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> [[Binding Discovered: Absent Visage. This utterly matte black helm obscures and obliterates any sense of the wearer's identity to observers, leaving behind only a sensation of utter otherness. Some people are fascinated, while others can be horrified or even outright hostile.]]

The sight of the infinite void is enough to make your stomach lurch. You unbind the mask as quickly as you are able, only just resisting the urge to toss it away from yourself like a diseased carcass. Fourth's Control Rod glimmers coldly in your other hand.

“I didn't like that one,” you hear Terra mutter to Quinn. He nods in quiet agreement.

“Osyki, are you sure you should be pushing yourself like this? You just got home. Maybe you ought to take a break for a while.”

You lower the Control Rod, considering Quinn's advice. You don't -feel- tired, but you've never been great at knowing your own limits when it comes to binding.

> I'm okay. No worries.
> Maybe a quick break.
> You're right. I'll ease off.
> Write-in

–--
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. You have returned home from your brief sojourn in Eluneia Alastacia one ally richer, and with a substantially upgraded water spirit besides.

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

Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM (Current to thread 62)

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]]

Diarca Lives!

>>43253701
> Maybe a quick break.
Forgot to vote

>>43253628
> Maybe a quick break
SoL time!

>>43253628
> You're right. I'll ease off.

>>43253628
>> Maybe a quick break.
Never ignore that sort of thing.

One of these days I will have to catch up in the archive. Somehow I didn’t get into it since the most recent hiatus, so I’ll have to start a few threads earlier, which is bothersome, which is why I put it off.

>>43253628
> Maybe a quick break.
I want a saddle dammit!
Do we even have horses to put saddles on?

>>43253628
>> Maybe a quick break.
can i suggest talking to sylviannis about the fact that we basically changed a minor pond spirit into a major river spirit that has territory way over the other side of the continent? these actions might have had consequences

anyway, its ten to four in the morning, so im conking out, night all, dont get us killed

>>43253628
>> Maybe a quick break.
Yea that one was a bit iffy

>>43253628
[X] quick break
Get some eats, Osyki

You glance down at the Mask in your hand. Maybe you ought to...

Maybe a break would be wise.

“You're right,” you tell Quinn. “A break might be wise.”

“Osyki, have a snack!” Terra shakes a handful of berries at you. “Or you'll get all grumbly like Quinn does when he skips lunch.”

You accept a few of the berries over the sounds of Quinn's halfhearted protests. Terra beams up at you, her cloak wrapped around her like a security blanket.

“How do you handle that, man?” Reid is staring at you with a mix of wonder and trepidation. “You're cracking the earth like a rampaging Drake and it doesn't even seem to phase you.”

You shrug. “It's all for the defense of the village,” you tell him. “As long as I keep that in mind, I can keep going.”

Sazen nods. “I'm glad you're on our side, man. I hear things at night howling on the mountains...” He shudders. “Forget slayers. We oughtta have a squad of Totemists.”

“If only,” Quinn mutters.

“Not everyone's born with the gift, unfortunately,” you point out. “It's something of a rarity.”

You have a few minutes to yourself now that aren't obligated to be spent experimenting with your new bindings. But how to spend them?

> Call Boand. You need to speak to Sylvia regarding her new resident River Spirit.
> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.
> Head inside and get yourself a proper meal. You'll need your energy for binding.
> Write-in

>>43254068
>> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.

>>43254068
>> Call Boand. You need to speak to Sylvia regarding her new resident River Spirit.

>>43254068
> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.
All those cordia bindings might have been ill advised

>>43254068
> Head inside and get yourself a proper meal. You'll need your energy for binding.

>>43254068
>> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.
Meditate metal oh wait wrong quest.

>>43254068
>> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.

>>43254068
>Call Boand. You need to speak to Sylvia regarding her new resident River Spirit.

>>43254068
>> Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.

>>43254068
>Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.

>>43254068
>[x] Meditate. Clear your mind and check on the progression of your elemental corruption.

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You settle down against the side of the Workshop alongside Quinn. Leaning your head back, you rest the back of your skull against the smooth wooden facing and close your eyes.

The last trip you took to your Inner Plane awakened pathways within your mind that had not previously existed. Like trying to catch a song at the edge of your senses, the road is difficult to walk when beset by the distractions of the outside world, but with a moment's quiet—

You open your eyes within the Temple's Core.

A glance down at your body reveals an insubstantial wisp—you are not manifested here, not fully. A half-dreamed replica of your body is rendered in shimmering mists. Movement is difficult, but you needn't go far.

You regard the pulsing orb of silvery fire that hovers in the air. Thin tubes of green crystal feed into it, some of them hollow, others clearly feeding a viscous emerald liquid into the raging inferno. The wisps of argent luminescence that peel off of the ball of fire are tinged a subtle verdant hue. On closer inspection, it seems that a little over a third of the tubes are currently dripping earthen fuel into your core.

> Current Earth Corruption: 34%.

Nearly twice the corruption since last you checked on your last visit to the Stone Emperor's abode. Another trip may be in order soon.

“Osyki?”

You open your eyes. Quinn is elbowing you, his expression bemused.

“You conked out there for a few minutes. You sure you don't need a nap?”

> I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.
> A nap might be in order.
> I need to take to the (Forest/Mountains) actually.
> Five more minutes.
> Write-in

>>43254439
> I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.

>>43254439
>> I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.

>>43254439
>>Five more minutes. (Jokingly)
Then
> I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.

>>43254439
>> I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.
lATER

> I need to take to the (Forest/Mountains) actually.

>>43254439
>> Five more minutes.

>>43254439
>[x] I'm sure. I ought to get back to it.
We should probably figure out a way to fully deal with that at some point.

>>43254439
> I need to take to the (Forest/Mountains) actually.
Forest

>>43254439
>> I need to take to the (Forest/Mountains) actually.

You throw your arm dramatically over your eyes, groaning in abject protest. “Matron, five more minutes please. I was having the most wonderful dream.”

Quinn snorts. He's peeling an apple with his knife when you pull your arm from your face. Terra is rolling around in the dirt of the practice field, apparently wrestling with her salamander familiar.

“I should probably get back to it,” you tell him.

He nods. “If you're sure, boss. Let me know if you need a sparring partner.”

You think of the Accretion Volley's spectacularly destructive effects and shake your head. “Let me field test some of this before we spar with it. I wouldn't want Elana to be busy this evening.”

“Oho?” Quinn looks up sharply, his eyebrow already rising on his forehead.

You carefully decline comment, walking over to the unrolled blanket where your Foci rest. So many options, so little time.

Boand's Pearl rumbles slightly. You stoop down and lay your hand over it.

-Osyki, this river is enormous! I think it goes all the way to the coast!-

A subtle reverb backs her voice.

“I'm glad you're enjoying yourself,” you tell her.

-Shush. I was going to ask you not to channel my power for the time being. I need all the focus I can to properly attune to my new domain.-

> Choose a Focus.

> Crystal Spear (Rock Turtle), Sealed Earth Sphere (Cordia), Raptor Bone (Alpha Raptor), Stalker Pelt (Thane), Ykree Fin (Swamp Ykree), Crystal Scale (Plate Wurm), Razor Wing (Skyscythe Drake), Siren's Heart (Deep Siren), Glimmering Eye (Glimmerwing Moth), Basilisk Cryst (Basilisk Wyrmling), The Eternal Maw (Avatar of Hunger), Boand's Whirlpool Pearl (Boand), Emperor's Crown (Emperor Cobra), Fourth's Control Rod (Fourth)

>>43254790
ROD

Where's our spreadsheet nigga

>>43254790
Cordia -> wagon.

Though I mostly just want to see what bindings do with some more unorthodox stuff. Houses, boats walls, wells etc.

>>43254903
STOP BINDING CORDIA TO THINGS IT IS LITERALLY KILLING US

>>43254790
>Stalker Pelt (Thane)

>>43254790
Control Rod + Carpet

Flying carpet gogogo

>>43254790
Stalker Pelt (Thane),

>>43254790
>rod

Halloween with thane when?

>>43254790
>Boand's Whirlpool Pearl (Boand)
A key.

>>43254790
Boand + something we already tried before
Also>>43255117
And a water skin.

>>43255117
>>43255135
Guys. She just asked us to not use her for a while.

>>43255147
So?

>>43254790
>Fourth's Control Rod (Fourth)

>>43255147
Fine, bind The Eternal Maw (Avatar of Hunger) to a key and a water skin then.

>>43254790
>The Eternal Maw (Avatar of Hunger)
or Emperor's Crown (Emperor Cobra)

>>43254790
>Emperor's Crown

>>43255147
Please listen to this smart person. We like boand liking us. She will not like us when we fuck up her river attunement because we have no attention span and we don't listen to her.

>>43254790
>Emperor's Crown (Emperor Cobra)

>>43254790
>The Eternal Maw (Avatar of Hunger),

>>43255155
it'd be a dick move.

You glance up and down the row. The Emperor's Crown catches your eye—an untapped potential—as does the softly howling abyss that is the Eternal Maw. Ultimately, though, your curiousity over your most recent conquest wins out.

Perhaps if you can discern Fourth's nature via his bindings, you'll have a better idea of where to seek out his remaining fragments.

Truth be told, you're just excited to see what esoteric magics the pale spirit has yet to reveal to you.

You snatch up the Control Rod again, spinning it in your hand as you consider your options. The first three bindings were marked successes, with the Mask a hopefully isolated fluke in terms of the sheer wonder ¼'s bindings engender. But what next? The sky, after all, is the limit.

> Suggest an object to bind to the Control Rod. Taking four suggestions.

Known Recipes:
Bow: Accretion Volley. A powerful gravitational force trails the arrows fired from this bow, warping physical matter that the arrowhead passes near.
1. Gloves: Bolide Bracers. The mass of Osyki's fists is exponentially increased while these handwraps are worn, and his fists burn alight when swung. Their charge seems limited.
2. Mask: Absent Visage. This utterly matte black helm obscures and obliterates any sense of the wearer's identity to observers, leaving behind only a sensation of utter otherness. Some people are fascinated, while others can be horrified or even outright hostile.
3. Sword: Hypoxian Razor. The edge of this blade is keen enough to tear a vacuum into the air when swung, explosively decompressing the environment in a meter radius.

>>43255502
Boots
those usually have fun bindings.

>>43255502
Boots

>>43255502
Chestpeice
Cloak
rings

>>43255502
Key

>>43255502
>House
>Waterskin
>Carpet
>Wall
>Wagon
>Well
>Boat
>Rope

Any of these.

>>43255502
Key, Waterskin, saddle, clock.

>>43255502
A watch?

>>43255502
>>43255601
>>43255612
Maybe try getting some goggles from the blacksmith or someone as well.

>>43255502
A seed.

>>43255502
A chair, a candle.

>>43255502
I'll vote for the key, water skin, watch, and seed suggestions.

>>43255624
Yes goggles sounds fun

>>43255502
Boots, next? It's one of Osyki's standards. Armor would also be interesting to try.

>>43255502
Goggles or carpet.

An helm/helmet could give extra sensorial abilities with the proper binding

>>43256187
Given that the mask turned into a helmet, I'm not sure an actual helmet would have a much different effect. Possible some slight differences, like how Thane in a cloak hides us when in shadows while Thane in a cloak hides us by making us a shadow. But probably not anything substantial.

>>43256225
Did I say "Thane in a cloak" twice? Stupid me. I meant Thane in a shirt for the second example.

You crouch down, pressing the Control Rod to the tongue of your boots. The pitted iron gleams with ethereal light as it dissolves into your shoes, motes steely light swirling in a spontaneous sandstorm. You watch the top of your boots grow tall and desaturated until your legs are clad in a pair of tall white tubes reminiscent of the strange hooves that carry Fourth if they were cast in pockmarked iron. As you straighten you immediately overbalance—it feels as though you've stepped on a fruit, the ground rolling out from beneath you feet. You overcorrect, spin, and immediately eat dirt.

As you straighten, you inspect the soles of the strange hooves. A small crackling ball of -nothing- rests in the center of each, a bubble of unreality that seems to repel anything that comes near.

It takes some trial and error, and a number of incredibly undignified falls before you realize the boots seem to fold the space around them in strange ways. The ground seems to contantly shift and slide beneath you while you are at rest, but when you move you seem to cover a random amount of distance. The world dissolves into a barely visible blur around you as you clomp across the field, streamers of color that dance in oscillating swirls.

Significantly more blind stumbling brings the realization that, with proper concentration and deliberate stepping, you can effectively step from once place to another without crossing the intervening distance.

>>[[Binding Discovered: Hypersurface Stride. A pair of tall hoof-like boots that fold space in strange ways. Intense concentration allows the wearer to step from one place to another without crossing the intervening distance. Difficult to use on the go.]]
(cont.)

>>43256385

You pull the Control Rod from your boots with a measure of relief. Moving in that way gave you a pulsing ache at the base of your skull.

You move outside of the usual box with your next idea, pulling your waterskin from your belt. It sits on the Rod as you fuse the two together, and when the flash of light ends—

A perfectly smooth iron flask rests in your hand, the top stoppered by a pitted metal cork. Strange constellations glow and dance across its surface. The lid is stoppered tight, resistant to all attempts to pry it free from the neck of the flask.

> Attempt to wrench the flask open (how?)
> Move on

>>43256400
nope, don't try to wrench it open

>>43256400
Punch it with another binding.
Face it away from you.

>>43256400
I want to try to open it, but given Fourth's other bindings I would expect it to house some howling void inside. Let's do something else.
> Move on

>>43256526
>>43256448
You do realize that last time we shied away from a binding we missed out completely on fruit bindings, right?
> Attempt to wrench the flask open (how?)
Use another binding like >>43256495 suggested, probably the Mandate of Earth or the Atlas Pauldrons

>>43256400
It's a singularity in a bottle.

>>43256385
>>>[[Binding Discovered: Hypersurface Stride. A pair of tall hoof-like boots that fold space in strange ways. Intense concentration allows the wearer to step from one place to another without crossing the intervening distance. Difficult to use on the go.]]
That sounds great. We should always use these so we get used to it. They would be awesome in a fight.

>>43256400
Put it on an empty field and throw a rock or something on it so it breaks. Lets create our own mini dark hole.

>>43256448
>>43256526
Also, no binding so far has caused us harm, I don't see Diarca suddenly changing that and screwing us over out of nowhere.

>>43256400
Guys, I think that bottles literally full of nothing, as in Literal elemental void, this could be incredibly dangerous

>>43256400
Use cordias strength binding

>>43256692
Not entirely true. Some of the Deep Siren bindings burn us when we use them, or make the air surrounding us too hot to breathe. So bindings aren't entirely safe. Bindings that are dangerous to the user do seem to be well in the minority, though.

>>43255601
Clock

Za Warudo

>>43256400
Maybe its a twist off cap?

>>43256805

What time period and technology level do you guys think this quest takes place in?

>>43256400
>> Attempt to wrench the flask open (how?)
Bind something to fruit to get a stronk buff and the twist it open? Or figure out how to negate a gravitational cap

>>43256868
It really seems to vary a lot, depending on culture. And not always in ways that correspond directly to the real world. Like, our village has clear glass but no steel. We know our village doesn't have mechanical clocks, though. Pointsmar had clocks, and Osyki seemed to find them a novel concept. So we probably just have sundials and hourglasses, here.

>>43256954
A dude who needs to do the sort of precise work making totems involves probably does have some sort of thing for judging time.

Ooh what about binding something to a candle?

>>43257083
Yeah time keeping candle with hour marks could work maybe

>>43257069
True. But you can get reasonably precise with hourglasses, especially if you have a spirit to watch it for you and turn it as needed. And you can probably enhance the hourglass with totems of precision and orderliness. Osyki has a "refrigerator" powered by ice totems, after all, it's quite likely Ayren made other conveniences for his lab.

Speaking of which: The lab exists partially in the Mists. The reason we came back home was to investigate this and make sure it didn't become a problem. Maybe we should shift away from binding experimentation and start trying to figure this out?

You heave and wrench on the cap with all of your might, but it seems incontrovertibly wedged in the neck of the flask. You release your white knuckled deathgrip on the cork, considering the bottle closely. There are no grooves or striations to suggest that the cap would come off any way but by pulling it out of the bottle. It must simply be a matter of leverage.

Leverage, fortunately, you have.

You rebind the Atlas Pauldrons, feeling the surge of might flow from your core as Cordia's power unlocks the gates of human potential dwelling within you. You move a few meters away from the house, point the neck of the flask away from the house, and -pull-.

The sound the cork makes as you extract it is positively unearthly, a screeching of metal all too reminiscent of Magni's wings underlaid with a howling moan, a dying man's last gasp for air magnified a thousand-fold. The plug comes free with a shower of sparks. Immediately a vortex erupts at the mouth of the flask, tearing rough chunks from the earth and uprooting a nearby tree from the ground. The material that meets the mouth of the flask is shredded with unbelievable force by unseen claws, reduced to particulate matter that siphons into the iron container's depths with reckless abandon.

You jam the cork back into the bottle immediately. A swath of devastation remains in front of you.

>>[[Binding Discovered: The Empty Bottle. Pulling the cork from this flask unseals a tremendous vacuum force that devours anything that comes near.]]

> [[Taking a re-vote on the final two suggestions, as we didn't get much consensus last vote.]]

>>43257183
ROD AND PANTS

ROD AND PANTS

>>43257183
>Avatar of Hunger
>Wooden doll

>>43257183
Hunger+Key and Seed

>>43257183
Fourth and cloak? Could be interesting to see what shrouding ourselves in the essence of the void will do.

>>43257183
>>43257259
This, but with Fourth instead.

>>43257183
I thought we couldn't use Cordia for the day.

>>43257183
Watch or hourglass

>>43257183
Supporting >>43257277
I really want to see what a key binding does.

>>43257183
Hey guys, what if we double bound hunger and void?

>>43257295

[[...Completely slipped my mind, anon. Consider that one a freebie. Thank you for catching that!]]

>>43257315
We aren't double binding hunger with anything because it will try to bloody eat them.

>>43257336
You can't eat what ever the fuck fourth is.

>>43257183
key and hourglass

>>43257352
Fourth has a spirit body and if anyone can eat it its a goddamn avatar of hunger. His power is literally to eat things.

>>43257183
Hourglass and Rod

>>43257388
Hunger can eat anything, however he can't eat nothing.

You tear the Rod from the waterskin without remorse. You feel as though you just got away with something you shouldn't, having been incredibly lucky with the lack of damage inflicted on anything important, and you don't wish to dwell on it for too long.

Still, the Empty Bottle was an unusually powerful artifact for something made from a bag filled with water. You wonder what other mundanities you might be able to warp into objects of superlative potency.

You fish your workshop key from your pocket. The dull metal seems to positively gleam as you bring the equally dim surface of the Control Rod to rest against it. The sun has climbed high overhead, and Ried has since departed with his bundle of wood. The Litany of Unity slips freely from your lips, the syllables uniting the objects in either hand into a seamless whole.

They key in your hand when the lights fades is almost entirely unlike the dull, tri-toothed stick of metal you held before. A thin gleaming shaft of polished iron is topped by fascinating objects at either end. Where the teeth of the key would ordinarily rest is a fantasically complex engraved square of metal, a flat plane etched with inscriptions of eye-bending and minute complexity. Where the ring would rest is instead filled by a deep red jewel. Within the gem you can see the vault of night rendered in breathtaking detail, almost as if the heavens themselves were torn from their rest to fill the tiny space within.

It is an -incredibly- heavy key. It weighs nearly as much as your sword.

The end of the key slips easily in and out of solid objects it is introduced to, sliding in and out of a boulder and a tree as easily as one would dip into a puddle of water.

> Lock/unlock a boulder
> Lock/unlock a tree
> Lock/unlock a door
> Lock/unlock a living being
> Move on

>>43257662
But fourth has an actual body. We saw it.

>>43257726
>Lock/unlock one of Ayren's gift boxes.

>>43257726
>> Lock/unlock a boulder

>>43257753
lets see what it actually does first.

>>43257726
> Lock/unlock a boulder
If it doesn't completely fuck everything up then
> Lock/unlock a door
And then if it seems like it wouldn't kill it then
> Lock/unlock a living being

>>43257726
> Lock/unlock a boulder

>>43257726
> Lock/unlock a boulder
And if the results seem safe
> Lock/unlock a tree

>>43257726
> Lock/unlock a tree

>>43257753
Hell no

>>43257726
Trees are living beings as well you know

>>43257726
Supporting>>43257815

>>43257859
Shut up dryad.

>>43257954
>implying your wood would not get hard for a dryad

>>43258008
>Implying I want to stick my wood into actual wood

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>>43258008
The dryads in this quest are grade A.

>>43258036
>not having enchanted wood
>laughingents.woodpeg

>>43258041
That reminds me, we still need to plant those saplings in a way that mutually satisfies everyone involved.

>>43258066
But the splinters man.

>>43257726
>Lock/unlock a living being
EXPERIMENT

You slip the key into a nearby boulder, an solid slab of granite nearly double the size of your torso. You see the gem at the near end of your Binding spark ever so slightly as you do. You wait a moment, then twist the key to the left.

The key immediately rebounds out of the boulder. You attempt to insert it again, but the metal square at the far end grates against the surface of the rock.

Curious, you place a hand against the boulder. It's taken on the chill of the Control Rod, but it seems untouched other than that. You wonder what you've 'locked' about it, so to speak. You'd ask Cordia, but her sphere seems to have gone dormant for the time being.

It doesn't seem to have caused a massive explosion (or implosion, as the case so often seems to be with this binding), so you move on to a tree.

Once again, the key slips into the bark of the tree without protest or resistance. You twist the key to the left and watch as the metal is repelled from the depths of the wood.

This time, the effect is much more pronounced. The tree has, effectively, frozen solid. The leaves that rustled softly in the breeze stand still as is they were carved from the same granite as the boulder, and the swaying boughs are limber no longer. You reach up and attempt to bend a small twig from a branch. It is utterly immovable.

Attempting to unfreeze the tree fails in the same way as the boulder did until you walk round to the other side. There, a small keyhole has formed in the wood. You slip the key in and turn to the right, and the tree springs back into motion.

>[[Binding Discovered: Static State. This beautifully complex key can lock the physical state of an object in place, making it impossible to move or alter until it is unlocked once more.]]

>>43258167
Oh god stasis key

So much utility.

>>43258167
huh, this could be pretty useful.

>>43258167
Holy fuck that is so useful.

Lock everything.

>>43258167
Holy hell.

A key to create an immovable object.

>>43258167
Does that effect persist when the key is unbound? Because other constant-effect totems we've made turn off when the focus is removed. If not, though, damn that would make for some nice fortifications.

>>43258167
Lock some food before we unbind.
If it stays frozen we can literally store food forever without spoiling.

Makes you wonder how strong he'd be at full power.
Also slightly curious as to what he is.

>>43258328
Comet

>>43258349
Comet?

>>43258328
>*Clang*
>What the hell was that?

>>43258403
Must've been the rats.

>>43258373
Comet.

A final experiment—you lock the tree once more, then pull Fourth's control rod from the key. As you expected, the static spell holding the branches in places fades away as the key does, the boughs drooping in relief as the spiritual ties holding them in place fade away.

Ah well. The possibilities still boggle the mind.

You turn the Control Rod over in your hand. The runic inscriptions on it still glow with the light inherent to all letters written in the Celestial language.

“Anything useful?” Quinn asks as he wanders toward you.

You nod. “This is much more than your average wild animal. Fourth is a powerful being bound with Celestial magic of his own will. Everything I've tried has well exceeded expectations.”

“Fourth? Makes me wonder what Third is like.”

You roll your eyes.

“Anyway, you may want to pack it in for the day. Everyone's pretty tolerant of us experimenting, but you've been making a lot of noise and kicking up a lot of dust out here. Some of the farmers are starting to complain.”

You look at the dented, shredded dust plain before you, littered with cracked and melted boulders, weird edifices of sand still eroding in the afternoon breeze.

It has been a loud sort of afternoon.

> One more. Then I'm done.
> Fair enough. I ought to head to the (Forest/Mountain) anyway.
> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.
> Write-in

>>43258506
> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

>>43258506
> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

>>43258506
> One more. Then I'm done.
ONE MORE AND WE GUCCI

>>43258506
>Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

>>43258506
>One more. Then I'm done.

>>43258506
> One more. Then I'm done.
ONE MORE TIME!

>>43258506
>> One more. Then I'm done.
Hunger in a doll.

>>43258506
>> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

>>43258637
That sounds like a completely awful idea.

>>43258506
> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

>>43258506
> One more. Then I'm done.

Control Rod in Hourglass

>>43258506
>> Right. I should probably rest up for looking into the mist problem tonight, anyway.

It's with a small effort of will that you lower the Control Rod, placing it in a loop at your belt. “Right. I should probably rest up to look into this mist business this evening, anyway. Who knows what ridiculous security Ayren set up around the workshop?”

Quinn nods, looking a little pale at the thought. “Let's -all- take it easy for the rest of the day. We have a long night ahead of us.”

“You're telling me,” you tell him. “I have a potentially cross-veil phenomenon to investigate, -and- a date.”

“Aha!” he crows. “I knew it! I knew you had that dopey smile on your face when you came back for a reason.”

“You pat him on the shoulder as the two of you pick your way across the experiment-ravaged field toward the workshop. “Well done. With investigative skills like those Mayhew'll hire you on as his assistant at this rate, and then I'll be out a partner.”

He harrumphs loudly at the thought, though he can't help but look a little pleased with himself anyway.

Sazen has also departed when you return. Terra has abandoned her serious, studious notes and is doodling absentmindedly with her charcoal stick. She glances up, then hurriedly smears the drawing away.

“What's next?”

“A real break,” you tell her. “I need to recharge my batteries a little. I'm glad you and your Salamander are getting along.”

She nods. “He's like Quinn. Grumbly, but nice.”

“I am not grumbly!” Quinn huffs. Terra just giggles in response.

[[ Going to get a bite to eat, folks. I'll be back in an hour or so. Interim question to consider: what loadout, if any, do you want to bring with you on your walk with Elana?]]

>>43259121
Full battle gear.

>>43259121
Bind Baond to our largest codpiece

>>43259228
Bind her to an oud.

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>>43259257
Ha!

>>43259228
>Osyki's face when Boand decides to get handsy through the binding while he's on his date

>>43259121
Relaxed bindings.

>>43259121
Wonder what would happen if we double bind the Maw and Rod into the bottle.

>we didn't do 4th and the puppet
I'm sad guys
control rod and puppet

>>43259121
Light, nimble, classy loadout but be ready for battle always

>>43259624
Around spirits never relax

>>43259121
Something understated. Enough that we can defend ourselves if need be, but not enough to alter the atmosphere. Cloudwalker Stride, we practically never take those off so she shouldn't mind. Edge of Dawn also might be a good one, when not active it's just a necklace and it gives us substantial mobility and combat abilities. So mobility, some decent offense, all we need is defense. What subtle defensive bindings do we have? Maybe Raptor and Emperor Cobra in pants and shirt, if we think we can get away with it? It's a bit gaudy to be wearing scales, but one can't deny that they look good. And Thane we should probably leave at home, actually, disappearing into shadows isn't good for an evening walk.

>>43259733
Pretty well-thought out.

Don't mind this at all.

>>43259733
We really need to get a healing/regeneration binding. And maybe some more defensive ones.

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---
You spend the remaining time relaxing with Quinn and Terra in the workshop, helping them clean here and there from the multi-day campaign that was the construction of the Recall totem. By the time you're done, the workshop looks tidier than possibly ever before. There is something subtly off about the atmosphere inside, a high pitched whining on the edge of your senses, but you imagine the source of that will be revealed in your investigations once you return.

Terra curls up on the corner of your bed with the Almanac while you and Quinn finish dinner. You'll eat early in case your activities run late into the night one way or another. As the three of you break bread, Quinn puts his elbows on the table and leans forward.

“Osyki, I've been thinking,” he tells you. “Pointsmar is due to make its trip over the mountain soon, isn't it?”

You do a few calculations. Sooner than you had imagined, to be sure.

“We'd probably ought to begin clearing a path from here to there, ought'nt we? I mean, that land is teeming with Raptors and Slaying Mantis. If we're going to get a trade route established, we should start laying the groundwork.

Terra waves her hand at you. “We still need to plant trees for that tree lady, too.” She wipes a spot of sauce from her cheek with a bite of bread, then devours it. “Otherwise the Forest will be angry with you.”

“-And-,” Quinn continues, “The harvest festival is just around the corner. I'd like to have the village's wards at least halfway restored by the time it comes up, since spirits have a tendency to wander strangely around that time of year.”

All excellent points.

> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.
> “I know. I'll take care of it.”
> “Is it 'corner Osyki and talk about work' time already?”
> Write-in

>>43260826
>> “Is it 'corner Osyki and talk about work' time already?”
> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.
Let's make it an training regime, surely Ayren didn't do that shit on his own did he?

>>43260826
Didn't we need to expand The Mothers Swamp as well?

>>43260826
>Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.
Who does what?

>>43260826
>> “Is it 'corner Osyki and talk about work' time already?”
> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.

i wanna make clearing a path the last thing we do

>>43260826
> “I know. I'll take care of it.”
>Though I wouldn't say no to help.

>>43260826
>> “Is it 'corner Osyki and talk about work' time already?”
> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.
Do some ourselces

>>43260826
> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.
> Write-in
Okay, so order of operations. First we get this issue with the workshop and the Mists solved. Then Quinn starts working on wards while we and Terra sort out the tree issue. We used the sapling negotiation as part of her training, let's continue with it. That shouldn't take much time, so once that's sorted out set Terra to making the least dangerous to produce totems while we join Quinn in making the more complicated totems. Specifically, anti-spirit wards as well as more beast-repelling wards like we already have on the walls. If possible, make a few personal enhancement talismans on the side, outfit a small group of Slayers. Might not be able to convince Walther to work with us on this, though. But if we can, I want them to tag along with us and Quinn while we go to clear a path of dangerous beasties and plant a line of repelling totems along it. Probably can't make a full path of them, but just having them dotted along the way should reduce the number of dangerous animals along the way. Then when we get the time go back over it to clear brush and then run over it with a Cordia-bound road drag to make a crude path.

>>43258506
So guys, about that key, it changes everything. We can make shields and barricades that are indestructable, or set up a trap to break a charging beasts be, especially since it wont give in the slightest.

>>43261299
The issue with that is it requires us to have the key bound at all times. ALL of Fourth's stuff is stupidly useful.

>>43260826
> Delegate out the tasks to your cotemist and apprentice.

Delegation is the key to an efficient operation and a good manager.

Totally not just an excuse to go do crazy things while leaving the gruntwork to the Totemists-in-training.

>>43261299
I don't think you'll be able to move the objects at all.

>>43261345
I dunno, using it on a building, for instance? Seems like a good tradeoff. Indestructible workshop to act as a shelter.

>>43261380
Exactly, imagine what happens if a spirit tries to koolaid man into the building you've hunkered down in, only to slam face first into an immovable object.

You could also now do several loony toons antics of slamming a door on the bad guy or phasing through an object and locking it.

>>43261380
Yeah. You might be able to get away with locking a shield whenever you need to brace for an attack, but that doesn't fit Osyki's style too well. He's all about mobility, hunkering down behind a shield isn't how he fights. And even if we did want to go down that route, I think binding Fourth to a shield would probably be simpler.

>>43261462
If it allows stuff to move inside the frozen houses and indestructible hospital would be one of the greatest boon to the village. Same for the children house, elder house and granary.

>>43261486
We spend 99% of our fighting in the wilderness.
>>43261535
Which is all great until someone tries to open a door or window.

>>43261535
Until you needed to open the door.

Your eyebrows shoot up your forehead. Putting up your hands in mock-surrender you look between your apprentices. “Oh, good. Is it 'corner Osyki and talk about work' time already?”

Terra nods very seriously.

“Right,” you say. You lean forward again, tearing off a hunk of Raptor meat to chew on while you work out a rough plan. “Well, there's no reason I need to personally attend to each of those thing. Terra, the deal we made with the Dryad was a part of your training, so I'll expect you to finish it. If you need help planting the saplings you can ask Quinn or Pierce, or get a few of your friends to help you.”

She nods, pulling her notebook from its place at her side and making a few rough charcoal marks in it.

“Quinn, I'm going to put you in charge of Totem production and replacement. It's an excellent way to increase both your familiarity with the range of spirits and work on your energy reserves. Starting tomorrow I want you to walk the village and make a list. Take requests from the villagers. Take note of defunct totems. Ayren squirreled them away -everywhere-, so don't be afraid to look in unlikely places. I know at least two totems were regularly installed in the rooftops.”

“Climbing?” He doesn't look thrilled.

“As far as the trade route—that'll have to wait until we can get some Slayer assistance. I'll send a missive to the General regarding his location of choice. Once we hear back from him, you, me, and a few men can cut a path there and back to scatter some beast repelling totems and clear the tall grass.”

He nods. “That's actually a pretty good plan.”

“It's rough, but it'll do.”

“And what will you be doing while we're totem-crafting and tree-planting?” he asks.

> Declare your (tentative) plans for the next week, (Write-in)
> Probably playing spirit politics and traveling back and forth from Eluneia.
> Training. I've been slacking on my usual routine.
> Other

>>43261491
At that point why not just lock the creature itself?

Stab the magus with the key, freeze him forever.

>>43261698
> Declare your (tentative) plans for the next week, (Write-in)
Anti-magus measures. We don't want him following us everywhere like an asshole.

>>43261698
>> Probably playing spirit politics and traveling back and forth from Eluneia.
> Declare your (tentative) plans for the next week, (Write-in)

>>43261709
Might not be able to be used on a person and/or he's to powerful for Fourth to effect.

>>43261709
There is lots of him though.

>>43261698
> Declare your (tentative) plans for the next week, (Write-in)
"Well, I'll be working on this Mists issue, assuming it's not something that can be solved tonight. After that I'd like to spend a little time doing some cleansing meditation in the Stone Emperor's domain, I've been letting my elemental taint grow higher than I'd like. With those done I'll probably divide my time between spirit politicking and helping you with the totems."

>>43261698
Deal with the veil weirdness going on here

>>43261698
Deal with the mists, and also >>43261746

>>43261698
>> Probably playing spirit politics and traveling back and forth from Eluneia.

>>43261698
>> Training. I've been slacking on my usual routine.

>>43261698
> Declare your (tentative) plans for the next week, (Write-in)
Dealing with the weird Spirit mist situation at the house.
Fixing our Earth Corruption
Still need to check out that mine shaft, if we'ere going to start trading stuff with the cities.

“First and foremost, I'm going to deal with whatever alarm was tripped on the far side of the veil here,” you tell them. “And I'm not convinced that's going to be a problem that gets solved in a night. Knowing Ayren, I'll probably need to bind an avatar of secrets just to learn how to fix what needs to be fixed.”

Terra gasps softly, clearly missing the subtle sarcasm.

“Once that's resolved, I'm setting to work solidifying our anti-Magus countermeasures. He got too close to me for comfort when I went to Eluneia. I don't intend to be blindsided again.”

“How do you plan for a guy like that? It's not like you can carry around a village's worth of stealth totems on you at all times.”

“His focus is split,” you tell Quinn. “He's probably got splinters of himself all over the place doing—well, whatever it is he does. As long as I can fly under his radar, hopefully other distraction will keep his eyes off the prize—namely, my neck.”

“And Elana's neck.”

“Necks in general,” you agree.

“Well, I can't fault you for wanting to beef up your wards. That guy is bad news.”

“He is. Whatever he has his copies roaming around for, it can't be good.”

Quinn nods. He glances out the window suddenly, frowning.

“Oi, it's almost sunset. You ought to get going if you're going to get back in time to stay up all night unraveling secrets.”

You hurriedly gulp down the last of your water. “Noted. Thanks for the grub.”

“Anytime,” Quinn says. “Enjoy your date,” he adds, waggling his eyebrows. “Let me know if you need me and the little one to clear out of here when you get back, aye? The workshop will keep for a night.”

“I'm not so sure,” you tell him, throwing your cloak over your shoulders. “But I suppose we'll see.”

> Current Loadout:
Bracelet: Ring of Reverberation
Boots: Cloudwalker Stride
Cloak: Edge of Dawn
Pants: Velociraptor Greaves
Shirt: Tyrant's Tabard

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[[Unfortunately I need to call things a little early this evening, folks. It's been a very hectic week. Next time on Totemist Quest Z: Date Night.

Archival would be appreciated. Drop any questions in my ask box, and as always, have a wonderful week! Thanks for playing.]]

>>43262806
No, thanks for running. Excellent work as always Diarca.

>>43262806
Thanks for running, Diarca. Have a nice night.

>>43262806
Thanks for running.

>>43262806
>YFW the oldest running QM on /tg/ still doesn't know how to use sup/tg/'s archive function

Seriously Diarca. One of these days, a nasty ol' troll is gonna hit, and I'm not gonna be here to stop him.

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Here's the update Binder's Spreadsheet. We keep trying new items and the text is gonna wind up being unreadably small.

>>43264758
you gotta wonder how long Diarca was waiting for us to think outside the box?

>>43264758
I wanna try everything with the Rod, to be honest.