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"Told you it was one huge motherfucker, Shu." the lithe, athletic ginger to your left says with a smirk. You stand on the creaking roof of a crumbling home, looking past Rath and across the sea of rusted metal shanties, fixing your attention on the gaunt humanoid form that lumbers its way across the fleshscape, ashen skin stretched taught over a skeletal, misshapen frame. Something like a foetid mist trails from open wounds along its neck and back, random pieces of red-hot wrought iron run through its body like a martyr condemned.

You call out to the long-haired brunette to your left and Gina fixes you with an amber-eyed stare, eyebrow arched. The eerie halo that hovers just above her scalp turns as she does, suspended on thin neuron fibers and pulsing with a soft amethyst light when she faces you.

"GG, can you get a read on that thing?" you ask, and Gina closes her eyes, her circlet pulsing once, twice in rapid succession.

"It's dense as all hell." she sighs, and you glance to your right to see an emerald pair of glittering eyes meeting your gaze, paired with an eager, fanged smile.

"I'll just have to carve it to pieces, then!" B'ni chirps happily, the impossibly sharp bone blades that curve wickedly underneath her greaves slicing into the ground where she stands. She tucks a strand of black hair behind one ear, eyes intent on you. "Just show me where to cut, Shu."

Boils erupt into being along Rath's muscular arms, eight luminescent cysts that shine with explosive liquid, four on each arm. Rath fixes you with a mad, excitable grin, her bloodlust palpable in the electric look she gives you.

"There's four of us, and just one skinny asshole You ready to wreck his shit, Shu?"

You concentrate, feeling out the sensations along your spine as your hive thrums with potential, your increasingly vast armory of swarmlings buzzing along your vertebrae in anticipation. Your second mouth roils, a ravenous maw that rests where your intestines once were, its adhesive tongue and guillotine teeth eager for their next meal.

You thought she'd never ask.

>Shu the Defiant

>VS

>The Ashen Vagrant

HP: 100%
BIO: 150%
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Distant, approaching rapidly.
B’ni: 120%
GG: 100%
Rath: 120%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3197720
i have a question
does the re roll effect of the Level 6 swarmling upgrade not effect the recursive ones.

also we need to get Rath to start thinking with the level 3 radiant boils

>>3197728
(The Recursive Swarmlings can resist being destroyed or dispelled one time, just like their larger bretheren.)

>>3197720
Question: How tall is this bone giant?
And Do Daughters take fall damage?

>>3197769
(Roughly ten meters I height, and yes, they do.)

>>3197771
How many Iron stakes does it have throughout its body and where are each of them located aside from its head?

>>3197775
(Five in it's head, two heavy, three small. Seven embedded in it's back.)

>>3197777
>How long does it take for one of Rath's "normal" explosive boils to detonate after being ripped out of Rath's skin and thrown?

>>3197779
(They detonate on impact.)

(Gentlemen, voting will close one and a half hours from now, and thank you for participating.)

Analysis:
10 feet tall - It's a huge motherfucker alright, it's averting the Square Cube law by being bony and dense as fuck using the skeletal system as its armor and its structural support.

Ashen skin stretched taught over a skeletal, misshapen frame: Those giant bones can't keep themselves together, thats why it still has a layer of skin to cover what necessary joints and extremely thin muscle/tendon ligaments to keep the skellie moving.

Red Hot iron insertions on head and back: Something tells me that those stakes aren't just cosmetic. Seven stakes in its back tells me those stakes aid the the Vagrant in moving about. Kind of like the Hindu Chakra system/pressure points along the skeletal spine. Pulling them out or destroying them might deal some serious system damage to the thing. It's just that no one can pull them out because the iron rods are kept at a high temperature.

It has eyes: Well that's another glaring weak point.
Gina saying it's super dense: Its likely because the density is due to the super dense bones that necessitate its size and height. cracking the bone will be a bitch, but every giant still has to obey the laws of holding its own weight on a bipedal structural system. Also Rath is our demolition man.

>>3197801
(If I may make a small correction; it is ten meters tall, not ten feet tall.)

>>3197720
Battle plan: "Shadow of the colossus"
Objective: Bring the giant to its knees and destroy/remove the iron spikes. Or destroy its brain from the inside out. But we need to bring it to its knees and keep it on its knees.

>Shu: Spawn 5 banelings, 2 Spawn Recursive Camo-banelings. Have the not-camo'd banelings hover around its head and be a stinging gadfly. sting the thing near the iron stakes and avoiding the swatting hands They will act as a diversion for Gina, B'ni, and Rath.
For the Camo-banelings Send it up to the giant's eye sockets, block its POV and give it all sorts of acidic hell through one of its eyes by either gnawing through it, or injecting the acid into, This will act as a second diversion

>Rath: Hand a couple of grenades to B'ni. Rath, You're our demolition man. You're not going to bomb the giant, you're going to bring an even bigger mofo ontop of this mofo. You're going to bomb a Iron Mining tower so that the tower falls ontop of the skeleton giant with as much explosives as you can. Make a remote Bomb. and when Gina finds a structurally unstable tower, you're going to set all many explosives as you can at the base so that the blast can hopefully topple the tower onto the giant.

>B'ni: Be a nuisance to the thing and harry the thing by throwing a couple of grenades at its feet. Aim for the back of the leg near its heels. You're going to do nothing but dodge and harry the thing by lobbing Rath's grenades at its feet. Stay on the move.

>Gina: You're at your most powerful when you have a rocky environment that you can Terraform. See if you can find any structurally unstable Towers near the border of the town. If you find one, Direct Rath towards it.You're going to Direct B'ni via wifi to a spot near a Tower so Rath can do her Demolition magic.

>>3197720
Right;

>RATH; Take up a safe but frontal position and bombard the bastards legs out from under him.

>SHU; spawn B'ni a set of armor, then four Banelings and have them dash for the creatures shoulders and elbow joints, once Rath is done bombing the thing.

>GINA; once the two bombing runs are done, if it still seems unsafe to approach, try and pin the thing down with the terrain. If it does seem safe to approach, keep it pinned via cords.

>B'NI; once the others have done thier part, if an attack opening is seen, go for the throat and eyes of the big guy. If it is still too mobile, go to counter attack any limbs going after an ally.

>>3197826
>>3197720
I would like to support your idea, but would also add in an idea of pinning the giant with a falling tower.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3197720
>>3197826
>>3197831

“Rath, I’m gonna need you to do what you do best.” You say, a set of platelings for B’ni and banelings for your foe squeezing out from the array of holes along your spine. “Blow that thing’s legs out from under it, and try and weaken one of those towers, if you can.”

You didn’t think it was possible for someone to smile as wide as she is, now. Without a word she’s off, tearing across the rooftops like a woman possessed, a streak of red and orange. Your platelings seal around B’ni’s face, chest, and limbs as she strides forward to meet the challenge of your silent command, covering the slim girl’s body with a shimmering armor, onyx-green chitin. She kicks off, dashing after the red-haired girl ahead of her, aiming to capitalize on a completed bombing run.

A pair of cords snake out from Gina’s sleeves, veins streaked with an amethyst glow as her halo flickers, her brow furrowing as she tilts her head in curiosity. Four of your banelings soar skyward on gossamer wings, their trajectory on course to the giant’s glowing eyes and thin joints when a set of four explosions rocks the fleshscape.

The detonations blossom like miniature suns around the creature’s legs, followed by another set of blasts that envelops the base of a tower a short distance away from the giant. It leans slightly, the screech of creaking metal mingling with the bone-chilling scream that issue from the Vagrant’s throat, the resulting noise tearing through your mind like a banshee’s scream. It staggers forwards, catching itself with one heavy footfall, though it frustratingly remains upright, reaching out for a nearby rooftop at the edge of town for support. It’s at that moment when your banelings reach its arm at tear furiously at the joints of its limb with claw and stinger alike, pouring their corrosive payload into the vulnerable socket.

The creature’s arm fails as it sprawls across the ground and sending a cloud of smoke and black vapor into the air, a mushroom cloud of detritus, rust, and the creature’s own particulates. B’ni disappears into the cloud when Gina’s thought rips across your mind in a panic, her cords flickering where they are imbedded in the biomass that winds its way over the rooftops.

(Continued)

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>>3197892

“Bad news, Shu.” She says across the channel, irritation clear in her mental tone, “That thing’s mist is blocking me. It’s like a chaff grenade or something, I can’t see through it and my control gets all wonky with stuff it touches. I can’t reach the tower.”

At that moment, B’ni’s voice filters into your mind.

“Don’t get near the black dust! If it weren’t for your armor I’d be hurting here!”

Pain screams across the empathic circuit, as you feel an echo of agony erupt across Rath’s body from somewhere in the cloud. She’s over-extended and unarmored, caught in a choking cloud of the Vagrant’s burning ash.

HP: 100%
BIO: 105% (5 Platelings on B’ni, 4 Banelings, 9/15 Active)
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Medium, prone. Surrounded by ash and ruins.
B’ni: 112%
GG: 100%
Rath: 97%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting to close in two hours.)

>>3197895
>Rath: Get to higher ground by grappling your way up with your Tensile strands. Bomb the Tower, make it fall on top of the Giant's legs. Make sure you're clear of the thing.
>Shu: Send your banelings to pick up Rath's bombs and have them go on a bombing run them toward's the Giant's spikes. Spawn 6 Large Swarmlings with massive wingspans that can blow away the Iron dust just by flapping their wings in hover mode. Have 2 of them Escort Rath and create a circle of downwards air circulation where she can move about without breathing in that destructive dust. The rest of them Hover and use their wingspans to blow away the black dust or suppress it by creating a circulation zone that blows the dust away from where they're hovering.

>Gina: Terraform what you can, Create concrete platforms that rise above the cloud for us daughters to use as a safety platform.
>B'ni: Skate along the Giant's back and see if you can either cut down or remove an iron spike. It's prone.
The Giant's iron spikes are producing that Iron filing mist. We need to remove them. If it's prone, then now's our chance to remove them or pin the thing to the ground with the Tower.

>>3197895
>B’ni: Rescue Rath from the dust and carry her to the tower where Rath can work her demolition magic on the tower

>>3197895
>RATH;fall back via tossing an arm and pulling yourself to it for greater distance. toss out two more bombs at the things knees as you do.

>GINA; once Rath if free, slam a terrain pillar into the things chest, knocking it over or at least stopping it.

>SHU; have the banelings switch arms if done with the first, return them if they need more acid. Spawn two large Swarmlings to fly high and dive for any opening in the cloud towards the things neck.

B'NI; guard duty for now, or see if you cant get some joint hits in with your longer reaching hits.

>>3197895
backing this >>3197912
if the spikes are down, then we have the upper hand

BHOP, if B'ni returns to us briefly, could we repair her damaged Platelings and fix her armor up? Is that possible for Shu to do?

>>3197959
(Yes, though B'ni's armor integrity is stable and eating up the majority of the damage from the ash cloud.)

>>3197963
(To clarify, it absorbs a certain percentage of incoming damage, and the more damage it takes, the less protection it provides.)

Guys, renember to not choose Swarmlings another time if we win

>>3197895

“Rath, get out of there! Get to higher ground!”

Your command spears across the empathic channel, and you feel confusion erupt in the middle of the pain that clouds Rath’s mind. You cut past her bewilderment at hearing your voice reverberating in her mind to issue your command again, the urgency of your demand finally ringing true in the other girl’s mind.

You see a small, lithe figure burst from the burning cloud, reeled upwards by the strand that connects her to the side of the tower. She throws out her other arm and slings herself up to the top, a collection of shining orange spheres tumbling back down to the base of the structure as she reels skyward.

Your swarmlings catch four of the spheres mid-fall as the spire creaks in protest, the remaining grenades erupting into a fireball below as your brood fly your impulsive friend’s creations to carpet-bomb the prone amalgam. At the same moment, six additional swarmlings tear free of your back, flexing over-large wings to initiate the next phase of your plan. At your urging, two of them fly to Rath’s side, the other four winging towards the creature as it struggles to rise.

You mind floods with strain from Gina as you watch a massive block of biomass-marbled concrete burst from behind the spire, smashing into the weakened base and sending it tumbling downwards at a glacial pace, with Rath still atop it. You feel every muscle in GG’s body tense, every neuron in her mind and halo aflame as a colossal slide manifests from stonework and calcite, scooping up the girl mid-fall and carrying her away from ground zero as the tower slowly descends like the axe of a lazy executioner.

The top of the humanoid’s head crests above the rooftops, only to disappear once more into a blooming fireball when you swarmlings’ explosives reach their mark, sending a billowing cloud of ash in every direction but towards you, the four swarmlings that you send out mere moments before struggling to carve a path of fresh air through the choking smog. Your four banelings are instantly enveloped, scoured to nothing in the merciless cloud as smoke wafts well away from you and Gina.

It's at that moment that you hear it.

(Continued)

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>>3198003

With a final scream of stress and strain the tower tumbles down, crushing the creature below with a tremendous clamor of steel on bone as a gust of hot wind blows forth from the impact. The feel the cold, icy determination of sheer focus filling B’ni’s mind as she races through smoke and debris, corrosive ash eating its way through the armor you crafted for her as she bursts through the gloom and delivers two wide, sweeping kicks. The high-pitched screech of bone through iron echoes through the town as she effortlessly carves through six spikes in the amalgam’s back, her armored form surrounded by glowing embers in the cramped ruins beyond you.

A burst of hot, ash-filled air sweeps by you and GG, having slipped past your shield of beating wings by the sheer explosive force of the one-two punch of the titan and the tower’s catastrophic collapse. Flame licks your skin as the incendiary flakes alight on your face and limbs, pain spreading along them as you and Gina suffer a much-lessened form of the agony B’ni fights through right next to your fallen foe.

HP: 97%
BIO: 70% (5 Platelings on B’ni, 6 Winglings, 11/15 Active)
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Medium, stunned. Five spikes remain in its crown, one remains in the spine.
B’ni: 94% (Surrounded by smog)
GG: 93%
Rath: 84%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3198005
Is the Giant pinned by the Tower? That tower must've done a big number on it.

>>3198005
>RATH; unhook arm and use it as a sling to toss three explosives at the downed behomoths head, otherwise avoid the smog.

>GINA; while its down, pin its limbs down with the terrain, aswell as one around the neck.

>SHU; send what winglings we can spare to clear a path for B'ni, back up a bit from the smog if needed.

>B'NI; while the giant is pinned, go in for its crown, then neck.

>>3198006
(It is pinned and generating a vast amount of smoke, yes.)

>>3198008
(To clarify, given the smoke chaff clogging the area, Gina's terraforming is extremely limited in the area in affects in direct proportion to the density of the smog.)

(Gentlemen, voting will close in two hours. Thank you for participating.)

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>>3198005
>Shu: Spawn winglings until you hit cap. Have the 10 winglings form up in a grid formation and start flapping their wings to generate a strong enough draft to blow the smokey chaff away from the group.

>Gina: With the space cleared by Shu's Winglings, terraform a set of concrete walls that doubles as a pillory for the giant as well as a wind tunnel for Shu's Winglings that blow the smokey chaff away from the group and town.

>Rath: Regroup. Your battlefield is now a wind tunnel. Stay upwind of the smoke. Bomb the thing's head to keep it consistently concussed and stunned atop the terraformed walls that Gina generated.

>B'ni. Regroup. Fight in the wind tunnels. Between Rath's bombing runs, your task is to finish off the iron spikes when you see an opening.

I drew a picture. I hope it helps bring clarity to the battle plan.

>>3198008
>>3198014
Hmm, then ill change GINAS action to;
>GINA; wait til you can rush in behind B'ni with her opening, then jack in and keep the beast pinned as long as you can.

And if possible;
>Before Gina and B'ni rush in.
>SHU; spawn Armorlings for Gina to protect her from the smog(as much of the armor as possible, sacrifice an arm if you must, so the rest of her is covered and one arm can still jack in)

So anyways. This amalgam looks like a high level amalgam with the main exotic ability being iron dust that produces smoky chaff. Rath could certainly benefit from it by being able to make smoke grenades with it. Problem is that it also interferes with Gina's Halo Radar.

Should we have Rath consume this Amalgam for the ability benefit?

>>3198008
>>3198044
or
>>3198027

we need to decide on a concrete course of action

(Gentlemen, as always any tie will be decided by a roll of the dice, just to let you all be aware.)

>>3198063
>>3198044
Both of these ideas can be merged and intermingled.

We can have Shu spawn Winglings until She hits cap and have the winglings Generate a constant gusty draft that blows the smoke away, which will also clear a path for B'ni (who is right next to the Giant)
The area cleared by Shu will be a staging ground for Gina to do her Terraforming a wall and Hijacking act. The Terraforming will funnel the smoke into a wind tunnel.
Rath can regroup and toss explosives at the Behemoth's head using the Terraformed wall as a platform.
B'ni can coordinate with Rath to wail on the Giant's head and neck. B'ni can go for slicing the neck in-between Rath's bombardments.

If you're worried about the smoke, that's why I'm having Shu and Gina set up the wind tunnel. it's to provide a constant smog-free zone for the group to operate. clear a landing space, terraform the wall, then direct the wind to blow the smog away.

B'ni can go for the crown and neck after the smog zone is cleared by the wind tunnel setup.
>>3198074
I propose a vote merger. Take the best ideas out of both of them and make a composite.

>>3198063
Well, vote for which you like better? Obviously im biased towards my own, and the other man his, so hence others opinions.

>>3198058
Totally. It would mesh well with Raths abilities, and trying to make everything work together will never work perfectly. Keep in mind we have a grenadier and a 200% melee focused character. We can make it work with both, but said playstyles naturally dont mix. Its about knowing when and hoe to use each and in what order, rather than trying to make their actual abilites compliment eachother. Same with Gina and the smoke, if we even get it in the first place.

>>3198076
Im alright with this i suppose. My only worry i think is the wind tunnel might easily be compromised if the thing breaks free and it collapsing could lead to a chain of bad events, due to how much we would be utilizing it. That and no matter the case, if Ginas getting up close, the armor is a good idea. Again, the thing might get jist enough gusto out to be a threat to anyone close.

That said, the goal is to finish it off now so it cant do anything, if at all possible.

>>3198080
>>3198074
It is currently stunned and pinned by the giant iron tower that collapsed on it.
What if we had B'ni switch priorities from trying to sever its neck to severing the closest and most damaged arm? That way even if it did become enraged and broke free of the concrete pillory, it would be less of a threat and have more difficulty in freeing itself.

>>3198083
well, we already did a number on at least one of its arms,so that may be a good idea.

>>3198074
Final battleplan:

>Shu: Spawn winglings until cap: Clear a zone with the winglings for Gina then direct the wingling gust at the Giant to create a constant wind as pictured >>3198027
>Gina: Once Shu clears a path, Terraform a concrete wall along the Giant's arms (doubling as a pillory and create a wind-tunnel. Hijack into the closest arm and stun the Giant for a Free critical hit.
>Rath: Regroup, get onto the concrete wall that Gina made and bomb the shit out of the Giant's face for a critical hit opportunity provided by Gina, hopefully stunning the giant even further by the concussive explosions.
>B'ni: Regroup, once the way is clear provided by Rath, Shu, and Gina, Close in and De-limb the closest Giant's arm.

>>3198100
i still think giving Gina some armor over more winglings is the better move.

>>3198106
Gina can still do a critical counter with her halo ability. If the Giant decides to become enraged, that's her cue to ready a critical counter.

>>3198113
still gonna have to vote for 'no'/Armor over more Winglings.

>>3198118
How many platelings? how about a helmet and a curiass? at least 2? because that will protect her vitals.

(Extending voting for thirty minutes, Gentlemen.)

>>3198128
honestly keeping at least one arm and her legs protected might actually be better.
but..
>>3198126
it has been decided, and i can live with whatever was decided on. overall i dont think either plan was at all bad it was just nit bits here and there i was worried over.

>>3198005

Another four swarmlings squirm forth from your back, testing their newborn chitin as your concentration is split among their number, your mind nearly at its limit between them and the empathic channel. They take flight on wide, powerful wings, soaring forth to join their brethren as you communicate with your fellows.

Your team of swarmlings blow the ashen cloud back with the sheer force of flight, carving a path through the haze and leading to the clearing that contains the amalgam’s prone form, arms struggling for purchase on ground slick with its own black ichor, leaking from countless lacerations. The cloud is clear, and so is the path for Gina to set the stage. Leaving two jacks plugged into the supple biomass where she stood, she breaks into a run towards the giant, its arm reaching out toward the brunette to ensnare and crush small, easy prey.

Concrete slabs erupt from the ground, covered in thick, pulsing vines of raw biomass, shifting with incredible speed into a makeshift pillory, sealing the creature’s arms and neck into an unforgiving stone vice. She leaps, a predator’s focus on her pinned subject as a pair of fresh cords shoot from her sleeves and pierce into seams between the knuckles of its right hand, prompting an agonized howl that is choked into a low groan when Gina assumes direct control.

Rath appears out of the corner of your eye, sprinting all out from a nearby alley and lobs grenades, one after the other into the space between the helpless amalgam’s head and right arm. Her aim keeps Gina clear of the concussive blasts though you can tell she’s struggling to hold her focus with the symphony of destruction Rath is gleefully orchestrating.

(Continued)

>>3198174

The red-head suddenly pauses, a rough command from you to leave an opening allowing B’ni to leap over the pillory, bringing her scythes down in a savage mid-air arc. Her attack cleaves through the giant’s wrist, leaving it hanging by a tendon as she darts clear of the inevitable. Rath lobs another grenade, cackling with sheer, unbridled glee as the orange orb soars, tumbles, then detonates with a savage explosion, throwing the beast’s hand clear as its wound sputters with jet black ichor and a stream of smoke.

You’re not sure if it is a surge of pain and adrenaline that causes the beast to lash out, but a sudden movement to your left makes you turn from the carnage Rath and B’ni have wrought just in time to see Gina thrown several dozen feet away from you, two severed jacks dangling from the giant’s blind eyes while the other pair lay uselessly on the ground.

She hit the concrete hard and tumbles, her mind and senses a whirl of pain and blurred vision. You cry out her name from across the channel, only to have her reply cut short by a mad, furious howl from above you. The Vagrant rises, the concrete that once bound its limbs and neck crumbling in the face of the sheer desire to survive your relentless onslaught.

You, B’ni, and Rath stagger back at the sheer scale of the thing as it rises slowly to its feet, ash billowing forth from its myriad of wounds, and you realize one immutable truth.

You need to end this.

You need to end this right now.

HP: 97%
BIO: 50% (5 Platelings on B’ni, 10 Winglings, 15/15 Active)
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Close, Blinded, rising up. Five spikes remain in its crown, one remains in the spine. The smog encroaches.
B’ni: 85%
GG: 56%
Rath: 78%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting to close in two hours for when I get home.)

>>3198179
>B'NI; dash forwards, use all your speed possible, and aim for its Achilles Tendons, bring this fucker DOWN.

>SHU; Call back 5 Winglings and convert into Banelings.

>SHU and RATH; Give this fucker HELL. bomb the ever loving shit out of his head, as much as you can. i want skull and brain matter flying.

>GINA; Regain your posture if you can and do your best to help support holding the Giant in place for the bombardment with Terraforming, but this is understandably potentially difficult or minimal. if you cant do that at all, then see if you cant move some Terrain outside the smog to knock over any remaining towers onto the thing, or option three will be to simply be prepared to give a bit of cover to Shu and Rath should the need arise.

>>3198179

>>3198080
Fuck. We could've taken the chance to Decapitate the thing. Instead we fretted about making it more helpless.
I'll take the blame for this. We need to decapitate the thing NOW.

>Shu: Convert the 4 winglings into Banelings. Have them corrode the Neck. Make those banelings recursive. Have those banelings be as big of a nuisance as possible so that the Giant has to stop rising and focus on protecting its neck with its hands.

>Gina: Terraform a giant Spear hook that shoots up through the inside of its ribcage and into its neck. Vlad Tepes the Impaler style. Make it the Longest and Thickest you can manage with all the processing power you can gather. Time it where it impales the Giant when it is too busy being distracted by the banelings. Hopefully the impaling spike decapitates the thing by the neck.

>Rath: All the bombs. Head and neck. Prioritize the neck.

>B'ni: Hobble it.

>>3198254
>>3198179
Amending one action:
>Gina: The thing is blind it can't dodge any attack that it can't see coming, Impale the thing's head with the longest and biggest Concrete Spike you can manage.

>>3198206
Why do I get the feeling that we missed our golden chance at killing this amalgam?

>>3198337
we probably did miss the easiest kill. both our faults for trying to be TOO careful

>>3198366
It was stunned, prone, and pinned. We really had no excuse to not coup de grace the giant.

>>3198374
well, i mean i was originally gonna go for a killshot, but i thought maybe i was missing something so was willing to compromise on where she aimed

>>3198179
This >>3198254
>>3198284

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3198179

Four of your swarmlings return to your side and the moment they make contact with your skin their wings draw in, the excess biomass transformed into a roiling, corrosive payload deep within them. You alter their biology in a simple, effective way, a smaller set of swarmlings taking shape within the larger, nestled within the larger shell and ready to spring when the time is right. You send the quadruplets forth to the amalgam's neck to capitalize on its recent blindness, courtesy of GG.

She staggers to her feet, and even across the distance that separates the two of you, her disorientation hits your mind like a wild wave. You sense Gina struggle to concentrate as Rath's arms erupt with a mass of angry orange boils, B'ni's shining greaves and jet black armor reflecting the hazy glow of a furious dusk.The Vagrant howls once more, the ground trembling from its fury as you slowly realize its howl is not what moves the earth beneath your feet as the titan stands up to its full height.

The ground between its feet explodes into a cloud of debris as a crude spear crafted from pipes and tendrils of amethyst biomass shoot forth from below, stabbing violently through its chest and neck. You, B'ni, and Rath hop back as red-hot entrails spill from its chest cavity, and a mad smile cracks across Rath's lips as she tears one of her cysts free and takes aim.

"Get fucked!" she screams with utter joy as the almost golden orb leaves her hand and sails to the top of the spear. B'ni turns on a dime, surging towards you with impossible speed and nearly knocking the wind out of you, carrying you away from the impending blast and consequences with a full-blown tackle. She doesn't see what you see, she doesn't bear witness the radiant blossom of storm-wrought crimson and golden daybreak, the smell and heat of it hitting you all at once. It's a thing of beauty, as it engulfs the creature's torso in a magnificent newborn star.

As your eyes struggle adjust to normal daylight and your horizontal position on the ground, the Vagrant's severed head smashes against the concrete a mere three meters away from you.

(Continued)

>>3198469

Sight and sound return to you at a glacial pace, the latter sooner than the former. Hysterical laughter rings in your ears from a short distance away, a petite, yet trim form laying on top of you. Your vision swims, blurs, then achieves equilibrium as they adjust to the smoke and dusk that dances around you. B'ni lies on top of you, her greaves heavy on your legs as she slowly comes to. You groan, and she's immediately to her feet, back as straight as the pole that Gina summoned seconds before as a crimson shade creeps across her cheeks.

Gina shuffles over to you through the now-harmless smoke and, though clearly dazed, grins as she jerks a finger over her shoulder to the titanic form that lays lifeless in the wreckage-strewn street.

"I was aiming for his dick, but whatever." she says dryly, her quip almost lost to the ringing that still echoes in your ears. You glance over to see Rath hop onto the creature's head, sitting cross legged as she grins from ear to freckled ear.

"To the victors the spoils, bitches!" she crows with delight, prompting B'ni's luminescent blush to transform into a flush of anger, if her aura is anything to go by. Regardless, the four of you made it out alive and, more importantly, you know the sleeping daughter and your resident artist are safe. You find yourself smiling despite the circumstances, as you can't help but feel some pride at your team's first unified effort.

>>COMBAT CEASED

>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting to close in one hour, Gentlemen...we have impending level-ups to attend to.)

>>3198478
whew, that was interesting to say the least.
>have everyone stat absorbing big boi, we need the health and biomass just as much as any potential level up.

>Shu should congratulate everyone, and compliment Rath on her explosion. make a quip back at Gina, dont leave her joke hanging in the air.
i, however, cant think of a good joke myself at the moment.

>>3198478
Have everybody absorb part of the amalgam, and await the sweet level ups that ensue.

>>3198478
>"B'ni, Rath's gonna be Rath. You will still be you. I'm still grateful for your tackle save."
>To Gina: "Well you did gave him a good 'dicking' with that 'spear' of yours. Compensating much? or did you really have that big of an asset hidden underneath your hoddie?"
>To Rath: "Calm your tits Demolition Girl (jokingly). There's bigger beasties than this big boy out there. Now that we're done Titan killing, lets claim it before the landscape eats it up."
Well I sense a conflict between Rath and B'ni best smooth it over.

>>3198478
Share the absorptions between everyone

>>3198478
>>3198552
If there's not level up points to share between everyone, I say Shu can volunteer to stay out of the process. Shu's got a lot of levels and abilities above Gina, B'ni, and Rath. Not to mention the sheer versatility that Shu has with her hive at her current level.

I would say Rath, B'ni and Gina can claim the power ups the amalgams provide.

Another thing I will have to point out. Because we're a group of four, and that Amalgams and daughters are limited, (from the current trend we're seeing so far each provides 3 level up points), and the eldritch hunger system. We're going to have to ration level up points. who gets what, which abilities each of us levels up in, that sort of thing.

>>3198478
>"B'ni, don't blame her, if anything it sort of my fault. Hindsight speaking, we had it pinned, stunned, blind, and its head to the floor ready for execution. I guess I was a bit too cautious and didn't take the chance."

>>3198567
we will have to see. dont forget Julia, and potentially the pod daughter. also we dont know how long Rath will stick around. it will probably depend on how we play things out after the Upgrades happen.

>>3198567
If anything, Shu should always get points because her abilities boost the effectiveness of the entire group.

>>3198578
i disagree. we dont need everyone to catch up with her, but we also dont need her to sky rocket ahead of everyone. also keep in mind, the further every Ability goes, the more corrupt and invasive it becomes. it might actually be a good idea to somewhat regulate her intake, considering we already have to worry about Swarmling upgrades.

>>3198578
I will like to point out the flavor text for Shu's level 6 swarmling abilities.
>SWARMLING (Lvl 6): your maximum increases by five, for a new cap of 15 active at any one time, barring your recursive swarmlings. Additionally, the members of your brood have adapted an additional layer of plating, allowing any class of swarmling to shrug off what would otherwise be a killing blow. This effect only works once per swarmling, as the ablative armor allows them to ignore otherwise lethal attacks and grants them another chance to bring your plans to fruition. Finally, your empathic bond with your allies deepens, as occasional fragents and snatches of their current trains of thought will filter through your mind's eye, a prelude to more invasive powers...

>Finally, your empathic bond with your allies deepens, as occasional fragents and snatches of their current trains of thought will filter through your mind's eye, a prelude to more invasive powers...
This part of the flavor text is what makes me cautious about going on a level-up binge. The next tier for the swarmling upgrade implies that it's full on mind-reading and the empathy bond just becomes another form of mind control, except it's more than mind control, it's empathic and emotional manipulation on top of mind control.
The more power we grab, the further the power corrupts us.

>>3198581
I think we need to reveal the nature of the level up system along with the truth about everything, the Hunger system, the crucible, Shu's past, what happens when a daughter wins the Battle Royale/Treasure hunt. And Shu's plans to upend the system. If Rath and Julia are still skeptical, we can introduce the pair to Charon.

>>3198589
yeah, Rath and Julia deserve to know the truth, and our plans. hopefully they will accept our plan. i can see Rath doing it just because "hell yeah fuck being controlled" but im not sure about Julia. i cant see her betraying us mind you, she actually seems extremely timid, but she might recoil into herself more, or enter a sorta depression at the whole idea. she seems very "let me stay in my safe space" kinda person, which the whole scenario kinda doesn't work well to allowing.

>>3198478
>After Consuming and leveling-up and while the group is heading back to the studio: "So Rath, what have you been up to before you came to town?"

>At the studio, Start telling our grand trip of what happened after Rath parted ways (Encountering Julia, clearing the town, cave exploration, Shu's past and resolve to move on, Gina's daring Heist, MARROW DRAGOON). Have Gina and B'ni chime and embellish the Heist and the fight against Marrow Dragoon. Gina will need to activate Wifi for mental visual aid and embellishment. Marrow Dragoon ain't no joke.

File: LEVEL UP.jpg (218 KB, 850x963)

218 KB JPG

>>3198478

"Well, I think you gave him a proper dicking with that last attack of yours." You say to Gina with a smirk, and the brunette flips her mane of hair back with a flourish that makes her halo wobble slightly. "Compensating much, or do you have that big of an asset hidden underneath that hoodie""

"Oh, I'm pretty confident in what I got." Gina replies with a laugh, a mischievous twinkle in her golden eyes as she kicks up her back legs and rubs it dramatically. "I think I hurt my leg, mind if I hitch a ride with you?"

It's your turn to blush as you clear your throat, turning from Gina's friendly teasing and towards B'ni's increasingly irritable air.

"Hey." you say simply, putting a hand on her shoulder and prompting her to look into your eyes as you speak, your voice low. "Rath is gonna be Rath, you're going to be you. I appreciate the tackle save, by the way."

You instantly feel her aura shift from a frothing boil to a serene, still sensation, and she gives you a sheepish, toothy half-smile.

"We gonna divvy up this motherfucker or what?" Rath calls out from the titan's head, and you motion for your allies to follow you as you approach the remains of the largest amalgam you've slain thus far.

Let the feast begin.

>>SHU LEVEL UP
>>B'NI LEVEL UP
>>GG LEVEL UP
>>RATH LEVEL UP

>>7 POINTS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION AMONG THE FOLLOWING SKILLS.

SHU

>>HEALTH
>>BIOMASS
>>SWARMLING
>>RAVENOUS MAW
>>CONSUME

B'NI

>>HEALTH
>>BIOMASS
>>DOGGED SPRINTER
>>CALCITE GREAVES
>>CONSUME

GG

>>HEALTH
>>BIOMASS
>>NEUROMANCER
>>NEUROTIC HALO
>>CONSUME

RATH

>>HEALTH
>>BIOMASS
>>TENSILE STRAND
>>RADIANT BOIL
>>CONSUME

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3198598
>7 Points
Wowza. Oh lawd.

I'mma need some time to think.

>>3198598
RATH
>>RADIANT BOIL
>>CONSUME

B'NI
>>DOGGED SPRINTER
>>CALCITE GREAVES

GG
>>NEUROMANCER
>>NEUROTIC HALO

SHU
>>CONSUME

(Gentlemen, I will be pausing here for the evening. I shall resume tomorrow morning, or approximately fourteen hours from now. I will of course be at the ready to address any questions, comments, or criticisms you may have. Thank you for your participation, and take care.)

>>3198604
i am, though, up for changing Shus and/or giving her point to someone else, however i am dead set on voting for the other things.

>>3198609
actually B'ni maybe could use more health, hrm...

>>3198607
good fight BHOP, though i do feel like it was kinda easy. we just roll good or happen to counter him well due to his size and constantly going for knock down first?

>>3198598

SHU

>BIOMASS
We need to make sure we can stockpile considering we have another person to consider.

That's it for her.

B'NI
>HEALTH
We need to make sure she's not a glass cannon. I know abilities are tempting, but we need to make sure we don't all get downed thanks to lucky hits like this.

>CALCITE GREAVES

GG
>HEALTH
Same reason as above. She's squishy as shit, we CANNOT ignore this.

>NEUROTIC HALO


RATH
>RADIANT BOIL
Because she's simple, but ludicrously effective.

>BIOMASS
For more effective ludicrousness.


Seriously, guys, I know abilities are shiny and cool, but basic shit is necessary. Having the abilities is useless if we can't keep ourselves up in order to USE them.

>>3198619
(I am happy to say that when you brought the tower down on the Vagrant's head, not only did the tower crit but I also ended up rolling close to maximum damage. That single attack ended up carving off three quarters of his health. My apologies if the fight seemed easy, but it was hilarious.)

>>3198627
dude Rath with that smoke as smoke bombs would be amazing. also Shu actually has a good amount of Biomass now, and GG really doesn't need Health or Biomass much as far as things have gone.

also i feel like more speed for B'ni via DS would help tremendously, as shes supposed to be a speedster but she actually has been outpaced several times now in melee, and we should fix that. her greaves atm i will admit are actually good enough for sure, a new aability would probably do her better than upgrading them, just not the only one we saw from this guy. as stated giving her health is a good idea.

>>3198598
>SHU
>>>SWARMLING
>>>CONSUME

>B'NI
>>>CALCITE GREAVES
>>>CONSUME

>GG
>>>NEUROMANCER
>>>NEUROTIC HALO

>RATH
>>>CONSUME

The person to only get 1 point should be Rath because unlike Shu and the other two, she’s not likely to stick around. We should be primarily buffing the people we’re around the most.

>>3198629
ah, dont feel bad. not every fight has to be a assclencher, and it was fun and a nice intro to trying to add Rath to our dynamics.
>three quarters damage instantly
oh good lord that is great haha.

>>3198652
D U D E
the LAST thing we should upgrade is Swarmling. thats too dangerous.

>>3198655
I wanna take the risk. Playing it safe won’t be good in the long run. Besides, 6-9 are likely fairly safe, it’ll be 10 that’s the next truly dangerous one to ourself and our allies.

>>3198598
SHU

>>HEALTH
We need more survivability from this point onward. All party members should have at least one rank of Health.

B'NI
>>HEALTH
>>DOGGED SPRINTER

For the second ability, extra speed is always good.

GG

>>HEALTH
>>NEUROTIC HALO

That Neurotic Halo could always use some more points.

RATH

>> TENSILE STRAND
>> CONSUME

I want to see what Tensile Strand does at higher levels, as Rath's got enough firepower for now. As for Consume, that ash attack will give her lots of crowd control for AOE skills.

>>3198662
I'm gonna have to disagree. Generally not smart to dismiss QM warnings. Despite recent events, I think we would do well to avoid this kinda thing.

>>3198650
And on the other shoe, I don't like taking that kind of risk with our friends. I don't want us to risk them getting two-shotted, even with B'ni's speed. For as vaunted as it is, if you check past fights, she USUALLY gets messed up because she has to get up close with opponents and stay there for a bit, allowing for a higher chance of her getting hit.

>>3198672
I still don't think we should give Rath 2 points. Also, we should try to take advantage of the consumption on this guy in particular. Alongside the smoke, the hot iron things and his size in general could both be applied to consumption upgrades. Red hot blades on B'ni and supersized swarmlings anyone?

>>3198598
>Gina
>Neuromancer
We've been putting this off for quite some time. Hopefully this will give Gina more space to work with.
>Health
I would like to point out in the last several engagements, Gina gets hit quite often. She would get hit twice and have her health get knocked down to the upper 50s because of her class as a Neuromancer. So we should rectify that.
>B'ni
>Dogged Sprinter
Gotta go even faster.
>Consume
I want Red Hot Bone skates.
Rath:
>Tensile Strands:
At least make it level 2. A stretchier Rath would make her more mobile and defensive.
>Consume
Gotta give Rath a different bomb to play with. deadly Iron dust clouds are good for smoking out enemies.

Shu:
>Consume:
Super sized bugs please.


>>3198629
Well that brings a smile to my face when I see a plan like that come together with good dice.

>>3198690
>Red hot blades on B'ni and supersized swarmlings anyone?
YES.

>>3198662
i highly disagree.

>>3198672
honestly Gina getting hurt feels like our own fault at least 50% of the time. but you are right. id probably be willing to give her Health if she actually had a direct way to damage the enemy, but shes a full on support character at the moment.

honestly if this was a different type of game id have never chosen her for my own party, support characters are my least favorite type.

>>3198604
also changing my own vote to;
RATH
>>CONSUME
>>RADIANT BOIL

B'NI
>>DOGGED SPRINTER
>>HEALTH
>>CALCITE GREAVES

GG
>>NEUROTIC HALO
>>NEUROMANCER

listed as most wanted per character to least, just in case it matters

>>3198706
>support character
>Terraforms entire buildings and spikes, out of the ground, can create barricades and walls
>Can lockdown an enemy for a free critical hit as well as inflict a severe status effect
>can impales a Giant Amalgram for huge damage with spikes
>Still thinks its a support character.
>Saved Shu's bacon from getting nommed by a bony wraith girl from the inside out using a combination of Neuromancy and Neurotic Halo abilities
Anon, Gina is more like a Mage who minored in support-utility. Neuromancy and Terraforming are devastating offensive/defensive spells. Neurotic Halo is a support ability that we've been putting to good use as a Neuromancy Amplifier and as a sonar spell.

>>3198736
to be fair i dont like mages or magic heavy systems either. also we ourselves weaponized Terraforming i think more than how it was intended to be used.

>>3198598
B’ni
>consume
super hot skates amplifies calcite greaves
>Dogged sprinter
Gina
>Neuromancer
>health
Rath
>consume
smoke bombs
Shu
>consume
i hope there is a big bug ability in that amalgam

>>3198695
I'll support this if the Consume for Rath is changed to something else for someone else. I still don't really think she should get more than 1 more point since she'll likely just leave us shortly after we finish up in this town with Julia.

>>3198754
think of it this way:
we will still probably run into her again, or if nothing else, this is a good way to make sure we do. also its not impossible she may stay, or stay around Julias area. i mean, could just be she was taking a break or something, but she had been with Julia long enough that this sounded like far from the first time she had defended the area, which is longer than id expect her to ever stick around already.

>>3198754
To be honest, I doubt that she'll leave us. The doc fought with our group a while ago before leaving, but she didn't receive a detailed list of abilities like Rath did.

>>3198749
You forgot an extra point anon.

>>3198754
If Rath was gonna leave the group and be a temporary character, BHOP wouldn't have given us Rath's character sheet in the pastebin.

>>3198598
B'NI
>CONSUME
>DOGGED SPRINTER
>CALCITE GREAVES
SHU
>HEALTH
GG
>HEALTH
RATH
>CONSUME
>TENSILE STRANDS

>>3198766
>>3198771
>>3198775
I guess. In that case I'll support >>3198695

>>3198695
supporting

REMINDER, FROM THE DOC:

SHU - LEVEL 15
>HEALTH (Lvl 1)
>BIOMASS (Lvl 4)
>SWARMLING (Lvl 6)
>RAVENOUS MAW (Lvl 4)
>(extras: CHITINOUS STALWART, SUBVERSIVE SWARM)

GG - LEVEL 7
>HEALTH (Lvl 1)
>BIOMASS (Lvl 1)
>NEUROMANCER (Lvl 2)
>NEUROTIC HALO (Lvl 3)
>(extras: CANCEROUS PAYLOAD, INMUTABLE FORM, LIFE'S DEATHGRIP)

B'NI - LEVEL 8
>HEALTH (Lvl 2)
>BIOMASS (Lvl 1)
>DOGGED SPRINTER (Lvl 2)
>CALCITE GREAVES (Lvl 3)
>(extras: NONE)

RATH - LEVEL 8
>HEALTH (Lvl 2)
>BIOMASS (Lvl 2)
>TENSILE STRAND (Lvl 1)
>RADIANT BOIL (Lvl 3)
>(extras: NONE)

This big Amalgam is SEVEN (7) LEVELS worth.

>>3198775
oh
>>3198749
then I’ll give the final point to
Rath and add it to tensile strands. it seems really useful if that ability gets leveled up.

>>3198791
That... is actually quite useful.
It really displays the power curve well as well as giving us a tl;dr version of the Bio-Arsenal pastebin.

>>3198619
To be honest, the whole plan that I came up with hinged on that tower pinning the giant enough for Shu and co. to kill it before it could do Kaiju-class damage. Other plans that I had considered were incredibly risky. One that hinged on Rath going Attack on Titan, piggy backing B'ni and assisting her by using her stretchy limbs to grapple-limb the pair up to the giant's neck and sever its spinal cord. All of it really hinged on finding a way to pin the thing, bringing it to its knees and cutting off its head of course, but the degree of risk involved really came down to how long it would take before the smog overwhelms the party or the giant taking off large chunks of health from the group by way of Kaiju stomping.
The last resort of a plan would be a running battle with maximum collateral damage and maximum casualties, of which I am greatly not a fan of when it happens on our current home turf.

>>3198629
Not at all BHOP. That fight was well paced and showed us the scale and danger of a 10-meter tall Kaiju-esque Amalgam. Just the Iron Ash clouds having a constant DoT effect on a daughter's health and a inherent Sensory organ nullification property was enough to make it a challenge for us to consider the application of tactics. And then it side-swiped Gina for 44% health damage. and proceeded to STAND UP.

Questions:
How big is Ash Vagrant compared to Marrow Dragoon's fuck-off Giant Meat Dragon?
Was Ash Vagrant a unique/high-level Amalgam? Amalgams of that size don't come often, and I can't see a single individual daughter taking it down without having to call on a posse of allies to take it down. Except Marrow Dragoon. That bitch is bullshit.
How effective was Gina's final Concrete impaling stake in that last round?
So how long has Marrow Dragoon been active in the world?

>>3198863
(I am glad to hear you enjoyed the encounter. Yes, Ashen Vagrant was a high-level encounter, and he was approximately the same size as Dragoon's mount. Gina's final attack was very effective, though in terms of biomass expenditure, it was going to be the last thing she could pull off. It was perfect timing, really.)

(As far as anything relating to your other questions, I'm afraid that treads into some spoiler territory.)

>>3198889
>Gina's final attack was very effective, though in terms of biomass expenditure, it was going to be the last thing she could pull off.
How much bio did Gina expend on that last attack? I would like to know so anons and co. can figure out the Bio-per cubic meter of Terraformed mass Gina uses for terraforming a stake out of the ground.

Okay then. Guys, I think we need to upgrade Gina's Bio reserves. It seems that Terraforming and using nerve cords eats up tons of bio reserves. We should level that up at a later opportunity. Actually I would say a good rule of thumb is that any active ability that manifests raw Bio needs to have levels in Bio for any character.

>>3198930
Good question. OP, about how much biomass does Gina burn through with her abilities, compared to the rest of the party?

>>3198945
(To give you some context, Gina has been bottoming out in terms of BIO on virtually every combat she's been in so far. The large-scale movements that she did last combat took close to half of her biomass for each. Jacking in to amalgams costs relatively little, just for your consideration.)

>>3199020
(Meanwhile, as long as B'ni's greaves stay intact, her BIO expendature is extremely low compared the the rest of the party.)

>>3199020
Hmmmmmmm
At some point we'll need to stop upgrading Neuromancer and Neurotic Halo and start pouring levels into Health and Biomass. We might have to stop doing CONSUME on every Daughter too, and stick to specializing and refining what we already have, avoid spreading skillsets too thin and wide.

>>3199020
Yikes.
I think we'll need to pay more attention to now much Bio we have Gina use. The Bio meter does pull triple duty as our damage buffer as well as our mana meter. Which would explain why Gina keeps on taking massive drops in HP whenever she gets hit.
It also says something on how much we rely on Gina when it comes to our active and creative use of Terraforming in combat.
>>3198695
I would like to Change one of my votes on the upgrade, instead of upgrading health, upgrade Gina's Bio meter. Neuromancy stays the same. This should make her more bio-efficient in her Bio-usage.

>>3199030
our combat style so far relied on B'ni to stay still and hold aggro (when she should be constantly running circles around the enemies and doing hit-run tactics), Shu harassing the enemy with swarmlings (we could easily take the enemy in close quarters with our current setup if we equipped Chitinous Stalwart on ourself), Gina to Terraform and lockdown the enemy with large-scale movement like Terraforming a giant spear that impales a 10-meter tall amalgam (she's a neuromancer first, terraformer second). And now Rath to bombard the enemy with her bombs.

Our party consists of a demolition mage, A Swarmhost, a Terraforming Neuromancer who does Terraforming more than she does Neuromancy and a evasive skirmisher who skates on skates of bone.

The main weakness to our combat style is that we often rely on Gina to Terraform the entire environment to our favor which expends lots of Biomass. And BHOP pointed out that Gina frequently uses up almost all the Bio she has in her in each combat. If Gina runs out of Bio, she's basically dead in the water. Aside from hijacking the enemy with a very risky close range neuromancy, she can't really do much. With the inclusion of Rath in our party. Gina really can't get in close for Neurojacking without risk of getting hit by the splash damage of Rath's bombs.

We may need to rethink our entire combat style and reconsider the roles we give to our party members.

>>3199102
Agreed. I'd be willing to change from NEUROTIC HALO to

>>3199020
GG

>HEALTH
>BIO

Still fits with the general theme of 'we need to up our core stats, not just abilities.'

>>3198598

RATH
>>TENSILE STRANDS
B'NI
>>DOGGED SPRINTER
>>CALCITE GREAVES

GG
>>NEUROMANCER
>>BIOMASS

SHU
>>CONSUME
>>SWARMLING

>>3198775
>If Rath was gonna leave the group and be a temporary character, BHOP wouldn't have given us Rath's character sheet in the pastebin.

Never assume anon. In my humble opinion, the game Is about to get a lot harder and someone might die soon.

>>3199102
You're pretty spot on with your analysis. Personally I think we really should be upping our swarmlings so that they can hold their own more as well as have a higher cap to use armor and be more versatile with them, as well as getting upgrades (Including HP) that allow Shu to go Into close combat and deal with things directly where needed. B'ni Is the main fighter here certainly, but we would be well suited to back her up If we get a class like Calcite armory or those muscle worms we could have chosen at the start and don our chitin power armor. Remember that we have our Guillotine stomach, but I can't remember *ever* using It because we rarely get Into melee.

>>3199314
The thing is, theres more to worry about than just our combat capabilities when it comes to swsrmlings, or any ability that starts to become invasive.

As for the Guillotine, the thing to remember is, some abilites will end up only being useful in very specific circumstances, or simply be outclassed by other abilites we end up with. Having something does not mean its automatically better to be using it than not, as sad as it may be. Mind you now that we have the armor it may be viable, but when we first got it i dont think we were close to having the armor, and regardless we still simply are not a melee fighter and it is a semi-finky melee attack to use all things considered.

(Gentlemen, I will be compiling the votes soon.)

>>3198598
SHU LEVEL UP

>>CONSUME (OPTIONS TO FOLLOW)

B’NI LEVEL UP

>>DOGGED SPRINTER (Lvl 3): B’ni’s recurved limbs have reached new heights of power and efficiency, granting her a considerable speed advantage when combat begins and allowing her to act well before friend and foe alike. In addition, her flexible runner’s frame now allows her enhanced resistance to mobility-reducing skills, allowing her to retain her incredible speed despite the efforts of her targets.

>>CALCITE GREAVES (Lvl 4): You have to wonder if B’ni’s repeated use of her greaves for the swift, merciless execution of your foes is informing their shape and function, as your friend’s boots evolve into a completely new form that greatly enhances the power of her killing blows. When B’ni scores a natural critical hit, she now achieves maximum damage with the strike as she strives to strike down all that dares to oppose you.

GG LEVEL UP

>>BIOMASS (Lvl 2): Gina’s maximum biomass has increased to 120%, and when she regenerates BIO she replenishes 20% more from each source consumed. In addition, the cost of each use of BIO for specific abilities has been reduced by 2% for each activation.

>>NEUROMANCER (Lvl 3): Gina’s cords now boast far greater reach, increasing their range from Close to Medium. In addition, if the target of her takeover efforts is resistant to her neuromancy then the target will lost one action for as long as Gina remains tethered to them as she fights for control, allowing her to remain effective at a greater reach while maintaining her efficacy even against foes she would be powerless against otherwise.

RATH LEVEL UP

>>TENSILE STRAND (Lvl 2): Rath’s original power expands to greater heights, allowing her more flexibility as her body shifts to accommodate her wild nature. Rath now takes slightly reduced damage from critical hits, and her body will now automatically crumble and fly apart when struck by a heavy blow. This serves to soften an otherwise brutal impact, allowing her to react by slinging herself away from her attacker and move one zone away.

>>CONSUME (OPTIONS TO FOLLOW)

(Continued)

>>3199558

SHU – CONSUME

CHOOSE *ONE* FROM THE LIST BELOW

>>ASHEN FORTITUDE (CHITINOUS STALWART UPGRADE): Your plateling armor now boasts the passive ability to resist neuromantic efforts indiscriminately, your interlocking plates now laced with ash-grey lines as faint wisps of smoke trail from its seams. Additionally, on suffering a hit, your auto-reactive plating couples its default acidic blast with a cloud of disorienting (though harmless) chaff, the visor of your helm somehow allowing you to cut through the gloom with enhanced sight and granting you advantage on any strikes made against foes foolish enough to stay in the choking mist.

>>VAGRANT SWARMLING: at the cost of 30% BIO and an extremely uncomfortable sensation, you may spawn a large, damage resistant swarmling from your hive whose bright orange talons and mottled, ash-grey shell greatly resembles the Ashen amalgam itself. Though only one Vagrant may be active at any one time, it boasts vastly increased attack power as its red-hot claws prove capable of searing through the most stalwart of defenses. Additionally, it constantly produces a burning haze that allows it to cause damage over time to targets in the vicinity, though this power is not one that is picky regarding friend or foe.


RATH – CONSUME

CHOOSE *ONE* FROM THE LIST BELOW

>>CYSTEMIC BURN: as if your resident firecracker did not run hot enough, the very nature of Rath’s radiant explosives shifts to create a more lasting impression. Instead of a massive blast, her explosives now roar with amber light and furious sparks, delivering a white-phosphorous-like flame to their target that adheres to them for the remainder of the turn and dies out shortly thereafter. The overall damage proves to be the same, though the concussive blast of sound and fury is replaced by a rapid damage-over-time, a change Rath doesn’t seem to mind. She just wants to watch the world burn…she’s not picky as to how.

>>CHAFING BLAST: Rath’s explosives now throw out a massive cloud of disruptive particles that possess both the neuromancy-disrupting chaff and the incendiary ashes that made the Vagrant’s smoke incredibly dangerous. Additionally, the smoking cloud will remain in the affected area, creating a no-man’s land of burning, choking haze that few would dare to remain in for long. That suits the bombs’ owner just fine, though…she likes the chase.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, my apologies for the delay. Voting will close in two hours, and I thank you for your patience.)

>>3199563
SHU;
>>ASHEN FORTITUDE

RATH;
>CHAFING BLAST

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>health didn't win for Shu and GG
FUCK
Oh well, better luck next time. We really need those fucking Health upgrades sooner rather than later.

>Dogged Sprinter 3
Not bad, anti-mobility resistance and increased priority initiative is good.
>Calcite Greaves 4
Crit = Max damage = BASED
>Biomass 2
Meh, at least the cap is up as well as increased replenish number
>Neuromancer 3
+range +staydown, pretty good
>Tensile Strand 2
>her body will now automatically crumble and fly apart when struck by a heavy blow
I can imagine suicide rush tactics with this to use an enemy's attack to be flung intentionally without taking too much damage, though still risky now

>>3199563
>Armor has passive mind hack resistance, cool smoking plates effect, reactive acid blast includes harmless smoke-out effect
OR
>Big tanky swarmling that cuts through defenses with welder-claws but also constantly makes DoT haze that harms allies and enemies
Seeing as Ashen Fortitude affects ALL platelings, not just the full armor set, I'm going with that for Shu.

>Sticky Spec Ops: The Line white phosphorus grenades, LOSES concussive sound blast shockwaves in return for fast corroding DoT power that's also ridiculously flashy
OR
>Bombs now have the harmful DoT ash smoke that fucks with mind hackers, which also stays in the area it's released in, but bombs KEEP the concussive loud flashbang effect
One the one hand, Chafing Blast keeps that bangerboy party sound and quick light, but the smoke is too dank for GG to cable and terraform through
On the other hand, Cystemic Burn has max brightness settings and sticky napalm burning, while allowing GG to do her stuff to the enemies too - at the cost of losing the bang part of flashbang and not having the anti-neuromancy countermeasure. And won't we eventually run into enemies that don't need light to see or sense, like how Atma Avatars from Digital Devil Saga specifically have no eyes anywhere in their designs?

My vote is
>Ashen Fortitude
for Shu, but I'd rather discuss Rath's upgrade more with others first before settling on what to pick.

>>3199565
Question: can Rath's consumed abilities (Cystemic Burn and Chaffing Blast) be toggled?

>>3199563
>Ashen Fortitude

>Chafing Blast

>>3199612
(As they are not a summoned creation or locked into a current tree, they are permanent changes that will alter Rath's Radiant Boil going forwards.)

>>3199655
Well that puts us in a precarious choice:
Smoke bombs or napalm as our default weapon for Rath?
Considering that this is a Bio-weapon game, my thought would be for napalm, but the sheer utility of Neuromancy-blocking smoke can't be questioned when it comes to heists, subterfuge and escape.

>>3199664
The smoke is also superheated, so it's mini napalm. It's the power choice, and fits her character better.

>>3199664
Dont forget the smoke still does damage. Maybe not as much all at once but Rath still lost a good chunk when she got trapped in it herself. If it outright lost damaging capabilities id say no, but because it still keeps the ability to dish out damage at some level i think the added utility is worth it.

>>3199668
So extreme DoT fire damage (the most damaging type of damage in the Bio-world) that lasts 1 turn after detonation applying blindness for 2-3 turns...
Or a Smoke bomb that does initial concussion damage and a AOE fog that does DoT...

>>3199675
23% HP damage from being in the smog unarmored. B'ni was fullly armored in Chitinous fullplate (50% Bio buffer?) and took 8% damage after all the damage absorption.

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>>3199563
>Ashen fortitude
Bnj will love the decoy smoke, prepare for the crits
>Cystemic burn
I love the smell of napalm in the morning
https://youtu.be/MXSHnam0ezs

>>3199563
>Ashen Fortitude
>Cystemic Burn
Final Decision

>>3199563
I've made my decision on Rath's
>Cystemic Burn
Spec Ops The Line was a bad game, but Body Horror Quest is a good one
If Rath does not inevitably say something along the lines of "smells like… victory" at some point whenever Cystemic Burn kicks in on an enemy, only one time the entire quest, I will be furious

>>3199563
>Vagrant Swarmling

>Cystemic Burn

>we didn’t get consume for B’ni
>no burning hot blades
Reeeeeee

>>3199655
What would the options have been if Consume had been chosen for B’ni?

>>3199763
Hey man the vote that feels not so different than a potential regular upgrade over the more consume based one is Winning for Rath, so i feel your pain.

(Gentlemen, writing now. It may take a short while, as the day is proving trickier than expected. Thank you for your readership and your patience.)

>>3199763
(I'll be addressing this later, no worries.)

>>3199763
OH SHIT
>biker jacket
>goggles
>red scarf
>skates
>NO FLAMING HOT SKATE BLADES SPEWING SPARKS EVERYWHERE AS SHE GOES
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THAT, FUCK
On the bright side, that sort of shit kills all stealth in an engage, but we have FLASHBANGER grenades on Rath anyhow - now just FLASH and no BANG thanks to Cystemic Burn

>>3199814
It's okay, there'll be other awesome upgrades down the line.

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>>3199563

>>ASHEN FORTITUDE & CYSTEMIC BURN UNLOCKED

You sit once more around Julia’s table, having settled down now that the rush of combat has largely drained out of your systems. You spend a long time talking about nothing in particular before a prompt from Rath segues into a full explanation of what you have seen, learned, and overcome. You take the lead in telling the tale, though your recitation is not without some key embellishments courtesy of B’ni and Gina. Now, a familiar, uncomfortable silence pervades the room, the full weight of Charon’s knowledge settling into Julia and Rath’s minds. It’s the red-head who shatters the unsettling quiet with a small fist slamming suddenly into the table, making your teacups clatter in their miniature plates.

“So it’s settled. We’re gonna go kick Mother Superior’s fucking ass to kingdom come, yeah? Who’s with me?!” she says with furious indignation.

“Obviously.” You say, retrieving your tea from the table before her next outburst gets the better of it. “Unfortunately, as it stands right now we’re nowhere near powerful enough to make an attempt at the cord, and given we’re all still sitting around here talking about it then it doesn’t look like anyone else is, either.”

“Then we just have to get strong enough to tear it to pieces!” Rath says, raising a fist and making Julia wince before bringing it down in her other hand. “I know just the place, too!”

Gina arches one eyebrow as she quietly sips her tea, B’ni shifting uncomfortably in her spot by your right as Rath continues.

“I heard about a place from this chick I fought, it’s where Daughters from all around go and fight one-on-one. It didn’t make any sense to me at first, but now I’m thinking it was made by some sisters who knew what you do now, and they wanna speed this whole process up. It’s a bit farther northwest from here, about two days’ journey on foot. We should totally go!”

A wave of fury that slams into you from your right, making you turn to see B’ni staring emerald daggers at the ginger across from her. Even Gina shifts in her seat, shooting you a meaningful glance as Julia stares down at her cup in horror.

“Who would…that sounds awful. Who would make a place like that?” your host mutters, more to herself than anyone else present. GG scoffs beside her, raising her cup to her lips.

“People who have the exact opposite priorities to that monastery that Doctor West mentioned.” Gina drawls, sparing a glance towards Rath and prompting a scowl from the tomboyish girl.

“Somebody set up a fuckin' nunnery?” Rath spits in disgust, “An arena at least makes some kinda sense, but who brings a goddamn church to hell?”

“The peaceful sort that aren’t keen on being torn to pieces, I’d imagine.” Gina replies coolly, her halo forgotten in her lap as she levels a hard stare at Rath that goes completely unnoticed by its target.

(Continued)

>>3199879

Rath turns her attention back to you, her golden eyes like miniature suns in their intensity.

“When do you guys wanna head out?” she asks, and you feel the air shift as B’ni’s irritation towards the girl across from her explodes into full-blown rage, though by some miracle she holds her tongue and merely tilts her eyes towards you, giving you a pleading look. Gina’s eyebrow arches towards Rath, then to you.

“I mean, Julia said I could crash another night, and I know I wouldn’t mind a kinda sleepover thing, if you guys don’t.” Rath continues cheerily, snapping her fingers suddenly as she apparently recalls something that slipped her mind. “Oh, shit! I got the perfect thing, too!”

Rath jumps up and runs to the adjacent room in time for you to open the empathic channel briefly to address your allies, and you find yourself instantly assaulted by two voices at once.

“No no no, absolutely not.” B’ni says vehemently, putting her foot down. “Shu, that girl is a bigger threat to us than she is to anything the three of us can handle together. Besides, an arena? When we’ve been scoring victories with terrain, for the most part” This is a bad idea and it puts y…it puts all of us in danger!”

“I’m gonna have to second that, man.” Gina says, her mental tone far calmer than your other friend, though no less strained by your rather forward acquaintance. “If I’m going to vote where to go next then I’d much rather go to the monastery and avoid the death pit, if it’s all the same to you.”

Your reply is cut short when Rath re-enters the room, a large, dust-covered bottle of clear liquid in her hands.

“It’s motherfucking vodka!” she cries happily, and to your surprise Julia seems pleased by this revelation, happily clapping her hands together as her dark eyes alight on the bottle. “…or tequila, or some kinda gin?…eh, I’m really not sure, but it’s booze and we all need a good break, right?”

The room goes quiet, and you’re suddenly, painfully aware of four sets of eyes staring at you, awaiting your two-fold decision, to spend the night or not, and where to go from here.

You get the sinking feeling that no matter what you decide, someone is going to be upset.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3199885
>"Well, a sleepover does sound nice." We whould say, before we suggest "but, i dont think the monetary or fighting pit is a good choice. We aren't bloodthirsty monsters looking to kill for the sake of killing, but we cant waste time of peacful tours or pacificts either. We should instead explore, or if Rath feels like some sport so badly, we could hunt down powerful or problematic analgams instead, though im sure any exploring we do will bring is to them anyways."

Basically fuck a daughter slaughter pit, but fuck wasting time on pacificts on a technical time limit. Lets go after something we can actually justify and will make us stronger.

>>3199895
*We should say. Not whould say.

>>3199885
I think we should keep travelling towards the cord. Wouldn't do much good to get stronger here while someone else climbs. I'm sure we'll encounter plenty of opponents on the way over.

>>3199895
(Gentlemen, I will keep voting open for the next two hours or so to wrap the work day. I will be free the majority of this evening, so rapid posting may ensue. Would enough of you be available for some quick updates in approximately five hours or so? If not, that is completely understandable. I am up for either.)

>>3199885
Welp.
There's the SMT Alignment choice.
Rath is full Chaos, B'ni is probably Order, and Gina is more decidedly Neutral.
>"For the record, a sleepover sounds nice. BUT, on one condition. I'm staying sober. Period. Rath, Julia, ask about my pre-apocalypse past at your own peril. B'ni, Gina, you know what I've been through. I told you what happened in the cave, so I hope you understand."

>"The issue isn't whether or not we're strong enough overall. Sure, we can go power-level at the slaughter pit, but do we know the route to get to the Cord? And if I remember correctly, the win-condition of this 'battle Royale' isn't last girl standing, it's who gets to the top first. We can go explore, visit the Monastery and the Colosseum just to visit and put it down as known place for Charon's fast travel station."

>"My vote is going Rare Amalgam hunting and keep Hhading West. Map out a route to the cord, unlock more of Charon's Waystations. As they say 'The road is fraught with danger and peril.' More often than not, we'll encounter amalgams and groups of daughters who have the same Idea as me, ganging up, heading west. An arena's nice but that stuff's got rules. Heading west, we're subjected to the laws of nature. We'll have to fight dirty. Live on the edge. Keep pressing forward no-matter what. And if we're stuck? There's always the Colosseum to power level. There's always the Monastery to rest and recover. Those places will still be there until the world ends when a daughter finally reaches the summit."

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>>3199885
This >>3199957
We see through that alignment point choice.

>>3199983
we still gotta exploit social links amongst the party members. social links is how you get golden endings

>>3199957
Supporting the smart (and overly verbose) anon

Shame I missed the level up vote, I would've supported fire skates.

>>3199957
Seconding.

>>3199885
>>3199957
supporting, but have the gang visit the colesseum and monastery before heading west.

>>3199925
Im misunderstanding. Are you saying will we be available in 5 hours? Or did you misword that and mean for 5 hours?

Because im either taking a nap for 5 hours or staying up for 5 hours, and i need to know which.

>>3199957
This is basically what i said anyways so sure, but minis visiting the two places at all. Just showing up at the colloseum might rope us into it, and the monestary seems pointless and Rath would probably just storm off or cause trouble if we went.
Note, i understand thete might be story elements in the monestary, but nevertheless from an IC perspective i dont see it being worth the detour

>>3200078
(Forgive me, I will be updating in rapid succession roughly four hours from now and continuing for as long as I can, so please get some rest if you can.)

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>>3200122
ah, thats what i thought, it was just the mixture of time frames throwing me off.

>>3199885

"For the record, a sleepover sounds nice…” You start, Rath’s gleeful enthusiasm clashing with B’ni’s aura, irritation mixed with something else you can’t quite place. “…on one condition. I'm staying sober, period. That good with everyone?"

You get a variety of nods from the group, and you then shift your focus to the freckled girl across the table.

"Rath, about what you said earlier, the issue isn't whether or not we're strong enough overall.” You begin, leaning back on your elbows, an attempt to relax the tense and unwelcome atmosphere. “Sure, we can go power-level at the slaughter pit, but do we know the route to get to the Cord? My vote is going amalgam hunting and keep heading west. We map out a route to the cord, unlock more of Charon's way stations while following a path that plays to our strengths, and if we get stuck? There's always the Coliseum to power level. There's always the Monastery to rest and recover. Those places will still be there until the world ends when a daughter finally reaches the summit."

“Fine by me, man.” Rath says with a shrug, placing the bottle on the table as she sits, mimicking your relaxed pose on the ground. “So, what’re we gonna play?”

“Play?” Gina echoes in amusement, placing her empty cup on the table. “What, like a drinking game?”

“Yeah!” Rath exclaims, reaching forward to enthusiastically open the bottle as you feel B’ni go stock still next to you, her anger replaced by something akin to nerves. “Something like truth or dare, two truths and a lie…”

“…Spin the bottle, kiss or slap?” Gina continues, a wry smile creasing her lips as she watches a blush erupts across Rath’s face. “These sound a little childish if I’m being honest, but it might be fun. By the way, are you sure you’re old enough to drink?”

“H-hey, I’m f***ing eighteen, alright?!” Rath yells, indignant.

“And you’ve had alcohol before?” Gina asks simply, no intonation to her voice.

“Yeah, plenty! All the time before things went to s**t.” Rath says, her blush deepening.

“Fair enough.” Gina replies, turning to you so as to hide the grin she’s barely suppressing. “As far as games go, my vote is for spin the bottle, then.” Gina replies.

“Uh… k-kiss or slap…” B’ni mutters, barely audible even sitting right next to you. “…maybe?”

“Two truths and a lie is my favorite!” Julia says as she gathers your tea cups and strides to a leather satchel leaning against a wall nearby.

“Welp, you’re the tiebreaker, Shu.” Gina says, her ever-present smirk now aimed squarely at you.

You feel it.

The feel the weight of choice bearing down on you once again, your heart hammering in your chest as you…

…yeah, no, it’s just a game. No need to sweat this one, right?

>>Write-In

YOU HAVE CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours, and I shall resume posting roughly an hour after that.)

Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>3200205
>Spin the bottle right now, whoever It lands on Is the game that Is played. If It lands on us shrug and follow the dice

1. Spin the bottle
2. Kiss or slap
3. Two truth and a lie
4. Truth or dare

HAHA BHOP, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME CHOOSE

Rolled 1 (1d4)

>>3200205
this >>3200248

Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>3200248
>>3200205

Rolled 3 (1d4)

>>3200248
>>3200205
Yup let’s roll some dice

Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>3200248
Oh boy here come the shenanigans

(Gentlemen, due to unforeseen circumstances, I will be extending voting an additional hour and a half, though a post should follow shortly thereafter. Thank you for your patience, Gentlemen.)

>>3200248
I only know what two of these even are, though i can make educated guesses.

Two truths and a lie, or truth or dare. Whichever is needed to break a tie if it does come to it.

>>3200205
>>3200248
>>3200276
>>3200310

"Kiss or slap." you say, a resounding finality filling your voice despite the fact you have no idea what the game is, though you sense a strange sort of flutter that tingles your mind from B'ni as you make your declaration. "So, how is it played?"

Rath bursts out laughing in the middle of opening the bottle, nearly tipping its contents onto Julia's floor. Your host pops back up from parts unknown, cradling four glasses in her hands, the seams between her fingers strained from the effort of keeping them from clinking together.

"B'ni, I'll answer this one." Gina says, folding her hands in her lap in a teacherly fashion, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes twinkle mischievously. "It's pretty simple, really; one of us leaves the room, then the remaining girls take a vote by either raising their open hands or closed fists, which means you want the person in the other room to be slapped, or kissed."

"Wait, what." Rath says flatly, freezing up as Julia places the crystal glasses on the table, gently taking the bottle from the red-head's grasp and filling each glass with a hostesses' warm smile.

"Then," GG continues, unperturbed and perhaps even egged on by the deepening blush on Rath's face, "When the majority say if the friend out of the room is to be kissed or slapped, everyone counts to three and then points to who they want to do the deed. You can point to yourself, of course...it wouldn't be much fun, otherwise."

"Wait, so if you're the one that leaves the room, you know you're coming back to either a smooch or a backhand, is that what you're telling me?" You say incredulously, Rath's panicked stare shifting rapidly between you and Gina. The brunette laughs, shaking her head.

"Oh, god no, no no no. You can kiss or slap wherever or whatever you want, so it adds a little spice to the game. Does that make sense?"

B'ni nods sharply once, and Julia does a little curtsy as she chuckles airily. You realize she only filled her half-full...or maybe she got ahead of the rest when you weren't looking?

"Shall we start with the baby among us, then go clockwise from there?" Gina says evilly, grinning at Rath. The ginger meets the other girl's stare with crimson cheeks and a determined glare, tipping her drink back and, after a brief cough, rising and striding into the adjacent room, muttering something about hitting someone back.

"Ready to vote?" Gina asks, three fingers raised. "One, two, three...go!"

(Continued)

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>>3200494

B'ni immediately raises an open palm, her desire to see the other girl inflicted with pain obvious in the narrowed-eyed stare aimed at the door Rath disappeared from. You glance over to see Julia and Gina hold their fists aloft in unison with yours, your mutual desire to not completely overwhelm a girl who clearly had no idea what she was getting into.

"Yay!" Julia cheers, before being shushed by Gina.

"She can't know!" GG says with a chuckle, speaking to the rest of you in a low, conspiratorial tone. "Okay...kiss it is, then. Alright, as to who has the honor...one, two, three...go!"

Your hand moves, surging out as you point to...

>>Who do you choose, and where do you kiss Rath if you're chosen?

FOR BETTER OR WORSE

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting to close in one hour, Gentlemen. Let the shenanigans commence.)

>>3200499
>point to B'ni
lets fix, or utterly destroy, their relationship.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3200499
Not B'ni, because she doesn't like Rath, and not Shu, because B'ni would get jealous if we kissed the new girl.
Having said that, I'm torn between the last two options.
1 for Julia, 2 for Gina.

>>3200499
>B'ni

And If we get chosen. On the lips, but the quickest of quick pecks.

W̛̜̳̙̔̓ͩ͛̓ͦ͊̑ͭͫ̔̀̂͑ͣ͞H̠̳̥̠̬͔͇͕̥̙̦̺̤̠ͯ̽̃̔̂͊͆ͦ̄́̚͘͡Y̶̴̩̹̝͇͚̻͔͔͋͋̆̂̑̀͘͟ ̵̢̛͓̣̬̬̣͋͆ͦ̓ͯ̆ͫ̃͑̉͂ͫͣ̀̑̚̚͜͝A̡̬͕͕̮̻͚͖̪̳̗͔̘͈̤̮̓̓̂ͧ̕͝ͅŖ̤̫̤̤͖͕̥̩̝͚̰͈͆ͬͨ̽ͯͯ͒͆ͨ̾̀͢E̵͎̗̞̭͓̟̠̗̻̞͎̼̣̻ͩ̾͂ͣͮ͐̽̿ͩ̇̏͆ͤ̋ͪ̊̍͜͠ ̢̫̺̝̥̣̥͖̜̥̩̋̽ͯ́́ͅͅY̖͖͓̰͕̻̘̦̜̞͕̤͓̊̿͐͒̐͗͒̇ͦͫͩ̈̂̄̀͝Ȏ̴͈̖̺̭̫̠̬̹̯͈̣͈͚͔̳̯̂̇ͬͮͬ͗͊̓̀́̀́̚̚͞U̡͉͙̹͓̤̞͓̼̥̦̫̞̮͖̼̘̒͛ͭ̾͐̊̽̀̕ ̢̧̗̻͍̤̹͙̪̻̝͈̪̮̮̪̃͆͑̉̚͞D̶̨̝͔͚̤̗̪͓͚̝̬̗̟̗̊ͤ͂̆͌͗̉͐̒̓̏͝O̶̢̡͓̟̦͕̹͇̜̪̱͇̠̤͈̼͙̯͊̀̐̿͋̎ͪ̃ͬ̀̃̔̇̈́͘I̧̖͍̙̘̹͈͒̍̂͋̊͘ͅN̛͔̙͎̦͓̮̻̖̹͕̺ͭͪ̄̎̓̂ͩ̀͢G̴̸̢̜̜̞̖̿̄̊̂̉͑ͣ̎͗͒̉̓͊͌͜͝ͅ ͕̟̭̩͎͙͎͛͂ͬ͂ͩ̿͐̿̔ͯ̔̄̈́̈ͫͨ̕͡Ţ̵̮̞̜͎̳̟̎͛̑̊̎͐ͤͤ̿͛͆̽̎̚͜͠Ḧ̵̷̱̘̖͚̱̱̭͇̣̝̝̓͂͂͜͠͞Í͖͓̘͖̻̭̪ͣ̐̔͊͐̓̚̕͢͜S̷̡̟̼̪̠̪̹̩̪̞̙̼͐́̍ͫͭͬ͌̈ͭ̏̉͌͒̽̿͋͐͟͝

>>3200510
i love how we basically have the same reasoning for the opposite choice.

>>3200529
because BHOP knows what we truly fear.

>>3200529
>>3200535

(Fun before FUN, as I like to say.)

>>3200499
fuck it
fuck everything
>B'ni
>Rath hand
>(to B'ni) "When I wanted you two to stop hating each other and kiss and make up, this isn't what I had in mind."

>>3200549
i think B'ni gets to choose, but besides that i think making B'ni act like a servant to royalty Rath might be going a biiit far.

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The >>>/u/ tension sure has been building up the entire quest, hasn't it?

>>3200560
I meant hand is the least innocuous place in regards to anywhere on the face. And besides, she can channel that inner Chevalier in the process

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>>3200499
>If chosen: Tell Rath to close her eyes and brace for the slap but then kiss her on the cheek. But have your Ravenous maw lick her stomach. Afterwards, tell her she got away with a warning that the game has just begun, the next one might be a rapid multi-slap from B'ni, a mind-blowing make out with Gina using her Neuromancy, or you having to kiss a swarmling. Have your second mouth lick its lips to emphasize the point.
>Who to pick for the Kissing: Gina or B'ni, Rath clearly is out of her depth and Gina knows how to press Rath's blush buttons. B'ni... I want to help break the ice between them, but I'm not quite sure as to how with this drinking game.
>As the designated sober girl, You're on lookout duty, and would rather not have this party crashed upon or have a drama scene ensure between drunk girls. Stealthily Spawn 8 camo-lings, have 4 of them stealthily exit the building and keep post of the surroundings while having the rest of them track one individual girl.

>>3200508
Anon. B'ni seems like the type to hold grudges. Her happiness points stem from either kissing Shu, seeing Rath get slapped, slapping Rath, or seeing Rath be utterly embarrassed/humiliated for being out of her depth.

>>3200541
>FUN
>pic related.

>>3200561
Yes it has.
And it's about to get super lew/d/.

>>3200499
backing >>3200564 in regards to the camolings
>a mind-blowing make out with Gina using her Neuromancy
YES

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>>3200564
>>3200541
>>3200535
>>3200561
>>3200499

>>3200564
>>3200499
WAIT WAIT WAIT. HAVE A BETTER IDEA FOR SHU IF SHE GETS PICKED. AMENDING ONE OF MY ACTIONS.
>Kiss Rath with your stomach mouth. Plant a trail of kisses up her left leg, have the stomach tongue lick her leg for added emphasis in showing how clearly out of depth Rath is when it comes to drinking games. Then tell her she got away with a warning.

>>3200564
all the more reason for B'ni to have to kiss Rath.

also i admire your paranoia but im certain BHOP wont have the game interrupted, at least not til its close til done anyways. he must have the characters suffer the awkwardness after all.

>>3200563
see, now this is how you make her hold a grudge.

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>>3200572
pic

>>3200578
got a better idea then?

>>3200579
i mean i was just gonna let B'ni choose, but if you feel we need to decide for her, even just OOC...

>"Oh, god no, no no no. You can kiss or slap wherever or whatever you want...
>whatever
i mean, let have her be spiteful and kiss her tea mug or something, or Raths if it has to be related to Rath.

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>>3200499
>>3200508
>>3200529
>>3200549

The look of utter horror that B'ni wears when three hands are suddenly pointing directly at her heart almost makes you want to change your vote and point to Julia, like B'ni just did. You're about to object to the choice when Gina turns and yells at the door.

"Rath! Get back in here, and close your eyes!" she yells, trying desperately to contain her laughter as B'ni stares into her glass, wide-eyed. The doors opens, and the petite girl emerges, eyes closed as she feels the way forward with bare toes.

"I'mma come out swinging if one of you assholes smacks the shit outta me, I swear to fucking god." Rath threatens as she stands stock still before you, and you watch as B'ni rises silently to her feet.

With surprising speed and a stony face of determination, she strides over to her victim and stands a foot away from her, making Rath flinch as she does so, anticipating an unseen attack.

"I'll deck you man, I swear to..." Rath begins but stops mid-sentence, her eyes flying open when B'ni roughly takes the girl by the chin with one hand. The panic in Rath's voice is evident as she starts to speak.

"Oh shit, what the fu..."

B'ni swiftly brushes short, red hair away from Rath's forehead and plants a quick, gentle kiss just above her brow.

"Oh." Rath says, simply.

(Continued)

>>3200622

Turning on her heel, B'ni returns to your side and sits down, arms crossed and wearing an expression that seems to emanate with the satisfaction of a job well done.

Well, that's a thing that just happened.

Julia and Gina both cheer for the two girls, finishing their drinks and urging their friends to do the same. Rath returns silently to her seat, the sheer depth and luminescence of her blush making you wonder if she would've exploded into a blossoming cloud of fire and ash if B'ni had smacked her, instead.

"B'ni!" Julia calls to the dark-haired girl as she refills Rath's cup., "You're up!"

B'ni gives you a furtive glance, then deftly hops over the table and disappears into the side room, gently closing the door behind her. Rath wordlessly chugs her drink when your resident speedster is out of sight, and Gina wears the biggest grin you've ever seen as she begins the count down, and it's three, two one, and...

Two fists, two palms.

Gina and Julia utterly surprise you by raising open palms, a start contrast to the closed fists you and Rath have raised. You turn to your like-minded voter to see she appears just as surprised by the outcome as you are.

"Okay, ties are decided by the person to the left of the victim." Gina declares, though you sense that her ruling may be a spur-of-the-moment alteration to the game, solely for her own amusement. "So Shu, you decide the punishment, and then point to who should dole it out, both at the same time!"

You arc your eyebrow at GG as she gives you yet another shit-eating grin, counting down to B'ni's fate.

"...Go!"

>>Is B'ni going to be kissed or slapped, and who do you choose to do so?

HEAVEN OR HELL

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall close in one hour.)

>>3200624
>Kissed
>GG

just so she both doesn't get B'ni slapped like she wanted, but still has to partake as punishment for putting us on the spot.

>>3200624
>Kissed
>Gina
>If chosen: Kiss up her leg with your stomach mouth and end with a peck on the cheek with your actual mouth.

>>3200624
>Kissed
>Gina
It'd look weird if we chose ourselves.

>>3200624

You hold your left hand aloft in a fist and level an accusatory finger at GG, her golden eyes twinkling in the dim light as you realize her finger is aimed squarely at you. A glance informs you that Rath has, curiously, pointed to Gina, and Julia that seals the girl's fate as she doesn't even bother to look at her, finishing her drink with a taught finger aimed in Gina's general direction.

"Alright, fair's fair." Gina says with a dramatic sigh, taking a sip of her drink and rising as you notice a cord slip out from her sleeve, hanging loosely by her side as she approaches the door, calling B'ni's name.

The door opens, and you find yourself taken aback at just how timid B'ni looks as she steps from beyond the threshold, a far cry from the vicious, capable fighter you had by your side only an hour or so earlier. Gina's cord twitches, moving with purpose as it slinks around B'ni's back at the same time as the owner's lips curve upwards in a seductive smile.

"This might sting a little, dear." Gina whispers into the trembling girl's ear, her jack darting into the small of B'ni's back. She yelps, hopping forward and tilting her face up, and Gina capitalizes on the opening she's created by going in for the kill. She plants a deep, long kiss against the vein in B'ni's neck as the dark-haired girl's gasp of surprise gives way to a quiet, barely-audible moan, her powerful legs becoming next to useless in supporting her utterly limp form.

Gina breaks the kiss and withdraws her cord in one smooth motion, supporting B'ni's limp weight as she chuckles, catching her breath.

"W...what the hell was that?" B'ni chokes out, overwhelmed and struggling to stand under her own power as her dazed emerald eyes stare up at the smirking brunette. Gina smirks and tucks a strand of her wild hair behind her ear.

"It's a feedback loop. I do something to you, then I feel it, then you feel it again, then I feel it, and so on." she explains, helping B'ni return to her seat next to you as Rath fights to tear her gaze away from the confident neuromancer. "What did you think?"

Julia applauds happily, the seams around her mouth threatening to give at any moment as B'ni stares back up at Gina, a curious glint in her eye.

"I think I have an idea."

>>DUAL TECH UNLOCKED - INFINITO DOLORE

(Continued)

>>3200624
this >>3200638

>>3200740
...Did we just unlock a new technique through makeouts?

>>3200740

>>INFINITO DOLORE: inspired by a night you will vow to never speak of again, this technique allows Gina and B'ni to strike as one, the former tethering herself to their common target with a minimum of two cords, while the other strikes true. On hit, the pain from the initial strike is looped and magnified in the helpless foe, inflicting confusion on strong foes and driving lesser minds mad from a cycle of endless agony. Additionally, any damage that is inflicted by B'ni's initial strike is copied by Gina and delivered again as the neuromancer damage type, allowing the application of increased damage against foes possessing less than standard biology. (Dual Techs require the consumption of 1 ACT from both parties to execute.)

"...so I give you a mind-blowing kiss, and you come up with that?"

Gina levels a withering stare down at B'ni, who shrugs and gives a fanged, sheepish smile. Julia trots over to you and tugs on your shirt sleeve, urging you to stand as you become dimly aware of the fact that she's pointing at the door, wearing a big, dopey grin on her face as her empty cup dangles by her side, long empty. You glance at Rath, who in turn glaces over to where B'ni and Gina stood previously.

Oh.

It's your turn.

With all the enthusiasm of a woman marching to the gallows, you stride forwards, giggles and murmurs at your back as you cross the threshold, pulling the door closed behind you and sealing yourself in a black, soundless void. You close your eyes and strain to listen as the four girls in the other room decide your fate, but their voices prove too low to be heard.

Your heart hammers in your chest as you admonish yourself for your nerves getting the better of you. You've kissed and been kissed before, so what harm is there in this, then? Of course, it could be a slap...you really didn't consider that when you walked in here, so what does that say about you? Wait...you can't remember your first kiss. You search frantically through your mind and come up with nothing, no kisses, no awkward brushing of lips, not even a peck on the cheek from someone you fancied.

Your eyes widen in the dark as it dawns on you that this may as well be your first kiss, for all you remember.

Or slap.

You could get slapped, that's an option too, you remind yourself.

You nearly pull a Julia and jump out of your skin when Gina calls your name from beyond the door.

(Continued)

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>>3200762

You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and open the door. The room goes deadly quiet as you enter, your eyes screwed tight as you stand in the imposing living room of your gracious host. Your heart pounds in your throat and you swallow hard, willing it back into your chest as the tips of your fingers tingle with anticipation.

You brace yourself for an event that could be something or nothing, a first or a last, or something entirely different. As you stand there, listening to the sound of a pair of feet striding up to you, you begin to realize that you have a preference as to what judgement befalls you.

You may not have a choice in the matter but, like a convict standing blindfolded before a firing squad, you have achieved a certain clarity of desire.

You know what you want.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I will be pausing here for the night and resuming in approximately eleven hours from now. Thank you so much for your participation, and know that I shall be around to address any comments, questions, or criticisms you may have. Thank you again for being fantastic, and take care.)

>>3200776
>slap
>anyone at all
>right across the face
you need your nervous nerves literally smacked out of you.

>>3200740
>infinite loop sensations
>B'ni has an 'idea'.
i thought this was gonna go in a much different direction honestly. thank god it did not.

(Good Morning, Gentlemen. I propose a second vote for your consideration; Shu and company can continue their games for a short time, or you may move on to the 'morning' after and begin preparations to continue westward. The choice is yours Gentlemen, and voting shall remain open for two hours.)

>>3201265
well what do you know, the second im done catching up i update and find you ready for another session. I’ve really enjoyed the first 6 threads of this and am looking forward to what lies ahead.


>you’d rather it be a slap from Gina or Rath. The path ahead of you is long and fraught with danger and unnecessary tension will only add to its difficulty

>>3201265
It seems everyone is a bit 'hung over' BHOp.

>>3200776
>You need a slap. From Anyone.
>The Tension is too much.

>>3201273
(I'm very glad you're enjoying it so far. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead as well, and thank you for reading.)

>>3201274
(Forgive me, is your post a vote to move forwards to the aftermath of the party?)

>>3201279
It was more of a meta joke when you consider who is active in the morning compared to the rest of the viewership.
And yes. It was one vote for moving on. Lets just say Shu and co. bore witness and engaged in very drunken [REDACTED] acts that can be classified as a large chain of noodle incidents. And Shu is the only one who remembered everything because of her sobriety vow. It was a miracle that nobody got hurt at all.

Also, I'm smelling an awkward moment where the sleeping pod daughter wakes up to witness the drunken games and demands an explanation.

>>3200776
This >>3201277

>>3201265
>Slap from Rath or Bunny

>Complete the cycle so everyone gets a turn then move on

>>3201265
Finish the cycle so everyone has had a turn,then move on.

>>3201265
Moving on sounds good. I vote for a slap from anybody, followed by a time skip to the next morning after more drunken games which shall remain free of detail.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3200776

You peek.

You have to.

Rath stands before you, right arm cocked back with an open palm, a wild look in her eye. Her arm surges forwards as you flinch, bracing for an inevitable, teeth-shattering impact. What reaches you instead is a sharp tap on the cheek, though you still jerk back from the sensation. Julia and Gina start to laugh as you open your eyes in full, Rath staring up at you with a wide grin. You scowl back down at her which prompts her to joins your other friends in their laughter while B’ni finishes her drink in the corner, a smile playing on the corners of her mouth.

You can’t help it. You start in on it, too, the sheer nervous tension built up from your journey through hell escaping you through hard, almost painful laughter. You double over, tears in your eyes as you realize that this, right here and now, is what you wanted. Laughter and joy, surrounded by friends you can face the end of the world with. You want this to last forever…and you’re going to fight tooth and nail to make sure it does.

The rest of the evening passes with wild abandon, with Gina getting spanked by Julia, and then Julia getting her leg licked by your second mouth and paired with a peck on the cheek, which made her collapse into a pile of drunken giggles. Easy, carefree conversation follows after you all tire of the game, with B’ni is the first to pass out next to you. While she sleeps, you drowsily listen to Julia describe how she found the town, how this was one of the few buildings that still had a stock of sealed supplies, prompting her to pilfer what she could and bring it back up the mountain shortly before you met her. You’re about to ask if that’s how she came by her stock of fresh tea when Gina slumps against your left shoulder, breathing heavily. B’ni sleepily slings her arm over your knee and nuzzles against your leg, and you’re listening to Julia and Rath debate the merits of sculpting when sleep claims you.

You fight to open your eyes, forcing yourself fully awake from a dreamless sleep as your eyes adjust to the dim light an unknown amount of time later. The welcome scent of fresh tea and coffee wafts by you as you draw in your first deep breath of the morning, looking around at your slumbering allies. You’re not sure when you all moved to the room with the sleeping daughter, but the soft scarlet light that emanates from her chrysalis bathes the five of you in a warm, hazy glow…

Wait.

Your count your allies and realize that B’ni, Rath, Gina, and Julia lay collapsed around you in a heap, all drawing in the slow breaths of a deep sleep as someone bustles about in the main room. Freeing your leg from acting as B’ni’s pillow you rise, hive thrumming with activity as your second maw parts slightly, furious tongue at the ready as you peek around the door frame.

(Continued)

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>>3201434

The amber light that filters through the now-open windows illuminates a tall, muscular woman, working over the main room’s corner stove. A mane of long, platinum blonde hair trails down her back brushes the floor, the end of her hair stained a dark shade of brown, or perhaps crimson. She turns to look at you over her shoulder, dazzling blue eyes giving you a once-over and a half-smile, sending a tingle through your hive as she does.

“Tea or coffee?” she asks, husky voice carrying across the small space. “I made both for you and your friends.”

You glance back towards your allies in the room behind you, keeping the stranger in the corner of your eye as a set of swarmlings inch out of the holes along your spine. She chuckles deeply, turning back to her work as she speaks, her voice low.

“I brewed a pot of tea, a pot of coffee, and I cleaned this room while you slept.” She says, switching off the stove with a soft click with the powerful fingers of one hand, pulling her hair over her shoulder with the other as warmth floods your face. Your eyes trail across her naked back, her muscular, tanned shoulders marked with numerous wide scars. She slowly reaches for something as you tense, then relax slightly as she merely retrieves a simple grey tank top from the counter, slipping it over her head with deliberate care. Her long, shining mane moves of its own accord, flowing like a silver stream over the top and finally coming to rest as it's owner finishes clothing herself.

The woman turns on her heel, a pair of steaming cups in her hand as she strides to the table, her top clinging to her toned physique, dark jeans stretched taught over muscled legs. She leans down, placing the cups on the table and rising, every movement calculated, every action slow, nonthreatening.

“I would like to speak with you, before your allies awaken. If you are willing, of course.” She says, cool blue eyes fixed on yours, her hands turned outwards at her hips with the wrists facing you, taking great pains to establish her intentions.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall close in roughly two hours.)

>>3201444
>"Coffee."
>"You seem familiar. Have we met before? In the past 2 weeks since I woke up, I can count the number of women significantly older than me with one hand."
>*in whispers* "Do you go by the name of Mara, Marrow Dragoon?"
It's a gut feeling, but I think this is Mara. And she wants to make a deal with Shu.

>>3201444
>"Sure yeah I'm willing."

>"Wanna help me chop these girls up?"

>>3201499
That spoiler is a bit too ooc.

>>3201502
Ur mom is a bit too ooc

>>3201444
>“Sure. How did you find us? Aside from the drinking games...”

>>3201444
This >>3201461

>>3201444
Backing >>3201461

>>3201461
Up m not sure this is her, but i at least support asking who she is

>>3201444

"Coffee." You reply, your unblinking stare meeting the woman’s glimmering gaze.

You sit across from her, swarmlings at the ready behind your back as she slides the cup across the table to you. You drag it the rest of the way, leaving it on the table as steam rises before you, shimmering the air between you and your curious host.

"You seem familiar.” You say, breaking the silence as the silver-haired beauty takes a sip of her tea. “Have we met before? In the past two weeks since I woke up, I can count the number of women significantly older than me on one hand."

“Significantly older?” She echoes, lips pursed in a small smile as she returns her cup to the table. “Hm, I suppose that’s true. I would say by the looks of you that I may have a decade on you, give or take a year…and yes, we have.”

Your eyes dart over her powerful build, the composure and poise with which she carries herself leaving her identity no great mystery. Your every muscle is on fire, fear closing an icy fist around your heart.

“You’re Marrow Dragoon.” You say.

It’s not a question.

“I am, though I prefer my real name.” Dragoon replies simply, folding her hands in her lap while studying your face, her own visage impassive. “I am Mara, though I assume you already knew that from when you studied my plans.”

A lance of ice runs down your back as you stare at her, searching for any trace, any inkling of what her goals may be.

“What brings you here?” you say, your voice terse.

“I could ask you the same.” Mara replies, her eyes intent on your tense features. “I have revisited this area several times to stockpile items of interest. Imagine my surprise when I return to find not only had someone breached my tea and vodka cabinet, but there were now five drunk children on my living room floor.”

She chuckles as she reaches forward to take another sip of tea. “It’s enough to give anyone pause, regardless of the circumstances we’ve found ourselves in.”

(Continued)

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>>3201809

“So, Mara.” You begin, shifting your weight from one hip to the other as your tense back protests your current position. “Not to be rude, but are you here to take your ‘prize’ back? Or are you here for the sleeping girl?”

“Do you remember what I said before we fought?” she says, one silver eyebrow arched. “I told you that if you wanted my prize, to come and take it…and so you did. I was rather winded, but I will be the first to admit that you and your two allies were able to accomplish your objective in short order, despite dueling a combatant that has been awake for far longer than any of you.”

You swallow hard.

“I’m not upset, far from it. Color me impressed.” She says, giving you a short nod of approval. “As for the sleeper, I have no ill will towards her, nor any selfish intent. I am pleasantly surprised she’s lasted this long. Your note was a nice touch, I must say. I wish I had thought of that myself.”

“So you’re not here for us, and you’re not here for her.” You say slowly, your mind racing to piece together what she could possibly want from your one-sidedly tense chat over tea and coffee. “May I ask what you do want, then?”

“I want to know what kind of person you are, Shu the Defiant.” She says, azure eyes transfixed on you from across the table. “Answer that for me, and we will see how things go from there.”

>>Answer

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall close in three hours, so I may wrap up the work day. Thank you for participating, and take care.)

>>3201814
>"Still figuring that one out myself."

>>3201814 >I'm someone who values my friends. Forgive me if i'm wrong, but didn't you sacrifice a close to a dozen Daughters for your own gain? I know for sure I dont like that.

>>3201814
Instead of being confrontational about it against Mara, lets just laydown what we are plain and simple.
>"I woke up with amnesia. I couldn't remember much of my past. What I could remember, I remembered killing and butchering my oldest friend, and looking in the mirror and seeing that demented grin plastered on my face. It's something I would rather forget and move on. But waking up to this demented game of Eldritch battle royale feels like a fitting punishment for who I was before."

>"If there was one thing that I'm certain of myself it is this: If the world were to end right now whether if I wanted it to end or not, I would have it end with my friends by my side."
This is probably a question that every daughter has heard from mother "How would you like the world to end?". And this is Shu's answer.

>>3201866
Might as well be open with her

>>3201814
>"I am tbe type of person who will defend my friends, and my beliefs, no matter the cost to myself. But because of that, i dont have to do it alone, but i will if i must."
>"I cant say im innocent, but i can say, ill protect what innocence i can. Its all i can do."
>"Im the one who, regardless of it it is possible or not, ill lead those willing against those who defiled our home and try and save it. And if i die, i can only hope ill have insipired those i care about to carry on my goal, and do what is right in my absence."

>>3201814
Start telling her your own journey. the scenarios you encountered and the decisions you made. the deeds Shu commits tell her more about what kind of person she is than telling Mara what she thinks she is.
> “My first few days in this world were that of survival. All that i fought were amalgams. that changed when i met B’ni. I caught her off guard and vulnerable when i detected her stalking me. I had her dead to rights, but instead of fighting her and killing her then and there, i offered to partner up with me. it was the start of something, but i didn’t know that during that time. Then I met Rath, she was fighting a daughter who specialized in controlling amalgams and was captured. I could have left her there at the daughter’s mercy. but i intervened and helped Rath escape. She thanked me afterwards. She originally was keen on joining, but she made a promise to ascend the cord together the next time we met. Then there’s Gina. I met her on the outskirts of Kosi’s city. she saved my life twice. one when Kosi went on a hunger rampage and the other when a daughter had infected me with her own biomass as a last ditch effort to kill and possess my body. In return, I helped her find closure by returning to Kosi’s city to save her from herself. I’m sure you know what happened. Then there’s Julia. She was rather shy and was a sculpting artist who initially presented herself as a skinless angel. Everyone was on the edge of fight or flight, we managed to somehow get past her scary first impression. She’s a really sweet girl once you get to know her.

>>3202068
gah, there’s lots of typos.

>>3202082
(No worries, I like how you summed things up.)

>>3202007
Ill add on to that now that im home;
>"And its not about whether me or my beliefs are superior to others, either in logic or morality. Regardless of any argument i could make as such, the simple truth is, its probably not, ive probably given up on alot of opportunities by trusting others and fighting alongside them. But we dont, we shouldn't let this world, or this game, shape who we are or how we think. The only way we can even justify trying to save it and defy the mother, is if we try and shape the world, and do what we think is right, regardless of if it is best."
>"Im the defiant, the biggest fool there is. But if that means i get to stand side by side with my friends and loved ones, then ill be a fool til the end. I can only hope were the ones strong enough to decide on what thst end is."

I'll cut and paste some of these together, see if I can't make a cohesive whole out of them. If there's anything we don't need, or if it feels a bit long, then feel free to point it out.

>What kind of person I am? Still figuring that one out myself, to be honest. Might as well start at the beginning.

>I woke up with amnesia. I couldn't remember much of my past. What I could remember, I remembered killing and butchering my oldest friend, and looking in the mirror and seeing that demented grin plastered on my face. It's something I would rather forget and move on. But waking up to this demented game of Eldritch Battle Royale feels like a fitting punishment for who I was before.

> My first few days in this world were all about survival. I did nothing but fight amalgams, and every moment was one where I fought to stay alive.

>That changed when I met B’ni.

>I caught her off guard when I detected her stalking me. I had her dead to rights, but instead of fighting her and killing her then and there, I offered her a chance to partner up with me. It was the start of something, but I didn’t know that then.

>I met Rath soon after, she was captured by a Daughter who specialized in controlling amalgams. I could have left her there at the Daughter’s mercy, but i intervened and helped her escape. She thanked me afterwards. She originally was keen on joining, but we made a promise that we would ascend the cord together the next time we met.

>Then there’s Gina. I met her on the outskirts of Kosi’s city. I believe you know the place, it's where you first met us. She saved my life twice: once when Kosi went on a hunger rampage, and again when a daughter had infected me with her own biomass as a last ditch effort to kill and possess my body. In return, I helped her find closure by returning to Kosi’s city to save her friend from herself. I’m sure you know what happened.

>And last, but not least, is Julia. She's a sculpting artist who initially presented herself as a skinless angel. Everyone was on the edge of fight or flight, but we managed to somehow get past her scary first impression. As it turns out, she's a really sweet girl once you get to know her."

>And that's the family we've made. It's a little unbalanced, and we're all a little messed up in one way or another, but we make it work. We've fought tooth and nail to keep it together, in spite of everything this world has thrown our way.

>>3202249
>"I can't say I'm innocent. No one is in this new world, we've all done things we aren't proud of for the sake of staying alive. I'm not going to pretend I'm a saint. But I will protect what innocence I can. It's all I can do."

>"I'm the one who, regardless of if it's possible or not, will lead those willing against those who defiled our home to try and save it. And if I die, I can only hope I'll have inspired those I care about to carry on my goal, and do what is right in my absence."

>"It's not about whether me or my beliefs are superior to others, either in logic or morality. Regardless of any argument I could make as such, the simple truth is, they probably aren't. I've probably given up on a lot of opportunities by trusting others and fighting alongside them. But I refuse to let this world shape who we are or how we think. The only way we can even justify trying to save it and defy Mother is if we try to do what we think is right, even if it results in our doom."

>So who am I? If I had to answer, then I'm the type of person who will defend my friends, and my beliefs, no matter the cost to myself. I don't have to do it alone, but I will if I must. You said it yourself. I'm Shu the Defiant, the biggest fool there is. But if that means I get to stand side by side with my friends and loved ones, then I'll be a fool til the end. I can only hope we're strong enough to decide on what that end is."

>"...Anyway, that's my two cents. Sorry if I got carried away there, but you asked."

(I just want to avoid fighting her, she seems like such a cool person)

>>3201814

"I woke up with amnesia.” You begin, watching Mara lean back much like Rath did earlier. “I couldn't remember much of my past. What I could remember, I remembered killing and butchering my oldest friend, and looking in the mirror and seeing that demented grin plastered on my face.”

Marrow Dragoon’s face is impassive, even at this.

“It's something I would rather forget and move on from, if I’m being honest...” You continue, your back straight as you address the warrior before you. “…but waking up to this demented game of eldritch battle royale feels like a fitting punishment for who I was before."

You think you see something like a wistful smile play across her lips.

“Regardless of what I deserve, though…I’ve found people worth fighting for.”

You find yourself carried away as you recount how you woke, how you met B’ni, of the Chevalier and your friend’s brush with death. You tell her about saving Rath, about whisking Gina away from an envious city. You describe the gallery, and the artist who made it. You tell her everything, and when you catch your breath, her silence remains.

“Dragoon…Mara. It’s not about whether me or my beliefs are superior to others, either in logic or morality. Regardless of any argument i could make as such, the simple truth is, it’s probably not. If I’m being honest then I’ve probably given up on a lot of opportunities by trusting others and fighting alongside them. But we shouldn't let this world shape who we are or how we think. The only way we can even justify trying to save it and defy the mother is if we try and shape the world by doing what we think is right, regardless of whether it’s the pragmatic thing to do."

You rise, your eye contact with the woman across from you remaining unbroken.

“I’m the defiant, the biggest fool there is. But if that means i get to stand side by side with my friends and loved ones, then I’ll be a fool until the end. I can only hope we’re the ones strong enough to decide on what that end is."

(Continued)

>>3202260

Mara nods in thought, taking a moment to mull over your words as your heart pounds steadily, defiantly in your chest.

“I wish I had met you fourteen months ago, Shu.” She finally says, rising to her full height from the floor to face you. “We might have aligned, had we awoken together. I wish I had your optimism, your faith…I envy you, Shu the Defiant.”

She turns, stopping once she has the front door of Julia’s…of her home open, turning back to you with a sad smile. It’s only now, when her face is fully illuminated, that you see just how exhausted she truly is.

“I wish you the best, along with your friends. You may just stand a chance, if you all keep your ideals in accord.” She glances over your shoulder and into the room where your allies are still blissfully asleep. “You travel with a girl granted her first true taste of freedom…another who is blissfully unaware of her true potential…yet another who has valiantly kept her mind together despite being awake for far longer than the rest of you combined…and then there’s you.”

She smiles.

“The glue that binds them together.”

She moves to cross the threshold, and you wonder if you have any reason to stop her.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting to close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3202249
>>3202258
(This is masterful, anon.)

>>3202264
>"its never too late to stray from the path made for you and make your own Mara. I wont push you, but, we don't have to be enemies next time we meet, and you don't have to be what the games wants you do be. but if you keep going along with what She has forced on us, just don't be surprised when we do what we have to. I only hope we wont."
>"Thanks for the coffee, i hope we can have it together again sometime."
>Let her leave, shes clearly got her own issues to think over and deal with, and even if we could win a fight against her in our current circumstances, we don't pick fights we don't need to pick. plus, we have drinks to not let go to waste.

>>3202264
>"Where are you going to go from here?"

>>3202264
> “what’s your story Ms. Mara? You just came back home.”

>>3202264
mara looks like she desperately needs someone to confide in and to share her own life story. the wandering knight stoicism can only take someone so far before they crack

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>>3202275
Thanks OP, I can't express how much I appreciate that.

>>3202264
"What about you? You seem like someone with a story to tell. I'd be happy to listen."

>>3202264
>Give Mara a surprise hug and open the empathy channel to her. "Sorry about that. You just looked like you were in dire need of a hug."
>"Can you stay for a while? At least tell me your story, however brief or long you want it to be. If you're still wanting to leave, then go. I won't stop you."
>"Please, visit this place from time to time. Julia will be here until the sleeping child is born from the pod, but. From what Gina told me, the child in the pod is due in a few weeks. Afterwards... I don't know what Julia will do after the child wakes up, she's no fighter. There's a Monastery in the east that provides safe haven for daughters who don't want to fight, but I don't know if Julia's brave or strong enough to make the journey there. If you can escort them, that's wonderful. If you don't want to... at the very least, you have a place to return to with safety and company to call home for a few weeks."