>>27809703
<Do you mind if I ask what your plans are now, Failure?>

>>27809703

first things first, take off the gauntlets and stash them somewhere on our person where they can't touch Steve. Just to be safe.

we should probably get this news to Tarda as soon as possible.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the floating doom fortress, Failure?"

>>27809703
<So, you're definitely done eating people from now on, Failure? It'll be a lot easier this way if you have. We might even be...friends.>

>>27809810
>Sorry for forgetting to add a subject to the thread. I didn't mean to, and I almost always remember.

<Do you mind if I ask what your plans are now, Failure?> You ask, changing languages to the kystaran Failure speaks. The tar-like being surges, and meets your eyes.
<Our plans are to take this city as our own.> It says. <Use it as a place to protect ourselves- a keep.>

You take off your gauntlets, and put them in your bag- just in case. You'd best get Tarda to check them before touching Steve with them.
<Is there anything else you can tell me about the floating doom fortress, Failure?>
<Its owner seems to be putting a significant amount of force to prevent us from moving in.> It says. <We suspect there is something here that the place's master doesn't want anybody to find.>
You nod, and jot that down in the journal as well.

<So, you're definitely done eating people from now on, Failure?> You ask. <It'll be a lot easier this way if you have.>
<Yes. It is more difficult to consume ley power, but we have less risk of being destroyed if we pose no threat.> It says. <I still need to find and destroy Rebel, however.>

>>27809865

<why is that?>

>Still can't believe Steve got powered up so much, this is fantastic.

>>27809865
<Why's that?>

<We'll head back for now. Have fun with whatever you do in your spare time.>

>>27809865
<Thinking of forming the Free Republic of Failure? Open to all remnants.>

<Why is that?>
<It was our warden. Our shackles, for decades. We hate it. > It says. Every eye on it opens, several dozen of the beady red things blazing with anger. <We hate it. We hate it!>
You decide to change the subject.
<Thinking of forming the Free Republic of Failure? Open to all remnants.>
<No.> It responds. <We are a single entity. Nothing such as a government or republic can be made from that.>
You nod, as if that made perfect sense, and get to your feet.
<Well, we'll head back for now.> You say. <Have fun with whatever you do in your spare time.>
<We will refrain from harming you or the falseblood village, in the interest of further cooperation.> Failure responds. It gives you a bow, and you make your way back into the streets. Mal follows, and with a short command in kystaran, Steve follows as well.
You notice something strange. Each time Steve touches the ground, the stones grind, as if he weighed more than the slim humanoid appearance would suggest.

The two of you walk for a time, making a small detour to pick up the paintings you'd left behind last time you were here. Surrounded by remnants on the rooftops, you walk all the way to the entrance district, where they finally stop escorting you.
<What are you thinking?> Mal asks, rubbing his temple. His eyes were completely orange again, signalling that he wasn't using his new beastmastery. <About 'Failure'... And about that flying green thing.>

>>27810002
<I'm thinking we're going to need more of those bombs my friend sent me.>

>>27810002
<The flying thing? I think we can deal with that, maybe. It's a bad idea if Failure got its hands on it though. At least we've got some breathing room now that we don't have to worry about Failure.>

>>27810002

<I think it's complicated... we will probably need to find a way to get up there, find out what it is in the city that Kaedri wants to keep people away from (possibly the dragon) see what Rebel has to say about Failure and think about whether we're going to let Failure continue on as it has now.>

<Personally, if they are not going after people anymore I see little need to try and get rid of them but their anger towards Rebel might become a problem.>

would like to make Failure less angry at Rebel but that will take a long while.

>>27810002
<Steve, jump!>

>>27810099
>possibly the dragon
Wasn't failure referring to something in the flying fortress though? Maybe I misread it.

>>27810129
>We suspect there is something here that the place's master doesn't want anybody to find.

>here
referring to the city Failure took over, explains why Kaedri fought to hard to keep it.

<I'm thinking we're going to need more of those bombs my friend sent me.> You say, looking down at it in your pack. Leroy had also wrapped it in some strange, soft plastic so that it wouldn't get damaged from being thrown around.

<Yeah.> Mal says. <Though.. It almost looked more like a moon than a building, through my bird's eyes.>
<It's complicated.> You say. <We'll need to find a way to get up there, find out what it is in the city that Kaedri wants to keep people away from, and see what Rebel has to say about Failure. Then we need to think about whether we're going to let Failure continue on like it has now.>
Malchak nods, and pulls his veil on.
<Well, that dome is one thing.> Mal says. <And as for Failure... we'll need to talk to that sphere about it. The sphere seems pretty nice, when I talked to it.>
The two of you start to walk- but then something occurs to you.
You stop, and whirl around to Steve.
<Steve.> You say, lapsing into kystaran. <Jump!>

The humanoid, featureless shadow crouches. Its legs pulse with power, and that strange remnant smoke starts leaking from it. With a loud hiss, it kicks off from the ground. It promptly vanishes.

The stone below it cracks, and crumbles inward, compressing into the ground. You cover your eyes so that you can look up without being blinded by the sun, and see that shadowy shape sailing through the sky. It lands not far from where it kicked off, the ground cracking below it when it lands. Sharp fragments of stone bounce off of it, but your summoned remnant doesn't seem to care.
<... He's gotten one hell of a lot stronger.> Mal mumbles.

>>27810193
<Steve-kun~>

<Failure said he'd become immortal as well. That's always handy.>

>>27810166
Oh, hmm. I read that as 'here' being the floating fortress, as if Failure was responding to the question.

>>27810193
<Yeah. Hopefully Tarda can tell exactly how much.>

>>27810193

<Yeah...> that is amazing, Steve really got fed during that war, holy crap.

we need to really have a talk with Rebel, let's get back to the village.

>>27810232

Failure did respond to the question but it refers to the flying fortress as "That place."

>>27810193
<Oh, it talked to you? It hasn't talked to me since I brought it back. It was kinda weird for it to keep pulling the ghost act on me though.>

<Yeah...> You say, looking at the cracked stone where Steve had kicked off and landed. <Hopefully Tarda can tell exactly how much.>

The two of you continue walking.
<Wait, Rebel talked to you?> You ask.
<Yeah. It took the shape of my father, and a few of my sisters. It always vanishes when someone else comes by, though.> He says.
<It hasn't talked to me since I brought it back.> You say.
<Really? That's kind of strange.> Mal says. <Rebel said that it talks to almost everyone. It doesn't like Miriam, for whatever reason, and it's never said anything about you. Even when I ask, it just vanishes.>
<I really have to have a talk with Rebel.> You say, and continue on, carrying the paintings.

The village's celebration is still ongoing, though things have mostly settled down. The children are playing, and some of the farmers have started doing strange contests- throwing knives into fruit, arm wrestling, and some particularly scrawny men are both standing on one hand, apparently trying to outlast the others. Tarda is still humming on the rooftop of the temple, working on something, and Dalton is working at his smithy. Cromwell is sleeping underneath a tree, a hat on his face- he seems almost calm, like this.

>>27810335

head straight over to Tarda, but stash the paintings somewhere safe and dry.

>>27810335
<Tarda! Do you want the good news, the good news, or the ambiguous news first?>

<Steve got buff.>
<Kaedri has a skyfort made of crystals and death.>
<Failure has agreed to a non-aggression pact and doesn't harvest people anymore. It said it can eat leyline energy.>

>>27810378
Wait, no. That second one sounds like bad news.
<We found Kaedri!>

You and Mal stash the paintings in your wagon, covering it with a tarp, and then make your way up to the top of the temple. Steve doesn't use the vine to climb, instead turning its hands into strange spades made for climbing. That's probably a good thing- with its weight, it could have snapped the vine Mal set up almost a week ago. Tarda waves to both of you, and stops humming.
"Good, you're back." She says. "I got worried. I can't scry you when you're protected from scrying too, after all."
"Do you want the good news, the good news, or the anbiguous news first?" You ask.
"... I'll go with the ambiguous news first." She says.
"Failure has agreed to a non-aggression pact and doesn't harvest people anymore. It said it can eat leyline energy."
Tarda pauses. "... That is pretty ambiguous. My first instinct is that it's bad because it can eat ley power, but... a non-aggression pact is pretty good. How about the good news next? The first good news."
"Steve got buff." You say, holding out a hand toward the remnant. Tarda looks it up and down.
"... How exactly did he get buff?" She asks.
You shrug.
"Alright, I'll take a look. Ask him not to harm me."
You relay her message, and then Tarda presses her hand against Steve's forehead... and shivers, taking two steps back.
"This minion is the most degraded thing I've seen." She says. "It's like it's done nothing but eat other remnants constantly. It still obeys you?"
You nod.
"... Then... I don't know, it must be stable." She says. "As impossible as that sounds. So degraded that it's stable... somehow. It's carrying an insane amount of material inside of it. It's... cycling it to keep from mutating."
She tilts her head. "Almost like how I was planning to turn that naga body into my own minion, kind of."

"Oh, and the other good news is that we found Kaederi!" You say.
"Really? Where?"
"A skyfort made of crystals and death above the city." You say.
She blinks.
"... That doesn't sound like good news."

>>27810523
"No, but then again, I figure if it's in the air, it's an open target. A big, open target. So let's build a giant gun to shoot him down."

>>27810523
"Oh, failure might be trying to get at the dragon dome. Would that also be bad?"

>>27810523

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't. Kaedri is putting a great deal of energy in to making sure his floating fortress doesn't move, there may be something in or underneath the city he wants to keep away from anyone. That would explain the heavy resistance and his constant presence in the city."

come to think of it, he doesn't know that we've taken the book does he?

>>27810523
"Sadly I think Failure is hunting for rebel though, so we'll probably need to do something about it eventually."

>>27810523
"Is there a ritual to duplicate items?"

"No, I guess it doesn't. Kaederi is putting a great deal of energy into making sure his floating fortress doesn't move. There may be something in or underneath the city he wants to keep away from everyone. That would explain the heavy resistance and his constant presence in the city."
"That would." She says. "That's a good idea."
She taps her chin, and thinks about it. "Any ideas about what to do about it?"
"I figure if it's in the air, it's an open target. A big, open target. So let's build a giant gun to shoot him down."
"I don't think that's feasible." She says. "He'd have defenses against that very thing. And he has more power than we do. We can't overpower him, so we need to outsmart him."
She nods, almost to herself.
"That's what I'm working toward. Kaederi was never a smart one."

"Now for the next order of business." You say. "Failure might be trying to get at the dragon dome. Would that also be bad?"
"... Perhaps." She says. "It could also go mad, like everyone else except for you."
"Sadly, I'm rather certain Failure is also hunting for Rebel, so we'll probably need to do something about it eventually."
"Yeah, I know." She says. "We'll need to blow that bridge up when we get to it."
"Is there a ritual to duplicate items?"
"There's one to create echoes of them, but that's only an illusion." She says. "Some wizards can push enough power into an illusion to trick reality into thinking it's real, but I'm not one of them."

>>27810779
"I don't really have any ideas past that. Assaulting flying redoubts isn't in my resume."

>>27810779

<Rebel hasn't been talking to me lately, I have a few questions but I don't know how else to get in contact with it. Can you help me with that?>

>>27810779
"What kind of defenses?"

>>27810859

" " instead of <>

>>27810779
"Still need help with your power discs by the way?"

>>27810779
Why don't we just get Cromwell and Tarda to work together to build a magic powered railgun.

The best of both magic and technology. Combined.

"I don't really have any ideas past that. Assaulting flying redoubts isn't in my resume."
"It will be." She says.
"What kind of defenses do you think it would have?"
"Physical defenses, first of all. A thin barrier that stops everything, then pour power into the parts of the field that takes damage. Basic physical defense. With as much of a power source Kaederi has, he'd feel safe with it. Nothing could pierce through it. Maybe not even your bomb." She says, tapping her chin. "I'm not sure why it would fly, though. How high was it?"

You turn to Mal, and ask him in galdian.
<Uh, high enough that I couldn't breathe or fly anymore, and the stars started to peek out. Even during the day.>

You translate it back into Lelan for Tarda.
"... That's pretty high." She says. "It's above any of the leylines I've ever seen, so it's not like he's trying to get closer to a power source..."
You can almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Also, Rebel hasn't been talking to me lately." You say. "I have a few questions, but I don't know how to get in contact with it. Can you help me with that?"
"... Rebel prefers a bit of privacy." She says. "... How about this. Try closing your eyes, and Me and the beastmaster kid will go down to the village. Try talking to it like that. Alright?"

>>27811013

"If you don't plan on any further work up here, I'll give it a shot."

>>27811013
"Isn't there some kind of anti-magic? Failure was rocking that shit pretty hard when I fought his remnants. Apply that to cannon shells and surely they'd punch through?"

"Isn't there some kind of anti-magic? Failure was rocking that shit pretty hard when I fought his remnants. Apply that to cannon shells and surely they'd punch through?"
"That only works on runes. The Runic Project is reaching from a very long way. Its... mini-spells are so weak that any kind of ward can weaken or stop it." She says. "It won't do nearly so much on a powerful shield. Not to mention he might have some defenses I've never seen. Sixteen years is a long time, after all..."

She sighs, and rubs at her eyes. She looks tired.
"Well, if you don't plan on any further work up here, I'll give it a shot."
"Alright." She says. "Good luck. And don't make Rebel upset. It could make the entire Indomitable Project impossible."

She takes Mal's arm, and drags him away. You make your way over to the Indomitable Project- still a web of silver cables, strange gleaming spheres sitting around all of the edges. In the center sits Rebel, crackling in front of you.
You sit down, and close your eyes.
"... Hello?" You ask.
"I'm sorry." An amorphous voice responds, quietly. "I'm trying to do what you asked, but it's impossible to talk like that."

>>27811156
"Uh, okay."

why did we need to talk to this thing again

>>27811156
Okay, new plan.

Lets go stick our whole body in the dragon dome, pull the dragon out, and use that for something!

>>27811156

>I forgot what we asked it to do.

"No worries, I would like to ask you a few things if you don't mind?"

"What do you think about failure? and would you deem it possible for me to lessen the hostility they feel for you?"
"Is there a specific reason you don't like Miriam?"

>>27811156
"How's life."

"No worries." You say. "I'd like to ask you a few things, if you don't mind."
"Go ahead." It says. "I don't mind."
"What do you think about Failure?"
"I... feel bad for Failure. They're so confused. They'd hurt everyone if it meant they could live longer. They already had enough energy to live for thousands of years, but they want so much more."
"Would you deem it possible for me to lessen the hostility they feel for you?"
"I deserve it. I trapped them. It's what the wizards wanted me to do, but it was... my choice to hold them in one place. I deserve that hostility."
Eyes still closed, you rub them. "And is there a specific reason you don't like Miriam?"
There's a pause.
It doesn't respond.
"... Rebel?"
"I... I'm sorry." It says. "I can't control when I look into people. I didn't mean to."

A few moments later, it speaks again.
"... You forgot?" It asks. "You asked me to be myself. I... I don't have a body. I can't be myself when I talk to you."

>>27811344
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Choose whatever form you like, in that case."

>>27811344

"I shouldn't have said that, feel free to pick something which isn't violent."

"About Miriam, It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, just know that I'll be around if you do."

"Do you know anything about Kaedri? or the Dragon inside of the dome?"

>>27811344
"You know all those times I saw that woman, was that you trying to manifest?"

>>27811489

we already found out about that in earlier threads.

>>27811502
It's always best to check.

"Oh yeah." You say. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't have said that. Choose whatever form you like, in that case."
"... It will get less confusing if I choose yours." Rebel says. "You can open your eyes."

You open your eyes.
"About Miriam, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it. Just know that I'll be around if you do."
"I don't want to talk about it because it's... prying." The familiar figure sitting across from you says. "The things I know are things I shouldn't learn."
You nod.
"You know all those times I saw that woman? Was that you, trying to manifest?"
"That was me when I was very confused." He says. "Failure was the only... mind I was near, for a very long time. I'm much more coherent here."
"Do you know anything about Kaderi? Or the dragon inside of the dome?"
"... I shouldn't learn that kind of stuff." It says. "I know things, but I shouldn't. That's what my creators said."

>>27811532
"I'm pretty sure your creators are dead. They were also paranoid. I don't mind if you read my mind, to be honest."

>>27811532

"what would you like to do when we finish our business with Kaedri? would you just want to be hand over to failure?"

"I'm pretty sure your creators are dead." You say. "They were also paranoid. I don't mind if you read my mind, to be honest."
It doesn't respond, and you see your own face bite its lip. Rather uncharacteristic of yourself, you think.
"What would you like to do when we finish our business with Kaederi? Would you just want to be handed over to failure?"
"Tarda has plans." He says. "After we're done here, she told me she's going to put me in a new form. In a proper form. She didn't need my creators' notes because I remember them, but... She said she's going to put me in the body of a naga and take care of me. And teach me how to... restrain myself."

>>27811532
"Well, power to you, bro."

>>27811657
"Are you happy about that?"

>>27811657

pretty much this >>27811674

"I wonder what else she will do, if we manage to come out of this alive."

"Are you happy about that?" You ask.
Rebel slowly nods. "I am." He says, and leaves it at that.
"... I wonder what else she will do, if we manage to come out of this alive." You say.
"The same thing she's done her entire life. Study magic." Rebel says. He gives you a strange expression. "Magic is everything to her. Did you notice that she never calls anyone by name except for wizards?"
You pause a moment, and open your mouth to respond.
"She and Malchak are returning, so I'm going to say goodbye for now." He says and raises a hand. "Goodbye." And promptly vanishes.

"How'd the talk go?" Tarda asks, still hanging on Mal's arm. Her cheeks are red, and she's carrying a mug filled with something that smells like some rather strong alcohol. Her accent, surprisingly, is almost entirely gone. "Figger' out why she wasn't talking to you?"

>>27811781
"Yeah, it was a few things I'd said. All resolved now."

>>27811781

"Turns out, I unintentionally upset her a little some time ago, all cleared up now."

"I see you found Mal's alcohol, having a powerful wizard getting tipsy does strike me as a bit worrying."

>>27811781
Start rolling around on the roof like a dog.

"Turns out it was a few things I'd said. All cleared up now." You say. "I see you found Mal's alcohol. Having a powerful wizard getting tipsy does strike me as a bit worrying."
"Psh, it's not his." Tarda says. "It was that mutant's! It tastes like mint and spice. And I'll have you know, wizardry is an *art*. Like writing and drawing, alcohol just makes you better at it! I'll advance the Mudimuna by leaps and stumbling bounds!"
Then she tilts her head. "Well... judgement gets impaired, but that hardly matters. I just gotta to remember not to blow anything up again."
"Again?"
"They, uh, were having a contest to destroy these rotten apples, down there, with thrown knives." She says. She doesn't blink. "I won."

You look down over the edge of the temple roof to see one of the farmers' wives laughing as she cleans up a mess made of applesauce.

>>27811952

"looks like you're getting along with them quite nicely. Do you need any more help?"

we should probably get something to eat pretty soon.

>>27811952
"You eaten anything today?"

"Looks like you're getting along with them quite nicely. Do you need any more help?" You ask.
She shifts her weight from one leg to another. "Yes! I do. But it can wait! At least until tomorrow."

"You eaten anything today?"
"Hm? Yeah, of course. A healthy body means more lifeblood power, you know. I gotta get stronger again. Else how am I going to steal that flying fortress from under Kaederi's nose?"
"Well, I should go probably get something to eat." You say. Tarda nods.
"Go, go. I have work to do. Always more work."

With Mal and Steve by your side, you climb down the temple again, as Tarda makes her way into the temple proper, to stumble her way back to her lab. You make your way toward the tavern, where Miriam just started serving dinner.

The sky is orange, and the tavern doors are wide open. Long tables sit in the village center, plenty of people grabbing food and talking. You take a seat, and Miriam slides some food in front of the two of you.
Mal sighs, and starts to eat. <This language barrier is getting really damn frustrating.> He says, between bites. <Tarda just clung to my arm the entire time and babbled.>

>>27811952
"So how does The Seventeenth Wizard manage to avoid all the destruction and become so powerful?"

>>27812140
>steal that flying fortress
worry

<Wanna learn Lelan before I sleep or something?>

>>27812140
I'll be honest bro, knowing the language doesn't actually help with that; it's all magic speak. I kinda get it, but it's never something I can actually do.

Did you manage to impress her with your beastmastery?

>>27812182
Wasn't Ann teaching him? Maybe he just needs a few days off to practice more.

>>27812140
"THANKS FOR THE FOOD, MIRIAM."

Unless it's mushrooms.

>>27812238
Maybe we need to be harsh on him and only speak to him in Lelan for a week or so?

>>27812140

<You have my sympathies, you being extra bad at learning it doesn't help either, You could spend some coin on more lessons from Ann, I can also ask Tarda if she could magic something.>
<On the bright side! you are a beast master now, instead of that Chief whom we will never mention any of this happening to!>

he could try to find an animal which understands Lelan, it sort of worked with Bruno.

<I'll be honest, bro. Knowing the language doesn't actually help with that; It's all magic speak. I kinda get it, but it's never something I can actually do.> You say. <Did you manage to impress her with your beastmastery?>
<Nah, I'm laying off of the beastmastery. Near the end there, before I pulled out of the bird, it started to hurt. Like my eyes were going to explode. I don't want to damage anything, so I'm going to stay away from it for now.>
You start to eat as well. There's actually a lot of it- fruit, meat,
<Wanna learn Lelan before I sleep or something?>
<You and that girl keep trying to teach me.> He says. <It's just confusing. I'm not very good with languages, I guess. Like, you learned kystaran in a few days, didn't you? That's pretty insane.>
<Heh, yeah.> You say. <I'm a special case.>
After all, E.E was the one that taught you Galdian. You couldn't afford to fail there.

<On the bright side, you are a beastmaster now. Instead of that chief whom we will never mention any of this happening to!>
<Yep!> He says. <Honestly, I've pretty much got it made, now. My commander liked me enough to pull strings, my half sister is another beastmaster, my father was a chieftan... Honestly, if I made a real push, I could get my own homestead without much issue.>
Then he shrugs. <Then again, I just want my father's homestead back. That might be a bit harder, but with your help...>
He thinks about it for a few moments, and then takes another bite.
<Hey, bro. In all seriousness. After we're done here, with all the magic shit, you want to help me get my father's homestead? If we get it done, it means you'd be pretty much made for life. I'd name you juren. I'm not sure if you know the term, but it's like... honored advisor.>
<I know it.> You say. It is, after all, the closest thing to being a nobleman there is in Galdia.
It would also mean retiring. Retiring into luxury, if Mal is right about 'having it made', but still...
You haven't really thought about it before.

>>27812368
<Maybe. I'm not sure I could ever sate my lust for adventure though.>

<Haha, look at us now. A couple years ago I pushed you out a window, and now we're like best bros.>

>>27812368
>>27812140
>Also, I'd dropped my trip. these are me.

>>27812368

<I don't know man, I've never really thought about that far ahead but, it probably won't be retirement but if you need my help, you got it.>

Also, I'm not sure how E.E would react.

>>27812368
That's a long way off, bro. Who knows what will happen between here and then.

<I don't know, man. I've never really thought that far ahead. I'm not sure I could ever sate my lust for adventure, though.>
<Hah, well, we'll have to go adventure so I and my sister can grab some wild tarrasques. The more of them I got, the less other chieftans will try to piss me off.> He says.
You shrug. <That's a long way off, Bro. Who knows what will happen between here and then.>
<Well, the offer's open.> He says, and finishes up his plate.

You think about it for a while. E.E's a right bastard if you don't get your job done, but he's not one to force people to take jobs they don't want to. He's a monster, sure, but he pretends to have a code about it.
Some time later, the sun continues to set over the horizon, and everyone else had finished their meals. The men start getting drinks, and the woman and children sit around a bonfire, taking turns to tell stories.
Mal hands you a mug of something that tastes of spice and mint- Nystaran wine. You're familiar with it.
<Harvest festivals back home are better.> He says. <The women start dancing around now.>

>>27812537
Maybe us young men are meant to put on a show here?

Or maybe we can convince Tarda that dancing is the done thing?

>>27812537
<Maybe we'll have to grab some women and make them dance with us?>

>>27812574
I'm pretty sure she'll just sit on the roof fiddling with her magic gizmos, but eh, its worth a shot.

>>27812537

<Well, I guess we'll just have to lead by example.>

we could ask Miriam, Ann or even Bruno but Tarda is to busy.

I'm pretty sure we know how to dance, if only a little.

<Maybe we'll have to grab some women and make them dance with us.> You say.
<That's what I was thinking, but they're mostly taken.> He says. <I've got an eye for this kinda thing.>
<Well, I guess we'll have to lead by example.> You say, and drink the rest of your mug. You push yourself to your feet.
<Alright!> He says. <Let's get to it. I think that one there is single.>

===

You lay back in bed, your head buzzing pleasantly. After Mal his ears boxed by one of the farmers- who's wife apparently was taken, though she recieved Mal's advances a little *too* well- things started to wind down. You'd danced with a few people- Miriam, Ann, even a little bit with Bruno and a little with Leroy. Tarda had refused entirely, saying that she needed to 'remember her ideas' as she scribbled in her book.
You relaxed, and then turned to the paper on your bedside, where a ritual circle sat. It's the end of the day, and you need to choose a rune to recharge...
"She's not just a dream." Someone says behind you. You turn around, and see... yourself. Or, at least, Rebel. "That girl in your dreams. With the dragon. She's not just a dream."

>>27812846
Gah! You startled me.

As long as she's not actually the scary dragon frozen and filled with world devouring anger, I'll be happy.

Can you talk with her?

Hey, you can read minds, right? How about you join me in the next dream?

>>27812846
"Am I supposed to be surprised? I guessed that much. Exact same dragon in the dome? Too much of a coincidence. Too much weird magic shit happens round here."

>>27812846

"Then, what is she?"

"You startled me." You say, letting go of your spear. "But I'm not really surprised. I guessed that much. Exact same dragon in the dome? Too much of a coincidence. Too much weird magic shit happens 'round here."
"That's rude to say to one of the weird magic things." The perfect copy of you notes.
"Then what is she?" You ask.
"Exactly what she looks like. A girl." Rebel says. "It was an accident, is all I know. She was trapped there- as was the dragon, and the jungle... A great many things were trapped there."
"Can you talk with her? Hey, you can read minds, right? How about you join me in the next dream?"
Rebel shakes his head.
"I can't. It's... a different place. One different than the one we're standing on."
"... Like a domain?"
He nods. "I can't feel those places."

He goes silent for a moment, and then closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath.
"I'm about to tell you something that I shouldn't know. My creator... and everyone else who were all once here... They're still alive."

>>27813025
"I guessed this as well. That many people don't vanish, and I'm not stupid. Kaedri's got a massive source of souls? Oh, gee, I wonder what that could be."

>>27813025

"How do you know this?"

>>27813025
Still alive? But how?
I thought they were all killed to make remnants.
Or at least for their soulforce.

Was your creator a Kystaran? A wizard?

Sometimes you have to break the rules to do a good thing. Don't be so hard on yourself.

>>27813025
"Then why the fuck is the dragon in the dome. And why am I dreaming about that shit."

"Still alive? But how? I thought they were all killed to make remnants, or at least for their soulforce."
"No, they were stolen." He says. "They're... farmed. A little bit at a time, from each of them..."
"Was your creator a kystaran? A wizard?"
"The fifth." He responds. "He was scared of me."
"How do you know this?" You ask, experimentally.
"I heard it from the wizard we're going to fight." He says. "I heard it from Kaederi. Just a few minutes ago."
His next expression is one you know rather well, having seen it in your mirror often- he looks guilty.
"Sometimes you have to break the rules to do a good thing." You say. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
He nods.
You run your hands through your hair. "Then why is the dragon in the dome? And why am I dreaming about all this?"
"I don't know. It's an anomaly. Even I don't understand them." He says. "But it's in there, and Kaedri wants it out. He also wants... something else, but it was confusing. He's... confusing."

>>27813214

"Well, we'll just have to keep him from getting to it."

>>27813214
"Thanks for the intel dump, bro."

>>27813214
kiss him

>>27813214
He's probably mad.

Do you think it's a bad idea to release all of Kystara as well as everything in the dragonsphere? If they all take up the same place...

Hey wait, you said you heard Kaederi, I thought you had to be near people to hear them? Does that mean he's here?

Kaedri can make domains, it is possible that he put some if not all the Kystaran population inside one of those and moved it in to his flying fortress of solitude, it explains why the thing isn't bigger and why everyone disappeared so completely.

>>27813260
wat

>>27813214
"Can you just spy on Kaedri all the time for me?"

>>27813287
kiss him on the lips how could we resist our face

>>27813214
"What's Tarda going to do? She said she was going to capture the fortress. Is she going to use it for her own ends?"

>>27813304
Easily. It's too scarred.
Also you just have to remember that it's also the girl who tried to stab us.

>>27813325
>>Also you just have to remember that it's also the girl who tried to stab us.

*splosh*

>>27813214
"Sounds like some fucked up telehive genomatrix shit."

"Wait a sec! Why am I getting involved in all of this. I think I'm just going to go home."

>>27813214
Let's just say fuck Tarda and go build ourselves a railgun with Cromwell, power it with lightning runes. It'd rattle the fuck out of Kaedri and get him to stop focusing on the dragon for a while.

"He's probably mad." You say. "We'll just have to keep him from getting to it."

Then, a moment later, you look back up at him. "Wait, you said you heard KAederi. I thought you had to be near people to hear them? Does that mean he's here?"
"Not... exactly." He says, hesitantly. "I... can't control what I pick up when I'm near people, but I can... choose to reach out to someone far away. But it hurts."
You nod.
"Do you think it's a bad idea to release all of Kystara, as well as everything in the dragonsphere? If they all take up the same place..."
"What's Tarda going to do?" You ask. "She said she was going to capture the fortress. Is she going to use it for her own ends?"
"No, she meant... she just wants the notes. She really wants his notes on how he did things."

"... Can you just spy on Kaedri all the time for me?" You ask.
"I can try, but it tires me out. A lot." He says. "And I'm important to the Indomitable Project. Mudimuna won't work without me."
Then he sighs. "... I'll try. But I'll be careful."

And then, without even saying goodbye, Rebel is gone.
You look back down to the ritual circle you'd drawn for tonight's rune recharging. Time to figure out what to recharge.

>[] Earth Rune: 3 uses left.
>[] Time Rune: 2 uses left.
>[] Blast Rune: 3 uses left.
>[] Surround Rune: 5 uses left.
>[] Self Rune: 3 uses left.
>[] Lightning Rune: 9 uses left.

>>27813447
>>[] Blast Rune: 3 uses left.
More boom!

We really need some other elemental runes though. Lightning is great but I'd value more options.

>>27813447
>>[] Time Rune: 2 uses left.

>>27813447
[x] None

I bet this shit is a ploy by Tarda. Slowly draining our soul or some shit.

>>27813447
>[] Time Rune: 2 uses left.

we could really do with a new fire rune though.

>>27813447
[x] Lightning

Because it's the best one.

>>27813491
nigga fire rune is for scrubs

>>27813447
[x] All of the above

>>27813489
>That's exactly what soulforce is. Willpower, your soul, sentience, etc. You regain it when you sleep, though. As opposed to Lifeblood, which is a power born from being a living, healthy being and confers a resistance to magic, and as opposed to Ley Power, which is magic 'pollution' that ends up in currents in the sky.

You set the Time rune on the circle, and focus. The circle glows softly as you funnel energy into the rune- and thus, the Project proper. You feel completely exhausted- too exhausted to recharge a second or third rune, so you simply fold the paper up, put the runes back, and lay in bed.
>Time Rune: Now with 3 uses!

Soon enough, sleep takes you.
Surprisingly, you don't have any dreams this time.

>End of session!
>My twitter is at @futureexabyte
>The IRC is #Exabyte on Rizon
>Sorry for ending early! Things are still wonky because of my schedule change.

>>27813622
I'd say thanks for running but today was shit.

>>27813622

thanks for running.

>>27813638
Yeah, today was pretty damn slow. Sorry about that. With the way the system works, if every thread was fightfightfight, you'd end up dead in a week.

Of course, I also needed a simple, soothing thread to resolve and set up a few things. Like the calm before a storm.

File: 1382136679620.gif-(1.88 MB, 230x250, ha-ha.gif)

1.88 MB GIF

>>27813701
>Like the calm before a storm.
okay.