>>38250008
>Focus on the necromancy.

>>38250008
>focus on the necromancy for a bit in the morning
And
>End the day with a delve.

>>38250008
Hello everyone! Just a small bit of meta before we get rolling.

I'm feeling severely under the weather today, so today's thread will be a bit shorter. Regardless I wanted to run because tomorrow a new quarter of uni is starting and I wanted to get a run in before my questing schedule becomes extremely varied.

>>38250141
I'll go with this one since it allows for both, but you won't be able to go as deep in your study of necromancy if you had just focused on it.

>Writing.

>>38250267

Your mind certainly won’t let you escape it, so you remain resolute in your focus on Necromancy, but schedule a delve to allow yourself some variety.

You go to sleep not with your normal positive outlook for the future, but with a slight sense of unease for the day to come.

~

The breakfast in front of you goes largely untouched. Mere food will not satisfy the type of hunger that you have gnawing at your mind.

You rub your temples in hopes to relieve your aching head. “We’re going to delve today.” You say flatly as you enjoy the pressure of your hands on your head.

Ellie drops her fork on her plate. “Really!? Me too?”

You pull your hands away from your head. “Yes, I did promise.”

Your young apprentice literally jumps from her seat in glee, carelessly spilling her tea on the table.

“Sorry! It’s just, I mean, I’ve been waiting so long.” Ellie hastily wipes up her mess. “Aren’t you excited to, Marissa?”

Marissa startles and looks up from her food. “Yeah, I guess.” She chuckles uneasily, clearing not wanting to rouse you to ire.

As easy as it would be to simply blame Marissa for your fail, it wouldn’t be correct. You had plenty of opportunities to replicate the results, but you failed, repeatedly. All of those failures were your fault and your fault alone.

You sigh. “I’m not angry at either of you for what happened yesterday.” You poke at your food with your fork. “I’m simply frustrated that I didn’t succeed.”

Marissa looks down sadly, clearly still blaming herself for what happened. Well if that’s the case then you have to show the both of them that you’re perfectly fine.
[1/2]

>>38251134

You rush over to the kitchen and rifle through the cabinets until you find what you’re looking for. You return to your two apprentices and hand them each an empty potato sack.

You stand as formally as you can. “There. I want the both these filled up because we’re going to be practicing Necromancy all this morning.”

They both give you a look which can be surmised up as “You can’t be serious.”

~

You stand up from fixing the third ritual shape and find that your apprentices have unloaded both their sacks into a large pile of dead rats nearby. You’d say about twenty in total, not quite as much as you’d get from two full sacks, but you decide to ignore that.

You hand Ellie and Marissa a large leather apron each, the same that you’re currently wearing. “I’m not going to lie to you, this is likely going to be awful.”

The two of them quickly fasten the aprons on and begin setting up the final touches.

While holding the candle in front of you, you begin to think of the journal’s words regarding them.

>The candle wax is used to provide a living shell to surround the creature and facilitate the ritual.

Living shell… You stare at the candle. You know that candles can be made from various animal fats, but this particular one looks to be made out of something synthetic.

>Continue the ritual as usual.

>Write in.

>>38251164
>>Write in.
Go get candles made with animal fat.

>>38251164
>Write in.
Have Marissa blow up enough rats so that we can collect their fat and use that.
Also make sure we're focusing our will on the rat and not just trying to repeat our first try.

>>38251340
This is very clever and will serve to do what
>>38251286
wants to do. Good job!

>>38251487
>Writing

>>38251487
Ehhe. Thanks.

>>38251512

You turn to Marissa in a moment of inspiration. “You go first. Now!” You push her to her ritual circle and watch as she covers her rat in wax as usual.

You rush to collect a bucket for what you hope that comes next. “Don’t worry.” You shout from afar. “Just do it like you did yesterday.”

Marissa begins to recite the basic necromantic incantation as you approach. You excitedly get the bucket as close as you can to her rat before…

This time you get a face full of the rat’s innards as it splashes most of the front of your body, but hardly any gets into the bucket you hold.

You begin plucking out the small bits of fat from your hair and place them into the bucket. “Again, but this time…” You look over to the pile of rats. “Get the fattest one.”

~

After ten exploded rats, you collected just enough to cover a single rat, the smallest one, in a shell of melted fat.

You try to calm your excited breathing and focus on the task on hand. It was inefficient pain to collect all that fat, but for this case, for what you hope to be your first success in Necromancy, you can’t think of a more appropriate way to have done it.
[1/2]

>>38252333

You focus your will completely on the fat covered rat, demanding that it resurrect itself. The strange guttural words of the incantation are practically background noise in this endeavor, as you concentrate harder and harder.

Then you see it again.

This time both the front limbs begin to crack through the shell of fat. You continue to focus, not even thinking of the possibility of failure. The last words of the incantation leave your mouth.

You feel it. Something tethered to the very core of your mind and you give it its first order. “Run.”

Immediately the rat breaks out of the fat shell and runs around the area aimlessly. Your apprentices flee from the scene, but you remain, smiling madly.

“Stop.” You think and immediately it stops in its tracks as if frozen.

Brief flashes of the rat’s perspective appear in your mind. You see it what it sees, feel what it feels, for infinitesimally small fractions of time.

It feels like you can slip your mind into the rat’s body. You shudder in excitement and fear when you think of both the implications and the possible consequences.

What you’ve done thus far is phenomenal and should be recorded, but what if you took it further?

>Sever the bond.

>Try to implant your mind into the rat’s body.

>Write in

>>38252361
Order it to do stuff a rat shouldn't be able to do.

>Punch
>Kick
>Walljump
>remove own fat

>>38252361
Try to make it bound to our will.

>>38252448
Seconding this. Let us see how far our powers go.

>>38252448
>>38252589
>Writing

>>38252619

Let’s see how far you can take this.

“Punch.” You firmly order it with a clear image of a normal human punch.

The rat responds by furiously swiping the area in front of it with its paw. Not exactly what you expected, but you suppose it’s the best that it can do with its range of motion.

“Kick.” You enthusiastically continue.

The rat quickly slashes back with its hind legs and after it scurries along a wall for as long as it can you surmise that you can’t make it do something that it physically couldn’t do while alive, yet.

How about something it could physically do, but wouldn’t normally mentally allow.

“Rend.” You boldly demand it tear into its own body, and it dutifully complies, firstly gnawing away at its shoulder muscle until bone is exposed. Then turning to its stomach and tearing out the fat and innards until it seemingly succumbs to death.

The mental link is still there, but the rat does nothing in response to any further orders. It seems that this is as far as you can force it, yet. Your pride won’t allow you to even consider this is the extent of your power. You sever the bond, not wanting to be linked to a practically dead rat.

Upon severing the bound, you feel a small bout of exhaustion come over your body, so you take a moment to recover.

You straighten yourself out and notice that the sun is already well into its descent downwards. “Clean this up, and then come help me set up for the delve.” You trudge inside, it’s been a long time since you had to help out.
[1/2]

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>>38253446

~
After a great deal of effort, even on your part, the three delving tubs are set up and ready for use. You’re have far more confidence in your apprentices after their extra training and practice.

“Let’s begin.” You announce to your apprentices as they practically vibrate with excitement.

That’s much better than fear, it reminds you of the first time you delved.

You calmly step into the tub, clutching the single black candle, and begin reciting the delving incantation.

These things that slip past your mouth are much more than words now, they’re part of your being, as if it’s some sort of instinct for you to chant them. You begin to lower yourself into the blood’s cool embrace. Your chant brings you to a dreamlike state of focus as you lower your body further and further.

“Further, you will go further.”

You’re snapped from that dream at the sudden hearing of words not of your own. You realize that you forgot to remove the hairpin, as it continues to transfer its knowledge into you.

An ancient line of incantation is uttered to you repeatedly, along with the promises that you will go further.

>Recite what you hear.

>Ignore it.

>Write in.

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>>38253477
>Recite what you hear.

>>38253477
>>Recite what you hear.
pin at work must wear hardhat.

>>38253477
>Recite what you hear.
We have to go deeper.

>>38253477

>Recite what you hear.
aw yeah here we go
pls be trustworthy slug guy

>>38253477
>Ignore it.
I feel like at least one person should go against listening to the hairpin. This feels like one of those bad ideas that you really shouldn't follow through with on a whim.

>>38253525
>>38253527
>>38253535
>>38253559
>Writing~

>>38253477
>Ignore it.
Take what you learn, write in book. TAKE WHAT YOU LEARN, WRITE. IN. BOOK.

>>38253617
It's too late, it's happening!

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>>38253607

(Post is going to be divided weirdly so I can post the pictures along with.)


You stagger the normal incantation and immediately begin the words that you hear. The two parts fit together extremely well, as if they were always meant to be said together. You finish the last of the new chant, just as your lips are submerged under the blood.

The strange new words seem to cause the blood to hum and a faint purple encompasses as you sink out of this realm.

~

You are alone.

You cannot move. You cannot talk. It seems that you don’t exist, but to have that though, surely, you must exist.

“I exist.” You affirm to yourself in the blackness and then you take form as does the world around you.

You don’t exist in any way that a human would easily recognize. Your limbs, your body, everything physical, that doesn’t exist here. You see, hear, and feel the air around you, but you can’t even fathom how.

You exist in perhaps the most primal way of existing. Simply an essence, a small mote of the mind floating in a strange and unknown realm.

[1/3]

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>>38254325

The air is heavy on your form, heavier than it’s ever been before and you take it that fact to mean that you successfully delved further than you’ve ever delved before.

You think to examine the world around you and only in that moment do you sense what is truly there.

It could be the sky of any part of the world you see now, but you know that it’s not of your world. The vast emptiness is dominated by a singularly striking object.

An obelisk of flesh, a monument of meat, a pylon of pulpy tissue rises out of the ground triumphantly existing as you do. Combed portals stick out like tunnels carved out by parasites in the masonry and from them a myriad of carrion-feeding birds fly out, and from them a haunting chorus reverberates through the land.

[2/3]

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>>38254358

You approach.

The time it takes you to reach there is not measured in your mind, but only the fact that you left and now are there remains.

At the base of the pylon is a single passage guarded by a single attendant. Her flesh seems bound to the tower itself, what’s left of her skin watches you as you approach closer.

You stop.

“Greetings, I am the Ancillary Manta.” Her voice is strangely that of a man, and she leans forward. “May I know yours?”

>Introduce yourself.

>Remain silent.

>Write in

>>38254392
>>Introduce yourself.
be polite

>>38254392
>>Introduce yourself.

>>38254392
>Introduce yourself.
I-I don't know if things are better or worse than I expected.

>>38254472
>>38254504

>>38254516
Well...
>Writing

>>38253659
Uh oh...

>>38254603

Your voice doesn’t transmit in this form, but it seems like you can still choose what you want to convey and what you want to keep to yourself.

“I’m So-“

“Sophia.” The strange being interrupts. “Forgive me, I already knew that, but thank you very much for introducing yourself.”

She, or rather it holds up a hand. “No. Allow me explain some things to you first to save us some back and forth.”

You agree, as much as you can anyway.

“Splendid.” The Ancillary Manta smiles widely. “Now, here you stand, or rather float in front of what you may call a tower in your world, but it, or rather I, actually exist as a gateway to horrible things.”

You’ve dealt with your share of horrible things, you doubt what’s beyond would be much of a shock.

It leans as far as she can forward. “I must say that you’ve returned to us too soon, Sophia. You clearly aren’t ready to cross. This must be the work of outside forces…”

The Ancillary Manta shoos away the topic with her hand. “Anyway, here you stand at the precipice of the core, the final realm, and all I can wonder is why…” It says with a dark tone in its voice. "I know very VERY many things, but I don't know this. I don't know WHY!"

It suddenly brightens its mood. “Ah, forgive me again. You must have so many questions, but keep in mind that I’m only permitted to say very little at this point, so please limit it to one and no personal questions. I’m shy.” It giggles.

It's clear that you're dealing with something very powerful here and probably very knowledgeable. But only one question, you want more, you want to know all that it knows. Soon, perhaps, but for now you must play its game.

>Remain silent.

>Write in.

>>38255322
So why am I back too soon? What is this place exactly? Why am I not ready to cross? What are the horrible things?

>>38255322
>How do I become the strongest most knowledgable occultist that ever lived?
We need this.

You can try to ask more than one question, if you wish.

>>38255322
>What does it mean by "returned too soon"

This seems kind of important.

>>38255409
>>38255369
>>38255379
Oh then let's ask all of this.

>>38255452
No backing for this so

>>38255369
>>38255435
>What does it mean by "returned too soon"
Writing

>>38255379
Whatever happens this seems nessisary

>>38255530

There’s one thing that she said that really caught your attention.

“What do you mean by ‘returned to us too soon?’” You transmit your thoughts.

It covers its mouth dramatically. “Oh, dear. I wasn’t supposed to say anything about that.” A mischievous grin forms on its face. “But since someone else has their plans, perhaps I should help ours a little.

The entirety of the flesh wall behind it suddenly surges forward allowing the Ancillary Manta to grab you in its long thin fingers.

It lightly pats your form. “My dear, there are a few things missing from inside there before everything will be perfect.” It brings you up to its face. “But you can’t go in there incomplete like this.”

It carefully sets you back on the ground. “But someday soon, you will be.” The Ancillary Manta flings its arms back. “Because things are being set in motion, great things for you, for all of us!”

The Ancillary Manta stretches its arms forward and behind you a familiar black portal forms. “Now, you have to return home and grow stronger. But I will be sending you a present for all the birthdays that I missed.” It sinks back to its original post several feet back. “Don’t worry, I know exactly what you want, so take care, my dear.”

Great things are in motion? In some very deep place inside your current being you sense that everything is beginning to change.

Only more questions, but you’re smart enough to know when it wants you to leave, so you hover over to the portal and leave this profound realm behind. For now.

~

>>38256002
Okay, unfortunately I'm going to have end it here for today because I'm feeling very ill right now. Thank you very much to everyone that played today! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them and I'll do my best to respond to them. (I'm very sorry to those people I missed last thread.)

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time.

>>38256046
Get Better Auri Thanks for running!

>>38256046
Feel better Auri, and good luck with school.

>>38256046
Thank you for running Auri!
Also I hope for your recovery!

>>38256078
You're very welcome! And thank you very much for you well wishes.
>>38256095
I'll try, thank you very much!
>>38256152
You're also very welcome! I hope so too, haha.