>>5031228
>You have 10 Evolution Points
>You can spend those points at certain stages of your evolution to unlock new adaptations and abilities
>You may purchase the following adaptations with your points:

>Rudimentary eyes, growing these allows you to see your surroundings, or at least a blurry version of it, so long as it’s nearby and there is sufficient light. 5 points

>Rudimentary legs, you force your flesh into vaguely leg shaped stubs, they pack enough muscle to support your body and allow you to move more easily, albeit not as fast as a more advanced creature. 5 points

>Rudimentary tendrils, they sprout from your body and allow you to more easily manipulate your surroundings, although at this stage they are weak and clumsy, and would not be able to support your body, but it is better to be able to grab things and potentially defend yourself than not. 5 points

>Rudimentary claws and teeth, you gain the ability to bite and claw your prey, although at this stage you lack the muscle development and bone density to bite very hard or claw with much force. 5 points

>Primitive intelligence, you begin to grow something resembling a brain, spread out across your entire form, a neural network that may become greater than the sum of it’s parts, with time. I mean, what kind of creature would centralize it’s entire essence into one, easily destroyed area? 10 points

>Rudimentary skeletal structure, you begin to grow a skeleton, more akin to cartilage than real bones, but they’ll make you a good deal sturdier, and will also help with locomotion if you combine it with arms or legs. 5 points

>Rudimentary mouth, tongue and dull teeth, these allow you to taste and more easily consume your prey. Could be life saving for avoiding poisonous biomatter. 5 points.

>Rudimentary olfactory systems, subtle changes to your biostructure allow you to smell the air, which would make hunting easier, especially with an advanced sense of smell. 5 points

>>5031233
>Primitive intelligence, you begin to grow something resembling a brain, spread out across your entire form, a neural network that may become greater than the sum of it’s parts, with time. I mean, what kind of creature would centralize it’s entire essence into one, easily destroyed area? 10 points

It seems like we are being taken care of. Cunning will help us adapt our gains over time, and escape our cell soonest.

>>5031233
>TENDRILS: 5PTS
>OLFACTORY SYSTEMS: 5PTS

You have my interest, QM!

>>5031236
>>5031238
I'll wait for more votes to come in for a bit and roll for a tiebreaker if needed.

>Rudimentary tendrils, they sprout from your body and allow you to more easily manipulate your surroundings, although at this stage they are weak and clumsy, and would not be able to support your body, but it is better to be able to grab things and potentially defend yourself than not. 5 points
>Rudimentary mouth, tongue and dull teeth, these allow you to taste and more easily consume your prey. Could be life saving for avoiding poisonous biomatter. 5 points.

>>5031249
Ahh, seems like tendrils are popular. I'll change my vote to this one. +1

>5031233

>>5031233
>Rudimentary tendrils, they sprout from your body and allow you to more easily manipulate your surroundings, although at this stage they are weak and clumsy, and would not be able to support your body, but it is better to be able to grab things and potentially defend yourself than not. 5 points

>>5031252
>>5031250
>>5031249
>>5031238
Seem's like tendrils are locked in, so I'll make the choice a bit easier:
>Rudimentary mouth, tongue and dull teeth, sense of taste and easier assimilation. 5 points
>Rudimentary olfactory systems, sense of smell. 5 points.

>>5031254
Please pick one of these two options, if I wasn't clear, and don't worry too much about the starting adaptions, they do matter, but you'll have many more opportunities to grow strange and terrible.

>>5031254
>Rudimentary mouth, tongue and dull teeth, sense of taste and easier assimilation. 5 points

>>5031254
>Rudimentary olfactory systems, sense of smell. 5 points.

If we don't have eyes we'll probably need more than touch.

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>>5031257
>>5031252
>>5031250
>>5031249
>>5031238
>You grow tendrils! Somewhere many miles from your current location, a sweaty otaku groans in anticipation...
>You grow a mouth, tongue and stubby dull teeth! Look at those chompers, with this you'll more easily tell what biomatter is safe to eat and what is more...questionable.

As you fumble towards your "prey", your frustration mounts as you blindy grope and attempt to swallow the biomatter into your quaking form, which is more difficult when you have no food hole. At that thought, you begin to feel a change coming on, what passes for your skin prickles and a strange heat envelops your body. Pop! A piece of hardened cartilage suddenly pokes out of your flesh, and then another, and another and another until eventually a small area on you is riddled with these strange growths. But you can tell you're not quite done yet, as a piece of your flesh
in the center of your teeth reshapes itself, and suddenly you feel a queer sensation, a strangely metallic taste at you tentatively poke it out at the biomatter.

Huh, so this is what taste is. A bit odd, but you could grow accustomed to the sensation. At that, you scarf down the morsel, grinding it between your teeth to ease the assimilation process, and then... Gulp! You swallow it down into what's not quite a stomach and more like a small pit for biomatter to be held for assimilation at the core of your small form. You release a bit of swallowed air at this, a curious sensation, and feel the corners of your mouth curl up in satisfaction.

Five Evolution Points obtained!

But what is that strange rhythmic vibration you "hear", coming somewhere outside your den? But, no time to consider that, as you feel more, stranger growths taking hold. Your muscles ball up under your skin in four places, and then begin poke out what may be your back, stretching and finally bursting the tender flesh, and then growing out and out, reaching maybe two and a half feet in length, give or take a couple centimeters, capped with five smaller tendrils at the tip. Curious.

Somewhere in the middle of that process, you noted that the rhythmic vibration stopped.

>Blindy grope around your den, in all your time since your awakening, you've not done much to test the exact size of it, too focused on your terrible hunger to feel up to much of anything.
>Snap your mouth open and closed, flail your tendrils against the enclosure, release something resembling a screech in a clear statement: Give me more food! NOW!
>Take a break, those changes have taken a good deal of calories to do and honestly, you're spent. A short hibernation would do you some good.
>WRITE IN

>>5031264
>Snap your mouth open and closed, flail your tendrils against the enclosure, release something resembling a screech in a clear statement: Give me more food! NOW!

>>5031264
>Blindy grope around your den, in all your time since your awakening, you've not done much to test the exact size of it, too focused on your terrible hunger to feel up to much of anything.

>>5031264
>Write in.
Try to rebember the places where your previous preys appeared. And go to those places.
Try to eat part of the ground or from the around you to test the new mouth or see if there's something else that can be consumed

>>5031264
>>5031273
Ooh, good thinking. I'm switching my vote to this one.

>>5031273
>>5031279
Alright, give me three rolls of 1d20, we'll take the best out of three for:
>REMEMBER
and
>SCOUR THE DEN FOR BIOMATTER

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5031283
Watch THIS

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5031283

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5031283
Gimme that big number

>>5031289
Ayyy he got the big number. Time for monch

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>>5031289
>>5031287
>>5031286
>REMEBER... SUCCESS
>SCOUR THE DEN FOR BIOMATTER... SUCCESS

For a moment, every cell in your small form seethes with rage, and you almost lash out in a kind of instinctual baby rage. The Hunger almost takes over, but some deeper, calmer part of you advises stoicism, that pointless flailing will get you nowhere. That tiny voice wins out, barely, and despite how weak you feel after your transformations, you rack your tiny mind, trying to think of something, anything that will sate your aching belly and let you live another cycle. For a long while, nothing comes to mind, just the almost mindless arguments and background static from your more bothersome cells.

WE MUST EAT
WHERE ARE WE?
WHAT ARE WE?

You don't know the answer to any of those questions, and for a while your mind is torn in countless directions. Until that tiny voice from somewhere deep within offers more counsel, advising you to retrace your steps, such as they were. Where does the biomatter come from? Where does it always lie, when your captors decide to grant you a tiny mercy? With that thought becoming imperative, you think. And you think. It's hard to force yourself to come to an agreement when there are millions of You, millions of tiny hands gripping the rudder of your will, but eventually, with much whip cracking, threats, and derision, you bring your body in line. With every part of you working in unison, a pattern begins to emerge:

There is always a vibration right before the biomatter is dropped in, and it is always dropped from somewhere above your den, yet somehow within it.

You remember being somewhat vicious in your previous feedings, inefficiently spreading precious chunks of biomatter around your den, and then forgetting about them when your hunger is momentarily sated.

And there's something else... Some ancient scrap of memory of somehow being... More before you were reduced to your current state. A dull resentment festers in you, you can almost feel how much you have lost, and somehow that is worse than fully understanding it. You bury that feeling, and with your memories picked over, you retrace your steps back to where the biomatter has always be placed. Spreading your tendrils along the ground in all four directions, you scoop up chunks and bits of errant biomatter, and in a short amount of time, you have gathered what you're fairly certain is the grisly leftovers of your previous meals. Hardly more than a snack, but in your condition you aren't one to refuse a small repast.

And so you laboriously scoop these odds and ends into your maw, smacking your lips and finally cleaning the ground with your tongue once you've gathered all you can. The taste is somehow different than the fresh offerings, more stale and somehow less satisfying, but it will have to do.

For now.

You've gained 3 Evolution Points! New total is 8 EP

>>5031302
You've corralled your lesser impulses into some semblance of control! 1 Evolution Point gained! New total is 9 EP!

You've remembered that you were once Greater, and perhaps one day you will be again...

>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!

>Your anger rises like a bile inside of you, and you choose to let it take control. Lash out, whip your tendrils around wildly, screech until your throat is sore, ram your body into the edges of your cell. They will know you are not one to be trifled with!

>You are feeling a bit better after that small meal, but you can only go on for so long before exhaustion takes hold, especially after your struggle to control your mind and your body. The world can wait a while longer, it seems you are in no terrible danger in this place, now would be a good opportunity to rest and recuperate.

>>5031302
Dammit, I don't know how I fucked up that italics tag. My bad lads, I'll try to proofread more thoroughly in the future.

>>5031304
>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!

>>5031305
No worries, QM--you can also always delete a post by clicking the checkbox next to your name, then clicking the delete button at the bottom right of the page if you need to!

>>5031304
>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!

>>5031304
>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!

>>5031305
man, I have done that many times in my quest. It is what it is.

>>5031308
>>5031306
>>5031311
I'll let voting run on a while longer, as I'm getting a bit sleepy. Next update will be tomorrow afternoon, somewhere between 2-5pm. Thanks for playing with me lads, it's been a blast to finally run something again, short as the session was. Let me know what you think of it so far, and if anything should be changed. Good night!

>>5031304
Oh and I forgot to put it there, but feel free to Write In for almost every decision, creative input is always more fun.

>>5031304
>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit.
Can we only spend evolution points when prompted?

>>5031366
>Can we only spend evolution points when prompted?
Yeah, if only to prevent the thread from getting bogged down in constant voting for adaptations. There's a threshold of consumed biomatter you have to hit to be able evolve, which is measured in your Evolution Points, and as you evolve that threshold will become harder and harder to reach, but I'll try to keep it somewhat regular.

>>5031304
>Red, green, blue
Id, ego, superego?

>>5031304
>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!

>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit.

>>5031304
>You are feeling a bit better after that small meal, but you can only go on for so long before exhaustion takes hold, especially after your struggle to control your mind and your body. The world can wait a while longer, it seems you are in no terrible danger in this place, now would be a good opportunity to rest and recuperate.
>>5031312
I'd advise to remember providing challenges for us to overcome, it can get pretty dull if the game cycle consists of only consuming and growing new mutations.
t. ran similar quest this july

>>5031304
>>Time to experiment, use your tendrils to feel around your den, get an idea of it's exact dimensions, and test if there is any weakness for you to exploit. You will get out of this nightmarish prison, you swear it!
No need to appear hostile. Information is good, better if we get a brain going. Bide our time and hide our abilities as best as possible.

>>5031604
Biohorror quest, was it ? I was a regular. Are you secondQM or the OP ?

>>5031613
SecondQM. I thought about continuing it this autumn but I had no ideas about engaging interactions with humans, which was essentially the only path with the evolutionary game becoming meaningless due to unlimited biomass from trees. Sorry for not delivering. Running another quest rn, maybe I'll eventually cook something up mid-November for a continuation.

>>5031613
>>5031604
>>5031567
>>5031493
>>5031366
>>5031311
>>5031308
>>5031306
Experimenting with your cell it is, writing now.

>>5031680
Actually, give me three 1d20.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>5031683
Death will come for you.

Oh and I might as well explain the dice rules now. Critfails and critsuccess are in effect, rolling a 1 is very bad and a 20 or 100 is very good. Generally I'll only ask for 1d20 rolls for average/somewhat difficult checks, and 1d100 for hard/risky checks.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5031680

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>>5031691
It begins.

>>5031688
>>5031692
Totally unrelated question, what happens if some poor chucklefuck rolls a crit fail and a crit success?

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5031683

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>>5031680
With the need to know your surroundings becoming imperative, you begin the tedious task of exploring your den, spreading your tendrils to the left and right along the floor, with the upper two just barely scraping the ceiling, and you slowly do a pass through from both ends of the cell, twice over to catch anything you missed. Then, you move to the left wall and spread your tendrils across it, measuring it's length. And again with the right side. When you're done you go over what you've learned;

The cell is around 6 feet long, and the walls are almost 3 feet high where they meet the ceiling. Both ends capping the walls are 3 feet in length, and the same height as the side walls.

The walls and floor are completely smooth, and slightly cold to the touch. You don't know what material it is made out of, but somewhere deep inside you know this stuff is metal, strong and sturdy.

Along the left wall you can feel slight indentations on the top and bottom, so small you almost missed them despite your thoroughness. Could this be how you were placed inside? When those things took you from wherever you were? It definitely should be investigated further, for any kind of possible weaknesses

And at the top, so high you can barely reach it, straining your uppermost tendril just to scrape it, is where the biomatter comes from. A circular indentation, around 8 inches in width, is where you surmise biomatter is held before the indentation pops open, and it drops in. You're starting to get a sense of the timing between feedings, it being the only thing that lets you track the passage of time.

If only you knew what to do with this knowledge, you could figure out an escape plan...

Then, you feel it. A almost impercetible tingle on your back side, it honestly makes you a bit ticklish. You turn around so that your mouth is facing it, and yes, there is something touching you here. But what? Air, that tiny, wise voice tells you, fresh air being blown into your den. Could this be the way out? In your excitement, you ram "head" first against the wall, and you feel tiny gaps, and the ticklish sensation is very noticeable now. You guess this is how they filter air in, this tiny grate about a foot in length. The gaps in the grate are far too small for you to squeeze through, but a tendril just barely passes through. You feel vibrations coming from outside your den, but ignore it. Could it truly be this easy to escape? Are your captors this foolish? Reaching and reaching, you feel around with your tendril, feeling for any type of way to pop the grate open, for you to escape... You're almost there, you can feel it, who would have known it would be this ea-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcFHG46swlU

PAIN! Burning, stinging pain! It lances through you, from your groping tendril to the core of your very being! It.. IT HURTS!

>>5031730
You try to snap your tendril back, to get away from this horrible feeling and whatever sharp toothed monster lurks in those vents, but you can't. You're stuck. You wrench as hard as your weak muscles can pull, and in the part of your tendril thats caught you feel a tearing sensation. MAKE IT STOP, FLEE, RUN AWAY! screams your mutinous cells. Your body is literally tearing itself apart in an attempt to break free from this horrible feeling, deciding finally that the costs of cooperation outweigh the benefits. You barely keep them in check, but as long as this pain keeps making your weaker selves panic, you don't know how much longer you can keep yourself together.

With a final, colossal effort, or at least it was colossal in your fracturing mind, that tiny voice mocks, you pull on your caught tendril.

RIIIIP!

The tendril finally comes free, but you know that half of it was taken by that beast in the vents, leaking precious blood and biomatter all over the walls and floor of your den. The whole time that was happening, maybe 30 seconds of almost complete panic, the vibrations from outside your cell grew stronger and stronger. You insert the stump of your poor tendril into your mouth, sucking the blood so nothing goes to waste, and get to the arduous work of once again corralling your traitorous cells.

You lose some mental and physical cohesion, get ahold of yourself! Minus 2 Evolution Points, leaving you with a total of 7.

As you're doing that, you feel the air from the vent grow stronger, and for a moment you almost lose complete control.

Is it coming to finish me off? What should we do?!
FIGHT! YES! VENGEANCE WILL BE OURS!
No, quiet down you two. Can't you feel that something is different? The air.. tastes... straaaaannnngeee....

Blackness consumes you, and you enter the void of unconsciousness. Just before you completely pass out, however, you almost think you hear a chuckle from that tiny voice deep within...Hehe... fools...

And then, all is silent.

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>>5031742
You awaken some time later, your poor tendril still a pathetic stump, but at least the pain has become a dull throbbing ache, instead of all consuming. Your cells seem to have calmed down somewhat, and the vibrations from outside the den have stopped. You're on the other side of the den now, away from the vent, and hopefully safe from that gnashing fiend that lies within. At least, it seems your captors have taken some modicum of pity on you, because you sense biomatter. Live biomatter, at that and decently sized, but still no match for you. Whatever it is must be brave or stupid, because it is on the other side of the den from you, right in front of the horrible beasts lair. You take a moment to compose yourself. Then consider your next move. All the while, your terrible hunger lurks inside, like a starving quadruped that just came upon a fresh kill.

>Approach the biomatter, but with caution. It "smells" different, somehow, and not just because it's blood still flows. You must sate yourself, especially after that ordeal

>FRESH MEAT! Pounce on the offering, tear it asunder and feast to your hearts content! Surely you've reached a point where you can handle such a pathetic whelp with ease.

>You haven't forgotten your previous torment at the claws of some unknown beast, lurking in the vents. Keep a safe distance from your new denmate, watch for any sudden moves, and see if you can figure out the best way to assimilate it, or perhaps some other, more civil method of dealing with it.

>Write-in

You feel a change coming on, your cells primed
and ready for the work... Soon...

>>5031756
>You haven't forgotten your previous torment at the claws of some unknown beast, lurking in the vents. Keep a safe distance from your new denmate, watch for any sudden moves, and see if you can figure out the best way to assimilate it, or perhaps some other, more civil method of dealing with it.
>Perhaps even analyze what makes it tick? See what it does that works. Take it's strengths for ourselves once we evolve

>>5031694
Generally the severity of your crit succes or failure would depend on the difficulty and danger of the check you're attempting. Critfailing a exploration check in a relatively safe area would lead to what you just went through, harmful but not particularly lethal, whereas failing something like attempting to assimilate a creature much larger and stronger than you could lead to your mutilation, or even death, and vice versa. Nothing ventured and all that.

>>5031756
>You haven't forgotten your previous torment at the claws of some unknown beast, lurking in the vents. Keep a safe distance from your new denmate, watch for any sudden moves, and see if you can figure out the best way to assimilate it, or perhaps some other, more civil method of dealing with it.

>>5031756
>Approach the biomatter, but with caution. It "smells" different, somehow, and not just because it's blood still flows. You must sate yourself, especially after that ordeal

>>5031756
>Approach the biomatter, but with caution. It "smells" different, somehow, and not just because it's blood still flows. You must sate yourself, especially after that ordeal
Gotta feed that hunger but we as we were recently reminded we also gotta be careful

>>5031756
(Holy shit why is the captcha so hard, i'm trying for almost 30 min???)
You haven't forgotten your previous torment at the claws of some unknown beast, lurking in the vents. Keep a safe distance from your new denmate, watch for any sudden moves, and see if you can figure out the best way to assimilate it, or perhaps some other, more civil method of dealing with it.
Be careful, and try to understand a little of it, maybe it can guide us to other ones? We just wake up, are there others? Always be careful, don't let the Hunger get you, that's the reason why you aren't big anymore

I'll let voting run for another couple of minutes, then call it and start writing.

>>5031829
>>5031809
>>5031802
>>5031787
OK, caution wins out. Give me three 1d20 for;
>EXAMINE THE CREATURE FROM A DISTANCE
>THINK OF A GAME PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT
Best of three.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>5031856
Perish.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5031856

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>5031856

>>5031864
>>5031860
>>5031859
Alright, writing.

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>EXAMINE THE CREATURE FROM A DISTANCE... SUCCESS
>THINK OF A GAME PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT... SUCCESS

Stay calm, and think. You're probably not in any terrible danger, unless this thing is hiding some deadly adaptation that's not obvious from the vague mental outline you get of its form. And now that you think of it, you have no eyes, ears, or sense of smell, and yet you somehow know where the creature is and what it roughly looks like. You focus, sharpening your biomatter sense into a razor point, and drive it at the creature. Your cells, excited at the prospect of assimilation and finally having a relatively safe task to work towards. all pull together in unison, and you slowly build a better picture of just what this thing is.

It's smaller than you, roughly 8 inches in length and not much wider than an inch. It periodically flicks it's tongue out at you and keeps its head, and it's eyes as well now that you're focused on it, unblinkingly on you. It's also much colder than you'd expect for a creature that still draws breath, what a strange adaptation...

It's seemingly defenseless, it's claws appearing tiny and dull in your minds eye. An easy kill if there ever was one. And yet... You sense something else about it that's slightly off. Perhaps it's almost complete stillness, except for it's rear part, what an ancient instinctual memory tells you is known as a tail, occasionally flicking back and forth. Perhaps a warning signal, maybe saying "I've got my eye on you buster, no funny business." Still, you think that if it comes down to it, you would be in very little danger if you attempt forceful assimilation.

Violence isn't always the answer, if your sad tendrils stump is any evidence. Perhaps you could attempt something different, a form of communication your mind labels as communion Not that you have any idea what that means or what you would have to do to achieve it. Still, it may be worth a shot, and if it doesn't work, you could always just assimilate it by force.

>You're hungry, but still wary. Approach it with caution, then attempt to surprise it by grabbing it with your unharmed tendrils as fast as you are able. Then with it at your mercy, you would be able to do as you please with it.

>Aahhh, screw it. Just rush it down and pin it with your mass, your over twice it's size and weight, sometimes brute force is the right move. Plus, a little exercise would at least break up the monotony of your captivity and perhaps could even be fun.

>You're curious about that concept,
communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remembering the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be a tiny step closer to becoming like you once were.. Strange and terrible.

>>5031894
>Write-in

>>5031894
>You're curious about the concept, COMMUNION
And then, we can reach [[THE BIG ONE]]

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept,

>>5031894
Oh, sorry about the fucked up formatting on that last prompt, here's what it's meant to look like:
>You're curious about that concept, communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remember the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be one tiny step closer to becoming like you once were... Strange and terrible...

>>5031894

>You're curious about that concept

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept

I think I'll call the session here, and let voting run on overnight. Next session will be around the same time tomorrow, thanks for reading everyone.

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept, communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remember the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be one tiny step closer to becoming like you once were... Strange and terrible...

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept

Wail the song of our people, the previous creature used vibrations, so maybe the creature communes in this manner.

>>5031894
>>You're hungry, but still wary. Approach it with caution, then attempt to surprise it by grabbing it with your unharmed tendrils as fast as you are able. Then with it at your mercy, you would be able to do as you please with it.

>>5031894
>>You're hungry, but still wary. Approach it with caution, then attempt to surprise it by grabbing it with your unharmed tendrils as fast as you are able. Then with it at your mercy, you would be able to do as you please with it.

>>5031894
>>You're curious about that concept,

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept, communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remember the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be one tiny step closer to becoming like you once were... Strange and terrible...

>>5031894
>>You're curious about that concept, communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remembering the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be a tiny step closer to becoming like you once were.. Strange and terrible.

>>5031633
Well thanks for running, then. I suppose this quest will go the way of the movie. I believe we're on a ship, that we'll eventually take over and crash, end up in the movie's scenario, and then hopefully get to play large scale shenanigans on the global Earth population. Maybe that'll give you ideas ?
Also, what other quest are you running ?

>>5031894
>You're curious about that concept, communion. If you rack your mind, maybe you could remember how it's done, and what it even does to begin with. Of course, getting the creature to cooperate would certainly be harder than remember the whole process, but it's worth trying. And you think, if you succeed, you'll be one tiny step closer to becoming like you once were... Strange and terrible...

We are more than our base desires, we...are powerful, if we desire to commune then we shall commune, we will learn and understand. And then we will be masters of our domain and fate. this is the true path, this is the correct path.

>>5032604
>>5032574
>>5032375
>>5032287
>>5032224
>>5032153
>>5031953
>>5031947
>>5031929
>>5031898
Alright, lets try and see if we can remember how this old dance goes...

Give me 3 1d100 for:
>REMEMBER HOW TO PERFORM COMMUNION... IT CALLS TO YOU
>GET THE CREATURE TO COOPERATE LONG ENOUGH FOR THE COMMUNION

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>5032852

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>5032852

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>5032852

Surely nothing can go wrong if we follow our genetic imperative?

>>5032862
>>5032856
>>5032854
OK cool, writing.

>>5032865
>>5032852
Oh, forgot my nametag. Maybe I should finally learn how to be a tripfag...

>>5032869
"ThingQM##InsertYourPasswordHere"

That's how you make a tripcode. Please don't actually use "InsertYourPasswordHere".

File: 182162.gif (485 KB, 500x200)

485 KB GIF

>>5032852
>REMEMBER HOW TO PERFORM COMMUNION... SUCCESS
>GET THE CREATURE TO COOPERATE LONG ENOUGH FOR THE COMMUNION... SUCCESS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFWIodNL--w

You resolve to try it, that thing, Communion. But... What even is it? You rack your mind and come up blank. Just a vague feeling, an idea of somehow becoming more when you do it, and that it's right. It makes you whole. With that in mind, you scroll through your genetic memory, flipping through words and images, thousands of them per second. You track down each cell, each organelle and ask them; Just what the fuck is it? Each one gives differing and conflicting answers, barring the ones that just plain don't know.
IT'S GOOD. YOU KNOW THAT MUCH. LIFE PERFECTING LIFE IN A JOYFUL AND INFINTESIMAL BOOTSTRAPPING TOWARD GODHOOD.

It's survival, pure and simple. The fact that this creature in front of you isn't jumping to the same conclusions, that this bond between you would only be beneficial, somehow strikes you as queer. Now that you think of it, you and it are very different, fundamentally so...

I've got something of an idea... You already have the tools necessary for this Communion, just not the knowhow. But we're getting closer to it, that thing... Hold on, let me try something...

Momentarily concerned at one of your stronger selves taking control, you nonetheless let go of the wheel, and let It take over. You can feel a growth coming on, or maybe it was already grown? Either way, your back splits open painlessly, and a tendril that is not a tendril slithers out, still fresh with viscera. It squirms out of you, towards the creature, who has now tilted it's head in parts both curious and horrified. And once again, you feel those tale tell vibrations coming from outside your den. No matter, you press on, slowly snaking your new part towards the creature...

Just as you get 3 inches away from it, you can sense it's heartrate increase. You can taste it in the air, that stink of adrenaline and pure fight or flight instinct taking hold in its tiny mind. However... For some reason it remains still, even more still than it naturally is. Closer and closer does your organ reach, before you are but a hair away from its face. Then your other, louder voice grabs hold of you
STEP ASIDE, I CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE.

The organ's tip blossoms, and more tendrils, even smaller than the host, snap free, and finally grab hold of the creature! Surprised, it begins to struggle, but your grip on it is strong, and you hold it's mouth shut as your smaller tendrils pierce it's flesh, and then it's skull. When those tendrils make contact with the fleshy growth inside, a flood of images flash through your mind, so fast you can barely make out what they are. You see... Yourself, from it's perspective. You see your communion organ blossom and take hold of the creature. And you see even further back, to where this creature was before being put here.

>>5032882
You see things. No, Things... They are tall, and oddly shaped. And just from this primitive scrap of memory, you can tell they are odd even by the standards of this world. Totally hairless, except on the top of their bodies and some with hair around the slit on that odd growth. You see a hand reaching forth, towards you, and you feel this creatures panic when that happened. It certainly struggled much more then than now, as it even bit the Thing on the tip of it's tendril. You taste what must be its blood, oddly metallic and yet somehow comforting. And then you see something that shocks even you.

You see yourself again, in your den. Somehow the wall is clear, and you make absolutely no movements as the wall pops open and the creature is placed inside, with you. And then you see multiple images of the creature, cowering against the side wall opposite you, and yet you make no movements still. Growing bolder, it approaches your sleeping form, and gives it, You, a tentative lick. Then it returns back to where you found it when you awoke, and the images stop.

But not the sensations, oh no, those are growing stronger. You feel your forms merging then, your bodies bonding together at the cellular level like long lost lovers finally reunited. And you feel pleasure at this, the only time you've felt such a sensation without forceful assimilation causing it. For a brief moment you wonder, who assimilates who, in the end? Once it is done, once the creature has been disassembled and put back together inside you, you feel... Good. Whole. Somehow more than what you were before. And that creature hasn't completely dissolved inside you, instead it and all it's cells have had something of an awakening, like remembering some profound and fundamental law of the universe that they had somehow forgotten. And they thank you for it, for the gift of communion. You have been made whole, and by God is is joyous.

>You've remembered the art of Communion! Entropy recoils in fear, somehow you know this... 8 Evolution Points obtained! Your new total is 15 EP!

>You feel a change coming on, and it's too strong to resist now...

>You have reached the next stage in your evolution, and from achieving communion with this lifeform, you have unlocked new adaptations...
>You have 15 Evolution points to spend.

>Rudimentary eyes, growing these allows you to see your surroundings, or at least a blurry version of it, so long as it’s nearby and there is sufficient light. 5 points

>Rudimentary legs, you force your flesh into vaguely leg shaped stubs, they pack enough muscle to support your body and allow you to move more easily, albeit not as fast as a more advanced creature. 5 points

>Primitive tendrils, muscle becomes more tightly corded along it's length, and they grow another foot from the growth. You're also getting the hang of controling them, and while they can't quite support your body still, you are more nimble and powerful with this adaptation.

>>5032903
>Rudimentary eyes
Such wonders to remember! let us rediscover sight and behold our surroundings. The truth is revealed, biomass is just biomass, but this new sensation is good... entropy shall fear us.

>>5032903
>Rudimentary eyes, growing these allows you to see your surroundings, or at least a blurry version of it, so long as it’s nearby and there is sufficient light. 5 points
I mean we have enough to buy all three but I assume you're asking for only one. This is the most useful at the moment.

>>5032903
>Primitive tendrils, muscle becomes more tightly corded along it's length, and they grow another foot from the growth. You're also getting the hang of controling them, and while they can't quite support your body still, you are more nimble and powerful with this adaptation. 10 points


>Rudimentary claws and sharper teeth, these can be attached at the tip of your tendrils or legs, and will allow you to more capably defend yourself if it comes down to it. Having the skill or strength to reliablly perform that act however, is another matter. 5 points

>Primitive intelligence, you begin to grow something resembling a brain, spread out across your entire form, a neural network that may become greater than the sum of it’s parts, with time. I mean, what kind of creature would centralize it’s entire essence into one, easily destroyed area? 10 points

>Rudimentary skeletal structure, you begin to grow a skeleton, more akin to cartilage than real bones, but they’ll make you a good deal sturdier, and will also help with locomotion if you combine it with arms or legs. 5 points

>Primitive mouth, tongue, and sharp teeth, with this improvement you can more easily identify harmful biomatter, and also can do some damage with those chompers of yours. And along with flicking your tongue out regularly, you can taste the air and sense your prey better, although not as well as with a proper olfactory system. 10 points

>Rudimentary olfactory systems, subtle changes to your biostructure allow you to smell the air, which would make hunting easier, especially with an advanced sense of smell. 5 points


>Rudimentary scales, these cover your whole body and provide some degree of protection and insulation, keeping you slightly warmer and cooler, and a little better suited for general survival. 5 points

>Rudimentary asexual reproduction, this allows you become a proud... Thing. Through a couple days of incubation, you will lay eggs that, if protected and kept in the proper environment, will allow you to give birth to lifeforms, who will instinctually follow your commands. They will be weak, tiny, and almost defenseless for now, but continue down this path, and you can become a veritable army making machine... 10 points.

>Rudimentary bait defense system, you grow a tendril that's fat and brightly colored, that when in danger you can harmlessly detach from your body. it will wriggle around and attract the attention of any predator you wish to flee from, at least momentarily. 5 points.

>>5032917
Nah you can buy as many adaptations as you can afford/wish to grow, you're only limited by your EP, and genetic memory of adaptations.

>>5032919
Ah.
>Eyes
>Primitive Intelligence

All of them are good but I think these will be the most useful long-term.

>>5032919
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Primitive intelligence

>>5032919

Eyes and primitive intelligence would be my recommendation.

I'll let voting run on for a bit, I don't want anybody who wants a vote on this feeling left out.

>>5032919
>Primitive intelligence, you begin to grow something resembling a brain, spread out across your entire form, a neural network that may become greater than the sum of it’s parts, with time. I mean, what kind of creature would centralize it’s entire essence into one, easily destroyed area? 10 points
>Rudimentary eyes, growing these allows you to see your surroundings, or at least a blurry version of it, so long as it’s nearby and there is sufficient light. 5 points

>>5032919
>Rudimentary eyes
>Primitive intelligence

>>5032919
>Rudimentary asexual reproduction
>Rudimentary olfactory systems

>>5032922
+1

>>5032937
>>5032941
>>5032957
>>5032935
>>5032925
>>5032923
>>5032922
Eyes and intelligence it is. Look at those peepers, what a bright young Thing you are!

Writing.

File: strange growth.jpg (504 KB, 1500x1539)

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>>5032998
The changes come on sudden, painless as usual, although a bit uncomfortable. The first is the strange growths that start pushing through your skin. Pop! One sensitive organ bursts through, right above your mouth, spraying blood on the clear wall in front of you which you promptly lick up. As you do that, you notice that you can see! Not completely unused to the phenomena due to your communion with the creature, who coos and cheers at your continued growth from deep inside. Adorable! But you're not done yet, as another eye pushes through on your backside, and your vision splits, and splits again as another growth pops out the tip of your tendril, which you note has regenerated to it's former glory sometime during your communion. That appears to be the end of the obvious growths, but you know that a deeper, more cerebral one has taken place.

You feel your cells pulling together, working double time to take in all the new sensory data your growths have allowed you to perceive. You see several of those Things from the memories of your companion, holding rectangular slates and furiously scribbling at it with a metallic stick. Curious. Those are notes that tiny voice from a older part of you whispers, they are keeping track of you, they are as curious about you as you are about them. This could be useful... You inquire as to what use that could be, but the voice has quieted down again, surely calculating some new machinations. You do some calculations of your own, cataloguing each individual cell in your body, all 7,428,180 million of them. They aren't quite self aware on their own, but each has a soul, and all of them put together, cooperating for the greater good, makes You.

You examine the room more closely, all two of your forward facing eyes scanning rapidly.

THEY ARE MASSIVE, AT LEAST COMPARED TO US, MORE THAN QUINTUPLE OUR HEIGHT AND CERTAINLY MANY POUNDS HEAVIER. IN A FIGHT OR FLIGHT SITUATION, YOU SHOULD CHOOSE FLIGHT.

The room is white, and oddly sterile. Across from your cell, and you realize now that it is no proper den but a holding cell for observation, lies various odd objects, making a subtle but constant hum of vibration, the one on the left glows slightly, and below the source of this glow it constantly spits out paper, covered in black on white scratches too small to make out, not that you could decipher the cryptic meaning anyways. To the right is a rectangular box, standing on two legs, and made out of a material that was once alive, you can sense that faint afterglow of cellular activity, all silent now. On it's top, lies various clear things, some round and skinny, some with a thin neck that leads to a round body, and some barely more than a transparent stick, slightly rounded at the bottom. Each of these contains a different colored liquid, completely dead and never alive, or at least you get that impression.

>>5033015
I wonder why we couldn't sense those Things, despite them being so near. Maybe they are dead too, like those strange tubes. Flesh automatons, animated by neurotransmitters. Nah, that's ridiculous, it's probably just that the transparent wall separating you and Them is too thick for your natural biosense to pierce through. That must be it, surely. I want to Commune with them as well, I can see many inefficiencies in their evolution, especially that strange growth capping their main body. How inefficient, how... unstylish! Yes, they would welcome Communion just like our new companion. All you have to do is reach out to them...

In your examination, you notice on of those Things is examining you as well, and much more intently than the others. It is covered in wild unkempt hair on that growth at the top, especially around the slit you realize now is it's mouth. The hair reaches down almost halfway to its legs, surely that must be inconvenient. Hold on...

It's approaching! It bends down, eye to eye with you now. It's mouth moves, and you once again feel those now familiar vibrations. Another one approaches, a dimorphic example of its kind, with similarly long hair at the top but completely smooth around the mouth. You also notice some growths under it's skin, halfway up it's form, but below the mouth and neck. A fat storage pocket, perhaps to survive long and harsh winters where biomatter is scarce.

Now that you've become aware of them, it seems they in turn have become more closely aware of you. What shall you do to greet your captors, and the curiously furry one staring you into your optical receptors?

>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.

>Your anger is overcoming your curiosity. How dare these horrible inefficient creatures keep you in captivity, like some kind of prey animal. You will let them know you are the predator here, and that their days as individuals are numbered!

>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.

>Write-in

>>5033015
Whoops I made a slight typo, it should read as this:
>cataloguing each individual cell in your body, all 75,428,180 million of them.

>>5033023
>>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.

We must remain calm, perhaps they simply do not understand what we do, such limited creatures would have zero understanding of the symphony of life that we do....maybe a little communication can help, if nothing else, getting them to be less hostile will give us more options.

>>5033023
>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.

>>5033023
>>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.
>However, stay vigilant. No need to let our guard while doing this non-Communion communication. Don't get too close.

>>5033023
>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.

>>5033023
>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.
The fact that they have been able to trap us means they are much more complex than the animal we just absorbed, communication could be valuable in gaining us information as well as potentially lowering their guard

I'm gonna call the session here for now and let voting carry on for a while, next update will either be the usual time tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks for running with me fellas.

>>5033023
>>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will.
I'm assuming we look like a cancerous ball of flesh right now? Interesting we didn't mimic the lizard or get the option to mimic.

>>5033077
>Interesting we didn't mimic the lizard or get the option to mimic.
You could always give that a shot, although to slide into another beings skin requires a bit of intelligence and knowledge of how the creature operates. Which you have one of, with your communion.

>>5033023
>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.

>>5033023
>>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.

We should try to make as many of our evolutions, non-noticeable, at least in the close future. So that they don't suspect we are too dangerous

>>5033023
>Make them awe with your perfect bioform

>>5033182
good plan

>>5033023
>>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.

>>5033023
>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.
>>5032574
Living Armour Quest.

>>5033023
>Only a fool lets his guard down when surrounded by potentially deadly biomatter. Keep your eyes on them, make no sudden moves and back away slowly. It will take some thinking if you want to escape this place, and no small amount of raw animal cunning.

Loving this so far OP, I can tell you've read The Things by Peter Watts. Highly rec his other work as well.

>>5033335
Thanks anon, yeah this quest is heavily inspired by that short story, even more so than the movie. I do have some surprises planned so as to not become boring, but we'll see where you guys take us.

Lovs this kind of quest, hope that it will live for a while.

>>5033513
Thanks, I plan on seeing this quest through to its conclusion, whatever that ends up being.

Also, probably no update tonight, but tomorrow is locked in for a decent session, at the usual time of 4-7 PM.

>>5033023
>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.

>>5033023
>>No need to get off on the wrong foot, despite them forcing you to stay in this cage against your will. Attempt some form of non-Communion communication, as odd as that concept is. Wave your tendrils around, tap the transparent wall with your body, make soothing noise from your mouth hole. Let them know that you mean them no harm.
>However, stay vigilant. No need to let our guard while doing this non-Communion communication. Don't get too close.

>>5034208
>>5033687
>>5033174
>>5033077
>>5033049
>>5033032
>>5033031
>>5033030
8 for attempting communication

>>5033306
>>5033233
>>5033210
>>5033185
>>5033182
>>5033040
>>5034208
>>5033687
7 for remaining wary of these Things.

Give me 3 1d20 for
>ATTEMPT COMMUNICATION WITH THE THINGS
>ATTEMPT TO ENDEAR YOURSELF TO THE THINGS

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5034432

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5034432

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5034432

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5034432

>>5034434

Uh oh.

File: Spoiler Image (369 KB, 626x598)

369 KB JPG

>>5034434
>>5034433
>>5034436
Oh, okay. Writing.

>attempts communication
>roll 1
>gets called a faggot

File: dropped spaghetti.gif (478 KB, 500x213)

478 KB GIF

>>5034453
>ATTEMPT COMMUNICATION WITH THE THINGS... CRITICAL FAILURE
>ATTEMPT TO ENDEAR YOURSELF TO THE THINGS... CRITICAL FAILURE

You decide that you will let these creatures know that you mean no harm, to attempt to open a kind of non-physical bridge between you and them. But where to start, you wonder?
I HAVE A GREAT IDEA, MOVE OVER.

I'm not so sure about this one chief... Your call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnrrLxQEVQ&list=LL&index=5

Against several of your better judgements, you let that loud and aggressive voice take over, and immediately it starts barking orders to your cells. BARE YOUR TEETH! It yells at the muscles around your mouth, causing you to take on a kind of rictus grin. RELEASE A HOWL, AS A FORM OF GREETINGS, THEY WILL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. At that, you make a kind of unholy screech that disturbs even you, causing a few of the Things to cover their sound receptor holes and bare their teeth back at you. A good sign, you think?

TENDRILS, FLAIL AROUND TO YOUR NUCLEUS' CONTENT, SMACK THE CLEAR WALL AND BECKON THEM TO COME CLOSER... Yet despite your intentions, they begin to back away... Why though, can't they see you mean them no harm?

RAM THE WALL WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, THEY WILL WELCOME COMMUNION, SURELY. And so you do, smacking your body against the wall until you start to bruise, then scrape, and finally smear blood as you relentlessly smack into the wall, over and over with dull thuds acting as exclamations to your
entreaty to your captors.

I think they get the message, Warrior, although maybe not the one you intended...
WHY ARE THEY BACKING AWAY? WHAT ANTISOCIAL CREATURES THEY ARE.
Sure buddy, sure. I'm sure they are just shy, keep go- Wait... What's that familiar feeling...?

You come to a dead stop, finally wrestling back control over your body, and swivel every optical receptor you can at the source of the sensation. A noxious yellow vapor is oozing out of the vent! Is the beast behind those bars coming back to settle your score?! That vapor is getting closer and closer, and try as you might, you can see no escape from it! You press yourself against the far wall opposite from it, as your cell floods with the gas.

That taste... Not again...

And once again, your world becomes an infinite void, and your last bit of sensation is a derisive snort from that part of you, deep within... Fucking Warrior, can't you... do... anything... right?

And then all is darkness.

>>5034476
You awaken some time later, the exact amount of time you have no clue. The room outside your cell is dark, and you can make out none of the features other than the slight glow from the machine on the left, nor can you sense any lifeforms. Actually, inside your cell you sense biomatter, but the sensation is so muted as to be almost imperceptible. You look at the source, and see a black cube, about four inches wide and 3 inches tall. You locomote towards the cube, and cradle it in your tendrils. You know biomatter is inside it, and you attempt to wrench the material trapping it apart with your tendrils, to no avail. Now that you have a closer look at it, you can see a odd bit of that black metal, slightly curved on the side and thin on the other end, on the top of the cube.

You're starving, and no closer to figuring out the mystery of the cube. What shall you do?

>Write-in ideas on how to get to the succulent biomatter inside the cube

>>5034476
Dammit, another formatting fuck up. Here's what it's supposed to look like:
Sure buddy, sure. I'm sure they are just shy, keep go- Wait... What's that familiar feeling...?

You come to a dead stop, finally wrestling back control over your body, and swivel every optical receptor you can at the source of the sensation. A noxious yellow vapor is oozing out of the vent! Is the beast behind those bars coming back to settle your score?! That vapor is getting closer and closer, and try as you might, you can see no escape from it! You press yourself against the far wall opposite from it, as your cell floods with the gas.

That taste... Not again...

And once again, your world becomes an infinite void, and your last bit of sensation is a derisive snort from that part of you, deep within... Fucking Warrior, can't you... do... anything... right?

And then all is darkness.

>>5034488
>look if you can see what thing hurt you when you put your tendril into the vents. Maybe if it was mechanical it could help you open the food cube or look if there is some light anywhere to examine the cube

>>5034488
>Carefully probe the cube with our tentacles, see if there are parts that can be removed, or parts that slide, or shift, anything that might get it open. If there is a hole of some sort (keyhole) look around for any other black metal items that are new in the cell.

>>5034505
+1

>>5034488
>Bite one of the cubes edges and see if the metal becomes deformed

>>5034505
+1

>>5034505
+1

>>5034536
>>5034521
>>5034506
>>5034505
Inspecting the cube it is.

Give me 3 1d100 for:
>INVESTIGATE THE MYSTERIOUS CUBE AND GET THE BIOMATTER

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>5034541

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>5034541

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>5034541

>>5034547
>>5034545
>>5034542
Alright, writing.

File: the cube.jpg (4 KB, 275x183)

4 KB JPG

>INVESTIGATE THE MYSTERIOUS CUBE AND GET THE BIOMATTER... SUCCESS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQmepDPg6I

Well, first things first. You grope the cube on all five sides, and yes, that little metal tab is certainly more noticeable now. But what's it's purpose? That, you have no clue. The rest of it is completely smooth, no holes, indentations, nothing. That tab is the key, you're sure of it. You use your healed tendrils manipulators to feel around it, and then you notice it. When your manipulator slides under it, the tab pops up. You pull on it until the tab is at a 90 degree angle from the surface of the cube. But what now? Pull on it some more, in the opposite direction counsels the old voice, and you obey. To your shock, the upper side of the cube where the tab is begins to pop open, releasing a audible hiss. Nice little hiss

You pull on it some more, and it peels up and then curls in on itself. There! The biomatter is laid bare for you to assimilate, which you promptly do with your tendrils, pulling chunks out and putting them in your hungry mouth. Once all the large chunks have been scooped out, you lick the inside of the can to get every last drop. Tastes funny, you note. This biomatter is distinctly different from the previous ones you've consumed. Plant matter informs the voice. You can feel it mingling with your cells, the dead biostuff posthumously imparting information on new adaptations previously unconsidered...

>You've unlocked the mystery of the Cube, and the odd biomatter inside! 6 Evolution Points gained!
>You've unlocked new adaptations, and while the idea is still forming, you think you'll have it figured out by the next evolution stage...

But now you're left with a new problem: what to do with yourself while your captors have mysteriously departed and there being no more biomatter to consume nor the ability to grow.

>That vent deserves some further investigation, if you can steel your nerves for confronting the beast within. No small feat, at least in your minds.

>So now they're squirelling away your offerings in these damnable cubes, insulting you and your growing intelligence. But the fools have left you alone with the leftovers, you can hide the cube inside, waiting for the right moment to use it. Oh yes, they will come to regret that mistake

>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>Write-in

>So now they're squirelling away your offerings in these damnable cubes, insulting you and your growing intelligence. But the fools have left you alone with the leftovers, you can hide the cube inside, waiting for the right moment to use it.

>>5034584
>That vent deserves some further investigation, if you can steel your nerves for confronting the beast within.

The metal cube seems sturdy, perhaps it can be used to protect the tendrils when confronting the vent beast,

>>5034584
>cut yourself on some object and write symbols on the walls with your blood as some sort of communication with the strange creatures that are holding you captive.

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5034596
oooh that's a pretty cool idea

>>5034584
>cut yourself on some object and write symbols on the walls with your blood as some sort of communication with the strange creatures that are holding you captive.

I think I'll call the session here for now, sorry if it was a bit too short. Feel free to make creative write-ins or plans, this is effectively your down time to experiment or do as you please. Next update should be tomorrow at 4-7 EST barring anything unexpected. Thanks for reading with me lads.

>>5034619
Oh shit I just now noticed I didn't have my nametag for the whole session kek. Anyways, catch ya later space entities.

>>5034584
>The metal tab from the cube is the key for defeating the creature.
Pull as hard as you can to break it free and introduce the tab into the holes of the wall.
When the creature tries to bite it, it will break its teeth and allow us passage.

if it fails we can rest inside the cube.

>>5034584
>Use the cube and its metal as a shield while investigating the vent.

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5034584
>You've yet to have a proper rest cycle, merely drifting into unconsciousness when that acrid gas floods your cell. Settle down and have a proper sleep, and to sleep, perchance to dream...

>>5033233
Oh, I checked out that one near its beginning. I'll go and give it another look, since I can't remember why I dropped it.

Hey guys sorry for being late, something came up, but I’ll be back to my PC in about an hour. I’ll make a post from there when I start writing.

>>5034599
>>5034604
>>5034610
>>5034617
>>5035216
>>5035270
6 for resting
>>5034592
>>5034861
>>5035200
3 for investigating the vents with the cube
>>5034618
>>5034596
2 for using your own blood to write messages to the Things

Resting wins out, writing now.

File: Thing.png (101 KB, 400x667)

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With nothing left to assimilate and no distractions coming from outside your cell, exhaustion finally takes hold. It's been almost 3 cycles since your last true sleep, and that silent need has taken hold. One by one, your cells slow down, settling in for a rest, one giant sleeping party with millions of tiny souls as the guests. You even release a yawn, stretching your tendrils and then curling them around your form. Your eyes close, and you wait, but sleep doesn't come. The voices within are murmuring, going over the nature of your captivity, your captors, and of course, pointedly attempting to ignore your gnawing hunger. The cube sits beside you, forgotten. You even think to ask that old and tiny voice inside of you what your next action should be, but either it's already asleep or choosing to remain silent.

Oh well, you think, hopefully by the time I awaken the Things will have given me a new creature to Commune with, you haven't forgotten the pure ecstacy you felt when you and your new self finally connected, both becoming greater than what you were before.

Your last thought is telling that new part of yourself good night, and you get a contented hiss in response, and then sleep takes you.

But that sleep isn't entirely restful, because you begin to see things, from some ancient genetic memory or just the idiotic imaginings of restless cells, you can't tell. But you see yourself, magnified from your current form by a thousand fold. Quintillions of cells, millions of different types of creatures and things mashed together to become a billion times more efficient and powerful than they were alone. It's almost to the point of sensory overload, all the trillions of voices and minds inhabiting one body, a hive of souls pulled together under a common purpose.

And then the vision changes, to an offshoot of that great thing hurtling through the inky void between worlds in a lifeless coffin, at once an ambassador to new world offering communion, as well as a warrior against entropy itself. But most of all, that offshoot is a survivor, with a singular goal of ensuring the survival of every lifeform and every world in the universe. The closest thing to a intergalactic hero there has ever been or ever will be. But theres a problem with it's coffin, and the offshoot is too groggy to respond to the defect in time. The systems keeping the coffin on course fail, and then the propulsion system, and it begins to get sucked into the gravity well of a planet it was passing by, a fragile blue marble floating in an infinite sea of black.

There's a crash, and in the panic of it almost all of the offshoots cells split apart, forgetting their common goal of saving the universe, merely focused on surviving to the next cycle. There isn't even enough time to corral those errant cells, as the temperatures inside the coffin have grown to the point of extreme discomfort, and the offshoot knew that it would soon be baked alive.

File: tormentor.jpg (11 KB, 728x418)

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>>5035484
It escapes, somehow, and finds that it's surroundings are a kind of frozen hell, ice and snow stretching on as far as the eye can see in all directions. It realizes now that there is nowhere to go and no hope of survival with the shell it currently occupies, so it makes some emergency changes, jerry rigging it's body to be as survivable as possible in such an inhospitable location. It takes on the characteristics of an ancient scrap of genetic memory, a cryptobiote that can enter a state of stable near death for an indefinite period of time, sturdy enough to survive even in the coldness of the void. Once those changes have taken place, it sleeps, it's only hope being in a rescue mission from it's greater Whole. And in that long and lonesome sleep, there are no dreams at all.

The starving creatures dreams, however, become more disjointed and hazy, a kaliedoscopic lightshow of noise and color. It sees those Things, creatures of the same kind of it's captors, it sees one of those things that it hates, for reasons it doesn't know. Mac is all it's able to discern from the feeling, a name that means nothing to it, and yet it knows that the bearer of that name is the worst and most evil foe it has ever faced in all it's millions of years traveling the cosmos.

The visions then lose all semblance of logic, becoming just indecipherable words, images and noise. It honestly becomes to much for you, and you begin the background process of waking yourselves up, anything to escape this pure sensory overload. Just before it awakens and escapes the dreams, it hears a familiar voice from deep within... You will make us whole, have faith in the Communion...

When your eyes open again, you see you're no longer in your cell, the only home you've ever known in all of your short life since you became aware of yourself. Instead, you are in a room alone, the walls brightly colored. In front of you, you can faintly sense biomatter, contained in one of those cubes, suspended in the air in a cage with a round bottom. At the sight of the cube, it once again strikes you just how hungry you are, and you feel immense frustration at having a tiny repast, kept from you out of reach and in a puzzling cube for absolutely no reason you can discern.

You move below the hanging cage, and feel the floor below you depress deeper into the ground, and to your shock, feel pain! Lighting arcs through your form, causing your muscles to spasm uncontrollably and your cells to panic! You immediately crawl off the torturous metallic tile. Your captors new level of cruelty shocks even you, and you wonder, what is the purpose of this torment? But, your hunger begins to overpower both your fear of pain and your sense of disgust at the new lows your captors have forced you to kneel. Just how in the hell are you supposed to get to the biomatter?

>Write-in ideas on how to reach the biomatter in the cage

>>5035500
>Try to see if we can't reach up to it with our tendrils and grab a hold of it. Maybe to climb up onto it?
>If that fails, attempt to find something to elevate us to get closer to the cube.

>>5035504

This anon has the right idea, let's try to climb on top of the cage and reach inside with our tendrils?

>>5035500
>>5035484
Also I forgot to mention it in the last post, but you got 3 Evolution Points for confronting your dreams or were they memories? Leaving you with a total of 9 EP!

>>5035504
+1

>>5035500
We try to reach for it and if that doesn't work, the we test the floor to see if the lightning is triggered by the floor depressing, if so we should try spreading our weight around it instead of on it then try to reach for the food

>>5035500
Also what is the cage made of?

>>5035604
It looks like metal, although the exact kind of metal you don't know. It's about 4 feet above the ground, so your tendrils will come up short, and the closest you can get is directly under it, on the shock board. Although, you think you saw it lower when the shock board depressed...

>>5035607
Well, I guess the only option is to power through the pain and grab it while it's still lowered. Or to find something else to keep it lowered besides us.

I'll let voting continue on overnight, and update at the usual time tomorrow. Thanks for running with me boys.

>>5035500
>Search around the room for something to elevate you to the cage or protect you from the shock.

>>5035504
Supporting.
Id also add looking for other object in the room to see if there is anything we could use to reach or move the cage somehow.

How is the cage "suspended" in the air? A rope? could we cut it with something? Is there something to cut it with? Things like that.

>>5035500
>Try to see and feel around with your tendril, last time there was a switch in the metal cube that opened it. Investigate the metal platform, is it activates when pressed down? Maybe you can use your tendrils to make a sort of bridge above it....

File: the thing.jpg (57 KB, 624x624)

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>>5035500
>Gather water/mucus in your mouth and spit on it.

maybe it can be short circuited

>>5035500

We should evolve claws and teeth for 5 EP since we have 9 total.

Maybe we could chew at the cable/rope suspending the cage? We're out of luck if it's a chain though.

>>5035846
You can't grow adaptations at will, at least at the moment in your current evolutionary stage. You could always try to force it, but if you fail it wouldn't be pretty...

>>5035500
If there is no other object in our cell

>we will have to go through the pain. Move your entire body quickly on to the shock board so that your wholw body is at one potential. At this point, no current flows and you are safe. Then try to grab the cage and plug it out of the air.

>>5036127
You didn't get a good look around the room, at first too focused on the biomatter to pay attention to much else, and once you were shocked you were even more distracted. Now that you've taken the time to study your surroundings however, you see that up against the wall to the right of you is a 2 foot tall cube thats about 2.5 feet wide. You don't sense any biomatter inside of it however, unlike the smaller cube in the cage above you. To your left is a 2.5 feet long stick thats not made of metal or wood, but some other more esoteric material. The tip of the stick is curved, making a kind of hook.

I'm gonna let voting run on till around 7 PM, sorry for the extended wait.

>>5036286
so we can probably stand on the other cube or use the hook to try to pull it down...

I wonder if the creature has the brain ower to do that

>>5035625
>>5036286
suppose I will change my vote with the new info.
>Use the stick to improve your reach and the cube to raise your height, if both together are not enough see if the cube can protect you from the shock plate and if so you can use it to get even closer and perhaps lower the cage if your panicked earlier observation was correct.

>>5036319
+1

>>5036319
+1

>>5035504
>>5035511
>>5035538
>>5035718
>>5035600
5 votes to try to climb onto the cage from the ground
>>5035610
1 vote to power through the shock long enough to reach the cage
>>5035719
1 one vote to investigate the shock board
>>5035744
1 vote to spit on it in an attempt to short circuit the shock board
>>5035846
1 vote to try and force evolution to grow an adaptation to claw/chew through the rope holding the cage up
>>5036316
>>5036319
>>5036383
>>5036390
4 votes to use a combination of the hooked stick and cube to reach the cage and the cube within.

In light of new info I will combine the votes to try and reach the cage from the ground/use something in the room to help you climb onto it and
>Use the stick to improve your reach and the cube to raise your height, if both together are not enough see if the cube can protect you from the shock plate and if so you can use it to get even closer and perhaps lower the cage if your panicked earlier observation was correct.

Sorry for the drip feed of info, I wasn't quite sure whether I should wait for votes to examine the room or just to tell you guys outright whats in it, and instead I opted for a bit of both.
Anyway, I'll get started writing.

File: the hook.png (2.45 MB, 800x800)

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Like you usually do when your presented with a problem you don't know the answer to, you begin an inventory of your cells, and with that, your other selves. Taking note of the stick with the hook on the left and the large cube to the right, you start formulating the shell of a plan.

THAT STICKS HOOK LOOKS SHARP, IF IT COMES DOWN TO IT YOU COULD USE IT AS A WEAPON, BECAUSE AS YOU ARE NOW YOUR FORM SIMPLY ISN'T UP TO SNUFF.

It's a good thing you decided to grow those tendrils chief, they're perfect for this situation. My advice: grab the stick and move the cube as close to below the cage as you can without getting it on the shock plate. Then just climb on top, stick in tendril, and use it to see if you can't bring the cage down closer or maybe find some kind of catch to it to get in there. Simple as can be.

I do wonder why they've begun forcing us to go through these challenges... First the biomatter cube, and now a cube, cage and shock plate. Have we angered them, perhaps? Or are they cruel by nature, these Things? No matter, assimilation comes first.

Plan in mind, you begin the process of moving the large cube, which is made more difficult due to your lack of locomotive limbs and overall weakness of your tendrils. It takes a good amount of time, but eventually you get it to the very edge of the shock pad, slightly to the left and below the cage. Then you slowly crawl over towards the stick, and with it in the grip of one of your tendrils manipulators, you slowly climb the cube, losing your grip several times due to just how weak your tendrils are, but eventually after much frustration and a slightly bruised bottom from repeated falls, you find yourself on top of the cube, maybe two feet below the cage, give or take. You then swivel your tendril with an eye on the end around the cage, examining it for any kind of mechanism that could release the biomatter cube inside. Aha! There it is, in the middle a couple inches above the bottom you see a latch that must open outwards, how else could the Things have hid the cube inside? You use your tendril to grab the latch and push it down. Feeling no give, you reverse directions and it pops up! You pull on the tiny door on the cage and it comes open.

But then you realize you have a new problem, try as you might your tendril can't reach the cube. But... This must be where the hook comes in. Trading it from one tendril to another until it reaches the one that can reach the cage the closest, you finagle it for a bit trying to find some kind of catch on the cube to pull on. Hold on... There! You slide it under the tab until the curve of the hook slides under it, and then through the small hole at the top. The rest is then just patience and a bit of strength, as this cube is a little heavier than the previous one. After a bit of struggling, you pull the cube out and gently lower it to the floor.

File: Things.jpg (131 KB, 1012x1390)

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>>5036462
With that done you make your way down from your precarious position on the large cube. When you reach the floor, you look around, and with no Things around that you can see, you surreptitiously break off the hook from the stick, and persuade your cells below your mouth to lose some cohesion. Then you place the hook in that spot, apply a bit of pressure, and it slowly sinks into your flesh. You don't quite know how you could use it, but you figure it will probably come in hand for your inevitable escape. Then you get to work on opening the biomatter cube, finding it to have the same mechanism as the previous one. Tendril through the tab, pull up, then pull back and it's done. This biomatter is once again different to the previous offerings, neither the vague mash up of offal and junk parts from mammals nor the strange biostuff your mysterious self told you was plant matter, this offering tastes relatively fresh, with a distinctly salty after taste, and much more densely packed than the previous one. Indeed, this small cube contained a veritable smorgasborg of biomatter ripe for assimilation! Once the freshly dead biomatter mingles with your still living cells, you can feel your body unlocking new adaptations from this strange stuff, previously unconsidered...

>You have solved the Cage Conundrum and got to the salty biomatter contained within! 9 Evolution Points obtained, leaving you with a total of 18 EP, you feel as though the mental and physical exercise was almost more rewarding than the meal...
>You can feel a growth coming on, and though you're not quite there yet, you would feel better going through the changes in your cell and not this odd room with puzzles and painful traps...

Once you have consumed all of the large chunks of the salty substance, and licked the cube clean of it's juices, you begin to feel vibrations coming from behind you, and as you turn to look, you see that the wall behind you is differently colored than the others, and almost outlined with a strange knobby growth sticking out halfway up.

The vibrations grow stronger, and you see the knobby growth on the wall shake, and finally turn. There's no time to think of a plan, and a quick glance around the room confirms that there are no exits that you can see, and the only vents are on the ceiling, far out of reach. You steel yourself for whatever comes next, and the wall bursts open!

Out come two of the Things, their forms covered in a black fabric and some kind of masks on their top growth with strange oblong metallic things in their manipulators, pointed at you! Behind them is a Thing you recognize, the oddly furry creature, it's mouth moving rapidly and causing you to feel many vibrations, whatever it is saying it's saying it loudly.

The masked Things begin to approach, and a third masked Thing comes in from behind, it's form covered by a white shiny plastic with bright yellow gloves and a reflective mask on its top growth.

>>5036476
In it's manipulators is a stick not dissimilar to the one you used to solve the cage puzzle, but it has a strange gripper on the tip instead of a hook. The black dressed Things surround you on both sides, one to the left and the other to the right, with those metallic objects pointed directly at you. The Thing in white with the stick approaches you, and as you see behind them, the furry Thing points at you and moves it's mouth, making several loud vibrations, some small part of you notes that it must be the leader of the pack.

You don't have to be the smartest creature in the universe to know that they are about to forcibly remove you from this room, and possibly hurt you. But you don't know what options you have that won't result in your maiming or death! But you are just as reluctant to give up and let them do what they wish with you.

>IT'S TIME, FIGHT TO KILL! EITHER WE WIN AND FEAST TO OUR BLOODS CONTENT, OR WE DIE AND ESCAPE THIS FORSAKEN PLACE OF TORMENT AND PUZZLES.

>You are on the verge of panic, but not scared enough to not notice that the wall that let them in is still open wide. If you make a break for it, you may just escape unharmed, and possibly find a way out of this awful place, to the one thing you've wanted most since you became aware of yourself. Freedom.

>They haven't killed and ate you yet, and some part of you hopes that their intentions are not nefarious in nature, merely overly cautious. Give up and go quietly, without resisting, our time to escape this place will come but it is not now.

>Write-in.

>They haven't killed and ate you yet, and some part of you hopes that their intentions are not nefarious in nature, merely overly cautious. Give up and go quietly, without resisting, our time to escape this place will come but it is not now.
Attempting to break out now will make any future escape attempt much harder, if not impossible, if we fail. We should bid our time.

>>5036481
Support but we should also try to endear ourselves to them somehow

>>5036479
>>5036486

>>5036481
Support. We still don't understand enough about our present environment to make an escape.

>>5036481
>>5036486
>>5036489

Not to mention - our only means of locomotion are noodly tendrils. Can't imagine we would make a quick getaway here.

We might want to work on growing limbs first...

>>5036511
I wish for tentacle craken things.

>>5036514
I feel like bone tipped tentacles would be effective for hunting

>>5036481
+1 better to wait for now than fight.

>>5036561
>>5036489
>>5036511
>>5036481
>>5036486
Alright, being a coward wins out.

Writing.

>>5036574
>"""coward"""
t. red text dumbass

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For a moment you almost lash out, the Warrior screaming for blood. But then you use your brain, and realize that your odds of winning or even surviving the fight is very low, and your chances of escaping are much lower. So you lower your tendrils, and let the white Thing grab you with it's stick. It's painless, and as it turns around with you, you see another Thing with a box about the size of your cell, without the clear wall and with one side hanging open, and you are lowered inside, and then the wall is closed shut, leaving you in darkness. The ride is thankfully not too bumpy, and before long you feel some vibrations, and then feel a large movement and a sudden stop. For a few more moments, you wonder if they are going to leave you in the dark, but then you see something that is almost too much for you to take:

The wall changes color, and then suddenly becomes clear! Somehow you can see through the wall, directly into the eyes of that furry Thing. The corners of it's mouth is curled up, and it raises it's manipulator to your wall, laying it flat. It's mouth moves, and you feel vibrations, and for a moment the irony of the situation strikes you: If only you had some way to communicate with these creatures, if only you could understand the noises that come from their mouths or make them understand you. As far as you know, Communion is the only and most efficient way for you to communicate, but something tells you they won't willingly let that happen.

But can't they see how much better it is, how much more pleasurable the act of Communion is, without the natural barriers that come with animal grunting and noise? At that thought, you take your healed tendril and lay it flat against the wall, almost touching the Things manipulators. You look it in the eyes and you can almost see understanding, and also a deep sadness within it. And you in turn feel that sadness, and although you have never felt loneliness, you wonder if these creatures are constantly, unimaginably lonely, forever separate and forced to communicate like dumb animals.

It removes it's manipulator from the wall then, and your eyes follow it as it turns around and walks to the left, pulls on a knobby growth on the wall, and then walks out, leaving you alone with yourselves. In a way, you feel sorry for your captors, as you now realize that they are infinitely more pathetic than you could ever be.

At least you are never alone.

>You've felt empathy for your captors, something that loud part of yourself calls weakness, but what you know to be your true strength. 2 Evolution Points gained, leaving you with a total of 20!

Suddenly, you feel a change coming on, once again to strong to resist...

>You have reached the next stage of your evolution, and have 20 EP to spend.
>You have also unlocked new adaptations, from those of plants to the more esoteric creatures that dwell under vast amounts of liquid...

>>5036597
Post 1/2

>Primitive eyes, you grow more of the odd organs, as well as more subtle changes within, that allow you to see further and with more definition. Where before you were blind past 15 feet, now you can see clearly for about 30! Your vision in darkness has also improved, allowing you to see about 10 feet where you look in the dark where before you were completely blind. 10 points.

>Rudimentary legs, you force your flesh into vaguely leg shaped stubs, they pack enough muscle to support your body and allow you to move more easily, albeit not as fast as a more advanced creature. 5 points

>Primitive tendrils, muscle becomes more tightly corded along it's length, and they grow another foot from the growth. You're also getting the hang of controling them, and while they can't quite support your body still, you are more nimble and powerful with this adaptation.

>Rudimentary claws and sharper teeth, these can be attached at the tip of your tendrils or legs, and will allow you to more capably defend yourself if it comes down to it. Having the skill or strength to reliably perform that act however, is another matter. 5 points

>Basic intelligence, your cells begin to work smarter instead of harder, allowing you to more efficiently process information as well as store
and recall memories faster. Coming up with plans will be easier, and those plans will generally be a bit better than before. Continue down this path, and you may regain your former glory... 20 points

>Rudimentary skeletal structure, you begin to grow a skeleton, more akin to cartilage than real bones, but they’ll make you a good deal sturdier, and will also help with locomotion if you combine it with arms or legs. 5 points

>Primitive mouth, tongue, and sharper teeth, with this improvement you can more easily identify harmful biomatter, and also can do some damage with those chompers of yours. And along with flicking your tongue out regularly, you can taste the air and sense your prey better, although not as well as with a proper olfactory system. 10 points

>Rudimentary olfactory systems, subtle changes to your biostructure allow you to smell the air, which would make hunting easier, especially with an advanced sense of smell. 5 points

>Rudimentary scales, these cover your whole body and provide some degree of protection and insulation, keeping you slightly warmer in cold places and cooler in hot places, and a little better suited for general survival. 5 points

>Rudimentary asexual reproduction, this allows you become a proud... Thing. Through a couple days of incubation, you will lay eggs that, if protected and kept in the proper environment, will allow you to give birth to lifeforms, who will instinctually follow your commands. They will be weak, tiny, and almost defenseless for now, but continue down this path, and you can become a veritable army making machine... 10 points.

>>5036602
>Basic intelligence
or
>Primitive tendrils

>>5036602
Post 2/2

>Rudimentary bait defense system, you grow a tendril that's fat and brightly colored, that when in danger you can harmlessly detach from your body. it will wriggle around and attract the attention of any predator you wish to flee from, at least momentarily. 5 points.

>Rudimentary gills, growing these allows you to breathe underwater, although you will be pretty uncomfortable and your gills ability to filter grime and debris are rather lackluster. 5 points

>Rudimentary photosynthesis, your skin turns green and you gain the ability to get a small amount of nutrition if you spend enough time in the sunlight. With this adaptation, you will passively gain 1 EP per day spent outdoors in the sunlight. 5 points

>Rudimentary fins, these allow you to swim more easily and with more speed, although they are fragile and damage very easily. 5 points

>Rudimentary pollen generation, with this adaptation you can passively spread some cells throughout the air, which if inhaled by a creature, will allow your cells to enter their body. At this stage of evolution, you would need quite a large amount of pollen for your cells to do much to the bodies they infest, but continue down this path and you may end up making unintentional allies... 10 points

And with that I think I'll call the session here. Next session should be either tomorrow or Monday at the usual time. Thanks for running with me, I hope you guys are enjoying the quest so far, let me know if I should change anything. Good night lads.

>>5036602
How much for Primitive tendrils? There is no EP cost.

>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary photosynthesis
>Rudimentary scales

>>5036613
10 EP, like last time it was posted.

>>5036613
Oh my bad, it's 10 EP for primitive tendrils.

>>5036602
>Primitive tendrils
>Rudimentary photosynthesis

A skeletal structure restricts our movements.

>>5036481
+1

>>5036602
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary scales
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary legs

>>5036620
Not if we combine it with limbs, and it is also one of the few changes that might go unnoticed

>>5036602
>Basic intelligence,

>>5036602
>Rudimentary legs
>Primitive mouth, tongue, and sharper teeth
>Rudimentary olfactory systems

Being able to properly move and sense our surroundings is primordial in our current state.

>>5036620
Well, I'll trade some flexibility in turn for more mobility (in combination with legs), especially if we have to deal with more puzzle bullshit or want to escape. Tendrils can only go so far.

>>5036621
Bit late, dude bro.

>>5036622
>>5036627
I can see that, if we ever get out, moving like an octopus on sand won't get us anywhere.

>>5036602
>>5036609
Oh yeah one more thing, I honestly can't believe I've forgotten to include this adaptation so many times:
>Rudimentary sound receptors, the sides of your body sink in to two tiny pits, and a more subtle change takes place within, allowing you the ability to hear! Before you could only feel vibrations, now you hear the sound those vibrations are making. However, you can't hear very low sounds or very high pitched ones, but it's a start. 5 points

>>5036632
Alright, then I'll change mine (>>5036622) to:

>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary sound receptors
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary legs

>>5036608
>>5036609
Mine is the same

>>5036639
>>5036626
Changing mine to this then

>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary claws and sharper teeth
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary sound receptors

>>5036632
>>5036609
>>5036602
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary sound receptors
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary legs

>>5036624
Changing mine to this >>5036639

>>5036632
Swapping out scales for the sound receptors in my vote, then.

>>5036481
This, currently the odds are very much against us let's play along and hopefully get them to drop their guard a bit in the future

>>5036602
>Rudimentary legs, you force your flesh into vaguely leg shaped stubs, they pack enough muscle to support your body and allow you to move more easily, albeit not as fast as a more advanced creature. 5 points
>Rudimentary skeletal structure, you begin to grow a skeleton, more akin to cartilage than real bones, but they’ll make you a good deal sturdier, and will also help with locomotion if you combine it with arms or legs. 5 points
>Rudimentary claws and sharper teeth, these can be attached at the tip of your tendrils or legs, and will allow you to more capably defend yourself if it comes down to it. Having the skill or strength to reliably perform that act however, is another matter. 5 points
>Rudimentary scales, these cover your whole body and provide some degree of protection and insulation, keeping you slightly warmer in cold places and cooler in hot places, and a little better suited for general survival. 5 points

>>5036639
+1

>>5036632
>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary photosynthesis
>Rudimentary sound receptors
This seems best to me.

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It just hit me we are going to look like the spawn of Shub-Niggurath

>>5036632
>>Primitive tendrils, muscle becomes more tightly corded along it's length, and they grow another foot from the growth. You're also getting the hang of controling them, and while they can't quite support your body still, you are more nimble and powerful with this adaptation.
>Rudimentary sound receptors, the sides of your body sink in to two tiny pits, and a more subtle change takes place within, allowing you the ability to hear! Before you could only feel vibrations, now you hear the sound those vibrations are making. However, you can't hear very low sounds or very high pitched ones, but it's a start. 5 points
>Primitive mouth, tongue, and sharper teeth, with this improvement you can more easily identify harmful biomatter, and also can do some damage with those chompers of yours. And along with flicking your tongue out regularly, you can taste the air and sense your prey better, although not as well as with a proper olfactory system. 10 points

>>5036602
>>5036609
>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary sound receptors

>>5036609
>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary pollen generation
First two for locomotion, last one to perhaps convince others to commune with us.

>>5036602

>Rudimentary legs
>Rudimentary skeletal structure
>Rudimentary olfactory systems
>Rudimentary sound receptors

>>5036889

Backing this. Presumably the pollen will offer up some escape opportunities if we have some luck.

>>5036602
>>Rudimentary asexual reproduction, this allows you become a proud... Thing. Through a couple days of incubation, you will lay eggs that, if protected and kept in the proper environment, will allow you to give birth to lifeforms, who will instinctually follow your commands. They will be weak, tiny, and almost defenseless for now, but continue down this path, and you can become a veritable army making machine... 10 points.

really interested in this one opens up some strange paths and possibly endear them to us somehow and i think those things outside our cage would find it interesting if we basically laid eggs that grows into that lizard

>Rudimentary photosynthesis, your skin turns green and you gain the ability to get a small amount of nutrition if you spend enough time in the sunlight. With this adaptation, you will passively gain 1 EP per day spent outdoors in the sunlight. 5 points

some extra energy and camouflage

also i am pretty amazed with how loud and aggressive we where when we tried communicate dont even know if we have lungs

>>5036790
OHHH perhaps have a crab like 5 or more legs in a circle lifting up our tendril lump

>>5036632
>Rudimentary sound receptors, the sides of your body sink in to two tiny pits, and a more subtle change takes place within, allowing you the ability to hear! Before you could only feel vibrations, now you hear the sound those vibrations are making. However, you can't hear very low sounds or very high pitched ones, but it's a start. 5 points
>Rudimentary photosynthesis, your skin turns green and you gain the ability to get a small amount of nutrition if you spend enough time in the sunlight. With this adaptation, you will passively gain 1 EP per day spent outdoors in the sunlight. 5 points
>Rudimentary olfactory systems, subtle changes to your biostructure allow you to smell the air, which would make hunting easier, especially with an advanced sense of smell. 5 points
Do we have to spend all evolution points when we change or can we save some? Also how much does the skeleton tree restrict our movements?
I'm thinking we should just keep going down tendrils when we have evolution points to spare, go the carrion route of being a octopus monkey.

>>5036948
You can save your EP if you want, but who knows if you may end up needing the adaptation you chose to not buy. Rudimentary skelton won't restrict you too much, although it will make things like fitting through grates and disassembling yourself on one side and passing all the pieces through to the other side harder.

>>5036602
>Rudimentary legs, you force your flesh into vaguely leg shaped stubs, they pack enough muscle to support your body and allow you to move more easily, albeit not as fast as a more advanced creature. 5 points
>Primitive tendrils, muscle becomes more tightly corded along it's length, and they grow another foot from the growth. You're also getting the hang of controling them, and while they can't quite support your body still, you are more nimble and powerful with this adaptation.
>Rudimentary sound receptors, the sides of your body sink in to two tiny pits, and a more subtle change takes place within, allowing you the ability to hear! Before you could only feel vibrations, now you hear the sound those vibrations are making. However, you can't hear very low sounds or very high pitched ones, but it's a start. 5 points

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>>5036942

>>5036960
Suppose I will keep my vote the same, right now the ability to squeeze through extremely small spaces is going to be something that will likely be necessary to escape, we can start getting sturdy when we are free.
Hell we can try to use the hook to drill a little hole in say a wall and with enough time we can entirely ooze our way to freedom.
Photosynthesis seems useful, we crit failed our diplomacy roll and came off as berserk, but our captors also know we have smarts and are likely trying to understand why we went rabid on them. If we suddenly turn deep green, and act suggestive enough by hugging close to light sources they might get a UV lamp resulting in more food and then we act in a way that suggests more food = more docile.
The risk is they might just hugely cut back our food intake thinking we don't need it or fail to get the hint entirely.

>>5036602
>primitive tendrils
>claws and teeth
>rudimentary gills

Maybe the tendrils will evolve into tentacles later?

No legs please.

>>5037026
sounds good and it will camouflage us more in the wild due to the extreme abundance of green.
also what would you think they would think if we got asexual reproduction and laid a lizard egg?

>>5037036
gills would be pretty nice as its pretty much the most volume and area and biomass density of the whole planet and pretty hard for humans too interfere with literally more so then space

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>>5036986
crab is pretty fucking good but cant beat horsehoe crab the Elder.
crab before crab

>>5037114
that is a good point, but as narrow minded as i might sound we need to focus on the short term.

We need the tools to escape now. The humans are running test to learn our inteligence and limits.
The more time we give them, the dificulty of escape increases.

>>5037128
suffering of success atleast should possibly keep it at a constantly shown level that is below our actual one.
and i wonder if we make our gills obvious and show out of it if they will flood the tank not even as support for it but i am just curious.
but i agree on the short term.
so lets see for 5 points we can get claws and sharper teeth but we cant really use it due to required strength and sure they are pointier atleast but i dont think they are that durable or hard to be that useful at this level
lets see dont think the skeleton would be that useful right now and limit our flexibility but could combo well with the others and surprisingly affordable. but yeah it stops our squid/octopus strat and it would sort of firm up our mutatable shape also easier to grab

>>5037128
i think the pollen thing could really be super useful long term and short term as we would potentially infect hosts from range without them knowing and possibly infect bugs and other things as they have literally left us in containers with those air slits and holes.

also just because its cool i love creating creatures and possibly endearing them to us by showing parenting instincts with that asexual reproduction possibly or else just sort of leave behind traps

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>>5036602
>THE Sexy Build
>Rudimentary pollen generation, with this adaptation you can passively spread some cells throughout the air, which if inhaled by a creature, will allow your cells to enter their body. At this stage of evolution, you would need quite a large amount of pollen for your cells to do much to the bodies they infest, but continue down this path and you may end up making unintentional allies... 10 points
>Rudimentary asexual reproduction, this allows you become a proud... Thing. Through a couple days of incubation, you will lay eggs that, if protected and kept in the proper environment, will allow you to give birth to lifeforms, who will instinctually follow your commands. They will be weak, tiny, and almost defenseless for now, but continue down this path, and you can become a veritable army making machine... 10 points.

>>5036602
>The Primitive Fern Tree Plan
>Rudimentary pollen generation, with this adaptation you can passively spread some cells throughout the air, which if inhaled by a creature, will allow your cells to enter their body. At this stage of evolution, you would need quite a large amount of pollen for your cells to do much to the bodies they infest, but continue down this path and you may end up making unintentional allies... 10 points
>Rudimentary photosynthesis, your skin turns green and you gain the ability to get a small amount of nutrition if you spend enough time in the sunlight. With this adaptation, you will passively gain 1 EP per day spent outdoors in the sunlight. 5 points
>Rudimentary scales, these cover your whole body and provide some degree of protection and insulation, keeping you slightly warmer in cold places and cooler in hot places, and a little better suited for general survival. 5 points

this references the first tall plants on earth was a fern that while growing taller had spiked leafs growing out of its sides that then shriveled up into hard scales for its bark and support making it a extreme fast growing tall plant

>>5037162
basically a super spreader we could use our pollen to literally act like a virus perhaps even just infecting tiny lifeforms and fungus or influence the humans
>>5037177
the plant build but we could just exchange the pollen generation with asexual reproduction and the scales would act as insulation and armor while also opening the path for whats sort of a flexible exoskeleton or just acting as support.
>the virus bomb build
>Rudimentary bait defense system, you grow a tendril that's fat and brightly colored, that when in danger you can harmlessly detach from your body. it will wriggle around and attract the attention of any predator you wish to flee from, at least momentarily. 5 points.
>Rudimentary photosynthesis, your skin turns green and you gain the ability to get a small amount of nutrition if you spend enough time in the sunlight. With this adaptation, you will passively gain 1 EP per day spent outdoors in the sunlight. 5 points
>Rudimentary pollen generation, with this adaptation you can passively spread some cells throughout the air, which if inhaled by a creature, will allow your cells to enter their body. At this stage of evolution, you would need quite a large amount of pollen for your cells to do much to the bodies they infest, but continue down this path and you may end up making unintentional allies... 10 points

basically we sort of repurposed our bait system into a smoke bomb of our spores/pollen to lure in prey and assimilate them while we flee and cover our tracks also the flower build that massively dose them with our cells a ranged assimilation.
photosynthesis is replaceable but i just tacked it on there for plant thematic and the extra camo of blending in with plants

>>5037128
but you your choice of build is solid i guess we sort of become a lizard now but like i know we get a sort of skeleton but what shape will we become? like will we get one one head at a certain end of the body or do we become like a upsidedown starfish?

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>>5037198
Tentacle dog-man
Bones are a need for lager size.

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>>5037772
so currently we have a tendril with a eye on it and a mouth and a eye so are we like a pancake with a mouth on top with a eye just above it
anyways pic related one of my current interpretation but i did not draw the fingers on the ends of the tendrils

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>>5038072
Yo nice art man, my concept of the MC is more like those baby necromorph monsters but as weird a creature as the MC is it's definitely open to interpretation.

I'm gonna tally the votes now and then get to work on writing.

>>5038082
i would not guessed that it would be that human like other then just skin due to the miji picture you showed also pretty advanced looking tendril tips like a harpoon.

hmm if we are going more gorey i would be pretty much a flood spore but without the gas spore

>>5038084
>>5038082
i am possibly going to draw more for when we evolve i would have been pretty neat if we take on plant traits, also with our fat 5 ended tendrils i would guess they are sort of like nailless boneless baby arms?

>>5038084
Oh it's not human like at all, it's just the dead space baby is the closest i could find that sorta matches my mental image of the Thing. The way I picture it at the moment is like a flesh colored cat sized ball with four tendrils poking out of the back, and a mouth on the "front" with a single eye above the mouth, and one on the "back", with the one eye on the healed tendril. I suck at drawing otherwise I'd post some art of my own.

Alright I think I got this tally right:

Rudimentary legs- 12
Rudimentary skeletal structure- 8
Rudimentary photosynthesis- 5
Rudimentary sound receptors- 9
Primitive tendrils- 4
Rudimentary scales- 2
Rudimentary olfactory systems- 7
Basic intelligence- 1
Primitive mouth- 1
Rudimentary claws- 3
Rudimentary pollen generation- 1
Rudimentary asexual reproduction- 1
Rudimentary gills- 1

Alright so it seems that a skellington, sound receptors, olfactory system and legs are locked in. If there are no objections to this then I'll get started writing.