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> Take the mirror orb. A boon from Caethos?
> Take the death's head mask. It seems familiar...
> Take neither.

---

You are Osyki, journeyman Totemist and first line of defense for your village against the rabid Behemoths wandering the land. Your master, the previous Totemist, fell in a battle against a terrible Behemoth, leaving the duty of defending your settlement to you. In a period of relative peace, you have elected to train yourself and your apprentices for the winter to come. You have just successfully hunted an Avatar residing in an abandoned Behemoth's lair, ridding your village of a potentially potent threat.

[[Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem

Plot Summary (Current up to thread 53): http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log (Current up to thread 50): http://pastebin.com/VsJpEUx3

Ask: ask.fm/DiarcaEXE

Wiki in progess: http://totemistquest.pbworks.com

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

>>36018511
>Take the mirror orb.
Caethos is a bro.

>>36018511
> Take the death's head mask. It seems familiar...

>>36018511
> Take the mirror orb. A boon from Caethos?

I say we take the orb. Also, can someone remind me who Caethos is again?

>>36018511
> Take the mirror orb. A boon from Caethos?
I don't really want either, I don't like this scenario. But Caethos seems fairly nice, as far as faceless mirror monsters go, so let's not risk insulting him.

>>36018511
It's mirror time.

Diarca, buddy. It's been so long.

>>36018797
Some sort of spirit native to the Shade. He look like the picture in Diarca's second post. He tends to make ominous comments that are potentially prophetic, but he's not actually our enemy or anything like that. He seems to like us, actually.

>>36018797
Big mirror spirit guy who helped us out last time we came to this place.
>>36018799
It doesn't seem so bad, Caethos is giving us something because we put him back together and Halloween dude was apparently playing with us.

>>36018886
Wait... we came here before? Man I really need to re-read the previous chapters now. My head is full of holes at the moment.

>>36018886
Caethos is a strange and alien spirit we have little understanding of, other than that everything he says is incredibly ominous. Pumpkin Jack here impersonated one of our spirits to lead us on a merry chase through Silent Hill. Neither of them is particularly trustworthy. But like I said, Caethos at least seems to be friendly, so we might as well take his boon. The other guy is just a dick.

>>36018971
This general spirit area. I think.

>>36018971
It was a long time ago, when we were binding our name away. We had a disturbing conversation with Caethos, offered advice that may have been foreshadowing of something in our own life, and then returned to the physical world.

The red metal of the death's head mask leers uncomfortably at you. You're fairly certain if you put your hand near it, you would lose a finger or two. Taking discretion as the better part of valor, you stride across the marshy plain and snatch the mirrored orb from its pedestal before it topples. Thane gives an amused sort of grunt, and Caethos... reverberates. It's the only sound you've ever heard the mirror-headed titan make.

The urge to glance into the depths of the mirrored orb is all but irresistible. You start to find yourself staring at your sleeping body, tossing and turning fitfully in the petal-bed of the Grand Blossom. The perspective is odd, warped by the mirror-ball's fish-eye lens effect, but it seems as though there's a figure standing over your bed.

Ominous.

You glance to Thane, whose orange eyes gleam in the everpresent gloom of the Shade. Caethos is lumbering his way away from you, giant strides crossing miles of swamp with each step.

"Ready to go, Totemist?"

> "More than."
> "Wait a moment." (Write-in)
> "You. You and I need to talk."
> Other

>>36019069
>More than

>>36019069
> "You. You and I need to talk."
> "Wait a moment." (Write-in)
"What are you? I think it's about time we finally addressed that question."

>>36019069
>> "More than."
Let's go.

>>36019069
> "More than."
More than sure 'Thane' wouldnt give us any information anyway. Im becoming more sure that being mysterious is actually part of his nature.

>>36019069
> "You. You and I need to talk."
We should probably find out what the shit is going on.

>>36019069
>"More than."
The shadow realm is not great fun.

>>36019069
> "Wait a moment." (Write-in)

"Thank you for guiding me tonight, it was a pleasure meeting you. What are you anyways?"

>>36019262
That's not a reason not to try to get information out of him, he actually gave us plenty before.

>>36019069
> "You. You and I need to talk."

>>36019291
We can talk to him when we're not in the freaky shadow realm. just put it in your cap till we're out of their.

>>36019069
> "Wait a moment." (Write-in)
> "You. You and I need to talk."
"What's going on here? What was this dream? What did I just choose? Who's watching me sleep?"

>>36019314
We're pretty much done with all this halloween nonsense, we might as well ask.

>>36019314
This isn't Thane that we're talking to right now. Thane has amber eyes, not bright orange.

It's some harvest/scarecrow halloween psychopompish figure who took the form of Thane to guide us.

>>36019318
Maybe we should wake up and see for that last one. Like do you really want to ask questions when there is someone standing over your sleeping body?

>>36019343
Nah, it's probably how thane looks like in the spirit realm.

>>36019351
Might as well have some information about them before we actually confront them.

>>36019069
> "You. You and I need to talk."
I don't see a reason not to.

>>36019361
>Nah, it's probably how thane looks like in the spirit realm.

I seriously doubt it. Remember the first thing "Thane" said to us here

>"Appearances, appearances. Less important than you might think, Totemist. Feelings are just as important, here. Your eyes tell falsehoods."

His eyes have NEVER been described as orange before, just Amber. At the end of the last thread there was

>You catch a brief glimpse of a strange figure standing in Thane's place in the mirror. Nebulous shadows disperse as orange-black lights play out of a grinning gourd-head, and a paper lantern bobs ever so slightly in the wind.

And Diarca even said that Anons were close when they guessed that it was the spirit of halloween, or that it was a guide shaped to look like Thane to make them more palatable to us.

That's not Thane, or at least not just Thane.

>>36019343
What if Thane IS a Spooky Halloween Spirit? We know he's been concealing his true nature. And Halloween is the holiday of shadows and surprises. Could be that this "Halloween Psychopomp" gig was what he did before he joined up with us.

>>36019449
What's wrong with socializing with spooky halloween spirits anon?

>>36018476
>Nebulous shadows disperse as orange-black lights play out of a grinning gourd-head, and a paper lantern bobs ever so slightly in the wind.

Wait. Gourd head. Paper lantern. His theme is masks, and the hiding of identities.

Oh fucking fuck, do we have fucking Samhain trapped in a totem? Oh yeah, that totally won't come back to bite us in a horrible, horrible way.

>>36019522
Nah, he came of his own volition, I doubt he's harmful.

>>36019069
Are you writing?

>>36019522
I don't think Samhain is anyone's actual name. My reasoning is that it is Irish for November.

>>36019522
>>36019546
Also, his bindings aren't THAT powerful, I doubt he's a major spirit.

>>36019596
Or he really is that big a deal and he's holding out on us.

>>36019514
Nothing at all, I want to socialize with the spooky Halloween spirit. I was pointing out that it was a spooky Halloween spirit and since I don't think its Thane since we want to chat we should do that here and now.

>>36019644
Oh, cool.

>>36019596
Well, he did say that if we got him enough blood he could hide things from the gods themselves. And bindings are dependent on both the spirit and the totemist to determine their power. Possibly we just haven't been powerful enough for him to work his full strength. Personally, though, I doubt that he's THE spirit of Halloween, if this guess is correct at all. More likely he's just one of many Pumpkin Jacks that serve in this role. Though if he is, our not taking the mask is probably going to make it harder to get him to acknowledge it.

"A moment," you say, holding up a hand. "You and I need to talk."

If you could see Thane's face, you imagine there would be an eyebrow slowly rising. At the very least, his fanged grin does little to set you at ease.

"What is all of this? Who -are- you? I've been nearly killed nigh-on twenty times in as many hours today, and what I expected from the evening was some restful sleep, not a nightmare wonderland trip through the ass-crack of the spiritual world." It might not be the respect you would ordinarily show to spirits, but you just watched your childhood friend grow a lamprey mouth. Standards are, somewhat, slipping. "I would appreciate, for once, at least one straight answer."

"Very well," Thane says, inclining his head. As he does, you catch another glimpse of that light behind him, a paper lantern bobbing in the wind. "Since you've done me a good turn, I don't think that an unreasonable request. One straight answer for your trouble, no tricks, no deception."

You blink, rather taken aback. That is -not- Thane's voice coming from his fanged mouth. One suspicion confirmed.

> "Who -are- you?"
> "Why am I here tonight?"
> "What is Thane, really?"
> Other (Write-in)

>>36019069
> "You. You and I need to talk."
> "Masks. Should have seen it before, 'Thane'. I suppose it'd be too much to hope for a straight answer if I were to ask what you are?"

>>36019707
>> "What is Thane, really?"
We will probably never see this guy again

>>36019707
> "What is Thane, really?"

I'm guessing he's a Halloween spirit of some variety. Probably not Not!Samhain himself, that would be silly.

>>36019707
> Other (Write-in)
"Why bother with this deception? You could have just asked. I'm a pretty reasonable man, I would have heard you out."

>>36019707
> Other (Write-in)
> "What is Caethos, really?"
We could always convince Thane to tell us who he is later. Probably.

>>36019775
This seems like his thing.

>>36019707

Actually, changing>>36019784
To "What was the choice I made earlier?"

>>36019775
Halloween is a time when people wear masks to hide from the monsters that go bump in the night. He's a spirit of Halloween. Not wearing a mask would be against his nature.

Purely based on assumption, mind.

>>36019707

Actually, no, never mind, changing >>36019814 back to >>36019784
I'm sure we'll find out the results of our choice eventually.

FUCK YEAH, TOTEMIST QUEST!
So excited, I finished the archive diving and I'm all caught up and here it is!
>>36019707
>"What is Thane, really?"

You stare this spirit in the eye as best you can through the ever-smoking veil of impossible shadows that Thane's visage carries with it. Thane... the spirit seems to know enough of him to take his form convincingly. You wonder how far the depth of his knowledge runs. Crossing your arms in front of you, doing your best not to shiver whilst ankle-deep in the murky, brackish waters of the Shade, you voice your query.

"You seem to have knowledge of the shape that you wear," you say levelly. "I'd appreciate a measure of that knowledge as well. So tell me, whoever you are: What -is- Thane, really? That he's more than the simple spirit of a Stalker has been obvious to me for some time."

Thane--or the thing wearing his face--nods. "Correct. You could call the thing that sleeps inside that darkened pelt an extension of the mantle of shadows that its previous owner wore. A spirit of darkness and obfuscation, a bloodthirsty thing called to you by massacre, bound purely by chance. If it still serves you willingly, it is because it has an exceedingly mortal sense of humor." Not-Thane shrugs. "We have met, once or twice. I think the two of you make for a good match, Totemist. You both revel in bloodshed, maintaining a facade of young innocence that ill-suits you."

This time when the spirit grins, there is the subtle waft of pumpkins and carrion carried with its breath. "Your answer bestowed. Now, I would awaken, were I you. You have a visitor, and the spirits of this place can be fickle in their affections in this season."

> Awaken.
> Defy.
> Other

>>36020327
>Awaken.
Thank him for the information?

>>36020327
>Awaken.

>>36020327
>You stare this spirit in the eye as best you
> Awaken.
I want to get back to the village already and test our new avatars bindings.

>>36020327
>Awaken.

>>36020327
> Other
"So you give me an answer that tells me nothing I hadn't already guessed. How clever of you. Goodbye, spirit. If we ever meet again, please skip the theatrics. As you say, it's best not to keep me too long here. Don't waste our time."

>>36020472
If you didn't want to just have your suspicions confirmed, then you shouldn't have asked for something that you are already suspicious of. The question has been answered, sparsely but truthfully.

>>36020523
I didn't. I was the guy who voted for asking why the spirit was doing this. Everyone else wanted to ask the pointless question.

>>36020572
Actually, your question was probably just as pointless, but there's no need to be hostile to a powerful spirit.

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>>36018476
What is this lil' dude's problem?

>>36020472
We asked, he answered.

And it confirms some of our suspicions, we honestly didn't know that he was a preexisting being with a reputation until now, and the confirmation that he was bound purely by chance is useful to know.

>>36020572
Well, I wouldn't have chosen this question either, had I been here at that time. Still, the spirit has answered the question. We even got new information (Thane stays with us because it's a form of amusement to him).

Your eyes snap open with the sounds of cawing crows and deep, booming laughter ringing in your ears. Your body springs into action as the canopy of the Grand Blossom fills your vision, throwing yourself toward the side of the bed. Your hand is on the hilt of your sword. You sweep the weapon around in a vicious arc, stopping the point just below the throat of--

Orchid gasps, taking a few rapid steps back. Her hands come up in a placating gesture, and you can see her flinch. You falter, lowering your weapon and running a sweat-soaked hand over your face.

"I'm sorry, Totemist," she says softly. "I heard you making sounds of distress again, and--the last time, you seemed pleased to have someone to speak to. I just thought... I assumed..." She falters, glancing off to one side.

You sheath your blade, doing your best to keep the tremors from your hands and the shivers from your spine. The faint waft of pumpkin and carrion lingers in your nose, and after a moment, you realize that Nocturne's Embrace has shifted from its position on the chair, mixed in a crumpled heap with your blankets.

> Apologize.
> Dismiss Orchid.
> Go back to sleep.
> You've slept enough. Make for home.

>>36020874
> Apologize.
Tell her we had bad dreams and are on edge, it's not her fault.

>>36020874
>Apologize.
>You've slept enough. Make for home.
Cant fucking sleep now.
THANKS PUMPKIN HEAD!

>>36020874
>> Apologize.
>Look for that glass orb. Did it come to the physical realm?

>>36020874
> Apologize.
> You've slept enough. Make for home.

>>36020874
> Apologize.

We aren't in too much of a hurry and seeing some more of the Blossom could be fun. So let's spend a bit of time here before heading out.

>>36020974
This, and go home. We got Foci to play with.

>>36020874
> Apologize.
> You've slept enough. Make for home.
>>36021022
Yeah, but I want to test our new bindings already.
I mean, we have a god damn avatar now.

>>36021022
But dude, experiments.
We only have so much time before we have to go do shit. Also two drawers, TWO!

>>36020874
> Apologize

Does Orchid want the D?

>>36020874
> Apologize.
> You've slept enough. Make for home.
>>36021127
Doesn't matter, she's not getting it.

>>36021127
Pretty sure she does for ulterior motives. We ain't Ayren, though.

>>36021127
Probably a bad idea to give her the D

>>36021127
She implied last time we visited that she'd be willing to. Whether she's actively seeking it or not is less clear.

>>36020874
> Apologize.
> Go back to sleep.
Get some goddamn rest.

>>36021200
>>36021127
It's probably just a part of her job.

>>36021208
We rested enough, we need to test our bindings.

>>36021223
>We rested enough,
We haven't rested any.

We came from a fight half dead and slipped into a nightmare at the end of which we woke up.

>>36021344
Well, we did technically sleep, also, it was probably longer than it seemed. Besides, I'd rather we sleep in the village than in the blossom.

>>36021344
You think we could get a proper sleep after that? You know the minute he closes his eyes hes going to see lamp-ray mouths.

>>36021431
I'm pretty sure Osyki will sleep fine now, the halloween bullshit should be over, but still, I think he's rested enough, and we need to test our new bindings already.

>>36021509
I don't mean halloween bullshit I just mean hes going to remember that shit tonight.

>>36021537
Nah, eh should be fine. It's just spirits, business as usual.

>>36021537
nah

>>36020874
> Apologize.
Had a Nightmare, and more

>>36021558
Well as long as it means we get to go make cool shit I dont mind.

"My apologies, Orchid," you mutter. Your hands won't stop shaking, and you feel clammy all over. At least the soft perfume of the Blossom is slowly warding away the reek of rotted meat and gourds from your senses. "It was an intense nightmare. Are you alright?" You glance up. She's seated in one of the mushroom-stools that ring that table on the far side of the room, watching you with those strange, all-black eyes.

"Just fine, Totemist," she assures you. Her tone is utterly calm, for someone who nearly had a blade in her throat not moments before. "I apologize for the abrupt awakening. You were thrashing quite fiercely. Would you like some tea?"

"Perhaps to go," you mutter, pulling your tunic over your head. You retrieve Nocturne's Embrace from the blankets, throwing it around your shoulders. "I need to get moving. I have duties to attend to in my home, and this place seems to conjure bad dreams every time I rest here."

The Dryad nods sympathetically, moving to a vine on the wall to pluck a few tea leaves. "Mortal visitors, rare though they are, have sometimes complained that the perfumes of this place muddle their senses."

You grunt as you cinch your armor back in place, buckle your sword at your side, retrieve your spear from the corner. You are a whirlwind of preparation and movement. The sooner you can be quit of this place and clear your head of its vapors, the better.

"Thank you for your hospitality," you tell Orchid as you accept a leaf-cup of piping hot tea from her. You turn to the door, but pause. "Did you ever get to the Forest to see the flower spirits there, Orchid?"

She shakes her head, smiling. You think a soft violet glow tinges her dark-wood cheeks, but it's difficult to tell in the dim light. "Not yet, Totemist."

You do your best to force a smile. "We'll have to arrange that soon. Take care."

"And you," she says, bowing.

(Cont.)

You make your way out of the Blossom by memory, not even stopping to visit the throne room before you sprint across the Petal-Road bridge and into the Swamp proper. A flash of gold plants Edge of Dawn on round your neck, and with a few powerful, gusting flaps you ascend into the early morning sky.

The cold breeze on your face and the gentle light of the sun on the horizon do wonders to shake the threads of night and terror from your mind. You're free. Of the Blossom, the Shade... back in your element. On your own terms.

It's the first deep breath you've heaved in hours that feels like it puts breath in your lungs.

You wing your way toward home with the wind in your bangs and early morning thermals beneath your wings.

> Straight home. You have drawers to inspect.
> Stop at the Healer's Hut. You just... you have to be sure.
> Stop at the Raising House. It's been too long since you saw Aurora.
> Other

>>36021769
> Stop at the Raising House. It's been too long since you saw Aurora.
Much too long! I worry that she has forgotten our face!

>>36021769
> Stop at the Healer's Hut. You just... you have to be sure.
> Stop at the Raising House. It's been too long since you saw Aurora.

Raising house first, then the healing house.

>>36021769
> Straight home. You have drawers to inspect.
Fuck everyone, it's only been a day.

>>36021769
Drawer time.

>>36021769
>Straight home. You have drawers to inspect.
DRAWRS

>>36021769
> Stop at the Healer's Hut. You just... you have to be sure.

>>36021769
> Straight home. You have drawers to inspect.
>Other
Send Amal to check on Elana and fetch Aurora.

>>36021769
> Straight home. You have drawers to inspect.
Elana's fine. The monster only looked like her because we fell for an illusion. It probably has some generic "see me as someone female you trust" glamor. As for Aurora, we saw her the other day. This is a safe place, everything's alright.

>>36021769
Supporting >>36021861

>>36021769
> Stop at the Raising House. It's been too long since you saw Aurora.

>>36021769
Changing >>36021798
To >>36021861

>>36021769
> Stop at the Healer's Hut. You just... you have to be sure.
> Stop at the Raising House. It's been too long since you saw Aurora.

>>36021861
I can dig it
Though I would prefer to just take the day for bindings and SCiENCE

>>36021985
Why? We can just send Amal.

>>36022033
Sending Amal is sort of cold and impersonal, and we've got both a family member (Aurora) and a friend (Elana) to check on. If they were merely business associates, I could see sending a spirit.

>>36022062
Man we are busy and we have had amal for years. Its like calling someone on the phone.

>>36022100
>Its like calling someone on the phone.
>>36022100
Exactly, it is much different than visiting them.

As you crest the wave of a thermal overlooking your village, you fish Amal's charm from your shirt. The green-blue prism shimmers its way into existence in front of you.

"Amal, do me a favor," you say as you descend toward home. "Head to the Raising House and the Healer's Hut and check in on Elana and Aurora for me. Just--make sure nothing's amiss for me, if you would. I'll be at--"

"The Workshop," your spirit finishes for you. "Certainly, Osyki. Any message you'd like me to carry to them?"

You consider that as you descend in lazy spirals toward your Workshop.

"Tell them I'm thinking of them, and that I'll check in on them as soon as I'm able," you say with a shrug. "That'll do for now."

He pulses once in acknowledgement as you make an almost-graceful landing in your practice field. Quinn exits the workshop a few moments later, striding toward you.

"Ho, Osyki," he says with a small wave. "How was your trip?"

>>36022336

[[ Apologies, there should have been a
>Free
appended to the end of that. ]]

>>36022336
Fantastic. We almost died and had horrible nightmares, but we've got so many new materials to experiment with.

>>36022371
Second.

>>36022336
"Spooky"

Enter the workshop

>>36022371
>>36022391
Third.

>>36022336
Sure, I'll support >>36022371
So we can get to the binding.

>>36022336
>>36022361
Dangerous, tiring and fruitful. All in all a decent day in the life of a Totemist.

>>36022361
>>36022336
Honestly, this is kind of a pointless option, supporting >>36022371

>>36022336
"Fought some incredibly dangerous creatures, nearly died, bound their souls to my will, spent a night sleeping over at the Grand Blossom, and a spirit of darkness tormented my dreams and accused me of being a monster playing at innocence for my own amusement. So you know, the usual."

>>36022449
>kind of a pointless option
We could go into great detail on the fate of the wyrm and how we defeated it, thus turning the conversation into a lesson. We could blow him off, mutter something about it being fine, and generally act like a dick. We could crack a joke and make light of it. These sorts of things affect a character's opinion of the MC.

>>36021127
Don't sleep with unseelie spirits

For fucks sake, that's like rule 2 of supernatural diplomacy, just behind 'Don't eat anything that a faerie offers you'

You shrug as you make your way past him, to the door of your workshop. "Dangerous. Fantastic. Almost died, got some great new materials, had a bit of night-terrors from some sort of dream monster. All in all, the usual for a trip out of the village."

Quinn snorts behind you, half in disbelief, half in amusement. You pass through the threshold to find Terra standing over a batch of totems. A moment's examination reveals them to be more Accident Prevention charms, the life of which you've made for the Blacksmith and the Carpenter.

"We figured we would fill a few outstanding orders while you were away," Quinn explains. "Took us the better part of the day to get a few of these cobbled together, since I had to take plenty of breaks, but I had Terra work on crafting the bodies between each session of Binding, and it worked out alright."

"You did well," you say, taking a moment to turn the Totems over and inspect them. "Solid binding, good craftmanship. These should suit the craftsmen just fine. Well done on taking that initiative, Quinn."

He grins. "Can't just sit on my arse all day while you're out hunting monsters. Cirr flew back this morning to tell me that you were alright, so I didn't worry overmuch."

"Good," you say with a nod. "I'm going to head into the Library and get some work done. Give me a while of privacy, if you would?"

"Sure," he says with a nod. "Be safe."

Through the next door, your second sight tells you that two seals have been broken. The drawers requiring you to bind ten spirits and to bind an avatar pulse dimly, their magic locks depleted of power.

(cont.)

>>36021150
>>36021161
>>36021179
>>36022617
I guess I should have worded my question better so that it would not be implied that I wanted Osski to fuck her.

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>>36022652
I'm hype.

>>36022652
>Two at once
Whooo this gonna be good.

You unload your pack and spear onto one of the soft cushions that line the room, crouching down in front of the chest of drawers. A sharp tug on either dark wood handle sends the magical ward shattering outward, razor-thin shards of immaterial magic hurtling outward in every direction as the old bonds of magic decay at your touch.

You take a moment to take stock of your loot.

In the Avatar drawer, you find a folded scrap of paper. Opening it reveals a set of instructions in your master's handwriting for a totem of fantastically complex design-- his chickenscratch is difficult to decipher, but it appears to be an improvement on the beacon charms you used to navigate the mist. You spend a few minutes puzzling it out, and your eyes widen when you realize what it is he's left to you.

[[ Totem Discovered: Charm of Quick Recall! This watermelon-sized Totem allows incredibly rapid travel through the Mists of the World Without to return to its location from any point in the known world. Does not enable cross-veil travel. Requires two days of charge between activations. ]]

A charm to allow you to snap back to the village at any point. If you crafted more than one of these, you could potentially have an incredibly rapid way to hop from location to location. One installed in Eluneia and one if your workshop would mean trips back and forth need not take a week of travel, or a dangerous jaunt through the Mists.

Effectively, you've been handed the keys to freedom. You no longer need worry of being leashed to your village.

(cont.)

>>36022806
>[[ Totem Discovered: Charm of Quick Recall! This watermelon-sized Totem allows incredibly rapid travel through the Mists of the World Without to return to its location from any point in the known world. Does not enable cross-veil travel. Requires two days of charge between activations. ]]

We need to put them in hidden locations across the entire world

And then become Batman

>>36022845
We don't know how difficult or expensive they are to make, though. We might not be able to make and place that many. Also, since each one take two days to charge we'll have to be strategic in our use of them. That said, this is still a very nice totem. We're going to get a lot of use out of it.

>>36022806
So we have to place one somewhere, and then keep another one on ourselves and we can use it to return to the placed one?

>>36022953
I don't think so. Note the fact that it's the size of a watermelon.

>>36022953
I think we can just home in on them without having to carry one. They're described as "watermelon-sized", that's not something we could easily transport. Unless we got Saeri to teach us how her hyperspace inventory works. I envy her for that.

In the drawer requiring ten spirits are a trio of items. One is a small red-green crystal with indents on either side. One is what appears to be a carefully folded wristband, lined with runic writing. The final is another note in Ayren's handwriting.

"Osyki," it begins. "Ten Spirits of significant strength under your command is more than a milestone of number. It is a test of your resolve and skill, of your spiritual capacity, and of your understanding of your role in the grand order of the world. In recognition of that, I grant you one of two pieces of a potent artifact. It was gifted to me by my master, and to him by his teacher. Properly used, it will allow you to link the essence of two spirits, effectively packing the energy of two Foci into a single binding. Keep in mind that this will be incredibly taxing for you, even with your large reserves of essence. I would recommend thinking long and hard about your strategy for this particular asset before putting it into effect. It also has the unfortunate habit of making your chosen channeling item explode violently with overuse, so keep an eye out for that.

"Keep up the good work, kid. You'll surpass me before you know it."

Signed, Ayren Overwake.

You fish the golden chain out of your shirt pocket. The artifact that you found in Ayren's Book of Binding Threads... this must be the other half of it. You place one clasp of the chain around the ruby-red stone, and the chain seems to writhe with golden light for a moment.

> [[ Artifact Recieved: Link to the World Without! Allows the Totemist to fuse two Foci into a single binding for a limited time. Results may vary based on selected Foci. ]]

Prizes worthy of the work you've put into getting them you think.

> Go experiment with your new prizes.
> Look over the materials for the Quick Recall totem.
> Talk to Quinn.
> Other.

>>36022988
>>36022974
Yeah, I hoped that was the case. It seems awkward to carry one around.

Muh reading comprehension

>>36023003
>> Other.
Go see the girls

>>36023003
>Materials for Quick Recall

>>36023003
> Go experiment with your new prizes.
Bind avatar to mask, and everything else.

>>36023003
> Go experiment with your new prizes.
> Look over the materials for the Quick Recall totem.

Also, check the wristband.

>>36023003
Worthy prizes indeed. What's the wristband, though? Is that also part of the Link to the World Without?

>>36023003
>Go experiment with your new prizes.
I don't even know where to start first.
On the one hand I want to put everything in the mask but on the other hand I want to try the wyrm in everything. At the same time I also want to put the hunger guy in everything.

>>36023003
> Go experiment with your new prizes.
So much shit to try and so much time.

>>36023003
We should also check out the mirror orb.

>>36023003
> Look over the materials for the Quick Recall totem.
> Go experiment with your new prizes.

We have so many new options. I want to try Hunger boots.

>>36023003
> Talk to Quinn.
>Other

We need to spend more time teaching/talking to Quiin, If we keep blowing him off, he's really going to start to resent us.
So go talk to the guy, and then swing by to get the girls so we can have a get together.

>>36023296
Nah, fuck everyone, it's experimentation time.

>>36023062

[[ Apologies, Anons, I must be tired. The Wristband is an artifact to increase your spiritual capacity further. I must have copy-pasta'd that second part of the post incorrectly. ]]

You gather up your loot, taking it with your pack into the main chamber of the Workshop. Quinn and Terra look up at you, curious at the bundle of artifacts in your arms.

"I'll be out back," you say. You hand Quinn the list of instructions for the Quick Recall totem. "See if you can't decipher these formula."

He nods, glancing down at the paper. You hear him curse quietly under his breath as you close the door behind you.

So many new foci, so little time.

> Suggest bindings! I'll take the three combinations with the highest votes first.

>>36023334
Avatar + Mask
Avatar + Gauntlets
Avatar + Boots

>>36022806
That's a long needed magic for Ösyki

>>36023352
Sure lets do this

>>36023334
Supporting >>36023352
And maybe we should talk to the avatar afterwards.

>>36023352
I am good with this to get the ball rolling.

>>36023334
Avatar+Mask

Avatar+Gloves

Basilisk+Lantern (just for an oddball one)

>>36023334
Avatar in the mask.

Basalisk Wyrm in our cloak.

Avatar in bow.

>>36023334
Avatar in a bone necklace.

Avatar in gloves.

Avatar in pants.

>>36023334
Offence and Defence.
Rock Turtle+Big ass worm/Wyrm

RULES OF NATURE
Wyrm+Siren

>>36023469
>Avatar in pants.
heh

>>36023325
I cant help feeling like this kind of attitude is going to come back and bite us in the ass soon.

>>36023541
naaaah, we're probably fine

>>36023541
Everyone are adults now except for the children. We can go a couple days without talking to people now and then, it happens all the time without people flipping their shit.

[[ Question for anon: Engage Summary Mode so we can get more bindings done, or stay in Cutscene Mode to see more detailed effects of each binding? Writing for >>36023352
while I wait either way. ]]

>>36023725
How many bindings do you think we can get done in cutscene mode?

>>36023725
>Summary Mode, Engage
>Initiate Binding Sequence

>>36023725
I'm fine with Summary Mode so long as you don't skip the descriptions of what the bindings look like.

>>36023725
Engage Summary Mode

>>36023725
Summary mode, but if it's a really cool one than do a cutscene for it.

>>36023334
Okay, experimenting is fun and all, but Quinn clearly needs attention if we want to stop him from going dark side.

>>36023863
I hadn't noticed that "cursing under his breathe" line first time around. Damn. Okay, we need to do nice things for him. Let's take him on an adventure. Not just a hunting trip, something involving dealing with spirits that shows him we think of him as an equal in this business.

>>36023863
>>36023927
Did you never curse when your teacher gives you hard shit to do? Calm your tits guys.

>>36023863
Will you leave it alone already? Just let it happen naturally, Osyki and Quinn live together, I doubt he's that desperate for his attention. He literally just took him hunting last night.

You're relieved to see that the Maw hasn't disrupted the rest of the equipment in your pack as you draw it out. It's a curious thing; it doesn't seem to have any obvious physical form. More, it has a -lack- of material substance that seems to make it possible to handle. By grabbing the area around the Maw, you can move the non-space of the vortex itself.

It makes your head ache to think too deeply on it. Better to proceed with the binding, you think, and leave the physics to scholars.

You press the howling void to the forehead of your polished wooden mask, chanting the Litany of Unification quietly. There is a sound like a thousand howling beasts for the briefest instant as the flash of light binds your Foci, a split-second of hunger itself made audible. When the light fades, you're left holding a...

You swallow hard.

> [[Binding Discovered: Infinity Incisor. A black and crimson face-plate dominated by an enormous, dual-jawed mouth. Any material that disappears into the void between the jaws seems permanently erased from the world, and the inner set of jaws can articulate outward to snap at unsuspecting foes. Disables speech when in use.]]

Unbinding the mask brings you some measure of relief. Wearing the Incisor results in dark mutterings in your ears, an uneasy, low-level howling that bespeaks an eternal void that needs filling.

(cont.)

>>36024035
Nice.

>>36024035
We Xenomorphs/Moray eels now?

File: avatar of hunger.jpg (153 KB, 818x603)

153 KB JPG

Your gloves don't fare much better, as it happens. You bind the Maw to the leather handwraps and wince as a familiar red-green spirit fire flares to life around you hands. Your fingers ache and burn, and your joints seem to swell until you sink your fingers into the wood of a nearby tree. You watch it wither and die under your hand.

> [[Binding Discovered: Gluttony's Refute. Your hands appear wreathed in terrible crimson spiritfire while this binding is active, seething and blistering at the air. Your touch seems to siphon life energy from living things you touch, and corrodes inorganics. Wearing them is a constant drain on your stamina, however, and whenever you are not draining life, the pain slowly grows in your hands.]]

It is something of a relief, then, when your boots are bound without an immediate eruption of that selfsame green fire. The leather of the high-kneed boots grows green and mottled black, and strange metal seals and talismans seem to be woven into the seams of the material. You discover that while your hunger grows, it does so alongside your speed.

> [[Binding Discovered: Starvation Crucible. These strange black-leather boots can drain energy and food from Osyki's belly to enable bursts of unreal speed, moving Osyki through the air like a stop-motion horror film villain. The longer the distance covered, the more caloric energy consumed.]]

> Vote!

[[ Going to step out for dinner now with a few friends. When I return, I'll go on a combination writing binge, so feel free to suggest to your hearts' content. See you all shortly. ]]

>>36024097
>> [[Binding Discovered: Infinity Incisor. A black and crimson face-plate dominated by an enormous, dual-jawed mouth. Any material that disappears into the void between the jaws seems permanently erased from the world, and the inner set of jaws can articulate outward to snap at unsuspecting foes. Disables speech when in use.]]
this dosent kill us slowly

>>36024097
Given that we have a foci of the avatar of hunger, I vote we mix it with some fruit or food, or something. I heard something about apple cider last thread?

>>36024097
Obligatory everything in the mask vote
Also the worm in the harp if we haven't done that yet.

>>36024097
Avatar and Basilisk in Sword and Bow

>>36024097
Basilisk + Boots
Avatar + Bow
Basilisk + Bow
To keep with the whole trying everything out with our bow.

>>36024097
Didn't notice you said to suggest as much as we want, so continuing >>36024175
Basilisk + Sword
Avatar + Sword
Stalker + Mask (We've been meaning to do this for a while.)
Siren + Mask
Moth + Mask

>>36024097
Basilisk+Cloak

Avatar+Bow

Everything+Mask

>>36024228
Would it be faster to say all the things in the mask?

>>36024281
Nah, some things are probably trash in the mask.

>>36024323
Wont know unless we try them out.

>>36024097
Eat like a motherfucker. Never gain weight. Become flash. It's an all around win.

>>36024158
>mixing avatar of hunger with a fruit
You want the village to end by an apple? Even good natured spirits don't mix well with fruits. You gram didn't teach you not to play with food?

>>36024352
Well, we can rule out the raptor, the ykree, and I guess that's pretty much it. I doubt moth and the gold dragon will be too useful with it.
The offensive mask items seem kind of bad right now.

>>36024097
Avatar in bone necklace.

Basilisk in a dagger.

Basilisk or Basilisk in pants.

>>36024407
Why rule them out? Imagine if we ruled out the boots when we were dicking with the tortoise.

>>36024407
You either have a very limited imagination or are just plain dumb and talk without reason.

>>36024446
Because we have shit loads of stuff to try out and those seem like they won't be too useful.

>>36024463
Well, that made me feel bad, I don't know what I said to deserve that, but I'm sincerely sorry if I came off as hostile or something.

>>36024465
But you have literally no idea what they would do.

>>36024518
Well, yeah, you're right, but the raptor and ykree have generally been fairly weak bindings.
I probably shouldn't have ruled out the wyrm and moth. I just figured we should focus on stuff that is likely to give better results.

>>36024597
To be fair we bound the ykree what? three times? And the paranoia mirror is pretty handy.

>>36024509
No, you did not came of as hostile.

>>36024729
yeah, anons just like to jump all over others with differing opinions

We should talk to the avatar once we're done with the bindings.

>>36025371
cookiemonster.jpg

That's all I'm expecting

>>36025371
I wonder if it's sapient? Maybe it's just the constant hunger that keeps it acting like a beast. It can't think straight. Freed from its physical nature, who knows how it'll act?

>>36025422
I wonder with enough communication directly to it, if we can lessen the drain it takes on us. I can't imagine using him all that often what with the constant drain on our body

>>36025478
I'm sure we can find a binding that doesn't drain us. It'll just take more experimentation.

>>36024097
Bass + Bow
Hunger Bow

Combine Hunger and Screaming fireworm in mask and bow


Interesting Idea: bind Avatr of hunger to something used to heal by drawing out, like a poultice made for drawing out poisons. (or perhaps a first aid kit)

>>36025478
The moray eel face seems fairly safe.

>>36025545
Bind him to a chamber pot.

>>36025545
I wonder what we would get if we bound him to a horn. One for making sounds not spiking people.

>>36025810
this

>>36025857
Inverse horn
You blow in it, and it devours all sound, making the world mute for x duration

>>36024097
Drake with mask.

Basilisk with armor.

Hunger with lantern.

Thane with mask.

>>36018476
there are so many fucking sentence fragments here it makes my autism flare up. fuck you OP

>>36026225
>being this much of a faggot

>>36026225
I think it had to do with the halloween theme.

>>36024158
this idea seems fun, non standard bindings could be cool.

>>36024097
How bout binding some stuff to a belt? While trying out the new stuff is fun, let's go back to basics. Elder rock turtle in a belt, Amal in the mask, maybe Tryd in the mask as well.

[[ I return, slightly later than expected. Writing shortly.]]

>>36027417
Huehue, and we didn't have to break the summoning circle out.

>>36027494
I know, I was just about to. It feels wrong to get Diarca back without the ritual. Can I do it anyway?

>>36027494
I thought about it only moments before he posted

You steel yourself. Though you're running on very little sleep, the excitement of your twin rewards and the achievement therein is enough that you can power through quite a few experimental bindings before you stop to feed yourself and rest. Basilisk Cryst in one hand, Maw in the other, you set to work.

The training that you recently received from Quinn, and the usefulness of your blade in your recent battle against the Wyrmling makes you keen to try your newfound prizes in the weapon. You set to work, binding and rebinding until you're satisfied.

> [[Binding Discovered: Hollow Fang. A short, leaf-bladed weapon limned with seething crimson spirit-fire. The pommel holds a glass orb which contains the Maw. Stabbing it into an organic object results in the target being devoured from the inside-out by spiritual parasites. The more intense the wound, the quicker the consumption.]]

> [[Binding Discovered: Neurode. A hook-bladed weapon lined with tiny black quills. Deposits a fatal load of Basilisk Wyrm venom into struck targets. Completely ineffective against inorganic targets. The curved portion of the blade can be straightened at a thought, resulting in a weapon with deceptive reach.]]

Your bow falls along similar lines. After all, it is your most stalwart tool.

> [[Binding Discovered: Ravening Bolt. A curved, blood-drenched bone longbow, each end lit with red spirit-flame. The longer the arrow is in flight after being fired, the more desiccated and decayed the target will be upon impact. Seems... brittle.]]

> [[Binding Discovered: Crystfire. A chitin-wrapped bow which fires long, thin Basilisk Wyrm quills. The venom of this weapon is altered; organic targets struck by these quills seem to petrify, while inorganics rapidly erupt into jagged black crystals.]]

(cont.)

>>36028054
> [[Binding Discovered: Crystfire. A chitin-wrapped bow which fires long, thin Basilisk Wyrm quills. The venom of this weapon is altered; organic targets struck by these quills seem to petrify, while inorganics rapidly erupt into jagged black crystals.]]
Oh, I like this one. I'm not sure how useful it would actually be, but it's just got so much style.

Since it's customary for you to indulge your Bindings of Mobility more than any other, you suppose it would behoove you to try some of your other new bindings in your shoes.

> [[Binding Discovered: Wyrmstride. Running while wearing these black scale boots leaves thick trails of bubbling, volatile pitch in your wake. A few seconds after the trail ends, or by stomping your boot in the line of pitch, the venom erupts into violent geysers of acidic liquid that persist for a few seconds. Additionally, these boots allow the wearer to run on water.]]

> [[Binding Discovered: Moth's Flicker-step. The wearer of these fur-lined shoes appears to be standing still while moving, effectively flickering from location to location every time the wearer stops moving. This is an illusion disrupted by interacting with the false double left behind when the wearer begins to move.]]

Unbinding your boots, you begin to feel the wear of so many consecutive bindings. But you excitement won't be contained!

> [[Binding Discovered: Nocturne's Cloaked Visage. The matte black surface of this simple mask is instantly obscured upon being donned, as those attempting to look at the wearer's face find their mind unable to focus on any physical detail of the wearer. Observers' eyes seem to slide right off of you, though they are aware that you are nearby.]]

> [[Binding Discovered: Siren Call. This mask mimics the many-eyed head of the terrible deep siren, but lacks anything in the way of actual eye-holes. When donned, incredibly accurate thermal vision replaces all ordinary forms of sight, and speaking at any volume above a whisper produces a ray of searing plasm akin to the Deep Siren's primary weapon. Firing this beam will scorch the insides of Oskyi's mouth and eye sockets with repeated use.]]

> [[Binding Discovered: Moth's Second Face. With a thought, this moth-wing pattern ball mask emits a flash of searing light from the wearer's forehead.]]
(cont.)

You collapse to the ground, panting as you pry the now-unbound mask from your face once more. Enthusiasm aside, you really are feeling the wear and tear on your spiritual reserves from so many bindings. You -could- continue. You're not at your limit yet. But should you?

> Continue experimenting.
> Take a break for now. (And do what?)
> Other

>>36028313
>Take a break for now. (And do what?)
Maybe take Quinn with us and talk to whoever is in charge of mining, to get a lead on that one mystery mine.

>>36028313
Are we trying out our new spirit boosting bracelet?
If we are and we are still tired maybe we should have a look at the mirror ball.

>>36028313
> Take a break for now. (And do what?)
Research homunculi

>>36028313
> Take a break for now. (And do what?)
Head back inside, ask Quinn if he's free today. I'd like to get that stamina training we promised him started. Let's have him bind both of his foci and then use them until he's run dry. I'm thinking he binds the Raptor to his pants, Verdis Wyrm to his shirt, and then we chase him around throwing rocks at him. The running will activate the pants and the rocks will activate the shirt protecting him.

>>36028313
> Take a break for now. (And do what?)
Talk to our cotemists and visit the healers hut.

Then return and help Quinn with the amulet.
We need to be personable.

>>36028383
Shouldn't we let him figure out his own bindings?
And doesn't his raptor pants give him a big tail

>>36028293
> [[Binding Discovered: Nocturne's Cloaked Visage. The matte black surface of this simple mask is instantly obscured upon being donned, as those attempting to look at the wearer's face find their mind unable to focus on any physical detail of the wearer. Observers' eyes seem to slide right off of you, though they are aware that you are nearby.]]
Wait, are we Slender Man now? Faceless, can't focus on us directly, observers know we're here but can't tell where...Sounds like him. Cool.

>>36028422
I believe the tail was binding to his shirt, actually.

>>36028383
Helping Quinn train his stamina gets my vote.

Do you think Terra might be amenable to practicing her rock slinging skills by targeting Quinn? Double up the training, see?

>>36028383

I support this idea.

>>36028422
Okay, he can decide his own bindings. But a mobility binding and a defense binding should be easiest to push him to his limits with. He can decide what goes where, but they should stick to that theme.

You stare at your Foci longingly, but you realize after a moment how hypocritical it would be of you to continue on when you know quite well that you're nearing your limit. You pack up your Foci, take a moment to stretch your muscles, then head back inside. Quinn is sitting at the table with Terra, and...

They appear to be engaging in a competition of some kind. Quinn's Cloud Swallow is flying complex arcs through the air, occasionally flapping its wings to direct small sheets of rain down at Terra's Salamander. The Salamander, for its part, scurries to and fro to dodge the aggravating droplets, spitting small embers at Cirr. Quinn and Terra are muttering rapid commands to their spirits. The Swallow seems to have the edge, at the moment.

You lean against the doorpost, watching them.

> Send Tryd into the fight.
> Just watch to the conclusion of the match.
> Interrupt. Time for real training.
> Other

>>36028682
>Just watch to the conclusion of the match.
Good to see they're keeping busy.

No need to send any of our spirits in to take charge.

>>36028682
> Other
Cheer them on. This looks fun.

>>36028682
totemon battles?

>>36028682
> Interrupt. Time for real training.

>>36028682
Send Tryd in but let Terra beat us.

>>36028682
> Just watch to the conclusion of the match.
This is training. It's learning to coordinate with their spirit partners. I'd say that counts.

>>36028713
Supporting. Really, we don't need to interrupt.

>>36028682
>> Just watch to the conclusion of the match.

>>36028682
> Just watch to the conclusion of the match.
Ask them what kind of monster they'd like to bind as their next target(for Quinn) or as their 1st feral binding in Terra's case maybe, though it might be a while before she goes on a hunt

>>36028939
Definitely going to be a while before Terra does a Feral Binding. I think waiting for her to be fully grown is important. Also, we haven't trained her in combat skills yet. We need to get around to that eventually.

>>36028939
Terra can get her first feral bonding when she comes of age and no earlier. She's barely yet starting on slings, for gods sake, she's in absolutely no state to fight and dominate dangerous beasts.

Her combat training for the time being is learning her way around the simplest practice weapons and other equipment, and their upkeep.

File: I'm really hungry, man.jpg (572 KB, 919x1297)

572 KB JPG

>>36024035

You advance from the doorway, taking a seat at the table. Quinn glances up at your arrival, while Terra keeps her concentration steadfastly on the match. The two seem deadlocked, for the moment: Cirr is too maneuverable to be hit by the embers, but the Salamander keeps it harried enough that its rainbursts go wildly astray from the mark. You grin encouragingly at the both of them.

Terra hisses something, low and urgent, and the Salamander suddenly slaps the table with its tail, launching itself into the air. Cirr cheeps in surprise, swerving to avoid the fire spirit's lunge, but five limbs are better than two in the grand scheme on things. The Salamander's tail slaps against Cirr, launching the little swallow off of the table. Terra cheers in victory, while Quinn dives to save the little spirit.

"It can jump?!" he says, rising again with Cirr perched atop his head. "You never said it could jump!"

Terra shrugs. "You didn't ask. We've been working on a lot of new stuff."

Your cotemist just shakes his head in amusement. "Always full of surprises. The two of you are like peas in a pod, you know?"

You smile, ruffling Terra's hair affectionately. "Creativity's a muscle, just like anything else. Time to flex yours. Grab your Foci and meet me out back."

He nods, and you scoop Terra up and place her on your shoulders as you head out to await him.

When he arrives, you gesture to the field. But what training to advise?

> Agility training. Have Terra lob rocks at him, with him using his totems to dodge. Every time you ring a bell, he has to swap his totems around and continue.

> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.

> Fellowship training. He and Cirr will have to coordinate to catch exactly the same number of rocks that you and Terra throw into the field without crossing over arbitrary territory markers.

> Other

>>36029029
I agree with this guy. If she wants to try more Feral, she'll have to try hunting animals, like Rabbits or Stag or such, and that probably wont be for another year or so. She could probably get really good at contracting and totems before that though.

We might want to take Quinn on a trip sometime though. Maybe he can help us explore the mine, or We can scout out the area where the Roads going to be built.

>>36029407
> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.
Time to get swole, Quinn. You're jealous over how much spiritual energy we have? Now you get to learn what we went through to get it.

>>36029407
>> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.

>>36029407
>Other
I feel like we could probably combine these somehow.
Maybe blindfold him and have him use Cirr to Guide himself around or catch Amal or something?

>>36029407
> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.

>>36029407
>> Fellowship training. He and Cirr will have to coordinate to catch exactly the same number of rocks that you and Terra throw into the field without crossing over arbitrary territory markers.

>>36029407
> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.

>>36029407
>> Endurance training. You'll focus your spiritual energy around him in an attempt to distract and confuse him while he tries to meditate on his Foci.
He needs to expand his spiritual reserve. He can barely maintain one bind.

Quinn begins sizing up the items on his person for binding, but you hold up a hand. "No," you tell him. "Sit down, cross legged. Put your Foci in your lap."

He does as you instruct with a look of minor confusion on his face, lowering himself into the swept-dirt and arranging the spine and the blade on either leg.

"Close your eyes," you continue. "I want you to put one hand over each Focus. If you concentrate, you should be able to feel the spiritual energy radiating off of each one."

You crouch down, lowering Terra off of your shoulders as Quinn focuses. She watches with rapt attention as he screws up his face, looking more constipated than meditative.

"Relax," you admonish him. "Let it flow naturally."

He takes a moment to comply, the muscles of his face slowly but surely unclenching. A minute passes, then two. You're about to speak up again when his eyebrows shoot up. "I've got it, I think," he says.

"Good. Now, I want you to keep focus on those threads of spiritual energy. I'm going to do my best to disrupt your connection. They're your Foci, so you should be able to keep up a link, but you'll have to ride the storm, so to speak. Let me know when you're ready."

You wait a moment while he shifts his posture and inhales a deep breath. As he does, you focus on channeling energy from your own spiritual reservoir. You flex your fingers, forcing your spiritual presence out through every pore. You feel Terra wince slightly next to you as you saturate the air with your power.

"Ready," he says quietly.

> 1d100

>>36029677
No, he can do two now. But it's still difficult, and even two bindings looks unimpressive next to a man literally covered in them. So he still wants to get more energy.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>36029734

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>36029734
Let's see if the luck vacuum in AEQ helps.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>36029734

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>36029734
roll

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>36029734
heres hoping we dont slam him with high rolls like usual

>>36029804
>>36029794
>>36029780
Goddammit

If we roll well does that mean we teach him a lesson well?

We need to up his base stats. This will help.

>>36029804
I think in this case it would reflect how well he manages. Though it might trully be how bad we destroy his pride or something.
>>36029780
81
>>36029794
98
Osyki's a harsh but excelent teacher it seems

There's a moment's calm as you finish loosing a fair portion of spiritual pressure into the air around you. You close your eyes, slipping into the meditative state that second sight requires. All around you, deep pulsing silver saturates the air like mist. Occasional arcs of electric green flash through the veil, leaving the taste of freshly turned earth on the air. Before you, Quinn sits surrounded by a small bubble of tan-red light. The surface ripples slightly with each minute movement he makes.

A soft breeze blows through the space between you, stirring a few fallen autumn leaves across the distance.

All at once you focus on Quinn, sending the exaggerated spiritual presence you've conjured slamming down on him. The bubble around him cracks, tight beams of crimson spilling from the fissures as you bear down on him. You can see him grit his teeth as he refines his connection to the Foci on his lap instinctually, clinging to the spiritual batteries like a life-raft in the storm you've unleashed on him. The cracks in his defenses slowly heal as you withdraw the coiled serpent of your aura, and you think you see the beginnings of reinforcements beginning to burgeon along stress-lines.

Really, though, he's only weathered the first wave.

(cont.)

>>36030237

When the next assault hits him, it is a tsunami of spiritual pressure, a veritable tidal wave of ethereal force. The careful defenses are swept away in an instant as your aura meets his. You see Terra flinch again next to you, her natural spiritual perception picking up on the shockwaves that your hammer-blows to Quinn's aura produce. You can see him gasp, feel the desperate, crazed wave of inner energy he emits to keep you at bay even a moment longer. The threads of connection between him and his Foci waver and bend as his attention is split.

It reminds you acutely of your first training session with Ayren. You've been in the eye of that maelstrom before, paddling desperately just to stay afloat. A ring of leaves has formed around your training ground, blown in tight spirals radiating outward from your intangible arena. Your harrying is a gentle breeze compared to the hurricane Ayren constantly battered you with. The man was a howling vortex of energy in his own right, like an inverted star. The few times you could glimpse his aura, the light was blinding.

With that training in mind you begin to snake multiple tendrils, a hydra's assault of intangible pressure probing at your apprentice's defenses. For barrier he projects, you slam two more lashes into his unprotected flank.

Still, his connection perseveres.

> Enough. You don't want to tax him too badly.
> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.
> Push him to his limit. He wants to be like you? Fine. He can be trained like you.

>>36030272
> Push him to his limit. He wants to be like you? Fine. He can be trained like you.

>>36030272
>Push him to his limit. He wants to be like you? Fine. He can be trained like you.
No pussyfooting around.

>>36030272
> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.
Going full out would be counterproductive. We'd overwhelm him easily. Work him up to full strength slowly.

>>36030272
> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.

Let him get a taste of what training like Osyki really means before throwing him to the sharks.

>>36030272
>> Push him to his limit. He wants to be like you? Fine. He can be trained like you.

>>36030272
>> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.
Dont baby him, but dont haze him either

>>36030272
> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>36030272
>> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.

>>36030272
remember though, he is older than we were, and a bit more of a friend than Ayren.

>>36030272
>> Push him a little further. Failure has to be a possibility.

You check yourself as you feel him beginning to panic. Wild spikes of poorly directed spiritual pressure lance from his ever-diminishing zone of control, and the threads connecting him to his Foci waver dangerously. It would be a simple thing to overwhelm him entirely, to teach him an Ayren Overwake kind of lesson. Your master took pride, if not pleasure, in obliterating your paltry defenses in your training sessions time and again. You came to dread your weekly meditation with him. The nausea, the confused sense of self... having one's aura smothered is a sickening, disorienting sensation.

You could do that to Quinn right now without much effort. His spiritual pressure is weak, his mind and soul untrained.

But do you want to? No.

You inhale slowly, dialing back the frequency of your jabs, allowing your apprentice a moment to catch his breath. A moment to bolster his resolve works wonder for his tenuous connection to the twin Foci in his lap. After that brief respite you resume testing his defenses, but actually -testing- them this time. You do not smash, you do not hammer. Terra seems more at ease by your side, and Quinn, while still pale, is no longer sweating profusely.

After another five minutes have passed, you withdraw your essence. Your aura retreats quietly into your body, and sensing its absence Quinn opens his eyes and sucks in a greedy gasp of air, as if he had been submerged. He flops backward, panting. His brow is plainly slicked with perspiration.

(cont.)

"Not bad," you tell him. "You have the instinct. All you're lacking is the reinforcement. We'll do this once every other day until you can outlast me. In a month, you'll be able to wear another binding. Two, you should be able to swap them out rapidly."

He nods, his head scratching a narrow furrow in the dirt beneath his head. He's still speechless, breathing hard.

As you turn to head back to the workshop, you hear him speak up.

"Osyki," he calls, "wait. How hard did you just hit me? How much of your... capacity did I just get gut-punched with?"

You glance over your shoulder, considering the question.

> Lie. No reason to make him feel bad.
> Pad the truth. You wouldn't want to discourage, but he should know he has room to improve.
> Tell him the truth.

>>36030719
>> Tell him the truth.

>>36030719
>Tell him the truth.
With the caveat that one day, if he works hard, he'll be just as powerful as us.

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>36030719
>> Tell him the truth.

He's a warrior. One trained by frigging Walter the professional ass-hat. He'll manage.

>>36030719
Tell him the truth, but make sure he understands that our master only got around to teaching us this, and pretty much didn't get around to everything else.

Like an absurd stamina and the basics of spirits is his legacy to us. That and his drawers.

>>36030719
> Pad the truth. You wouldn't want to discourage, but he should know he has room to improve.
"More than I would have had to for most people. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for."

>>36030719
> Tell him the truth.
Make sure he know how much time and effort we had to spend to get there, and that we believe he has the potential.

>>36030774
He taught us a lot of theory, too. It's just that we've been shoved into practical much earlier than he expected.

>>36030719
> Tell him the truth. but remind him I've been doing this for a lot longer then he has.

He's an adult, and you don't have to pad the truth to assuage his ego. A warrior trained by someone as caustic and boorish as Walther should have a thick skin, you reason, and if he doesn't there's no time like the present to develop one. You turn to face him, one hand on your hip.

"At its worst, you were feeling a little under ten percent of my full ability," you tell him. "An ability formed by constant, tireless training and borderline illegal experimentation over the course of a decade. Ayren was the best teacher a young Totemist could ask for, Quinn, but this was more or less all that he taught me."

Your cotemist stares at you from the ground, his mouth slipping open a fraction in surprise. Terra looks between the two of you, nervously wringing the hem of her shirt unconsciously.

"Like I said, you did well. With dedication, I have faith that you'll improve rapidly."

It's more or less all the reassurance you can offer him. He'll need some time to adjust.

> Continue experimentation.
> Visit someone in the village. (Who?)
> Head to the forest to find (Boand/Sylvia/Siperco).
> Totem making time.
> Other

>>36030719
> Tell him the truth.
Gotta have complete trust if we're going to make this cotemist thing work. So we tell the whole truth, including how easy we went on him compared to what Ayren put us through.

>>36030933
>> Totem making time.

>>36030933
>Go see out sister!
Family is important damn it!

>>36030933
> Totem making time.
Let's see if he wants to try experimenting on that poison totem he was working on with basilisk parts. That should give it a nice kick.

>>36030933
>> Continue experimentation.
Bind the maw to a bucket. If placed somewhere safe, that should at least be a useful way of keeping it from interacting with anything too dangerously.

>>36030963
This.

>>36030963
Gotta keep building connections to avoid becoming another Ayren.

>>36030933
> Totem making time.

Hang out more with Terra and get some Toteming in.

>>36030933
> Totem making time.
We can upgrade our village defense totems with the new materials we collected. The Beast Wards probably would readily accept the glitterwing moths powder and a diluted and contained version of the basilisks poison. The moth powder should also be useful for the Veiling totems.

Terra probably should stay far from the totem making sea for this, though. Thee materials are much too toxic for her to be near them, I think. She could maybe prepare some other totems (like that spiritual energy collecting totem), in the mean time?

With your apprentices trained and occupied for the moment, you turn your attention to the needs of the village. Accident warding totems are a good start, but if your experimentation in the past has taught you anything, it's that the quality of life for yourself and the people around you can always improve. True, your reserves are flagging somewhat, between the rapid-binding and training Quinn, but you still have plenty of juice left to invest in a few trinkets. The question is, where do you want to focus your attention?

> Upgrading the Village's defenses is always an excellent idea.

Possibilities include upgrading the beast-ward and veil totems, strengthening the walls, or even crafting some charms for the Slayers.

> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.

Charms to make sleep sounder, hearths warmer, and structures firmer will go a long way toward dispelling the myth of the aloof hermit Totemist.

> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

You've been meaning to take a trip down into the mines for materials. Charms to aid the miners, farmers, and woodcutters in their work will ultimately be a boon for the entire village.

> Expanding your personal power is never a bad plan.

Your Luminous Runes totem was essential to your binding of the Avatar of Hunger. With further improvements, you could expand your versatility by unthinkable amounts.

> You have the resources to devote to two choices. Choosing to increase personal power will limit that to your sole investment this crafting session.

>>36031218
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>36031218
>> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.

We won't be going into battle-rattle mode for a while now that the immediate local concerns have been dealt with. And we've cloaked the entire place too.

>>36031218
Let's ease the lives of the villagers and upgrade the defenses. We have been spending a large amount of time away. Time to show everyone we haven't forgotten about their direct needs.

>>36031218
> Upgrading the Village's defenses is always an excellent idea.
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

>>36031218
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

>>36031218
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

Yea I can live with this vote,
It would be nice to show our face around the village.

>>36031218 #
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.
Raising the standard of life is always a good idea, and with the expected increase in population, increasing the resource acquisition rate should be good.

>>36031218
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.
> Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.

>>36031218
>Easing the lives of the villagers will earn you some good will.
>Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.

>>36031218
> Aiding the gathering of resources will pay off in the long run.
> Upgrading the Village's defenses is always an excellent idea.

[[ Please select one option for each category.]]

Easing Daily Life Totems:

> Sol Charms: Like the pendant you crafted with Terra, charms to produce heatless light are fairly simple to make. Charge them during the day with the light of the sun, use them after sunset to keep your home lit. Difficulty: Easy.

> Sound Slumber Totems: Though the materials can be irritating to gather, installing one of these woven totems above the head of one's bed ensures a swift, easy transition in and out of sleeping. Sleeping under these charms means awakening refreshed, and sleepers are rarely plagued by dreams, good or bad. Difficulty: Medium.

> Everfresh Totems: Totems to chill the air, keeping food and water viable for consumption for drastically extended periods of time. Be careful with this one. Difficulty: Hard.

Aiding Resources Totems:

> Ensured Inhalation Charms: Commonly crafted for miners, these pendants are worn around the neck. When in the presence of natural gases that are poisonous to the wearer they emit sharp ringing tones, allowing the wearer to escape before aspyxiating. Difficulty: Easy.

> Flaw-Finding Lenses: Glass discs rimmed with inscribed iron, these tools sharpen a craftsman's eyes to help him find flaws in whatever material object he views. For miners and woodcutters this helps to break the earth and take down thick trees, while for farmers it's a tool used to root out infection and rot in the fields. Difficulty: Medium.

> Unsleeping Bear Rings: Primarily used to aid miners, these softly glowing white bands absorb the ambient restful essence that a person produces while they sleep. While this leads to sleeping an hour or so longer each night, the rings can be twisted to imbue the wearer with a burst of energy that can carry them as many as six extra hours without tiring. Long shifts harvesting heavy minerals are greatly eased by a few of these. Difficulty: Hard.

>>36031527
> Everfresh Totems: Totems to chill the air, keeping food and water viable for consumption for drastically extended periods of time. Be careful with this one. Difficulty: Hard.
> Flaw-Finding Lenses: Glass discs rimmed with inscribed iron, these tools sharpen a craftsman's eyes to help him find flaws in whatever material object he views. For miners and woodcutters this helps to break the earth and take down thick trees, while for farmers it's a tool used to root out infection and rot in the fields. Difficulty: Medium.

>>36031527
> Sol Charms
> Flaw-Finding Lenses

>>36031527
> Sol Charms: Like the pendant you crafted with Terra, charms to produce heatless light are fairly simple to make. Charge them during the day with the light of the sun, use them after sunset to keep your home lit. Difficulty: Easy.
> Flaw-Finding Lenses: Glass discs rimmed with inscribed iron, these tools sharpen a craftsman's eyes to help him find flaws in whatever material object he views. For miners and woodcutters this helps to break the earth and take down thick trees, while for farmers it's a tool used to root out infection and rot in the fields. Difficulty: Medium.

>>36031527
> Everfresh Totems: Totems to chill the air, keeping food and water viable for consumption for drastically extended periods of time. Be careful with this one. Difficulty: Hard.

Food is most important especially with new population.

> Flaw-Finding Lenses: Glass discs rimmed with inscribed iron, these tools sharpen a craftsman's eyes to help him find flaws in whatever material object he views. For miners and woodcutters this helps to break the earth and take down thick trees, while for farmers it's a tool used to root out infection and rot in the fields. Difficulty: Medium.

>>36031568
Given that we blew one of the everfresh totems up last time we tried making one while tired this might be risky.

>>36031527
Sol Charms
Ensured Inhalation Charms and sol charms for the miners as well?

The components for the Sol Charms are simple enough, save for the ubiquitous need for the namesake blooms that you took your apprentice to retrieve last time. Since then, however, it seems that she and Quinn have made additional forays into the forest, and you find a bundle of the flowers in one of your Everfresh drawers.

The Flaw-Finding Lenses will be more difficult. The iron hoops are easy enough to procure from Merich, but the glass discs themselves are in short supply. You don't actually have a working glass smelter in the village anymore-- the one that Merich maintained for some time cracked irreparably, and he has yet to ask the miners for materials to build a new one. Orders for the villagers have always taken priority for him. You might have a pane of glass in one of your material bins, but you would have to cut the discs yourself, a difficult proposition with your current tools. Binding your Razor Wing focus to your sword is the only edged weapon sharp enough to make such precise slices in the fragile material. Still, you'll try.

> 2d100. As always, creative ideas for the construction of each totem will add bonuses.

Rolled 5, 68 = 73 (2d100)

>>36031751
Uhh...couldn't our Earth spirit help with this? These cuts sound like a thing something sentient and elemental would do well with.

Rolled 60, 78 = 138 (2d100)

>>36031751

>>36031527
>> Sound Slumber Totems: Though the materials can be irritating to gather, installing one of these woven totems above the head of one's bed ensures a swift, easy transition in and out of sleeping. Sleeping under these charms means awakening refreshed, and sleepers are rarely plagued by dreams, good or bad. Difficulty: Medium.


> Unsleeping Bear Rings: Primarily used to aid miners, these softly glowing white bands absorb the ambient restful essence that a person produces while they sleep. While this leads to sleeping an hour or so longer each night, the rings can be twisted to imbue the wearer with a burst of energy that can carry them as many as six extra hours without tiring. Long shifts harvesting heavy minerals are greatly eased by a few of these. Difficulty: Hard.

It's time guys.

Rolled 95, 100 = 195 (2d100)

>>36031795
Actually, it's well past time.
>>36031751

Rolled 54, 63 = 117 (2d100)

>>36031751
damn I missed it

GO MY DICE

Rolled 39, 87 = 126 (2d100)

>>36031751

>>36031805
With dice like that, I'm ok with being late

>>36031805
Looks like we've got some damn fine lenses. Perhaps Osyki can start a side business?

Rolled 48, 19 = 67 (2d100)

>>36031751
We might want to use a knife instead of a sword for precise cutting.

We can probably use Obsidian Touch to create an abrasive surface and use that to polish the disks.

>>36031805
Sweet crits

>>36031751
now ideas for construction to add more bonuses:

Sol Charm: Make the Totem while being shown by the sun in fact if possible use glass to focus the light while making it.

Flaw finding lenses:unfortunately the ideas of the others are far better than mine.

File: 1371851197003.png (632 KB, 900x900)

632 KB PNG

Every so often you find yourself slipping into a sort of meditative trance as you work. The soft sounds of work beneath you will lull you into a semi-conscious state, a kind of busywork nirvana where your instincts guide your hands just as much as conscious direction does. Ayren used to call it "channeling the Totem" when he caught you doing it. It was one of the rare occasions where he'd actually crack a smile.

The Sol charms seem to fly together in your hands with a minimum of effort. The flowers mix easily with the wooden bases of the amulets, and in a spark of brilliance you narrow the curtains to direct focused rays of sunlight onto the table where they rest. The spirits of Light and Fire answer your call nearly before you've finished calling them, and you're left with a set of fifteen exceptionally efficient lighting mechanisms.

Riding the crest of your meditative state, you turn to inscribing the iron rings for the lenses. Each minute tap of your chisel seems to form a melody, the tuneless hymn that all craftsmen sing beneath their breath while working on a masterpiece. Using the Edge of Dawn seems far less unwieldy than you initially anticipated as you carve tight circles in a sheet of glass, the cutting wind that seeps from the point of your blade shearing neatly through the fragile plate without so much as a whisper. Obsidian Touch polishes the lenses to perfection, and they fit like a glove into the iron hoops.

Some days, everything just seems to come together. You were due for one sooner or later.

> [[Totems Obtained: Exceptional Sol Totems x15]]

> [[Totems Obtained: Perfect Flaw-Finding Lenses]]