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"So what exactly's the plan with that thing?" Rath asks, breaking the tense silence with a nod towards the spiked ball clutched tight in Francine's right hand. "We pin her down, and you...what? Shove that thing in her ear, or something?"

"Something like that." Francine replies, holding the newly-crafted Relic in front of her face and running a finger along one of the finger-length spines. "It's not going in her ear, though."

"Yeah?"

"It's a suppository."

Gina chokes back a laugh as Rath's freckled cheeks flood with scarlet, while November's chrome helm snaps around to look at the smirking Doctor.

"What?" Francine says with a smile, cocking an eyebrow at Rath's scowling face. "Can't a doctor make a joke everyone once in a while, Darling?"

Everyone present is surprised to be summarily 'shushed' by Amara who frantically waves you all over to Gina's side to finally lay eyes on your target as she emerges from the lab, the massive,
meter-thick steel door swinging shut behind her as she begins her descent into the valley. You glance among your allies, their eyes all trained on the Proxy that shares Francine's face as she stalks towards
the Hexane ruins far beyond where you're all gathered. You find your own doctor's face is now devoid of the levity that she tried to inject into the taught atmosphere, replaced with a cold resolve that's worked its way into the hard line of her mouth.

Everyone here is nervous, but Francine? This means so much more to her than any of you can imagine.

"Rath, you said that Silvis got you the factory plans?" You ask, turning to your red-headed brawler. She nods, and with a flicker across the empathic channel you've left open to your team, the layout of the
ruins is open to you. With the time you had before West Sigma's emergence, you've been able to prepare as well as you can and set the stage. Now all that's left is-

"Miss Shu, do you copy?"

Dorian's genteel voice rings out through the small swarmling that clings to your left earlobe. "Miss Sia and I have made visual contact with West Alpha. Prepared to engage on your mark."

You can feel your heart in your throat, all eyes on you as you prepare to pull the trigger on something you can't take back.

It's time.

>>Choose two preparations/modifications you and your allies have made to the area.

>>Please select Relic Load-out: https://pastebin.com/uV6d2UJL

AND

>>Strike hard, strike fast…and strike now. [Ambush in open plain]

>>Wait until she's in the Hexane factory...you'll have an advantage there [Ambush in Hexane Factory]

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, it's good to be back. Voting shall remain open for the next four hours. I do hope your weekend went well, and I'll be happy to address any questions you have.)

(Also, for the Anon who's been writing Journeys Through Europe; I've reviewed the abilities you've posted, and I'll be sharing my ideas a little later this week as my weekend was busier than I'd anticipated. Thank you for your patience, and rest assured that I've thoroughly enjoyed what you have there.)

>>4105795
glad to be back aswell.

what exactly do you mean by the preparations/modifications, and can they be done in the Hexxane factory, given its supposed to be resilient to terraforming, i think?

also, did Rath end up making the Viscera Vincula? i dont think i saw it on the relics sheet.


also, uhh, wrong link for the Relics loadout there....

>>4105795
oh, also, did we end up giving Tinker Tailor the Void Orrey or not? dont think it was ever actually said.

Also, will Ginas Gladiatorial underground movement work in the Factory? this is of course assuming it has resistances to terraforming at all, of course.

>>4105795
By the way, what new swarmling does PSYCHICA SPIRALIS give us?

(Relic Sheet Version 6 is here, Gentlemen.)

https://pastebin.com/6b2b720G

(Not sure how that happened, but ah well.)

>>4105801
(By modifications I mean any Neuromancer/Skintalker prep, along with any other clever applications of Relics or abilities to make your task of bagging West Sigma any easier.)

(Rath did, apologies for not updating the sheet with that, I'll add it shortly.)

(It's possible to terraforming the environment given Silvis' instruction, yes. It's far more receptive to him than it is to any Proxy.)

>>4105803
(You did give her the Void Orrery, yes. And Gina's movement will work in most of the factory, as it's been overrun with Biomass.)

>>4105805
(I'm putting the finishing touches on that now, actually.)

>>4105789
>>Please select Relic Load-out: https://pastebin.com/uV6d2UJL

DORIAN
>Sui Interitus
>Pacekeeper's Box
>Crimson Jester's Blood-Iron Masque
>Manus Caelorum
>Ventrem Lanceam

AMARA
>Hearth Rod
>Shalaev's Shawl
>Vocem Virtutis
>Vocalis Nocere
>Red Devil's Engine

SHU
>Hexane Contender
>Matron's Stoicism
>Hydra's Heart
>Remembrance Whistle loaded with RHO CUNT


GINA
>Deliverance of Ego
>Membrum Automata
>The Spine

RATH
>Gutgrab Daggers


FRANCINE
>Surgeon General's Essentials
>Inspector's Spectacles
>Shalaev's Shawl
>Sui Sacrificium

NOVEMBER
>Head: Void Orrery
>Chest: Cutis Tractus
>Arm 1: Margrave's Blade
>Arm 2: Spear of Dainsleif
>Leg 1: Cursus Alas
>Leg 2: Adrenal Nail
>Free: Empty

How does this look? Most of it's pretty standard stuff that we always do, but also a bunch of speed-booster Relics on Dorian to keep him from getting caught and the Void Orrery on November to free up a Shawl for Francine.

>>4105807
>You did give her the Void Orrery, yes
And I learn we don't have the Orrery just as I hit post, that's on me for being hasty.

>>4105808
dude we need those imitative relics to make sure we go first on the proxy. all Dorian needs is pure speed, which the Sui Interitus does just fine, and at worse the Ego can boost.

>>4105808
a;sp we ;eft Cutis Cractus with Julia, and fused the Cursas Alas with her.

>>4105807
which might be best to remember to say that about the Cursas like you did with Rath, and put down a note on the Cutis Tractus too BHOP.

>>4105807
How much natural light does the Factory have? Most of our party has enhanced senses of some sort thanks to the Neurotic Halos or being cyborgs. If we could blackout the building once we lure Sigma in here, that might be a useful piece of setup, getting control over the lights.

>>4105811
Yeah, that's fair. Also, I just remembered that I do want the Masque on either November or Amara for if/when we have to fight Alpha. I think that her tendency to let foes get in the first hit means we can take off most of her Health on turn one using their abilities. Which would give her a huge strength boost because of her Augment, but we'd have to deal with that anyway. Okay, give me a moment to rewrite it.

>>4105807
also, can i assume the Viscera will be a chest slot for November?

>>4105816
What's the Viscera do, again?

>>4105808
also also, fucking hell i just keep finding new things to say right after i post.

November, Amara, and Gina are all doing the initial pinning down of our target, so all need a stealth item. Francine doesn't need one, at all, as the plan is not for her to do the opening move, but move in after the target is pinned.

they are also the three who need any initiative boosts, while im at it.

>>4105817
>>4105807
>VISCERA VINCULA; an odd set of armor, looking more like a pile of old, blood stained rusty chains woven into a mockery of chainmail, old meathooks hanging off it at odd placements. Providing a base defensive bonus equivalent to 300% Biomass and one level of Slashing Resistance, this Armors true purpose is one of grudgeful affection. Starting out with a base of 3 hooks, each additional one casting a whooping 1 ACT and 300% biomass to construct, these deadly hooks may be launched out for one ACT(though any number of Hooks per Act), up to medium Range, to which each one may dig into an opponent and fuse into their flesh. This horrid tether prevents the opponent from moving further than medium range for the armors master, ensuring they are always close enough to be drawn into a brutal melee. Any attempts to move outside this range restriction will result in a strength based tug-of-war, to where the loser is knocked down and may be dragged by or towards the winner. The chains are nigh invulnerable to being shattered too, with only the toughest of opponents being able to split such a tight and deep grip into their person. Truly, some Daughters like dishing it out up close, and why should others be allowed the option to not enjoy the fun?

>>4105817
>>4105820
oh just fuck me this morning, im gonna blame my sinus infection or whatever i have for my this folks, sorry.

i suppose i could see the argument for giving Amara and her clones the Viscera, BUT, that depends on what November gets as a bonus for equipping it, as it might be good enough to be worth it over multiple clone pulling the Proxy in opposite directions. might, obviously, being the key word, even if not likely.

>>4105820
>November, Amara, and Gina are all doing the initial pinning down of our target, so all need a stealth item
Gina's going to be underground, she doesn't need something that provides optical stealth. Which is good, because if we handed over the Void Orrery then we don't have enough stealth Relics for that anyway. We can give her some Subversive Platelings as a backup, they should merge with the Aeturnum, but I don't think they'll be a big factor.

>That armor
Oh, cool, Viscera Vuncula is a good replacement for the Cutis Tractus, then. We need to pin Sigma down one way or another.

>>4105813
(It has limited light, so Sigma's resorted to a sort of bioluminesence from her own body to navigate.)

>>4105816
(It is, yes. Allow me to find its stats, and I'll post them momentarily.)

>>4105823
Okay, how's this look?

>>4105789
>>Please select Relic Load-out: https://pastebin.com/uV6d2UJL

DORIAN
>Sui Interitus
>Manus Caelorum
>Ventrem Lanceam

AMARA
>Hearth Rod
>Shalaev's Shawl
>Vocem Virtutis
>Vocalis Nocere
>Red Devil's Engine
>Pacekeeper's Box

SHU
>Hexane Contender
>Matron's Stoicism
>Hydra's Heart
>Remembrance Whistle loaded with RHO CUNT

GINA
>Deliverance of Ego
>Membrum Automata
>The Spine

RATH
>Gutgrab Daggers

FRANCINE
>Surgeon General's Essentials
>Inspector's Spectacles
>Sui Sacrificium

NOVEMBER
>Head: Crimson Jester's Blood-Iron Masque
>Chest: Viscera Vincula
>Arm 1: Spear of Dainsleif
>Arm 2: Shalaev's Shawl
>Leg 1:
>Leg 2: Adrenal Nail
>Free: Empty

>>4105826
Ah, so there aren't any inside lights and she's using a bio-flashlight. Well, nevermind to that idea, then. On the plus side, it means her senses are primarily optical. So we're good on that front.

>>4105826
Where is Dorian and Sia when they encountered West Alpha?

>>4105825
we dont know what the Proxy has, sending Gina in without optical camo could ruin the entire thing. Gina can see through floors, why couldn't another neuromancer?

also, the whistle can be a stealth item for November.

also, stealth stacks, so making sure everyone has a relic on top of Amaras pre-spells and possibly Shus swarm is a good idea.

>>4105830
nope. significant problems and still jumping the gun on the viscera when BHOP hasn't given us its full rundown yet.

>>4105831
I don't think so. Sigma has a Skintalker as a secondary in her hybrid core, so that allows her access to basic skinternet connection.

>>4105833
>we dont know what the Proxy has, sending Gina in without optical camo could ruin the entire thing. Gina can see through floors, why couldn't another neuromancer?
Then the optical camo would still be worthless, since there's no light underground to bend around Gina. We'd need camo tuned to whatever bizarre sensory medium object-penetrating vision uses.

>also, the whistle can be a stealth item for November.
That's a fair point, though. Okay, changing November to have the Remembrance Whistle loaded with SIHL THA and giving the Shawl to...I don't know. I guess Gina, just in case she has to pop above ground.

>also, stealth stacks, so making sure everyone has a relic on top of Amaras pre-spells and possibly Shus swarm is a good idea.
Oh, yeah, definitely having Amara cast a SIHL spell. We should have her cast a counter-spell with SEL, too.

>>4105795
That mess up is quite funny for me.....
Not sure if I should feel proud it landed in the first post or incredibly embarrassed....

>my weekend was busier than I'd anticipated.
Arent they almost always OP? Don't worry about it to much

>>4105830
Are you sure you want to put the heart on Shu? It does integrate into the skin of it's wearer right now.... Well it's not like we need heart surgery to remove at the current level so I have nothing against using it. But it's gonna be unpleasant if nothing else to remove. It could save Shus life however if we need to regenerate quickly.

I will get to voting once I get back home. Typing on the phone is a pain

>>4105839
that depends entirely on how she sees underground. Gina might also need to come to the surface for the ambush. unlikely, and probably means something else went wrong, but making sure if she does, she still has the option to surprise her foe fully without having to pop up directly on top of them is still a good idea.

and already on it for Amara, its just, haven't been able to finish my own vote due to lingering questions im waiting on BHOP to answer.

>>4105841
>>4105839
im unsure of putting the heart on Shu aswell. feels like a bad person to permanently have it on, and the Heart even at just level two incentives choosing a singular person to keep it on.

>>4105841
>Are you sure you want to put the heart on Shu? It does integrate into the skin of it's wearer right now.... Well it's not like we need heart surgery to remove at the current level so I have nothing against using it. But it's gonna be unpleasant if nothing else to remove. It could save Shus life however if we need to regenerate quickly.
Shu currently has the lowest Health out of the party. The seven year-old can take a hit better than Shu can. I want Shu to have a bit of extra survivability if we can. Though I guess we could swap the Deliverance of Ego over to Shu instead, that could also work. Might work better, actually, since it gives Shu incentive to fulfill her destiny as the protagonist and be powered by hope and love.

>>4105830
No on giving Shu the Hydra's Heart. That relic is what I would consider an abomination due to the inherent drawback it brings. And it's a level 2 relic at that. We have a redhead in our family that deals fire damage as its primary output and a relic that cripples the user when receiving fire damage (even with friendly fire turned off) is something I do not want. Besides it's upgrade path makes it a perma-bound relic. And hardwiring that crippling weakness to fire damage will kill someone in the long run.

>>4105847
What are you talking about, cripples the user? It just can't heal fire damage. The user's natural regeneration isn't affected by fire damage, though. It has no negatives, just situational positives.

>>4105846
i want Dorian to have the Ego.
him and his speed boosts from the Interitus, aswell as the extra counters the Interitus can give him if it comes to that, could use the boost. an extra precaution where its needed, whereas we can afford not to have it with everyone else. keep in mind Sigmas not considered a powerhouse, and most her threat isnt from damage dealing abilities, meaning unless the Ego is boosting anti Neuro/Skintalker abilities, it wont do the Sigma squad as much good as making Dorian faster will.

>>4105847
you really over criticize it, and BHOP only said it would specifically effect Rath due to her literally basically being made of fire. allies dont get harmed from her attacks, so wouldnt even be burned for it to be stopped by her attacks.

>>4105846
>>4105844
>>4105841
So what orders are we going to give Dorian and Sia? I honestly want to ensure that both of them can escape alive while still stalling Alpha by putting enough time and distance between them and Shu's group.

>>4105847
Didn't we have that discussion once already? I think we already had the question if the heart negates all Regen if cauterized or if only the relics own Regen gets negated....
What was the verdict of that again? I honestly don't remember anymore

>>4105826
OP? What was the verdict on the question I posted here again? Does the heart only negates its own Regen when it gets cauterized or does it negate all Regen of the user?

>>4105851
they... already have their orders.
get West Alpha to follow them into the cave, then cause a cave-in and use the Gear to get back to us, or use the Gear early to save themselves if necessary.

>>4105850
>keep in mind Sigmas not considered a powerhouse, and most her threat isnt from damage dealing abilities, meaning unless the Ego is boosting anti Neuro/Skintalker abilities, it wont do the Sigma squad as much good as making Dorian faster will.
I'm assuming the worst case scenario, that being that we have to fight Alpha and don't get the chance to change Relic loadout first. Alpha likes to target back-line combatants like Hive Mistresses first, there are good chances that she's going to open up the fight with a rocket-punch at Shu. Psychica Spiralis will help, but I'd like to put some armor on top of that. Armor that isn't the Chitinous Stalwart, that is, that thing's nice but seriously needs some defense upgrades.

>>4105855
>>4105850
>>4105846

I think if we're going to play keep away with Shu being the target of West Alpha when the latter beelines for the backline, We should prepare multiple Rooks for instant chained Teleportation. And our form of defense isn't really "Tanking hits" per say. Shu's form of defense primarily is putting as much distance and bodies between her and her aggressor as possible.

>>4105855
if West Alpha finds us, we're not fighting her, we're running. and even in that situation, the Ego would work better on others. both individually and for the groups cohesion.

we also cant afford to bend relics to what-ifs like that, when we need a loadout setup to make sure this plan works in the first place. cutting resources from Dorian, the one in the most danger right now, is exactly how things go south enough to need to face West Alpha in the first place.

>>4105855
>>4105858
you guys are acting like West Alpha can teleport, when in fact that is one thing she seems to very much not be able to do. even worse case scenario of Dorian getting killed, we would know something is up and still have time to react accordingly, ala getting the fuck out of there. its preparing for something at the cost of making it more likely to happen.

>>4105841
(I'm so sorry if that embarrassed you, though I'm proud to have your work on the front page. And actually, that brings up a good point...)
(An open question for everyone present; would you be averse to me adding a Google doc or pastebin of everyone's fics to the Vein opener? You all have written some fantastic works, and I'd love to have that as part of what anyone sees when they check out a Vein. Only if everyone's alright with it, however.)

>>4105853
(If I recall, I believe I ruled that it negates all Regen, given it's a Tier 2 Relic.)
(Also, you may find the Vincula stats and the new Swarmling type below.)
>>VISCERA VINCULA; an odd set of armor, looking more like a pile of old, blood stained rusty chains woven into a mockery of chainmail, old meat hooks hanging off it at odd placements. Providing a base defensive bonus equivalent to 300% Biomass and one level of Slashing Resistance, this Armors true purpose is one of grudging affection. Starting out with a base of 3 hooks, each additional one casting a whopping 1 ACT and 300% biomass to construct, these deadly hooks may be launched out for one ACT(though any number of Hooks per Act), up to medium Range, to which each one may dig into an opponent and fuse into their flesh. This horrid tether prevents the opponent from moving further than medium range for the armors master, ensuring they are always close enough to be drawn into a brutal melee. Any attempts to move outside this range restriction will result in a strength based tug-of-war, to where the loser is knocked down and may be dragged by or towards the winner. The chains are nigh invulnerable to being shattered too, with only the toughest of opponents being able to split such a tight and deep grip into their person. Truly, some Daughters like dishing it out up close, and why should others be allowed the option to not enjoy the fun? (Chest Slot: HEALTH +400%, DEF++. When tethered to November’s chassis, the VINCULA starts with a base of 5 HOOKS, though each additional hook requires 2 ACTS to summon.)

>>Psychica Spiralis - Thoughtling (BIO++, DEF++): These unusually chunky members of your brood emanate their own PSYCHICA SPIRALIS field within CLOSE range, allowing your allies across the battlefield to benefit from its defensive effects. (40% BIO)

>>4105862
When the terminator is a fan of making Speed-boosting relics and has 6-Actions to her disposal and the ability to make T-4 Relics (keeping her preference of speed boosting relics in mind), treat her like a teleporting monster. Better be safe than sorry.

>>4105862
No, I'm acting like our window of opportunity to West Alpha after this will be very small. Remember, that was the plan? Crash the network, then if that's not enough to stop Alpha we fight her at the river. I'm not worried that Alpha will interrupt us during this stage of the operation, I'm worried about stage two.

>>4105863
>>Psychica Spiralis - Thoughtling (BIO++, DEF++): These unusually chunky members of your brood emanate their own PSYCHICA SPIRALIS field within CLOSE range, allowing your allies across the battlefield to benefit from its defensive effects. (40% BIO)
Whoa, that's strong. Okay, everyone gets Plate-Thoughtlings.

>>4105863
I'm fine with it.

I do have a question however. Where in the fleshscape (relative to known landmarks) are Dorian and Sia when they've encountered West Alpha?

>>4105866
Excuse me, typo. I meant to say "window of opportunity to prepare to fight West Alpha". Not sure how I cut those words out, my apologies. But whatever, it's not worth the argument. I'm tired of talking about Relic loadout. Let's discuss preparations at the factory. Obviously we want invisible Joyous Many and Subversive Grapplings hiding around the complex, ready to ambush. What do people think about regular Subversive Swarmlings with Radiant Boil payloads? Not to bomb Sigma, but to cut off her escape routes. She moves to run, suddenly she notices that a Swarmling has dropped down from the ceiling and lit the hallway on fire.

>>4105863
>Google doc or pastebin of everyone's fics to the Vein opener?
sure, go for it.(Author of the Pepperbox Gang if you want specifics on what is being okayed. i can also post a link to my other works or something, ifyou wanted the oddball stories and such too, not just the more linear stories.)

and thanks for the info.

>>4105864
she isnt though. like, very much so. and not at the cost of Dorians safety, or the entire point of this operation.

>>4105866
that mean literally nothing if it costs us this operation working at all or going smoothly, or getting Dorian and Sia killed or injured.

also, we only planned to go after West Alpha after this if we could afford to. if we cannot go after West Alpha for any reason, we werent going to try at all. making the operation against Sigma go worse or getting Dorian hurt, killed, or exhausted will do much worse to making us be able to go after Alpha than needing a moment to switchup relics would.

>>4105869
(They're close to where you fought Lepisma actually, near the barren lakebed.)

>>4105863
>>4105847
>(If I recall, I believe I ruled that it negates all Regen, given it's a Tier 2 Relic.)
Well when I came up with it had intended to only negate its own Regen and seeing how it negates all Regen I believe we may have to just feed it to Julia. Fire damage I'd just to much of a risk to loose all Regen over.....
my heart bleeds over this but there is nothing I can do

That doc or pastbin would be fine with me. I think you have the link to the Nexus already so there should be little need to repost it

>>4105874
(Hm...in that case, while it can't be done immediately, upgrading it to work as you originally intended would be quite possible once you and your team have time to settle down.)

>>4105872
>also, we only planned to go after West Alpha after this if we could afford to. if we cannot go after West Alpha for any reason, we werent going to try at all. making the operation against Sigma go worse or getting Dorian hurt, killed, or exhausted will do much worse to making us be able to go after Alpha than needing a moment to switchup relics would.
Realistically, I don't think she's going to give us a choice. It's up to Alpha if we still have to fight her. If she's still chasing after us after the network crashes, then it doesn't matter what we prefer. The point of this mission was always to ensure Francine's safety from Alpha, running is not a viable solution.

I'm also not convinced that the Deliverance of Ego will really boost the Sui Interitus that much, that really depends on factors outside of our control (how positive is Dorian feeling right now?), but I can tell you've made up your mind so let's just move on. Ambush prep, does anyone have ideas? I mentioned the obvious invisible minions idea, and the possibility of using fire to cut off escape routes. Any others? Maybe something with terraforming pit traps so we can pull the ground out from under Sigma? She might notice that with her Neuro/Skintalker hybrid, though, might give the game away.

>>4105880
What about the location where we spring our trap?
Currently Sigma's making her way down the valley. If we spring the ambush now, there's a chance where she might run back to her house. likewise, waiting and springing the trap by waiting until Sia's in the Factory would put Dorian and Sia's life into further risk. I'm half-tempted to spring the trap, but At the same time I think a fall-back ambush point would be very suitable by springing the trap so that Sigma's forced to find shelter in the factory.

>>4105789
Relic Loadout;
Shu;
>Contender(4 Fullbores, 2 Honey), Matrons


Gina;
>Spine, Shawl, Membrum Automata

Rath;
>Margraves, Dainsleif

Amara;
>Shawl(upgraded), Vocem(Enhance; SEL and SHI)(Free; SHI), Hearth Rod, Vocalis, GoreGrowth(Verurteilung), Viscera Vincula, Jesters

Francine;
>Spectacles, Surgeon Generals, Sui Sacrificium

Dorian;
>Manus, Sui Interitus, Deliverance of Ego

November;
>>T3 Core equipped
>Whistle(GRA VITA)(Arm), Pacekeepers(Head), GutGrab Daggers(Arm), Red Devils(Chest), Nail(Leg)
>>Lanceam

Holly;
>Godamned Uzi, Tollo Cadere, Ignition Gauntlets, Hydra Heart


Plan/Other;
>Wait until she's in the Hexane factory...you'll have an advantage there [Ambush in Hexane Factory]
>scout out her route, then make the ground become ‘swamp sludge’, ground that looks normal but really is like quicksand/thick mud that draws you in.
>Secondly, set any escape route for her primed to explode and box her in with us, via whatever means we have that is hardest to notice.

>>Have Amara hit everyone with a GRA OMA SIHL
>>Have Amara, November, Sam, and Gina get a set of Stealth Armor from Shu on top of their base Stealth.

>>4105880
>>4105884
we have a major advantage in the Factory, due both to Silvis info, and BHOP saying it specifically will listen to us more than her due to its attunement to him.

hitting her in the open also makes it much harder to surprise her and keep her from escaping, even with neuromancy and other means.

>>4105880
and the Ego will miraculously work better on someone else? no ones in a good mood, but what mood someone does have to work off of, will aid Dorian much better than anyone else.

as for Alpha, again, irrelevant. we can still run and extend the time before we truly have to face her, and if things go south in the sigma plan, even if Alpha still comes for us, all it would do is make us fucked. Alpha isnt one to face at not your best, which your shuffling around is more likely to put us at. a fight with Sigma at any level, or Dorian taking even a non lethal hit, will still put us in a much worse position to face her than a few relics out of place would.

>>4105879
Okay that makes me feel a little better about not feeding it to Julia.......
And that is not just because I want to turn one of our girls into a lizard girl

>>4105888
Isn't the red Devil's engine fused with Amara's Blade? You want to take her toy away?

And well putting the heart on Holly..... might work. We could turn her into our lizard girl..... With a massive toothed maw and all.... worth a shot I think as long as we keep in contact with her if she gets hit with fire

>>4105891
the Red Devil is not a permanently fusing relic. and i think given the situation Amara would be ok with letting November borrow it. we need November to be able to be fast and ensure the ambush works, more than we need to buff Amara sword blade.

in matter of fact, we need Sigma alive, even if it does come to a fight, so Amaras sword might be a bad idea in general, with or without the engine.

>>4105888
>>4105789
whoops, Novembers whistle is supposed to be a
>(GRA SIHL).

Amaras relic is also boosting
>(SIHL and SEL)
with its free being
>(SIHL)

fuck this sinus infection to all hell damnit.

>>4105888
I'm not sure the quicksand is a good idea. Thinking about it, the purpose of Sigma's Neuromancy/Skintalker hybrid is probably for analyzing structures. Those both are good at scanning the fleshscape, and it fits Sigma's role as investigating a ruin. Even with the Factory liking us more because we've got Silvis' mindstate, it might blab about the physical trap. We shouldn't lay any trap that is part of the Factory's structure.

>>4105888
Also, you only loaded the Contender halfway. It's got twelve rounds with the Maxim, remember? Unless you meant that to be the loadout for each individual Gemini gun, which should still be specified.

>>4105904
fair on that, though things like boil bombs to topple things i dont think would count at that.
actually, i do have to question that, or well, moreso if she has abilities to that level, i question whether we could ambush her at all. if she has it to that degree, our only hope at all would be in the factory, and hoping Silvis attunement to it can cause it to actively trick and lie to her about whats going on.

>>4105906
keep forgetting it has 6 rounds per when split. ill make the amendment in a bit, once i hear others thoughts on things aswell.

>>4105913
Well, like I said, I think her hybrid is primarily attuned to structures. She might have a sense of where hidden foes are positioned based on the weight on the ground, but I think that the Factory being on our side should be enough to hide minor signals like that. That, and flooding the local biomass with "Amara is your best friend" vibes from the Joyous Many. Actually, Hollistic Lexicon level two lets Amara prime the fleshscape with things to report on, I wonder if she could tell the Factory to respond to Sigma's queries with a report that everything's normal. Do you think that could work?

>>4105919
possibly. we could also ask it if it knows how well Sigma can sense things, seeing as how it has experience with Sigma, if you think that would help. would allow us to keep the traps as a caveat, if it is safe, instead of having to fully guess.

Am>>4105891 now finally at home after having been volunteered for cleanup duty after Karneval

I am thinking about getting a name or something with a code after it..... just in case people want to ask me shit ..... maybe something to look into later in the meantime one just has to scream into the void till i appear.....


>>4105923
I will get back to you in about ten minutes with anything i think could improve the plan.

only just got home after getting very irritated at how much trash people just keep on throwing into the streets while its Karneval......

At least that shit is over now so i can finally get back to being relaxed and less angry with the world....

>>4105888
Yeah Relic loadout seems fine as is right now.


As for the Modifications we could make it would depend on how stable the structure already is.... Planting bombs to cut her off of from escaping seems like a good plan so we dont mess with the structure itself while Amara keeps the Biomass happy and telling West that nothing really has changed.

Also plant a couple more bombs to cut off escape routs, make her panic as we hound her through the facility for maybe a roudn until we corner her at a place of our choosing....

All in all i think your plan should work. I dont have anything really to add other than we should peobably make her only escpae rout through us while she is in a state of panic. Maybe even use Verurteilung once in a while to make sure she doesnt get to clear a head to plan and strategize Since we dont actually know the layout out of character its hard to make any educated guesses where those bombs would be most useful

>>4105888
>>4105901
>>4105789
Amended Orders;
Relic Loadout;
Shu;
>Contender(8 Fullbores, 4 Honey), Matrons

Gina;
>Spine, Shawl, Membrum Automata

Rath;
>Margraves, Dainsleif

Amara;
>Shawl(upgraded), Vocem(Enhance; SEL and SIHL)(Free; SIHL), Hearth Rod, Vocalis, GoreGrowth(Verurteilung), Viscera Vincula, Jesters

Francine;
>Spectacles, Surgeon Generals, Sui Sacrificium

Dorian;
>Manus, Sui Interitus, Deliverance of Ego

November;
>>T3 Core equipped
>Whistle(GRA SIHL)(Arm), Pacekeepers(Head), GutGrab Daggers(Arm), Red Devils(Chest), Nail(Leg)
>>Lanceam

Holly;
>Godamned Uzi, Tollo Cadere, Ignition Gauntlets, Hydra Heart


Plan/Other;
>Wait until she's in the Hexane factory… you'll have an advantage there [Ambush in Hexane Factory]
>Have Amara, and Francine via her copy-cat abilities, both try and convince the Factory flesh to trick Sigma and keep us hidden, and give us any info on her, her goal, and her abilities it can.
>scout out her route, then make the ground become ‘swamp sludge’, ground that looks normal but really is like quicksand/thick mud that draws you in.
>Secondly, set any escape route for her primed to explode and box her in with us, via whatever means we have that is hardest to notice.

>>Have Amara hit everyone with a GRA OMA SIHL
>>Have Amara, November, Sam, and Gina get a set of Stealth Armor from Shu on top of their other Stealth.
>>Have Amara and her clones have a few GRA SEL SHI ready incase Sigma tries anything.

>>4105863
I dont know if you noticed OP but have added Evas core to the write up in the DOC as well.
(though not in the pastebin)

>>4105789
I will support >>4105936 as i really cant think of anything better

(Finishing up the posts now, Gentlemen. It's a big one.)

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>>4105789

The interior of the Hexane Ruins is a labyrinth of darkened halls, the minimal gold filigree around the doorways a far cry from the lavish accents that decorated Ozmas’ familial estate. Rath, Gina, and a gaggle of Amara-led Joyous take the lead, allowing Silvis to navigate as your Neuromancer and Skintalker extend their influence throughout the surprisingly pliable complex. Between their efforts, you and your team are the first thing West Sigma sees when she rounds a corner, freezing in her tracks as she catches sight of your seven-strong group…though only you and Francine are in full view, the rest cloaked with your own brand of specialized swarmlings.
Sigma studies you for a long moment, eyes scanning the corridor before giving you and her doppelganger a once-over. She doesn’t even try and hide how her gaze sweeps over your other allies before settling back on you, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with one gloved finger.

She can see them, plain as day.

“Hello, Darling.” West Sigma finally says, eyes glinting through the gloom. “To what do I owe this imposition?”

It’s a familiar voice, and yet…

…the sound chills you to the bone. You hadn’t realized just how much warmth had crept into Francine’s tone in her time with you and yours until the Proxy’s professional, unfeeling clip sends a shudder down your spine.

“Vengeance? Some ill-formed notion of justice, perhaps?” Sigma sneers, focus suddenly shifting to just over your left shoulder as your good doctor steps forward. “Ah…the flawed specimen, itself. I should’ve known.”

“I’m not here to fight, Sigma. Quite the opposite.” Francine answers, standing firmly beside you with her gaze focused on her equal and opposite. “I’m here to help…though I’m sure you won’t believe me.”

Sigma nods slowly, eyes shifting back to yours as a brief silence settles, the space between you sizzling with tension. Everyone, even Amara, stands stock still, waiting for some sign of movement.

Waiting for someone to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, the wall to your left shifts, biomass and Hexane architecture alike surging to block Sigma’s escape attempt as a burst of shock echoes from her across the empathic channel.

“W-…HOW is it listening to-?!” She demands, her bewildered sputtering cut short when Rath’s hand rockets across the distance to drive the butt of the Margrave into the Proxy’s windpipe. Your brawler looses a bark of satisfied laughter that promptly fades when Sigma’s body begins to vibrate, countless yawning mouths opening up underneath her clothes as the air begins to sing with the might of her Lexicon.

A shame that she’s up against the voices of angels as a chorus drowns out her feeble words.

(Continued)

>>4106029

“GRA SEL SHI!” Amara and her Joyous declare as one, and Sigma collapses as the skin of her cheeks flays off and lunges into her own eyeballs. At the same moment the ground beneath her begins to give way to the terraformed black sludge that Gina’s willed it to become, the quicksand-like substance suddenly going rigid as Sigma’s shoes explode as her feet splay out into twin tangles of bare neurons, shining with arcane light as they resist the floor’s pull. The Proxy’s hair suddenly springs to life, lashing out and yanking her bodily down the corridor with terrible speed, away from you and directly into the path of the sugar crystals that erupt from the ground before you.

Sigma barely has time to avoid slamming into Sugar’s barrier before Betty’s cartoonishly large fist springs out of a side corridor like an oversized boxing glove, flinging the doctor into the opposite wall just as Rosa lunges past her unseen allies to seize Sigma. You and your allies are surging down the corridor as the Barbers’ leader brings a pair of syringes down into Sigma’s collarbones, and you watch as Rosa’s eyes go wide when Sigma’s form suddenly becomes like Dorian’s, allowing her to slip free of her grasp as she slithers towards a gap in Sugar’s crystals. Francine’s hands unwravels, her strands barely missing Sigma as she disappears, slipping through the cracks as you scream for Sugar to dissipate her barrier.

The multi-colored crystals recede as you watch Sigma reform, hands withdrawn from her coat as she flings a pair of pulsing meat balls towards you, and suddenly November’s in front of you, flinging her arms wide to halt your advance as the Red Engine roars in her chest…but she’s too slow to stop Francine’s Sacrificium-powered charge.

November’s pleading to hang back is drowned out by your surge of adrenaline, your swarm springing to action as Gina’s neuromancy frantically tries to box Sigma in. She’s fast, faster than you ever expected as Francine barrels past the falling grenades that are almost frozen in mid-air in the wake of one Proxy’s pursuit of another…and as they hang just a second too long, you realize they’ve stopped falling, completely.

With sudden and tremendous force, the pair of explosive Relics are hurled down the corridor and past Francine and Sigma both, disappearing behind Gina’s barrier as the space beyond is rocked with the force of a devastating detonation. Sigma’s cut off completely, and she has no time to process a plan of escape before Francine’s strands envelop her, dragging her to the ground in the half-second before you and the rest of your allies and constructs practically dog-pile the Proxy’s prone form.

“I’ve got her paralyzed!” Gina breathlessly declares, and with extreme care you and your team withdraw, looking down at West Sigma’s frozen form, her teeth clenched tight as she seethes impotently on the glossy black floor.

You've got her.

(Continued)

>>4106031

Francine runs a hand through her hair as she heaves a shaky sigh, eyes fixed to the Proxy before her as you look to the aftermath of Sigma’s last-ditch effort to end you as the hastily-constructed walls Gina made to contain the blast begin to crumble, a foul-smelling waft of burnt air escaping through the widening hole. The hallway beyond resembles the aftermath of November’s Autumn Protocol, the previously sleek black corridor a cracked and melting mass of scorched obsidian, the walls and ceiling buckled outwards from the sheer force of the explosion.

“Nicely done on those grenades, GG.” You say with a relieved smile, one that fades as you look down to see Gina shaking her head, giving a quick nod to the empty air behind you. You look, glancing past Rosa, Betty, and Sugar to see the space shimmer and warp as a familiar frame take shape out of nothingness.

“Hello, Sam.” You say.

“Hello, Shu.” She replies, rolling her right arm around in its socket with a gentle whir, ensuring its full functionality after her split-second pitch. Her hooded helm tilts from you to the scene unfolding before you, and when you look back it’s in time to watch the spines of Francine’s specialized Relic recede before it’s slipped into Sigma’s ear, prodded deeper by your good doctor’s slender finger.

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be alright. You’re not going to die, alright? You’re going to *live*.” Francine says soothingly, holding the Proxy’s face in her hands as Amara’s gentle whispers restore the sight Sigma’s own Lexicon robbed her of. Her wild, furious gaze falls first on you, then on her better self as she tries to fight what’s happening to her mind, until…

…The Proxy’s body goes still for the length of a heartbeat before violently seizing up, the nauseating sound of grinding teeth and creaking bone echoing through the corridor as something very wrong begins to take place.

“Shit. Goddammit, something’s fighting it.” Francine hisses, fists clenched at her sides as she frantically turns to you and your allies. “Okay…okay, we don’t have much time but I have an idea.”

Francine’s sharp focus slips past you to settle on the girls that stand at your right and left. “A two-pronged approach; Gina, if you can allow me entry into West Sigma’s subconscious, then I can work to disarm whatever’s fighting the reprogramming. Meanwhile, I’ll need Rath’s expertise to re-wire the Relic on the fly in the real to circumvent whatever firewalls I can’t work around while in the Dreamscape.”

Gina relents immediately, kneeling next to Francine as the veins in the brunette’s arms begin to flicker with amethyst light, casting an unsettling glow along the length of the obsidian corridor.

Rath, on the other hand…

(Continued)

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>>4106032

“H-hold the fuck up, Doc.” The red-head stutters, taking a step back. “This is me you’re talking about. I wreck shit, remember? I’m no rocket scientist or brain surgeon…you’re *both*, so if anything I-”

“Rath, it’s…I trust you, alright?” Francine says, closing her eyes a moment as she draws in a harried breath. “You’re brilliant with Relics, and there’s no-one else here who has the instinct for them that you do. I’ll be relaying instructions to you through Gina’s Neuromancy, so just…trust me, like I trust you.”

Rath’s frozen, on the verge of shaking her head as her throat works weakly…until Francine reaches out, taking the young woman’s hand in her own with a gentle squeeze.

“I tried to do all this alone, before I met you and your family.” She says earnestly. “To ignore the brilliant minds and kind hearts around me now would be a similarly suicidal mistake.”

“I…fuck it, FINE! I’ll do it, but don’t get pissed if I jack it all up somehow, okay?!” Rath grumbles, her cheeks going red with frustration and concern as Francine looks among the rest of your family.

“As for me…I believe I…” She begins, taking another deep breath.

“…I will need help, if I’m to succeed in Sigma’s mind.”

You open your mouth to offer when the pitter-patter of hasty feet brings Amara to Francine’s side, the little girl’s small fingers wrapping around Francine’s hand as she beams up at the older woman. With the hiss of gears and the creak of lumbering metal, November steps forward to place a hand on the doctor’s shoulder as Francine softly smiles.

“Miss Shu, do you copy?!”

Dorian’s frantic voice cuts through your ear as you reel from the sudden interruption.

“Dorian’s, what’s your status?” You demand, drawing a collection of worried looks from all present as Sigma seizes up once more.

“Sia’s been wounded, and we’re trying to-“ Hos voice is cut off by a screeching wail, a painful distortion breifly lancing across the channel. “-ace between us so we can use the Gear. If I stop for a second then she’ll be on us, Miss Shu…and I’m not sure how long I can keep this up. The collapse didn’t hold, she…she’s been upgraded, so whatever you and everyone are doing, do it fa-”

A crackle, a pop, then…

Dead air, and a skipped heartbeat.

"Is...is he going to be okay?" Holly murmurs, nervously tightening her akimbo grip on the Uzi and Contender, both.


God, you hope so.

>>Join Francine, Amara, and November (if she even can) in delving into Sigma’s mind to fix whatever’s going on. You trust Dorian to outrace Alpha…he’s outraced worse, after all.

>>Dorian needs help, and you’ll be the one to offer it. Take a party of your choice, and help Dorian escape with your combined abilities.

>>You’ll split your forces; some to help Francine, some to help Dorian. You can only hope it’ll be enough…

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting shall remain open for the next four hours, Gentlemen.)

>>4106039
>>4106039
>You’ll split your forces; some to help Francine, some to help Dorian. You can only hope it’ll be enough…

>Dorian needs help, and you’ll be the one to offer it. Take a party of your choice, and help Dorian escape with your combined abilities.

>Dorian extraction team: Sugar, Rosa, Holly, Shu.

Dorian's done his job. what we need to do now is to bring them back safely.

>>4106039
>Quickly call up Orwell. see if she cant help Dorian. anything really, even just making a face appear infront of West Alpha and going 'boo' to give him time to teleport away will work.
>As a backup, turn to those present. "Dorian needs help. whoever thinks they can, take whatever relics you need and get to him and get him his opening. but remember, it does us no good if all we do is get more people stuck or left behind. if you cant think of a proper way to help him, it wont do him or us any good to put more lives on the line. no one else him too, and how much would him having to drag more people slow him down? But, if you have ideas, do it. we dont have time to waste."

>>Join Francine, Amara, and November (if she even can) in delving into Sigma’s mind to fix whatever’s going on. If you dont make sure Francine's plan works, this will all have been for nothing.
>Plus, if you cut the network, it might give West Alpha enough pause for him to get away.

>>4106046
Dorian can keep outrunning her, and honestly? we have literally no way to get to him quickly. he has the gear, remember? AND hes our speedster. we need to both make sure this wasnt for nothing, AND our best hope of helping him quickly is to make sure the Proxy network gets severed. its the only close thing that might at all give West Alpha pause, and very likely could happen quicker than anyone else could get to him.

plus, anyone else would ALSO have to somehow both slow West Alpha down, and be able to be evaced by the Gear teleport. thats unlikely to happen. we really cannot rely on helping him directly, and most likely trying would be too slow or be a death sentence for whoever tried.

>>4106039
Can we declare Dorian to be our target for Trypophilic Hive level fourteen? The way I see it, if he's close enough for us going to assist to be not completely implausible he's close enough for this to count as the same combat. Then we could spawn a Bishop-Thoughtling on Dorian to give him a boost to both speed and defense, a Rook here to save our place, and a Rook at his position to teleport over to and distract Alpha. We buy him time to make enough space to teleport, then let the next hit we take trigger the Factory Rook's teleswap and return here.

>>4106054
>>4106053
aand you ninja'd me/

i forgot to mention anyways, Shu has some of if not the most dreamscape experience, aswell as some Neuromancy of her own. she can do more good helping Francine. Shu also lacks anything that would make her actually suited for trying to actually slow West Alpha down without also putting herslef in grave danger. shes not fast, and Dorian needs help thats at least got something to do with speed. thats just not Shu, even with her Teleporting. which both requires setup time and only works on herself too at the moment.

>>4106055
(You may, yes.)

>>4106055
>>4106056
>>4106057
Goddammit. Just when I had to leave for work.

Good train of thought. Use that to spawn swarmling types from Dorian's pool and help hinder Alpha. Teleport Rooks, Grapplings, Jacklings, anything that can arguably slow Alpha down.

>>4106039
Ah shit so it diditn hold her down for any length of time......

I think we will have to completely trust Francine on this one

It will be a drop into a hot combat zone with WAlpha as our enemy....

We should take into consideration how we want to deal with her and what our objective is.......

Objective: Extract Dorian and Sia/ their bodies safely.

Enemy has six acts and is a fucking speed freak that even orks would be in awe of.....

Tactic: Delaying operation

>Designate Dorian as the target for your Hive and then spawn a Bishop Toughling on them as well as a set of Armor for him and Sia and as many Recursive Swarmlings as possible to make sure they have a cloud of chaff to break off the vision of Alpha so that she will have a harder time targeting them.

>Throw Amara the Hivephone for Orwell and get her to call Orwell while Shu deals with the Matter of Diving into Sigmas mind.

Call for backup form Orwell: see if she can get them help as well


This is making my blood boil. Damn you West for continuously upgrading your cyborg Killer

>>4106055
good train of thought. follow that train of thought and get creative with it. now. Jacklings for Terraforming shenanigans to keep a wall between Dorian, Sia, from alpha. I can't help out now. But keep plugging away at it. think outside of the box.

>>4106061

>>4106054
I'll trust your shotcalling, but stay open to creative out of the box thinking.

>>4106063
>think outside of the box.

I will try my best.

Good luck at work today

>>4106061
would armor be a good idea? stacking armor slows one down, and both Shus armor does not give speed boosts, or even stat boosts, and Dorian has nothing to prevent the loss of speed. he already has Armor he can constantly increase his speed with and is still only barely holding out, even if its minimalistic i feel like more armor weighing him down would not at all do him any favors.

>>4106039
>>4106054
slight amendment;
>Quickly call up Orwell. see if she cant help Dorian. anything really, even just making a face appear infront of West Alpha and going 'boo' to give him time to teleport away will work.
>As a backup, turn to those present. "Dorian needs help. whoever thinks they can, take whatever relics you need and get to him and get him his opening. but remember, it does us no good if all we do is get more people stuck or left behind. if you cant think of a proper way to help him, it wont do him or us any good to put more lives on the line. no one else him too, and how much would him having to drag more people slow him down? But, if you have ideas, do it. we dont have time to waste."


>>Join Francine, Amara, and November (if she even can) in delving into Sigma’s mind to fix whatever’s going on. If you dont make sure Francine's plan works, this will all have been for nothing.
>>>Plus, if you cut the network, it might give West Alpha enough pause for him to get away.
>de-activate all Swarmlings you can here, and start spawning them on Dorian. a Hyped up Bishop to give him a boost, Grapplings to tackle Alpha, Jacklings to throw the ground at her, etc. whatever you can without slowing him down to help give him his opening. do what you can without drawing you from helping Francine, or maybe even see if you cant use your Neuromancy and/or Francines to pass regulation off to someone else, if you cant set them to automatic.

>>4106067
on phone:
what dorian needs are distractions that eat up alpha’s action economy. anything that keeps alpha from spending an action from chasing dorian is better. we should have made that rhinoviral powder in hindsight.

>>4106067
Does spawned armor slow him down?

If so then i will definitely not get it for him.I thought only BIO would reduce your speed unless specifically mentioned.

I would guess that the Swarmlings will quickly be left behind seeing how fast the battle is moving so can we create a command chain to.... no that wouldn't work we can do a lot of shit but not support two independent lines of thought to manipulate the battle outside while staying inside. So we may have to surface periodically to respawn the hive after they were left behind?


>>4106070
>>4106057
How far is Amaras range to cast spells? Too far to reach to Alpha and Dorian?

Do they have a JHoyous with them that would be in range ot cast a spell on them? If not damn it we should have send a Joyous with them.....

Is it possible to surface form the dreamscape enough to spawn new swarmlings once the old ones are no longer in range?

>>4106070
make those grapplings recursive

>>4106074
yes. in matter of fact, if im remembering correctly, we were first told that fact about armor because we wanted to know if we could put Chitinous on top of Armor. the answer as far as i remember was yes, and all armor can stack, but each set slows the person down more. id assume the type of armor also effects that, with heavier armor slowing one down more, but on that BHOP would have to elaborate.

>Amara and the joyous
Dorian didn't need the extra weight of lugging a joyous around, and any 'in the area' id imagine would only have like, a literal second opening to cast a spell before being out of range, given how fast they are moving.

>>4106075
sure i guess? wasn't trying to be that specific on purpose honestly.

>>4106057
Okay, then let's do that.

>>4106039
>>Write-In
>Designate Dorian as target for Trypophilic Hive level fourteen
>Spawn from him:
>>a Bishop-Thoughtling to give him a boost and add the Psychica Spiralis auto-counters.
>>twelve Recursive Knighted Grapplings, to engage West Alpha and then expand into crown bolls of Hundred-Hands to impede her movements
>>five free-flying Recursive Platelings, not to attach to Dorian but to get in Alpha's way and burst into Ashen Fortitude clouds to blind her when she destroys them
>>two Jacklings to manipulate the fleshscape and put up barriers in Alpha's path
>>thirty regular Swarmlings to serve as distractions

>Call Orwell, get her help in delaying West Alpha. Become the story, Orwell. Even just a distraction will help.
>Have Amara mobilize the Joyous Network towards Dorian's path. Anyone who can get close enough to Alpha to help, does. If Joyous are in groups, have one of them speed-buff the others and send them on their way.
>Any of the Barbers who think they can get there in time to help Dorian and Sia, do so, but don't do anything that would just weigh them down and make the situation worse.

>Enter the dreamscape. Help our science team in breaking the Network. See if giving Alpha a little shot of free will slows her down.

>>4106078
how about honeylings? swarmlings that explode into sap.

>>4106078
If they were to get off a slow on WAlpha that would be huge however. We can try if they get in range of any of the Joyous It is a gamble but one we dont really loose anything on it if we manage to get it off(only resources on a couple of Joyous)

I agree that he wouldst need that extra weight however

>>4106083
can we keep in mind that all of those swarmlings will be made from Dorian’s bio pool? please be mindful of how much it will tax him

>>4106084
we cant. we very specifically cannot make swarmlings not of a type we have unlocked. that would be beyond the 'simple reshaping' allowed as 'custom' swarmling types.

>>4106083
>>4106089
yeah, thats also my issue and why i was not being specific. Dorian is already pushing himself, he's probably dumped alot into the Interitus and might need more into that. hence me leaving it a bit vague, to ensure we're not running him dry by guessing what he has left or can handle.

>>4106087
i suppose.

>>4106089
No they're not. That's spawning swarmlings from a Spirit Shell. Spawning them from an allied Daughter still uses Shu's Bio. Though it honestly would be fine if we were using Dorian's Bio. He's not using it for anything right now, and while we mostly forget this rule Daughters actually do get a speed boost when they're low on Bio.

>>4106092
>Dorian is already pushing himself, he's probably dumped alot into the Interitus and might need more into that.
Sui Interitus is fueled by Health. Dorian is fine on Bio, we can spend as much of it as we want if it gets him out of this intact.

>>4106096
actually, it doesn't say where the cost comes from if you spawn it from an ally.
also, if Dorians pushing his health, lowering his Bio sounds like a bad idea. it might increase his speed, but it also leaves him more vulnerable, and without other abilities to fuel.

>>4106057
BHOP, who eats the cost if we spawn swarmlings from allies?

>>4106074
(They're out of Amara's range, though if they run across any Joyous over the course of their chase then they'll be primed to try and slow West Alpha.)

>>4106101
(It still comes from Shu, as all her discount powers apply.)

>>4106096
>>4106101
in hindsight, dorian’s stat spread would make him more suited for sui tormentus because he can ramp faster instead of being capped by interitus where he has to lower his regen rate

>>4106113
Nice then i have a plan

>>4106039
Amending my vote from >>4106061
to this:

>Designate Dorian as the target for your Hive and then spawn a Bishop Toughling on him

>twelve Recursive Knighted Grapplings, to engage West Alpha and then expand into crown bolls of Hundred-Hands to impede her movements
>five free-flying Recursive Platelings, not to attach to Dorian but to get in Alpha's way and burst into Ashen Fortitude clouds to blind her when she destroys them
>two Jacklings to manipulate the fleshscape and put up barriers in Alpha's path
>thirty regular Swarmlings to serve as distractions

>Get Backup from Orwell. See if she can throw any buffs and debuffs their way to allow him to teleport away or increase the distance they can put between them.

>Have Amara prime the Joyous Network to converge on the path Dorian takes and prime them to cast slows on WAlpha and speed buffs on Dorian. If that is done continue with making the terrain as bad as possible for WAlpha

>IF the Barbers think they can make a difference send them out but they need to hold back if they think they will in any way get in the way

>SHU: Delve into the mindscape of Sigma to make sure we end this resistance as quickly as possible.
>>4106118
But the Tormentis is fused with Rath and we cant get her out of it. We could of course make another one for him.... but that would feel kinda cheap

>>4106113
right, fair enough.

>>4106083
honestly, i still think the platelings and regular swarmlings arent worth it here. the chaff effects simply arent worth it in potency and much much easier that other options could possibly be outright ignored.

i think more grapplings would do Dorian much more good, or at least Banelings, for the other slots too. er, Bane-Grapplings probably actually. the explosion from the Banelings being destroyed should still slow her down to some degree, aswell as even if shes not really affected by the acid, it could still muck up the ground and slow her down further.

>>4106118
disagree, heavily and significantly.

regardless, this sinus issues getting a bit better but being persistent, so i need a nap. my vote still stands as is though, especially as i dont like the other anons Swarmling spread.

>>4106039
>>4106070
gah, fuck it, ill do my own so its at least got a chance to be done properly;
Amending to;
>Quickly call up Orwell. see if she cant help Dorian. anything really, even just making a face appear infront of West Alpha and going 'boo' to give him time to teleport away will work.
>As a backup, turn to those present. "Dorian needs help. whoever thinks they can, take whatever relics you need and get to him and get him his opening. but remember, it does us no good if all we do is get more people stuck or left behind. if you cant think of a proper way to help him, it wont do him or us any good to put more lives on the line. no one else him too, and how much would him having to drag more people slow him down? But, if you have ideas, do it. we dont have time to waste."


>>Join Francine, Amara, and November (if she even can) in delving into Sigma’s mind to fix whatever’s going on. If you dont make sure Francine's plan works, this will all have been for nothing.
>>>Plus, if you cut the network, it might give West Alpha enough pause for him to get away.

>de-activate all Swarmlings you can here, and start spawning them on Dorian.
>>a Hyped up Super-Bishop to give him a boost, Bane-Grapplings to tackle Alpha, and a few Jacklings to throw the ground at her or try and jumble her up if they can land a stinger on her... whatever you can without slowing him down to help give him his opening. do what you can without drawing you from helping Francine, or maybe even see if you cant use your Neuromancy and/or Francines to pass regulation off to someone else, if you cant set them to automatic.

I just thought of something: Dorian's got a level four Calcite Halo, and therefore is immune to the last two damage types that he was hit with. Is West Alpha varying her arsenal so frequently that he's still taking hits despite that? That's got to be draining on her reserves fairly heavily, to have to constantly swap between weapon types.

>>4106039
Slightly ammending my Swarmling spread in this vote>>4106121

>de-activate all Swarmlings you can here, and start spawning them on Dorian.
>Suped up Hyper-Bishop squeezing out as much as it can.
>at least three Jacklings to manipulate the fleshscape and put up barriers in Alpha's path. Maybe force her to bust through a solid bunker of flesh
> As many recursive Grapplings to trip up WAlpha as possible to throw themselves at Alpha. Make trip up and loose sight as much as possible.
>>4106123
better not use acid at all on the off chance she can heal from that. She is immune to acid after all.
I know our goal is not to kill us but we dont need to feed her health even if the chance is a small one


>>4106126
Or she simply has so many damage types at her disposal. I would guess that she easily can have at last bludgeoning(fists), slashing(claws), heat(fuckign Forgecores) and Electricity

>>4106126
she gets refunded those lost hp and bio by consuming those relics, hasn’t lost any relics during her chase and keep in mind that only one round has passed, so it hasn’t affected Alpa that much at all.

>>4106130
shit, Shu has iron blooded brood, so the heat damage will activate if the acid damage gets blocked.

>>4106133
which is why i avoided the Baneling template as much as possible. and as long as they just feed themselves into the grinder without stinging her they are not gonna activate the acid. They are not Banelings after all

>>4106133
We could have Amara cast a quick GRA NUKA THA on Shu. I think that would make Swarmling she spawns deal Radiant damage instead of their normal types, and we know that Alpha isn't protected against Radiant. I think so, anyway, we should ask BHOP.

>>4106113
Do element-augmenting Skintalker spells affect constructs an affected Daughter makes after the spell has been cast?

>>4106123
>>4106039
Amending further;
>Quickly call up Orwell. see if she cant help Dorian. anything really, even just making a face appear infront of West Alpha and going 'boo' to give him time to teleport away will work.
>As a backup, turn to those present. "Dorian needs help. whoever thinks they can, take whatever relics you need and get to him and get him his opening. but remember, it does us no good if all we do is get more people stuck or left behind. if you cant think of a proper way to help him, it wont do him or us any good to put more lives on the line. no one else him too, and how much would him having to drag more people slow him down? But, if you have ideas, do it. we dont have time to waste."

>>Join Francine, Amara, and November (if she even can) in delving into Sigma’s mind to fix whatever’s going on. If you dont make sure Francine's plan works, this will all have been for nothing.
>>>Plus, if you cut the network, it might give West Alpha enough pause for him to get away.

>de-activate all Swarmlings you can here, and start spawning them on Dorian.
>>a Hyped up Super-Bishop to give him a boost, Grapplings to tackle Alpha, and a few Jacklings to throw the ground at her or try and jumble her up if they can land a stinger on her... whatever you can without slowing him down to help give him his opening. do what you can without drawing you from helping Francine, or maybe even see if you cant use your Neuromancy and/or Francines to pass regulation off to someone else, if you cant set them to automatic.

>>4106130
>>4106133
i was under the impression BHOP had said we could turn off things line ironblood if we wanted, so it would just be the explosion to throw her off, and the acid not to damage her, but melt the terrain to slow her down, but if your so sure we cant turn Ironblood off then so be it, i shouldn't be up atm anyhow.

>>4106140
Hope you will get better soon.

>>4106140
If we can then sure we can do that and i will patiently wat for OP to answer. I think we have a general consensus with just the details being something that needs ironing out.

>>4106136
(They can, depending on the wording.)

>>4106140
(Yes, Ironblood and the like can be toggled.)

(Also, I hope you feel better soon, Anon.)

>>4106126
it works when dorian gets hit by an attack. We’re aiming to have dorian NOT get hit by an attack.

>>4106146
Alright with this nugget of Information now at my hands
I swear i dont remember that maybe i wasnt there when this was said.


Okay Okay. Last amendment.... Sorry OP for making this thing messy.

>>4106039
Amending Vote from >>4106121 and >>4106130 to:


>Designate Dorian as the target for your Hive and then spawn a Bishop Toughling on him

>de-activate all Swarmlings you can here, and start spawning them on Dorian.
>Suped up Hyper-Bishop squeezing out as much as it can.
>at least three Jacklings to manipulate the fleshscape and put up barriers in Alpha's path. Maybe force her to bust through a solid bunker of flesh
> As many recursive Bane-Grapplings to trip up WAlpha as possible to throw themselves at Alpha. Make trip up and loose sight as much as possible. Drench the ground in front of her while hurtling towards her to make it a nightmare to traverse.

>Get Backup from Orwell. See if she can throw any buffs and debuffs their way to allow him to teleport away or increase the distance they can put between them.

>Have Amara prime the Joyous Network to converge on the path Dorian takes and prime them to cast slows on WAlpha and speed buffs on Dorian. If that is done continue with making the terrain as bad as possible for WAlpha

>If the Barbers think they can make a difference send them out but they need to hold back if they think they will in any way get in the way

>SHU: Delve into the mindscape of Sigma to make sure we end this resistance as quickly as possible.
>Do what you can without drawing you from helping Francine, or maybe even see if you cant use your Neuromancy and/or Francines to pass regulation off to someone else, if you cant set them to automatic.

>>4106136
don’t we have a word that denotes “construct” in amara’s library?

>>4106150
Yes, but I'm trying to figure out how to make constructs that would spawn after the spell is cast, not existing ones at the time of the casting. That's the tricky part of the phrasing.

>>4106152
how about “ tha nuka constuct”
tha is priority, nuka affects Shu, then constuct would designate the blessing to a specific ability of Shu

Oh well i will go to sleep now i can feel myself fadign. I probably wouldnt be any help later.

So good night anons and OP

>>4106206
Good night, Euroanon. Sleep well on the other side of the Atlantic.

(Posting soon, Gentlemen. This Tuesday has big Monday energy.)

>>4106206
(Sleep well, Anon.)

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>>4106251
hey i understand. like i said, ive been feeling that kinda energy today too, as it was.
yet, my sinuses refuse to let me actually sleep. might need to just pop something or do a store run for something to help me get over this. still feels like its not as bad as it was when i woke up, which is good, but its not gonna get better if it stops me from sleeping before then.

anyways, have a picture i think we all have been able to relate to at times.

>>4106251
I'm sorry to hear that you've had a rough day, BHOP. Seems like you just can't catch a break with your schedule sometimes.

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>>4106039

The swarmlings hovering around you drop from the air in a rain of clattering chitin, and you split your regained focus between calling out to a young ally and directing your creative efforts far across the Fleshscape.

“Orwell?” You speak aloud, nodding to Amara. “A friend needs whatever help you can give hi-“

“Already on it!” One of the nearby Joyous replies in a voice quite unlike that of its creator, a wide smile brightening its cheeks. “The second I saw Dorian and Sia running into a bit of trouble, I started pulling some strings.”

“They’d better be damn good strings, given what we’re up against.” You counter, throat taught at the prospect of a hijacked Joyous, no matter the circumstance.

“Given we’re in a Flash-Reverse-Flash scenario I’m not sure how much I can help that’ll be, but I promise I’ll do w-HOLY FUCK, Dorian’s shittng bees! When did you-?!“

“ORWELL!”

“Right right! Helping! Got it!” She replies hastily, signing off as the Joyous reverts back to an implacable expression, while you round on the rest of your family and friends.

"Dorian needs help. Whoever thinks they can, take whatever Relics you need and go get him his opening.” You say gravely. “But remember; it does us no good if all we do is get more people stuck or left behind. If you can’t think of a proper way to help him, it won’t do him or us any good to put more lives on the line. But, if you have ideas, do it. We dont have time to-"

“I’ll go. You don’t need anybody else…trust me.”

You all collectively turn to Sugar, her simple declaration hanging ominously in the corridor as she retrieves a syringe of caramel-colored sap from one pocket and a slender bottle from the other, inside of which rattles a trio of dark blue candies.

“No.” Rosa says, her monosyllabic order a line in the sand. “Nope. Hell to the no, you promised me you wouldn’t use those unless it’s an-“

“Emergency.” Her ally gently interrupts, the taffy-colored girl not even flinching as she drives the thick needle into the flesh of her neck, depressing the plunger as she continues. “Sia’s hurt, and so is Shu’s friend…this qualifies.”

Rosa takes a step back as Sugar’s eyes darken, molasses-like tears beginning to crawl down her cheeks before she pops the top off the tube in her other hand. She tilts the bottle back, and just as the contents are about to disappear into her mouth the opening’s blocked by Betty’s finger, stretched across the meter that separates the two girls.

“…pace yourself.” She gently reminds her friend, allowing a single sphere to drop onto Sugar’s waiting tongue. She shudders once, then twice, and with a blur of movement and a rustle of wind where she once stood she’s gone, the scent of blueberries lingering in the air.

“Godspeed, you beautiful diabetic disaster.” Rosa sighs, with Betty putting a hand on her leader’s shoulder. “And be safe.”

(Continued)

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>>4106263

“Gina, I need you to pull double duty while I’m under.” You say, turning to the Neuromancer at your side as you kneel beside Francine and Amara, with November’s impressive height still looming over you even while on her knees.

“Consider it done. I’ll handle your swarm, you just focus on fixing whatever’s going on with…”

Sigma seizes up once more, cutting Gina short.

“…Go.” She says.

She doesn’t need to tell you twice.

Closing your eyes, you feel reality fall away as the Dreamscape takes the four of you into its limitless depths. Finally, the complexities of Sigma’s mind settles around you as a labyrinth of twisted corridors and jack-knifed alleys, all bathed in the sterile, stark-white light of an infirmary. Feeling a weight in your left hand, you glance down to find everyone’s hands on yours while you hold the Silver Key, thrumming through the flesh of Amara, Francine, and November’s…

…fingers?

Your gaze trails up the freckled, well-muscled arm of the red-head beside you, wearing a matching and weather-worn jacket and shorts over a simple tank top, her baseball cap shielding a pair of shining citrine eyes. Her hair’s lighter than her nieces’ and longer, to boot, but…you’re taken aback at just how stunning she is, standing before you in the flesh.

November blinks with eyes anew, the corridors gently shifting around you as they reflect in her wide gaze.

“Huh.” She says simply, looking down at herself as Amara marvels at November’s original form. “Neat.”

“So pretty!” Your ward declares, prompting an appreciative blush from the older woman, making you realize that she and Rath even flush in the exact same way. Turning on her heel to the doctor as she wanders just ahead of you, Amara pipes up; “Hey Francine, isn’t she pretty?”

“Fascinating…” Francine murmurs in awe, her attentions firmly on the dreamscape as she runs her fingers along one wall. “It’s…it’s like a fluctuating code. I’d imagine we’d have been scattered immediately on entrance if it weren’t for…oh. Uh…November? Is this…?”

Francine gestures with uncharacteristic timidity at November as the latter cocks an eyebrow.

“Me? Yeah.” Heather Neeson answers with a shrug as Francine just stares at the red-head. “Anyway, how do we stabilize this thing for Rath?”

“Ah, yes, well…” Francine continues, adjusting her coat. “One, we could cut through West Prime’s contingencies and attempt to overwhelm what’s stopping the Relic. Two, we try to unearth fragments of who this body belonged to, in the hopes that we find enough to get a fingerhold on the real person beneath all this programming. A binary choice…but by no means an easy one.”

A hard call…but you know how to answer.

>>The direct route.

>>The long way.

>>Split up. Get the programming’s attention while someone else cuts to the Core with the Silver Key.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I’m having guests over tonight so I must pause here for the evening. I’ll leave voting open for the next fourteen hours, with posting to resume in approximately sixteen, give or take.)

(Additionally, I’ll have an evening free tomorrow for rapid-posting if that would work well for everyone. It would start at approximately 7:00PM tomorrow, Eastern Time. Let me know if that suits your schedule, and I’ll make adjustments accordingly.)

(Thank you all for waiting patiently for the start of this Vein, as well as for your enthusiasm, kindness, and participation. I hope you all have a good evening, and take care.)

>>4106254
(I do hope you feel better soon. It actually sounds similar to what I'm still fighting off...regardless, I know you can beat it.)

(Also, excellent art as always.)

>>4106266
>Ask Francine the risks of splitting up. if she thinks West has some nasty shit stored in here like in the past... or worse, dont split up, and focus on just cutting through the direct way.

>If Francine thinks for any reason its at least doable to split up and any remaining precautions wont be too much, split up.
>>Shu and Amara will hunt down any remnants floating about, while Francine and November take the direct route, as Francines appearance might make any remnants left less likely to cooperate, while Shu both has the most experience with such oddities, and Amara is good at this sorta thing by her nature and possibly core.

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>>4106263
>HOLY FUCK, Dorian’s shittng bees! When did you-?!“

>“ORWELL!”

>“Right right! Helping! Got it!”

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>>4106268
i hope you and your guests enjoy your evening!
as for rapid posting, hope to all lord ill be feeling better, but even if im not, go for it, i dont want to hold folks up.

>>4106271
thanks, and hope you punch back any leftovers of your own too.
also, this image kinda brings back thoughts of the cave-mite-swarm girl. shame we didnt get her DD, she both seemed to have some legit insight into the crucible, aswell as her attitude seemed to be based on some pretty tragic things. ah well, trying to save em all is exactly how you lose them all, and all that.

>>4106274
>>4106263
yeah, was a good joke there BHOP. something ive meant to say actually before BHOP is, dont get too disheartened if we dont laugh or point out every joke, I at least just tend to get wrapped up in the current moment and point of wherever voting starts up, and how it moves us forward alot of times. doesnt mean i dont notice or appreciate moments like that though.

>>4106263
I'm sorry, is Sugar's super mode injecting some glucagon? Well, her liver's not going to be feeling well when she's done.

>>4106268
Have fun hosting, BHOP. See you tomorrow.

>>4106280
her liver is probably a slab of taffy anyways.
i am curious what was in the syringe exactly though. obviously a relic, but what exactly. the other one was obviously the nitro sugar, and lordy if she can becomes that fast from just one dose and the injection, wonder what she would've been like if Betty hadn't stopped her from eating all three.

i have a bad feeling she might actually be an equal match for West Alpha, but its bad because even if it feels odd, she will be for all the wrong reasons. even when you're made of candy sure there a limit to how much sugar you can push yourself with. my guess is literally vibrating apart/ to the point of melting, and/or going so fast her body simply cannot stay together even if she goes as slow as she can.

>>4106274
>>4106279
(Ha, glad that one hit well. I realize that for someone that hasn't seen some of your weirder powers, it'd be a trip, especially considering that your Lvl 14 power is nigh-unheard of among Hive Mistresses.)

>>4106279
(Thank you for letting me know, and I hope you have a great evening, yourself!)

>>4106280
(It's actually a consumable Relic to counteract the negative side effects of the Nitro Sugar.)

>>4106288
>(Ha, glad that one hit well. I realize that for someone that hasn't seen some of your weirder powers, it'd be a trip, especially considering that your Lvl 14 power is nigh-unheard of among Hive Mistresses.)
Really? I know that Shu's a bit weird with her focus on team support, but I didn't realize it was that rare. Neat.

>(It's actually a consumable Relic to counteract the negative side effects of the Nitro Sugar.)
Oh, so insulin. I got the hormones mixed around. It's not glucagon to raise her blood sugar, it's insulin to help her absorb the sugar into her cells faster. Either way, as a diabetic myself I worry for Sugar's liver and kidneys. You're in for a rough time after you come down, Sugarm even if the mechanically-significant side effects are neutralized.

>>4106294
>Really? I know that Shu's a bit weird with her focus on team support, but I didn't realize it was that rare. Neat.
I think West Gamma or her notes mentioned that she had never encountered a Fool's Choice Hive Mistress. All others she found either went for Numbers or Queen.

>>4106297
did she? certainly not in the note we have, but to be fair, we dont actually have the 'true' notes saved, but BHOPs simplified version, as he did say(before that side project got brushed aside completely) that the actual notes were more in-depth. id have to go back and see what Shu was actually saying while we read them IC, but, not feeling up to that, ill admit.

>>4106303
Found it, Vein #17:
>As you already suspected, the Hive Mistress class specializes in reconnaissance and overwhelming their opposition with a host of mass-produced creations, though they’re not necessarily limited to insectile forms as indicated by the description of an older Daughter that controlled a Swarm of feline constructs. Interestingly, you compare West’s detailed notes regarding the balance between power and number, between quality and quantity. Apparently, you’re the first Hive Mistress that West’s documented to have taken the third option, as most of her unwilling subjects either suffered a sharp cut in the amount of Swarmlings they produced in exchange for an increase in power, or could generate much weaker creations in far greater numbers.
>If you’re reading the Doctor’s diagram correctly, you’re straddling the line of the two, while keeping fairly in line in both number and power with Hive Mistresses of equal power. What’s more, there’s nothing in her notes that detail anything about empathic fields or the like extending to other Daughters, which confirms your ability’s unusual properties.

>>4106313
huh, neat.
though nothing about that means no one else has ever taken the fools choice as a hive mistress, only if they did, their specific fools choice still leaned in one direction or the other, which i could see easily still being more common even with a fools choice.

Fools Choice is just realizing Mother and her gift is a trap and declining it, doesn't mean one cant still fit the motif of one of the original gifts afterall.

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>>4106313
>West has no idea what else Shu is capable of
>Meaning everything we demonstrate is completely new to her
>West's reaction when she listens to our conversation with Orwell and thinks that Dorian is literally shitting bees

>>4106374
actually thats a good question, wonder just how complete and accurate the skinternet info(and image) of our family members is?

>>4106377
Another good question. Given that there's enough information for people to ship our party members, I'd say that there's quite a bit of info already out there. I wouldn't be surprised if there's lots of theorizing as well regarding some of our more obscure abilities. There could be entire message boards on the Skinternet devoted to collecting info on us.

If / when we survive this, we need to talk to Orwell about what's already out there, and how to ensure we don't get screwed over by it.

>>4106374
>"Oh god, can she use that offensively? Please don't let this be some new horrible Flesh Artisan hybrid."

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>>4106288
>tfw Nitrosugar is made canon,
>tfw Sugar brought Insulin for nitro sugar.
Dear god. No wonder She asked for twenty of them when I first revealed as a craftable relic. It's basically her weaponized equivalent of cocaine.

>literally Sugar's theme right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTHsOSGJHN0

>pic related is the West Alpha chasing Dorian situation right now from Sia's POV

>>4106377
>>4106385
(The short answer? So much.)

>>4106266
Supporting >>4106272

We need to cover as many avenues as possible if we want to bring this to a swift conclusion.

>>4106268
>Additionally, I’ll have an evening free tomorrow for rapid-posting if that would work well for everyone. It would start at approximately 7:00PM tomorrow, Eastern Time.

Well considering the feeling i have that my boss is gonna bombard me with bullshit the day after tomorrow i will have to sit that one out.
I think that time relates to roughly 1:00 am here so.... yeah staying up that late and when you have to get up like four hour later...


But i hope you and your guests had fun this evening/night

>>4106266
Would Psychica Spiralis help us out here? My thinking is that the dreamscape is modeled as a physical place, so an ability that makes the local environment our ally should be able to assist in undoing the block, especially given that Spiralis is built from the Neurotic Halo with its dreamscape-manipulating traits. If the network is being represented as a maze of corridors, reorganizing it into a straightforward spiral path could have a literal sense to it.

On a similar note, would Amara's terrain-modifying spells help out here? Since they're capable of affecting both person and terrain, and in Sigma's dreamscape the two are the same. I'm thinking FOL first, to break concentration effects and undo modified terrain. That would target whatever Prime did to Sigma's mind, help disrupt the active effect that's blocking us. Then we'd follow that up with a SUTH, which "allows reason to reign once more" and creates simple terrain. And then maybe a SAN, which conveys fervor (and don't we have a fervor for stopping West and freeing the Proxies?) and makes terrain that speeds our efforts.

>>4106539
>mfw when the skinternet knows things about you you didn't know about you.
>Rath blinking as she turns to November. "Wait, IS that my blood type? i dont think my parents ever told me it..."

though, knowing how some abilities work, blood type could be the least of the unwanted and awkward things someones dug up about us...

also, i get Shus concern over a Joyous being hijacked, but the surprise... well i understand it i guess but more of how it shocked her. they are still constructs afterall, no matter how advanced, and Amara has no construct protections against such things. its an oversight, but not something actually surprising.

wouldn't be surprised if the issue fixes itself long-term though, given the Halos in it. but how effectively and how long term is a good question to ask.

>>4106918
If you think so, then add that into your suggestions in voting.

>>4107068
Well, I'd like to get that information first. But the cutoff point is coming up soon, so I'll wait a bit longer and then vote.

>>4107069
>>4107068
technically voting cutoff time was about an hour ago.

>>4106918
as for this, im not sure it would work. while abilities have still been shown to work in the dreamscape, they have only in such a relation as to be effecting 'nothing' OF the dreamscape. actual manipulation of memories, data, or pure 'dreamscape objects' would probably have to be done via specific phantasmal and/or neuromantic powers, not terraforming.

we're also dealing with literally just what appears to be akin to a firewall of 'code', not a maze really, and t very well could have nothing emotional or akin to it to 'calm down'.

>>4107069
Well I am pretty sure voting ended an hour ago.......
He said posting would continue about two hours later..... So that is coming in the next hour.....

>>4107071
>>4107072
God damn it, it did. I misread the time he posted. I wanted to get some answers in the morning before I voted, but I waited too long, shit. I am furious with myself now. Whatever, at least the current vote is reasonable. I'd rather not risk defeat in detail at all, but at least we're getting Francine's opinion before we consider it further.

>>4107076
It happens to the best of us....

Which is why i voted after getting up to not forget to do it while i was away

>>4107047
>the face of the poor skintalker daughter that uploaded Raths favorite snacks and other preferences when Rath finds her
>Mfw it was Kosi all along that got us all killed by a nuclear strike

>>4107082
I'm just imagining what sort of fandom the Hexane get. With them being much more mysterious on average, I bet there's so much headcanon for them and their personal details. Let us keep Cheruem from ever finding out about such a thing. I think that Vultha and Silvis would find it amusing, though, and Mulvath would just take it as inspiration for things to try.

>>4107085
Do you think Ozmas would simply be skinternet surfing now that she's technically powerless? She's got 1 admin token that's keeping her alive and no other means to administer changes without killing herself.

>>4107088
She spends a lot of time browsing Fleshscape Imgur at three A.M. when she should be sleeping.

>>4107085
I would imagine that all the hexxane would try and keep her out of it and then Cheruem just stands there when she finally gets in and is just like "Whats Rule 34? and what the hell have they done to my legacy?"

>And such the great post Crucible cleansing began perpetrated by an absolutely distraught Ninja Mall cop

>>4107088
Wouldnt be surprised if she did that.... God she probably started to write smutty fanfiction of her favorite daughters just to pass the time and wishing that maybe Charon will ever find it in them to forgive her.....probably not.... either part of that last guess

>>4107088
>Ozma goes full Otaku.
>Sitting back in her thrown, one hand stuffed in a bag of chips, the other vehemently typing out arguments on twenty different forums at once.
gotta admit, the image gives me a hearty chuckle.

>>4107092
well technically she hasn't left the Admin chair/room ever since she started, so that technically makes her a Hikkomori and a NEET.

>>4107090
>I would imagine that all the hexxane would try and keep her out of it and then Cheruem just stands there when she finally gets in and is just like "Whats Rule 34? and what the hell have they done to my legacy?"
Cheruem is then distracted from her anger at discovering all the slashfics about her by Vultha showing her all the WAFF fics where she's a good older mentor to Amara and the Sororitas. Given that Cheruem does enjoy being a cool big sister to human kids and just doesn't like to admit it, this works remarkably well at calming her down.

(Gentlemen, I'm writing now as its been a bear of a morning. I'll post as soon as I can, so thank you for your patience.)

>>4107125
Eh its fine. Dont worry about it too much

Kinda was expecting it to be honest my day was going well to good for there to not be something going down somewhere

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>>4106266

“If we split up, what’re the risks?” You ask Francine, glancing away from the ever-twisting corridors before your burgeoning vertigo gets any worse. “Anything like the traps she installed on the Relic’s she’s made?”

“Doubtful, if we’re lucky.” She muses, tapping the nearby wall in thought. “Splitting up might be advisable, in fact. Given the countermeasures I’ve encountered before in her Relics, doing so should effectively pull whatever defenses West Prime’s established in two opposite directions. Honestly, I'd be far more cautious if we were dealing with a Conduit-Neuromancer."

“Alright, then that’s a chance I’m willing to take.” You declare as you take Amara’s hand in your own. “She and I will try and hunt down any remnants of whoever this poor girl was, while you and November take the direct route.”

“Yes Ma’am.” November replies, at it strikes you just how strange her voice sounds with the slightly tinny echo you’ve gotten so used to. With a professional salute the soldier strides off down the corridor with Francine at her side, while you and Amara take the long way around, hand-in-hand as you venture into the unknown.

“You worried about them?” You ask your young ward as she glance back down the hall for the fourth time in as half as many minutes.

“Nope! They’ll be fine, I’m just keeping my head on a swivel!” She replies dutifully, cracking a smile as she slings her sheathed blade over one narrow shoulder. “Cheruem said that as good as my hearing is, I should always make sure I’m keeping all of my senses as sharp as I can! I think it’s a lot easier for her since she had her empathic field, but I’ve got my Skintalking!”

“Nice.” You grin, noting the pristine white halls have begun to devolve into a slightly shabbier light grey the further you explore off the beaten path. “Between November keeping an eye out and Francine’s smarts, they’re-“

“…nothing if not pragmatic…”

“Hm?” Amara asks, glancing up at you with a curious expression as you freeze in place. Holding steady, your gaze flits over the corridor as you start to notice the mismatched doors that line the now-foreboding hall. That voice…while the tone wasn’t familiar, something about the whisper reminded you of something, but as for what…

“Amara, did you hear…” You begin, looking down at the girl by your side for answers before you realize her smile’s left her cherubic face, replaced with a look of considerable discomfort. Following her gaze your eyes alight on a shabby metal door not far down the hall, and it’s in scanning for it that you realize yet another thing that’s uncomfortably familiar.

The carpet, the doors…you’ve seen these before.

The location’s been cherry-picked from your…or Sam’s….fragmented memories, blended with the original holder of the mind you’re exploring.

Save for one troubling aspect, that is.

(Continued)

>>4107212

“…c-can we go back?” Amara says in a small, tremulous voice, her eyes locked on the odd door out. “Please?”

“Amara, what’s…”

“Please?”

You’ve…you’ve never heard her like this. Even when she nearly killed Lara in Carroll’s Forest, her voice back then held more panic and guilt than anything, but now? Through your empathic channel a knot of fear and sadness twists in the little girl’s stomach, and it’s only having you at her side that’s allowed her to not simply bold back down from when you’ve come.

Her fear, Sam’s dorm…

Fragments, placeholders in the mind of a hollowed-out girl. In the absence of memory, it seems the facsimile consciousness is cherry-picking from the pasts of you and your allies in an attempt to become whole again…or could it be a side-effect of Francine’s attempt to inject a bit of her own experiences into the mind of the Proxy?

“…nor appreciated…”

Amara’s head tilts to the side, having finally heard the echoing whispers that seem to come from the recesses of your own mind even as her unblinking gaze is locked on the worn sheet metal that seems to decay and rust further before your very eyes. If this is how Sigma’s mind reacts to you, then Francine and November may be in bigger danger than either of them realize…and as Amara tugs insistently on your arm, trying to keep a stiff upper lip despite the fear that chills her to her very core, your own mind whirls with how to address the dream-space predicament you’re in.

>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.

>>Call out to the voice where you stand…maybe Sigma’s original form is trying to reach out to you?

>>Approach the rusted metal door, and confront whatever it is that she fears...nothing’s going to hurt her. Not while you’re around.

>>Turn around and find your other two allies. They may be more vulnerable to such trickery than either you or Amara.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours, with rapid-posting set to go into effect at 7:00pm, Eastern time if that still suits most everyone.)

>>4107216
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>>Call out to the voice where you stand…maybe Sigma’s original form is trying to reach out to you?

especially considering the different nature of what they are doing, im thinking Francine and November will be able to handle themselves. minus the Halo, Francine might actually have more resistances and ways to fight this stuff than us anyways.

as for the door, as curious as i am about Amaras fears and any relation to Sam it might have, its outright not important right now nor our objective. we can pry Amara for answers later, when finding any remnants of this girl Sigma was ISNT possible the only way for us to really help a family member live.

>>4107216
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.

>Grip Amaras hand tighter to re-assure her.
>"We dont have to go through the metal door.The woman that was Sigma before West got her is still here at least part of ehr and she is being hidden form us using our worst nightmares. I ask you to take all the bravery you have inside you to eventually face what lies beyond these doors. Bravery is not absence of fear it is acting despite it."

>>Call out to the voice where you stand…maybe Sigma’s original form is trying to reach out to you?

I think we also need to re-assure Amara that we can handle anything the dreamscape throws at us. it is probably a defense mechanism and will most likely throw stuff like that at us as much as possible to stop us from continuing.
I also trust November and Francine to get through his. They have faced their deamons already and even though November ran from them she at least already faced them once.

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>>4107218
>>4107212
also i never once imagined Heather with glasses, and that picture makes her look like the type who regularly and happily gives out... suffocating hugs.

>>4107229
(It's more a reference to her original inspiration as one of the playable characters from the Metal Slug franchise. I couldn't find a decent one without glasses, unfortunately…)

(…or that wasn't far more lewd than it had any right to be. Truly, the things I trawl through for this Quest.)

>>4107229
I think she wears them for effect. to not be quite as intimidating while handling guns around kids or something....

now i imagine Rath with Glasses and a gun in her hands.... We should get her soem spectacles and a fleshscape AK or something

>>4107229
It's a reference. Heather pilots a tank called the Metal Bullet and has a partner named Marco, so she looks like Fio from Metal Slug.

>>4107234
yee, i understand its just references when you post the art. still jarring none-the-less to see traits like that that feel like they come out of left field though, even if i understand it might not be something she actually has.

>implying you dont save the lewd art too.
we've seen what you're willing to post BHOP!

>>4107235
eh, like BHOP said, its a stand-in as it was. neither fit the glasses motif.

eh, just like with the Gat, Raths fighting style just really doesn't suit well to guns, even if her personality and likes do. too much of an either/or if we gave her one. now once build and resources arent an issue after all this, sure, build her an entire arsenal to play around with.

>>4107244
Oh god, I just imagined what the Skinternet's /k/ is like. We can never let Rath get a Skintalker power.

>>4107244
(I totally forgot that Fio had glasses, actually. I never imagined Heather/November with them, and was thoroughly salty when I couldn't find one without glasses that was any level of quality.)

(Ha, true, true...then again, some of it legitimately escapes me. I never even caught Ivey's NSFW-ness until it was too late.)

>>4107246
i mean, i cant imagine it being anywhere near the worse place on the skinternet. would be more interested in what skintalker hybrid would at all fit Rath than anything else that brings to mind.

>>4107228
>>4107222

>“Amara, did you hear…” You begin, looking down at the girl by your side for answers before you realize her smile’s left her cherubic face, replaced with a look of considerable discomfort. Following her gaze your eyes alight on a shabby metal door not far down the hall, and it’s in scanning for it that you realize yet another thing that’s uncomfortably familiar.

>Amara’s head tilts to the side, having finally heard the echoing whispers that seem to come from the recesses of your own mind even as her unblinking gaze is locked on the worn sheet metal that seems to decay and rust further before your very eyes. If this is how Sigma’s mind reacts to you, then Francine and November may be in bigger danger than either of them realize…and as Amara tugs insistently on your arm, trying to keep a stiff upper lip despite the fear that chills her to her very core, your own mind whirls with how to address the dream-space predicament you’re in.

I think this is Amara's Nightmare that we're being presented with. I distinctly remember that Amara would sometimes be left in a room in her mother's factory for hours alone.

If we go on and search for another route we won't be able to find another sigma fragment that quickly, and we'll likely be detoured by more subconscious nightmares that present themselves to be purged.

Also If my hunch is correct, I think the way that West Prime is keeping the original personas suppressed underneath the proxy personalities is by drowning the fragments in their nightmares.

>>4107249
im not really sure thats true, and Shu was very clearly making distinct connections to her memories of things related to Sam. nothing says a Sigma fragment is here or behind the door. the much more likely way to find one is finding something NOT ours, and distinctly its own thing. wafting through a cobbled mess of our own thoughts sounds exactly like a way to drown out what we're actually looking for.

>>4107249
yes it is something Amara fears. Quite possibly her nightmares true and i think this entire thing is gonna be a nightmare for all involved.

Thing is we already faced our nightmare when we worked it out with Sam and I dont think working through this problem with Amara is gonna be too helpfull because it is exactly that: Amras Nightmare.

Not OG's Sigmas Nightmare. WE need to expand our empathic field to make sure to find something that is not just being reflected to us form our own consciousness.

Otherwise we will end up chasing the rabbit into the fucking Crystal labyrinth of Tzeentch

>>4107248
I was thinking more "if she got on S/k/in, she'd never get off it". She'd be so distracted arguing in all the threads about whether Relic or Ability guns are better.

>>4107249
I'm not sure it's the factory, even if this nightmare has an industrial feel to it. Amara didn't show any signs of fear when we went there, she was just "oh, yeah, my mom would have me play in the basement while she was at work, no big deal". She lived in a place the narration calls the Town of Rust, I'm sure there were other rusty doors.

>>4107216
>>4107216

>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.

>"Amara? Do you know what being brave is? Bravery is being scared of your fears, your nightmares, but facing them head on despite it, and coming out the other side knowing that you're stronger because you've already survived that nightmare before."
>"Do you know that I was put into the same spot like you? Back in Almath, I was pulled into a dream dream where I had to face my own worst nightmare. I could have run away, I could have chosen another door, but I chose to be brave. I wanted to be better."

>"I know you're scared of what's behind that door, I honestly do. I don't know what you're scared of, but if you're feeling brave and ready to face your nightmare after all of this, Let me know."
>"But right now, facing your nightmare can wait. We have a person to save."
>"Don't worry Amara, I'm with you, I'll keep you close."

>pick up and hold Amara in your arms, let her wrap her arms around your neck
>spawn another pair of arms to keep yourself a pair of free hands while your actual arms hold Amara.

>Call out to the voice where you stand…maybe Sigma’s original form is trying to reach out to you?
>Expand that empathetic field, Sort out the subconscious feelings, filter out the ones that come from Amara, November, Sam, and Francine. Focus only on the foreign emotions that aren't attached to Amara, November, Sam, or Francine.

>>4107256
>"if she got on S/k/in, she'd never get off it".
oh, i mean, fair enough. though im sure she would get off it to try out things she learned on there and whatnot.

>Rath becomes a flesh-gunsmith after the crucible.
would be neat. and as ive stated before, there is a distinct lack of guns around for this being america, damn if the crucible ate them or not, forges negate that excuse!

>>4107260
i think Amara knows what bravery is, is my only complaint with this really. shes a kid sure, but i think the concept she still has a good enough idea of, and feels a bit... condescending to her, to spell it out for her.

>>4107260
>>4107216
Amending my vote:
>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>"I know you're scared of what's behind that door, I honestly do. I don't know what you're scared of, but if you're feeling brave and ready to face your nightmare after all of this, Let me know."
>"But right now, facing your nightmare can wait. We have a person to save."
>"Don't worry Amara, I'm with you, I'll keep you close."

>pick up and hold Amara in your arms, let her wrap her arms around your neck
>spawn another pair of arms to keep yourself a pair of free hands while your actual arms hold Amara.

>Call out to the voice where you stand…maybe Sigma’s original form is trying to reach out to you?
>Expand that empathetic field, Sort out the subconscious feelings, filter out the ones that come from Amara, November, Sam, and Francine. Focus only on the foreign emotions that aren't attached to Amara, November, Sam, or Francine.

>>4107262
Pretty sure that most crafted guns that are good are gonna be expensive as hell.

THe Uzi is nice but not really primary weapon material for anythign but the early game i feel.

Granted the Upgrade was nice and all but it still cant compare to the contender or the gun we have seen that Dr. Fran can now create it feels kinda outdated

>>4107216
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>"Amara, sweetie. It's okay. I don't know what you're scared of, and you don't have to say it if you don't want to. But whatever it is, it's not behind that door. This is just Sigma's dreamscape trying to spook us by drawing up bad memories. It's all a trick."
>"But if the dreamscape is trying to scare us off, then maybe that means we're on the right track. So can we keep going down this way? We won't go in the door, don't worry about that, and I'll stand between it and you so you don't even to look at it. Alright?"
>Extend the empathic field and start searching around for minds that aren't just echos of your party. Supplement it with the Silver Key to maintain control and filter out any overly strong signals.
>If the spooky door tries to swing open or something speaks through it when we get close, try to shut down that change to the dreamscape using the Silver Key. We're not letting a monster prey on our little girl's nightmares.

>>4107267
true, but at the same time, we haven't really tried making a gun thats really good.

while im still glad people liked it, i still made the Godamned Uzi mostly as a joke, and just didnt have any reason or argument not to make it when people started voting for it. things like the guns.... fuck me i cant remember her name suddenly. Crow Smoker lady. her are still pretty damn potent and viable, yet still fit snugly into Tier 2-3 range of Forge Core. mind you, im sure their actual biomass costs balance that out a bit, but its still a good example of Relic guns being viable without needing to make something T5 like the Contender.

>>4107271
we dont have the silver key im pretty sure. the options said/implied whoever was doing the direct route had to have it to cut through the firewall.

>>4107273
You mean Magpie?

and sure we can maybe get a good gun just as a secondary weapon. There might be enemies we dont want ot get to close too all the time... Or have soemthign to shoot while we move to get closer.

maybe for Julia if she is back since Dorian can move her and she could shoot down form on high

>>4107275
Ah, damn, you're right. Well, guess we'll have to do it with pure mother bear determination.

>>4107216
Changing >>4107271
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>"Amara, sweetie. It's okay. I don't know what you're scared of, and you don't have to say it if you don't want to. But whatever it is, it's not behind that door. This is just Sigma's dreamscape trying to spook us by drawing up bad memories. It's all a trick."
>"But if the dreamscape is trying to scare us off, then maybe that means we're on the right track. So can we keep going down this way? We won't go in the door, don't worry about that, and I'll stand between it and you so you don't even to look at it. Alright?"
>Extend the empathic field and start searching around for minds that aren't just echos of your party.
>Be on the lookout for the spooky door doing something spooky when we go past and, and be ready to shut it with a dozen Hundred-Handed arms or drown out any voices coming through by talking reassuringly to Amara.

>>4107276
MAGPIE! YES!
sorry im just utter garbage with names. combined with my dyslexia sometimes names just... evade me, even if ive heard it alot.

and well, i was just talking in general about flesh-guns, not specifically for us. the issue with giving some of our family guns is its just a bit too late in our builds i think to really make a split build viable enough for us to ever us a gun, relic or ability, if they arent already more of a range fighter.

which, really is just Francine, who now has one. Shu already has a gun, Gina, Rath, Julia, and even Amara honestly are leaning pretty heartily towards melee if not full blown melee. Novemer is literally already a walking arsenal. only Dorian is kinda split between melee and ranged, but he still leans towards melee and im not sure he needs anything more than his lightning. i guess i could see a T4 that focuses or uses his lightning n a more ranged viable way could work, but thats about the best i can see for him or our family that doesnt feel like it would be splitting their attention too much. and i say this as someone who would be more than happy to have an entire party thats gunslingers first, with other things being secondary/backups.

what we really need is some leg Relics for November. holy hell do we have nothing for those slots. even before we melded the Cursas to Julia, it really didnt go on her very often or expand her leg relic options at all.

mind you, they dont need to specifically be leg/mobility relics, just something that can at least go in those slots.

>>4107216
Amending my vote from>>4107228
to
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>"Amara, sweetie. It's okay. I don't know what you're scared of, and you don't have to say it if you don't want to. But whatever it is, it's not behind that door. This is just Sigma's dreamscape trying to spook us by drawing up bad memories. It's all a trick."
>"But if the dreamscape is trying to scare us off, then maybe that means we're on the right track. So can we keep going down this way? We won't go in the door, don't worry about that, and I'll stand between it and you so you don't even to look at it. Alright?"
>Extend the empathic field and start searching around for minds that aren't just echos of your party. Supplement it with the Silver Key to maintain control and filter out any overly strong signals.
>If the spooky door tries to swing open or something speaks through it when we get close, try to shut down that change to the dreamscape using the Silver Key or the halo if the former is not available. We're not letting a monster prey on our little girl's nightmares.

>>4107298
Um, we left the Silver key in the hands of Francine and November.

>>4107304
oh right well then we will just have to shut it down trying to use the halo

if i may direct your eyes to this part:
> try to shut down that change to the dreamscape using the Silver Key or the halo if the former is not available.

>>4107304
But i will say thayt i did forget about thatt part in the line before that so i will amend my vote again

>>4107216
Amending once again from>>4107298
to
>>Continue on down the corridor, ignoring the door Amara seems to fear in your search for West Sigma’s true self.
>"Amara, sweetie. It's okay. I don't know what you're scared of, and you don't have to say it if you don't want to. But whatever it is, it's not behind that door. This is just Sigma's dreamscape trying to spook us by drawing up bad memories. It's all a trick."
>"But if the dreamscape is trying to scare us off, then maybe that means we're on the right track. So can we keep going down this way? We won't go in the door, don't worry about that, and I'll stand between it and you so you don't even to look at it. Alright?"
>Extend the empathic field and start searching around for minds that aren't just echos of your party. Supplement it with the Halos perception abilities.
>If the spooky door tries to swing open or something speaks through it when we get close, try to analyze that change to the dreamscape using the halo if possible to identify it and if necessary shut it down(also shut down if indeterminable). We're not letting a monster prey on our little girl's nightmares.

And I have to leave for work. while it's snowing. God dammit. I'm gonna have to miss a good part of the rapid fire posting due to the timing which I leave work.

>>4107326
be careful in that snow Anon, and we'll see ya when you do get back.
going out for dinner myself, so ill be a bit more sparse at least on conversation myself for a bit too.

>>4107326
Stay safe anon. Snow can be quite the fucking beast on the roads


I wont be able to partake. staying up for the entire night is just not something i can afford to do these following nights. i would be a walking corpse for the rest for the week

>>4107326
I'm sorry to hear that, anon. Stay safe on the roads.

(Gentlemen, I'd like to offer that since it appears most everyone will be either out or unable to participate fully, then I'd be happy to wait on rapid-posting until another evening this week if that would suit everyone' schedules better. I'd hate to exclude anyone, truly.)

>>4107326#
(Please be safe, Anon!)

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>>4107388
up to you and the other folks. i appreciate the thought and of course, would be fine with it, but if those who are gonna be here tonight would thus not be able to show for the later date, id not want it to exclude them for my benefit. what night were you think/hoping it would be, so folks can know if its worth it?

>>4107392
(Tomorrow or Friday at around the same time, whichever would work better for everyone. I'm planning to pause ovee the weekend and resume on Monday, and be set to wrap the Vein on Wednesday, depending on the ground you all cover.)

>>4107397
got a family dinner Friday so tomorrow would work best for me, with the same caveat of course.

>>4107397
on phone at work
tomorrow would work wonderfully for me

>>4107397
I won't be available Friday, but I should be open tomorrow.

>>4107408
>>4107403
seems like we have a consensus that tomorrow is the day

>>4107388
its fine OP

I would at most loose out on like three or four votes.. which granted is a lot but well i trust the people here not to fuck it up.

>>4107397
As for another date Friday would be the only date for me since i dont have to work on Saturday and have no plans for that day as well. But I wont impose myself on anyone so you can have that stressful fun all by yourselves tomorrow. Mostly because i life in Europe so your evening is my very early morning and sadly i havent found a way to be effective at work with absolutely no sleep and the solution of napping has.... well only brought questionable results for me.....

But since i have you here OP. Is there an ETA on when your comments for the abilites are coming? Over the weekend, before or after?

>>4107425
(Probably Friday evening, as I'll pause the Vein in the later afternoon or early that night.)

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>>4107216

"Amara, sweetie. It's okay.” You assure, kneeling down in front of her as you put your hands on the slight girl’s small shoulders. “"I know you're scared of what's behind that door, I honestly do. I don't know what you're scared of, but if you're feeling brave and ready to face your nightmare after all of this, let me know.”

Jerking a thumb over your shoulder with one hand, you cup Amara’s cheek with the other, gently directing her gaze away from what she fears and back to you.

“But whatever it is, it's not behind that door. This is just Sigma's dreamscape trying to spook us by drawing up bad memories. It's all a trick. Okay?" You emphasize, and she slowly nods, trying her best to hold your eyes with her own. "But if the dreamscape is trying to scare us off, then maybe that means we're on the right track. So can we keep going down this way? We won't go in the door, don't worry about that, and I'll stand between it and you so you don't even to look at it. Alright?"

Amara swallows hard before nodding sharply, her gaze fixed firmly ahead while her hand’s locked with yours, which makes it easier to scoop the girl up in your arms as she gives a surprised yelp. You feel a dull ache around your shoulders and under your arms as duplicate limbs begin to emerge from the bare flesh, bone and muscle rapidly taking shape as you stride onwards. Your Hundred-Handed are at the ready for any threats, while your real arms are reserved for cradling the child in your arms as best you can as you walk past the rusting door without another word or second glance.

“…thank you.” She murmurs, squeezing your neck tight.

“Any time.” You reply, giving her a squeeze right back.

The ugly, outdated carpeting of Sam’s old dorm eventually gives way to the familiar tiling of the hospital, though by the time it resumes it’s no longer the shining, pristine flooring that you saw when you first entered Sigma’s dream. Pitted and scuffed, the floor beneath your feet bears the mark of years, now almost depressing in its current state coupled with the dim lights that hang dimly overhead. You get so used to the soft buzz of the dying LEDs overhead that Amara has to bring your attention to the gentle sound of running water, muffled behind the door you just passed on your right.

Amara’s far less tense than before as you seize the knob and turn it, swinging the door open to reveal a cavernous cistern, a set of aesthetically-placed calcite stepping stones leading to an elevated spot at the heart of the massive room. The walls are covered with biomass, but not choked by it; the whole pace appears to have been carefully tended, the thin membrane of flesh that throbs over the walls and beats just under the water’s surface a labor of love as opposed to an untamed infestation.

(Continued)

>>4107468

“Woah...” Amara says with awe, eyes wide and her fear gone as she marvels at the unexpectedly cozy space.

“…hope this is not another attempt at your…” Echoes the odd voice, its volume steadily increasing as you pick your way across the slick stone path on your way to the carefully-tailored space at the room’s center.

“I’m serious! It's real pretty!" Amara fires back, coupling her retort to the ghostly snippet with an indignant raspberry, blown into the ether. You set her down as you find stable footing, your extraneous limbs receding as you pace around the setup, running your fingers along the back of the ragged loveseat that faces a battered television set, opposite a cobbled-together computer setup reminiscent of Orwell’s though nowhere near as advanced. The single monitor pulses with a rhythmic beat, the shattered screen revealing a series of clumps that surround a leathery, still-pumping heart. Closer inspection reveals the spheres to be grey matter, compressed and formed into the rudimentary shape of mouths, mismatched teeth shoved haphazardly into their half-formed gums.

“So cool!” Amara gasps, her eyes wide and alight with curiosity.

Yeah…yeah, that’s one word for it, kiddo.

“…kinda freaky setup, dude.”

You and Amara both flinch when a new voice cuts through the air right beside you, and the two of your whirl around to see an ill-defined shape, humanoid in the barest sense of the word. It’s a thing half-remembered, and as it stands upright, it appears to turn and face a similarly hazy figure seated on the arm of the couch.

“…really think I can’t tell you’re being sarcastic?” The second figure replies, its voice a more defined version of the one whose snippets drift through the dream. “As if your rig is so supe…”

“…no judgments here, man. I’m a retro kind of girl, myself. Got mine set up like an old-timey radio, real old-sch…” The other figure counters, her retort dying out as the figures fade into nothingness, the remainder of their conversation lost to dim and dusty memory.

“Hello?” You test, your own voice echoing clearly through this lost space. Amara follows up with a louder version of your own query, both of your attempts to reach out dying out as their echoes fade to nothingness.

With a bone-chilling chatter, the tooth-lined brains begin to clatter within the hollowed-out monitor, discolored tongues lolling about in their disembodied mouths.

“…nfirmed kill count; fifty-six as of current date. Responsible for the mysterious disappearances of over two-doz …”

“…spontaneously crafting booster-type Relics became…”

“…not stop, rest, or allow herself to be…”

Their groaning repetition slows to a chittering stop as the mouths go slack, their unnerving sound replaced by the voices from earlier, gentle whispers emanating from the couch.

(Continued)

>>4107470

“…nk you.” The second voice says, seated across from a forlorn-looking form on the opposite side of the couch.

“…be the one thanking you.” The other girl replies, her hazy head turning to look at her companion even as she draws her knees closer to her chest. “I…appreciate you coming all this way to hear me out on the anni...”

“…it. It was nothing.”

“… lot more than just ‘nothing’, O-…uh…”

“…ha, holy crap, we don’t know each other’s real names, do we? We’ve been collaborating so long and we never…”

“…take it your real name’s not…”

There’s a moment of silence between the ghosts, and then…

“...name’s Tabitha.” The second voice answers.

“…pretty. You’re going to laugh at mine.” The first voice chuckles weakly, wiping a tear from her eye.

“…’t be worse than Tabith…”

They’re fading now, their voices reduced to little more than a series of whispers as their bodies dissipate into wispy tendrils of smoke.

“…ternet handle.” The voice says, and the second figure begins to laugh.

“…tting me?! You didn’t even change y…”

Amara strains to hear them out, her car-like ears aimed directly at the phantoms as they cease to be, but it’s not a matter of sound…it’s a thing of memory. You turn in place, pivoting on your heel as you survey your surroundings seethe at the mental butchery West Prime’s inflicted on whoever’s mind this used to be.

Starting to pace, you’re dimly aware of Amara tracing your steps a pace or two behind you, ‘hm’-ing every time you do as your ponderings continue. You couldn’t seem to get the ghosts’ attention through typical means, though maybe you shouldn’t be surprised given their ill-defined forms. Though you’re not sure where to go from-

“It’s spit!” Amara declares helpfully, and you turn to find she’s ladled some of the surrounding water into her mouth with her hands cupped tight.

“That…that’s great, sweetie, but please don’t drink any more of…” You begin, catching sight of the faux-computer setup out of the corner of one eye.

It’s too similar to Orwell’s to be a coincidence. The trend’s apparent through all of the Proxies you’ve researched; Neuromancy from West, hybridized with what you assume to be the Core powers of the unfortunate souls that she dooms to be like her.

In this case?

Skintalking, woven into Neuromancy.

As Amara furtively sips a bit more of the suspect spittle that surrounds you, you think you may have an idea.

>>Use your abilities to try and negate West Sigma’s Neuromancy in the real, driving a wedge between West and her host.

>>Demand to speak to West. A fragment of her is in here somewhere, and you’ve conquered one before…time to go two-for-two.

>>The voice that’s been whispering around you…you’ve heard what it’s said, before. It’s just a hunch, but let’s try calling out a name.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours as I wrap up the work day, with rapid-posting to go into effect tomorrow evening instead of tonight. That should allow me to also get rid of this irritating headache that's been plaguing me all day. I hope everyone's day is going well, and thank you all for your participation .)

>>4107475
>The voice that’s been whispering around you…you’ve heard what it’s said, before. It’s just a hunch, but let’s try calling out a name.
>Use your abilities to try and negate West Sigma’s Neuromancy in the real, driving a wedge between West and her host.

i think both are doable, and might even help eachother out. its possible there is no 'west' in the traditional sense as before to even talk to, albeit 'sigma' could be in here somewhere. but i dont think we need to directly 'beat' any West in here to win this one, and 'worse' case? trying to mess with her with Neuromancy or call out the original owner might bring her forth anyways, if we do end up having to deal with her at all.

...also, Amara, please stop drinking the spit. even if it was 100% safe... why... why would you even want to do that? why?

>>4107475
>>The voice that’s been whispering around you…you’ve heard what it’s said, before. It’s just a hunch, but let’s try calling out a name.
>"You are Kleio arent you?"
>>Use your abilities to try and negate West Sigma’s Neuromancy in the real, driving a wedge between West and her host.
>Give Gina a small tug over the crimson Cord. If she can spare any amount of attention may she please help you sepereate West and


This girl.... she is the one that complied all the data on WAlpha...... FUCK YOU WEST!!!! MAY GOD SMITE YOUR SOUL INTO OBLIVION AND FORCE FEED IT TO LUCIFER THROUGH HIS ANUS WHILE YOUR COMPLETELY CONSCIOUS AND CAN EXPERIENCE EVERY SECOND OF IT FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY!!!!!

AND THEN GIVE YOUR SOUL OVER TO THE CHUCKLEFUCK TZEENTCH SO HE CAN TURN YOU INTO A DAMN SPAWN LIKE YOU DESERVE

I just had to do that fuck.......... i am still shaking with anger........

>>4107475
>>The voice that’s been whispering around you…you’ve heard what it’s said, before. It’s just a hunch, but let’s try calling out a name.
>"Kleio? Is that you?"
>"Please, Kleio, help me make this right. I don't know if there's enough of you left to come back from this. But if there's enough to help, enough to fight what West is doing here, I could really use it."
>"We're going to end her, Kleio. For you, for your sister, for Tabitha, for everyone she's hurt. 'She's not a doctor, she's not a butcher, she's monster', that's what you said, right? Help me slay the monster."

>>4107497
im more curious just what Sigmas mission is now than anything. i mean, yeah i hate West, but we already knew she had done this, so its more of wondering if BHOP planned and tried to corral us towards this option after telling us her story for dramatic purposes, or if it was all just luck Sigma was the easiest for us to go for? and given the story behind her, it feels like West wouldn't of sent her on just any old mission, especially given the potential materials to build a Proxy from.

Makes it both possibly much more unnerving why West was interested in this factory and her plans for it. or of course, how little she actually cared or thought of her if Sigma really is just on a 'curiosity' mission, though i do think the first ones probably more likely.

>>4107511
yeah i now i think this just made the entire thing more real..... its one thing hearing about it but standing in front of the product of that unholy act is just.... It makes my skin crawl.

I guess she would be interested if she could get more of the Hexxane Tech out of the factory to improve herself or maybe get a clue to any other structurres that may contain knowledge of the Hexxane. like Records for the purpose of the halos or storage spaces that may still be intact and hold incredibly valuable relics she maybe could use to stabilize herself.

>>4107511
(Sigma was always the easiest one to go after, even if you hadn't figured out who she was. You running across that information (which in and of itself was a roll on Orwell's part) merely unlocked an alternative route through this quest and gave you some bonuses. If you'd decided to go after a different Proxy, you'd have likely never found this out. Similarly, the Geist you fought in the caves underneath your home had some ties to characters you know currently, but that would be a much harder plot thread to untangle. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, a vast majority of which may never even see the light of a Vein.)

>>4107511
I'd say it's probably something to do with Forges. Silvis was a power plant manager, if this was his factory then whatever was being made here should be power systems. Since I doubt West is that interested in the green energy tech that the Hexane used before their Crucible, the only thing I can think of that Silvis would have been involved in producing would be Forge Cores and the the devices for channeling their output.

>>4107519
Really, the Geist had ties to characters we know? Interesting. I'd guess Sugar, since we know that Sugar also went delving into the cthonic underworld. Maybe they met, down in the dark.

>>4107519
Geist? you mean mite-bone-dust girl right? the girl i posted a pic that reminded me of her earlier? well of course that threads basically impossible to properly unravel, gals dead-dead, no dream daughter shenanigans there.

and honestly, once the stories fully done in like... what? another year and a half at the least? you're gonna have to weave us a least a few of those stories and plot points we overlooked and/or just had no way of ever coming across. ill particularly be interested in things of actual plot relevance we missed or didnt interact with, but still affected us, whether we knew it or not(above the usual 'everything's part of a living world' type of affecting us, is what i mean.)

>>4107518
could be that simple sure, but at the very least id think shes made actual hard headway into that for Sigma to still be here, especially as we did hear she was pulling some proxies back and whatnot. the level of implied progress itself might be worrying, even if what its into itself might not be the most surprising or spectacular.

>>4107530
i could see it, though we'll have to see. 'factory' could be a bit of a... i dont want to say 'miswording' or mistranslation, but it could just be a 'factory producing power' basically. but i guess that falls close enough into line with what you said.

as for the Geist...
i could see it being Sugar, but the way she talked and her situation, aswell as how BHOP usually operates and some other little possible clues, makes me think its something much deeper than just running into eachother. my Guess is the Midnight Crew. they were all in the 'basically waiting to die' wing of the hospital, and if you remember the Geists conversation with Shu, she was aswell. i'd make perfect sense if she knew the midnight crew, possibly even much more personally, even if they were not outright friends.

>>4107537
(I'll be happy to do so, though most of it's just fun little facts about who knows who and the reasons behind certain characters' actions. Most heavily plot-relevant storylines will be wrapped up, I'm sure. I'm trying to ensure it won't be like some JRPGs where if you miss a certain cutscene, didn't read the Japan-only light novel, or failed to watch the low-budget anime by some no-name studio, then you'll be lost forever. Rest assured, all major questions will be answered in the actual fiction.)

(...I have beef with certain multi-media projects.)

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>>4107547
sounds like it, and i fully understand.

>>4107537
>i could see it being Sugar, but the way she talked and her situation, aswell as how BHOP usually operates and some other little possible clues, makes me think its something much deeper than just running into eachother. my Guess is the Midnight Crew. they were all in the 'basically waiting to die' wing of the hospital, and if you remember the Geists conversation with Shu, she was aswell. i'd make perfect sense if she knew the midnight crew, possibly even much more personally, even if they were not outright friends.


Huh, maybe. The Bone Geist did say that she met people like her (which could mean the very ill, prior to the Crucible), but that they left her after she made the wrong choice. That could be the Midnight Crew. I feel like Jackie would have mentioned her if that was the case, but it's possible the memory was too unpleasant and she just didn't want to think of the Bone Geist.

>>4107547
Oh, good. Because it sounds like there's a lot of interesting stuff that happened behind the scenes. I'm still trying to figure out who was the potential party member in the city every time we meet someone new.

Also, I share your frustration with intertextual media. I hate how big a thing that is these days. If you don't give me everything I need to understand the story within the text of the story itself, you are either a bad author or a shameless self-promoter trying to extract as much from your fandom as possible. Plus, it encourages gatekeeping behavior, which is just awful. I'm with you, BHOP. Fuck intratextualization.

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I'm fucking back. College has been sucking my soul out through my asshole but now I have time to post again.

I'm glad that curiosity about ghost girl picked up slightly because I think we may be missing something big here regarding the weird cave. I feel like the forges may be causing it and be more than we think. We should go exploring those caves more often, just in case.

Then again my memory is shit and maybe we already did and it didnt have anything of interest but I doubt that.

Feels good to be back with you nasty people.

>>4107600
(Welcome back, Anon! Glad to have you.)

>>4107600
as far as i remember BHOP saying, those particular caves just lead further down to a waystation and nothing more. we do now know 'going down' might lead to some interesting things, but specifically i dont think those caves are anything more than a waystation, hence the disinterest in those ones.

>>4107600
Hi, welcome back. I'm glad you've got time to participate again.

We haven't gone exploring our caves, but we have learned things about cave systems in general. Apparently the Crucible just gets weird once you hit fifteen hundred meters down. Zahira (Lepisma's real name) told us about explorers who encountered sudden overwhelming spikes of Hunger, or visions that they couldn't describe afterwards, and those who made it back brought with them strange Relics. Also, Sugar spent a lot of time burrowing before she met the rest of the Barbers, and while she can't lucidly explain the experience she knows that she learned what the Mother of All is when she was down there.

In theory we could learn some pretty important information going down there, if the mines connect to a deeper cave system past the Waystation. In practice we've been jumping from emergency to emergency so much that we haven't gotten the chance for a long-term expedition like that yet. Also, I really don't want to descend into a hell-cavern full of shifting phantasms. That's one of my nightmare scenarios.

>>4107620
>>4107622
I remember bhop using the same picture of the spooky caves for beneath Dorian's manor where we found a corrupted forge and Johanna. I remember Sugar went down, but I definitely didnt remember Zahira saying all that. Shit. I might have some rereading to do. But I am unsure if its something forged or corrupted forges do to the environment or something more.

Maybe one day we can explore and figure out what the hell is going on. Maybe one of the Joyous actually went down once? What kind of relics were brought back from under the earth?

Bet the caverns have something to do with how the crucible might be containing that one daughter who hybridized everything.

>>4107614
Also hi bhop, glad to be back.

>>4107638
it was a corrupted Engine under Dorians manor, not a forge. and i dont remember it being caves under his manor, just the one room with the engine.

>>4107622
>>4107638
if we find a good cave system, then maybe, and/or just send some joyous and swarmlings down, but any underground passageway we have so far encountered as been a dead end for spelunking into the Crucibles core. mind you, i dont think we've found many such places, other than waystations, but unless BHOPs really omitting something fierce information wise to us, waystations seem to be a dead-end in terms of further exploration.

it also feels like, for as... wonky, as Sugar can be, i do feel like in her moment of cognitivity she would've mentioned if it was a waystation that allowed her to delve deeper, but instead she did not.

actually that is an interesting point though. not every cave would be a waystation, but it seems like every waystation becomes a cave, regardless of why it spawned or where it spawned. might be something to that, ill fully admit, but it still doesnt solve the issue we would have more than plenty of reason to know if waystations 'continued down' further, especially the one near our home.

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>>4107669
I'm not sure it's that out there for us to have missed it. Bhop is a pretty good gm and if stuff happens in the background, I imagine other daughters also would have encountered some caves.

If they did, I think they may not think its anything noteworthy, or maybe if the caves have weird mental effects on the daughters who enter, it may be scrubbing their memories so effectively that neuromancy may not be able to detect anything wrong.

Alternate dimensions seem to be a thing in bhquest since we physically jumped into yurei's dreamscape by leaping into her gahadokuro form, and unknown kadath seems to lead to some place beyond the dreamscape. If I remember correctly, anyway.

I dont think we ever made a concerted effort to go spelunking in the ghost girls cave further. To my memory we just got through a tough fight and decided to get out of the cave and deal with it later, but we never did.im gonna go scour the previous threads for more info.

Ghost girl was also spouting some gibberish about gods dark shadow or whatever that was. Considering she was in the caves for who knows how long, maybe she saw more than she was able to let on.

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I went back, its not a way station. Gina felt weird static but marked the location of the cave so we could go spelunking later.

But the cave did go deeper. Somethings up.

Or down, actually.

>>4107757
Not necessarily. It's a mineshaft, not a natural cave, so I think we all assumed once we knew about the Waystation that it was just a Waystation in a mineshaft and that the further depths had no special significance. It still might not, we'll have to investigate (via remote construct, no way am I going down there without a map) how deep it goes, see if it reaches the weirdness depth of fifteen hundred meters.

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If anyone wants to check, it was in thread 5 on the archive.

>>4107788
>>4107757
it does bring up a question about almath however, How deep underground is Almath?

>>4107798
Interesting, good catch anon.

>>4107809
Well, it could easily be less than fifteen hundred meters. That's actually pretty deep. Like, how high do you think the ceiling on the cavern was? Maybe five hundred, six hundred meters, tops? The Empire State Building is only three hundred and eighty-one meters, so there's plenty of room to have that central government tower in a cave that size. So put another five hundred meters of descent through the fleshscape before you reach the cave and you still wouldn't have the ground floor be past the spooky vision depth.

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>>41078
I went back to the thread we entered almath. We saw a giant eyeball on the ceiling of the cavern, but apparently it was several thousand feet in the air. Dont know about almath's buildings, but the cavern it was in is apparently fucking huge.

>>4107840
Well, a thousand meters would be thousands of feet. Four hundred meters deep and you'd still be in the safe region. Or maybe it's even bigger and deeper, and the Crucible just prioritizes having a creepy memento of Ozmas' past over giving creepy visions.

>>4107847
>Well, a thousand meters would be thousands of feet.
I'm a fucking idiot and read feet.

>>4107798
first off, thats from Vein 6. lord fucking knows you made me run in circles because of that.

second off, you are intentionally trying to mislead people now. that is literally from right after the end of the last Vein, and that was still when we were first inside the cave. we had not yet actually explored it, and that was Gina sensing it was a waystation without us yet knowing what those were. we later explored it to find what she was sensing was the waystaion deeper in, and it was never said to have anything after the waystation, which was described as being pretty deep into the cave.

>>4107878
>>4107798
actually, ill apologize and admit im being a bit too accusatory there. sorry, im just frustrated as i both had tried to reply and lost not one, but three messages or considerable length to the fact someone got the area i was eating in range banned.

nevertheless, the point still stands that that was only right after we had defeated the ghost girl, and we later explored and continually used it as a waystation, aswell as in that same vein, that feeling Gina had in the cave was picked up on in Kosis city, which turned out to be her sensing waystaions and nothing more.

(Fighting through this headache and finishing up writing soon, Gentlemen.)

>>4107907
sorry to hear the headaches still giving you trouble. as usual dont push yourself too hard for our sake.

>>4107907
No need to push yourself if you're not feeling well, BHOP.

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>>4107878
>>4107887
Shit, I'm sorry about the wrong vein number. I was only able to sporadically check here and there in the middle of a hectic day. I didn't realize it was actually a way station though. I'm more free for the moment so I'll try to actually finish the vein and read more. My apologies. I didn't mean to mislead anyone.

But I am glad you read more into it than I did, at least.

>>4107981
nah like i said i jumped the gun on that a bit due to... alot of frustrations building up, and im again sorry for that. i mean, again, its not outright impossible theres more to it, only that everything within the context of how BHOP has given us info and worded things would give us no reason to think or suspect its anything more, for reasons specified.

im more of just trying to make sure we understand everything and dont go running off checking things out uselessly, than trying to harp on you specifically or anything.

honestly, its been discussed before that delving deep probably isnt actually worth it and certainly isnt necessary, but if we are interested in that, asking Sugar more about it and where she did it, is probably our better bet anyways, than risking a totally unknown and suspicious cave, if it did go further down than the waystation.