The far side of the inner wall is a new landscape altogether. The ring in the center of the city is clearly designated for military use. Stocky utilitarian buildings are interspersed with training yards and guard towers at neat, even intervals. Most of the men and women in the street here bear the Eluneian crest on their clothing or their armor, and the majority of them have the kind of posture you associate with people who hold shields as a matter of daily course.

The garrison is by far the largest building within your view, dominating the street to the left of the gate. The lance corporal leads you to the door, dismissing your armed escort as she does. She holds the door open for you. You think it's to get a better look at the equipment strapped to your body as you pass through the door. She's clearly quietly restraining a great deal of curiosity.

Once inside, she leads you up a pair of flights of stairs. The glimpse you catch of the first level seems to be bunks and storage, while the second is a nest of hallways. When you emerge onto the third floor, she gestures to the large pair of double doors across the hall.

"The Corporal awaits, Totemist."

You nod. "Thank you, Pruisa," you say with a slight bow. "It's been a pleasure."

You can feel Aria Nymph's subtle magics shaping your tone and every micro-gesture as you speak. Pruisa nods, and for a moment you think she might smile before she folds her arms over her chest. "I'll await your return here, then."

You straighten, nod to her, then stride through the double doors. The hinges glide open as your press your palms to either door. Within, you see Corporal Tiber Rime perched on a high-backed chair. A desk of solid wood littered with neat stacks of paperwork sits between you.

(cont.)

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The corporal locks eyes with you, and through the crystal lenses of your mask the micro-expressions of surprise and momentary -panic- are amplified. To his credit, it's barely more than a flicker. He rises from his chair, extending his hand to you across the desk. The medals on his well-polished armor bounce with the suddenness of his motion, a faint metallic -ping-.

"Totemist! You're here earlier than expected, my good man," he says. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. Would you care for some refreshments?" His speech is ever so slightly hurried.

You consider this as you take the Corporal's hand in your own. He shakes firmly, once, then withdraws, shuffling stacks of papers together with a critical eye as he awaits your response.

> Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.
>Food can wait, Corporal Rime. Let's get down to business.
>A drink, perhaps.

---

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. The long-awaited missive from the nation to the southwest has finally arrived. You have arrived in Eluneia to make a case for your villag after a harrowing journey through the mists.

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

Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log: http://pastebin.com/VsJpEUx3

Ask: ask.fm/DiarcaEXE

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

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

>>42146517
>> Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.
jesus christ lives, his name is diarca

>>42146517
>A drink, perhaps.

>>42146517
Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.

DIARCA SAMA

>>42146517
>>Food can wait, Corporal Rime. Let's get down to business.

>>42146586
Jesus christ it's back again

REJOICE!

>>42146586
also, Ask.fm is gone stupid with requirements for signup or something

>>42146517
>Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.

>>42146621
Meh its not that bad, just make an account and post anonymously.

>>42146517
It's been too long. Welcome back, you've been missed.

>A drink, perhaps.

>>42146632
>make an account
but gubmint steelin me info anon, gubmint!

>>42146517
> Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.

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AWWWW YEAH TOTEMIST

>>42146517
>>A drink, perhaps.

>>42146440
ITS BACK, BITCHES!!!!!

>>42146517
>A drink, perhaps.
FUCK YEAH! TOTEMIST QUEST! WELCOME BACK DIARCA!

Nice.

>>42146517
>A drink, perhaps.
We might as well enjoy it, we're still completely mindfucked by whatever that thing was and are almost certainly now a ticking time bomb.

Also welcome back Diarca, your quest is still one of my favorites on /tg/

>>42146440
Holy shit on my face it's that time of the month where fun happens and it only comes once every 6 - 12 months.

>>42146517
>A drink, perhaps.

>>42146517
>A drink, perhaps.
Holy shit, Totemist Quest. Guess I'll finally get around to finishing the wiki, then.

Never have I been so happy to change a quest from inactive to in-progress before on 1d4chan.

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>>42146586
> Refreshments would be welcome. It's been a long journey.

You recline into the chair opposite the Corporal, careful not to snag any of the spiny protrusion from your gauntlets on the upholstery. You've not been paying much attention to your stomach, given the recent circumstances. You don't -feel- hungry. Perhaps a bite...

-It's probably unwise to accept food this early on, Osyki.-

Boand's words echo in the back of your mind. You wouldn't want to gorge yourself. First impressions. Wait for a meal.

"A drink would be welcome, Corporal," you tell Rime. He nods, pulling a thin decanter of dark wine from a drawer in his desk. He pours a glass (procured from the same drawer) and hands it to you. The stuff has a heavily spiced aroma as you bring it to your lips. It's tasty, if a little strong. You suppress a cough, placing it on the table in front of you.

"I'm afraid the royalty isn't quite prepared to receive you just yet," Rime explains as he pours a glass for himself. "I told them you would likely be arriving a few days hence. I'll send word immediately, of course, but in the mean time you may as well take the time to get acquainted with the city. If you like, Pruisa can be your guide for the day." He looks up at you over the rim of his cup. "I daresay the city's a bit larger than what you're used to."

You raise a hand to your chin contemplatively.

>I'd prefer to meet with those in charge sooner, rather than later.
>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.
>I've seen bigger, but let's see what you have to offer.
>Write-in.

>>42146856
>>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146856
>>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146440
HE LIVES!!! MY FAVORITE QUEST IS BACK!!!

>>42146856
>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146856
>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146856
Sorry guys, some IRL stuff has come up and I have to end it early. I will announce when the quest can resume again on twitter.

>>42146856
>>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.
Let's keep pointsmar secret for now, reveal it to get more in the upcoming trade negotiation.

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>>42146894

>>42146894
Oh, okay. See you later, Diarca. Nice to have you back, man.

>>42146856
>>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146894

[[Not 20 minutes in and already my first troll. I'm home again, boys.]]

>>42146894
>Diarca +sD89TSE5RJ
That is not how you do a tripcode, mister troll.

>>42146914
And I fell for it, too. Herp a derp.

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>>42146894
Come on, you've got to be more subtle than that.

>>42146856
>I suppose a walk about the town wouldn't hurt. It's a grand city.

>>42146931
We missed you, you beautiful bastard.

>>42146856

You take another sip of the spiced wine before you answer. You've had a similar beverage back at the village, a heavy honey-based drink, but the fruit flavor of this is delightful.

"I suppose a walk around the town couldn't hurt. You had the time to tour my village. I don't see why I wouldn't want the same for yours."

The Corporal nods, his shoulders relaxing a hair.

"It is a grand city. The walls certainly make an impression from a distance."

Rime smiles, his curled mustache curving further upward. "You should see it at night."

You return the smile, rising from your chair. "I likely will. Any suggestions for my day on the town?"

Rime nods. "Pruisa will give you the two-dram tour. I'll have some paperwork drawn up to see you have access to pass to and from the districts as you please. Security is a little tighter these days than it once was, but..." He looks you up and down. "I don't think the guards will be hassling you overly."

You smile.

"For now, her accompaniment should suffice. Pruisa!"

The guardswoman pokes her head around the door after a moment. "Sir?"

"Show to Totemist to the Moon Garden, if you would."

She nods, snapping a crisp salute. "Yes sir."

(cont.)

Can someone sum up the story for those of us who either haven't been here in a while or are checking it out for the first time, I'd do it but I'm shit at it and would likely mix up one or two major events with the wrong chronological order.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT

ARE YOU REAL?

>>42147084
There's a plot summary pastebin in the OP.

>Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

>>42147117
Oh, in that case disregard me, I'm a retard.

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>>42147061

"The city gardens are the crown jewel, Totemist. I believe you'll enjoy your time there," Rime says as he replaces his decanter in the drawer. "While you do, I'll attempt to... expedite our meeting arrangements on your behalf."

"Thank you, Corporal. Your accommodations are appreciated," you tell him. Turning to Pruisa, you gesture onward. "Shall we?"

She nods, turning on her heel and waving you on.

As you pass through the gates of the Garrison, Pruisa looks over her shoulder to you. "The Moon Gardens were what Eluneia was originally built around," she explains to you. You're not sure how she weaves through the crowded streets of this district without facing forward, but people seem to gravitate out of her way. "This land is blessed by the goddess of the moon, and the Gardens are considered one of her holy grounds. It's ordinarily only accessible by the royalty."

> A great honor, then.
> Tell me more about this goddess.
> What makes the gardens so special?
> That sounds very interesting, Pruisa, but tell me a little more about yourself.
> Write-in.

>>42147084
You're a totemist(a monster hunter, only with more spiritual bits) you bitch slaps said monsters and bound their souls to trophies that you place on your gears.
You're extremely good at your job for one so young(your master was one hell of a man)

>>42147145
>> A great honor, then.
>> Tell me more about this goddess.

>>42147145
> What makes the gardens so special?

>>42147145
> A great honor, then.

>>42147145
>> A great honor, then.
>> Tell me more about this goddess.
>> What makes the gardens so special?

>>42147145
> A great honor, then.
> Tell me more about this goddess.

>>42147145
>> A great honor, then.
> Tell me more about this goddess.
Also obligatory reminder, sure this goddess is probably just a very bloated up spirit, but this is still not a reason to treat it like it is not a divine entity, doing so will likely result in us and the village getting wrecked.

>>42147145
> A great honor, then.
> Tell me more about this goddess.

>>42147181
I'd like to think we're polite enough to treat said goddess with respect, anyway. Though I would expect Osyki to have some culture shock with the different way these people relate to their patron spirit. Spirits not being something you can just go and talk to when you need to should be a relatively alien concept for him.

By the way, what was that condition that we're ""dying"" of that was making us insanely powerful in some cases?

>>42147386
We were being filled with too much earth magic or something

>>42147386
Elemental corruption due to being insufficient careful with the piece of pure elemental before we sealed it to Cordia. The disease shouldn't progress any further so long as we don't use our super mode and remember to do purifying meditation, but it's not actually curable.

“Accessible only to the royalty? Either Tiber is paying me great honor, or the lords of the land are.”

Pruisa nods. “Both. Sort of. The gardens are touched by the goddess, and so the public is restricted from access. Foreign dignitaries are usually invited to peruse, though. It's not so much about showing off as...” She pauses, then shrugs. “It's not -just- about showing off. The gardens are a special place. They can help outsiders understand our devotion, and through that, our city as a whole.”

The two of you walk upward along the road, toward another portcullis.

You gesture for Pruisa to continue. “Tell me more about this moon goddess,” you prompt her. “I'll freely admit that heavenly divinities aren't my usual area of study.”

Pruisa smiles at you, but faces forward as you pass through the gate into the upper district. It's plain to see why: The wealthy of Eluneia clearly walk these roads, and they will -not- move out of her way if she isn't paying attention. With her eyes locked firmly before her, she answers you.

“The Lady of Argent Serenity is the patron goddess of the lords of this land,” she tells you. “She was the guardian of the first man to settle these lands. She is... divinity distilled. The land she touches overflows with light, and those who bask in her presence directly—I mean, you saw the Hawk earlier.” She gestures off to one side, past the rows of silver-blossomed trees that line the roads. “She watches over us from her palace on the moon. It's by her grace that our kingdom has developed so prosperously.”

This district is a sight to behold. Stone buildings rise around you, not the imposing monoliths of Pointsmar, but fantastical towers and manors. Pruisa leads you on toward a silver dome down the road. Even from a distance, you can see the myriad carvings adorning its surface, murals and reliefs of some import.

> Ask more about the Goddess.
> Ask more about this district.
> Ask more about the Hawk.
>Write-in

>>42147572
Ask more about the district and more about the goddess.

Specifically, ask if the goddess is said to speak with any of her priest or followers.

>>42147572
> Ask more about the Goddess.

>>42147572
>write-in
"Hmm. I think I'd quite like to meet her."

>>42147572
>> Ask more about the Goddess.
>> Ask more about this district.

>>42147572
>> Ask more about the Goddess.
>> Ask more about this district.

>>42147572
> Ask more about this district.

>>42147650
That would either come off as a joke, as offensive, or as hopelessly naive, regardless we should be careful with that kind of rhetoric. We'll see the goddess if she so feels like it, but unless we have a reason that it becomes pressing to meet with her, we should tread lightly.

Although, while we're on subjects like this, what should we do in regards to negotiations. We could go for full autonomy and independence but that seems like a bad idea, on the otherhand we need some level of rights to avoid getting in conflicts with local spirits or to avoid being exploited by the city.

Overall I think we should see about getting a quota for new settlers a year and maybe get some funding for a road in exchange for some form of tithed resources. We've got iron in the hills around here and natural resources in the town so that wouldn't be too terrible a deal, also it allows the town to be used as a staging point for settling all around the region.

“Her palace is on the moon?” you ask, casting a glance skyward. The sun burns merrily overhead.

Pruisa makes a noise to the affirmative. “The Mirrored Halls. She descends once a year to meet with the King.”

“Is he like the Hawk?”

She shakes her head, hair whipping back and forth. “No. The Lady's blessing manifest differently to each who receives them. While the Hawk is strong, and fast, he's not bright. The King is the opposite. He may be a man physically, but he's got the bearing of royal divinity in his words.”

You can't help but think that this all sounds familiar, staring out through crystalline lenses. Aloud, “I see. He sounds like a remarkable man.”

“He is,” Pruisa says with conviction.

The two of you arrive at the base of the silver dome. You can see an entryway flanked by silver statues of what you can only assume is the goddess of the moon, draped in cast-silver clothing, holding a crescent moon in the palm of her hand. The guards standing before it wear familiar breastplate, emblazoned with the goddess's face.

“The Knights of Argent will allow you entry. This is as far as I'm allowed to go. I'll await your return, Totemist.”

You glance to the entryway, then back to Pruisa. “Very well. Thank you, Ms. Rookwood.”

The guards size you up as you approach, their faces lacking any hint of fear, or even surprise. Either they've been expecting your arrival, or they are very good at their jobs.

“Totemist,” one says, dispelling that question. “Welcome to the Moon Garden. We would prefer that you leave any weaponry with us before you proceed within.”

> Very well.
> Absolutely not.
> I am a weapon, and my equipment an extension of myself. I cannot.
> Write-in

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Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>42146440
He hath arisen!

>>42147872
> Very well.
They only specified weaponry, that means the swords, spears, bows, or slings, not any of the armor.

>>42147872
>> Very well.

>>42147872
> Very well.
> Write-in
"Be careful with the spear. He bites. No, really, there's a very angry spirit in there. I'd suggest handling it with thick gloves."

>>42147872
>I am a weapon, and my equipment an extension of myself. I cannot.

>>42147872
> Very well

>Giving up our weapons
Yikes. Best hope they don't fuck with them.

>>42147872
>I am a weapon, and my equipment an extension of myself. I cannot.

>>42147937
If they fuck with them they'll release a greater spirit of vengeance, which would immediately level half the city.

>>42147872
>> I am a weapon, and my equipment an extension of myself. I cannot.
That's edgy as fuck but damned if Osyki doesn't deserve to be edgy at times

>>42147872
> Very well.
Best be polite. This is sacred ground, after all.

>>42147872
>> I am a weapon, and my equipment an extension of myself. I cannot.
No just no

Remember, currently the biggest threat to us in this city is our own tampered with brain.

>>42147872
>If you would ask of me I could leave my obvious weaponry behind. But weaponry is not to me as it is to you. A piece of leather I use to tie my cloak could be the most deadly thing on me and you would never know.

>>42147872
>>42148061
Was gonna vote i am a weapon myself but i think this is more reasonable. What's the point of asking for the blade when the boots on his foot could be used to do more damage than any sword in the city?

>>42148054
We can only hope that the primal spirit didn't manage to get too of its essence into us (or whatever it was doing) before the Drake grabbed us. As far as we know it only got the one strike in, but we don't know how long we were out.

>>42147872
>"Unless you mean to divest me of all my belongings, and potentially my limbs, I am afraid that is quite impossible. My apologies."

>>42148174
haha I like this

You stare at the guard for a long moment before shrugging. "Very well," you tell him. "But know that I am a weapon, and the tools I wear merely an extension of myself. I could leave every blade and arrow on my person with you, but the strip used to tie my cloak could do more damage than any sword in this city, given the proper motivation. So unless you mean for me to strip before I enter the garden, I am afraid completely relinquishing my weaponry is impossible. I do apologize."

You hand over Hollow Fang and Resplendant Gale to the flabbergasted Knight. The guard moves to take Magni's Spear from you, but you pull it away from him.

"Be careful with this one," you tell him. "It bites."

You see the man's eyes widen a fraction, and even in gauntlets he takes Modi's spear gingerly. They place your weapons into a small container behind on of the partitioned walls in the entryway.

"Enjoy yourself, Totemist," says the guard who isn't warily eyeing the box of artifacts behind him.

You give that man a friendly smile, then press inward.

The interior of the dome is dark at first, and it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. A tunnel stretches out before you, leading downward into the ground. A gentle white glow emanates from the far end. You begin your trek downward, feeling slightly exposed without the spear in your hand.

(cont.)

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>>42148248
The initial chamber of the gardens is lit by paper lanterns (not entirely a welcome sight, given your last experience with them). A gentle brook flows across the grassy floor of the underground chamber, and various raised circular platforms are host to a number of shimmering waterfalls that feed into it. Rope and wood bridges rise from the ground to allow access to these raised platforms.

The striking feature of the room is, of course, the flora.

Flowers of truly massive size swell from the ground, the walls, even the bottoms of the raised platforms. Pitcher-plants the length of your arm spill sweet-scented argent liquid into the streams, and creeper vines bearing dazzling blue and white flowers crawl around the bridge handholds. Every few feet, a shimmering crystal rises from the ground, shedding heavenly radiance.

The effect is akin to stepping into a chamber filled with stars.

> Investigate the stream and these crystals.
> Head up one of the bridges to a raised platform.
> Explore toward the walls, where tunnels to other rooms wait.
> Write-in

>>42148261
> Head up one of the bridges to a raised platform.
It's a moon garden, I'd expect there to be interesting things up high.

>>42148261
>> Investigate the stream and these crystals

>>42148261
>> Investigate the stream and these crystals.

>>42148261
> Explore toward the walls, where tunnels to other rooms wait.
> Write-in
>Burn it, burn it all johnny

>>42148261
>Head up one of the bridges to a raised platform
Let's see it from above.

>>42148261
>> Investigate the stream and these crystals.
grab the crystals, crush them, snort them.
Dont do this

>>42148261
> Investigate the stream and these crystals.

>>42148415
Jesus, finally got a post in. Can you believe that some retard just goes and posts CP on a mobile connection removing entire ranges of addresses. Only way to post is restart router multiple times. And the IP resets hourly back to one of the random banned ones too. True suffering.
Shame it's my only way to connect nowadays.
Just had to vent.

>>42148443
Tell me about it, I can't post from mobile because some retard go the campuses 3g banned for violating global rule 1.

>>42148261
>> Investigate the stream and these crystals.

>>42148476
Truly an awful world we live in.

The crystalline protrusions draw your attention foremost. You wind your way through the foliage, carefully avoiding treading on any of the more delicate looking flowers. The stream is a ways off the paved path, but you reach it with a minimum of acrobatics.

The stream itself is faintly luminescent, likely due to the glowing nectar the pitcher plants pour into it from various raised platforms. You can see that the flow isn't terribly deep. The riverbed shines and sparkles in the dim light, flecks of silver dancing to and fro across its surface. You reach out, gently placing a Mantle-wrapped hand against one of the crystals, and let your second sight take over.

The world explodes into phantasmagoric light around you, tinged silver and purple in equal measure. Each of the plants here has the average spiritual presence you would expect out of a living adult human being. The crystals themselves are beacons of otherworldly spiritual energy, pouring argent radiance into the air like fountains. The light is cold, but not uncomfortable.

With the world blazing and lit anew to your spiritual senses, you can see that high above on the domed ceiling there is a closed portal, a sun-roof of sorts sealed tightly with some sort of spiritual presence. The tunnels on either end of the room promise interesting results as well, though one much more than the other—the faintest hint of another person passing by still lingers in the air, wisps of red and gold mixing with the overwhelming silver glow.

> Take a crystal for your study.
> Follow the spiritual trace.
> Climb to a higher platform.
> Write-in

>>42148584
>> Climb to a higher platform.

>>42148584
>> Take a crystal for your study.
> Follow the spiritual trace.
They might not like that we stole a crystal, but fuck em, research

>>42148584
> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
>> Take a crystal for your study.
>> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
>> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
> Take a crystal for your study.
Hey, if it helps us help others. I hope they won't mind. We can always put it back if someone minds.
> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
>> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
>> Climb to a higher platform.

I really don't think taking a crystal is a smart idea. It seems like a good way to offend them. Maybe we should put it off until after we've found the other person in here? They're likely nobility or a priest, they'd be able to tell us if it's alright to take one.

>>42148584
> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
>Climb to a higher platform

Dont take a crystal now. Lets ask someone's permission first. The godess' or the royalty's if we cant talk to the godess.

>>42148668
I want their reaction it lets us know what they value an how much they value it.

>>42148668
Seems legit.

>>42148668
>>42148684
Yeah. Don't just go and take a crystal. Ask for permission first.

There is no cabbage among those picture google, you colossal fuck.

>>42148584
>Follow the spiritual trace

>>42148733
Pick legacy captcha in settings. It'll give you number-captcha only.

>>42148777
Why isnt this the default behaviour? When did they even add the option to go back to good old captcha? I never knew.
Thanks anon.
Now i can write ass [jumbled letters] for my captchas. I missed this.

>>42148584
> Follow the spiritual trace.

>>42148584
Voting against taking a crystal.

You briefly consider pocketing one of the crystals for futher study. The spiritual energy is unfamiliar to you on a fundamental level, and your job revolves around learning about the unfamiliar so you might be better prepare for it. You wrap your fingers around the crystal, but hesitate before pulling it from the river.

This -is- a holy ground. You suppose Sylvia or the Stone Emperor wouldn't take kindly to someone stealing from their inner sanctum, and you're supposed to be here on a diplomatic mission. You release the crystal, instead making a note to secure permission later for further study.

In the stark, almost clinical light of your second sight, the garden is very different. The dreamy haze of natural darkness has been cast away, replaced with strobing spiritual presences on every surface. You do your best to filter out the threads of red and gold as you make your way through the garden toward the tunnel, stopping every so often to appreciate the beautiful patterns of ephemeral essence winding through the network of plants.

Once in the tunnels, away from the plant life, it becomes easier. The person wandering these halls is evidently reasonably potent in spiritual energy. You wonder if it is another of the moon's chosen, as Prusia called them. The color seems wrong for that, but you can't rule anything out.

The next room is far less crowded with spiritually charged flowers. Three concentric rings of stone platforms sit almost flush with a pool of water that underlies the room as a whole. Fish with gleaming silver and onyx black scales flit to and fro just beneath the surface. Wisps of a past presence linger near the center of the room, but the one responsible for them has plainly moved on already.

The structure of the room seems almost ideal for meditation.

> Why not? You have some time to yourself.
> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.
> Head back to the gardens.
> Write-in.

>>42149017
> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.

>>42149017
>> Why not? You have some time to yourself.

>>42149017
>Why not? You have some time to yourself.
Maybe we could get in contact with someone while in meditation. If nothing else it should be an interesting experience.

>>42149017
>> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.
Talk to Boand and see if she can shed some light on all this

>>42149017
>> Why not? You have some time to yourself.
We have to investigate something last time we didn't we let a city with a plague move next to us.

>>42149017
>Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.

>>42149017
> Why not? You have some time to yourself.

>>42149017
>> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.

>>42149017
>> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.

>2011-05-19
>still ongoing
That's impressive.

>>42149017
>> Perhaps later. Continue tracking this mystery presence.
Maybe they can give us permission to get a crystal.

>>42149352
Skeletons do impressive things

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>>42149383
Skeletons?

>>42149455
Our undead QM, who hath risen from the grave twice.

>>42149487
I think this is time number three, actually.

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>>42149487

>>42149511
Even more impressive.

>>42149487
>twice
try three? four?

The perfectly flat stone in the center of the still pond is enticing, and you're curious to see if your recent encounter had any effects on your inner world, but you decide that this isn't the time to leave yourself unaware and exposed. You tread carefully across the platforms as they waver to and fro in your second sight, picking your way across the pond to the next tunnel.

The wispy threads of gold and red have begun to fade into the background aura of the complex itself as you trek up the next hallway. The structure of this place is difficult for you to make sense of. The rooms are positioned up and downward from one another at seemingly random intervals, and the presence of flowing water on some levels and still ponds on other raises the question: where is the source? You feel your second sight begin to falter, and you allow your mind's eye to rest as your natural ones take up its slack. Too much spiritual radiation, too fast, you think.

Wandering the halls you pass through a number of rooms: a crystal field, a strange spiderweb of vines and blooming silver flowers, and even a room with a fully fledged waterfall, silver chutes and blooms climbing up the mossy stones on either side. Every time you think you've found your way back to the entrance, you find yourself confronted by another pseudo-natural wonder.

You could get lost in here for a very, very long time.

> Enough. Let's make our way out of here. (1d100)
> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)
> Maybe one of your spirits would be more adept at navigating here.
> Write-in.

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>42149606
> Maybe one of your spirits would be more adept at navigating here.
> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>42149606
> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>42149606
>> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>42149606
>> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

Dice Gods bless my dice in thy name immortal diarca

>>42149606
Holy shit. Totemist Quest.

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>>42149664
I'm still hoping PredatorQuest will return...

>>42149773
I think the QM hada heart attack, he might actually be ded

>>42149606
> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

>>42149606
> That mystery presence is still lurking around here somewhere. Keep looking. (1d100)

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>>42149829
>he might actually be ded

>>42149642
>>42149643
Anyone remember if this quest is roll under or over?

>>42150183
High roll is better.

>>42150183
Over

>>42150183
Over, I think

You wander through an ever-deepening jungle of glowing flora. The neat, orderly pathways of the initial chamber are the only constant. You steal glimpses through your site in the tunnels between chambers, away from the harsh glare of the moon-flowers, searching for the threads of red and shining gold. As you trek ever inward, your mind fills with questions. Who would wander so deep into this place? How far underground have you gone? Every time you look up, that same strange sealed portal is pressed into the ceiling. The soft sounds of trickling water and your footsteps are your only companions as you make your way through one hazy chamber after another.

>91

Eventually, you catch a stronger hint of spiritual evidence, a solid scrap of fluttering red luminescence in the silver-white fog. You head down the forking tunnel in pursuit of it, feeling the incline beneath your feet take a decidedly sharp turn down. You brush aside a curtain of hanging vines in the doorway at the bottom of the slope, stepping forward into--

The first chamber. Or so it initially appears. The stream runs glowing silver here, though, and the crystals are little more than dark hunks of rock. A slight humming emanates from the platforms above you.

Taking to one of the rope bridges, you carefully creep upward, Nocturne's Embrace doing its part to absorb the shifting lights around you, rather than reflect. On the highest raised platform, covered with vines that spill from its sides, you find a strange sight indeed.

(cont.)

>>42150201
>>42150204
>>42150208
Thanks guys.

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>>42150233

A collection of furniture one would expect to find in a living room has been arranged high atop this platform. A pair of chairs, a wide couch, and a small table sit arranged in a loose circle. A lamp burns atop the table's surface, the golden glow it gives off almost a harsh contrast to the silvery light around you.

A woman with vibrant pink-red hair lounges on the couch, her legs kicked up over one arm of the furniture. A book is nestled in her lap, and she flicks through the pages with intense focus. Your spiritual sight reveals two things: First, this is the strange figure whom you have been following. A palpable aura of crimson and aurum devours the silver in the air around her.

Second, she is no ordinary human. Three pairs of spectral arms emerge from her back to your second sight, one hand lazily combing through her hair, another propping up the book in her lap.

She doesn't seem to have caught wind of your presence.

> Reveal yourself slowly.
> Attract her attention suddenly.
> Continue to observe silently.
> Write-in.

>>42150267
>> Reveal yourself slowly.

>>42150267
>Reveal yourself slowly.

>>42150267
> Reveal yourself slowly.
And so the pattern of "every time we take a trip through the spirit world we meet a powerful magic lady" continues.

>>42150267
>> Continue to observe silently.
Bay portanse

>>42150267
> Reveal yourself slowly.

>>42150267
> Reveal yourself slowly.

Sweet, Osyki is finally going to meet a princess.

>>42150267
> Attract her attention suddenly.
HI! NICE ARMS!

>>42150267
>Continue to observe silently.

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>>42150414
>yfw she talks like a chav

boaning boand when

Curiosity overcoming your better judgment, you slowly straighten out of your hunched, crouching posture. As you rise, you catch sight of a pair of knives belted at the girl's waist, and another lying on the table to her right. Placing loud, deliberate steps, you make your way across the rope bridge toward her.

As you step on the first creaking plank of the bridge, you see her head snap up. It's not until you're about halfway across the walkway that she finally notices you, dark eyes growing wide. She lets out a rather undignified, heavily accented “Fuck!” One (physical) hand goes to the knife at her belt, and you see the collection of spiritual limbs vanish in to her body, bolstering the already potent aura around her to a boiling radiance.

You raise both hands as you approach, showing her your empty palms. It doesn't have the calming effect you had hoped for, likely because you're clad head to toe in otherworldly armor. Even your gauntlets looks like they could tear a man apart.

“Please,” you say, Aria Nymph warping your words as they leave your throat to a soothing tone. “Don't get up on my account.” You lower your hands to your sides.

She narrows her eyes suspiciously, taking a hesitant step away from you. You can see her muscles tensing, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. A wave of -heat- pulses out from her as she opens her mouth to address you, warming the skin you didn't realize had grown chilled in the damp air. Fist of the Mantle vibrates ever so slightly.

“Eluneian Guard, I presume?” she asks, her voice cloaked in venom. “I didn't realize the silver witch was going so heavy-handed on the costume jewelry these days.”

You slow your approach, turning over her words.

> Write-in

>>42150717
Alright, let's think this over lads. I assume that by "Silver Witch," she's referring to the our friend Saeri?

>>42150717
"No, in fact. Just a humble scholar from a backwater you've never heard of. I noticed the spiritual residue you left in your wake and was curious to see who else might be wandering these halls."

>>42150788
Referring to the moon god lady, I'm pretty sure. Almost certain in fact.

>>42150788
>>42150717
Wait a second. You don't think that she's referring to Eluneia's goddess as a "witch, is she?"

>>42150817
Duh

>>42150717
"No, madam, I am merely a visitor to these gardens. I don't know what quarrel you have with the Eluneian Guard, but I had no intent to upset you. I merely noticed someone else's presence and was curious. My apologies for any distress."

>>42150809
>"No, in fact. Just a humble scholar from a backwater you've never heard of. I noticed the spiritual residue you left in your wake and was curious to see who else might be wandering these halls."

Seconding this.

>>42150809
We're not a scholar at all

>>42150910
Yes we are. The role of a Totemist is to study and understand magical creatures and roaming spirits, in addition to defending humanity from them.

>>42150910
>scholar
>1.a learned or erudite person, especially one who has profound knowledge of a particular subject.
>2.a student; pupil.

No, I'd say Oysiki qualifies.

>>42150910
Its a part of the job description, we count as a diplomat, a warrior, a hunter, a shaman, and a scholar all at once with our job description, and focusing on any one too much actually can cause bad things to happen.

Its been so long that I had forgotten about the obnoxiously formal dialogue write ins that plague this quest

>>42150986
Well I guess you can fuck right off out of the thread and make your own wildly successful and popular quest then.

>>42150717
>>42150809
Supporting, also all of this has been too good to be true, just like with that corrupt industrial city, I refuse to believe this city wasn't built in this glory without some sort of horrific thing going on also. We know as a fact they're both expansionist and have been fucked over in the past for it (there was a whole colony effort the village was a part of, evidently the supply chain collapsed or something).

So guys shadowrun time, this is a practice for the worst case scenerio, where negotiations break down (for any reason), and the city decides to conquer our village. We need to think about a few vital things.

Infrastructure: unlike our village in a war, any attack done by the city will require a supply caravan to keep them stocked, we can repeatedly disrupt this with relative ease.

Spiritual Warfare: They clearly have a very powerful spirit behind them, however even gods can die as shown by at least one flashback. Also we've got at least three reliable allies to call on (unsure on the swamp person, and the cloud god/rock god are pretty indifferent). If it comes down to it, we can make the swamp, the woods, and the mountains a very deadly place to move through.

City leaders: We're not going to be able to lead a rebellion of any sort without knowing shit, so all of this is a lost cause.

>>42151045
Really, everyone we know is expansionist with the exception of the Stone Emperor. And even he's just that way because he's too busy trying to hold on to what he still has. Boand's expansionist, Sylvia's expansionist, the Mother of the Swamp is expansionist, Pointsmar and the Iron General are expansionist, Eluneia are expansionist, we are expansionist, and the fucking Magus is super expansionist. I think "everyone's trying to grow their territory and power" is just the default state for this universe. Kind of makes sense, that's what I'd expect from a world where the elements of nature are sapient.

>>42151191
Iron General was Industrialist. Not expansionist.

You shake your head. “Wrong on all counts, I'm afraid,” you say. Without your spear to lean on, you're not quite sure what to do with your hands here to make yourself as non-threatening as possible. You settle for clasping them behind you back. “Just a traveler from some backwater you've almost certainly never heard of. I noticed the odd spiritual energy that trails you, and natural curiosity took over. Please, believe me when I say I intend you no harm.”

She looks you up and down dubiously. “A humble backwater traveler that can read energy on the air and comes down here dressed for war, are you?”

“I'd be dressed pretty poorly for war without any weapons on me,” you argue. “If I were sent down here by the guard, they'd probably have let me keep at least one.”

The suspicion in her gaze falters slightly at that. She slides the knife (dagger, really) back into its scabbard at her side, placing the hand that had held it onto her hip instead. “If you were really from around here, you'd know that ain't the case. Nobody smart carries weapons in here.”

You glance rather pointedly to the knife she just jammed back into its sheathe. She seems to ignore it, if she notices.

“So what,” she asks, “you just decided to follow the trail of breadcrumbs and see where it took you? That's a great way to end up dead.”

“Nothing's managed to kill me yet,” you say, tapping Vestus Sonitus gently. “I'm hoping you don't try to add yourself to the list of people who've tried, here. I was just curious who else was wandering around down here. Can I sit?”

“Fuck off,” she says, in a manner that implies 'no you may not'. “Who are you, really?”

> Just a traveling Totemist.
> A dignitary from a foreign land.
> You don't really want to know.
> Write-in.

>>42151272
> A dignitary from a foreign land.

>>42151272
>> A dignitary from a foreign land.

>>42151272
A snake-oil salesman.

>>42151272
> Just a traveling Totemist.

>>42151272
> Just a traveling Totemist.

>>42151272
> A dignitary from a foreign land.

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>>42151272
Wow rude much?
>dignitary

>>42151272
> Write-in.
"Officially? I'm here in my capacity as a dignitary and diplomat from a foreign land.
But I think you mean to ask why I have the power I do, and the answer to that is I am a Totemist. I deal with spirits, in every sense of the word 'deal'."

>>42151272
"Well, what you know so far is that I'm not from around here, I have at least some talent of magic, my clothing, while seemingly heavily enchanted, does not really match well at all, and I like meddling. What do you think I am?"

>>42151501
>a fucking faggot
Is what our lil miss edgy would say.

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>>42151272
>> A dignitary from a foreign land.
I told you, a chav princess

>>42151272
Seconding >>42151470

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>>42146440
>Totemist Quest is running

>>42146440
What.

After all these years, Diarca remains alive?

Cool!

>>42151694
Diarca never dies, he just returns to the void until he is once more summoned forth. You just have to wait for the right alignment of the planets.

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>>42151745

>>42151745
Saturn in particular is a motherfucker.

Writing.

This seems like a good question to ask
Why are we here in this city again? If someone remembers

>>42151912
Read the plot summary pastebin.

>>42151912
Diplomatic relations. Get our town connected. Read the pastebin for more details.

>>42151912
Our village has been largely cut off from the rest of the world for at least the past two generations. Then we found a scouting party for this civilization. We met up, started negotiating some deals, they sent an envoy to our village, and now we've been invited to visit them.

>>42151745
I told you fuckers we should have been using astral magic but you were all blood magic is where its at anon.

You shrug, placing your hands on your hips. “Just who I said I was. A dignitary from a foreign land.”

“Most dignitaries have a sense of fashion that doesn't include mismatched armor,” she counters.

“Stereotypes are harmful for everybody,” you say with a shrug. “The point is, I didn't come down here to make trouble. We've explored who I am and why I'm here. How about you?”

She sighs, reaching back and trying her hair back into a rough ponytail. “I'm nobody,” she says evasively. “Forget it. Why are you—stop that!” She moves to bar you from moving any further forward, but you've already slipped past her.

You raise an eyebrow as you settle yourself down on one of her chairs. “You're not a very polite host.”

“That's because I'm not hosting you,” she says, glowering again. “You followed me. Somehow.”

“Your accent's not Eluneian,” you note. A pause. “Eluniyan?” You decide it's immaterial. “So I guess you're a dignitary, too?”

(cont.)

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>>42152024
You know how it is my friend.

>>42152062


She snorts, crossing her arms over her chest. “Something like that. The city's been nice enough to put me up in this lofty estate, free of charge.”

“Imprisoned?” you ask bluntly.

“Hiding,” she says, practically hissing the word.

“Oh?” You tilt your head in lieu of raising an eyebrow for her benefit. “So you're a criminal?”

“Only if being born on the wrong heap of dirt's a crime.”

Interesting.

You give her a more thorough once-over with your second sight. The lenses of Aria Nymph sharpen your gaze. There's energy woven through everything on her. Her knives, her strange clothing, even the tie she's used to put up her hair. It's not the tightly woven lattice of a Focus, but she's definitely got spiritual power invested into it somehow. A pair of translucent arms gracefully unfolds from her back to straighten her hairtie. She doesn't skip a beat.

> So where are you from? (1d100)
> You're offering up a lot of information for someone who's supposed to be hiding.
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?
> Write-in.

>>42152079
>See ya later.

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>42152079
>> So where are you from? (1d100)
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?

>>42152079
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?

>>42152079
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?

>>42152079
> Write-in.
"Want me to smuggle you out?"

>>42152079
So those arms are pretty cool.

>>42152079
>> Write-in.
So why is being born on the "wrong heap of dirt a crime."?

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>42152079
> So where are you from? (1d100)
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?
> Since you know the area, could you show me around later? I might be a bit lost.

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>>42152165
>picking all choices
Then why have a choice in the first place?
>>42152079
> Why hide in the Moon Gardens, of all places?

>>42152165
>Since you know the area, could you show me around later? I might be a bit lost.
Somehow I dont think someone hiding from the guards is a good person to ask to show you around.

>>42152079
>> Write-in.
Tell me about this heap of dirt an why is it a crime to be born there?

Out of all of the unusual things she'd said, one in particular stands out to you. You lean forward, placing one arm across your knee, and fix her with steady gaze.

“If you're hiding from the Eluneian Guard, why on earth would you hide out in the Moon Gardens? Isn't this basically the last place you'd want to go?”

She shakes her head, ponytail bouncing to and fro. “It's the perfect spot. Most people aren't even allowed in here, and the lords and foreign fops who come in never get this far. It's all ooh-ing and cooing over the pretty flowers and shiny rocks.”

“Isn't it hard to get around down here?”

“Nah,” she says with a shrug. “Eluneian trickery doesn't work on my kind. It's really a straight line, if you know which way to walk.”

“You'll have to show me, then,” you say with a shrug. “I think I'm actually pretty lost down here.”

“That's because you went all moon-eyed over the pretty lights, I imagine,” she says. “They use the Gardens to dazzle people, then hit 'em while they're disoriented.”

Worrying. You gesture to the spectral arms currently drumming a tattoo on her hips while her arms fold in front of her. “So what's with the extra arms?”

She shrugs. “It's just something I can do. Runs in the family. What's with the rock armor and the glass mask?”

> It's just something I can do.
> Seriously, why are you here?
> So I guess Eluneia isn't all moonshine and butterflies?
> Write-in.

>>42152587
>> It's just something I can do.
> So I guess Eluneia isn't all moonshine and butterflies?

>>42152587
> Write-in.
"I made them out of spirits. Doesn't run in the family, but I had a pretty good teacher."

>>42152587
>> Seriously, why are you here?
>> So I guess Eluneia isn't all moonshine and butterflies?

>>42152587
"So you're saying my village should reconsider joining Eluneia?"

>>42152587
> Write-in.
"I put spirits in them. They grant different sorts of powers depending on which spirit is in which thing. Some I got by dominating, some by friendship."

>>42152587
>> It's just something I can do.
>> Seriously, why are you here?

>>42152587
They're mundane items empowered by spirits.

>>42152657
I'll second that.

Also it seems like we can probably snag and hide a crystal.
I really want that fucking crystal.

>>42152673
We're not joining at all try to set up a trade route an keep them form cutting down the swamp that's all.

>>42152587
> It's just something I can do.
> Seriously, why are you here?

Totemist Quest is back, whooo!

>>42152587
Maybe as we answer we should give a little demonstration from one of our things. Just something small.

“It's just something I can do,” you tell her. When that response earns you a stony stare, you elaborate slightly. “I put spirits into them. Some captured, some allies. It changes them. Not something than runs in the family, but I had a pretty good teacher.”

“Huh,” she says, sounding marginally interested, and much less hostile. “And the moonies just let you walk around like that?”

“Is there any reason they wouldn't?”

She nods. “A couple of really big ones, or so I'd have thought.”

Now it's your turn to look suspicious. “Seriously, why -are- you here?”

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. There's a look of abject tension on her face, a kind of tightness that develops from years spent looking over your shoulder. It reminds you a little of Ayren, actually. “I'm just keeping an eye on things for a friend, alright? I'll accept that you're not down here to ferret me out. I'd take it as a kindness if you didn't mention me squatting down here to anyone important, on that note.”

“I could be convinced,” you say. “It sounds like everything around here isn't really on the up and up, anyway.”

“More'n you know.”

It doesn't seem like you're going to get a lot more out of her, at this point.

> Well, this has been fun. Thanks for the info.
> Mind showing me the way out of here?
> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.
> Write-in

>>42153154
>> Well, this has been fun. Thanks for the info.
>> Mind showing me the way out of here?
Don't give our name if she ask

So, she's some sort of part-spirit, right? That seems like the most likely explanation for her abilities. Probably some sort of solar spirit, given her aura and her ability to see through moon-based illusions. And she said "her kind", implying more than just her family have it. So an equivalent community to Eluneia inspired by a sun spirit instead of a moon one, that they're enemies with? Probably a smaller and weaker one, too, if it hasn't been destroyed already.

>>42153154
>ask her about moonpeople, are they trustworthy?
>get back to meditation place and fix our inner world
>take a crystal on the way out

>>42153154
> Well, this has been fun. Thanks for the info.
> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.

>>42153154
> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.

>>42153154
>> Mind showing me the way out of here?
>> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.

>>42153154
> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.
> Mind showing me the way out of here?

I'm tempted to call her Sunshine as a nickname, but that might annoy her.

>>42153154
>> Well, this has been fun. Thanks for the info.
> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.

>>42153210
Lord only knows how many types of magic exist in this world.

>>42153154
>> We should do this again some time. Maybe I'll bring drinks next time.
>> Mind showing me the way out of here?

What this tells us is this city does in fact have problems, which shouldn't be suprising, hell a spirit of that power must be like the fucking sun to every spirit around here, all of them are probably clamouring and competing to be allowed to have even a fragment of it.

>>42153365
From what I've garnered, the spirit-mortal gap is quite a grey blur. Hell I had a theory that you could probably get yourself a form of immortality by having a totemist bind you as a human. Once he dies you'd get loose as a spirit, and probably a more powerful one too.

>>42153427
Probably less powerful if it worked unless you already were especially powerful, seeing as we would have exactly zero to offer as a totem.

>>42153499
You'd have to make a very good argument, the biggest argument being that since you're sapient you could be used for actions that require some level of intelligence but not raw power (similar to our first totem). But if you somehow did it you'd effectively be immune to death by old age.

>>42153558
Seeing as random wild animals and spirits caught in fireplaces seem to have human level intelligence I wouldn't even call that much of an argument.

>>42153608
The only random wild animal we caught with human level intelligence is probably lying about being a random animal and actively manipulating us. Last I checked we were pretty aware he was manipulating us too.

>>42153646
Sky drake is pretty smart. So was the bone warden if you count monsters.

>>42153558
I think it depends on what happens to a spirit that was originally in a living thing when it gets unbound. Does it just float around, or does it progress through the normal post-death journey to wherever spirits go that it normally would? My guess would be that it would just fade naturally unless you took deliberate steps to bolster its power first. You couldn't just rely on it sticking around, but if you did the right rituals and got it veneration and worship it could be strengthened enough to remain intact. Or if you fed it the right things, I think it was implied that Cordia sticking around as a Bone Warden was due to her eating the last remaining bits of spirit energy in the bones she absorbed. So you could probably feed it other spirits to strengthen it. At which point you're basically some weird form of vampire, I guess

>>42153761
Drakes don't even begin to count as a normal animal.

>>42153761
The Skyscythe Drake was already sapient, just hungry and predatory and not really interested in talking to its food. And Cordia was originally a human ghost, so that actually strengthens his argument that a soul can stick around and become a stronger type of spirit.

>>42153819
They do in a world with giant lightning tortoises and fire spitting centipedes.

Am I the only one who thinks Cordia is best girl?

>>42153843
But you arent much use as a totem until after you die, go crazy and start to give bone and death related powers.

>>42153882
No. Cordia is definitely best. Once we have some free time to rest we should check up on her, see how she's recovering from having the mirror she was bound to destroyed.

>>42153900
When did that happen?

Also is anyone else scared to meditate? I half expect we'll find everything wrecked or alien in our dreamscape.

>>42153882

Yes. Saeri is the best girl.

>>42153882
Boand a best.

>>42153958
>wanting our teachers sloppy seconds

>>42153915
When we were fighting the primal spirit. Gnome Guard got smashed trying to block the attack that finally hit us. She's evidently recovered from it well enough to be bound again, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's feeling like shit.

>>42153975
>Giving a shit about that.
Are you insecure or something?

“Well,” you say, dusting off your greaves as you rise, “This has been fun. We should do it again some time. Maybe next time I can bring the drinks, and we'll have a little cookout.”

The girl snorts at you. You're pretty sure it counts as a laugh, though!

“Until then, though, I continue to be hopelessly lost. Mind showing me that way out of here?”

The girl nods. “Okay, sure. I'll take you as far as I can.”

You do a double-take. “What, that easy?”

“If it'll get you out of my hair, definitely. Come on.”

She waves you on, and you follow behind her as she picks her way down the rope bridges toward ground level. “The trick to this place is it moves in phases as you move from room to room,” she says. “I'm sure whatever important marquis you're supposed to meet with could tell you in detail. Fortunately for you, you've got yourself an expert guide, and we don't need to deal with any of that.”

She hunches her shoulders, and you see two pairs of translucent arms emerge. They begin shaping the air around her as she walks, forming a bubble of spiritual pressure around the two of you not unlike the one you and Quinn used for your training. You can feel the bubble moving -something- out of the way as you follow the stranger through the tunnels, but you can't put your finger on what. When you emerge from the mouth of the pathway, you're back in the meditation chamber.

“Last stop,” she says. “Everybody off the muscles express.”

You crack a smile. “Thank you,” you say sincerely. “I appreciate it.”

“Appreciate it enough not to lead the guards back to me, hmm? Moving would be really awful after I got all that furniture in there.”

> I guess that's a fair trade.
> Better get ready to pack.
> How -did- you manage to get that all in here?
> What's your name, anyway?
> Write-in

>>42153986
Nah just tossin out some b8 due to boredom. I like boand pretty well.

>>42154015
> What's your name, anyway?
Offer ours as well.

>>42154015
>> I guess that's a fair trade.
> What's your name, anyway?

>>42154015
> I guess that's a fair trade.

>>42154015
> I guess that's a fair trade.
> What's your name, anyway?

>>42154015
>> I guess that's a fair trade.

>>42154015
"No problem."
>> What's your name, anyway?

>>42154015
>I guess that's a fair trade.
>What's your name, anyway?

You make a show of mulling over the decision for a while before nodding. “I guess that's a fair trade,” you say. “And it's a particularly nice set of chairs. I'd hate for you to lose them.”

She folds her arms, clearly waiting for you to depart before she does the same. You turn to go, but glance over your shoulder.

“What's your name, anyway?”

“Why would I tell you that?”

“Why not? I'm already complicit in whatever dubiously illegal things you're doing down here, right?”

She blows a stray lock of hair out of her eye. “Marisol. My name's Marisol.”

“Pleasure. Call me Osyki,” you tell her. “Maybe I'll see you around.”

“I hope not, for both of our sakes,” she says. She turns on her heel, evidently finished waiting, and strides down the corridor behind you.

“What a grump,” comes a surprising voice. Tryd shimmers into being on your shoulder in a faint heat haze.

“Pot to the kettle,” you reply to the soot imp. “What's going on? You don't tend to manifest for anything other than a hot coal bath.”

“I'm feeling cooped up,” he says. He settles onto your shoulder, making himself comfortable. “You don't really call on me for much there days, so I spend most of my time waiting for you to inevitably kick the bucket so I can get passed on to the next poor sod.”

You sigh. Beginning your ascent out of the Gardens, you reply. “Tell me what I can make you useful for, and you'll have your time in the sun, Tryd.”

“Maybe I ain't useful to you anymore, bud. You're flying with a higher class of spirits now. I don't think you need a soot imp bound anymore.”

It's an interesting thought. Do you really need to keep Tryd bound? He's never been the most willing companion.

> After all we've been through together, you still want to go?
> That's fair. Maybe I should unbind you.
> What's brought this on suddenly?
> Write-in.

>>42154443
>> What's brought this on suddenly?

>>42154443
> What's brought this on suddenly?

>>42154443
>What's brought this on suddenly?

>>42154443
> That's fair. Maybe I should unbind you.

>>42154443
> Write-in.
"Oh, I see, we meet a pretty girl with fire powers and suddenly you're eager to ditch me. No, no, I'm not hurt."

>>42154443
>> What's brought this on suddenly?

>>42154539
second

>>42154539
Ha, yes as a joke.

>>42154443
"I'll consider it, but could you let me determine just what a soot imp can do?" Like ask if he's okay with us binding him to a bunch of stuff and seeing what happens?

>>42154443
> Yeah, but all those higher classes of spirit are terrible conversationalists compared to you.
> What's brought this on suddenly?

What ever happened to that big cobra? Did we bind it or did we decide not to because of some retarded idea we have too many snakes?

>>42154658
We did bind it. Though I do think we have too many snakes. Why are all the dominant predators of our region snakes? What weird ecological niche leads to that?

>>42154683
Magic powers probably. I just think its dumb to care more about what type of animal it is rather than the power it can give us.

>>42154745
Right, but we've got so many other snakes that I can't see adding another one to the pile giving us anything new. Maybe if it was a special magic snake, but this thing was just a big cobra.

>>42154830
dude you're just jelly of our snake powers

>>42154830
Considering an alpha raptor and a regular raptor can give different powers thats sort of a dumb idea. Also couldn't it petrify shit? How many of our other two snakes can do that?

>>42154899
>how many
>two
>many
>two
snek

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[[Apologies for the short and somewhat uneventful return thread, gentlemen, but I believe I'll cut things off here for the evening. We'll return next Friday, same time, same place to pick up this conversation with Tryd. Thanks for playing! If you have any questions or ideas for the quest, email's in the email field.]]

>>42154930
Thanks for running. Pls don't leave 5ever

>>42154899
The Basilisk Wyrmling is the one with the petrification stuff, and we used it on a bow in order to take out the Emperor Cobra. We actually haven't tested out any bindings with the Cobra, we ought to experiment when we have a chance.

>>42154930
THANKS FOR THE THREAD FRIEND

>>42154924
Yeah how many of them can petrify things? Which is what I asked.

>>42154930
PLS DON'T GO

>>42154963
It was a joke, play on words, a jest. Fanciful recombination of letter combinations

>>42154930
Thanks for running, Diarca. It's good to have you back. See you next week.

>>42154930
Thanks for returning once more

>>42154963
The basilisk wyrm. The cobra was just a snake, it had no powers that we saw in our fight with it.

>>42154954
>>42155025
Ah thats why I thought that. Well then we don't even know what it might do seeing as our other snakes are a baby monster of huge proportions and a regular aquatic oversized snake.

>>42155043
Probably a bitchin pair of snake leather boots.

>>42154930
Tell me a bedtime story, Diarca.

>>42155150
Silly anon. beings from beyond the void don't sleep. How would Diarca know bedtime stories.

>>42154930
Thanks for running, and thanks for coming back. You've been missed.

>>42154930
thanks for the thread, and welcome back