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>>2870413
This bitch leaves you almost no choice. If you flee she will playfully attack your home until it breaks and if you evacuate she would attack Mirangi and any other settlement you could flee to. She knows about your powers and she is confident that she can easily defeat you.

She could be bluffing. She has recalled all her units and she could be gambling on you fleeing while being at her most vulnerable. But then again she might have more aces up her sleeve. Her base might contain replacement troops or she might be able to instantly recover units lost too close to it. Or she might just be really tough.

It might be the case that she is a herald for the invasion. If she arrived from outside of the continent she could potentially request reinforcements and then the situation will go completely out of control. You have no idea why an army like that would even need a landing spot instead of just raining down from the sky in millions like Tyranids or Zerg but if true it reveals her vulnerability and then you must not waste any time. You have just cleaved your way through a small army but you can't single handedly destroy millions of mutants.

Luckily for you she used psychic powers to relay a message directly into your head. Matilda is yet to reveal your true nature. You could unleash your telekinesis at full power but then it would be too obvious or you could continue to use it for body augmentation. In addition you have managed to save up your fougasse charge and you have another 6 explosive and 18 kinetic arrows. You could use those.

Matilda, the Muse of Victory, has finally managed to get up on her feet. She looks tired and angry and the flickering light from her wings indicates that she probably can't take off anymore but she can try to assist to the best of her abilities. If you plan to fight you can tell her to retreat or sit it out which should improve her chances to live through the battle. If you flee you could leave her to buy you time but you don't fancy her chances, especially in this state.

>>2870450
As you can see it, you have the following choices. You could pick up your companion and run while you still can. This would force you to defend the village for the entire time it would take Matilda to get support from the pantheon. You have no idea what ripoff Queen of Blades thinks a small army is so it might be anywhere between a cakewalk and an apocalypse.

You could attempt to probe her bluff by attacking and retreating only if she doesn't crack almost immediately. This should give you more chance to successfully escape while it would probably piss off the mad goddess.

You could fight until you start to definitely lose. This would leave you with a smaller window but as far as you know your powers can get vastly more powerful in desperate situations which could give you an edge you need to just about beat her.

The last option would be to fight to the death. You can't let your people get endangered by this madwoman's games! Only one walks out of this crater alive!

Here each of you has to chose from all 3 categories
Resources:
>Use explosives in battle
>Use unrestricted telekinesis in battle (This WILL reveal you to Matilda)
>Kitchen sink everything you have in battle (This WILL reveal you to Matilda)

Matilda:
>Order retreat
>Allow her to assist
>Leave her

Battle plan:
>Run away!
>Fight until she doesn't crack
>Fight until you start to lose
>Fight to the death!

>>2870460
>Use unrestricted telekinesis in battle (This WILL reveal you to Matilda)
>Order retreat
>Fight until she doesn't crack

>>2870460
>>Use explosives in battle
>Order retreat
>Run away!


let's take Matilda out of here, tell her that this woman is a goddess and a pod person and has been comunicating with uys the entire time, she has to get the gods on her case while we defend the village, when we arrive we send a rider to the big city nearby to bring our monster hunter friends to help us defend the city

>>2870504
>>2870524
changing to support this

>>2870460
>Kitchen sink everything you have in battle (This WILL reveal you to Matilda)
>Order retreat
>Fight until she doesn't crack


To be honest this seems like the best mix. Worst comes to worst we can run and meet up with the pantheon.

>>2870524
I'll go with this too.but....

I really want to fight so if anyone has a good plan on how to do it I might change my vote

>>2870566
Honestly I am surprised as well. From the last thread I thought you'd all go for either fighting until she doesn't crack or fighting until we start losing. Not sure why is the sudden change.

>>2870504
>>2870524
>>2870544
>>2870561
>>2870566
I'll give you guys another 15 minutes if you want to change your mind. Going to get a sandwich in the meantime

If there only was a option to tell matilda to fetch the pantheon without us revealing our powers until she is out of sight.>>2870632

>>2870632
>>2870561

I could change to this if we can start using our powers only after matilda is away so we don't reveal to her, I think it's important to at least get a feel of her powers and improve our own in battle.

but I'd like to keep the rest where I said she should get the pantheon and we sending a rider to gather our monster hunting friends (mainly Sig and Haven)

>>2870657
I can go with this, if we peobe her defences and learn how she figjts we can train appropriately to deal with them

>>2870657
I am willing to accept that compromise.

>>2870646
Let's say there is. You can call for her to retreat and hold off on your powers until she is out of view. You would have to choose a fighting option in that case.

>>2870657
>>2870667
>>2870669
I haven't thought of that when writing the post. I will allow it. Sorry for confusing choices

>>2870670
So the most appropriate action is
>Kitchen sink everything after matilda is away
>Order retreat and for her to call backup
>Fight until she doesn't crack

>>2870681
Yeah that seems like what we can all agree on.

>>2870681
yup

>>2870681
Ok

>>2870709
>>2870686
>>2870684
>>2870681
Looks like everyone wants this. Ok then. Writing

>>2870711
Also, getting to know how she fights and then retreating will put our mind aug into good use since we will be able to come up with counters and strategies with more time.


I have a question to ask too, we selected the body aug so I imagine our phisical condition is unmatched since we spent an aug for that, and probably better than almost anything a bio-moder could build up since our mod is dedicated only for that while the bio-mod covers a way wider range of possibilitiea

>>2870741
We did take body aug. It is second most potent physical strength and resistance package(right after full robotic body and a mix of body aug and robotic body) and it is indeed much better than most biosculptors can make. They can come close in certain categories like strength and resistance to certain types of damage but it would be too difficult to replicate all of its functions. Bio morphed super body would not be as multitool, stable, adaptive and potent at the same time. Well, if it is not in the same package as body aug. Those synergize very well.

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>>2870711
Ok, you have a plan. You need to fight the Mad Goddess to probe her powers. That way you should be able to find counters to her abilities and vastly improve your chances to beat her up when you meet her again. If she is bluffing it would be the end of her. If she is not you will flee the moment she manages to tank all that you are capable of.

However, you don't want to pass up on your secret. She has communicated directly through telepathy. Your companion has no idea yet and it should remain this way. She has to go and fetch reinforcements. Preferably several deities from Cenophilan pantheon. Also it would be nice if she also requests some help to defend the village while she is away.

You turn to her and shout: "She is the real deal! Flee, Matilda! Get some help from the Pantheon before it gets worse!"
Matilda objects: "This is not the time for heroics!"
"If you don't flee we will both die! Get some monster hunters and soldiers to cover Farsalos while you get help! They have nowhere near enough people to defend otherwise!" you counter. She hesitates but you shout "NOW!" and she gets up and tries to get out of the crater. Her wings allow only tiny several meter long hops but she is gaining speed.

Mad goddess giggles creepily and says "Oh, how cute. Are you compromising? You want to both fight me and save your secret? Well then, go ahead..." Her fingers extend several inches further and sharpen into menacing claws with which she gestures you to come closer. You have to open without psi but when Matilda is out of range you can go full in. Let's do this!

>Roll 1d20 to start combat. Tactical and taunt suggestions welcome

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>2870915
Start with explosive arrows try to keep her at a distance for now.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>2870948
>>2870915
This, but miss an explosive arrow purposely, and leave it in the area behind her where it's out of mind. Then, when she's forgotten about it and we can freely use PSI, levitate it into her at full force from behind.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>2870915
send several exploding arrows, we still haven't tested her for that, and use the fire and explosions to change positions and keep mobile, when we use our psy let's try to do it from a distance first

"you know Zerg is the plebian choice right? the one those who don't know how to play make. Good taste is obviously not one of your powers"

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>2870915

>>2871089
>>2870978
>>2870974
>>2870948
Writing

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Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>2870915

>>2870915
>Tactical and taunt suggestions welcome
"Come on bugfucker let's dance."


Tactical suggestions: focusing on using our psi to enhance our speed / strength is a good idea given we want to last as long as possible but it would also be a good idea to use it to rip apart the acid pods launched at us, in such a way as to direct their contents at dense sections of the horde given we know it will melt through them quite quickly.

We could also use it to rip claws and such off, using them as weapons should ours break. Not to mention the one historical weakness of zerg: Psi-storm the shit out of everything.

Protoss 4life we have the Pylons

>>2871179
I did consider finishing my taunt with En Taro Tassadar

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>>2871100
You draw your bow and get an explosive arrow but you don't arm it. "You know Zerg is the plebian choice right? The one those who don't know how to play make. Good taste is obviously not one of your powers."

The Mad Goddess laughs and replies: "Oh wow, and what is better? Muh generalist balanced Terrans? Or 'not enough minerals' Protoss?". The two of you circle each other slowly. Your stamina allows you to keep your bow drawn for as long as you want while normal people can't hold it for more than half a minute without shaking it all over. It would give you supreme accuracy, but you are not targeting her.

A shot whizzes past your opponent and plops into the ground behind her. It was not armed so it doesn't explode. The goddess is about to start laughing but you follow it with another shot. This time directed into her head. She somehow manages to catch the arrow in midair just before it hits her in the face but the sudden stop activates the fuse.

The explosion goes off and it turns out that her face had an underlying layer of armor which was not damaged by shrapnel. Her face was hideously damaged and it looks like if half an inch layer of flesh is peeling off in places. However literally moments later her regeneration kicks in and damaged skin parts move back and stick in place as fleshy bridges start rapidly popping up between them. As she regenerates black chitinous scales start growing rapidly all over the unprotected areas of her body. They are similar to her "gloves" in material but they are not monolithic plates.

"...Ow... And I was wondering why it was smelling like chlorine. My turn" she says and bolts towards you at a huge speed speed. In mere moments she almost closes the distance but luckily you've managed to evade through telekinesis augmented sprint. Her claw passed way too close to your face for your liking. She could have caught up if you weren't using your telekinesis. Why is she so fast? You should have the most advanced body biology can muster!

Then you notice something. You CAN actually run faster without telekinesis. Much faster, but it would be tiring. Actual exhaustion. You haven't felt it since you got into the pod! Your muscles can use sugar as an afterburner of sorts at the cost of toxic buildup inside of them which needs minutes to get cleaned out. And bloody hell that sugar consumption, considering local costs for it. You also feel like it could do better somehow. Does it also need training? Or food supplements?

>>2871356
While on the run you make a 360 turn and shoot another explosive arrow at your opponent. She manages to easily dodge out of the way while it was in flight and it explodes far behind her when it hits the ground. "Fool me once!" she shouts. Shit.

"You know, there are a lot of interesting creatures out there. Things which natural selection could not produce. Like this!" She stops in her tracks and points her hand in your direction. You barely manage to block with the shield as several dozen projectiles impact it hard enough to get stuck half way through the barrier. They start dripping weird steamy sludge. Toxic ammo, of course she has toxic ranged weapons.

She uses your block as a distraction and closes into melee. Before you can react she slashes at your shield. A thunderous sonic boom happens and the entire upper part of the shield disappears as it is cut clean off. She has cut just above where your arm was attached. After that she instantly breaks off from melee and fires again. Your armor and shield manage to protect you. "But you can't beat classics. That was a mantis shrimp inspired design by the way" Is she still playing with you?

You quick draw and fire a kinetic arrow and she blocks with her chitin "glove". The glove cracks a bit in the area of impact but the damage is minimal. You glance in the direction of the Muse and she is out of visual range. This should be far enough to go full in.

>Roll 1d20 for battle! Tactics welcome.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>2871377
root her legs with telekinesis and propell the undetonated arrow at her lower back with as much speed as Ag can muster.

>>2871399
Nice.

>>2871399
>that nat 20
Nice. In any case more rolls welcome. They affect the flow of combat and she won't go down with just one crit.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>2871445
Start trying to take her appart if its already save to use teleknesis, it may not hurt her much but it can hinder her movements

>>2871445
>>2871456
....How about a second one?

>>2871456
Also use the teleknesis to try and feel for her core parts, places that would actually hurt and not just be insta regened

>>2871399
>>2871456
The fuck? The dice hate this bitch.


Also why don't we just TK-implode her skull in case she is actually this puppet and we can kill her like that?

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>>2871456
Rocked a nice one.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>2871399
>>2871456
>>2871472
>>2871475
+4. All of the above?

>>2871496
>>2871456
>>2871399
HOLY SHI-

>>2871456
>>2871399
Holy shit guys, I am currently laughing. I have not planned for that. It is something extraordinary. We won't gib her just yet but I will add extra development avenues for our powers because holy shit you guys earned it...
>>2871496
The fuck?

>>2871496
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNS4t5UCBfI

>>2871503
So now you've seen the third one: insta-gib or nah?


Also the hell is happening, who sacrificed their first born son?

>>2871503
Was I lying about how our powers could turn us into a krytponian?

>>2871515
I am currently processing it. She was supposed to be that actually stronger than us opponent. I initially planned to have a 4-5 turn fight and if we critted two of them we would demolish her. After two rolls I decided that we would fuck her up badly and allow to win if we don't critfail but now I have no idea how to make this work. I will probably write a huge battle to make her some justice with a lot of goodies coming from that. She was supposed to be that "there is bigger fish out there" moment and this has just happened. What are the odds?

>>2871561
1 in 8000

>>2871503
Those 1s finally paid off.

this reminds me of that one prison scene in Rorschach, but replace boiling hot grease with 3 subsequent crits and a prayer

>>2871561
then give us a passive advantage or a allow us to save the extra 20s for later, because honestly, IT DOES feel like bullshit.

>>2871561
>I am currently processing it
Take your time.

>She was supposed to be that actually stronger than us opponent.
I mean she was quite threatening given the sheer numbers she had on hand and the fact she managed to handle the servant of the pantheon.

>I initially planned to have a 4-5 turn fight and if we critted two of them we would demolish her.
Kek.

>After two rolls I decided that we would fuck her up badly and allow to win if we don't critfail but now I have no idea how to make this work. I will probably write a huge battle to make her some justice with a lot of goodies coming from that. She was supposed to be that "there is bigger fish out there" moment and this has just happened.
Well I mean our character is supposed to be more adapted to their augments than anyone else. Perhaps this is just it finally "clicking" and us massively improving in terms of our power? Actually having our life on the line would probably serve as the best motivation we've had as of yet.

Also I'd quite enjoy just a huge battle update written in a consistent tone compared to what the dice sometimes grant of success and failure back and forth.

>What are the odds?
1 in 8000 exactly to have 3 20's in a row assuming a truly random dice mix.


>>2871583
Nope. The will of the dice gods must be respected. Plus his current idea seems like a fine solution.

>>2871583
i like this idea, save a 20 as a panic button.

>>2871561
and what a quest moment, moments like this only the die can give us. make a point in telling her all the flaws the zerg have and why they are inherently inferior to either one of the two other options


we can start tearing her apart looking for the core or place where her actual conscience resides to fuck it up good

maybe make her spill the beans on what she meant about the millions kek

I hope we can catch up with Matilda and call off the heavy artilary

>>2871598
this

no saving, let us not rob us of a 3 20 moment

>>2871617
+1

Kek

Its the second turn too. Matilda might be close enough to hear the SPLAT!!

>>2871561
>She was supposed to be that actually stronger than us opponent

between this and Matilda's hunt not a single lesson in patience and hubris was learned hahaha

Also appropriate battle music for a psionic beatdown would be nice. Best I can think of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6BbvCC0VI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJO7XBOdA6M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlxOwskMnhE

>>2871609
>and what a quest moment, moments like this only the die can give us.
Meanwhile the dicegods are singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqW-Hfk0FN0

>>2871377
Oh boy, ok I've calmed down and checked the notes. Looks like this one will be a bit hueg so it might take longer than other posts. Sorry for that.

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>>2871747

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>>2871747
"Take your time dawg, I hope that you learned that we dice gods don't give a shit about your notes and pre-plans HAHAHAH"

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>>2871747

>>2871795
hue

Rolled 2 (1d100)

rolling dice for amount of seething hatred the dice gods have for Mad Goddess

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>2871929
Rolling to check if it's just because our character is the chosen of the gods.

>>2871929
they don't even care about her, they've done it for the lolz

Finally get back to the thread to see how the fight's going.
>>2871399
>>2871456
>>2871496
... WHAT!?

>>2871747
Ok post ready. It is a bit more than 7000 symbols. Gimme a minute to post it all.

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>>2872247
Ok, the coast is clear and you've just about had it with this bitch. You breath in, breath out and focus. There is a live arrow some 20 meters below her back. It is a bit too far away to target the pin. However you recognize it. You can clearly see it. If you don't do it YOU WILL DIE!

Mad goddess is surprised as her legs get slammed into the ground hard enough to cause a small crater of their own. Her "high boots" get covered in tiny cracks from the sheer pressure. She tries to overpower it somehow. You can feel a telekinetic field expanding from somewhere around her heart but it is weak. It would have forced her off the ground if you weren't pressing on top of her with the weight of a multi story building!

And at that moment the arrow floats up without the pin and accelerates into her neck. The sheer acceleration detonates the projectile at the point of start but that doesn't matter. Rick Robinson's First Law of space combat states that something hitting at 3 km/sec delivers kinetic energy broadly equal to its mass in TNT. At these velocities armor or projectile material plays almost no role, it behaves like really viscous liquid. Fake goddesses back gets shotgunned with debris at lower orbital velocity in the back and neck.

The time slows down and you can see how most of her flesh liquefies and is blown off her head and upper body as the wall of white hot flaming debris impacts her. Those bullshit scales are completely useless against such power and are blown off among the rest of the fleshy bits and weird whitish yellow fluid mixed with crimson red blood. Wait, she has the same blood as you! She also has body aug! So that's why she was so fast!

Unfortunately this doesn't kill her. It seems that her bones are made out of some weird black material which was damaged but not disintegrated by your attack. Areas which can't be rigid have dark grey flexible substance stretched over it. Basically her vital organs are not touched. We blew off most of the flesh, fat and muscle tissue but all internal organs and some minimal amount of muscles remained completely undamaged. She can even still move.

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>>2872265
Her eyes look wide and she seems shocked with you. "H...HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO DO THAT?!" Her voice is pushed out of your head as a minor annoyance. Mind private space, bitch!

Simultaneously as she says it her base opens dozens of holes which deploy blobs which fly in a high ark and should land in a pattern around you. You are having none of that! You raise your hand and clench your fist. More than half of the blobs pop in midair and shower the battlefield in a rain of gibs and weird monster blood fluids. Those which land are really strange. They are definitely not the same things you've fought. The ones that land further are bipeds with one large eye while those which land close by are more of the size of small tanks with heavy armor, heavy bone spitter orifice and several smaller articulated rapid fire bone spitters. The rest of the battlefield gets covered in numerous weird growths of various sizes some distance away.

So, you've asked for some help? Feeling like something's burning up. Well, it won't save you. You attempt to collapse her head. She wails in pain but it doesn't seem to damage her. That strange material is holding up incredibly well against pressure. Bitch, you are not getting away that easily.

The eye monsters open up with beams of blinding white pulses which boil bronze armor and turn cloth to ash upon impact. But all you feel is mildly warm sensation on your skin so you don't give a shit. An organic tank nearby became too annoying and you imploded its insides below its armor instantly killing it following up with some of its friends who were too close.

That gave you an idea. What if you try to implode her insides. You try to focus yourself on her but this strange black "suit" around her vitals somehow overpowers your attempts to scan her. Any effect directed into her gets pushed back with incredible force and probing shows strange results. As if this thing doesn't exist and there are just normal organs there. This is not right. Do you have the same thing inside you too? How do you even check that?

In any case the bitch should die. You push her on the ground and all of your arrows float into the air and hover above her like Damocles' Blade. You don't give a shit that your armor is boiling off your body and the barrage of menacing bone spikes are just bouncing off like they are nothing. You feel a bit warmer from the right. The base building grew millions of those biological laser eyes and is pouring all it can into you. Pitiful.

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>>2872280
You focus your will and drive your entire arsenal of arrows into her as hard as you can. The time slows down even more and you see how after a rain of kinetic projectiles her chest bones give and one of the kinetic arrows manages to push itself into whatever that thing was. For a milisecond you see a brightly glowing cyan crystal suspended behind her heart before it shatters and blue light engulfs her insides, then her body, then the crater which she has formed with her body.

You feel a nice warm breeze after which something on your back feels warmer for a second as your vision darkens. To be fair there was not much to watch, it is like staring on a welding tool. In just a couple moments it passes, but for you it feels like almost half an hour. It feels pleasant, like being in a warm sauna. When the flash subsides you find yourself hovering in midair over a crater three times as big. All the monsters nearby look like they were burned to a crisp and the bio building itself looks slightly overcooked on the side facing you.

You are surprised. You don't feel tired. Physically or mentally. All of your gear has evaporated. That warm sensation was a whole barrel of explosives detonating in your backpack. You look at your hands and they are covered in scales. These scales are different though. They are smaller, hexagonal and reflective like a mirror. Reflectivity soon fades and they become pitch black. So black that eye gets fooled and can't understand that it is not an empty void. You believe it is called vantablack. For the first time in a while a thought crosses your mind. What... are you?

Fake goddess remains lie in the middle of the crater. The wound acted like a rocket engine. Reactive force from the explosion drove it halfway into the rock below. It is just an empty shell now. The material is battered and damaged but it survived ranging inferno and your barrage outside and inside. You are actually surprised that you've managed to pierce it. What is this strange material.

You hear this voice again in your head "Wow... You've actually did it. My apologies, you are way stronger than I thought. You've won. I surrender this territory to you." The organic fortress retracts its numerous laser eyes. What should you do with her...

>Destroy her base. Why won't this bitch die already?!
>Demand answers. Like in the first thread questions will be answered directly in separate posts
>Demand reparations. The bitch melted your gear!
>Other?

>>2872292
>Kill her and destroy her base. Why won't this bitch die already?!

She began fucking with us and we will end what she started.

>>2872292
>Demand answers.

>Other?
"Supposing I wanted to talk to you again, for example to learn from you or just so I can chat with someone who I can actually make references with, how would I do so. I'd imagine we can benefit from each other in future."

>>2872292
>>Demand answers.

why did you set up shop here? there's got to be easier places to do your little zerg farm, why here?

Who are those millions of souls? where did you come from?


>Kill her and destroy her base. Why won't this bitch die already?!


we have to kill her, she kills humans for sport, she can't be allowed to live after her crimes, how many has she killed? and even if we don't kill her the pantheon will

>>2872331
I agree we should destroy this base, or at least ask her to screw off, but I doubt we can actually kill her.

>>2872292
>Kill her and destroy her base. Why won't this bitch die already?!


Where is your pod?

We kill her afterwards

We god-killer now

>>2872336
we can certainly try, I'm not compromising with her

>>2872331
>Who are those millions of souls?
They don't really matter. One person is important, one million is just an statistic.

>>2872336
we don't lose anything by trying to break her core.

>>2872345
yeah I know, I just want to know if its a million souls that she harvested or if it's millions that are to come

>>2872317
"You really want to do it? Even though you oppose my views so hard? Oh well then. I live about a quarter of a planet away on the northern hemisphere. It is literally the only organic occupied area on almost completely glassed continent. You won't miss it. However be warned that oceans, skies and even space are highly treacherous. After all I was not insane enough to go here myself and I've lost several hundred of these pods on a simple suborbital path."

>>2872343
Eh fair enough.

>>2872345
Well she does have one use: we could use her to circumvent some annoying losses of plants and shit by having her make new ones or improved version of existing ones.

>>2872355
Oh well that explains so much. Welp, she's in Europe and we ain't getting her anytime soon.

>>2872355
no compromise, aaarrrggg

we are not willing to work with her exactly because of our view, at least now we know where she lives so we can send the nukes after we talk with the pantheon

>>2872370
Fair enough.

>>2872331
"I set up shop for solely one reason. To make Elspeth suck it. I hate her and her 'psi first' approach to augment creation. The bitch completely walked over my work in the project and cherry picked what she liked! Ooooh her "omega psi" mix with all the goddamn powers all the time with almost no organic support for it. Well, I could have done it if you didn't demolish my backup shell. I am not even mad, I guess it is back to the drawing board time.

And about the souls, I've created them. All of them. Every. Single. One. What else can you do on a continent which is covered in 50 meter deep mixture of irradiated glass and molten rock?"

>>2872399
Was this quest inspired from the Perpetuance Protocol Pod Program (PPPP) CYOA?

>And about the souls, I've created them. All of them. Every. Single. One. What else can you do on a continent which is covered in 50 meter deep mixture of irradiated glass and molten rock?"
So she created then killed them?

>>2872399
So you are were working with her now, or this is from before the pods?

I suppose that black scale was to block my telekinesis, how did you do it?

>>2872342
"My pod? Somewhere below all that slag near to my home. I was lucky the mechanism didn't melt when the place was getting blasted. Probably should have armored it better since I was setting it up anyway"

>>2872409
Partially. Right now it has only tiny bit of the lore which is heavily cut and augmented to actually make sense. It had such a good premise but it had such shitty design and lore. I did mention that in the first thread when anon recognized Elspeth's name. Currently it is less than a 1% of the setting so it doesn't matter too much.

And no. She says she rules them. She made self aware organic servants.

>>2872425
>And no. She says she rules them. She made self aware organic servants.
Must've taken a while.

>>2872399
So what is her plan? Why all of this? What did she intend on doing with the pantheon?

>>2872413
>So you are were working with her now, or this is from before the pods?
She's saying she was a scientists involved pre-bombing whos augments weren't considered interesting or cool by the head of the program, the bitch who now leads the pantheon.

So she wants to make them suffer and prove her ideas superior.
Also how many actual humans has she killed? Not animals, her own creations, monsters or pantheon servants. Humans?

I'm heading out for a bit but I'd like to leave the

KILL HER vote stated before I go lol

>>2872413
"Yeah, I used to work with her. Then we had a fallout and she didn't take me along her wild ride through time so I got myself one of the spare pods and followed her. Took me half a decade to make it work but still.

And oh, yeah, that stuff. It is psi infused material. I have no idea how it is made but apparently only pods can pull this off and they need several hundred years for this. It was Dan's pet project. I've only incorporated it in the "body" augment.

I only managed to copy psi organs from various monsters leftover from the war. Someone apparently managed to create tiny dedicated brains that can only cast one kind of psi effect. Like structural integrity field on the bones of megafauna to beat pesky square cube law or those laser eyes you saw among my troops. A pretty elegant solution in my opinion"

>>2872439
What did elspeth did to be a bitch again? I don't remember

>>2872439
Considering the population of the region I'd say something between 3 and 4 thousand Cenophilans and local barbarians.

>>2872474
call herself a goddess apparently. I don't really blame her, because i would do the same.

>>2872474
In particular case pissed off this unhinged biologist person. In CYOA- being really fucking ethically grey and making dumb decisions

>>2872474
She took herself and a bunch of other people into the pods years before us, leaving our uncle to pick up the legal responsibilities of having the entirety of management bugger off.

Also the whole being a god thing and the fact that she now leads the pantheon and the nation which exists under it.


>>2872478
I'll be honest that is far lower than I was expecting and almost makes her continued existence seem tolerable given how useful it would be to have someone who can actually tell us how half our shit works and stuff.

>>2872435
Her plan is to trip off Elspeth so that she pops up and then beat her up. She didn't plan much further and figured thats local monsters and nearby deities would band together and wreck her remote controlled drones anyway. This attack was inherently disposable for her.

>>2872506
>I'll be honest that is far lower than I was expecting
How much were you expecting?

>>2872478
>Cenophilans
>>2870915
>Cenophilan pantheon
They're a cargo cult around films?

>>2872513
Sounds like a vindictive dick move.

>>2872521
Actually Ceno Phila is ancient greek for "new" and "friends". Make further judgement about the state of intoxication the pantheon was in while making this up on your own

You know I was wondering why the Gods with all their head start on is and presumably at least the same level of knowledge don't seem to have done much if anything to encourage/educate their people to develop better technology.
After seeing this conversation I'm now wondering if it's just because they all have become a bit twisted from their immortality and just enjoy being gods to the primitive mortals.
Also makes me a bit worried about what's going to happen to our mind in a few decades/centuries.

>>2872521
I don't know but when someone tells me "oh my numbers will blacken the skies, your skull will join the thousands that line my roads, I am so evil kekeke" I imagine it at least to be a little higher. 10 to 20 thousands at the very least.

Especially given she was planning and trying to attack the local human society.

>>2872531
Don't forget the other factors. Such as luddite deities nearby and complexity seeking monsters which can show up and wreck you if you build up too much but not enough to counter them. Nation wide industrialization might be too dangerous. Also rapid industrialization causes unrest which would not sit well with the deities who want to rule for a bit more. But yeah, that is also a point.

>>2872534
Makes sense, but we have iron age population densities and she was ticking off deities, not invading for the sake of invading. It could have been too much of a hassle to kill more than needed to get their attention.

>>2872292
Also just FYI, questions continue until 30 minutes pass after the last question. After that I start writing the post. You guys seem to want her to fuck off which is understandable.

>>2872506
The number is not as important as her attitude towards it, for her it was like cleaning the closet. She is a psycho turbo bitch, not just and asshole. She is too dangerous and deranged to let live

>>2872559
Well, we don't really have any way to trust her and we aren't really killing her, so this is a good compromise.

Also, I will hold judgement on Elspeth bitchness until w actually meet her and the pantheon

>>2872506
>and almost makes her continued existence seem tolerable given how useful it would be to have someone who can actually tell us how half our shit works and stuff.
>>2872559
I'm thinking it might be able to work with her. You don't necessarily have to like someone or share the same views to work with them. However, if it's too troublesome I think having her leave would be fine. Or killing her if she proves to be too problematic.
Does she have anything to gain our trust, or avoid conflict?

>>2872551
>It could have been too much of a hassle to kill more than needed to get their attention.
Why not construct a giant broadcast speaker or megaphone that plays the "It's a small world after all" song instead? Or have all her drones play the same song slightly off-sync from each other?
How come she felt the need to kill them, or didn't bother seeking alternatives?

>>2872559
Yes, fuck off with her

>>2872564
>The number is not as important as her attitude towards it, for her it was like cleaning the closet.
People will do whatever they think is right for the goal of revenge. Seeing as she was so driven by her anger as to not only restore a pod to function, create all the shit she has and survive in complete isolation for the length of time she did the fact she is even slightly sane is a miracle.

>She is a psycho turbo bitch, not just an asshole. She is too dangerous and deranged to let live
Eh, that is somewhat true but we can't actually kill her. At best we delay her return to this region for an unknown number of decades

>>2872596
>survive in complete isolation
Her creations don't count?

>>2872603
They don't really count when they are things you made.

>>2872596
Yeah, let's wipe her presence from here, we won't be able to deal with the real her but for now we can just keep her from fucking up here too. Let's not forgwt she was willing to wipe everyone we know just because she could

>>2872608
How cruel. They're things too you know.

>>2872559
Ok then, I can see no direct questions so I start writing.

>>2872694
You look at the organic structure disapprovingly as you prepare to cast something at it and you get a transmission from the mad goddess:

"Well, I guess I can't blame you for wanting me the hell away from here. Deploying self destruct now. I recommend you to vacate the crater if you don't want to get toasty in two minutes after the pulse as suspendium crystal cooks off. Also I recommend to pick up your Cup Bearer friend on your way. I slammed her with psychic powers when she got out of visual range. She should probably forget the last ten minutes or so. Be free to bullshit your way back into your happy village life or something and say hi to Elspeth for me if you see her. Farewell"

A surge of power similar to the one which the compound tentacle monster produced goes off, however this time it is more powerful and echoes way further. Pulsing wines stop and burst as well as a couple of creatures which survived the initial blast. If it works the same way all of her constructs on this part of the continent should be popping. The building itself starts looking really sick and the cyan glow from the inside appears and slowly grows in intensity.

You make your way out of the crater and just as she said, two minutes after the pulse her base blows up. It is not too powerful of an explosion but it would be nasty to get any more of that sludge on you after you've just baked it off due to her laser fire and blowing up body.

One and a half kilometer away you find Matilda. She is unconscious and luckily not infected. You pick her up and carry her home. As you go you can see more and more remains of these parasites. All zombie humans are headless rotting bodies. All infected animals are just carcasses dripping gooey remains of their parasitic overlords from their orifices. Smell is unimaginable and you are so glad that you can selectively shut it off.

While approaching the village you start worrying that they won't recognize you with your scales, but they seemingly diffuse as fast as they appear. Convenient. You wonder if you could somehow trigger it on demand. In any case, it is just mainly awkward now since literally all your gear has evaporated. You manage to sneak in during the night and put on some of your spare clothes before dropping your ally off in her bed in the temple. You want to sleep it off. Tomorrow when you wake up the first order of business should be...

>Party. This is worth celebrating
>Matilda. You want to clear what has just happened with her
>Gear. FFS, it is the second time you are remaking it
>Other?

>>2872826
>Matilda. You want to clear what has just happened with her

Gear can come later and we will want to celebrate after ensuring our continued safety.

>>2872826
>Matilda. You want to clear what has just happened with her

>>2872826
>>Matilda. You want to clear what has just happened with her

>>2872826
>>Matilda. You want to clear what has just happened with her

what did we say? she bluffed we called and kicked her ass, it is technically true even if she didn't intend it to be a bluff

also, we have tt considering talking with the pantheon, Matilda will probably want to take us to them for killing the threat/saving her

>>2872919
>>2872872
>>2872844
>>2872837
Writing

>>2872956
You wake up early in the morning without any complications. Strangely you've slept without dreams this time. Maybe last time it was a fluke and that pod is not leaking? Well, hopefully it is the case. Because otherwise you have no clue how to keep it contained.

But no time to waste now! You can celebrate this victory later. After getting dressed the first thing that you do is visiting Matilda. When you knocked and entered she was already awake and really confused. She had no idea how she managed to get into this room and she seems to think that it is another of the mad goddesses tricks. Apparently while you were immune she was making your companion hallucinate really hard.

She remembers how you "sacrificed yourself" so that she could escape and call for backup and she doesn't believe how she could get defeated. You claim that she was bluffing and you managed to trick her with that explosive trap you took along in the backpack and that severed the node. In the end you just have to walk her into the goddamn forest and show her the carcasses of the parasites so that she believes you. Damn it what a pain. Well, to be fair you wouln't believe a peasant who would claim to easily beat someone who was busy handing your ass to you for over an hour. But luckily it is all over now and you two can return back to your normal lives.

Matilda feels like she has been drinking for days nonstop. Looks like psychic knockdown is quite painful. She needed some time in the cold shower and a few cups of chamomile tea to get back into a more or less productive state. She plans to leave tomorrow and she proposes to give a few good words about you to Nike'. Should you let her? It would peek their interest on you which can be good or bad thing depending on your goals. You could still just make a trip to the capital and meet them that way or get into a large city and ask an oracle to relay a message to them.

>Let her speak
>Claim that you like your life now as is
>Other?

>>2873103
>>Claim that you like your life now as is

Also on a unrelated question. can we use the fusion reactor in our pod to help the other pod complete their person? Im pretty sure it still has some juice left.

>>2873103
>>Let her speak
Doesn't sound bad to get into someone's good graces. Do they already know about us?
>>2873103
>She plans to leave tomorrow and she proposes to give a few good words about you to Nike'. Should you let her? It would peek their interest on you which can be good or bad thing depending on your goals.
>Nike'.
Will she establish her patronage by sending us sneakers?

>>2873103
>>Let her speak

no harm in building up rep before we meet them

>>2873103
>Claim that you like your life now as is


>>2873131
They don't know about us but equally we don't know enough about them to confirm how they'd treat a random new, if admittedly helpful, goddess.

>>2873130
Our pod is monolithic. We can't open it without advanced tools and our reactor is out. The fastest way to power the pod that you know of is to build a steam turbine. You could potentially ask the pantheon or try to look for unknowns like psi charged materials or anomalies too I guess.

>>2873131
It is Nike'. Focus on second vowel. Like the goddess of victory and not like an ancient shoe manufacturer company

>>2873103
>Let her speak

But remind her that we like our life how it is too. Do not dissuade her from talking about her but affirm that we plan on staying here for a while, even if we do plan on going to the capital eventually

>>2873145
Night QM, thanks for running, I'll see where things went tomorrow

>>2873145
Are they not one and the same?

>>2873158
Nope. Nike as a company is read as Ni'ke with focus on first vowel which sounds as [naik]. Nike' has focus on second wovel and is read as [nike]

>>2873130
>>2873131
>>2873133
>>2873135
>>2873153
2 for letting her speak, 2 for telling her not to do that and one for letting her speak but telling her that we enjoy it here and don't want to go just yet. I think latter is the best approach.

>>2873206
Best as in includes both choices. Writing

>>2873213
You tell her that she can inform the pantheon about your existence but you like your life here and you don't want to leave just yet. You will make a trip to the capital once you think you are ready to approach them. She says that she understands and would make sure to mention that.

The rest of the day passes pretty well. You disarm and store all of the mines after checking and double checking the list for their locations. They were useful when the threat was real and nearby but now they are just a hazard for civilians and should be dismantled. You can put them back in if a new treat arrives.

There is a relatively large celebration for your and Muse's victory. There is enough game from the last hunt to get enough food for the party and Matilda follows it all up with a bunch of stories and myths. Some stuff about various monstrous creatures which were killed by daring heroes who then got their fame and glory.

One of these stories reminds you of Beowulf. Some guy killed a bunch of various creatures abroad, received a high noble title upon return and retired. Then eventually he lost his life when he grew older and decided to kill another monster which attacked his town because some kid stole its favorite golden mug or something and the creature decided to burn everything on the principle of killing the culprit eventually. Well, thumbs up for efficiency I guess.

Unfortunately it is pretty terrible to listen to. The style of writing has way too much of drive by exposition to give historical context for anything from noble lineages to tiny piles of gold. If you compressed it to something more reasonable it would be several dozen times shorter. But to be fair Beowulf is written in a similar way and the villagers enjoyed it so you tried to enjoy it too.

The party lasts into the night and he next morning your new friend leaves. Well, this was an eventful week. You've got your hands on gunpowder, built a wall and made parasites pay for it. Also you've wrecked mad goddess which should count for something.

_______________________
And on that note I pause this session of SGQ. We will continue once I wake up again. As usual feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, opinions and questions. Most importantly, what do you think of the last event?

>>2873308
If we develop a fully articulate TK field around our skin can we become a budget Kryptonian?

>>2873321
Against bullets- yes. Not against lasers or too fast bullets though. It depends on how much the shield is trained which is directly related to how fast you can accelerate stuff in normal state and how many things you can lift separately. Also we must not forget the emergency scale armor which allowed us to survive meters away from a powerful explosion. So I'd say we could potentially reach non- bullshit cryptonian levels of invulnerability with taking tank shells with our chest and blocking bullets with our eyes. But I am not taking into account the "punching universes apart" superman performance and even then there would be things that could wound or kill us through it. There is always bigger fish somewhere. Probably.

>>2873336
I did say Budget Kryptonian. Which basically meant Flight, Strength, Speed, and Durability far in excess of what any standard human army could hope to match. Man of Steel in a World of Cardboard, sorta thing; powerful enough that the things that can make a measurable difference or pose any sort of threat are few and far between.

>>2873345
Then yes. This is pretty reachable.

>>2873308
Personally i didn't like how the three 20s affected the battle. yes, they were awesome, i love that we got them and we should be rewarded for it, but for them to become an insta win felt like way too much. In some weird way i feel it robs agency to the story and might allow us to do impossible things. But i doubt we will see anything like this again for a long while , so i guess it doesn't matter in the long run.

>>2873411
>I don't want absurdly good luck to affect the flow of combat or the plot
>I WANT to be railroaded

>>2873308
I liked the last event, Aghata discovering new uses for her powers and we defeating an enemy we were not meant to, both were great, thank for running

>>2873308
Ok guys. I am awake. Sorry for being late. Starting preparations for the opening post.

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>>2874674
All in all, you kind of like this village. Yes, it sometimes gets attacked by weird mutant nagas, random bandits, murderous parasites and deities with imagination insufficient for not ripping off random well known characters. However when it is not it is really peaceful and a nice place to live in. A perfect place to rest from your insane adventures.

While you were resting you managed to recreate your gear. A new set of aluminum bronze armor, new gambeson, a new shield, another overpowered compound bow and a brand new halberd and short sword. You really need to find a better way to get aluminum. At the rate you go through it you will need another armor material in the near future. Galvanized steel perhaps.

The newest addition to your equipment is a giant wolf pelt cape. Wolf's head functions like a cowl while the pelt creates a thick large cape. It is big enough for you to completely cover yourself if you want and after you processed and cleaned it up it is also soft and comfy. Also it is thick enough to potentially protect your back from arrows and blades. That is the main reason it was used in ancient times after all. In addition to all of that it also looks pretty cool. Sort of like the Nemean Lion pelt on Heracles or a lion cape on a Roman Aquilifer. Nice.

Now that your lab is not at the risk of getting revealed you have managed to finally process all the new things you've discovered. Let's start with the pieces of subspace creature. Your eyes are sufficient to perform primitive spectroscopy. All you needed to do was to make an electric arc with a zinc- copper battery bank to heat up the material.

The samples taken from subspace seem to have lost all their multidimensional qualities during separation from the creature. Foamy flesh is filled with hydrogen and helium mix under low pressure while the walls are made out of thin organic tissue film. Microscope shows that the cells are eukaryotes and they seem to have similar organoids to Earth cells which makes you think that at some point they were related to Earth beings. The structure of the bubble seems to be an organic version of a tidal generator. It seems to have a function similar to photosynthesis. It extracts energy from gravity wave passing through it and storing it as energy dense organics to sustain its metabolism. You currently have no idea how the creature maintains hydrogen and helium since it almost completely diffused through the membrane.

>>2874879
Bone matrix material appears to be made mainly out of carbon and calcium rearranged in 3d fractal shapes. The resulting bone pikes and forms ended up not structurally sound in normal space. It appears that the geometry of the bone relies on four dimensions to maintain structural integrity. The material is also porous and contains sugars, gaseous analogue of blood vessels and certain other organs that you are not sure about. They appear to be a secondary gaseous pipelines with nodes which makes you think of lymh nodes in mammals but now there are no ways to know. Fascinating.

Mad goddess shell material ends up being the largest mystery. It required almost half an hour of heating up before it started glowing. It looks like it is mainly made out of densely packed carbon. The structure is too fine to see with the existing microscope. You think that it is some kind of nanomaterial. It is resistant to drilling, impact, high temperature, acids and literally anything else you had available. When it gets stressed the impact area starts glowing in infrared making you think that it is "shielded" in a similar way to Matilda but stronger and on molecular level. As incredible as it is you have no way to process it into anything usable so it will have to stay in storage for now. It's a shame.

Looks like it is true what they say about the world. The more you know the more questions you have. It is finally time to look into more productive things to do.

>Construction: new industries and buildings
>Projects: new techniques, technologies, prototypes
>Explorations: Labyrinth, the nation itself or the wilderness to the north
>Special: Incoming population wave. We need to finish the inner wall and build more housing in the following months
>Other?

>>2874886
>>Explorations: Labyrinth, the nation itself or the wilderness to the north

>>2874886
>Explorations: Labyrinth, the nation itself or the wilderness to the north

>>2874886
>Special: Incoming population wave. We need to finish the inner wall and build more housing in the following months

>>2874902
>>2874908
>>2874929
Ok then, writing

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>>2874978
After finishing with your gear you decide that it would be nice to look around a bit more. You haven't really left the immediate area of the village yet. There have to be more things to see just around the corner. And you have a few ideas.

First of all, there is the Labyrinth. A place said to be dangerous even for some Cup Bearers. Giant multi layered cave system stretching across the continent. You have barely explored it and you have already found remnants of civilizations, precious resources and horrifying monsters. There has to be much more in there if you decide to brave the depths once again.

Secondly, there is Cenophila proper. You haven't been deep in its territory. All you've seen were the a couple of villages and a small town. It would be nice to pay a visit to a major city or even make your way towards the capital some day. There are always places to see, people to meet, things to try and monsters to kill.

The third option is to explore the wilds. To the north of Farsalos stretches a wild territory between the three warring nations. The place too packed with dangers that no one has managed to colonize it. You expect it to be inhabited by horrifying monsters and barbaric tribes which were pressed out of Cenophila proper during its expansion as well as yet undiscovered natural wealth and secrets just waiting for someone to discover them.

You don't plan this to take long. There is a major construction waiting for you when you return. This shouldn't take long. Not quite 20 minute in and out but you don't think that it would take more than a couple of days. Pick a direction and let's go!

>To the Labyrinth!
>Let's try to reach the nearest Polis! You are curious to see what a large iron age city looks like.
>Maybe visiting the western coast would be a good idea? That is where that dragon went on a rampage and the main Mad Goddess force remains should be littered somewhere along the way.
>Let's explore the wilderness to the west! This is where Mad Goddess has landed.
>Let's explore the wilderness to the east! That is in the same direction as giant wolves and that geyser.
>Let's explore the wilderness to the north! It is in the direction of the basalt ridge. You don't know what's there
>Other plans?

>>2875061
>>Maybe visiting the western coast would be a good idea? That is where that dragon went on a rampage and the main Mad Goddess force remains should be littered somewhere along the way.

>>2875061
>>Maybe visiting the western coast would be a good idea? That is where that dragon went on a rampage and the main Mad Goddess force remains should be littered somewhere along the way.

>>2875093
>>2875080
Very well, let's go. Writing

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>>2875171
Going to the coast sounds like a good idea. Apart of the benefits of hanging around a beach with Mediterranean climate the visit has multiple more pragmatic goals. On your way you should pass through the areas devastated by the recent invasion of parasites as well as the place that was hit by a dragon not too long ago. The pantheon should still be working on it so this would be an excellent chance to see how they handle climate restoration.

Your path starts in Mirangi. This is the only road between Farsalos and the rest of the country so you have to pass through it anyway. You use this opportunity to check up on your hunter friends. Sigrid managed to get messed up by some monster during the last hunt but the damage itself is superficial. A bunch of cuts and bruises and a minor concussion. After a couple weeks of rest she should not even have any scarring so the only thing that was damaged was her pride. She ate a tail swipe and Haven basically had to carry the entire team.

Brandir has finally switched to battlefield grade weapon. He now fields an iron warhammer of sorts. It is like your halberd but instead of a blade he has a hammer head on one side and a spike on the other. Apparently he had a lot of trouble with some bug creature which was too armored to get easily hurt by swords when hunting solo and thus he had to retreat. You can clearly say he is really salty about it.

You couldn't meet Hardwin unfortunately. Looks like he does monster hunting sporadically when he is low on finances. Maybe you could talk him into joining your village later? You do need a... less crippled defense force. The fact that the smith used to be a field ballista operator was almost too lucky to be true but the rest are just villagers with bronze pikes and vests. A specialist would be nice once you can afford his service.

Before leaving you ask the Hunter's Den innkeeper about the local news. It looks like the town was attacked several times by the small groups of infected and they were known to scale walls and ignore arrow fire. Just before they managed to get in they started dying off. Looks like you were not a second too early with that victory holy shit.

Among other news Matilda has paid a visit on her way home. She just passed through the town, stopped in the temple and then continued on. For these people it was something extraordinary. Like an angel which came to visit. She didn't make any official statements except that the threat was neutralized so the locals think that she has defeated the parasite hive. It is not like you want fame anyway but you guess that's what it feels like to be both overpowered and under cover.

It doesn't seem that anything new has happened since the parasites so after buying some food you set off on your way. Next stop is one of the border fortresses called Plagiés. From what you understand it is currently being restored since it was depopulated by the parasites. Road awaits!

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>2875308

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>2875308

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>2875308

>>2875322
>>2875319
>>2875311
Writing

So, I had been thinking about how telekinesis was described as "space" manipulation since thread 1.

The qm clearly has at least an enthusiasts level of knowledge about physics, so that is almost definitely deliberate word choice.

That's significant because as physicists like to say: space and time are the same thing.

Counterintuitive consequences of spacetime theory aside, it's not that crazy if you think about it in certain terms. We often refer to how far away a place is using time e.g. "It's a four hour drive from here."

Where am I going with this? Well, it would seem to me that this particular brand of telekinesis that effects space could also be used to effect time. I ain't talking about time travel, don't get nervous. Just things like locally accelerated or decelerated time flow.

The latest triple crit which has supposedly opened new paths to us makes this as good a time as any to drop my concept for a new use of the power. One specific example I had in mind would be Agatha putting her herself in a thin envelope of highly accelerated spacetime that merges with the local fabric at a steep gradient, effectively enabling her to move like the flash; or from her perspective, to move at normal speed while everything else is moving extremely slow or almost stopped.

Thoughts? Criticisms? Salt? Invectives?

Thanks for reading.

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>>2875401
Once again as soon as you are out of the visible range of the town you pick up speed and start running. You don't really worry about bumping into other travelers since you will see anyone faster than they can see you and then you could just slow down to a jog and continue on after they pass you. A trip that would take locals several days on foot you do in just over three hours. Lack of exhaustion and high speed quickly adds up to huge time saves.

You pass several carriages which are filled mainly with wounded and exhausted soldiers as they move from the fort towards Mirangi to get taken care of. There are also quite a few carcasses of infected animals rotting on the sides and their amount starts increasing the closer you get to the fort. Then you start seeing bodies of humans. Mainly peasants, very few of them have shiny blue equipment of Cenophilan land forces.

As you approach the fort you note smoke plumes coming from its direction. A military patrol stops you on the road and warns that you can't stop at the fort. Apart of getting entirely depopulated the internal area is contaminated and cleanup is currently taking place. Apparently several Cup Bearers also operate in the area and soldiers ask you not to disturb them without great need.

Cup Bearers in question are aligned to the local god of medicine Mortati and one of the Muses of Battle from Nike' who is apparently really bored at the moment. The former are directing the cleanup and the latter was supposed to assist with the military subjugation of the threat but the flanking strike probably worked and all of the monsters died off. While convenient, the officer claims that it was pretty anticlimactic for Western Land Forces. In any case, basically the area inside of the walls is off limits. There is some corrosive shit spilled there which Cup Bearers claim to be dangerous to be around. Interesting.

When you approach the fortress you can see that soldiers with cloth masks on their faces are hauling bodies of people and monsters out of the fortress and piling them into the bonfires to cremate. It seems that there are at least a thousand of them already burning. There are at least four times that of the various organic monstrosities which are getting burned separately. Looks like it was not pretty.

The fort itself is an example of a boom town. A large rectangular stone brick wall surrounds a self sufficient military fortress on an artificially raised hill similarly to ancient Roman analogues. A small river flows near to the area and this time it is big enough for small boat shipments. Basically a town where soldiers live with its own baths, forges, water supply and so on. Nearby area is a boom town sprawl which is inhabited mainly by people who live off providing services to the military. Minor luxury items, food, inns and... other things which a warrior might be interested in. Then services grow around these services with farms, houses, roads, temples and so on.

>>2875542
Unlike what you've expected most of the sprawl is built in a grid fashion around the main street in the fort which acts as the main marketplace. Most of the sprawl is towards the south of the fort with town wall and northern fort wall being mere dozen of meters from each other. No one wants to live closer to the border it seems.

The northern wall appears to have been heavily bombed by the same acid that those giant walker beasts utilized and many buildings show damage from giant serrated bone impacts. Looks like the town was shelled and the wall was destroyed before the assault began. There are also several completely destroyed houses with rotting remains of what seems to be organic capsules. You guess that they probably contained some shock troops and a bunch of parasites. They mainly occur in the civilian area. Wow, taking over civilians and then using them as meat shields for the main attack. That is some dirty strategy from the mad goddess.

>Volunteer to cleanup
>Attempt to get a look at the Cup Bearers
>Move along, nothing to do here
>Other?

>>2875528
Congratulations on being the first to figure out the basis behind the more advanced space aug techniques. Yes, we manipulate gravity and spacetime. Expanding, contracting, folding of spacetime and so on. No time travel though. The reason for it is way in the late game.

>>2875559
At least no backwards time travel. Time dilation can still happen. Your idea is quite interesting and might work.

>>2875559
I could probably conceive of at least 10 very good reasons I could think of to keep time travel out of the quest even if you didn't have anything in mind.

>>2875546
>>Attempt to get a look at the Cup Bearers

>>2875546
>Attempt to get a look at the Cup Bearers

If things look like they could use the help and we aren't in danger of causing too big a fuss then


>Volunteer to cleanup

>>2875578
I have an exact reason for it. It is just a major spoiler to a major event in the future so I can't just tell you now.

>>2875546
>Attempt to get a look at the Cup Bearers

>>2875588
's fine. I was just voicing my trepidation about involving time travel as a rule. It's messy stuff.

No onus was intended on you to justify or describe your choice whatsoever.

>>2875587
agree with you

>>2875581
>>2875587
>>2875591
>>2875608
Writing. Sorry for possible delays, my net access is jumpy.

>>2875528
So we can basically scream ZA WARUDO and "stop" time? Count me in, because its time to get creative.
>>2875546
>Attempt to get a look at the Cup Bearers

>>2875696
As well as everything else you can think off with space time manipulation. Like, I dunno, reactionless warp drives, wormholes, pocket universes... You don't know until you try, although I recommend checking out an example of something similar at least. For example that portal anomaly Haven was talking about. It would increase the chance not to kill everyone within several miles during trial and error stage of technique development. Or you could see someone else do it to inspire you.

Well, when you have major fundamental forces of the universe as your plaything, the options are pretty limitless.

In theory, couldn't she use telekinesis to overcome nuclear forces and cause cold fusion? Mind you, it wouldn't be cold for long.

Or is there a hard limit on the smallest object she can interact with?

>>2875743
We don't have electron microscope vision, we can't even see individual atoms, not just affect them. It would take a lot of time and it might be easier to just learn how to implode prepared deuterium-tritium or uranium pellets if you want early nuclear weapons for some reason. "Early" is highly relative here. As in mid- late game "early"

Another idea I had was to use telekinesis or gravity waves or whatever is the most appropriate description as a way to perceive objects in general. If she is able to do that and learn to process the information, she'd eventually be able to actually perceive and lock on to subatomic particles since the resolution of such a sense would not have the same constraints of perception via em waves.

That is a pretty deep rabbit hole though, I'd imagine. Being able to perceive objects as distant as quazars by their gravity waves and objects as small as protons by their . . . something might very well be a maddening experience.

would we be able to get 'Eye-ball' invisibility? Bend space around us in such a way that light never actually contacts us, except for where our eyes are so we can see?

Also, what would it take to make artifacts that can imitate the 'Powers of the Gods?' Just a better tech base?

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>>2875685
You decide to take a look at the Cup Bearers. As a monster hunter you claim to have a professional interest in gaining information about the creatures that attacked the place and suggest your assistance in the cleanup. The Cup Bearers seem to operate mainly in the area which was chemical bombed.

You put on a wet linen mask and set off towards the contaminated area. There are few people there, mainly the guards which turn back the curious soldiers. They seem to be more worried about your health than about anything else so you have to go into the town, snag some coal, pulverize it and fashion yourself a filtering mask before you manage to talk your way in.

The area is not restricted. There are soldiers in primitive gasmasks similar to your version pulling out the bodies from the area. It looks like the acidic goo is slowly evaporating. The iron nails and weapons left in the racks are incredibly heavily rusted and you pick up the smell of various acids in the air. Lucky for you your equipment is either chemically treated, in waterproof containers or made out of corrosion resistant metal so you don't have to worry about it.

Mortati Cup Bearers are apparently called Asklepians. Unlike Matilda, the one you saw is not just human outside. She has white feathered wings on her back. While they are insufficient to allow her to fly she seems to be able to project a telekinetic effect on herself to gracefully float around. She looks like a blonde woman in a white robe and she also has a staff which emanates strange glow. She was observing the cleanup and directing the soldiers. She was slightly irritated by how they don't seem to think that protective masks can actually save them and keep taking them off as they obstruct their breathing. To be fair it is not lethal in here, just not great if you want to stay healthy.

When she saw you she was pretty surprised. Not by the fact that you have a full set of gear on you or by your giant wolf cloak but by the fact that you have a mask on that she didn't make herself. She introduces herself as Helena and she wants to know who are you and how can she help you. According to her the soldiers don't seem to understand that the masks are saving their lives. As well as certain aspects of basic hygiene which ticks her off.

You explain that you are a monster huntress and you wanted to help with the cleanup as well as to gain insight on the creatures that attacked the place. Helena directs you to the far side of the fortress and recommends to ask her companion Lykos about the details. She also asks you to talk with the Muse Lapetos since he is getting increasingly bored with this mess and as a huntress you should be able to at least find a subject he might be interested in.

>Check up on Lykos
>Check up on Lapetos
>Other?

>>2875821
As well as various things that are currently beyond you. Like what the hell was that explosive "suspendium"? Or those anomalies in the Labyrinth? Maybe there are materials which can't be replicated with technology but can be incorporated into it.

>>2875863
>>Check up on Lykos

>>2875863
>>Check up on Lapetos

>>2875863
>>Check up on Lykos

>>2875863
>>Check up on Lapetos

>>2875921
changing to
>Check up on Lykos

I like the fact that a lot of cup bearers are pretty women, Aghata can enjoy a nice view kek

>>2875928
These two are guys. However you are correct, among Cup Bearers women are represented a little bit more. Because why wouldn't you, right?

>>2875934
based on past interactions she certanly doesn't mind too

>>2875878
>>2875886
>>2875887
>>2875921
>>2875928
Lykos it is. Writing

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>>2875980
Lykos seems to be the obvious choice. Helena claims that he is studying the contaminant and the remains of the parasites. He should be the person who knows the most about what is going on here. Thus you make your way towards the damaged wall section.

Lykos is a strange- looking fellow. He is a tall pale man in dark purple robes. It looks like he projects a hologram around his head that makes it look like he has some kind of thin golden halo. Strange symbols slowly make their way around it. The man seems occupied by looking attentively at the acidic sludge that is covering the section of the wall and mumbling something.

When you come closer you hear that he is mumbling something about what the components it is made out of. Looks like it is a concentrated mix of organic and inorganic acids in a gel form with some chemicals to keep the gel together. He doesn't notice you at first but when you get closer he finally acknowledges your presence.

After a small explanation he agrees to share a bit of his findings. He has discovered that the creatures seem to have remnants of "psychic control organ". These things are usually found in monsters with hiveminds. They also seem to heavily use strange "biosculpting pulse organs" which contain self- directed biosculpting "spell" and burns out after it is used. This is something unprecedented and never yet encountered in the wild.

Lykos has calm and almost emotionless voice at first and doesn't seem to treat you as his equal in intellect. However he quickly ditches the latter once you describe the creatures you've encountered. Apparently the bio- forms that attacked the area were different from the ones you've seen in the crater. Enemy forces consisted of living catapults of sorts which flung acid blobs and capsules filled with parasites and small but deadly creatures the size of a house cat in high arcs from outside of range of fort's siege weapons. No tank bugs, no beam critters, no mutant humans and no giant walkers. Only zombies and chemical artillery.

Asklepian was most interested when you've mentioned that the creatures closer to the hive were constantly transmitting psychic prayers. He asked you what were they saying but the prayer was not in any language you knew and thus went over your head unfortunately. You also told him about the parasite queen. However you've claimed that Matilda has done almost all of the work. His instant reaction was that this was not her actual body. Apparently no sane biosculptor with that much talent personally participates in battles unless it is absolutely necessary.

Lykos thanks you for your input and allows to ask him any questions you have before he has to contact his superior. Do you have any?

>Ask him about(write-in). For example what is that "suspendium" thing
>Leave him to it and visit the Muse

>>2876099
>suspendium" that would be the first yes

Can we get a sample of the sludge and the list of components he was mumbling, maybe we can use it for something at our lab

ask him if more creatures have been seen around other parts that he knows off.

how many people were lost to the attack of the mad goddess?

>>2876099
Ask him how many cub bearers or asklepians does Mortati has.

Then let's get on our way to the Muse

>>2876130
>Suspendium
"I am not sure if she was referring to the same material, but there is a type of crystal with similar appearance and properties. It is the main reason for existence of "floating islands" which can rarely be seen floating across the sky and they appear to be the only source of them. It produces a constant lift and tries to be "suspended" at a certain altitude. There are ways to gather and refine it which makes it volatile but more potent and you can control the altitude and how much force it generates by compressing it at a certain frequency. Due to the difficulty almost no mortals have ever seen this material before. You are very lucky to even know about it"

>Samples
You currently lack any container which can hold this material. However you don't think it is that interesting. There are no unknown components. It is just a bunch of acids mixed together and designed in to stick to stuff like napalm. It also evaporates relatively quickly and in a month there would be no sample.

>Other creatures
It seems that you and Matilda are the only people to encounter those "elite" mutants. Everyone else was dealing with various infected animals and humans supported by this chemical artillery and pods crammed with parasites.

>Losses
"The count is still going but we've lost no less than 1400 people during the loss of the fort. Holy Nation was also attacked but due to sour relations I have no idea how many people they've lost."

>>2876099
Ask about tactics, behaviors, things like that. Compare and contrast methodologies, see if this was the work of the same entity or if we're dealing with multiple minds in a single horde.

>>2876169
>Cup Bearer numbers

"Every deity has their own opinion on how many servants they need. Ignis has no Cup Bearers while Nike' has around 700. Mortati has around 150 Cup Bearers but not all are seen by the mortals. We exist to treat, cure and help people but our patron has trouble growing our numbers due to how complicated our work is. It is not just swinging a blade, it requires decades of studying and preparation."

>>2876197
>Check the relations between the two hordes

After the cross examination it appears that the creatures were of the same origin. They had common body structure elements, used the same weapons and all parasites had similar behaviors. Lykos thinks that the creatures you've encountered were "royal guard" of the hive queen and they were designed specifically to fight the attacks against the hive while the invading army was designed to siege fortified population centers. Considering that the biosculptor was manually operating this invasion it is possible that they were creating designs on the fly to deal with problems they encountered. After all it was not the first attack on this fort that cracked it.

>>2876224
Ask him if there are any rewards or bounties for murdering the Biosculptor?

>>2876236
that would be a really easy way to get unwanted attention.

>>2876236
I don't think it is a smart question as we are going low profile and it won't fit with Matilda's report.

>>2876248
>>2876253
That's fair.

>>2876253
let's move on then I guess

>>2876278
Fair enough. Writing

While people are around, I had a topic I wanted to bring up: when should we start planning our second lab and what are some of the possible things went want it to have and do?

Our current one is limited in its scope and scale, but our next one could or should be a major upgrade and be located, preferably, at a remote or well hidden location with adequate security and maybe somewhere with interesting things like anomalies to study and experiment with.

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>>2876284
The next person you'd like to meet is Lapetos, one of Nike's Muses. You find him sitting on top of one of the towers bored out of his mind. The stairway to the top was damaged so it takes you quite some effort to get on top of it and not to reveal your powers. You have to basically climb a partially collapsed area of the wall which with all your gear is more annoying than difficult.

Lapetos is a huge guy with long black hair and a beard. It somehow reminds you how DC rebooted Aquaman to be "edgy" in 2018. He is wearing ornate armor with some glowing bits on it and he seems to be armed with a whip which is thicker than your arm. The fact that you know what muses originally were you almost crack up. This bodybuilder looks nothing like an "ancient Greek goddess of arts, sciences and literature".

The guy has a really loud and harsh voice but he is bored enough for you to have a chat with him. You tell him of how you beat up the Blight of Farsalos(mutant naga guy), how you were the first to find and kill a parasite node and how you managed to assist Matilda in taking down the parasite queen. You've obviously altered it not to show off your powers.

In return he tells you a few of his own stories. Apparently he used to be lieutenant in one of the minor countries that was annexed by Cenophila during the years. From birth he had enormous strength and he managed to fight a minor Muse to a standstill before getting mortally wounded. Now his main job is to beat up monsters which are too strong for monster hunters to deal with. He jokingly says that the best way to become a Muse is to get mortally wounded in the most heroic way you can pull off while another Muse is watching.

He appears to be a bit salty that Matilda was chosen for the operation. Yes, she is much more agile than him but he still could have powered through towards the hive even if it took him days of constant fighting. Poor naive musclehead, you have no idea how much this saved your ass...

In any case eventually Lykos calls him down to help with heavy lifting and you end up fixing a couple of broken carts to help with the cleanup but it is time to get going. Next stop should be a town directly at the beach called Mesinó. There are villages and towns in the way but there is a direct paved road and this will take you closer to the presumable dragon rampage area.

>Roll 1d20

>>2876383
You could try looking in Labyrinth if you want interesting stuff but it has some... let's just say security issues. If you want space you could put it somewhere underground in the wilderness areas. I highly recommend getting some reinforced concrete for that though as the current underground facility is about as big as you can build with good enough safety margin. Other ideas are welcome though.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>2876391
>>2876391

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>2876391

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>2876391

>>2876408
night QM, thanks for running

>>2876408
>>2876415
>>2876422
Writing

File: Mesinó 2.png (2.04 MB, 3756x2757)

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>>2876493
About half way towards your destination you've managed to catch a glimpse of the area where the dragon was rampaging. It was a 30 kilometer long tear shaped stretch of land which was turned into glassed crater. The trees around the area lean away from it and look like they were burned from one side and missing most of their leaves and branches.

There are several... things floating far in the sky above the crater. They look humanoid but they aren't human. You don't really have words to describe what they are. They are all different and have different physiological alterations from the human body. Along them large amounts of dirt and rock float in midair as they try to replace the glassy surface. So that's what Belkh's Cup Bearers look like. Well, no way to contact them so you just have to continue on your way.

The road takes you quite a bit longer than you've expected. Looks like the map was a little off. It would take five days to just hike all this distance. In any case you do manage to reach the town of Mesinó early on the next morning with minor complications.

You did have one minor complication almost worth mentioning. A bunch of assholes tried to rob you about a mile away from a small village. There were only five people and they used a wounded beggar trick to get you in a disadvantageous situation. When they sprung the trap and demanded all your stuff you just couldn't help but start laughing at them. It was just hilarious. These assholes had no idea how unlucky they were and you managed to swiftly deliver them to a really surprised village guard before continuing on your way.

Mesinó is a trading town on the edge of a small half island inside of a large bay. It has a main city wall but unlike the border towns it is surrounded by a huge amount of shanty towns on the outskirts. The inner town is constructed out of limestone and brick but the outskirts are made mainly out of wood. It appears to be much busier than the other towns you've seen. The market is filled to the brim with traders and trading ships are getting prepared for their voyages in the expansive docks.

>>2876558
While the ships have relatively advanced sails they seem to mainly rely on two or three rows of rowers. You would not want to be on one anywhere outside the immediate vicinity of the shore. These are not even medieval designs and they are definitely not ocean worthy. They are comparable to Hellenistic era ships and they probably trade mainly with other nearby towns within the gulf with rare shore line trips anywhere beyond that.

After some bumping through the crowd you've managed to get settled in one of several monster hunter inns. This one was empty at the moment and you've decided to get yourself a room. Even with infinite stamina a full day of travel makes you want to at least stretch your legs. Tomorrow will be the day to take a closer look of this place but for now you want to just laze for a bit.
______________________________________
And on this note we finish this week's thread. My writing is getting a bit too sloppy for my liking. Feel free to share your questions, thoughts and suggestions and see you in the next thread.

>>2876560
Thanks for running

Do we have funds? Maybe we cpuld visit the market and see if there is anything interesting for us.

Have we ever gone to the beach? With that whole being constantly sick I imagine we didn't have the chance.

Let's find a nice beach to relax

>>2876753
You have a small amount of funds sufficient to rent in the inn and buy minor trinkets and food. If you want to buy something major for yourself or the village you will have to do something. Beat up a couple of annoying monsters in the area for example.

We have been to various beaches when we were much younger. Agatha's illness progressed throughout her life and until she became an adult it was not yet discovered and symptoms were considered separate problems. Thus instead of comprehensive endocrinal replacement therapies she was directed to psychologists for example. At that time her family was still together and they were relatively wealthy which allowed her parents to take her on multiple trips abroad both for recreation and studying. We have been to various parts of Europe, to Egypt, Turkey, Thailand and even to UAE for a week in that artificial island hotel after dad received a raise. Unfortunately Agatha didn't have enough energy to do even mildly active recreation and her parents misunderstood it for things like laziness. Thus our memories include being tired and constantly dragged around places we should have enjoyed but didn't care about due to how much we wanted to just sit in air conditioned room with a laptop or sleeping.

>>2881339
Oh, so a trip to the beach will involve some loving memories of our family and some dread realizatio. Of never seeing them again, coupled with an angry feeling of not being able to enjoy this at the time

Do want!

Let's visit the beach and truly enjoy it like we always should have.

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>>2870413
If anyone is curious here is the path we took.

>>2887029
Oh shit i made a mistake in the fort's name.

>>2887040
Yeah I forgot to name it in general. Let it be... Milísi

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>>2887054
Yeah, now it should be fixed

>>2887061
Cool dude, we are in a nice little beach then

>>2887090
I just wish Heaven or Sig sere here so we would have some company.

While at the ocean we can test our powers more easely I think, see how much mass we can lift. Adding and subtracting water as needed to test our powers, we could try to compress the water so much it would turn to ice or try to boil it with our powers too

>>2888657
Very well, I will add power testing into the options. Maybe even some training. Also elf girl's name is Haven. The word has lost its meaning along with modern English so people consider it just some weird elf name. It is one of those bizarre partially surviving words you can meet in this word. Also starting preliminary preparation for the thread. I'll send the actual notification when I start preparing the post.

>>2870413
Next thread is up
>>2889249

>>2889287
Inventory and player suggested projects are updated.

Featuring: finally remembered that our dress was replaced. Added the new wolf pelt cloak and updated aluminum bronze stores.

New player suggested project: spacetime manipulation experiments. Contains possible clues that we know of and potential dangers of the project

>>2889287
This thread has been archived.