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"So the Cascade event's trigger was some sort of political dispute?" You muse, with your ally making a small sound of affirmation.

"Seems that way, yeah. We haven't stuck around long enough to figure out the specifics...and people here are so shell-shocked that they're just focusing on rebuilding - it's certainly no Laoc, but it could've been a whole lot worse if Dorian hadn't arrived when he did." Isabelle explains, a bitter little chuckle bubbling up from the back of her throat. "Most everyone here recognizes him, actually. I've had a few people ask where the rest of the team is - I've told them you've got a lot on your plate, and we're tackling a bucha stuff all at once..."

Then she adds, a little sheepishly; "...was that okay to say?"

"Yeah, no, it's...that's fine." Comes your tired reply as you rub the bridge of your nose with thumb and forefinger. "So, where do things stand now?"

"Everyone's quiet. Rebuilding, mostly. Dorian, Jo, and I should have this place set back up within an hour or two. Fulminus should make a full recovery soon...physically, I mean. Mentally, everyone's still pretty shook."

You're quiet for a moment, mulling the situation over in your mind before B'ni speaks again.

"Shu...I know all this was a lot to hear, but I think we've got this." She begins, hesitantly.

"Pardon?"

"Dorian's doing a lot for everyone, and between him, me, and Jo, we'll get Fulminus back up and running in no time. I think...I think I can talk to these people. They're lost, but they're not weak, and they need some words to cling to. Me, or Dorian...hell, maybe even Johanna can address everybody in the same way you like to do. But in any case, we've got this, Shu."

Weighing your options, you have to wonder if letting the three of them handle a volatile situation by themselves is really the most responsible idea...but then again, you did entrust them to find and assist the settlements, if they could. You've certainly given enough speeches for one day, but still...

>>”Let me talk to Dorian, if he's available."

>>"Hold tight, B'ni - Uzu and I will be there soon."

>>"B'ni, if you feel like the three of you have things in hand...then I trust you."

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open for the next four hours, with posting to resume at 2:00PM, Eastern time. I hope everyone is in good spirits and is staying safe, and I'm glad to have you back again.)

>>4287852
>"I trust you three. You'll figure it out, and what or whos best to talk to them."
>"...and when thats over, i think id very much like to get whoevers not busy back together. sooner the better. If that town and the Altar Remnants is anything to go off of... then we may of just found our next goal, unless we dont want there to be anything left once we finish with the Cord- or worse, more than we could ever handle racing us for it."
>Let them get to it, while to head home yourself, and do a roll call to see what else everyone is doing and make sure everyone is informed on whats all going on... assuming they can spare an ear to be informed, that is.

>>4287854
good to be back aswell. think you missed linking the last thread to this one by mere minutes, by the way.

staying safe yeah. wasn't a bad week or weekend, but a bit mulled over. considering everything suddenly going on in the world though, might be a blessing in disguise all things considered.

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>>4287854

Staying safe, yes. I've been busy with Cradleton the entire week. Lots of things to work on.

Also, The Darkest Dungeon suddenly introduced PVP with a new DLC, which is fucking amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmKgI5Wn_5o

>>4287858
Hello, which anon are you?

>>4287858
>>think you missed linking the last thread to this one by mere minutes, by the way.

(Haha, just my luck. Also, glad to hear you're doing well.)

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>>4287908
its a Monday BHOP, something had to happen. hopefully that will be it though, eh?
also a week break did nothing for my image folder backlogs. but i suppose thats not really a bad thing, technically.

>>4287894
Doc/Character Sheets Anon.
glad to hear you've made progress on Cradleton, by the way.

>>4287852
>>"B'ni, if you feel like the three of you have things in hand...then I trust you."
>>Write-In
>Call up Amara, ask where she is on tracking down Magpie's notes with the Joyous. She have anything yet? Not to pressure her, though, if she needs time to work she needs time to work and we'll leave her at that.

>>4287854
Uh, I actually just had a hypoglycemic crash, why I'm a bit late in joining the thread. But aside from that temporary issue, I've been doing alright.

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>>4287908
>>4287911

They say that Idle thoughts are the devil's tools. And when I came out of my strange mood, I took one look upon this abomination and cannot help but feel horrible for the evil that I have unleashed into the Crucible.

>Ga-mbler’s Cha-otic Forge: A most unusual Forge, modified into a shrine dedicated to greed and chance. Coliquially known as the “Ga’Cha Forge” The artifact does not allow Daughters to craft relics of their own choosing when paying the blood price. Instead, the Forge releases the raw chaos of Something/Nothing and lets RNG decide upon the contents, and dispense a single relic of a random tier for a small blood price or a bulk of 10 relics for a moderate sum, the latter providing a guarantee of a single relic that is graded t-3 or higher. And any high quality relic it dispenses is guaranteed to set the forge to make a display of celebration as it rewards the lucky daughter with a powerful game changing relic that pays back the investment put into the Forge. But be wary, the contents the forge dispenses upon use are sometimes stillborn constructs or faulty relics rendered unusable, and many a daughter have lost their lives to the Forge itself, their hubris and avarice being their downfall as their weakened bodies become ripe pickings for other predators. On the side of the Forge, carved into the eldritch obsidian is a message.

Notes by a daughter named Riyo: Day 325 – I’ve finally done it. 400 daughters and 300 amalgams worth of biomass, 200 days of non-stop farming, hoarding, scrap picking, plotting, planning, calculating and observing, and my own flesh and blood paid hundreds of times times over. All for 10,000 individual single “pulls” to collect statistical data and mine the secrets on the Forge and to acquire the best T-5 relics granted to me by that Forge. And I think I’ve cracked the code. Praise RNGsus. Praise the Ga’Cha! And I’ve finally figured out the table. If you are reading this, let this message be a warning to you: This forge a gambler’s Skinner box. It's secrets I’ve devoted almost my entire second life to decoding. It is greed and temptation given form. This forge is a powerful forge, its drop rates change almost by the hour and tailors itself to the daughter it tries to tempt. So much time and so many lives wasted on a thing like this, just to pry this information out. To think such a forge exists even in this hell, to think I did it to life to prying its secrets to save others from falling into the trap that led me to my financial ruin before the Crucible and my ruin in the hell that is the Crucible...I can't help but feel like a shitty person. Why the hell am I here?

(1/2)

>>4287923
Still don't think thats really a priority of ours. If we are gonna interrupt whatever she is helping Orwell out with, i think just any raw info on those other settlements would be much more useful to get from her.

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>>4287930

Read the table that I have chiseled into the side of the Forge. That table I’ve spent so long on refining and devoting resources to make sure it is permanently there on that damned forge and stays readable for the next civ even if the Crucible is reset. And yet, I can’t help but think that I’ve only scratched the surface. This is the table that I’ve decoded so far. Use it as a guide.

Gacha Forge Drop rates for single “pulls”:
>T-5: 1%
>T-4: 7%
>T-3: 12%
>T-2: 40%
>T-1: 40%

Chances of acquiring at least one T-4 or T-5 relic with single pulls after the following number of tries:

>1-pull: (1% for T5, 3% for T4)
>5-pulls: (5% for T5, 14% for T4)
>16-pulls: (15% for T5, 38% for T4)
>36-pulls: (30% for T5, 66% for T4)
>65-pulls: (48% for T5, 86% for T4)
>140-pulls: (76% for T5, 98% for T4)


There…That’s the table. God, what am I doing? Why did I do this? It’s so pointless. So much time wasted, so many lives ruined. And yet…I can’t help it. I can’t stop myself. I’m addicted to it. The thrill of chance, the rush of hoping to pull that T-5 ascended relic. The spooks and the heartbreak…All the usable relics that I’ve pulled out of that Forge, I’ve given away or bartered. All the trash, I’ve fed back into the Forge to refund for another pull. All the T4s and T5s…I’ve kept or used them to fend for myself, All the relics that came out of the Forge, I’ve documented and catalogued. God, I feel so…tired. My stats…what happened to my stats? It used to be so large that almost no one bothered me because of how big it is, but now… it’s practically baseline human. 100 hp: 100 Bio.
Use the Forge Sparingly, don’t push your luck. The Forge will tempt you. Don’t let it ruin you like it did to me. Oh no…another banner promotion…and its advertising a new relic. I feel like I need it. No, I shouldn’t. I can't. I swore to myself that the moment I've cracked the code I'll leave. Wait…I’ve got an empty slot on my loadout. The relic would be a perfect fit and cover everything. No. Never again. But... maybe…if I…just did…one more pull…just one more…

>>4287934
My issue is that we don't know what other settlements we need information on. Unless you want Amara and Orwell to give us a data dump on every settlement in the area and have the rest of the party try to analyze that to figure out likely crisis spots. I'd be open to that.

>>4287936
Geez, so much gacha addiction when it doesn't even give waifus? Truly, a most insidious Forge to not even need the cornerstone of the mobile game business model in order to ensnare minds.

>>4287934
am>>4287858
by the way.

>>4287943
no, we do somewhat know. Orwell and Laocs leader already had some idea to at least narrow the targets down. we also have good reason to assume Mara and/or Magpie would be involved in them, probably even their founding, to further help narrow it down. theres no reason for it to be a full guess, its already been said we at least know to some degree what the others may be. well, not all of them. think it was like... 6? 7? potential out of the 9 we were told they may know.

regardless, just info on settlements in general and especially the leads we have would do us significantly better than a wild goose chase of a women we know was good a keeping secrets and hiding things, not to mention how hard it could to to access that info once we get it. not worth it, compared to looking into what leads we already have.

>>4287943
The Forge tailors its drop tables to the daughter it tempts.

But that doesn't mean it can't advertise Relics with built-in AI/entities that serve as husbandos al la Karma in the Hexane Contender gun).

>>4287949
Jeraha said she was in contact with other towns and would get the word out that Magpie was gunning for settlements, but I don't recall anything about us knowing which specific places were being targeted. But if we do have details and I've just forgotten, great, a general data dump will be enough then. Assuming that the data Orwell has includes the history of these places, that is, like you said the big key will be to know which places Mara founded. If Orwell doesn't know that then we'd have to go by which ones sound the most unstable. That could be a mess to figure out. So yeah, let's hope Orwell knows the history of all these settlements.

I still think it's worth it to trace back Magpie's trail, though. Maybe not the top priority if Orwell can get us location history data, but I do want to trace her movements. That geas has me worried, and if we can get any clues as to what it was actually for it would put a lot of my worries to bed.

>>4287968
well like i said, i still simply dont think asking her that is a priority over other things, assuming we ask her at all. and i suppose i just dont agree. the fact she was so willing to go along with all this, makes the geas honestly just not as big a worry in my opinion. its quite possible at this point from what we know it wasn't at all forced on her, and her just general willingness to be part of it all makes the geas itself seem alot more irrelevant due to the fact there clear signs it wouldn't of changed much of anything if it hadn't been there. we have reasons to believe from what we know of Magpie even without it she may of tried to avoid becoming a DD too even, or worse, would've been horribly unhelpful as one.

>>4287975
Oh, I don't think Magpie was being controlled into destroying the settlements. The geas doesn't seem to be related to that at all. It seems to have been restricting Magpie's ability to share certain pieces of information. I want to know what was so important that she couldn't be allowed to say it, and who decided that. There's some mysterious third party that is probably our enemy based on the events we know they were involved with, we should make discovering their identity a goal. Not an immediate one, but it's definitely something for the list.

>>4287987
maybe, but my point was still about the here and now and whats worth asking here and now, and i disagree that tread of intel or issue is it.

>>4287991
I think the conversation diverged. I acknowledge that if we have other sources of information, Magpie's notes aren't a top priority right now. I was also making the case for why they're still a priority, just not an immediate one. I'm sorry for not making my thought threads more distinct from each other, keep the ideas separate.

>>4287993
fair i think, but i would like to point out it was a discussion based off what we're voting for, which agree or not you never changed, so i had no reason to assume that the conversation had shifted from said topic, over simply at best as i was doing assume we simply were not going to agree on what to vote for.

Chapter 7v2, chapter 8, Chapter 9 update
I let the muse crank out key dialogue and rearranged the natural progression of scenes in the dreamscape for about 4 days and I find that the scene for chapter 7 has been expanded even further with lots of more back and forth dialogue. I have no idea why the characters in the story took the scene towards that direction of drawn out dialogue and drama, but all of it ran on the initial premise of what would happen when the strongest behemoth-class amalgam suddenly hijacks the conversation by moving it to its own personal dreamscape and the person they’re rescuing is apparently siding with the amalgam.

Lots of skepticism involved.

The amount of time, words, and dialogue needed to resolve the conflict and struggle of Andersen trying to win the trust of the cast with a mix of words and physical intimidation took up the length of 30 pages of nothing but pure dialogue lines (without picture formatting), which if I decided to cram in the usual briefing of introducing the opposing team cast of Alpha cultists and expanding upon the scenes, the chapter would have doubled to at least 60 pages as a conservative ballpark
And with the conflict of trying to win over the trust of the cast, inevitably nerves get frayed. Especially Carter’s nerves, and I’m personally hesitant about whether or not if the drama that occurs comes off as appropriate or if it reads more as pointless anger/angst.

I’m thinking of reformatting Chapter 7v2 by splitting the chapter yet again into at maybe at least two separate chapters and dedicate a single chapter to the Alpha cultist introduction be handled with a POV shift over to the cultist side of things to create narrative juxtaposition. Have two lines of dialogue between the cultist side and Carter’s side.

Yes, it creates a lot more work than necessary, and yes, I had to bump back the part where shit goes down, but it felt necessary in order to close out any holes and inconsistencies. And when I did my rewrite of chapter 8’s (now chapter 9) initial draft, I found that I had fun writing the scene when it was broken down into a “Rashomon”-style thriller. Of course, I’ll limit the amount of POVs that I’ll be jumping to in order to save myself the headache.

>>4288002
well, good luck, sounds like alot of work. also does sound like it may of ballooned a damn good bit, but i suppose we'll see how it turns out.

>>4287995
Anon. A submission for the Relics theorycrafting doc. Please review for relic's viability.

>Nyarlathotep's-95 Veils: For a relic whose name invokes the crawling chaos, this relic takes in the form of a a rather innocuous medical-grade surgical mask that has the surprising ability to be stretched and worn on the faces of by any entity, be it daughter, god, construct, or amalgam. Even more surprisingly enough, the mask is comfortable to wear. Closer inspection on the microscopic level on the mask however reveals that the fibers that make up the mask are composed of strands of otherworldly material lined with numerous gnashing teeth. When the mask is worn, the eldritch qualities of the veils come to life as the veil safeguards the wearer, providing 4 levels of resistance against airborne maladies and gaseous attacks. If the relic is equipped on a daughter or entity who is currently wracked with disease and transmittable status effects, the veil will isolate and contain the disease while promoting increased stat regeneration to counteract the status debuff.

>>4288036
I think we could all use one of those, these days. Personally, I'd put this Relic at Tier 2, it's good at what it does but very situational since from what we've seen infectious powers are uncommon.

>>4287894
(Ah, I'll have to check out the DLC, I didn't even know it was out!)

>>4287911
(Oh, that apparently wasn't the only thing to go completely sideways today, so it looks like I'll be updating a little later this afternoon since tech issues have been plaguing me all morning.)

>>4287930
(Oh, the Ga-Cha name got me good. I needed a laugh this morning.)

>>4287936
(This is incredible, with the 'apocalypse log'-styled supplement, oh this is awesome.)

>>4288002
(Looks like you've got a lot on your plate, and I'm glad you're still going/writing strong!)

>>4288036
(Pretty damn well balanced, I'd say. I really like it! Like >>4288044 said, Tier 2 feels about right for it.)

>>4288036
seems reasonable enough. the addition of 'god' seems a bit weird to me, but a minor thing there. seems like it should probably just increase the amount of stack and percentile bleed off or something though, over stat regeneration, as stat regeneration actually might not be all that effected by such things in most cases.

>>4288036
>>4288044
and yeah, probably Tier 2.

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>>4288048
>Oh, that apparently wasn't the only thing to go completely sideways today, so it looks like I'll be updating a little later this afternoon since tech issues have been plaguing me all morning.
I apologize for even mentioning anything, truly. Mondays really are cursed by the darkest of entities for you, arent they BHOP?

>>4288048
>(Oh, that apparently wasn't the only thing to go completely sideways today, so it looks like I'll be updating a little later this afternoon since tech issues have been plaguing me all morning.)
So it goes. My condolences, BHOP.

>>4288048
Will the Ga'Cha Forge make an appearance in canon? I left Riyo's fate ambiguous so feel free to play around with the abomination of a random encounter that I have given you.

>>4288054
>>4288055
(Back home, and much appreciated. I'm back to writing now.)

>>4288060
(Quite possibly...and thank you for leaving this open, considering I like the idea so much.)

>>4288048
Sorry to hear your day has been going sideways so much. Hope those issues will clear up soon

And damn i completely forgot this was life now..... Well at least i got a decent dinner out of it the Creme Brulee was simply divine.

>>4288182

You're welcome. Although I do want to request something of a suggestive write-in to set the stage for the encounter if you do aim to use it:

>Location: Breasted badlands, a rolling hilly plain devoid of hair follicles with hills composed of questionable tracts of land.

>Up and down you travel the landscape
>As you travel down hill, your eyes spy something at the bottom of the valley: A relic.
>A relic out in the open and abandoned? A wonderful find. You pick it up and inspect it. It is a stillborn. A faulty relic.
>Why would a daughter leave a faulty relic? You look at your surroundings and find more relics, the land ahead of you littered with relics.
>Curiosity settles in, and you follow the trail of trash. With the option of picking among the scraps to find anything functional and usable.
>As you progress, the trash pile gets denser and denser and soon you're struggling to hike over the field of stillborn constructs and wasted consumables until suddenly the cluttered chaos gives way to organized piles and a clear path.
>Deeper and deeper you progress along the path, with the piles of trash climbing ever higher until you almost find yourself lost in the wasteland landfill of relics and constructs.
>Along the way you encounter a daughter that idly lounges on the one of the piles and notices your approach.
>"And here comes another one", the daughter acts as a guide on the place setting and gives you the bare basics of this quirky landmark.
>Deeper in you go, and you find more daughters hanging about. Some look emaciated and ready to collapse while some sit idly about as if resting their bodies. There are also beggar daughters who have fallen prey to addiction. Still, there are other daughters who hang about from a distance, their bodies healthy and mind sharp with greed and paranoia, perched on the tops of the trash heap like vultures waiting for a carcass to drop.
>But eventually you reach the center and find yourself in a spacious clearing, and in the center of that clearing stands the forge. Where a single daughter is operating it while a rather long line of daughters waiting in an organized queue wait and watch. There are other daughters who mill about and watch, some of them are wriggling their bodies to a ritualistic dance.

>The Forge, suddenly sparks and causes a commotion with flashing lights and flares, everyone stops to look. A daughter pulls a T-5 Relic from the forge. Celebration ensues with a cry of "Praise Ga'Cha!", but then cuts to muted silence as the daughter drops dead. Cause of death: a combination of overtaxing her reserves, and the Relic's insidious on-equip effect stealing the rest of her life.

>A mad scramble for the corpse ensues, but strangely enough the Relic is tossed back into the forge for recycling.
>"Another victim of Ga'cha. Shame. Girl should've inspected the relic first otherwise she would've walked away alive." remarked the guide. The daughter then turns to you.
>"So...here to test your luck?"

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>>4287852

"B'ni, I trust you...all of you. You'll figure it out, between who to talk to and what's best to say to them." You decide, a short silence B'ni's only reply until the speaks quietly.

"...thank you." She says, an audible smile around her words.

"No worries...and when that's over, I think I'd very much like to get whoever's not busy back together at the Dragon's Roost - the sooner the better. If that town and the Altar Remnants are anything to go by then we may have just found our next goal, unless we don't want there to be anything left once we finish with the Cord...or worse, more than we could ever handle racing us for it."

"Got it. I'll go grab Dorian and Jo to recap." Isabelle chimes in dutifully, and you can almost hear the salute when she adds; "Leave it to us!"

With a crackle of chitin, the line goes dead as you bequeath the responsibility of the settlement's recovery on your trio of allies...and it blurts back to life at your behest as you reach out another - albeit much younger - ally.

"Shu!" Amara's voice cheers over the line, her enthusiasm bringing a much-needed smile to your face as you motion for Uzu to follow you to the Waystation. "We saw your speech! You were amazing!"

"Well, I'm glad someone thought so." You reply with a grin that Uzu matches when you glance her way. "So, how've you been?"

"It's hard work, but it's SO so much fun!" She practically crows, your young ward clearly over the moon in the presence of her idol. "Orwell's taught me a ton about recon, info-gathering, delay tactics, networking...d-did I mention info-gathering?"

"Haha, you did, yeah...and speaking of which, have you heard or found anything about Magpie's hideout?"

"I did! I was gonna keep it a surprise until the family was all in one place, but I can't wait!" She giggles happily. "The Joyous found it tucked in a really, really thick tree in this weird forest pretty far from here. It's kinda closer to the Calcite Forest and Envious City, just reaaaaallly far to the...north, I think? Yeah yeah, north! And it's super-dangerous! The Joyous tried to get in, but there were a lotta booty traps!"

Uzu makes a sound between a cough and a snort beside you as you try to stifle your own laugh.

"It's...ah, never mind." You say, dismissing your correction with a shake of your head. "Good job finding them. Any idea on how the rest of the family's doing?"

"Yeah, Orwell keeps track of everybody!" The young girl supplies helpfully. "GG and Fran are still working hard to stabilize November's new ro-body, so they aren't back home yet."

Seems like you intended to head back to an empty nest...you'd imagine that GG and the others might need some more time, though the discovery of Magpie's own Roost of sorts does intrigue you...

>>Continue on home and wait for Gina and company to get back before you proceed with any plans.

>>Between you and Uzu, you're confident in your ability to navigate Magpie's traps - head to her nest.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. Apologies for the delay, and I do hope everyone's doing well!)

>>4288282
>"What kind of booty traps did the joyous find?"

>>4288282
>booty traps!

This must have been intentional.

Supporting>>4288307

We need more info

>>4288282
>Continue on home and wait for Gina and company to get back before you proceed with any plans.
>"Well, thanks for finding it for us, But dont go wasting your joyous too recklessly now."
>"if you can spare it, mind getting info on those settlements together in preparation for when everyones ready for me?"

>>4288307
>>4288316

hrm, dont like this. she found that way too quickly. no way Magpie didnt know about skintalking even to Orwells level. this feels like a trap to me, and one we dont have the luxury of wasting time or resources on at the moment at all.

>>4288282
Amending my vote from >>4288316
to supporting to >>4288337


I admit i am kinda tired and will head to bed in the next half an hour. It seemed like a good idea to at least know what kind of traps we might have to contend with.

>>4288348
hope you get some nice sleep Anon.
it is in a general term, its just not what i think we need her or ourselves focusing on right now. we can care about what type of traps are there when we dont have potential ticking bombs in our lap already. we can help those settlements with or without those notes, but only if we actually help them. it might be too late by the time we get past any traps Magpie has- assuming that is even her actual hideout, or her only one and it has them in it. its choosing a massive, horrible gamble over something that might not even be relevant to helping these places if its even there, over actually helping them, when we already will probably need more than just our own people for this if its a full on worse case scenario here. at the very least us and her focusing on them and their situation first so we actually know what wiggle room we have will do us much better, over hearing about it and dumping all our efforts and time into it without a second thought.

>>4288348
(Sleep well, truly.)

>>4288282
>>Write-In
>"That's great, sweetie. Thank you, you're doing a good job."
>"Can you get together everything we have on places Mara was known to have helped start? It's okay if there's not much, just anything we have already so we can narrow down our decisions."
>Head back to the Lair, get the map table set up to display coordinates for points of interest when we talk to the party on our next move.

>>4288348
Sleep well, anon.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

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>>4288282

"That's great, sweetie. Thank you, you're doing a good job...but don't go wasting your Joyous too recklessly, now." You caution, darkening the door that leads to the depths of the cliff-side Waystation. "And if you can spare it, mind getting info on those settlements together in preparation for when everyone's back together and ready to talk?"

"I'll try to reign 'em in, but they're super-curious! And I can spare it, so Orwell and I will have a full report ready for you soon!" Amara replies before adding; "So what're you gonna do, now?"

"Head on home and wait for Gina and company to get back before we proceed with any plans." You answer brusquely, one hand on the frigid calcite entrance with the other gripping the modified swarmling. "You be good, and I'll be reaching out soon, okay?"

Amara affirms with a laughing giggle before you and Uzu descend into the tunnel's obsidian depths, the sound of whistling wind and crashing waves growing ever more distant until all that's left is the low, gentle hum of the onyx walls that surround you. A jack of bone and bundled neurons slips from one wrist, and with a casual flick of your hand it spears into the wall that gives way to the blade like paper, rather than stone. With their only prompting being an errant thought of home, you and Uzu steady yourselves as you feel the cavern shift around you, the low hum moving to an insistent, urgent rumble as you're ferried beneath the rolling red hills of the Fleshscape and back to the calcite cliffs that you call your home.

Emerging from the blackened tunnel into the main living space, scarlet light streams into the white-walled room through the massive windows to paint the Dragon's Roost with a crimson glow. Uzu makes her way to take a patient seat at the circular table recessed into the floor. Resisting the temptation to bee-line to the bar, you instead pace over to your room, examining the rather bar rectangular surface for a long, contemplative moment before you stride around your comfortable bed. Placing a hand against the wall beside it, you remember how easily it gave way, revealing a room apart - Mara's space, her study, where secrets went missing not so long ago.

Secrets that now lay behind layers of traps and tricks sprung from the mind of a thieving magpie.

You barely realize how long you've stood there in reverie until the distant sound of Gina's voice echoes into your mind, and your turning to face the door at the same moment she rounds the corner, the brunette's hazel eyes shining with excitement as she bounds over to your waiting arms.

(Continued)

>>4288670

"We did it! We got the Cores to stabilize in Heather's frame!" She declares triumphantly as she collides with your torso, arms wound tight behind your back. "We FUCKING nailed it!"

"As if there was ever a doubt in my mind." Comes your warm reply as you lean back, fixing your girlfriend with a pointedly arched eyebrow. "...Was there any in yours?"

"Oh, you know me - gorgeous, brilliant, riddled with crippling self-doubt." She fires back with a wink paired with a finger that playfully taps your chin. "Kind of like someone else I know~"

A laugh escapes your lips as, with a flash of amethyst light through Gina's eyes, the door to your bedroom swings shut.

"We've got November set up to where her main Core acts as kind of a balancer to the volatile energy levels of the other two." GG explains excitedly, looking up into your eyes as she quickly explains the fruits of her and Francine's labors. "November's frame is still calibrating, which is what she and Francine are doing now, but the general idea is that we can now vent the excess energy buildup at a second, slightly weaker beam that doesn't drain the main Core like her Autumn Protocol does. So now she's basically got at least two tier-one beams at her disposal before she needs to tap into her main, to say nothing of how the Forge matrix may manifest."

"Wait, so did that not get hammered out yet?"

"Well...it did and it didn't, in a way." Gina admits. "The Forge Cores are more akin to living cells, in a way - so with those three, it'll still take a little bit of tweaking under Francine's watchful eye before they reach enough of an equilibrium to where we can tap into them, but November's frame is a fucking masterpiece, so don't worry - I give it an hour or two before she's able to pulls guns out of her ass at-will."

"Rath will be overjoyed." You reply with a grin.

(Continued)

>>4288673

"So, I got the gist of what happened with the cult, but what was your take?" She asks, nodding over to the bed as the two of you sit on it's comfortable edge.

"I...get the feeling that there was a lot I wasn't aware of that happened behind the scenes." You admit, adjusting next to her as your hive hums impatiently. "I don't regret giving up the empathic field, but I know things would've gone very differently if I'd had it."

"You think they'd have gone better?"

Mulling it over a moment, you shake your head. "No...no, I don't think it would've. It would have just given me context I had no right to, and it would've inevitably swayed me in ways that...well, that might've made things go even more sideways than they did."

"Hm...so, where did you want to go from here?" She asks, shifting subjects from past to future as she runs a hand through her hair.

"I'm not sure...I'm considering going after the settlements first and foremost. Amara and Orwell found Magpie's hideout, but it's riddled with 'booty-traps', as Amara called them, so I'm not sure that it's worth it with the settlements looming over us."

"You should stay away from there." Gina says gravely, a twinkle in her eye as her hand slides out of sight. "Don't want *this* to get trapped...'cept by me."

You're ashamed to say you give a little yelp as Gina's roving hand finds its target with a sharp pinch, the brunette dissolving into laughter at your surprise. You shoot her a dirty look that only makes her laugh that much harder, and as you feel a chuckle overtaking you in spite of yourself, you start to realize how badly you needed this after the philosophical marathon you were just subjected to.

But as nice as this is, it still doesn't erase the fact that you've got some calls to make...and some people that you'd like to have weigh in before you make the final call.

>>Talk something else over with Gina while it's just the two of you.

>>Go check in with Francine and November in the tank room.

>>Try reaching our to Rath, Dorian, and the others now that you've given them some time to sort things out.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. After a tumultuous morning, a chaotic afternoon, and losing half of my progress twice, I do believe that for my own sanity it would be best to adjourn here...so hopefully Monday's curse has run it's course. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours, with posting to resume at 2:00PM Eastern time. I'll be around for the rest of the evening so I'll be happy to address any questions, comments, or criticisms you all may have. Thank you all once again for your patience, participation, and enthusiasm, and it's good to have you all back, truly. Rest well, one and all.)

>>4288682
Yeah, I figured something must be going stressful for you, given the delay. I hope you have a restful evening, BHOP, and we'll see you again tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for running, friend.

>>4288682
>>4288684
Take care and stay safe. Country's turning into a mad house.

>>4288678
>>Try reaching our to Rath, Dorian, and the others now that you've given them some time to sort things out.
>Rath, specifically. Did she and Holly run into anything bad, or did they have some good luck on their scouting?

>>4288693
>>4288678
supporting this with an addition of;
>While you reach out to Rath and the others, Get Ginas help wrapping and putting the doll gift in Amaras room.a little 'welcome back' surprise for her for later.
>then, Assuming the other teams need more time or you end up having it, go check on November and Francine.

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>>4288682
again, i apologize for jinxing it, whew that sounds horrendous. you get some rest BHOP, thanks for doing your best with the hand the Elder Gods of Monday handed you.

>>4288706
>>4288678
Do this and
>ask the landscape around you to keep it a secret for Amara
It ain't a secret unless it's a secret to skintalkers.

>>4288678
Supporting >>4288706
>>4288693

>>4288363
Sadly i didnt.... slept just as badly as i did the last couple of days.... Well no time to complain gotta get to work

>>4289101
ah, sorry to hear that. hope you get a nap in or tonight makes up for it. my own sleep was... alright, but ended with a headache waking me up that still is having lingering effects, so my own morning wasn't much better. unsure if shared misery helps or not, but its there either way i suppose.

>>4288709
(Haha, no worries. Today is no less chaotic, so I'll be updating as soon as I can. Apologies for the wait, but it feels like things are just snowballing here.)

>>4289680
take your time. this storm is here for the long run.

>>4289680
Dont worry about it OP.

The real world always demands more attention, so give it the attention it needs. We can be patient

>>4289680
hey you still have like two hours anyways, and if you need more time than that, let us know and we'll understand. hope things at least calm down for ya as the week progresses though.

>>4289685
>>4289707
>>4289710
(Thank you for your understanding - I'll likely need to delay posting as I've only been able to write literally two sentences thusfar. I'll update as soon as I can and after I've had some semblance of a break and thank you once again for your patience.)

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>>4289824
you're good.
not gonna lie i would prefer a more specific guess as to when you might update, but i understand if you cant really give one.
take your time, get your break. hope something turns around for ya, truly.

>>4289824
Ooph. Sounds like you're having a rough day, BHOP. Take as much time as you need, and I hope things level out for you soon.

>>4289824
Its fine OP. Even if it moves a bit more slowly.
So that will likely be the only update i will read today before i go to bed.... but its fine since we apperantly are oving very slowly

SO i hope your day will clear up a bit and you will be able to catch a break soon.

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>>4288678

"By the way, while I wanna touch base with Rath and the others in a sec, could you do me a favor?" You ask, reaching into your dress pocket an withdrawing a slug-like, vaguely person-shaped homunculus from deep within. Gina arches an eyebrow at the semi-fluid construct, its wide, vacuous eyes and 'o'-shaped mouth forming a trio of abyssal black holes in its diminutive head.

"...The fuck is that thing?"

"A gift for Amara from one of my cultist fans" You explain drolly, watching as the creature rolls over onto its side after having promptly lost balance while nestled in the palms of your hands.

“It’s amorphous, vaguely humanoid, and a slightly unnerving.” Gina replies before flashing you a smile. “She’ll love it!"

"I hope so. Think you could take it and go prepare a little surprise thing for Amara for when she gets back?" You ask, handing the thing to the other girl. "Oh, and if you could figure out a way for the walls, ceilings, and floors to not let slip our surprise, that'd be great - Skintalkers, I swear."

"Ha, I'll see what I can do...so, you said you were gonna give Rath and them a call?"

You nod, and with a simple thought a freshly-spawned hive phone scrambles out from the jet-black plates of your spinal hive, crawling up your shoulder and down your arm to your waiting hand.

“Rath? Dorian? B’ni? Come in.” You begin, catching Gina’s hazel eyes with a sideways glance. “Is anyone there to give a sitrep?”

“Gina here.” The girl beside you chimes in. “Everyone okay?”

“Loud n’ clear, Boss and Miss Boss. GG, you get Aunt Heather fixed up, yet?”

You breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of Rath’s voice, her tense, yet well-meaning smile informing every word that reaches you across the vast distance.

“She did, and November’s doing fine. How’re you and the rest of the settlement doing? Fulminus, right?”

(Continued)

>>4290050

“Yeah, that’s what they call it.” Rath replies with a sigh, pausing as she takes stock of the situation. “I think we’ll be okay. Not sure if you can hear it or not since I had to put some distance between me and the crowd, Dorian, B’ni, and Johanna are giving a pretty fuckin’ rousing speech…the kind that’d do you proud, I think."

"Glad to hear it." You admit with an approving half-smile. "What about Holly?"

"She's working the crowd, touching base to make sure no-one's getting left out...look, Shu. Dorian and I were talking before B'ni brought up the whole speech thing, and between his speed and mine, I think we can cover some solid ground to reach the other settlements sooner rather than later."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. So, I was thinking..." Rath continues, hesitating slightly before continuing with determination. "...what if Dorian and I made tracks to the other settlements, with a buncha spokes from Escher's Gear between us? We plant them close by each place, check them out, and if shit goes to pot then we can be there in an instant to deal with it before anything...well, y'know."

"Spirals." You supply, steepling your fingers contemplatively in front of your nose.

Gina meets your eyes with a shrug, Leyra's odd homunculus cradled in her hands. It's not a bad plan by any means, but as for whether or not it's the one you'll implement...you're uncertain. The settlements are high n your priority list, but you're rather unsure of how to tackle them as of yet.

>>"Rath, go ahead. You and Dorian go scout the other settlements, but send B'ni, Holly, and Johanna back here so we can regroup."

>>"...Do it. Split the other three Dream Daughters between the two of you as needed in case you run into any interference - you and Dorian are plenty strong, but either of you getting caught alone is the last thing I need."

>>"I'd prefer to get the whole family back in one place so we can discuss it as a group. When you and the others are done there, head back to the Roost so we can figure out where to go from here."

THEN

>>Wait for your allies to regroup, then discuss with them your next moves [Write-In].

>>Go speak with Francine and November and check out the latter's updated frame.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours. Thank you again for your patience with an exceedingly busy day, and I do hope everyone is doing well.)

>>4290054
>"I'd prefer to get the whole family back in one place so we can discuss it as a group. When you and the others are done there, head back to the Roost so we can figure out where to go from here."
and
>Go speak with Francine and November and check out the latter's updated frame.

while them getting us quick access to the Settlements is fine and dandy, its still a shot in the dark to how helpful that will actually end up being. Amara and Orwell should be able to give us at least some level of a clearer picture, and hopefully from there, we can put their speed to good use hitting the targets we truly need to hit first. might also help us know just how risky getting to them will be too, so we know if they need to stick together or can safely split up, over just hoping for the best with either solution.

>>4290057
that iffy sleep i got near the end is catching up to me, but all things considered doing well.

>>4290054
>>"...Do it. Split the other three Dream Daughters between the two of you as needed in case you run into any interference - you and Dorian are plenty strong, but either of you getting caught alone is the last thing I need."
>>Go speak with Francine and November and check out the latter's updated frame.
Might as well do something while we wawit for Amara to get those files for us.

>>4290057
No problem, BHOP, we all understand you've got a hectic schedule sometimes. And even then you update far more consistently than most QMs. Hope your day goes better from here, though.

>>4290054
>>"I'd prefer to get the whole family back in one place so we can discuss it as a group. When you and the others are done there, head back to the Roost so we can figure out where to go from here."

>"You found any waystations close to where you are right now? If not see if you plant a gear spoke so you dont have to backtrack the whole way if we decide to go through with it."

>>Go speak with Francine and November and check out the latter's updated frame.

>>4290057
My day went to shit this morning... I snapped the chain on my bike while a third of my way to work was already done... so yeah i awalked back almost 40 minutes to get into the car....... which i hadf ot leave in a parking slot with no shade for most of the day... When i got home i felt like i had been cooked. Not getting good sleep also does not help my mood..

>>4290078
My condolences. A bike failing on you and having to walk it back is always the worst. I hate it when that happens.

>>4290066
(Yeah, I haven't been sleeping great either, which has certainly made it harder to get a hold of the day's events. I do hope you get some good sleep here, soon.)

>>4290073
(I appreciate your kind words, truly.)

>>4290078
(Good grief, I'm sorry that your day went so sideways. Like I said to the anon earlier, I do hope you get some decent rest here soon.)

>>4290078
oof, sorry your day too hasn't been going well Anon. hang in there.

>>4290085
yeah probably gonna take a nap before the next update, unless anyone has anything to discuss first?

think part of the problem is im just a natural night owl, so no matter how hard i try, my body constantly tries to revert back to that, especially if like now i have no real excuse not to let it, but of course that causes... issues, when i fight back, as it was.

>>4290057
I just found out that not driving my car for 3+ months has killed the battery. If I am to keep my car in good condition, I will have to take it out on daily/weekly sunday drives after finding the time to jump start it, much to my displeasure. Like walking a dog.

>>4290090
>yeah probably gonna take a nap before the next update, unless anyone has anything to discuss first?
Nah, go get some sleep, anon. See you later.

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>>4290054

"Rath, I appreciate the forethought, seriously. That said, I'd prefer to get the whole family back in one place so we can discuss it as a group, maybe bring up your idea to everyone so they can weigh in. That sound okay with you?"

"Considering I was afraid you'd shoot it down? That sounds great." She replies, her follow-up paused when you hear a distant cheer. "Huh...damn, I guess the others are doin' better than I thought."

"I won't keep you, then. When you and the others are done there, head back to the Roost so we can figure out where to go from here, alright?"

"Aye, I'll see y'all soon."

"Be safe!" Gina chimes in, prompting a laugh from the redhead.

"Ha, same to you...*both* of you." Rath adds pointedly. "Be seein' you, Shu."

The comm-ling's vibrations cease, the line going dead as the construct scrambles up your arm and around to your spine, where it scuttles beneath the chitinous plates and back into your hive. Walking with Gina out into the main living area, you find Uzu in the middle of guiltily pouring herself a drink at the bar. You just wave her way, bidding her to continue as you give the girl beside you a kiss on the cheek before the two of you split up - her, to Amara's room, and you, to the lower floors where the Metall Geschoss lies in wait.

You find Francine busying herself with what you assume to be a series of rapid-fire diagnostics, the lither woman's lab coat swishing to and fro as she whisks about, first one way, then another. There are a variety of bio-mechanical instruments that bear the touch of both Fibromancy and Neuromancy, the tell-tale handiwork of Francine flanking a rigid November. The cyborg's frameis notably bulkier than before, a more muscular build having been reinforced to redirect and employ the sheer destructive force of the trio of Forge Cores that her body now contains.

"Doc, I'm fine." November intones, the pair having yet to take notice of your arrival. "I feel great, so don't you think you can settle down just a-"

"Heather. I've just installed this hellscape's equivalent of a nuclear reactor directly into your chest cavity." Francine counters, interruptings November's earnest reassurances with her clipped, yet worried tone. "Just...let me do this, alright?"

"...Okay." November obliges, her tone far softer than the jovial one she was putting on mere moments before. You're standing at the stairs for a moment before you clear your throat to announce your presence, the sound echoing acround the room and off the metal plating of the tank that occupies well over half the space.

"Shu!" November announces brightly, prompting a startled flinch out of your beleagured physician. "How've you been?"

"Cultin'. Speechin'. Philophisin'. The usual." Comes your drawling reply, getting a chuckle out of at least November as Francine tinkers with some instrument situated next to the chrome soldier. "How about you?"

(Continued)

>>4290353

By way of reply, November raises one hand, a deep, throaty hum reverberating starting in her chest before reaching out to thrum throughout the entire room. Embers dance in her right hand, and as she closes her fingers around thin air, it's anything but as she's suddenly gripping the handle of a wicked blade, a ragged combat knife having spawned ex-nihilo.

"Behold!" The older woman declares proudly, voice booming about the hangar as the deep hum fades in time with the knife crumbling to ash. "Ah, damn. Can't keep it active for long, but I think I'll get the hang of it soon. Feels kind of like having powers again...the ones that, y'know...aren't robot stuff."

"Oh, Rath's going to have a field day." You grin, turning your attention to Francine as she leans over to closely inspect one of the other woman's angled chest plates. "How about you, Francine? How're you holding up?"

"I'd be doing better if my patients would follow my advice to not use an untested nuclear device with such FRIVOLITY, but that aside?" The good doctor says with a scowl at her friend. "Just peachy, Darling."

"Gina gave me a quick run-down - said that it might be a little while before November can tap into the same powers that Alpha did?"

"The same? Not exactly." Francine sighs, taking a step back and actually meeting your eyes for the first time in this conversation. "Depending on how well the Cores take to November's frame, they...may come up with something altogether unique. The Cores - these Cores, in particular - are far closer to living, evolving things than the usual fare. Given how evolutionary aggressive they've proven to be, I'd imagine that they'll adapt in a way that will be similar in essence to what Alpha can do, but with a very...'November' spin on things, let's say."

"Ah, it'll be fine." Rath's aunt say dismissively, rolling her shoulders with a groan of metal-on-metal as she turns to face you in full. "So, how's my niece doing? Not getting in trouble, I hope?"

"She's fine, all things considered. She, Dorian, and the others ran across a settlement that almost had a Hunger cascade, but they were able to put down the resulting Amalgam before things went sideways."

"Oh my." Francine breathes, alarmed.

"They settled things down, no worries. Rath and the others are actually on their way back now so we can have a little conference with everyone present." You explain, glancing between the two older women as you weigh how to proceed.

>>Ask one or both of them something else while you have them alone before you head back topside for a regroup.

>>Go ahead and leave them be, then have Rath grab them when she arrives.

>>Reach back out to Amara and Orwell - you'd like their weigh-in before things get rolling, and depending on hwo close they are, you may ask them to attend...

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours, to perhaps give some of those present who need a nap a little longer to rest.)

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>>4290360
>I'd imagine that they'll adapt in a way that will be similar in essence to what Alpha can do, but with a very...'November' spin on things
oh man, can't wait for november to pull out a RAWKET LAWNCHAIR from nowhere

>>4290360
>Reach back out to Amara and Orwell - you'd like their weigh-in before things get rolling, and depending on how close they are, you may ask them to attend...

would be fine having some casual conversation with Francine and November, but in all honesty theres nothing specific i have to ask them. well, nothing that is about or involves just them, i suppose, over better said once everyone is together at least.

>>4290365
hah, i appreciate it, and will probably abuse it too, but had a bit of a 'talkative coworker' situation myself as it were. specifically, one of my roommates chose waking up and making themselves a late lunch right as i was grabbing a drink before laying down. and the world certainly has not given us nothing to talk about, given current events. such is how things go.

>>4290360
>>Go ahead and leave them be, then have Rath grab them when she arrives.

>>4290365
>>4290381
>>4290416
>>4290464

(Gentlemen, it appears that due to a rescheduled flight for a friend, I will have to wake up at 4:00AM my time and driver her to the airport, after which I'll likely arrive back in time to bee-line to work. Due to this development, I shall be extending voting until 8:00AM Eastern time, with posting to resume at 2:00PM. Chaos is coming in threes, so I do hope this week lays off in the following days. Thank you all for bearing with a rather tumultuous Vein, and thank you for your continued patience, participation, and enthusiasm.)

>>4290640
Oh my. I'm sorry to hear that your morning is going to be that rough, BHOP. Well, go get some rest now when you can, I guess. I'll see you tomorrow, and I hope you're not too tired when I do.

>>4290640
Oh, and of course, I hope things turn out well for your friend. Sorry to hear her flight got rescheduled to so early in the morning, that's awful.

Update for Cradleton Chapter 7 and 8

Basic framework dialogue have been written down, now the tedious part of filling in the blanks between lines.

>>4290640
Oof, well it sounds like you're gonna need some sleep of your own.
Thanks for letting us know, and hope as you said, this weeks calms down a but for ya.

>>4290640
Ouch..... well i certainly can feel your pain...

Hope it works out well and you will be able to catch some much needed sleep. I just never noticed how much a good nights sleep improves my mood until my nights became restless..

>>4290360
>>Reach back out to Amara and Orwell - you'd like their weigh-in before things get rolling, and depending on hwo close they are, you may ask them to attend...

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>>4290360
>use an untested nuclear device with such FRIVOLITY

Something about this just messed me up......

THe msot scientific way for killing shit

So a thought came up in my head.

Why did we decide to cram the dual-core Forge Cores into November? Looking back at it, it seems rather...shortsighted in the long run in putting the core into use for November instead of using them for more utilitarian purposes.

It also seems like we didn't really discuss the merits of the other utilitarian options that we could use the cores for.

Any thoughts?

>>4291185
We can still take the cores out later and turn them towards a more utilitarian purpose but for those options to become relevant we need to be as strong as possible.

As such i think it was the most logical approach since those cores are also nuclear devices of mass destruction. We need to keep them close for now to make sure they are not abused where we cant have an eye on the matter.

And we barely discussed the utilitarian options yeah... And maybe we should have done so. In my opinion however there was little to discuss.

Giving it away to a settlement might leave it without guards when the settlement falls or it could be stolen. Which would be just as bad.

And as a such since they are apparently capable of evolution its also good to keep them close to us so Dr Fran can keep her eyes on them.

>>4291185
this Anon >>4291191
made very good points, and ill add to them.

theres a line between helping settlements and preventing their destruction, and ignoring our own needs for when we get to the Cord. and i think we simply decided this was one of them. that and like the other anon said, giving a random settlement, even one we know well like Laoc, is dubious. could they put it to great use? sure. but they also might become a target, and as stated, they are pretty dubious devices even Francine is still uncertain about. at least in November she can keep an eye on them.

not to mention stuff about playing favorites too.

on top of that, we have been having issues with November, in the sense we just cannot seem to ever get around to building her a reserve of relics to truly put her frame to proper use. this basically long-term fully solved that issue in ways we never thought to hope for. hell, technically, this wasn't even one of the stated options for the Cores, which i personally think says enough about if we thought about it enough or not, but regardless the point more was other options were dubious, while this one solved a massive on going problem, so it just was a very natural option to pick.

>>4291332
There's also the issue that it's unclear if anyone in the area even needs the energy production the Synchronized Forge Cores could provide. No one we've met has been portrayed as lacking for power. Settlements are decently small, and it seems that their needs can be met with Relics and Daughter abilities siphoning energy from the Crucible. I think using the Synchronized Cores to power a settlement would be serious overkill. It might even backfire thanks to a settlement expanding to make better use of its new resource, and in the process becoming more susceptible to the Hunger thanks to all the new inhabitants it's attracted.

As for the other options we had for the Cores:

Intentionally destabilizing them to take out one of the Apocalypse Amalgams with their detonation sounds good, but is probably a waste of a unique resource. There are other ways to explode things good, we could detonate a regular Forge Core or even a spare Sparagmos Engine (the one Ringo was guarding should be available if we need it) to do the same thing. Also, we'd probably have to get up in the Apocalypse Amalgam's insides anyway, to ensure maximum effect of the detonation, and at that point we might as well just do another Spiraling Fear dungeon run and fight its organs.

Mass-producing Relics using the Cores is probably the best of the non-November options, but I'm not certain we'd really put it to the best use. I think most of the Relics we made with it would just go to November, our regular Relic output is perfectly fine for the rest of the party. She's the one who most needs lots of Relics. So if we can just put the Relic-making directly into her, we're cutting out an unnecessary step and making things more streamlined. No need to haul around a dozen different load-outs, just make new equipment as needed.

>>4291636
yeah excellent points aswell. plus the last thing we need is a town not truly understanding the danger the things pose and turning themselves into a crater.

>>4291643
>>4291636
On the note of Mass production of Relics, the could be used to outfit our supporters. Relics are often supplementary to the main abilities of a daughter's power set. We could outfit our supporters with relics to ensure that aside from their main abilities, they have enough resources to have a greater chance at survival when pulling out.

>>4291653
Maybe. I suppose it depends on who we're fighting and who we're bringing with us. I think that ultimately we'll benefit more from having super-November than from boosting auxiliaries, but I can see your argument.

>>4291653
maybe, but even excluding the cult, we kinda have alot to the point either someone would be stuck in a production line for longer than is probably a good idea, or it would just be too many people to properly understand what they need without them just making it themselves anyways.

and if you add in those in the cult and other settlements who will help us even if we dont want it... well...

>>4291653
>>4291663
also, though obviously it could easily change or have been a combo of all 4 cores, the relics Alpha made were full on relics, as if from a forge. she just recycled them. we dont know, but if November keeps that aspect, she might be able to build up an armory to hand out anyhow.

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>>4291666
ah shit, satan blessed my post. satanic blessings are the last thing this Vein needs after the last two days.

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>>4290360

“In any case, I’ll leave you both to it – Rath and the others should be arriving soon, and I’ve got one or two more things I’d like to check off my list before we have our little conference.”

“By all means, Darling – I’ll be here keeping an eye on this one to ensure she doesn’t turn herself into slag, in the meantime.” Francine replies with a scowl at the cyborg, to which November just shrugs. Your oft-used and well-loved Hivephone scrambles once more to your hand as you bid the odd pair goodbye with a wave, climbing the stairs as the construct’s wings vibrate in the imitation of a ring tone. You don’t have to wait long before a familiar voice is heard over the line, though it’s not the bright, bubbly voice of your ward that greets you this time around.

“Defiant! What’s up?” Comes Orwell’s greeting, her enthusiasm tempered with a tinge of exhaustion. “Sorry I couldn’t say ‘hey’ earlier, I was crossing my ‘I’s and dotting my ‘T’s over here before the meet-up. Got some solid info about the settlements that Superfan and I scrounged up from all corners of the Skinternet.”

“I’m well, and that’s exactly what I wanted to ask the two of you about before Rath and company get back to base.” You explain, cocking one eyebrow. “Where’s Amara, is she-?”

“Here! I’m here! Sorry!” Your ward declares emphatically, audibly worming her mouth right up against the ‘speaker’. “Hello!”

“Good to have you both on – so, what’ve you found? Just the high points, if you would.”

“We’ve located the settlements…all of them, actually.” Orwell informs you, a little surprised, herself. “A conspiracy thread on the net had compiled a list of places that Mara maybe had a hand in founding, and with a little cross-referencing we pinned them down pretty quick. I can go into specifics later, but it looks like you’ve already hit the biggest ones – the remaining settlements are either small potatoes or have drastically reduced in number since their founding for one reason or another. One or two stick out as potential problems, but the others seem pretty stable, all things considered.”

“Superb work, you two…and what’s this about a conspiracy?”

“Eh, just some stuff theory-crafting about Mara and why she had so many irons in the fire.” Orwell answers with a sigh. “Threads like that aren’t uncommon where some of the more visible Daughters are concerned.”

“I think Mara’s a good guy!” Your little one chimes in, cheek shuffling against the other Hivephone. “She’s strong, but I didn’t get a bad feeling from her at all…she’s just thinkin’ about a lot, s’what I think.”

“Hey, Superfan – think you could go get me my notebook from the other room?” Orwell requests, the pitter-patter of feet trailing off before Orwell moves your construct closer to her lips. “I take it she told you about Magpie’s place?”

(Continued)

>>4291755

“She did...so how bad is the trap situation, really?”

“Stupidly lethal.” Orwell replies, not mincing her words. “The Joyous are some of the most versatile constructs I’ve ever seen, and they get shredded the instant they try to get any deeper into the nest.”

“You found it sooner than I expected, if I’m being honest.” You say, your idle observation met with a small scoff.

“Yeah, finding it was easy – it’s the getting in that’s a bitch-and-a-half. I can’t see inside with Skintalking, which lets me know Mara probably had a hand in its construction. What’s more is that any attempts at terraforming with Skintalking or Neuromancy end up recoiling back on the user and warping their bodies, instead.”

“Is that what killed the Joyous?”

“No…it’s the Relics to blame for that.” Orwell groans. “There are these little floating eye-like orbs that react the second a warm body comes within eye shot of them – and when they do, then the Relics teleport them.”

“...Where to?”

“Everywhere. All at once. The Joyous Amara sent in got telefragged on sight.” The teen explains through gritted teeth. “The general warping effect is actually pretty similar to how Magpie’s own teleportation worked, so I’m thinking those spheres are Relics that let her store her abilities, but with the destination settings dialed somewhere between ‘crit-fail’ and ‘get-fucked’.”

“Christ.” You sigh, rubbing the bridge of your nose. “Amara kind of skimmed over that part.”

“Yeah, Superfan’s an optimist, for better or worse.” The teen says with a dark chuckle.

“Who’s an optometrist?” Amara’s voice calls out, slowly growing in volume as she returns to Orwell’s side.

“Francine is.” The other girl replies with an audible grin. “She’s every doctor, all at once…except dentistry. We’ve covered that, right?”

“Right!” Your ward shoots back as you hear the sounds of newcomers filtering down the stairwell that you’re standing in. It seems Rath, Dorian, and the others are back...

>>Assemble your allies, then have Orwell and Amara go over their findings.

>>Ask the pair of Skintalkers one or two other things before you call a meeting.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. Thank you for your patience, and I do hope everyone is doing well and got some decent rest.)

>>4291759
>>Assemble your allies, then have Orwell and Amara go over their findings.

>>4291762
doing well enough. hope things are looking better on your end too.

>>4291759
>What’s more is that any attempts at terraforming with Skintalking or Neuromancy end up recoiling back on the user and warping their bodies, instead.
Wait, how did Orwell find out the response to Neuromancy? Amara doesn't have Neuromancy, so it wasn't one of the Joyous doing it. Orwell does, though, and can use it at considerable range. Did she get hurt? She's not acting like she's in pain, but that could be her just having healed from it.

>>Assemble your allies, then have Orwell and Amara go over their findings.

>>4291762
My day's been alright. How about you, did your friend catch her flight alright?

>>4291759
>>Assemble your allies, then have Orwell and Amara go over their findings.

>>4291762
its been alright... way to hot but hey.... not every day is nice.

i got my bike fixed however. i was lucky my father had a bike chain i could borrow for the repair

I hope your day has also been going well

>>4291766
(Despite not having gotten much sleep, I actually feel pretty good today.)

>>4291781
(I'm glad to hear your day's gone well. Mine has too, and our friend got safely on her flight. Thank you for asking!)

>>4291787
(It's terribly humid where I am, so I feel you there. I'm very glad to hear that your steed's been repaired, I know that's a load off your mind.)

>>4291781
>>Wait, how did Orwell find out the response to Neuromancy?

(I love it when you all catch onto the things I pepper into conversations.)

>>4291759
Oh man I do love a good trap and I have a lot of questions.

This for one,
>>4291781

But also, actually a warm body or just movement? Its clearly not limited to daughters but is it triggered by anything warm? We have Unrelenting Cold to play with if that's the case. Is eyesight actually important or is it a sphere of influence?

Alternatively, we have Spiralis on Shu that's supposed to allow us to take control of terrain, not sure what takes priority though and I'm not exactly sure I want to test without a further plan.

>>4291781
>>4291875
honestly i suppose i just didn't find that important. sure, please dont go getting yourself killed over things like that Orwell, but we've already basically told her that so not much else we can do in that regard. aswell as the info itself is what i suppose i found important, over exactly how she got it.

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>>4291759

"Well, if you two will stay on the line for a minute or two, then I think I can herd these cats of mine. Bear with me a sec." Comes your breathless request as you bound up the stairs to see the remainder of your allies greeting Gina and Uzu.

Striding into the living room, you quickly match Johanna's raised palm with one of your own, the resounding clap echoing about the space as you close the gap to Rath and Dorian, both engaged in a recap with Gina while Uzu animatedly catching up with her fellow Dream Daughters of Isabelle and Holly.

"Welcome back, everyone!" You announce loudly, commanding the attentions of everyone present with those three simple words. "I have Amara and Orwell on the line, so group up! We've got a lot to discuss."

You and your allies quickly assemble around the oblong table forged of nebulous black calcite, with Gina and Rath resuming their usual positions at your right and left, respectively. Isabelle's positioned opposite you, with Uzu to her right and Holly to the left, leaving Johanna looming over the trio with a wide, proud smile. Next to Rath stand November and Francine, respectively, with Rath barely able to contain her excitement over her Aunt's new-and-improved form. Dorian's standing between the two groups to your right, surveying the raised bumps and ripples that make up the facsimile of the surrounding terrain as you place the Hivephone in the middle, looking for all the world like a kaiju-sized swarmling on the prowl.

"Amara, Orwell - you've got the room." You declare, hearing the teen clear her throat before launching into her and your ward's discoveries.

"Sup, everybody! Okay, so let's get down to calcite tacks, shall we?" Orwell begins, voice taught, yet melodic all at the same time. "We've got eight settlements in total, all with nearby Waystations whose coordinates Amara's Joyous have been kind enough to gather for us. Now, of those eight, two demand attention, while the other six appear to be either neutral or largely neutralized through outside factors that I'll explain later."

"The two Orwell's talking about are the Arcadian Collective and the Schwester Gemeinschaft!" Amara explains, and despite her loose grasp of your own language the German surprisingly rolls off her tongue. "The Arcadians are a bunch'a Flesh Artisans that are trying to make their bodies totally perfect, though it's all kinda artsy-looking. Like in a museum!"

"They've got a pretty loose interpretation of the word 'perfect', and what puts them at the ragged edge is that there appears to be a pretty heated dispute going on regarding the nature of said perfection." Orwell clarifies. "There's a lot of talent there, but the real power's concentrated on the Arcadian Council - four self-important art snobs that are the ones that have the real beef with each other, with the rest of the clan pretty much putty in their hands...literally, in some cases."

(Continued)

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>>4292080

"Rough estimate of the numbers of combatants and civilians we're dealing with?" November intones, thumb and forefinger of her right gauntlet pensively pinched around the chin of her platinum helm.

"Maybe a dozen combat-ready Daughters, with five times that in low-level civvies." Comes Orwell's swift reply. "Of the two, the Arcadian Collective is probably the most hot-ticket item on the docket right now, followed by the Schwester-hood."

"Sis...sister...something." Dorian mumbles, uncertain. "My German's rusty, I'm afraid. Always liked the challenge of French, myself."

"Me and my semester of Spanish don't amount to much, but you were close!" Orwell commends with a clap of her hands before continuing. "They - it, really - is a collection of Neuromancers blended with some skilled Fibromancers, the end result being kind of like Francine's Core power in a lot of ways."

"They, 'it'...I'm not liking where this is going." Gina murmurs.

"They're all tied together! Literally!" Amara interjects gleefully. "A buncha Daughters got together and wove themselves into a big 'ol brain! Thinking the same thoughts, and talking all the time! Like an Amalgam, but not! Other people would go to them to ask where to go and what to do, since they gave really great advice."

"Wait, so...are they, like, Dream Daughters?" Holly questions before Orwell counters her.

"Not this think-tank - it's like Amara said; a group of around two-dozen living, breathing Neuromancers bundled themselves up tight a bugs in a rug. Separate Cores, same body, questionable sanity. Thing's about as big as a semi, and has been pretty pacifistic until recently when it started acting up for reasons nobody knows. Stopped communicating, starting lashing out...figuratively and literally tearing itself apart at the seams."

"So what the big deal, exactly?" Rath asks, ginger eyebrow arched.

"The 'big-deal' is that you've got a group of some of the most potent Neuromancers this side of the Cord threatening to have a Hunger cascade - physical destruction is one thing, but imagine if the Sprialing Fear could reach into your mind to mess with you, give you a glimpse of its own madness?" Orwell says, shuddering. "It wouldn't even have to be close to any other settlements to be a legitmate threat. Now, there's the matter of the other settlements, but Amara and I both think that these are the two that demand the swiftest action..."

And then, Orwell respectfully adds-

"...but we leave that call to you, Defiant."

>>You'd like to ask a few clarifying questions before you make any concrete calls.

>>Split the team - one half goes after the Arcadian Collective, while the other tackles the Schwester Gemeinshaft.

>>You suspect either of these groups will need your full attentions, so you'll choose [Arcadian/Schwester].

>>Ask for a full run-down of the other six settlements - it's not that you don't trust Orwell and Amara, but you'd like to have the full picture.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4292084
>Ask for a full run-down of the other six settlements - it's not that you don't trust Orwell and Amara, but you'd like to have the full picture.

the Altar Fragment would've looked completely chill if not for our Aura, and while it wasn't exactly the same situation, hardly anything about Laoc said they had anyone so vulnerable, yet to some level it turned out their guardians were vulnerable. id rather hear about them and conclude Amara and Orwell is right, than not but it turn out there was some key detail in their info we could pick out they overlooked, but simply didn't take the time to hear about.

>>4292084
Schwester Geimenschaft, the Sister Community. Might be a reference to the sociological concept of geimenschaft, a community held together by personal connections rather than impersonal connections. Maybe that's why the Schwester Geimenschaft is breaking down, the component minds had an argument and the social bonds that mediate the group mind are falling apart. Spooky. This is why I don't like bicameral brains, any mind in which the components can literally argue with each other is a badly constructed mind.

>>Ask for a full run-down of the other six settlements - it's not that you don't trust Orwell and Amara, but you'd like to have the full picture.
Might as well, while we're at it. I agree with >>4292101, Amara and Orwell's analysis indicates that these are the most likely short-term threats but we should still know about the long-shots.

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>>4292084

"Tell us more about the other six settlements, if you would." You say, starting to pace around the table as you mull over the details. "I'd like to know all the pieces in play before we make a move."

"Oh, oh!" Amara cries out over the speaker, and you can practically see her jumping up and down, hand thrust skyward as an ever-eager volunteer. "I can tell everyone!"

Rath grins, while Gina stifles a laugh as you cast your gaze around the table.

"Go right ahead...and by the way, everyone, a little FYI." Orwell adds, smile audible in the curvature of her words. "Amara here was the one that tracked four out of these six down, so I'll just be chiming with the last two."

"Okay, so!" Amara starts, clearing her tiny throat. "The first of my four are the Dig Dug-Outs. They've got a silly name, but it's thirteen Daughters that are tunneling their way deep underneath the Fleshscape. There used to be a lot more of them, but some got bored with all the digging and cataloging, while others just kinda went crazy. There's this big system of tunnels that a lot of other Daughters that don't belong to the Dug-Outs are using as temporary homes and hideaways."

"And what is it that they are digging towards, exactly?" Uzu asks curiously.

"God!" Amara answers swiftly, adding after a brief pause; "Well, that's what they tell anyone who asks, anyway."

"Amara's hit it on the head - there's not a ton of info out there about these guys, and what there is ends up being about as clear as mud." Orwell supplies.

"Cool. Got it. They're nuts. Awesome" Rath says through a grimace. "So, who's next, kiddo?"

"There's this group of older ladies called the Green Hat Society, and they seem really sweet. The seven of them tend to this garden all the time, and they eat the fruit from it to stop from going Hungry!"

"How's that?" Johanna asks, arms folded and eyebrow cocked.

"The 'tree' they're feeding on is an Unnatural Predator friend of theirs whose skill set's been rolled into a Vitruvian...and the cannibalism appears to be entirely of the Predator's own volition." Orwell explains over a small sound of annoyance from your young ward. "I've never seen anything like it before. Most U-N's are based on fauna, not flora."

Over Dorian's shoulder, you meet B'ni's eye before she shares a similarly fleeting glance with Gina and Rath, the image of a hedge maze flitting through your collective conscious before Dorian voices a question.

"Why are there only six members of this Society...well, I suppose I should say seven, including Miss Flora herself?"

"The fruit she produces has been getting slimmer and slimmer, so a lot of the original group's already left for greener pastures." Orwell says, suddenly loosing a light chuckle. "Ha, sorry about that...go ahead, Superfan. Didn't mean to steal your thunder."

(Continued)

>>4292419

"ANYway." Amara resumes with the sort of indignant huff only a pre-teen can manage. "Next are the Tin Soldiers, who Orwell called, uh...oh, right! 'Bargain-bin-Disassociated'!"

Simultaneously November and Francine share a bark of laughter, the former appraising the latter's embarrassed blush as Amara marches on, heedless of the exchange.

"They've done a real sloppy job of fixing themselves up, and word has it that the Disassociated wouldn't have them because they were too rowdy. They go around as guns...lots of guns...for hire, but now they number about thirty strong because they've been losing members to the Hunger and other, stronger Daughters. They may call themselves the Tin Soldiers, but they're more like the Island of Misfit Toys...to me, at least."

"Last on the list is my favorite, though!" Amara says with gusto, a clear upswing from the dip her last explanation ended on. "There's this really, super-duper cool group of girls my age! There's thirteen of them, and they go around taking out Amalgams and protecting people from harm! Their leader, Elze, is only two whole years older than me, and she's a Hive Mistress like you, Shu!"

"Ha, that's great." You reply with a grin. "What's their name?"

"The Lords of the Flies!"

It's...really all you can do to not face-palm right then and there, having made a full circuit around the table as Gina just runs a hand through her hair and B'ni does a poor job at stifling her giggles.

"...Huh. Okay." You breathe, leaning with your palms flat on the table. "You're...sure they help people?"

"Yep! They've been going strong for over eight months, but a lot of people haven't heard from them because they keep looping around the same areas up north. Like...way, WAY up north."

"Can confirm, just for anyone that balked at the name...I did, too." Orwell tactfully chimes in. "Unfortunate choice of moniker, but they check out - a bunch of girls Amara's age and older who've taken up arms as a pretty damn effective quick-response team on the border of Past-America and Used-to-be-Canada."

"Interesting..." You muse. "...and what of the other two you found?"

(Continued)

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>>4292422

"Compared to what Amara dredged up, they're really nothing special." Orwell answers with an overly-dramatic sigh. "First up are the Maker's Mark. Half-church and half-weapons manufacturing facility, they're located a little too close to the badlands out west for my liking, but they've kept themselves going by cranking out decent Relics at affordable prices for those Cord-bound Daughters. You'd probably have run across them eventually on your way, but they tend to keep to themselves. Last and most certainly least are the Scarlet Herons - a septet of flight-capable Daughters that used to work at mapping out the Fleshscape at the early days of the Crucible, but once the Skinternet kind of shot that plan out of the sky, they turned to ferrying people back and forth overland to avoid threats and such. Useful...if you don't have Waystation coordinates and don't weigh a ton."

"Huh...I've actually seen them, before." November pipes up from her side of the table. "Back before I met Francine here, I saw them twice, maybe the three times when Marco and I were making our rounds. Tight formation and nice style, I have to say."

Mulling over the eight groups whose descriptors now dance in your mind's eyes, your physical gaze roves around the table as you take stock of your family and friends. The Dream Daughters seem revitalized by being near each other, and with their skewed perception of time and easily-repaired forms, you figure they have plenty of pep in their step for what's to come. The same could be said of Gina, Francine, and November, whose resounding success has shaken off the nerves of their experiment and replaced it with a childish sort of giddiness.

On the other hand, you have Rath and Dorian, whose experiences out in the field were nothing short of harrowing, the gentleman Artisan in particular showing the depth of his worry in the depth of his furrowed brow, his single azure eye deadlocked on the table before him. And with Holly and Isabelle...they're both the type to not voice their concerns.

At least, not to you.

You have a job to do, yes...but it's one that can't come at the expense of the ones you love.

>>You have a plan...and marching orders [Send Allies of your choice into the field]

>>You want more details, and those will only come by you drilling down deeper into what Orwell and Amara have found.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours with posting to resume at 2:00PM Eastern time tomorrow. Thank you all for your continued participation, patience, and enthusiasm, and I wish you all a restful evening.)

So, thinking about these from the perspective of "why would Mara have founded them", some theorizing:

>Arcadian Collective
Give people something to focus on to redirect their energy, something like the Monastery for those not into meditation. May also be an attempt to normalize weird Corruption effects, make them be perceived as aesthetic instead of monstrous, society-wide art therapy of a sort.

>Schwester Gemeinschaft
Could be an experiment in transhumanism similar to the Disassociated, attempt to create a new form of being that isn't as subject to the Hunger. Alternatively, purely utilitarian exploitation of the gestalt mind, using its enhanced intelligence for help in solving problems.

>Dig Dug-Outs
They're digging to reach God, the Favored's Reward is deep underground and is godly, seems straightforward to me. Dig deep, burrow into the Crucible's post-game systems, access them and maybe figure out something important there.

>Green Hat Society
Obviously an experiment in perpetual regenerative cannibalism as a way to solve the Hunger. Most on-brand of Mara's groups.

>Tin Soldiers
Might have been a bootleg attempt at copying the Disassociated's tech, suppress the Hunger that way. Alternatively, a bunch of cyborg guns for hire would be useful for Mara if/when she storms the Cord.

>Lords of the Flies
Doesn't seem to be an experiment. Might just be Mara having a soft spot for these kids and wanting to make them strong enough to survive the Crucible.

>Maker's Mark
Arms manufacturing would be good for a Cord assault. Might also just be something like the Arcadian Collective for engineer types, give people something to do to keep their minds occupied.

>Scarlet Herons
Mapping the Fleshscape is something Mara would definitely have wanted. The more information she has on the layout of the Crucible, the better she can track targets and plan operations.

>>4292443
See you tomorrow, BHOP. Have a nice evening. Thanks for running.

>>4292465
(It's always a pleasure, and thank you for your kind words...and also for your excellent write-up, above. Rest well.)

>>4292441
>Ask simply who feels like they are up for what. while you agree the Arcadian and Gemein certainly sound like the highest priority for sure and would want people going after it, you're still not sure either will require everyone, even if only due to exactly what both need. and while you certainly could see who might fit where, you dont want anyone pressing past their limits, both physically and mentally. what their powersets or skillsets might be telling you they would be good for might not be what their mind is telling them they can handle right now, or would fit best with.

>>4292443
Day's been rather unproductive strangely enough. Couldn't get anything done.

And the fact that the delays in the Cradleton storyline makes me more and more anxious the more I see the canon plot progress.

Also, some of my associates have pointed out that due to the length and duration of the Cradleton saga, I've practically written a novel.

>>4292443
thanks for running BHOP.
hope your own day ended up not too iffy, and your night is splendid, especially if the day actually wasn't the best.

>>4292441
>>4292479
oh, add in;
>the Altar Fragment still need their Relic looked at aswell, but Tinker may be able to handle that alone... if shes willing and still around? aswell as if the others think that would be enough over a more... personal touch others might give.

>>4292441
>>You want more details, and those will only come by you drilling down deeper into what Orwell and Amara have found.
>>Write-In
>Focus on the Arcadian Collective, if Orwell thinks they're the most likely to go Hungry we'll trust her judgement.
>Ask for more details on the leaders. Names, appearances, personality summaries...links to their Skinternet art blogs, maybe?
>If possible, give Orwell control over the map table so that she can print out images of the leaders and their factions for Dorian to examine. He's a painter and body modification is probably closer to sculpture or fashion design, but any amount of artistic critique we can toss out when talking to them could give us some cachet of respectability.
>While going over the information, discuss with the team who's up to act. If anyone is still tense from surgery/fighting they can take a break, better they come at this in top condition than force themselves to perform when they're not at their best.
>November, Francine and Dorian are probably good options for this, if available. November has undergone voluntary body modification, admittedly for practical rather than aesthetic purposes but there's still some pride in the form that's been crafted for her. Might make them see her as a kindred spirit. Francine performed those modifications, and is in her own way an artist with her own aesthetic vision. Dorian definitely is an artist who can demonstrate his vision, and as a transman he may be able to relate on the importance of reshaping the body to fit the identity.

>>4292518
whelp, by assigning teams you have forced my hand to do the same, so i guess ive gotta go change my vote now.

>>4292525
I'm not assigning a team, I'm just stating a preference. Even if I was, you can leave your vote as it is, I don't see how this forces your hand. If it makes you feel better, I can dummy that out into not being part of the vote.

>>4292533
it does though. by even having Shu(or us) put forth a preference, its making that almost guaranteed to be what they assign themselves to, as that is what has always happened in the past, except with the very few exceptions where other issues might make them not take any objective.

BHOP also is very much known to combine votes that do not conflict. ours do not, so if i do not at least add a veto to that part of your vote, he would go with yours even though i do not agree with the assignments being given out in their full.

>>4292541
I think that they're already in conflict, personally, no need to clarify this. But if you want to just in case, sure. Please don't phrase it as "veto", though, that feels kind of...aggressive? Like you're trying to deny my vote rather than simply vote counter to it. I know that's not what you're trying to do, but the phrasing isn't great.

>>4292554
we've done outright vetoes all the time, way too late to complain about that now.

>>4292561
It's never too late to try. I don't like the term, it suggests that a person is wielding executive power to deny someone the right to even participate in the quest. We should stop phrasing things this way, it's not conducive to audience participation.

>>4292565
well, i disagree, especially with how votes are often done too theres plenty of times you simply ARE doing that, as again, BHOP combines votes. vetoeing is simply necessary, especially when its only part of a vote you dislike of another. unless BHOP decides to never combine votes again, the Vetoing is staying when applicable.

>>4292576
I'm not saying that noting that you'd like your vote to be separate from others isn't acceptable. It's good, it's a useful tool. I just think that the specific term "veto" feels overly authoritarian, as well as not actually describing what is going on very well.

>>4292586
well, i disagree wholly.

>>4292441
Cancel >>4292518, replace with


>>You want more details, and those will only come by you drilling down deeper into what Orwell and Amara have found.
>>Write-In
>Focus on the Arcadian Collective, if Orwell thinks they're the most likely to go Hungry we'll trust her judgement.
>Ask for more details on the leaders. Names, appearances, personality summaries...links to their Skinternet art blogs, maybe?
>If possible, give Orwell control over the map table so that she can print out images of the leaders and their factions for Dorian to examine. He's a painter and body modification is probably closer to sculpture or fashion design, but any amount of artistic critique we can toss out when talking to them could give us some cachet of respectability.
>While going over the information, discuss with the team who's up to act. If anyone is still tense from surgery/fighting they can take a break, better they come at this in top condition than force themselves to perform when they're not at their best.
>Also brainstorm with the party who thinks they'll be effective where.

My own personal thoughts on suitability for our two top targets:

>Arcadia
November has undergone body modification, that might be an in for her among the Arcadians though it's possible the more functional nature of her modifications will see her rejected. Francine has performed body modification, and has an aesthetic sense to her creations, might give her some cred. Dorian is a fellow artist, and has views on art and personal body form as an expression of identity that may see him fitting in well. Rath is an artist of Relics in her own right, she may be able to bond with some of them via her stylings, though she might be too plebian for their refined tastes. Depends on the art inspiration analysis.

>Gemeinschaft
Gina is an obvious go-to for anything to do with Neuromancy, she's our star Neuromancer. Francine is a surgeon with a Core very similar to what the Gemeinschaft did to each other, likely can bring a lot of insight. November is immune to Neuromancy and can cause feedback in enemies trying to use it on anyone around her, definitely someone to bring for safety's sake. Amara's calm field could be useful in keeping the Gemeinschaft contained, but probably best to have her do that through Joyous intermediaries.

Here, dummied out my preferences. Leaving them as fodder for any brainstorming that goes on among the party, but not Shu explicitly stating any preferences

>>4292441
>>4292479
>>4292501
unfortunately having to amend to;
>Dorian would be best suited checking out the Arcadians, though you would like if he didn't go alone. Johanna might work, but only if theres more to this than artistry, otherwise whoevers free that feels they could do some good there.
>Gina and Francine would be best to tackle the Gemeinschaft, and if they think they need to go together, so be it, but if someone else thinks they can fill in there well, one of them also needs to Accompany Tinker Tailor(if she is still around) to check out and see what can be done about the Altar Fragments Relic. Rath might be up for this task though, if she thinks she can free up both Francine and Ginas hands.
>The Dig Dugs and Green Hat Society are the only other two that stick out at you as needing any kind of priority, though neither does feel as necessary, not everyone fits the bill for solving the other cases, and we have the people to look up more than two places. the Dig Dugs sound dubious though, just because you have no idea who may be using those tunnels, so you would like a minimum of 3 to hit there if anyone does check it out. You're unsure what much can be done for the green Hats too, but checking it out wouldn't do any harm to see for sure. Uzu might do well with the Green Hats perhaps.
>while much less of a priority, November sounds like she may fit in with the Tin Soldiers well, if she feels like she doesnt fit in elsewhere. if nothing else, she may be able to help them with losing their numbers so much.
>Amara is busy with Orwell, but if she or both of them want to focus on one too, or be more hands on, nothing wrong with Amara meeting the Flies and some girls her age.
>The Makers sound wholly stable and will probably be met anyways, so not at all a priority. the Scarlet Herons also sound fully stable, and might not be worth the heartache to catch at an appropriate time anyhow, so unless Orwell says something has come up, they take the least priority.
>otherwise, you're more than happy for people to go where they think they are needed out of the rest, though you want at least groups of two minimum anywhere. If anyone feels like they need to rest instead, they should. none of this is something to tackle if you're not up for it, physically or mentally, and pushing past ones limits wouldn't do themselves or these settlements any good.

>>4292610
I think that Francine definitely needs assistance if she goes to the Gemeinschaft. She's the most vulnerable out of the entire party to Neuromancy, since she doesn't have a Neurotic Halo (we should probably give her a copy at some point, I can't remember why we never did). Also, if we're being honest, she's not the best at talking and even if her conversation partner is going to be a gestalt mind that's no guarantee she won't need someone more diplomatic. Gina and November are both pretty good speakers, and could assist Francine with any work. Gina as backup on the Neuromancy, November as a bodyguard with Mind of Platinum. If we can afford to, I'd like to send both. Having Rath take Tinker Tailor to the Altar Fragment would free up Gina, and November probably isn't super needed anywhere else that's an immediate problem. I suggested her for Arcadia, but she's better used on the Gemeinschaft if we're splitting up to tackle both at once.

The lower-risk groups I don't think we really need anyone going to right this moment. If we have anyone spare, but I don't think we should send anyone to them that could also be of use at the crisis points. I agree that Dig Dugs and Green Hats are the highest priority of the list. When we do get around to them, I'd put a slight emphasis on the Dig Dugs just because we know things get weird down in the tunnels, and their group is larger. What was the statistic Zahira gave us, something like a kilometer and a half deep and you start getting visions? And if they're interfacing with the Crucible's sub-systems then it's definitely a risk to take a look at. Talk to them, help them out, make sure they're not going crazy down in the depths. Might give us some insight into the Mother of All situation, too, Sugar did say she learned about that while burrowing.

I don't have any concrete ideas on how we'd help the Green Hats, but I do wonder if there's an opportunity there for us. Their dryad friend produces fruit that people can eat, Thousand's Matron makes our swarmlings edible, what if we could combine them? Finally figure out how to copy Augments, give her Trypophilic Hive and some Hive Mistress levels, see if she can hybridize them with her Predator skill to make producing her fruit less of a drain on her. It's a long shot, but could be really productive if it works.

>>4292666
Gina is the main person to check out the Gemein, while honestly Francine would be better suited to be pulled away to help Tinker at the altar if anyone is. i simply disagree November is suited to either. maybe on a technicality ability wise, but i disagree thats enough for her to help out with the Gemein over another place, as the other can still counteract them on their own, but she otherwise would be wasted standing around doing nothing while other groupings at either could actually do something.

i also disagree on only focusing these two down. its just not practical. both are very clearly highly specialized in what is going on at them. many and more of our party members wouldn't be suited to either, both socially or if things take a turn southward, though with the artists the second is a bit less so, but without a doubt for the Gemein. theres just no reason not to at least go for a third, but taking everything into account we can probably still hit more than that most likely, really depends on what our family thinks though and what they would choose as a third option.

>>4292687
I disagree. Francine is the ideal person to check out the Gemeinschaft. Her Core was explicitly compared to the modifications they've made to themselves, she'd have the most insight into them. Especially considering that she's a surgeon with extensive experience in neuroscience. Gina is good, but her expertise falls more on the software side of Neuromancy, so the speak. She can work with the hardware, but if that's the focus then we want Francine.

Okay, how about this, then: Gina takes Tinker Tailor to the Altar Fragment. Tailor has knowledge of Relics, Gina has knowledge of mind-affecting abilities, together they should do a good job. Francine and November go to the Gemeinschaft, since we need someone to accompany whoever we send there and whoever it is (if we're not sending both Neuromancers) is going to stand around doing nothing unless everything goes wrong anyway. Have them take some Joyous Many, too, see if the calm aura helps. Dorian goes to Arcadia, naturally, maybe brings Rath or Shu or just some Dream Daughters. And whoever the last group checks out I think depends on which group Shu is part of. If she's going with the Arcadia team, I'd say Green Hats. If she's part of the third group, though, then Dig Dugs, because I don't want to go into deep tunnels without some Sonarlings to help map the place.

>>4292730
nope. i disagree with that fully.
this isnt fully about their abilities. Francine may have more insight into that aspect, but they are still people and said aspects could be whats at fault. Gina will be better at any social aspects involving the brain ball, while also not being useless if its a more technical issue. shes very much better suited to that, while Francine would be useful, but a backup for her if she does go. and Francine has constantly also been shown to be more in tune in relics and Crucible tech, while Gina can pull her weight but isnt as well in tune with them. if anyone is helping Tinker out of the two of them, its Francine, especially with what i said earlier, though this is only if Rath isnt up to it so both can go to the brain.

meanwhile nope, as stated November is wasted there. she doesn't fit the social aspect at all, and would still only be able to simply not be affected by anything there, over being able to counteract it or help with it if it needs it. she falls horribly short in what is needed there to be sent there. she also simply isnt anymore suited to the Arcadians than anyone else. her frame is no more or less an artist project or strive for perfection than anyone elses body or corruption is. shes also wasted there, on the simple fact others would still mesh better with the Artist atmosphere or perfection atmosphere, while November may mesh better with the third party settlements for one reason or another.

both Rath and Shu dont really fit either major issue, but i was saving Shu simply to see where everyone ends up falling in line first, before making that final decision, essentially using her as filler, as she doesn't really click with even the third party groups well outside our natural sociability, but that would fit in anywhere so isnt the best criteria. as for where the third/fourth party goes, up to where the family thinks they fit best, due to many not being needed or fitting well with the first two, but them not otherwise being as big an issue to hit, over us having no reason not to put some people on said issue.

I finally get to comment again, after all this time! I'm iffy on the AC and SG, checking the Dig Dug-Outs sounds fun, the Green Hats sound SUPER fun, and the Lords of the Flies would also be very cool.

Been following your work the whole way, BHOP, and I'm so happy with how things are going! Keep up the great conversations and lucky votes, everyone!

>>4292756
welcome back.
not sure if i find those the most interesting myself, but for better or worse the decision here cant really be about which ones are the most fun or interesting. the Tin Soldiers honestly sound the most interesting to me though, if it was purely based off interest.

>>4292753
I acknowledge that Francine isn't the best at talking. I think she might do better with the Gemeinschaft than she would others, just because she has experience talking with weird posthumans, but I want her there mostly for the insight into their condition that she can give to a person better at talking. I think that November could work well there, she's pretty gregarious. But you think that she'd be social dead weight, huh?

I agree with you that getting both Gina and Francine to the Gemeinschaft is ideal. I'm just not sure what to do with November if we don't have her go to the Gemeinschaft. The Tin Soldiers are a terrible idea, in my opinion, they're a ragged bunch of mercs and November is a military professional with a shiny new super-body. She'd probably just engender resentment. Green Hats and Dig Dugs I don't think she'd be bad at, per se, but I can't see her being particularly good with them, either. I guess it's an option, though I'd want someone along with her. Maybe Shu. Putting Shu with November could work.

But that leaves just Dorian to handle the Arcadians. Okay, he can bring some Dream Daughters, but however socially appropriate they would be for that (and some of them might not be, Johanna would probably hate the lower-ranking members just going along with the leaders' artistic vision) I want him to have some heavier backup. Orwell ranked the Arcadians as the highest threat, they've got a lot of decently-leveled Daughters, if things do go south I want him to have more than Spirit Shells to support him.

Actually...Johanna likes gardening, doesn't she? And Uzu knows how to deal with elders. Thy could help out socially with the Green Hats, free Shu up to support Dorian. Okay, how about this lay-out, then:

>Gemeinschaft: Gina, Francine
>Green Hats: November, Johanna, Uzu
>Arcadia: Dorian, Shu, Holly
>Altar Relic: Rath, Tinker Tailor
That leaves Isabel, I'm not sure where to put her. Maybe with the Gemeinschaft?

>>4292756
Welcome back.

Yeah, the groups that aren't high threats sound really neat. Too bad we've got to prioritize based on threat.

>>4292815
Novembers not necessarily a bad people person, but she isnt an adaptive people person. she isnt proactive and the few times she does open up, its either with people shes comfortable with, or has something in common with, and thats neither for the two big groups. less shes awkward, more just too casual for filling the role unless it already suits her.

and i disagree with November and the Tin Soldiers. November actually gives off and acts much more rag tag than proper solider, but with clear signs of respect still for people of that nature. id imagine its because it sounded like she didn't enjoy what she ended up doing while overseas, but thats info we can only assume, not know for sure. she would respect the idea of them and even possibly their personality in my opinion, while also having something in common and possibly to offer them. keep in mind too, i doubt Magpie was REALLY after these 'just incase'. otherwise Laoc would've been on her list too. she clearly chose these because even if they seem extremely stable and not too pressured right now, she saw something to be concerned about, so i dont think November at least looking into them would be a waste.

as for the list, still think thats a waste of November. Shu and Holly with Dorian i suppose is ok, assuming the rest works out, though honestly i think Holly would fit better with the Green Hats team for sure. Isabelle can help November with the Tin Soldiers.

>Gemeinschaft: Gina and Francine
>Arcadia: Dorian and Shu
>Altar Relic: Rath and Tinker Tailor
>Green Hats: Holly, Johanna, and Uzu
>Tin Soldiers; November and Isabelle
>Lord Flies; Orwell and Amara(Assuming they want to or can spare themselves)

while the Arcadia are the most potent, i think Shu and Dorian could hold things off long enough to get backup on their own, and with ANY of these groups, i think if things went REALLY south we might need to call other groups in anyhow. its just a matter of avoiding that and i think these groups could each at least hold their own until backup arrived, albeit of course given the threat level and stability of where they are going in the first place. also Isabelle with November because as said i think its just a waste to send November anywhere else but i still dont want her sent in alone. she i dont think really fits anywhere specific either but i cant see her doing bad there either.

this is assuming our family agrees though, of course.

>>4292823
Did just think of two things though, before i sleep.

This lineup is kinda isolating Isabelle from the rest of the DDs without also splitting them up, which may cause bad feelings, but the problem is its still based off where people would fit best. November wouldn't really work anywhere else while she might actually have a advantage to helping the Tin Soldiers, but i still dont want to send anyone by themselves, and Isabelle is the only one left.

Also, didn't we tell the cult we would send some of this there way, give them a more solid goal?

>>4292479
>>4292441
Supporting this.

(Gentlemen, to clarify - do you intend for Shu to accompany any of the teams, or would you like for the next vote to end with hammering all that out after you've gotten everyone''s input?)

>>4293342
The latter.

>>4293342
we can hammer it out after everyone's input. dont think we actually came to an agreement on who should go where anyways, so maybe the family can help with that themselves.

>>4293345
>>4293346
(Excellent, I just wanted to make sure.)

>>4293342
Hammer it out after we've gotten the input. I've got some preferences in a vacuum, but who is available for what will determine Shu's placement.

>>4292756
(5elementsage, it's good to see you again! Im very glad that you've been able to catch up, and I also wanted to offer my sincerest apologies for not having gotten around to compiling everything like you requested. It's proven to be a bit of a bear with everything else on my plate, but I'm actually in the process of bringing it all together to let some other interested parties read it who have some issues with 4chan's layout and accessibility on their platforms.)

(Good to have you back, and I do hope you're doing well.)

>>4293345
>>4293350
oh, so any thoughts on >>4292914
this? mostly just double checking as i posted it at an odd time, and mostly talking about the cult stuff. it IS extra help, and shouldn't involve them throwing their lives away. and they did ask for some help with a more substantial goal and we mentioned that.

mind you, i understand and would agree to wait to see what our family picks up first, just more of if you think we should send the list their way in any form.

>>4293406
I think that separating Isabel from the other Dream Daughters (so long as it's for the purposes of a goal and not just to separate her) could actually do her some good. Show her that we don't think she needs a minder, that we think she can do fine without her therapy group watching over her shoulder.

As for the cult, I think they'd work best in a follow-up role. Once we've scouted these places out, gotten a sense of what their issues are, then we can send them their way. The cult are well-meaning but poorly organized, them descending en-masse to try to help could make a mess of things. Let's wait until the situations are a bit less fraught.

>>4293419
fair on both, though for the Cult i was assuming they would just send a few people they think can do some good, over drowning the settlements/groups in a tide of hyperactive tween busy bodies.

(Gentlemen, due to a busy work day I will be finishing up the post once I arrive home.)

>>4293530
sounds good, take your time.

>>4293530
Sorry to hear your day's being hectic. See you in a few hours, then.

>>4293530
So i take it your entire day has been hectic? Take the time you need OP

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>>4292441

Resuming your lap around the table, you clasp your hands behind your back as you begin to speak in time with every thoughtful step you take.

“Alright, so if you’ll all indulge me rambling for a hot minute, I just want to throw some ideas out there.” You begin, glancing around at the eyes that’re transfixed on your pensive expression. “I think that Dorian would be best suited checking out the Arcadians, though I don’t want him going alone. Johanna would be a good partner, but if there’s nothing more to this than an artistic dispute then I’d be comfortable with anyone joining him. Now, as for the Gemeinschaft - Gina and Francine would do well, I think. That said, I’d also like for one of them to accompany Tinker Tailor to run diagnostics the Altar’s Relic…though I’d imagine that Rath might be down to check it out, if she thinks she can free up both Francine and Gina’s hands.”

“I’d totally be down for that, man.” Your creative brawler chimes in with a glance between Gina and your good Doctor. “You two good with the think-tank?”

“I am.”

“Indeed.” Francine agrees, her affirmation hot on the heels of Gina’s own.

“Excellent. Alright, moving on.” You say, nodding to yourself as you pass your Dream Daughters. ”The Dig Dugs and Green Hat Society are the only other two that stick out at you as needing any kind of priority, though neither feels one-hundred-percent vital…but we’ve got the manpower for it, so what the hell. The Dig Dugs sound dubious mainly because we’ve got no clue who’s in those tunnels, so if anyone’s up for checking it out then I don’t want a team of any less than three checking it out. I don’t know what exactly to do with the Green Hat Society, but stopping by couldn’t do any harm.”

“I’d be happy to touch base with the Society.” Uzu offers in her calm, usual tone.

“Nice. Also, while they’re much less of a priority I’d like for the Tin Soldiers to get a visit from November, if she’s up for it. Meanwhile – and I know that Amara and Orwell have been hard at work - but if either of you want to focus on a group or reach out, I wouldn’t have any issue with Amara meeting the Lords of the Flies, if she’s-“

“YES!” Amara shouts across the line, causing the swarmling to hop and skitter along the table with the sheer volume of her exultation.

“Ha, alright. Meanwhile, the Makers sound wholly stable alongside the Scarlet Herons, so unless some fire breaks out in either group then I think it’s best we leave them be. Now, all that being said…”

You stop, having completed your second lap around the table as you take a moment to survey everyone present, their eyes locked on yours.

“…everything I’ve put out there is just my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less, and certainly nothing concrete. So if anyone’s got anything they’d like to add, now’s the time to say it aloud.”

(Continued)

>>4293644

“Additionally, while I do want anyone who’s up for going out to pair up, if anyone feels like they need to rest instead, then you absolutely, positively should. None of what I’ve laid out is something to tackle if you’re not up for it physically or mentally, and trying to push yourselves won’t do you or the people we’re trying to help any good. Understood?”

A series of nods go around the table before Gina’s the first to weigh in.

“I think everything you said is a fair assessment, and I also think that I speak for me and Francine when I say that our talents would work well in helping the Gemeinschaft.” She declares, sharing an affirmative nod with the Doctor across the table from her.

“Like I said earlier, I’m down for helping the Altar.” Rath confirms, glancing around the room. “I’m sure Tinker’s around here somewhere, so I’ll grab her and head down after this.”

“I’ll chat with the Tin Soldiers, and anyone’s welcome to join me.” November says enthusiastically, with Johanna raising her hand with a grin, much to your surprise.

“Me n’ Orwell can talk to Elze and the Flies! We’d be happy to!” Amara pipes up from the center of the table, roping in Orwell who nevertheless obliges her ‘superfan’.

“I’ll happily handle my fellow Flesh Artisans with the Arcadian Collective.” Dorian says, his lips pursed in a tight, dutiful smile…and after a moment’s hesitation, Isabelle thrusts her hand into the air.

“Yes?” You ask politely in the face of the girl’s needless request to speak up.

“With all due respect…which is a lot, don’t get me wrong...” B’ni begins hesitantly, casting her emerald eyes over to Dorian’s taught frame. “…maybe you should sit this one out, Dorian?”

He blinks. “May I inquire as to why you think that is?”

“At Fulminus, you were the first on the scene. You saw the cascade happen, and…well, you did the most out of any of us to deal with the situation.” She explains quietly. “I feel like that’s a lot to deal with, and I know you jump at the chance to help people, like Holly, Uzu, and Johanna do. I just want to make sure that you’re not overreaching yourself.”

"She's got a point, dude." Holly chimes in by way of support. "Anybody looking at you can tell you're fried. I mean, what would Julia tell you to do?"

"I..." Dorian begins, closing his mouth and eye as he draws in a breath before speaking again. "...very well. I appreciate your concern, truly. I will...rest here for a short time, I suppose."

“I know you said you’d like us to go in pairs, but I believe that I’ll be fine with handling the Green Hat Society on my own to free up someone else to pair off.” Uzu offers at this development.

(Continued)

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>>4293646

"Well, how about this?" Holly forward, cocking one hip against the table. "Uzu meets up with the Green Hats, and either me or Isabelle goes with her as backup, with the other one heading to check out the Arcadians."

"What do we know of them, anyway?" Dorian interrupts, directing his question towards the Hivephone on the table. "Miss Orwell, can you offer us any details before we set anything into motion? Names, appearances, personality summaries, maybe any Skinternet blogs?"

"The Arcadians are pretty damn insular and proud, not going to lie." Orwell explains. "So no blogs, no posts, and they barely come out of their little hole in the wall. However, I've got basic profiles on the core four. Magnus is an Artisan Generator hybrid who uses heat to reshape his targets to his whims, and has shown that he's fully capable of immolating with a touch when he came out to defend the Arcadian's home. He's partners with Aeren, a straight-up Artisan who's allied with Magnus against the other two - Levia, whose skill set is a hybrid of Artisanry and Paladin, and Nero, who's another Mono-Core Artisan with a decidedly shadow powerset. Levia and Nero are allies of convenience for the most part, since the Magnus-Aeren pair is one hell of a platonic power-couple. There's rumors of some kind of fifth person - an arbiter, of sorts, but apparently they left long before the Skinternet really got up and running."

"I see...hm." Dorian muses, stroking his chin before looking at at Isabelle. "In that case, I would like to rescind my staying here. Regardless of how I feel, I think I could do more good than ill in regards to the Arcadian Collective."

Isabelle opens her mouth to protest when Holly's arm finds hers, silencing whatever objections she might've had. You notice that Dorian hasn't met your eyes, his gaze now settled on the table before him. He's tired, understandably so...and with most of your Dream Daughters waiting on how you want to play this, you know you need to make a call, here and now.

>>Strongly urge Dorian to rest - You or the others can handle the Arcadian Collective.

>>Relent to letting Dorian enter the field. He's right - you think he can do a lot of good, here.

AND

>>Finalize marching orders for you and your allies.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. Thank you for your patience as always, and I do hope that your day is going well.)

>>4293650
>"The Arcadians are pretty damn insular and proud, not going to lie." Orwell explains. "So no blogs, no posts, and they barely come out of their little hole in the wall. However, I've got basic profiles on the core four. Magnus is an Artisan Generator hybrid who uses heat to reshape his targets to his whims, and has shown that he's fully capable of immolating with a touch when he came out to defend the Arcadian's home. He's partners with Aeren, a straight-up Artisan who's allied with Magnus against the other two - Levia, whose skill set is a hybrid of Artisanry and Paladin, and Nero, who's another Mono-Core Artisan with a decidedly shadow powerset. Levia and Nero are allies of convenience for the most part, since the Magnus-Aeren pair is one hell of a platonic power-couple. There's rumors of some kind of fifth person - an arbiter, of sorts, but apparently they left long before the Skinternet really got up and running."

>Magnus
>His

Wait. Is magnus one of those rare male biological male daughters?

>>4293671
(Orwell does not know, since The Arcadians are so insular. She would've clarified, otherwise, though Dorian appears to assume a case more like his.)

>>4293650
>"Orwell... while you said the Arcadians are a hot priority... just how bad does it seem?"
>"Think we could do a compromise? Let Dorian rest while a few scout it out, then bring him in before we confront the leaders and try and work something out? or do you think things are too strained to wait or risk such a maneuver?"

>Regardless, relent to Dorian that in the end, its his choice and everyone will support him regardless, only that you urge him to make sure hes up for it. everyone knows he can do these people good, but no one is immune to making mistakes when exhausted and past their limits. he shouldn't let his need to help make it impossible for him to properly do so.

>Rath and Tinker; the Altar Fragment.
>Gina and Francine; the Gemeinschaft.
>Uzu and Holly; the Green Hats.
>November and Johanna; the Tin Soldiers.
>Orwell and Amara; the Lord of the Flies.

>Shu and Isabelle; the Arcadians.
>>Dorian when he is ready will Join the Arcadians.

>>4293671
I mean, its a group of artists. weird bunch. probably more of a Dorian case.

>>4293677
also the name 'Magnus' brings up alot of suspicions to me due to... certain well known dark universes. hopefully they do not prove correct.

>>4293650
Supporting>>4293680

I was attempting my own write in but the heat and the headache are killing me.


>>4293652
My day was pretty nice until i started having this headache. i had a solo session with my GM for the Skyrim game i am part of. Got a contract to kill some noble man. I infiltrated his staff by becoming a maid the waited for a large banquet. After he was pass out drunk he was moved to his room. I opened the window so he could have some fresh air. I snuck in from the maid room next door via the windows. Then killed him with a shadow blade(pretty much fried his brain with psychic damage) and snuck out again after making it look like he had suffocated by throwing up in his mouth.

While the guards were called the next morning they could not find what truly killed him since i hadn't used any poison. I was questioned but barely got away with my performance... but i am on the guards watchlist.... or at least a young brown haired Bosmer woman named Aerith is......

Not a loud and pretty obvious 'Bosmer' woman with fire red hair, obvious facial tattoos, and a knack for tracking and stalking targets in the wild.

>>4293685
to be honest.... my first thought went like... wait why is that character named after the dog of one of the characters that i DM for.

He also has a brother Named Leman(they are not grat friends) and is mildly(read: very) psychicly powerful

The Dog named Magnus was actually not a 40k reference since the player knew nothing about it beforehand... THe other dog got named later by a player that did know the lore and found it hilarious

>>4293695
sorry the heat is getting to ya. i live in the good ol state of Texas, so for better or worse i am not allowed to complain about the heat, but i more than understand its effect on a person, and am more than feeling it myself.

>>4293695
(One, that campaign sounds great. Second, I was actually playing Skyrim last night before bed, and my wife's set to make a new character today, so that's some interesting serendipity.)

(Also, I do hope that you can find a way to stay cool.)

>>4293711
Yeah my GM for that campaign is a massive Elder Scrolls nerd.

WE are still only like LVL 3.... and we five... well right now four characters One Cahracter got nommed on by two giant Spiders... and my squishy assasin could not take two grown Froprstbite Spiders..... Well the death was kinda self inflcited... We could have just burned doen the mine.... but no Miss crazy poop Healer Lady has to get her hands on a spider egg...... are kind of a ragtag bunch right now. Mostly in it for the money right now

A dunmer nobleman from House Rhedoran and a crusader for Azura with his adopted Imperial Scholar brother(who made a pact with Azura for cool powers like nightvision or shadowteleport on higher levels) coming to skyrim because of a vision that had been given to them by Azura.

A Bosmer Hunter that i know pretty little about only that he came to Solitude to get a new bow that a friend was still owing him. for now he sticks around and he and my character have grown quite close already.

The now dead crazy old nord lady that was convinced she could use fecal matter to cure the wounded.

And well Aerin... my 'Bosmer' girl. She is actually a special Khajiit subrace named the Ohmes Khajiit and looks almost exactly like a Bosmer. She grew up in the Dark Brotherhood and got half kicked out at the beginning of the game.... because Astrid was jealous she could try and seduce Astrids Husband.... And she also was a general troublemaker...

So yeah now she also is in solitude and works together with the group because the last time they went on a quest for Azura they got a lot of cash out of it. So they are my cash cows between jobs.... WIth most of the money i earned already being reinvested into a luxurious lifestyle and a new fancy magical and silvered shortsword.

Due to the campaign i had also once again downloaded and started playing Skyrim once again

>(Also, I do hope that you can find a way to stay cool.)

well now that it is nighttime the woods out back help cool my bedroom down much quicker.
other than that i have get out a couple ice cubes from the freezer and get some cold water to cool me down.

>>4293702
Even if you are not allowed to complain i still hope it doesn't get too hot for you. And if it does i hope you will find a way to cool down again.

>>4293745
hah thanks, and im finding my ways to survive it.

(Gentlemen, since the next update is a rather short one, would everyone be alright with my cutting an hour off the voting period and posting in the next twenty-five minutes, instead? If you think that isn't fair to the others that haven't voted yet I understand - I am simply trying to make the most of my energy while I have it.)

>>4293652
>>4293811
If it fits, do so.

My day has been a case of trying to tidying up, trying to write Cradleton, and trying to get back onto my feet so I'm unfortunately abstaining from actively participating in the session.

>>4293811
Yeah, go ahead. I mostly just haven't voted yet because I'm trying to juggle some things, I've got no problem with the current winning vote. In fact, let me actually back it while I've got the time right now.

>>4293650
Supporting >>4293680

On the topic of us visiting all these groups, what excuse are we going to give for why we're coming to the Arcadians? For the rest it requires either very little pretense or none at all (for example, the Lords of the Flies is literally just Amara asking these other girls her age if they can hang out), but I'm not sure being upfront with the haughty artist's collective will work. Telling them "so, we're worried you're going to fuse into a giant art-monster" is not going to endear them. Do we just tell them we're interested in their art?

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>>4293650

"Orwell...just how hot a priority are the Arcadians?" You ask.

"Unsure. Word has it that the factions have barricaded against each other in their little fortress, effectively splitting the zone in half. As for whether or not they'll talk it out, throw down, or spark a Hunger cascade, it's all just a roll of the dice." She explains, and with that, you turn to Dorian.

"Dorian, how's this for a compromise - you get some rest while I scout, then bring you in before we confront the leaders to try and work something out?" You forward, prompting an appraisingly arched eyebrow from the Artisan and a few nods from the table at large. "Orwell? Do you think things are too strained to wait or risk such a maneuver?"

"Hard to say, but if I were going to hazard a guess? You've got a window of opportunity there that might be cracked open a little wider with some clever maneuvering. All in all, I think it's worth a shot."

"Alright. Thank you, Orwell." You say appreciatively as you turn back to Dorian. "Look - this is your choice. Know that everyone here will support whatever you decide, but I'm only asking you to make sure that you're well and truly up for this. Every last person at this table knows that you can do these people good, but no one's immune to making mistakes bred from exhaustion and overwork...not you, not me, not anyone here. I appreciate your desire to help, Dorian, I really do...but you also shouldn't let that need hijack the very attempt to do so."

He's quiet for a moment as he takes stock of himself, his single deep blue eye studying his hand as he tentatively opens and closes it, everyone present noting the slight tremors that run through it every second or so.

"...Fine." He relents for the last time, and with a heavy sigh. "Please leave me a commling, though. In case anything happens, I want to be there in an instant."

"Consider it done, my friend." You say with a smile, looking among the rest of your family. "Alright, here's the marching orders; Rath and Tinker take the Altar Fragment, while Gina and Francine speak with the Gemeinschaft. Uzu, Holly - go talk to the Green Hats, and I'm entrusting the Tin Soldiers to November and Johanna."

Isabelle blinks with realization at the same moment your gaze falls on her.

"B'ni and I will go meet with the Arcadians, with Dorian joining when we or he is ready, whichever comes first."

"Orwell and I get to talk to the Lords of the Flies!" Amara practically screeches into the put-upon commling, prompting a wince from both Gina and Uzu.

"That's correct." You confirm with a grin. "Alright, everyone. Gear up, then move out."

>>Assign Relic Load-Out from the list below

>>Relics: https://pastebin.com/kHzW2hbd

THEN

>>Follow Orwell's coordinates to the Waystation closest to the Arcadian Collective, with B'ni in tow.

>>Quickly speak with one of your allies before you leave.

>>Talk with B'ni about something in particular on your way to the Collective.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4293864
>Talk with B'ni about something in particular on your way to the Collective.
>Subject: Simple small talk. Get to know Isabelle as her true self better.

>>4293864
Pardon my digression, but something I just thought looking at the Relic list: Can the Void Orrery penetrate Magpie's bunker? It's shielded against Neuromancy and Skintalking, but the Void Orrery appears to work on different principles. We should try that, once we're done with this mess.

>>4293891
(You're more than welcome to try, by all means.)

>>4293811
>>4293871
oh, well i certainly would've said no to this and was not a pleasant surprise to wake up to grab a drink to see.

>>4293871
Bhop. It seems that many of us are rather out of it. And we don't have a relic load out decided.

>>4293864
SHU
>Hexane Contender
>Artisanal Rebuke
>Paranoid Pendant
>Matron's Stoicism

GINA
>Tollo Cadere
>Membrum Automata

FRANCINE
>Surgeon General's Essentials
>Inspector's Spectacles
>Deliverance of Ego


DORIAN
>Sui Interitus
>Ventrem Lanceam
>Manus Caelorum

RATH
>Forgeheart's Lyre
>Gutgrab Daggers

NOVEMBER

AMARA
>Whatever she took with her to Orwell's place, presumably:
>Vocem Virtutis
>Shalaev's Shawl
>Hearth Rod

ISABEL

UZU
>A Goddamned Uzi

HOLLY

JOHANNA

This is as far as I've gotten. Sorry, it's just daunting when we've got so many characters to assign Relics to. It's like a mini-level up vote, in a way. Anyone want to build off of this or rework it or whatever, be my guest.

>>4294030
Yeah, I'm out of it.

>>4294030
>>4294036
>>4293871
not gonna lie, i could write paragraphs about reasons both related and not related to the quest, with the legitimacy and level of opinionation to it varying wildly, but the short of it is suddenly being unable to trust or rely on BHOP at least not shortening voting times on me was a bit of a 'straw on the camels back' scenario to my enthusiasm for the quest, at least for today, we'll see how i feel later, but for now at least yeah, sorry, ive got nothing. not ideas nor input nor nothing.

>>4294036
>>4293871

Think we should delay the vote until tomorrow?

>>4293871
>>4293873
>>4293891
>>4293915
>>4294030
(Gentlemen, I'm rather out of it myself, so if it's alright with everyone present, I can extend voting until tomorrow. Additionally, you're welcome to simply assign Relics to the units that will be directly under your control, and leave the rest to me to optimize. It's up to you, so pet me know what works best for everyone.)

>>4294049
>>4294052
Yeah, extending the vote to tomorrow works. I don't know why, but it seems like we're all tired this evening. Maybe it's just the rising temperatures of summer, I don't know.

As for only voting for Shu and Isabel's Relics, that could work. Shu's layout in my vote is pretty standard for her, with the exception of giving her the Rebuke for protection against Flesh Artisanship. Not sure what to give Isabel, but I'll think about it.

>>4294052
(...*let me know, is what I meant to say.)

(I do think we're all a little fried.)

>>4294052
up to everyone else. despite anything i could say or my own issues, not wanting to be a weight holding the Quest from continuing if others are enjoying their time.

as for the relics... i really dont know. it feels like a thing that just shouldn't BE an issue for us to figure out, aswell as despite you saying its your 'job' related to the quest, its still dumping more work on you when we ARE supposed to have some level of effort we're supposed to give in return, aswell as you already having to do enough as it is.

but as stated >>4294048 here... im just not gonna be able to help here this vote most likely anyhow, not right now at least. so dunno.

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>>4294074
>>4294061
(Alright then. Gentlemen, I'll be leaving voting open until 12:00PM Eastern time tomorrow, with posting to resume at work willing 2:00PM. Thank you all for your patience, participation, and kindness, and I wish you all a restful evening.)

>>4294048
>>4294074
(Bah, I'm sorry I flipped things on you like that. Truth be told, I was trying to ride the wave of what little energy I had as far as it could go, since I've honestly felt really guilty that work and life have kept me from updating as frequently or consistently as I would like to for the sake of everyone here. Coming from Quests where their continuation was what really helped me get through rough times, I know how important things like this can be for some people. Goodness knows the Quest has certainly helped keep my mind on better things in the year or so I've been doing this.)

(That said, my enthusiasm for speed got the better of me at the expense of consistency and holding true to my word, so for that you have my apologies.)

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>>4294150
>I've honestly felt really guilty that work and life have kept me from updating as frequently or consistently as I would like to for the sake of everyone here.
dont. the fact you try so hard to put out what you can when you can is enough. i both wouldn't want you to push yourself or the Quest faster than you are comfortable with, nor need it. truth be told you, the folks here, and this Quest helped me through probably the worst year of my life, and as im sure everyone knows this year hasn't bee good for basically anyone anywhere, which this has certainly helped with too.

unfortunately, yes, both the leftover issues from said year combined with the ongoing issues everyone is facing this year also mixed with the more current issues in some ways trying into the first has unfortunately put me on a more... strained tether than even i knew. it also doesn't help some other sources of entertainment have decided to well, no longer be such over current events, so that had already made today a bit... iffier than usual on top of everything else.

I suppose what im horribly and terribly trying to say is... dont feel guilty over doing what you can afford to do, at the pace you can. you and the folks here already have and do help me with the iffier times and days in my life than i could express, and you dont at all need to do more than you already are, nor would i want to see that get tarnished over you feeling you have to do more. you dont.

do it at your own pace, and let us do it at ours too. the fact you even care about that beyond the Quest already is more than i at least could ask of anyone in one of these.
...so, i guess thanks, and also sorry myself. i shouldn't let something that small get to me as much as it did, legitimate reasons behind it too or not. but i also cant help that it did either, even if why is related to other reason too.

...i also hate and apologize for doing a bit of that rambling i was trying to avoid, damn it. heres a cute crab girl to hopefully make up for it at least a bit.

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>>4294150
Thanks bhop. As much as we all want to go 88 mph on the quest and the writing, I think the best thing we can do at this point is to take things one step at a time. So don't hesitate to put out updates that have 12 or 24 hour voting timers. This quest has progressed far enough in its campaign that newcomers would likely need to binge 2 years worth of thread archives in order to catch up and has developed a regular core audience that is rather well insulated. And given current events in the country...I think it would be well warranted to take things slow.

Also. It's clearly apparent that we're all in the same metaphorical boat when it comes to our life's struggles. So, to link a song that's rather familiar and relatable, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPTCq3LiZSE

>>4294183
I feel you anon. You're also a great help to me. Writing the Cradleton saga for Carter has made me realize that I've got much more in common with Carter, and that writing the story has given me a focus to both endeavor to improve both Carter's growth as well as my own.

>>4293355

I'm glad you remember! No rush there, it's just that I rely on publicly accessible internet, and most places have security that prevents me from reading 4chan-related content. One place I frequent lets me read archived stuff for some reason, but not the live Vein.

Anyway, I'm going to scroll back up and read. I just wanted to reply before my pc battery died. (for the info of my dear anons, my pos computer is about as bad as our BHOP's). Fortunately, mine can run Chrome. ;)

>>4293864
>>4294036
I guess ill support this, with the addition of everyone(Including Shu) working with November to compromise on getting her a build she think she will need, over her only getting the leftovers.

still dont like making BHOP do our job but just no ideas here are still coming about, which is frustrating to no end.

on a related note i think we still dont have it listed we have two Shawls now.

>>4293864
Just to formalize it:
>Go with the load outs from >>4294036 as a general starting point, with unlisted Relic assignment being done by BHOP's prerogative.

I'd like to give something to the Dream Daughters, but aside from giving Uzu the Uzi (both for assonance and because she doesn't have a good damage-dealing option) I'm blanking on ideas. BHOP, if you've got anything, I'd welcome it.

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>>4293864

The Artisanal Rebuke and Paranoid Pendant join the ranks of your old staples of the Matron’s Stoicism and the ever-present Contender at your side, but before you can set out you end up dragged into a rather heated debate between November and Francine that attracts not only you, but Rath and Gina, as well. It takes you a second or two to get caught up between the pair’s rapid-fire bickering, but it quickly becomes apparent that November objects to strolling up the Tin Soldiers while strapped down with Relics, while Francine insists on a full load-out for the soldier’s own safety.

“But Aunt Heather can generate stuff on the fly now…so she’s fine, right?” Rath says, predictably backing up her relative.

“Right!” November echoes, pulling a pair of crude blades from the air in a swirl of glowing embers and rust-colored smoke, which only prompts Francine to sputter, waving away such theatrics.

“Wrong.” Francine fires back, arms folded in defiance. “Your Core is still untested, so instead of relying on the unreliable, you should carry everything you need on-hand.”

“If we were walking into an obvious fight then I’d side with the Doc.” Johanna chimes in as she strides up to her adventuring partner.

“THANK you.” The physician sighs. “Clearly someone here sees what I’m getting a-“

“But we’re not walking into a fight. We’re walking into a discussion.” The gentle giant of a woman clarifies, eyes fixed sternly, but gently on the rail-thin doctor. “You’re partners, you and her. You’re worried about the Cores. You worked on them. November trusts your skills. Why don’t you?”

Francine opens her mouth, then closes it as realization passes over her severe features.

“I…she’s right.” November admits with a simple shrug. “I’m not throwing caution to the wind or anything like that, Fran, and I’m not just leaning on my own skills. I’m leaning on *yours*, because I know the work you put out can support it.”

A second, then two, and then-

“…Very well.” Francine relents with a sigh and a wave of her hand before fixing a dead-serious glare on the other woman. “But if you feel *anything* is out of sorts, then you reach out immediately! Understood?”

November gives her friend a salute as Rath discreetly fist-pumps the air behind them, and as you edge a little closer to your brawler you capitalize on her closed fist with a bump of your own while the red-head flashes you a grin. Mere moments after that Gina darts over to give you a quick squeeze and a peck on the cheek before ushering Francine elsewhere, leaving you, Rath, Johanna, and November to plan out the best gear options for the excursion.

(Continued)

>>4295337

“Alright everyone, keep your Hivephones handy and your heads on a swivel!” You declare, glancing around the room for your partner for this outing. “Where’s B’n-“

“Here.”

You make a noise somewhere between a choke and a cough as you nearly jump out of your skin when you realize that Isabelle’s been right beside you for who-knows how long. Shaking off your nerves, once November's set up with the stylish Gunslinger's Longcoat along with the Adrenal Nail, Johanna picks up a few supplementary Relics from your growing stores before the pair sets off on their assignment. Without further ado, you and B'ni slip away to the tunnels beneath your home en route to the Arcadian Collective's nearby Waystation, the journey made in a somewhat uncomfortable silence until you break it when the two of you make your way topside once more.

"So. How've you been?" You begin, your opening feeling unwieldy as the two of you emerge into the Fleshscape's soft, scarlet light.

"Pretty well." Comes her simple reply, emerald eyes scanning the terrain. Before you ripples a rolling field of silver hairs, an undulating sea of shining white bowing before a looming spire of flesh. It's a castle forged of calcite with massive strips of skin flittering atop flagpoles in the warm breeze, the peerless, perfect flesh a suitable advertisement for the Arcadian's priorities. You and Isabelle begin to make your way down the gentle slope as you struggle to find your footing conversationally, if not physically.

"How were things with Uzu?" B'ni suddenly asks, the forced nature of the question revealing that she's fumbling for common ground just as much as you are.

"Honestly, they went pretty well. She stayed quiet for the most part, but having her as a sounding board was invaluable." You admit, striding through the silvery field with your gaze darting among the structure's rigid parapets.

"She's not quiet when we're gaming, that's for sure." B'ni remarks with a light giggle.

"You two play pretty often?"

"Oh, uh...a bit, yeah." She replies with a nod, glancing away from you before her slight bluhs becomes too obvious. "It's nice."

A second of silence stretches into several before you realize that the two of you are just walking along quietly, treading towards the eerie castle of flesh and bone...and it occurs to you that this is the first time you and she have been alone since...well.

Since the very beginning, really.

>>"So, how's it feel to be out and about with everyone? Everything feel okay?"

>>"I'd like to hear more about what you and the others have gotten up to...time flows differently in the Dreamscape than in the real, right?"

>>"Thanks for speaking up about Dorian, by the way. I was going to say something, but I'm glad you did."

>>"There's, um...there's no need to feel weird, B'ni. We're in this together, yeah?"

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I know I've only just made the update for today, but given how fried I am after today's events, I believe that it's for the best that I call it here for the weekend. I'll resume posting on Monday at 9:30AM, Eastern time. I do hope that everyone's day is going well, and I want to thank you all for your kind words, patience, and understanding with how the week's gone. Hopefully the next one has infinitely less distractions and delays, and while I'll be resting most of this weekend to resume the Vein with a clear mind, I'll still be around to address any questions, comments, or concerns you all may have. I wish you a restful and safe weekend, one and all.)

>>4295339
>"So, how's it feel to be out and about with everyone? Everything feel okay?"
>"I'd like to hear more about what you and the others have gotten up to...time flows differently in the Dreamscape than in the real, right?"
>"Also, Thanks for speaking up about Dorian, by the way. I was going to say something, but I'm glad you did."

>>4295341
hey, i understand. and after my showing yesterday, im certainly in no position to say anything. i think we could all use a weekend break. the world in general hasn't been kind to anyone lately, and top that off with it seems like none of us had a particularly good week? we all deserve a bit of rest.

thanks for running like i said earlier in reply to your message last night, both for the quest and putting out what you can despite such a hellish week, and please, enjoy your weekend.

>>4295343
(I had virtually no mental bandwidth this morning to reply to your original post, but now that I do - thank you so much for what you said. It means a lot, and it goes a long way in keeping m vitalized where the Quest is concerned. I do hope you get some fantastic rest my friend, and I wish you the best this weekend.)

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>>4295345
thanks.
and also, one artist just keeps pumping out these neat portrait pictures, so have another.

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>>4294215
oh, and i forgot to say thanks in return to you aswell last night, sorry.
hope the story is progressing well too, and glad writing it has helped you in some way.

>>4295341
Oh, wow. I'm so sorry to hear that, BHOP. You must be having a really hard day. Well, I hope you get some rest over the weekend, then. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we all want you relaxed, free of anxiety, and able to engage in the things you enjoy.

>>4295343
Yeah, the world is pretty anxiety-inducing right now. It's to the point where I'm not even sure how to talk about it, I just wind up falling silent a lot of the time. I'm sorry if that ever makes me seem like I don't care about the rest of you, I do want to give reassurance or commiseration but I just freeze up. I do hope that everyone here manages to get past the problems in their lives right now, get things working better and feeling less stressed and worried. We all need it.

>>4295339
>>"Thanks for speaking up about Dorian, by the way. I was going to say something, but I'm glad you did."

>>4295371
hey man i understand. moreso than id like, this stuff hits harder than it probably does in general for most a bit, though for indirect reasons. hope things get better where you need it too.

>>4295367
Chapter 7 v2 update:

After a nap and another read through where I looked at the events from the perspective of Carter, I realized there's a huge disconnect with the flow of the story. Which means I have to do another major restructuring of the chapter.

The disconnect was that in the draft I originally wrote in sections where Carter would nearly blow his top more than once due to distress and trust issues, which required intervention on Andersen's part but I realized it would only make him like more a childish brat instead of a seasoned teenage globetrotter who is currently under much duress that threatens to break him even though he is capable of holding his own emotional calm and stability.

Also, from the aforementioned perspective, I realized that some elements would not quite work out in the latter chapters as well as put into question the validity of certain key scenes.

>>4295526
Sorry to hear you're having trouble finding Carter's voice. I hope you can get him to where you want him to be. Good luck, anon.

>>4295526
well, sorry to hear you're having a spot of trouble, but glad you were able to see and catch something that didnt fit. sucks to have to go back over it, but its also none the less a good thing ot be able to see that and get to fixing it. im sure you'll get it where you want it, and keep at it!

>>4295567
>>4295545
>>4295526
>>4295345

Alright everyone.... After my brother had to cancel on helping me out since my nephew got quite sick and my normal proof reader also came down with something nasty i decided to do the proofreading myself after letting it set for a couple of days. So any mistakes be they grammar or spelling are entirely on my head.

As Always any feedback is welcome and i would very much like to know which character you like best at this point. And if you decide to answer please also tell me why.

Chapter 11: Dover, First Steps on the Isle
Their new friend asks for help so they rescue a mouse from being sucked dry before finding a place to relax. A Bird and a Dragon take notice
https://docs.google.com/document/d/117GcB_pxA3fJxYl_1L90KlOJ5zXjSPRsuFPCuU_QtUY/edit?usp=sharing

So as a bit of speculation, what are the odds that we run into one of the big shot daughters while checking in on these groups (revolution, spider swarm, nuckelavee)?

>>4299283
Hard to say. Possibly very low depending on how out of the way they are compared to the Cord. Only the transportation and forge groups near the Cord might really be in their path as a guaranteed thing, but for those same reasons we have little reason to visit those two anytime soon.

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>>4295339

"So, how's it feel to be out and about with everyone? Everything feel okay?"

You catch a glimpse of emerald out of the corner of your eye when B'ni briefly glances your way as the two of you stride through the field of silver bathed under a scarlet sky.

"It's...actually pretty nice." Your old friend admits, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips as she flexes her hands experimentally. "I know this is calcite and all, but it's responsive. There's no lag or anything like I expected."

"Well, I'm glad the shell's treating you alright...but that wasn't exactly what I was asking."

"Oh." She says, slightly embarrassed. "W-well, I...I'm okay. Johanna's really happy to be contributing again, and I think Uzu really enjoyed her time with you."

"I'd like to hear more about what you and the others have gotten up to...time flows differently in the Dreamscape than in the real, right?" You ask, with B'ni nodding even as she keeps her eyes on the looming parapets before you.

"Yeah, I think I've been in there for a week, maybe? A week and a half?" She mutters, uncertain. "You've seen the coffee shop we made, and we keep adding more and more to it every time we go there. Just knick-knacks, mostly. Jo and I train to keep in fighting shape, while Uzu and I game and chat, so...it's been better than I expected.

"And what about the real?"

"It's okay. Everyone's been really nice. Rath, she...she gave a Relic, the same type of one she gifted me before everything...before I left. It's...well, it's not what I expected, if I'm being honest."

"I'd hoped you would be." You remark, allowing your fingers to dance along the undulating waves of waist-high silver follicles. "I hope you'll keep being honest, actually."

"I will, it just...it'll take some time, I guess. Dorian, Julia, Francine, even Gina - they've all been so nice. I don't really know what else to say about how they've been. Forgiving, almost? Like nothing's happened, even though so, so much went completely sideways." B'ni explains, starting to find her voice the more she speaks aloud. "It's overwhelming, I think? I don't really know what else to call it, after everything I put you all through."

"I think what matters isn't what you've done, but what you're trying to do in the here and now." You comment, your hive thrumming with anticipation as the distance between you and the castle closes. "Sure, you did some shitty things. So did Uzu. So did Johanna. And all three of you are working to ensure that this world gets the chance it needs. Besides...you're different, now."

"I am?"

"I think so. You're opening up, you're talking to people. It's a far cry from the girl I traveled with all those...weeks ago." You say, making a face at just how short a time frame you're working with. "Also, before I forget - I wanted to thank you for speaking up about Dorian, by the way. I was going to say something to him, but I'm glad that you were the one to do it."

(Continued)

>>4299310

"Oh, uh...you're welcome." She replies sheepishly. "Glad I'm not the only one who could see he was running on fumes."

"What's your take on how he's feeling?"

"Hm...well, without Julia as his minder, I feel like he's going to run himself ragged. I know his whole goal with all this is to prove something to himself, but I don't think he's got a solid grasp of his own limits. At least, not yet...bane of being a speedster is that you think you can outrace everything holding you back." She says, a hint of self-depreciation in her voice. "All in all, I think he needs to work out some stress..."

She makes a small noise, the sound of an idea crossing her mind.

"Maybe I could figure out something to distract him, or get his mind off it all when we get back? Oh, I could race him, or something!" B'ni muses excitedly, before shaking her head with an eyebrow cocked at her skinny ankles. "Eh, I don't have the greaves anymore, so it wouldn't be a fair match like...well, like the first time was raced."

Her brow furrows.

"Come to think of it, maybe racing him would bring up some bad memories."She adds with a grimace. "Bleh, never mind, then...hey. What's that look for?"

She pouts indignantly at the smile you didn't realize had spread across your lips.

"No, it's nothing bad - it's just nice to see you like this." You admit, with the other girl shyly casting her eyes aside as you speak. "I think the spirit of what you're trying to do is valid, for what it's worth. Regardless of what you try to do, I know that Dorian would appreciate it."

"...Thanks." She says quietly, no trace of sarcasm in her voice as she stops in her tracks, eyes cast skyward. "Not to change the subject, but how do you wanna deal with this whole mess?"

You follow her gaze to the sheer castle walls, the structure almost resembling a stern humanoid visage leering out at the Fleshscape. All at once, it hits you - the eerie, etheral quiet that blankets the intimidating fortress of artists in search of perfection. There's no clamor of conflict, no joyful sound of victory, so demand of explanation at your seemingly unnoticed arrival...nothing.

Just silence.

>>Send a fleet of swarmlings over the walls and into the palatial grounds to see what's going on.

>>Announce your presence alongside B'ni, loud and clear - you're not going to risk any scouting coming across as a threat.

>>Have B'ni see if she can't find any alternative entrances on the ground while you take to the skies aboard a Knightling.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Good Morning, Gentlemen. Voting shall remain open until 2:00PM today, and I do hope that everyone had a good and restful weekend.)

>>4299314
>>Announce your presence alongside B'ni, loud and clear - you're not going to risk any scouting coming across as a threat.
>Simply knock on the "door" and say hello. If asked, be legitimate, even if its not the full story. You heard about them and are interested in what they are about and seeing their settlement.

>>4299315
Well enough. Was a bit more chaotic than i expected, but not for or in a bad way.

>>4299314
Supporting>>4299318

>>4299315
It was eventful....

My players faced their first BBEG(who wasn't so evil and more forced to work for someone or be doomed to slowly go completely insane locked in his phylactery unable to communicate with anyone). Had they let him be however he would have at a later time returned with the entire remnants of the ancient dragon empire enslaved to his will and tried to conquer the world so his children could grow up in a peaceful and ordered society.....

They had to face a Dracolich.... That also was a level 25 Wizard in his lair with tons of skeletal minions and several wraiths.

They were lucky they had convinced the dragon that they would seal him inside a powerful artifact and he could keep his soulbond to his 'wife' (so in the fight he went easy on them because he had sworn oaths that would not allow him to give up without a fight)He went insane by delving deep into the secrets of Magic They married voluntarily. The wife having been groomed for it by her ancestor of a powerlich She had a good life up to that point the Dracolich even taught her magic

The Barbarian burned through around 200 HP(after resistances) until they finally managed to slay the dragon He had an item that healed him for 10 HP each round and gave him 10 Temp HP each round for 1 minute... so yeah that was what kept him alive otherwise he would have been toast by round three.

They then sealed him within a very powerful artifact(the cleric of the goddess of death undeath and corruption did it) and gave that over to the dragons wife. Who implanted it into her eyesocket so she could never lose it.

And then they started looting the place.... Ho boi the numbers are making my eyes swim. And he didnt even have a treasure horde just super expensive Equipment made form precious metals and super rare herbs + treatise on magic that hold an almost incalculable amount of knowledge about the very nature of Magic and the gods themselves.

>>4299315
I also hope your own weekend was restful as well.

>>4299314
>>Announce your presence alongside B'ni, loud and clear - you're not going to risk any scouting coming across as a threat.

>Eh, I don't have the greaves anymore
Actually, what does B'Ni have now? We erased her Core, so...nothing, technically? Well, I guess she'd have the Swarmling modifiers. So she can breathe fire, that's not bad.

>>4299315
>>4299318

Finally found a work around to the problem of the flow of events in regards to Chapter 7.

>>4299323
(This campaign is absolutely wild. It certainly sounds like you're having a blast!)

>>4299344
(It was, all things considered.)

>>4299378
(Excellent! I look forward to reading it when you're done, and I'm glad you've been able to work through it all!)

>>4299378
Glad to hear!

>>4299382
did you notice the update for Journey here >>4296391 ?

>>4299378
That's good to hear. I look forward to reading it.

Speaking of reading fanfic, looks like Journey updated over the weekend, too. Nice.

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>>4299389
to be honest the update had been ready for almost half a month now. i just got fed up having to wait for my proofreaders to recover and as such proofread it myself.....

So any mistakes or difficult to understand wording is gonna be my fault.

Have a Fey duchess from my DND campaign that the dwarven barbarian has made a pact with.

>>4299392
Wait a minute I know that picture.

>>4299392
I take it Wisdom was their dump stat, then, if they made a deal with fey royalty. That can't end well.

>>4299393
no idea where i got it from.... but she was really fitting for the personality of the creature i used it for....
And the dwarf instantly fell in love with her at first sight despite being warned multiple times that fey espesially dark fey are nothign but trouble

>>4299395
He didn't really have a dump stat they were all at least 10. The entire group rolled and they all got good to great stats. But yeah his Wisdom was his lowest stat

They actually got one favour out of her via a game of chance that the Paladin won by pointing out that their opposition had cheated. They had to use that favor to save themselves form being annihilated by a reality devouring monster they accidentally freed.

And it definitely wont end well. The Warlock that sold her soul to an Archdevil for survival is more likely to have a happy ending if she survives long enough to buy her soul back.

She pissed her patron off royaly and got taught a lesson(by a pissed of somewhat lesser devil like pit fiend Level Devil) that cost her two points of wisdom and one in strength and Constitution. That also broke her and made her completely irredeemable for the gods since she blamed the gods for this and not herself for running to her patron for everything and i mean everything that was more important then which colour of underwear she wanted to wear.

>>4299396

Link: https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/2496433?q=kenkou_cross+cleaver

Tl;dr: it's a rapey redcap goblin whose origins is set in a fantasy magical realm where Humanity is fighting a losing battle against the forces of a demon lord who managed to cripple the gods and overrode templates of every single species save for humanity templates of succubi. The cows are succubi, the dogs are succubi, even the slime are succubi. Almost every single monster species that you can think of has turned into succubi. And when you actually think about the setting, the realm is actually grim dark af.

>>4299406
ah okay. thanks... probably not something i will go and look to deep into but good to know noetheless.... To be honest while she is not rapey but bloodthirsty as all hell in my setting. She is the dungeon Amster for their queen and keeps all matters of creatures for their bloodgames.... Yes i crossed my Unseelie with Dark Elder from 40K

>>4299402
Well, sure, winning favors from the fey in games, that's something you can rely on. Making deals, trying to romance one? Terrible idea. Definitely agree that that warlock is going to have a better ending.

>>4299406
Porn worlds like that do tend to be really grim, yeah. Everything's super rapey, humanity is always only a few steps away from being fucked to death, no one even has any hobbies to distract them because everything is sex. Honestly, I don't know how people are supposed to get off to that, it's all so bleak.

>>4299418
Yeah the deal he made is that she is his girlfriend for up two months of the year and he owes her a medium favor for every year the agreement is not revoked.(i basically graded the weight of the favor between: Lesser, Minor, smaller, medium, larger, greater) She is so gonna use this to have him help her move up in the world of Unseelie politics and it will break him since he wont be able to back out without violating the fey contract.... which will absolutely break him if he tries to break them. She already has two favors form him to call upon. She will wait till she has about eight to set her plans into motion so she can force him to go through with it.

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>>4299314

“No sneaking around – if we’re doing this, then we’re doing it as a clearly as we can.” Comes your reply, and as you boldly stride up to the stern-looking wall, you clear your throat before announcing your presence. “Greetings! My name is Shu, the Defiant. Would you permit me and my friend entry to your palace.”

A warm, gentle breeze is your only answer as you scan the distant parapets for some sign of life, your heart beating in your ears against the deafening silence. Reaching out, you rap the back of your knuckles against the flesh-covered stone, your three knocks muffled by the surprisingly resilient layer of porcelain skin.

“Hello?” You venture, a little louder as B’ni keeps her head on a nervous swivel, scanning the rippling fields behind you. “We heard about the Arcadian Collective through a friend, and we were interesting seeing what you all were abou-“

Without a sound the wall before you parts, flesh and bone ushered aside at the frantic gesture of the being that now peeks around the veil of milk-white skin, her hands trembling as her wide, iridescent eyes dart between you and your companion from behind her gold-rimmed glasses. What to initially take to be a tremendous amount of scarring along her face reveals itself to be innumerable seams when her entire visage undulates nervously, the dozens of individual, finger-like mandibles that make up her skull chattering at once.

“Shhh!” She urges, a finger to her lips and a panicked edge to her whispers. “Any time but now! Now’s a very very bad time!”

“What’s going on?” You demand, keeping your voice low to placate the terrified girl who hastily shuts the opening behind her, joining you outside. “Are you okay?”

“Yes yes, but we have to be quiet! Nero’s done something to the city, on a big big scale! No echoes, no reverb, everything funneled somewhere else. Or stored, maybe…I’m not sure what she’s done, but it has to be part of a big big plan to end this once and for all!”
“Okay, just…breathe. In and out, alright? Just like me.” You say, gently taking the girl by the shoulders and holding her gaze. “Can you do that for me?”

She nods rapidly, her mandibles barely able to keep up with the force of the gesture as she draws in a harrowed breath, holding it for a moment, then exhaling at the same time you do. The two of you mirror each other a time or two more before she’s calmed her nerves enough to speak with some semblance of clarity.

“What’s your name?” You ask, keeping a hand on the other girl’s shoulder as you glance back at the castle.

“Mary. And you…you’re Shu, right? The Defiant?” She says, voice as unsteady as her legs as the girl fights to keep herself upright as you nod. “Oh…oh thank god, maybe you can help us with this awful awful mess.”

(Continued)

>>4299466

“To even know where to start I’d need to know what’s going on here, exactly.” You begin, meeting B’ni’s wary eyes with a fleeting glance. “So, Mary – let’s take it from the top. I know the gist of the major players like Nero, Magnus, and everyone, so just tell me your side of things.”

“Okay, so…Nero and Levia, they’re fighting Magnus and Aeren, right?” She says nervously, continually glancing back to the sheer castle walls as she speaks. “Only their inner circles know exactly what they started fighting about, but when the call to arms went out, this whole place went nuts. My entire friend group was scattered, and now I can’t find them, and everyone I talk to keeps worrying if things are going to become like they did at the Monastery, and…”

She shakes her head hard, hands clasped to her ears.

“Why don’t people just leave?” B’ni asks, confused. “What’s keeping people here?”

“Love. Loyalty. Home. All of that and more.” Mary replies miserably. “This is the only home most of the people here have ever known, and I..."

Mary heaves a shuddering sigh.

“God, I hate conflict. I hate hate hate it. Everything was fine, perfectly fine until the Council started arguing.” Mary groans, reaching up to rub her temples…until she stops, her eyes going wider than before. “Wait…if Nero’s worked with her people to re-route sight and sound to her, then she must be on her way, or at the least aware of your arrival.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” You ask, B’ni glancing over the girl’s shoulder.

“No no, not me…but maybe you.” She replies, uncertain. “You end things, you change things…I don’t know how she’ll react if she finds you here.”

“Are there any forces close by that *aren’t* under Nero’s control?” B’ni asks, fists clenched.

“Yes, there’s a stalemate between Magnus and Levia’s groups a little ways from here. Levia and Nero are in deep deep cahoots, but Levia’s people are a little more…level-headed, let’s say.”

“Are there any neutral zones?” You ask, with Mary shaking her head once more.

“There used to be…but that all stopped once it became crystal crystal clear that if you weren’t with a Councilmember, you were against them.”

Good Lord, this entire situation sounds like one colossal nightmare. You’re not even sure if Dorian’s presence would do anything to help…and truth be told, you’re even less certain about you and B’ni being able to contribute to this whole thing’s peaceful resolution.

>>”Point us in the direction of Magnus’ people – we’ll take it from there.”

>>”If you’re vouching for Levia’s forces, then just show us the way.”

>>”If Nero’s coming…then let her. She’ll be the first of this Council that I’ll meet.”

>>”None of these options sound terribly appealing right now, so point us to a place that won’t be a battleground.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

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

>>4299469
>"I'd honestly love to get these four to sit down and talk, but even if that would help, it sounds like it might be difficult to do."
>"Know anyone who may know exactly what they are actually fighting about? that should help end this... one way or another."
>Let her take you to whoever she thinks is best, so long as its not waiting for one of them to bar the doors on you.

>>4299469
>"I think to resolve this i need a better overview of what they are arguing about. Maybe we can get them to a table but this thing seems like a bloody mess already"
>"Know anyone who may know exactly what they are actually fighting about? that should help end this... one way or another."
>Let her take you to whoever she thinks is best, so long as its not waiting for one of them to bar the doors on you.

>>4299466
>“Yes yes, but we have to be quiet! Nero’s done something to the city, on a big big scale! No echoes, no reverb, everything funneled somewhere else. Or stored, maybe…I’m not sure what she’s done, but it has to be part of a big big plan to end this once and for all!”
Maybe. Or it might be the cause of the conflict and not a means to resolve it. Acoustic sculpture is a legitimate field of art, maybe the fight started over Nero wanting to rebuild the city into a giant sound channel and the rest of the leaders getting angry over how that would require the entire geometry to be changed.

>>4299479
Or it could be a giant sound bomb... if she can gather and store all that energy she may also be able to unleash it all at once probably liquefying everything within several hundred meters that is not absolutely immune to sonic damage.

Or it is a massive artdispute..... with both sides being convinced their art is the only true art.

Not sure which would be worse