stream has its focus on a classroom, the sun high in the sky and bringing natural light to the room as a professor calls upon a student to answer a question. You're intrigued, barely able to recall a time when you'd been in school last—it feels like forever ago, but also mere minutes ago. The abilities you gained from your exploits have a way with messing with your internal time, you think, and you hope your incarnation fares better.

One of the constellations pipes up, recognizing the place as a former member of the French nobility. You're surprised they kept up with the changes to the country for this long.

"This is a university of psychology!" he announces. The other constellations let out intrigued sounds and inch closer to their screens. "I believe this fair country's grand wonder isn't far from it, either."

You purse your lips. Now you wonder how far the Eiffel Tower actually is from this campus. There's no way it's a ten-minute walk away like he makes it sound.

But you figure you're off to a good start. A university filled with students of the mind—that was a breeding ground for interesting attributes and personal skills. You're bound to find an incarnation who can handle your stigma, and maybe even survive everything else.

One student in particular catches your eye, the poor thing looking like she hasn't slept in days. The bags under her eyes are atrocious, the dismal look on her face speaking leagues of the stress she's under right now. You try to recall what time of year it is, if France has exams around this time. You aren't too sure, if you're being honest. All you know for sure is that this poor girl needs a rest, stat.

The power goes out in the room all at once, the countdown on the corner of the screen reaching 12PM sharp. You brace yourself, glance at your trickster ally once more, and you catch him smiling knowingly in your direction. You see him mouth something to you, and it takes you some time to figure out what he's saying—One freebie.

How kind of him, letting you get first pickings. It's the least he can do, you suppose, for keeping him company.

There's a spark in the air of the classroom. It's the telltale sign of the dokkaebi arriving, announcing their presence, and you can't help tuning out the little creature as it boasts about how many constellations are watching this humble university. It's not what you would call a cute or amusing display—arrogant, if anything—and you watch as the students try to rationalize the situation. At first they insist it's a mass hallucination. When the dokkaebi mocks them and giggles at their confusion, they turn their eyes to the professor and smirk.

"I'll show you," the dokkaebi drawls, "this is no hallucination."

You watch as half of the students jump out of their seats, some screaming while others are silent, at the sight of their teacher's head exploding all at once. Blood sprays onto the chalkboard, onto his desk, and his body stumbles for a moment before it trips over itself and falls down the stairs of his teaching area. One life gone, and you hear a few constellations groan that they'd had their eyes on the professor.

The sleep-deprived student is wide awake again, pen gripped tightly in her hand as her skin blanches to a sickly white. She probably hopes it's all a dream, you think, and you pity her for the hell she's about to go through—and each subsequent layer of it if she survives the first scenario.

It's the standard fanfare from there, the first scenario. The dokkaebi issues it to everyone, declaring they only have thirty minutes to complete it, and you suck in a deep breath. Once the dokkaebi leaves the classroom, it reappears before you and the other constellations betting on their next incarnations.

"Welcome, esteemed constellations," the dokkaebi says with a bow. "I thank you all for joining me in my humble stream. You may refer to me as Bibi, and I pray the display before you will be as entertaining as you all deserve."

Bibi is gone as soon as they say it, back to the space where they're supposed to silently oversee everything, and you let out a hum.

Spoiler

<Main Scenario #1 - Proof of Value>
Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Clear Conditions: Kill 1 or more living beings.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 coins
Failure: Death

You certainly didn't miss this scenario.

You do a quick count of the students left in the classroom—around seventy, if you're counting correctly among the packed lecture hall—and you let out a short breath as you try to figure out who would be most likely to draw first blood.

Despite being a room full of presumably rational people, or perhaps because they're rational people, it takes them far too long to actually try and test out the theory of killing each other to survive. They aren't desperate enough yet, everyone can see it, and even Bibi gets impatient until one of the constellations makes a request.

"This is boring," they say. "Can we speed this up? They're just standing around like this is nothing."

Bibi agrees. You watch the dokkaebi appear on the screen again, visibly angered and apologizing to the constellations watching. Students demand answers, demand to know what's happening, if the dokkaebi is a terrorist or if this is some sort of prank.

Bibi clicks their grubby little paws like fingers. A solid half of the classroom, all within the immediately vicinity of Bibi, drops to the floor without their heads.

"Finally, you all get it," the dokkaebi sighs. Their little horns are poked at with tiny hands as though they're nursing a headache. "You scientific types always ruin the fun, using too much caution. Damn your ethics. Anyway, you have ten minutes left if you don't want to end up like them."

One student lunges for the door of the lecture hall. They crash into the barrier keeping the door shut firmly, just as another tries to jump out the nearby windows. Both of them explode and stain the wood and glass with their blood.

Right then. About thirty-three or so left.

They give in to panic at least. You frown at the sight of it all—students pushing each other down the long desks, hoping their victim breaks their neck but failing to get much damage done. A few sit in the remains of their classmates, their friends, and weep as others creep up behind them with their textbooks and laptops raised high above their heads to strike. It's chaos, the floor becoming damp and slippery while the work they'd been doing a mere hour earlier is ruined beyond salvaging.

You're surprised to see the sleep-deprived young woman still kicking. She's at the back of the room, clearly in shock as she mutters to himself far too quickly for you to catch what she's saying, and no one seems to notice her presence yet. In fact, no one seems to notice the one actual proper improvised weapon in the room—the fire extinguisher on the wall behind her.

Screw it. You lick your lips and express an interest in the sleep-deprived girl. [The Trickster Earned His Punishment] watches on with a ghost of a smile as he approaches you.

"Find an interesting one?" he asks, voice low. You grunt once, noncommittal, and keep your eyes on the young woman.

"Who knows," you reply flatly.

You both lurch forward and, along with many other constellations, let out surprised shouts when two students simultaneously take their own lives with their pens being jammed into their throats. It won't be a quick death, you note as they both choke on their own blood. They would've had less pain waiting for the time to run out.

"What about you?" you ask the trickster. He just shrugs.

"We'll see. I might have an idea for some fun after this."

Some fun, he says. That could be anything, knowing him.

"Ah, she's moving," the trickster notes, breaking you from your conversation. You look to the screen again, back to the sleep-deprived young woman, and your brows rise. Well, it looks like someone noticed the fire extinguisher.

One of them finally manages to kill another student with a feral shout. She stands over the corpse, practically throws it to another group in the middle of a fight, and it's enough to make everyone pause. Her hair is wild, the red curls freed from her ponytail, and you can't help scoffing at her very hammy announcement as she looms over her classmates.

"I'm surviving!" she screeches at them. "Not you! Me! I'll survive!"

The sleep-deprived young woman couldn't have better timing.

With a heavy thunk, she slams the fire extinguisher down on the back of her classmate's head with all her might. She drops like a sack of bricks, twitching for a moment as the blood pours from the wound on her head. The sleep-deprived girl is still muttering, even as she lifts the thing back up and slams it on her classmate's head once more. She's practically started making wine with the remains when she pulls it back up.

Her peers stare up at her in horror. She isn't entirely there, you note, almost like she's trying to dissociate by force, but it's a shout from another student that snaps her back to reality.

"What the fuck, Trista!?"

It seems calling her name made her remember where she is, and Trista panics. She sees the others staring at her, half scared and half defensive, and she unclips the hose of the extinguisher without hesitation. With one minute left on the clock, everyone stunned and in a rush to finish what they started, Trista sprays them with the fire extinguisher and, whether she means to or not, prevents anyone else from taking a life in the confusion.

They're running to her when she runs out of spray. One explodes, two, and a taller classmate crashes into her with tears in his eyes. He begs for his life, but Trista shoves him off of her—just in time for the taller student's head to blow as well.

It is, according to the other constellations, an underwhelming thirty minutes spent.

"Well, well," the trickster mutters, resting an arm on your shoulder. "I think I get my fun sooner rather than later."

You look at him, brows furrowed. The trickster just smiles like a snake and tilts his head innocently.

"Let's wait and see if little Trista picks you first," he says. "It'll be more fun that way."

"What is it?" you ask, no room for playfulness in your tone. You're starting to dislike this freebie he's given you, if he planned to do something with it in the end.

"What I'm best at." He grabs your chin and turns your head to look back at the screen. "Making mischief. And I think you'll quite enjoy this kind."

The expression on your face is surely uncertain. The trickster lets out an easygoing sigh and shrugs at you.

"A sign of good faith, then," he amends. "We'll make a bet for the selection process. Both of us will offer our sponsorship to our accidental mass murderer, and the one she chooses gets to pick a stigma from the other to bequeath her. Consider it a boon that will benefit both of us either way."

The screen flickers in front of you. It's a written contract he has no doubt cooked up in the bare seconds you weren't looking at him. You're almost unsurprised by his shamelessness.

"I kept one of your stigmas," you point out.

He smirks. "I have more than just the two you were given, child. What do you take me for? One ought to think that, between your near-omniscience and my expertise in all things charlatanry, no one could possibly lose out on this deal. Least of all Trista."

You let out an unimpressed hum. You look over the contract. You don't point out that he's rescinding his freebie for something more entertaining on his part.

Spoiler

<Proposition>

The constellation [The Trickster Earned His Punishment] has proposed a wager with you.

A wager has been placed on the decision of the incarnation Trista Pomeroy.

Each party shall offer up one stigma to pass along to the incarnation Trista Pomeroy following sponsor selection. Should either party fail to honor this wager, the victor may take their choosing of any stigma from the offending party to pass along to the incarnation Trista Pomeroy.

[The Trickster Earned His Punishment] offers:
Purloin

[The Trickster Earned His Punishment] requests:
Third Eye of the Present

Accept these conditions of the wager?
- Yes
- No

​

"You're up to something," you say as soon as you finish reading. He could've chosen arguably the most useful of your stigmas, Second Eye of the Future, which was just a diet Prophecy attribute in skill form. And you can't quite tell what his does in particular, but you know he has the unfair advantage of being a little bit more creative than you when it comes to your own stigmas. He was the one who nurtured your ascension to godhood, after all.

"Trust me," the trickster purrs. It has the opposite effect.

You glance back at Trista—Trista Pomeroy, you find as you look over the message again—and you watch as she sucks in deep breaths and tries to calm herself. Bibi has long since vanished from the scene, no doubt checking in on the survivors in other rooms and seeing what they have to offer, and it's only a matter of time before it reaches Trista.

The trickster was a man who danced around his words. You furrow your brows. You look at him. His offered stigma had to be called as such to seem unworthy compared to anything he could ask of you. Not to mention, this is going to cost both of you some probability. There's no way he hasn't made this look intentionally like a bad deal.

You give the trickster an unimpressed stare.

You select Yes.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, even on the most casual of levels." He drapes an arm over your shoulders and leans on you.

Both of you watch as Trista finally, after an eternity, calms herself down. Many of the constellations who'd watched the first scenario are now gone, seeking entertainment in other streams that could afford more thrills than this one can offer. By the time the masses leave, looking for better incarnations elsewhere without sponsors, it's just you, the trickster, and [Give Them Cake] who remain.

"Poor thing," the royal says. "I thought she did rather well, all things considered. No one else noticed something better than stationery to use for weapons."

She looks at the two of you expectantly. She's giving you doe eyes that beg for you to agree.

"She's a fighter," the trickster relents. "But you can't always get by just fighting. Never was my forte."

"Oh, it's just the most dreadful method," the royal agrees. She pops open the fan in her gloved hands and hides her face behind it, shielding the two of you from her undignified expression. Disgust must not have been something she was allowed to express before becoming a constellation. "Why get your hands dirty doing all of that when someone else can for you?"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" you mumble to the trickster. He snickers in your ear.

"Indeed, madam!" he hollers. "Will you be competing for the girl's favor, then?"

She snorts. "No. As much as I would love to spectate and dress up such a pretty little thing," she tells him, "I'm afraid I must split my attention evenly between both my homes. Paris is beautiful, and I love France—but in the same vein, I cannot ignore Vienna because I foolishly chose an incarnation out of pity."

You raise your brows. That was remarkably mature of her, compared to what you learned of her from history books. Then again, you suppose she had been turned into quite the scapegoat due to her being from Austria before coming to France. The politics of her time were a turning point for the rest of the world to examine themselves, but for her, it was just something she had to accept.

"Ah."

When she lets out that blank sound, almost lazily changing the subject from her own goals, you and the trickster look back to the screen. Bibi is there, a window in front of Trista as the young woman rubs her face raw with her sleeves to get rid of tears. She's having a meltdown right in front of the dokkaebi, and Bibi has no sympathy for her whatsoever.

"If the two of you are competing for her," the royal pipes up, "I believe preservation would appeal to this child more than punishment right now."

"Guilt is a hell of a drug," the trickster jokes. "Or so I hear. Never did get around to trying it."

You shove him off of you. "Shut up before I catch your arrogance."

Time passes as Bibi impatiently waits for Trista to pick a sponsor. You can't see the names on the list, but it's only natural to assume there's only you and your former sponsor. By now, most people would throw caution to the wind and either go with no one, or simply get the process over with so they can grieve in peace. Trista, it seems, can't even bring herself to do either right now.

She's scared. She's trembling so hard you think she might shatter into a thousand pieces if Bibi so much as looks at her the wrong way. Her finger, hovering over both names on that list, is shaking enough to multiply on the screen.

Bibi snaps at her. Demands she stop wasting time.

"What's the point?" Trista weeps. It just makes Bibi even more annoyed.

"Honorable constellations," Bibi addresses the sky, its face overtaking Trista's position on the screen. "Please forgive the delay in this area. I'll have it sorted immediately and we can provide you with more entertaining incarnations to spectate."

[Give Them Cake] lets out a weak sound. She snaps her fan shut and, with a wave of her hand, begins tapping at a window in front of her. Despite so many others having access to sponsors already, and that Vienna was waiting for one of its beloveds to return, the royal took the time to send a good chunk of coins to Trista in solidarity.

The trickster lets out a hum and leans on you again. "Awful invested," he notes.

The royal looks tired as she stared at Trista. "I've been in her shoes," she explains. "I looked to the fellow mothers who stood by in my trial, and they were the only ones who sympathized. If we are the only ones here to witness Trista Pomeroy's fate, we can at least extend the same courtesy and pray she does the same in the future."

"That's noble of you," you tell her. The royal gives you a weak smile, and she stands to leave.

"I hope she picks you, Preserver," she says. The trickster scoffs, playfully but still enough to sound offended. "Without his nebula to keep him in check, Trickster is too much of a liability."

Oh, you know. You're well aware of how much trouble he can get up to when he's allowed to sponsor someone outside of his nebula.

Trista's voice accompanies the royal's departure. Small as a mouse, like a scared child hiding in a closet, she whimpers, "Help me… Please…"

Through Bibi's rambling apologies, you watch as Trista's finger lands on the window. A window of the same size opens up in front of you and the trickster, and for a moment you think she picked him out of guilt. But then the trickster clicks his tongue and holds out a hand, and the probability takes his skill to pass along with your own.

Trista picked you. You let out a slow breath.

Time to see what you're working with, you decide.

[] Write in an option…
[] Watch Trista quietly