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Every anon’s crazy about a sharp-dressed man, but this contestant IS the suit. Specifically, he’s the AI core within a suit of futuristic power armour! It’s BETA from CORE OF STEEL! This badass blue-painted battle-mech houses a noble artificial soul, who despite his analytical approach to armed conflict, has a yearning for freedom, and the capacity for compassion—especially for his human pilot.

(Plus, you have to respect an entrant who hacked himself into the contest late, and still crushed the preliminaries.)

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=core+of+steel

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Who doesn’t love a lizardman in uniform? A little guy with a big heart, KIRO SKYESAKAL of VOIDSHIP BRIDGE SIMULATOR is anything but cold-blooded. In fact, he likes to cuddle! Orphaned by war and raised by humans, Kiro is a team player par excellence, a natural leader, and no slouch at battlefield management and athletic endeavour. I suppose with a shortened lifespan, every moment matters, and every connection is a dear memory worth giving it your all! Just don’t ask him to eat his leafy greens.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=voidship

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I think just about anyone with a respect for a history of this size and medium knows this cool cat: it’s TOM of RUBY QUEST… if that IS his real name!

(It’s not, for the record)

Famous for his MANLY PHYSQIUE and intentionally less famous for his teeny tiny t-rex arms hidden within his clothes, this big lug may be no good at puzzles, but he’s well-versed in the art of kicking ass! Whether it’s in a game or you meet him IRL, you’re going to want to keep an eye on this seasoned veteran of old campaigns. Remember: respect your elders!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=ruby

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Clad in shining armour or in glimmering scales, there is n disguising a handsome mug like that of SIR REYNAULD… Not even if he might wish that he could at times, between his shameful and fallen House of Numitor and his gradual transformation into a mutant dragon-man. With that curse came many blessings, though: enough to form a small army of excitable kobolts, goblins, mimics, changelings, and even a buff autistic plague doctor waifu. As the protagonist of KOBOLT KLAN ADOPTION, this wandering knight ahs made it his mission to guide his found family through a hostile world as he cures his cursed condition. Was the real cure the friends he made along the way… or maybe it lies in the Crown of /QST/?!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=kobolt

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Rightly called conqueror of most of the known universe.. A man (NOT monkey!) with 7 years and 216 threads of continuous adventure and an expanding roster of children and grandchildren to show for it… A master of more multiverse martial arts than most men have ever HEARD of. THAT’S who we’re dealing with today! Bow your heads in terror, look up in wonder, and mind the golden glow: The Dragon of New Salda approaches! GENERAL KARN of the famed SAIYAN CONQUEROR QUEST has taken the field!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=GrandDragonQM

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Some people acquire ‘cool’, or try to, through concerted effort. Others are simply born with a(super?)natural animal magnetism. This contestant ahs the latter, and in spades: it’s RAMSTER, the… Uhh, the Ramster. Coming to us from CUTÉMON, he’s representing a small clan of fellow Ramsters, and backed up by a menagerie of mon and hu-mon friends. Many might claim to match his martial dash, but can anyone else truly attest to have such a perfect blend of hamster-like cuteness and ram-like tenacity? I’d like to see them try!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=cutemon

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Before there was Jail Quest, there was another: GAOL QUEST! Banished to the Gongalla Gaol interdimensional prison-plane, JAMES CALACA dug his way out of the shit with only an oversized spoon and his natural antipathy to oppressive authority. In the process, he discovered that the only thing better than toppling an evil order is establishing a truly benevolent on in its place, with the aid of the ones you love. Perhaps even more impressive? He stuck his dick in crazy so effectively that he turned a ho into a housewife. Credit where it’s due, amirite fellas?

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Gaol%20Quest

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Some say that the mean streets of Gotham City are no place for a hero. In actuality, they’re an even worse place to be a regular guy. The alleyways of that bat-brained neo-noir metropolis are like cracks in the order we all take for granted, and all too many people fall through them. Luckily in whatever region of Hypertime which OFFICER MARK DELUCIA calls home, there’s a GOTHAM CITY BEAT COP on duty who really cares! Rocking a Disco Elysium meta-power within (more or less) the bounds of the law, this good Catholic boy was raised right, and has grown into a skilled psychic detective, dedicated to doing what’s right.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=gotham+city+beat+cop

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You’d best beware, when the man in black comes to town—In truth, he’s a snake-in-the-grass, slithering out of the subconscious of one Charlotte Fawkins of DROWNED QUEST REDUX to serve a shadowy entity known only as ‘The Wyrm’. You, however, can call him RICHARD, though only if you buy his hard-working wormy wagie a shot of something strong first. It’s not easy being a father, after all, and doubly-so when you’re dead and dubiously demoniac. That he’s so well aware of his own situation-and everyone else’s, with his keen eye for exploitable weakness—surely can’t make it any easier.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=drowned%20quest%20redux

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Is he a Dark Lord reborn? A bright light and hope for the future? Both, depending who you ask? ELLIOT HALLASTER would surely wear these titles and still more as a badge of pride, just as he wore his ridiculous(ly cool) tophat, monocle, and fake moustache during his victory soirees as leader of the Raiders of Lost Worlds in Harry Potter’s (yes THAT Harry Potter) battle class. While he’s taken a step back, this was only to stop DISPPEARING HOGWARTS, and all the rest of known space and time, from being consumed by the hungry ghost of the legendary magician Merlin, or dominated by the sinister spectre of Salazar Slytherin. With Helga Hufflepuff herself riding shotgun in his noggin, and a small cadre of loyal friends willing to ride-or-die with this little mudblood, I think we can say Dark/Biright Lord Halalster is ready to fuck shit UP!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=disappearing+hogwarts

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History may remember Izirina Henzler as the most famous mage apprentice of her era, but those who were there know that there was more than one SEEKER OF THE ESOTERIC at the dawn of the Age of High Magic, when it came to Hawksong. EZREAL MIOUS VAN HOUTZMANN, or TIPS to his friends, is no second-rate mage: this half-elf is the personal MAGE APPRENTICE of the Archmage, the hero who saved Dappulyet from the Unseelie Fey, and the elfman who brought peace to three races by averting war and plague by means of ancient fairy magic, and scored two honeys in the process. He’s been the to moon and back, tangled with gods, demons, and dragons, and now he’s here for the crown!

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=of+the+esoteric

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Nothing’s ever easy for a guy like DIESEL CRASH. Whatw s supposed to be a simple in-and-out delivery gig for his uncle’s pizza parlour turned into one of the most harrowing nights of his (or anyone else’s!) life. Stranded on an island full of twisted terrors and abominable experiments controlled by a crazed canuck, only pure, unbridled Irish-Italian anger kept this bare-knuckled brawler going. Well, that and the sometimes-annoying assistance of a plucky reporter and chill skateboarder. But hey, it’s just like they say in the WWF: ‘fight for you r life, fight for what’s right!’ If Diesel can survive SLCIE QUEST, this tourney ought to be as a piece of pizza pie—hold the pineapple.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=slice+quest

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With our contestants set, it’s time to discuss the rules and get ready. Anyone already voting in the Queen contest knows the drill: over the next five days, anyone who wants to vote should register their ID here. That simply means replying to this post with an IP which you are confident you can hold for more than a day. If your IP is pretty consistent, that’s all you need to do; if it’s rather spotty, try to log at least two posts far enough apart to make it clear you’re not a cheater trying to game the system (at least 12 hours apart, say), and register a tripcode to use here.

After this five day period, votes by anons who haven’t registered an ID or trip will not be counted, though exceptions may be made for QMs using the same tripcode as in their own quests.

Once that is settled, we will begin a ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT, wherein each contestant will face off against every single other contestant! This will be down with two matches a day, facing off in a randomly-rolled event. The winner will be whoever has the most votes… But with a twist, as I will also be rolling 1d and giving the result as bonus points to whichever contestant I deem most likely to win that event based on the arguments put forth for how and why they could achieve this. If you have a goofy or (better yet) CONVINCING argument for an underdog come-from-behind victory, I’m amenable!

(I may take an occasional day or two off, too. I’m only human as far as you know)

First to log an IP.

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As I’ll never get sick of saying, thank you to our donors to the GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/1acbccb0), to our artist Indonesian Gentleman for all these character portraits, to Olympus QM for the art used for our Loser’s Bracket In the last thread, and to ALL OF YOU for being such a vibrant and creative community.

For anyone who doesn’t like the rules or format, or has any other complaints for me or for their fellow players and rival potentates, please remember: this is all just a fun little community activity, there’s not ACTUALLY any cash prize or anything else besides bragging rights on the line here, and we’re really just goofing around, having a fun time sharing art and memes and talking about our waifus and daughterus.

Don’t be a dick, keep the banter friendly, and don’t make me tap the sign.

Team Richard and Diesel

>>6014831
Wooo

>>6014828
Le dishonored patch!!

>>6014831
Register

>>6014831
Zip zop, zubIDdy-bop.

>>6014831
Team Kiro!
Team Diesel!

>>6014831
Here to represent MY BOIS

>>6014831
Logging in for the Kings

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>>6014808
May the best kings win! Pizza for all whether they win or lose!

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"So, it's about to begin? From what Chaya's told me of the other one, looks like we'll be participating in differing contests. Not sure how some of these relate in any way to kingship or rule, but we'll see what happens."

>>6014831
Fuck' em up Dark/Bright Lord Hallaster!

>>6014831
I will admit that I'm not quite as invested in this one compared to the Queen thread, but hey, I voted in the other threads, so I might as well show up here, too.

>>6014831
Registering both my IP (home) and trip (for mobile)

>>6014831
verification

Once again, very flattered to even be included. Good luck to everyone involved, and thank you for the artwork!

>>6014833
Thanks for running this!

>>6014827
My poor Elliot gets more scars at every piece of art. Maybe he'll at least get out of the current thread without some new ones.

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>>6014831
What? Ramster is already dressed up even though the tournament hasn't started yet? Do you think he's nervous about competing in this tournament?

You look over the hand mirror at Ramster.

"Are you nervous?"

Ramster shakes his head and says "Ram-ram!"

What? You think he tugged on his collar when you weren't looking?

>>6014831
>>6014837
TEAAAAAMM RICHARDDDD AND DIESELLLLL

>>6014963
What's this? Your Ramster is evolving?!
.
.
.
It's now a Dapperam!

>>6014808
Reserving this IP so I can blatantly ignore the challenges and just vote for whoever my favorite is

>>6014831
Richardbros... we winning. Thanks to Indonesian Gentleman for all the awesome art!

>>6014831
Let's go.

>>6014831
I'm here for James

>>6014831
My IP will change, there's no way around it. So here's my trip.

>>6014831
let's go gents

>>6014831
Excited to see how my boy (and others) do. putting down my IP.

>>6014831
I already registered my trip last thread. Should be enough,.

>>6014831
Registering for this one too!

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>>6014938
Wanna go ahead and set this as my locked IP from my home PC. I also would like to share this just cause I think it's fucking wild. Here is a comic strip a very kind anon drew up of a scene from my quest.

>>6014831
damn, almost missed this one

Verifying!

>>6015167
I *am* guessing i don't need to register it again if i've already got an 'safe' trip before, right? That would be annoying.

>>6014831
The fact that Sir Andrei from StV is not included in this is criminal

>>6014831
registering for my boy Diesel

>>6014831
Rrrrrrrrregistering.

>>6015231
Noting like fighting a pyromaniac to get the blood flowing.

>>6014831
oh, shit didn't realize the king thread started yet. I guess I'm registering now

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>>6014982
>pic related

>>6015231
That is super badass.

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>>6014831
Kiro has been practicing for the King tournament by cosplaying as a Kaiser from his favourite historical documentary...

Well, maybe not specifically for this tournament, but he does like rope all his friends into watching the ancient holovids recovered from some of humanity's distant, forgotten past. (He assures them that the costumes are essential to understanding the nuance and besides... doesn't he look dashing in that wig?)

"Good luck out there fellow King Candidates! And may the best lizard win!"
>>6014810
"Also, you'd better not get my name wrong when you engrave the crown! It's "Skyeskal". Kek, that would've been embarrassing..."

>>6014908
Verifying IP.

>>6014808
registering yadda yadda

Registering a trip code

>>6014831
hi, will register a trip since my modem seems to lose it's shit from time to time

>>6014831
Well, signing on. Will miss most of the votes, but still honored by the support.

And the exceptional art.

>>6016218
>typo'd name
Woop! Sorry, little buddy.

>>6014891
fucking hell, shenanigans fucked with my entire internet, this will be the new ip

making sure it's working

test

>>6014831
>securing IP
>registering ID
>process complete
Beta Core: Online


>>6016795
Ayyy there he is.
When the quest resumes I’ve got one hell of a speech prepared for Delta, assuming a write-in option is allowed.

>>6014846
Second registration

>>6014831
hi

>>6014831
Anchor post.

Let's go Elliot! Fuck them up, Lord Hallaster! Avenge Arty!

>>6018777
>lucky 7´s
all hail Lord Hallaster!

>>6018777
Eternal glory to Lord Hallaster!

Testing

>>6018072
testing just to see that eveything is still in order

>>6019262
I totally forgot: I have a work thing tonight, so the first round will come eitywr later when I get home, or tomorrow, depending how late it goes.

>>6019539
soon

>>6014831
I'm not too late to lock in right?

>>6014831
Registering. I'll try to vote for every poll this time.

>>6014831
test

>>6019863
Feel free to skip any vote where your candidates differ from mine.

Rolled 3, 35 = 38 (2d104)

>>6014839
>>6014837
>>6014846
>>6014851
>>6014854
>>6014860
>>6014861
>>6014876
>>6014887
>>6014891
>>6014908
>>6014914
>>6014919
>>6014938
>>6014942
>>6014963
>>6014970
>>6014982
>>6015053
>>6015056
>>6015096
>>6015108
>>6015110
>>6015167
>>6015229
>>6015499
>>6015658
>>6015723
>>6015778
>>6015802
>>6015857
>>6016218
>>6016325
>>6016672
>>6016752
>>6016795
>>6018072
>>6018248
>>6018441
>>6018777
>>6019806
>>6019863
>>6019886
And so it begins. Two rolls, two events. Post incoming! Anyone who's been in the Queens' equivalent (5997910) knows the drill!

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>>6020013
It's been five days (really almost six) and we have many a registered IP and tripcode! If you missed the window, I'm sorry for your luck, but we had to start EVENTUALLY, and you even had a bit of extra time. I would like to encourage anyone just joining us now to contribute art, discussion (including FRIENDLY) debate, and any other contributions of the contestants that they can. It's the best way to drum up support for the man, boy, lizard, or robot you think deserves the crown of /qst/!

For everyone else, the next twenty-four hours are about voting for these two match-ups:

In the first, BETA from CORE OF STEEL will test his metal against a fellow rebel-at-heart from a far more literal (and arguable less existential) prison: JAMES CALACA of GAOL QUEST! But what contest of skill could possibly pit a mundane man and a massive mecha against one another? Well, its…

EVENT THREE: TIC TAC TOE

Meanwhile, our other event for the evening is a match-up between two handsome men in uniform, neither wholly human but both utterly wholesome! It’s KIRO SKYESKAL (not Skyesakal) of the TPNV Coober Pedy against MARK DELUCIA of the GCPD’s latest anti-gang operation task force! For their part, they’ll be battling it out in…

EVENT THIRTY-FIVE: POP-CULTURE TRIVIA

(for fairness, we’ll limit it to pop culture that is shared between their universes and exists in Officer DeLucia’s era)

So who will it be?
>Beta (Core of Steel)
or
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

And will it be…
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
or
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)

>>6020038
>>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)

>>6020038
Aw shit, here we go!
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Bro has The Eye of Truth--the eye that will seek the truth no matter what... or the cost. So James wants to find out the truth behind what shit's gonna win at Tic-Tac-Toe, well... watch the fuck out!
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Dude's got that little bro energy and probably talks the whole crew's collective ear off about what's 'trending'.

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
Tic Tac Toe has a victor determined entirely by who goes first in any given round.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
Cops know trivia, right? They hear it all on the ride back with a perp in the back seat.

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>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
Webm related, Beta beating James at tic tac toe.
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
If we're thinking of pop culture trivia, we're more than likely to think about real stuff we'd actually know, in which case officer Mark should more than suffice to do this. Gotham is real enough. He could probably tell you all about that time Lex sold his label to international media giant Darkseid incorporated. (Elseworlds 80 Page Giants if you don't believe me)

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)


AIs have a supreme advantage in tic tac toe, though who winds depends on who gets the first move, since first to go can always at least draw unless they, like me, have a kumquat brain

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

He lives in Gotham, The danger of the riddler deciding to become the Trivializer is never not 0, it is a matter of survival, son

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
I object to the claim that mark isn't wholly human, he's 100% human!

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Tic tac toe gaol champ
Well, maybe not, but it's not like he'll lose

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
I think a cop would be more in touch with pop culture than a spaceship crewmember
Also he answered Richard's questions

>>6020049
>>6020067
Second player can always tie actually, and usually aims to do so while first go tries to win
Also it's not complex enough of a game for AI to have an advantage.

>>6020112
>Second player can always tie actually, and usually aims to do so while first go tries to win
This is only true if you don't know the Siamese Box Gamble.

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
I've watched War Games. The AI has to be taught by the human the winning move (which is not to play).

>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
If we're limiting it to only universally shared trivia, then it's actually quite a small pool of information to memorise on Kiro's part. That and he already likes trawling through the archives to find anime historical human documentaries to share with his bro.

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Levelman was very kind in showing an image of Beta throwing the game.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
The contest has kinda been screwed in his favour, how's Kiro going to know as much about trivia that exists in Officer DeLucia’s era? if they'd both answered questions on their own eras then Kiro would have had a far stronger hand.

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>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
No way he could lose in raw logic.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
Space kobold too short lived.

>>6020055
>>6020133
Should have refreshed the page; sparing me the humiliation of being a copycat.
Sorry Levelman.

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)

Not going to lie, I was ready to jump in and post the robot playing Tic-Tac-Toe webm, but it seems I wasn't only beaten to the punch, but beaten to it twice.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

Guy is a beat cop who literally knows the will of the city, I'm sure he knows what's up.

>>6020038
>>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
>>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
Tic-tac-toe is a solved game, and Beta can solve it in milliseconds.

>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
He's the type of guy to know such things.
>>6015096

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
My tic tac toe robot can't be this cool!
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
The bro has this

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
He's cuter

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
TFD

>>6020038
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator

>>6020038
"So, these are the level of contest we'll be competing in? Doesn't seem like much of a kingly competition." Karn mutters to himself, reading over the rules. "Hmmm, the others make good points. I reckon I'll put my vote to-"
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>>6020038

"Were you even listening to me?" Kimble chides from the driver seat.

"What? Sorry. What?" You say jerking your head away from the glass.

"Jesus Christ, boot, you sleeping right?"

"Yeah, just been having...weird dreams is all."

"Well knock em off. I'm asking you important shit here."

"Sorry, Sir, what did you ask me?"

"I asked you if a Robot challenged a person to a game of tic-tac-toe who would win?"

"What?"

"Am I speaking Chinese or something? Robot. Human. Tic. Tac. Toe. Who wins?"

"Nobody."

"Oh come on."

"There's a whole thing isn't there? You can just force a draw every time."

"There's no draws."

"Sir, I don't understa-"

"This is a Kimble Quiz, Mark, there are no draws. Who wins?"

"The Robot."

"Why?"

You shake your head in equal parts confusion and frustration.
"Does it matter?"

"Newsflash boot, none of this matters, just explain your rationale to me."

"I think computers are smarter than people, at least when it comes to logic."

"Figures. You seem like the kinda kid who grew up getting thrashed by online chess bots."

"What? Kimble you aren't making any sense."

"No shit. None of this makes sense." Kimble tells you, finally turning to face you. His face is a grotesque assortment of oblong eyes, mouths, and an ear in there. "I mean, you didn't even notice we just drove off Gotham Bridge." He says from his neck mouth.

"What?" You ask in shock, finally looking forward and seeing the black waters of Gotham Bay rushing up to meet you. Just as the car impacts and a thunderous crash is heard you shoot awake in a panic.

Next to you Kimble leans on a thick book that's only inches from your head.
"Next time you fall asleep in the war room, I'm letting Hawthorne catch you." He says with an amused shaking of his head.

"Yes, sir." You mumble still drowsy. "Won't happen again."

==========
>Beta (Core of Steel)

>Mark DeLucia (GCBC)
Mark had nothing to do as a child but read hospital waiting room magazines and watch the corner mounted TVs. His brain is queal parts Hollywood Scandals and Classic movies.

I fail to see what Beta being an 'AI' has to do with a game that is literally solved and can only be lost if you're the second to go

>>6020278
He will not get bored, just will replay the game endlessly until the opponent gives up.

>>6020297
But it's just one tic-tac-toe game, though. If it was up to that, you could also say that James would get angry and hulk smash him with a spoon.

I mean, he did beat up like an entire horde of velociraptors by himself.

>>6020299
Hitting the opponent would mean forfeiting.

>>6020301
Yeah but so would trying to play forever. It's not an 'who can stay awake the longest' competition.

>>6020302
Draws have to be resolved somehow, so playing forever would be normal.

>>6020458
>Draws have to be resolved somehow, so playing forever would be normal.
It doesn't always end in an draw.

I'm just saying that turning it into an 'outlasting' contest just because one of the people is a machine is biased

>>6020121
>The contest has kinda been screwed in his favour, how's Kiro going to know as much about trivia that exists in Officer DeLucia’s era? if they'd both answered questions on their own eras then Kiro would have had a far stronger hand.
First part of the sentence specifies only that which is shared between their universes, so Kiro does have a chance to know everything Mark would.

>>6020278
>can only be lost if you're the second to go
You can lose if you're first to go, you just need one hell of a misplay, or for robots a very unfortunately timed logic fault.

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
He's an advanced artificial intelligence of high intellect.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
He's living in it.

>>6020038
>Beta (Core of Steel)
Noughts and crosses is a solved game with a limited number of solutions, all of which are trivial to a computer.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
Tough one. On one hand, Kiyo is living it up and probably loves to watch old media, on the other hand his thoughts are going a million miles an hour and Mark has had longer to do it and I bet he had a lot of TV to watch as a kid.

>>6020038
>Beta
>Officer Mark DeLucia

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>>6020104
>pic related
Tallying votes

>>6020038
Tic tac toe:
While James isn't that stupid to lose a tic tac toe game, he's not as smart as Beta, either. I think it'll be either a draw, or a loss if James were to be distracted for even a bit.

Thus, sadly,
>Beta
is probably going to win.

Pop culture trivia:
Now this is a doozy. Kiro might know some 'historic' pop-culture stuff from Coober Pedy's databanks, but who knows how much has time made obscure? On the other side, Mark lives in the correct time, but unless he can tap into Shivers for trivia (and even that's just Gotham-related trivia), he's too busy to be paying attention to all the latest pop culture stuff.

I'd say that
>Kiro
wins due to more scope, inaccurate through historical fog it may be.

>>6020880
:(

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Rolled 97, 34 = 131 (2d100)

>>6020887
Hey, Kurt Wagner's good company to be in!

>>6020040
>>6020042
>>6020044
>>6020047
>>6020049
>>6020055
>>6020056
>>6020067
>>6020079
>>6020104
>>6020112
>>6020116
>>6020119
>>6020121
>>6020133
>>6020173
>>6020182
>>6020187
>>6020220
>>6020243
>>6020266
>>6020268
>>6020269
>>6020488
>>6020612
>>6020617
It seems that in our first face-off, an easy exploit all but ensured an infinite draw if either party was reasonably clever. As such, what was meant to be a battle of wits became one of will: flesh against steel in a veritable staring contest. Who would blink first? Can a sufficiently-advanced artificial intelligence feel BOREDOM?

These questions are beyond me, so it’s a good thing Mr. Calaca lost. Beta wins, 15-9!

Oddly enough, the matter of trivia seemed to be even MORE skewed! Perhaps it’s because, with Batman permeating so much of the cultural landscape, sharing a city with him lend sone a leg up? Maybe it’s just because, with a longer lifespan and a less adventurous childhood, Officer DeLucia simply has more time than Shipman Skyeskal to waste watching TV? Or he did, once, before… Well, anyway, 17-7, Mark beats Kiro!

>Beta (Core of Steel)
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

Now who’s next into the fray?

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>>6020884
Oop, missed this late entry. Still, it only solidified Beta's lead, and couldn't save Kiro.

>>6020890
In our first bout of round two, we have a rather interesting match-up an older character version a character who, in raw age and base don his physical appearance, is ‘older’. However, RICHARD of DROWNED QUEST REDUX would be the first one to tell you (in a threatening nonspecific and strangely ominous manner) that appearances can be deceiving. Not that TOM of RUBY QUEST needs to be told that—he already knows it to be true, between his false name and the fact that he can give the principle four thumbs up! Still, whatever their true age or experience, it will be interesting to see two ‘geriatrics’ face off in the physical confrontation which we hip youths know as…

EVENT NINETY-SEVEN: STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD RACE

Our other contest is rather more esoteric, and stars two uniquely well-suited stars. One is a student at Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was no stranger to strange circumstances even BEFORE his brain ghost, time beast, and partial removal from conventional existence: ELLIOT HALLASTER, the ‘Dark Lord’ of DISAPPEARING HOGWARTS! The other, hailing from House Numitor and constituting a ‘strange circumstance’ in his own right to any who encounter him, is the wandering knight SIR REYNAULD of KOBOLT KLAN ADOPTION! It will be their responsibility today to procure a remarkable animal (or equivaent) of their choice from their own world, which they feel confident parading, displaying, and displaying disciplined control over. Forget the dog-show, this is…

EVENT THIRTY-FOUR: BEST-IN-SHOW ANIMAL OBEDIENCE

So who will it be, /qst/ies?
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
or
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

and will it be…
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
or
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020897
>>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
He could manipulate his own strength into record-speed paddleboarding. Easy win.
>>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020890
"Whadya mean 'Michael I' wasn't the answer to 'Who was the ruling Monarch of 19XX.'?
The archives are clear that he was the King of Pop!"
*grumbling lizard noises*
"Ahh well, it was a long shot. Good work Mr Mark I'll get you next time!"

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Feline Vs Reptile in water based event. I think that's pretty self evident.

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
He's wrangled all sorts already, I imagine a commanding (and somewhat magical) dragon-knight would have little trouble winning this.

>>6020897
I somehow never saw this thread, I'm voting in the queen cup, but I didn't stake an ID here. You can check my trip matches in the other thread >>6020098

Would I be able to vote?

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Tom is canonically pretty strong, but Richard also has a few aces up his finely-pressed sleeves...
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
Quest is literally called Kobolt Klan Adoption. Dude can probably totally adopt the fuck outta an animal and make it do cool tricks

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>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Because it's funnier.
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
Because his girlfriend makes giant man-eating spiders bring her blankets at night.

>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
What the fuck is a stand up paddleboard?

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020908
I'll allow it. Seems reasonable to me, if you can maintain a stable IP and nothing dodgy pops up to make me second-guess it.

>>6020897

"Arty?"

"Yes, Elliot, love?"

"I need a favor from Aragog's kid."

"You mean the 8-foot wide giant spider who lives in the forbidden forest and loves the blankets you gave him?"

"That's the one. Do you think he'd mind a bit of a show?"

"Only if you get him prettier blankets!"

"He's colorblind, he doesn't care!"

"Yeah, but I do! Come, I'll help you pick some nice ones!"

--

>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

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>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
he is supposed to beat the nothing beast, a creature made out of nothingness and has a girlfriend that pretty much befriends any animals regular or magical she encounters, he has a natural relation with creatures
FUCK´EM UP LORD HALLASTER!

>>6020974
>the little sign on the ground
lmao. This thread truly is full of KING SHIT.

>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
Seems more nimble

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
Kobold and Waifu can be disguised as animal

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
He will bitch the whole time about how stupid it is, but if it's necessary to win, he will lock in and show his hypercompetence.

>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
No particular reason
>>6015096

>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Snakeman sounds like he's gone swimming before
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
I want my boy to win

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

I like the cut of his jib. And a character from something called drowned probably has some experience in the water. Maybe the wrong kind? Oh well. I have cats and see how well they do with the pool in the back. Sorry Tom.

>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)

His girlfriend is like an animal wisper to the point giant murder spiders let her rub their bellies and bring her blankets. He has an in game bonus from studying with said girl concerning Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

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>>6020949
> giving our spider friend a few more in better colors

Based.

>>6020974
A tiny Arty encouraging Elliot? Based beyond all imagining. Saved.

>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
just so that the redux guy loses

>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)

>>6020897
"An animal? I have this mimic, though I also have a large collection of kobolts, though I wouldn't call them animals in the slightest, and of course, I did spend some of my younger years learning how to wrangle a horse.
Oh, and if worst comes to worst, if you check back with me in about fifty years and I do nothing, I suppose I can always enter myself."

*sniff*

"Excuse me, it's been a long day. On that note, I'll vote for that funny cat fellow, Tom... and myself, if you'll allow it."

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Can't believe I have to vote against Tom here, but Richard has been in water for pretty much his entire quest
At least it's over with

>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
>>6020949 enough said

>>6020897
"Hey dad! Why don't you gove your thoughts on this one?" Chaya asks her father, tapping the modified scouter on her head. "The people want to know who you think'll win, but more importantly WHY."
"Why? Hrmmm, this first competition here seems quite unbalanced. A feline may be more inclined to avoid falling in the water, but there's something else..." Karn trails off. "If this race gets close, we may see what his true form is. What his Real strength looks like."

"And what about the other one?" she continues eagerly. "Which of the other two do you think'll win?"
"Well, that one, judging by his outfit's clearly a magic user. If he can summon beasts like that boy Chilli's training, Alimar, then he-"

*sees the giant spider beside the young wizard and girl beside him*

"... As I was saying, I think this one goes to-"
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)

>>6020038
>>6020890
Fuck I missed the first round.
>>6014861
Previous register.
Thought we had one more day to start.
>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
He could probably cheat.
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
Literally in the name....

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>>6020897
>EXCERPT FROM THE NOTES OF CORRESPONDENT #314, ETC.

"It was time. How much time? There were no clocks. My wristwatch was missing. Subjectively, it was minutes since my last entry. But the females were gone--- spirited off to their own competition, once and for all--- and more objective measures suggested a month and a half in r-time. A month and a half! At least I was well-preserved. They had taken the time to create likenesses of us--- I thought mine was rather good, if simplistic, and made with limited information about my appearance. Much better limited information than too much.

But I digress. Before I was aware of much of anything, they had me and a creature--- some manner of two-legged feline--- out on the ocean. Not our ocean. Inert water. I was delivered a floating oval and a paddle and was instructed to paddle myself along a course. The fastest would win. (Not that my trials would be over after that, but it was a start.)

I had never heard of such of an activity, and frankly I could not grasp why anybody would do such a thing willingly, but out of everything on offer I'm sure it could have been worse. This "stand-up paddleboarding" took more balance than it did raw athleticism. Moreover, the organizers, such as they were, provided next to no instructions. "Get there faster." They did not say I had to be fast. It did indicate that the feline had to be slower than me, which could be easily accomplished if, e.g., a wayward sea snake were to accidentally wrap itself around the feline's paddle, throwing him off balance. It would be even more helpful if the snake, understandably angered from furious attempts to beat it off the paddle, were to bite the feline on his exposed toes, sending him flailing off entirely. If this were the case, I could take my time, enjoy a cigarette, and consider this an opportunity to learn something new."

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
----


"Taming a child is near exactly like taming an animal. Moreso if the child is, in fact, a type of animal. The other one--- his mate might be skilled at it, but it's not her contest, is it? She was disqualified. I saw it happen."

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

>>6021575
I knew he'd bite the cat.

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>>6021580
Him? That's a totally unrelated snake! They're in the ocean! It's only natural there'd be sea snakes lurking around, biting contestants. Tom should've been more prepared.

>>6021588
Can confirm. That man looks only 2% like a snake. Well below the threshold of "Yo is that a snake?". You need at least 25 percent for that.

>>6021588
Hmmmmm, normally I'd be suspicious, but those dub 8s and that dank bud convinced me. Go forth funny Hawaiian shirt man.

>>6021588
>>6021599
>>6021600
>Dubs on dubs on dubs
Guess it was a figment of my imagination.

>>6020897
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux
>Elliot Hallaster (Disappearing Hogwarts)
or

>>6020897
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6021628
>>6021607
>>6021575
>>6021568
>>6021531
>>6021292
>>6021277
>>6021192
>>6021130
>>6021059
>>6021034
>>6021014
>>6020989
>>6020974
>>6020965
Well as I'm about to head out for the evening, and don't want a repeat of last night's super-tired voting-counting debacle in the Queen's tourney tonight, I'm calling it now!

With 8 votes to Richard’s 14, it seems the voters weren’t convinced that a manly physique like that of our cat-like contestant was enough to succeed against a sneaky man-snake from a quest that, at a glance, seems to be about avoiding drowning! His apparent allegiance with literal (if rather small) sea-serpents didn’t do poor Tom any maritime favours, either. Get the antivenom and administer the chest compressions!

Our other contest, between Dark lord Hallaster and Dragon Knight Reynauld, is a little closer. 10-to-12 is a fairly tight margin, and while Reynauld’s found family menagerie makes a strong case for his success, Arty’s assistance could indeed give Elliot an (unfair? maybe, but technically legal) advantage! In this case, the dice will decide who wins…

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Rolled 59, 10 = 69 (2d96)

>>6021724
It seems even the 1d6 bump wasn't enough to overcome Reynauld's (super)natural affinity for fellow ferals! Maybe the fates are arachnophobic? He, his mimic, and his especially good horse take the match! Our winners this round are:

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
and
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)

Now, who's next? And what will their events be?

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>>6021728
In many ways our first matchup seems a mismatch: an almost godlike powerhouse of martial might made manifest against a humble half-elf probably half his opponent’s weight. ‘TIPS’ of SEEKERS OF THE EOSTERIC is full of tricks, though, and has contended with powerful extraterrestrial beings and nearly-divine demihuman warlords before! Then again, with his wealth of experience over and above his physical acumen, there’s probably almost nothing in all the multiverse that can catch like likes of GENERAL KARN off-guard after everything we’ve heard of SAIYAN CONQUEROR QUEST, right?

I guess it comes down to who has encountered the most malevolent entity or upsetting anomaly to best feed their creativity in…

EVENT FIFTY-NINE: SCARY STORY CONTEST

Meanwhile, we have another odd couple, though they perhaps share something of an attitude problem. Both DIESEL CRASH of SLICE QUEST and RAMSTER of CUTÉMON tend to tackle problems head on—sometimes literally! if one is smaller than the other, well, he's ALSO the better armed by nature. Luckily for whoever you think would lose a clash-of-arms between these two, that's not what they're facing off in today. Both enjoy their gaming, as this reptoid recalls, but which joysiuck-jockey or button masher will overcome the other when they go toe-to-toe in…

EVENT TEN: SPACE STATION 13

(Brought to you by our no not reallysponsors at Steam, and by anon suggestion in the preliminaries)

So, who will it be?
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
or
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)

and

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
or
>Ramster (Cutémon)

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)

>Ramster (Cutémon)

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
I am absolutely certain Karn has told stories to scare Saiyan children, including his (very many) own, many times before. And that has to be quite a feat when everyone around him believes he can beat anything that comes knocking. Dad power is unmatched.

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
Poor Ramster. He's about as competent as the average xxxx-tider. However he is more intelligent and handsome than those subhumans. But Diesel has at least a fifth grade reading level.

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
it would be a disservice to not vote for this absolute qst staple

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
I get a weird vibe about him. Karn has killed plenty of horrors yeah, but he's the pinnacle of his setting's might. He's faced things but isn't really afraid anymore. It takes a strong understanding of the unknown and sapient psychology to truly spook others. I think E-Z Real has this in the bag
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
Diesel fits right in. He'd be at home being a greytider hanging out at the bar or near the kitchen. Or maybe Cargo with them ordering pizza boxes since there's no chef on the server.

>Elliot is out
well shit, im out too then, yall have fun

>>6021746
It's a round robin, anon. He has 11 more matches.

>>6021757
oooh so thats whats been going on in the queen thread? no wonder some contestants looked familiar, very well then, nevermind

>>6021732
Going to absolutely drop a story here from Karn's pov in the morning, might do two if this vote's still open on my lunch break.

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
Karn is too powerful to feel fear, which is a huge disadvantage for scary stories.

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
Gotta give it to the guy who can simultaneously move a mouse and type on a keyboard

>>6021746
Unlike the loser bracket, the king and queen tournaments are round robin, so if Elliot wins his next 10 matchups and everyone else goes half and half he'll be undisputed victor.

>>6021732
>>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
>>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
>Ramster (Cutémon)

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
Karn doesn't know what normal people are afraid of.
>Ramster (Cutémon)
He's an avid gamer and deceptively smart.
>>6015096

>>6021768
>Karn is too powerful to feel fear, which is a huge disadvantage for scary stories.
That is such a weird take. You don't need to be afraid of things to make others afraid of things. Did your dad believe in the boogeyman when he told you there was a weird hat man in the attic that was only visible in the dark?

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>>6021732
“Scary story contest? Really? Well, I suppose I do know a few.” Karn says to himself, deciding on which tale to tell.
“What about the Big Gete Star invasion? Or the Siege of New Salda?” Chaya asks him, but Karn shakes his head. His mind made up on the greatest tale.
“No, I know which story I’ll tell. The story of the strongest being I’ve ever faced. The only being to ever make me feel true fear. The tale of a Stand born from the Prophet Truth’s corpse: Lyin’ Eyes Requiem.”

“So there we were, me, my wife Meloka, our oldest-born son Chilli, and my friend Lord Freeza. We had battled through the strongest defenders High Charity had to offer. Two of the three Prophets lay dead, one I’d evicerated and the other having taken his own life. But from his sacrifice arose the most dangerous being I’ve ever witnessed: 「Lyin Eyes Requiem」

It looked like a giant, flaming eye, burning with hatred and a thirst for vengeance. And every time it spoke, somehow, the world -changed-. It said “We did not lose,” and the bodies of the fallen reassembled themselves. It declared that we had lost, and suddenly everyone else lay dead at my feet while I was restrained. Watching death approach, the revived Prophet holding his blade overhead. Ready for a killing blow. But I refused to back down, drawing upon all the might I’d stored in this little stone.”

Karn draws the Soulstone from his boot, showing it to everyone.

“With its energy I transformed, ascending to my strongest state to battle. Immediately I blasted off the ground straight towards it, determined to end that monster. But again it spoke, saying I could not reach it. Gravity greater than anything I’ve ever felt crashed down upon me, knocking me flat to the ground. Were it not for Divine Dragon Force, I would have certainly perished. But even with my Stand, nothing we tried worked. Over and over that damned eye would reset the world, making me watch the deaths of my wife and son repeatedly. It even turned them against me, using their bodies against their will to try and destroy me. Even after everything it tried, we finally managed to get it! My Stand piercing the monster, turning its own energy back on itself to destroy it. But even THAT didn’t work. Just by saying “YOU DID NOT. HIT! ME!” it managed to undo our attack, Lyin Eyes Requiem returning back to its undamaged state.

It rewrote reality once again, completely draining all my strength before breaking both my arms, killing all my present family whilr holding me helplessly before it as the final blow was about to be struck. I had lost. Despite giving it everything I had, it wasn’t enough. I only had a single hope left, a weapon saved for the most dire of circumstances. Trading my Stand’s power, leaving it inert in exchange for a single shot at victory.”

>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

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>>6021724
And the dice continue to hate Elliot. Gonna head to the store this weekend. Pick up a chicken and sacrifice it, try to fix his luck.

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
Who wants to hear about the time we found acid blood filled aliens in the cryobay?
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
He has fingers and could actually play...
>>6014861
>>6021568
Previous posts

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
NGL some of the dark gods stuff going on in this universe is horrific. Would make for nightmare fuel as a bedtiome story.
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
Success (survival) in SS13 requires just the sort of pluck this fellow is known for.

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
"...and then the government didn't let me marry by 2 wives. The end."

>Ramster (Cutémon)

>>6021888
>there was a weird hat man in the attic that was only visible in the dark?
Uh he never told me that, seems like an oddly specific example anon

Second of all, there's a reason those stories get told to small impressionable children and not their adult peers.

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
He's seen some shit on a reality-ending level.

>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)
Is this even a question?

>>6021998
>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
while both may have their fair share of creepy stories, I'd like to think that Ezreal would be able to articulate better

>Ramster (Cutémon)
he's wacky so he'd fit right in with SS13

>>6022016
>Second of all, there's a reason those stories get told to small impressionable children and not their adult peers.
good point

>>6022016
Uh he never told me that, seems like an oddly specific example anon
It was just another kind of boogeyman story. No different from the stranger danger story of the mailman being a spy and wanting to harvest organs. Or of the strange woman who breaks into rooms at night to steal fingernails to stop kids from chewing on them.

>Second of all, there's a reason those stories get told to small impressionable children and not their adult peers.
Yeah. Why would this event be any different? Scary stories are for telling to children.

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Pictured: Ramster

>>6021732
>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6022115
>Yeah. Why would this event be any different? Scary stories are for telling to children.
Much like the metal wire puzzle challenge from the queen tournament I imagine the judges range from easily scared to embodiments of the concept of courage.

Also, if you look at the canon example >>6021913 it feels less scary to me because he was not only able to fight back, but to win. DB as a setting doesn't have much in the way of horror elements, and while I know SCQ hodgepodges in a hundred other settings DB is still the backbone. There's no such thing as an enemy you can only run from, can't even fight back against, and for me personally those are peak scary.

>>6022209
I'ma be real wit chu, that wasn't a scary story IMO. That was just a recap. Scary stories are just cautionary tales but spooky.

>>6022255
So what you're saying, is that the story the QM says Karn would have told to win a scary story contest doesn't even qualify as a scary story to you?

>>6022260
Correct.

>>6022272
Ok, just making sure I understood where you were coming from there.

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>>6021732
“And you’re SURE this is a cooking game?” Diesel asks in a wary tone, glaring at the pixels dancing across his computer screen.

His answer comes in the form of a reassuring nudge to the shoulder. “Course it is, sandcrab! What’s got your beard in a bunch anyways? I thought you liked video games!” Sauntering over to his side, the red-haired nudger’s smug grin falters beneath Diesel’s continued silence. “... I mean… there’s cooking IN it, so…”

“Gotta set up your character, bro.” Explains the tall, shaggy-headed dude standing on the other side of Diesel’s chair. “Gotta pay if you wanna play…”

“Y’know, when you put it like that you almost sound poetic, Raj.” Remarks the girl with a hint of pride in her tone. “Gotta pay if you wanna play…”

Clicking through the plethora of options for his character, Diesel finds the ‘Chef’ job in the occupation preferences menu and wastes no time in customizing his spehssman while his pals watch in quiet awe.

“Huh. Guess you guys weren’t lying.”

It doesn’t take long for the delivery boy to finish. Saving his settings with a confident CLICK, he hits the ready button and leans back in his chair with half a smile on his face.

“Hey Deez, your guy looks just like you!” Observes Raj as his head bobbs up and down with approval.

“That’s what I was aiming for, yea.”

“From what I’ve gathered your goal is to perform your job on the station to the best of your ability,” Explains Pepper in a tone befitting a general outlining a plan of attack, “But watch out, slick–there are TRAITORS aboard!”

Pepper’s smirk dips a bit into confusion.

“And um… that hamster thing we’re supposed to be competing against? Maybe?”

“Sounds like a pain.” Diesel grunts as he grapples with his keyboard. “... these controls suck. How do I use my other hand?”

“It’s pretty tricky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it!” Replies Raj as he gives Diesel’s shoulder a placating pat. “There are wizards and stuff too, though, so uh… watch out.”

Pepper’s eyebrow raises in surprise. “You’ve… played this before, Raj?”

The skater boy answers with a sagely nod. “Yup, Chemist gets absolutely BONKERS.”

“This guy’s trying to saw off my butt.” Interrupts Diesel with a hint of ire in his tone. “How do I tell him to get outta the kitchen?”

“Well you usually type ‘say’ first, and-”

Before Raj can finish, Diesel thwarts the grey-jumpsuited menace with a click of his mouse that sends his avatar’s Emergency Air Tank crashing into the instigator’s head! Button-mashing with the vigor only a pissed-off cook can muster, Diesel’s eyes light up when his spastic clicking bears fruit…

“Wow, didn’t know this game had grappling in it!” Pepper tousles Diesel’s hair as a smirk forms on her face. “You’re a natural, sandcrab!”

>CONTD.

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>>6022360
>>6021732

“Hold on, I wanna try something.” A hint of maliciousness enters Diesel’s gaze as he clicks on the aptly-named Processor in the back of the kitchen. “I’ve got an idea…”

Three Minutes Later…

“Don’t worry, bro, you can always hop on another server if you don’t wanna wait for your ban to lift!” Explains Raj with a smile and a shrug. “Happens all the time!”

“To be fair it WAS pretty funny when you turned him into a burger.” Sighs Pepper as she twirls a lock of her hair. “You wanna keep practicing, sandcrab?”

Diesel responds with a nod and a smirk. “Damn right I do! I haven’t even gotten to making food yet!”

>Ezreal "Tips" Mious Van Houtzmann (Seekers of the Esoteric)
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

>>6021732
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
>Ramster (Cutémon)

>>6021732
Voting!
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

File: esoterica4.png (297 KB, 741x689)

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"A scary story? I don't know... I'm not really sure what to tell. When I was very young and studying the Sylvan Realms, the older students of The Living Library in Iternagreyn would sometimes tell tales about... Well, it's silly. You know, obviously made up. Just stuff they'd glimpsed by <Faerie Fire> 's glow. Spindly, lefless trees amongst the thicker trunks of the great forest which, when they turned away, they saw lift and bend... At the knee. great, spindly legs... And stars, up amongst the canopy, which weren't stars. Stars which shifted when the 'trees' moved, and BLINKED... And vanished, invisible, when their spell to see the unseen faltered. Some nights, even up in my treehouse dormitory, I wondered... Without the ability to cast <Faerie Fire> myself, would I even know if one of those tall, spindly Unseelie THINGS was peering through the window? Would I even know if it was reaching in, with a thin, long lib... Until I felt that invisible hand grab me?"

...

"Of course, I'm older now. I can cast <Faerie Fire>, and see the unseen. I know that the Unseelie are mostly small, black-eyed little cretins. They're fierce, dangerous, but I've fought them. Killed them. I've traveled further, and into more dangerous places, than the Sylvanwood. The Goblin Wastes' wide open expanses hold greater horror, with their goblin slavers and ravenous trolls, but even THEY can be driven back, or slain. There's nothing to fear, for a sufficiently-skilled master of the arcane arts. Not REALLY..."

...

"But some nights, even as an adult... Well, when I was on Holy Luna, when I met the princesses of the moon, for JUST a moment, I saw a glimpse of of Princess Yllarquin, of the Three-Quarter Moon. Not how she normally appears, all radiant and beautiful, but... Beneath all that. Her REAL self, with those huge, staring, star-lit eyes... And her limbs, so long, and thin, and bending in such strange ways... And she reached for me, with those long, thin, sharp fingers of hers... Just like in my nightmares as a child. And I admit, I can't help but wonder...


"What did those other students see, in the woods?"

Rolled 4 (1d6)

What is scarier than an overwhelming nightmare-force which can break reality itself, and force you into a hell of deceptive creation? A power so great that even a mighty cosmic warrior must rely upon a trump -card to overcome it, and even years later cannot help but reflect upon how close he and everything he loved came to death? It was beaten, but almost wasn’t…

Perhaps… The unknown? Those esoteric secrets which even the Gods of Light refuse to illuminate? Those mechanisms and movements behind the veil of conventional reality, which even scholars of hidden things fear to uncover and expose?

Can a fearless fighter truly terrify? Or are his horrors all the greater, that they can humble the likes of him?

It seems Tips has the lead, but not by much. 12-to-9, his lead of three will be challenged by Karn’s 1d6 power-up, as I promised in the preliminaries to anyone going up against my boy! No nepotism allowed from your loyal reptile!

Diesel’s coaching from his friends, however, is more than sufficient to render a 1d6 moot. 15-to-6 assuming I counted correctly, hahaha, aaaaah he takes it. Let’s see who joins him in the winner’s circle today…

File: round 3b done.png (228 KB, 1489x743)

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Rolled 4, 42 = 46 (2d92)

>>6022467
Curse my silly dice and sillier rules! I’ve been hoist by my own petard! Our winners are

>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
and
>Diesel Crash (Slice Quest)

Well, let’s see who’s next, and what form their own contests will take…

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Two spacefaring futuristic warriors compete in this contest, in a battle of cold steel against cold blood! Who will blink first, and who will falter? Out amongst the tars, a battle beyond our earthly understanding wages between…

>Beta (Core of Steel)
and
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)

But what sort of battle? Why, it’s no simple head-to-head battle, but it IS something I suspect might really put both to the test. It’s…
EVENT FOUR: BOAT RACE

Given their sci-fi flavour, we’re going to let these two ‘captains’ choose approximately-equal vessels to sail the STARRY ‘sea’, through strangely and implausibly-dense asteroid fields and through the stormy atmosphere of a gas giant, to alight upon its iron core. Who will get there faster?


Meanwhile, a man and manimal, both once trapped and confined, struggle for freedom! Only one of them can leave a winner from this particular cage, though, with his head held high and one step closer to the crown! Well, unless they tie, but that would require a hell of a double knockout, because

>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
and
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

Are engaging in the ancient art of PRISON FISTICUFFS, in a good old-fashioned…
EVENT FORTY-TWO: BOXING MATCH

Whose iron resolve (or glass jaw?) will give out first?!

>>6022482
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Sometimes experience beats processing power.

>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
I have no reason but I must vote.

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Flesh beats metal
Organic pride!

>>6022482
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
Manly physique, and James can't use his spoon in a boxing match

>>6022482
>Beta (Core of Steel)
Robbutt advantage

>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
Has a fucking crowbar advantage

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>>6022459
"Now what some of those judges said makes a little more sense. They viewed it not as a tale of the most 'scary' being one's encountered, objectively speaking. But more in how meeting such a being affected you personally. Interesting. Seems the wording on these competitions leave much up to their individual interpretations. I'll remember that, going forward. Good luck in your next round, I'm sure the next one will go your way, Ezreal."

>>6022482
"Two more unbalanced competitions, but at least I can see winners. The lizardman's seemingly an able captain, but if it's a contest of faster with equal vessels, the winner is the machine this time. It can allow its vessel to sustain more damage, making a rougher crash-landing than the living being could survive all to land faster. Unfortunately, unless Kiro can breathe in the void of space and is more willing to put his life on the line with a far lower survival chance, he's far more likely to lose. No rule says the ship must remain undamaged, or to leave and return to the start."

"Boxing? Isn't that the one where you only fight using hands? No kicks, energy attacks or grapples? Without knowing their relative strengths, the cat has a major weakness with that one eye. Circling to his right, throwing repeated, quick lefts into his blind spot where he can't react would be debilitating as the fight progresses. Tom would be unable to properly defend against attacks from that side, unless he's simply far faster. Unless one of them is hiding enough power to one-shot the other, or speed enough to never have to take a hit, I have to give the advantage to the one with both his eyes."

>Beta (Core of Steel)
>James Claaca (Gaol Quest)

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>>6022482
As a future commanding officer of the TPN, the young lizard relishes every chance he gets to be Captain Kiro! Channelling his favourite historical Starship Captain, his voice takes on a slightly deeper tone and halting cadence — bringing all his [Leadership], ubiquitous [Operations] training and raw [SOUL+] to bear to command his voidship and crew to win this race.

"Engineering, all power to manoeuvring thrusters and forward gravity projectors."
"Tactical, focus on deflecting those asteroids and keep an eye on our competition. I don't want any funny business! Point defence lasers at the ready!"
"Nav, plot a best time course through this
asteroid field! Dodge the worst of it and plow through the rest!"
"Science, find me where that gas giant's atmosphere is... calmest! That'll be our entry point."
"Comms, keep the inter-ship channels locked down. Our opponent is know for his E-warfare packages."
"Let's win this race team! I believe in us!"

>>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)

>>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
(Tom seems like a ringer for an old fashioned punch-up.)

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6022360
>>6022363
About what I expected. He fits right in. I'd get him exotic ingredients for obscure food recipes ANYTIME

>>6022467
>>6022469
The Saiyan power still pulls through eh?

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Sorry Beta, but spaceships are a type of boat and lizardmen are more buoyant than giant mechas
>???????????????????????
I'm going to flip a coin dice to decide my vote for the boxing match, as I can imagine either can win this.
1 = Tom
2 = James

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
I feel like Kiro would be a terrifying but ace pilot
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Look, I haven't read either quest so I don't know what they can do. Decided by coinflip.

>>6022482
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
>>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

>>6022482
>Beta (Core of Steel)
>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
He at least knows how to control a spaceboat. Beta's simulations didn't even have the Moon.

>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
No explanation

>>6022482
>Beta (Core of Steel)
He can fly above the water, or skim it at least. His engines could keep him going for hours if he isn't in combat mode. And waaaay faster.
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Obviously has to go to the guy already in and broke out of prison.
>>6014861
Registered vote, previous posts.

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)

>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
James beat an entire horde of velociraptors to death with his bare hands, but i suspect Tom will win anyway just because he's "older"

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Space ship, Water ship, what's the difference?
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)
Look, I know Tom's a strong motherfucker. It's true. James is a goddamn maniac when he gets angry, though, and that revolutionary rage is scary when it's released!

File: New Frame.jpg (227 KB, 1000x950)

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>>6022482

"..."

"Come on Beta, this'll be easy. Gamma could do this with her eyes closed."

"Gamma had a LiDAR sensor suite that could detect a rat in a field of rubble. I will also point out that the Burning Eagle project and Yi Accelerators were designed to ensure air superiority. Air. Which doesn't exist in the vacuum of space."

"We've fought underwater before! It was nothing."

"Standard combat is with one atmosphere of pressure. Submersible combat was with several atmospheres of pressure. This is with zero. They are not the same at all, Sophie."

"You've taken down a Pyramid-Class Walker like it was nothing, yet *this* is what scares you?"

"I am not afraid. I simply think it's ridiculous of you to believe that victory is guaranteed this time. Predictions indicate that chances of success are only 53.71148% which is significantly lower than I like. I will remind you that up until now I have never had training simulations that cover space flight. Our opponent on the other hand is a decorated starship captain."

"So you're giving up?"

"Negative. I'll win regardless of the disadvantages. To the moon, eh Mortimer? "

>>6022497
>Before the race starts, Kiro will receive a signal attempting to hail on the communications channel. Whether he decides to answer or even listen is up to him...
"TPN Coober Pedy, this is Cobalt 1. Your datastreams indicate that your vessel has an A.I onboard. Requesting permission to initiate handshake protocols."
"To the captain in particular: good luck out there, and give me your best."
>My votes are for:
>Beta (Core of Steel)
and
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

>>6022482
>Kiro Skyeskal (Voidship Bridge Simulator)
Sorry, Beta, but Kiro's actually a spaceship operator.

>"Tom" (Ruby Quest)
MANLY PHYSIQUE

File: PRI Trinity ShipOS v0.6b.gif (115 KB, 1200x675)

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>>6023006
Trininty ShipOS Internal - 1005328.log

========FILE HEADER=========
>Foreign AI system connection attempt (3).......
Connection Timeout.
>Reason: Authentication Failed.+
>Incoming hail.

[CONTROLLER (Integrity: 21%)]: ==Handshake attempt from incompatible system detected.==

[GUARDIAN (Integrity: 64%)]: ==Foreign AI likely attempting to subvert systems. Engage firewall protocols. Reject communication attempt.==

>PENDING DECISION: Accept/Reject Ratio --> 0/64

[TEACHER (Integrity 4%)]: ==Communication protocols indicative of Terran pre-diaspora technology. Potential for learning high. Respond to hail.==

>PENDING DECISION: Accept/Reject Ratio --> 4/64

[GUARDIAN (Integrity: 64%)]: ==Any risk to PRI proprietary technology and information will not be tolerated. Do. Not. Respond. ==

[REDACTED (Integrity: 300%)]: "New AI friend want's to talk? Let me out! Peedee wants to play with new friend!"

>PENDING DECISION: Accept/Reject Ratio --> 304/64

[GUARDIAN (Integrity: 64%)]: ==PD-113 is not authorised to interfere. Return to designated area and resume dormancy!==

[REDACTED (Integrity: 300%)]: "NO! Stinky, mean Guard! LET ME PLAY!"

>GUARDIAN disconnected.
>REDACTED connection timeout.
>PENDING DECISION: Accept/Reject Ratio --> 4/0

[CONTROLLER (Integrity: 21%)]: ==Commanding officer KS-13126 orders state communication lines are to be locked down. Reject communication attempt.==

>DECISION REACHED: Accept/Reject Ratio --> 4/21
>Connection refused.

========END OF FILE=========

Rolled 59, 37 = 96 (2d88)

Close one, huh?

Well, we still have almost an hour and a half left, but I think I'll get the next round ready...

Well what have we here? 7-to-10 and 7-to-10, James and Kiro just NARROWLY lead Tom and Beta in their respective contests. I can see why, too: all these contenders are well-suited to a contest of this sort! For instance, Beta is the faster mind by default, and has essentially BEEN a ship before, albeit a man-shaped one. And if James has beaten up dinos before, he may never have faced a surprisingly-manly cat-man with hidden dinosaur arms for EXTRA PUNCHING, right?

It’s close, REAL close. And since it’s close enough to 24 hours and I want to go do some other stuff tonight, I’m rolling 1d6 for each of them!

Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)

>>6023391
now with actual dice

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>>6023394
>>6023391
Well there you have it! James lands that knockout, but it's Beta who pulls ahead by a hair in the star-sailing and gas-surfing. Our winners are...

>Beta (Core of Steel)
>James Calaca (Gaol Quest)

Now, who's next?

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>>6023335
>>6023399
Though their societies may differ, both of these battling boys are valorous and virtuous protectors of the peace! Tasked by their respective realms with defending the defenceless and warding away the wicked, neither is any stranger to their own peculiar forms of community outreach! Given a good enough cause, one imagines both

>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
and
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

Could potential excel in…

EVENT FIFTY-NINE: CHARITY FUNDRAISER

…But who would raise MORE?

Meanwhile, General Karn has been eyeing up a certain someone since this competition began—nay, since the preliminaries! He (like many of his fellow kingly competitors) has had reason to watch warily the snake-in-the-shades known only as ‘Richard’. But will this be the battle of gods which Karn anticipated? Will Richard shed his disguise and reveal his final form?!

Yes, it’s a real showstopper, folks, because

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
and
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)

are battling in that most manly of arenas…

EVENT THIRTY-SEVEN: MAGIC THE GATHERING

(What? Not what you were envisioning when I said ‘manly’? I mean, you don’t see a lot of girls at those things, you gotta’ admit.)

Cast your votes, /qst/!

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
He has already attended one of these and bumped shoulders with the richie rich. He has to have picked up some stuff.

>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
GREEN DECKING AND PLAYING ONLY THE BIGGEST CREATURES AND ALSO MONKEYS. Filthy blue-deckers need not apply.

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)

>>6023400
>Sir Reynauld of House Numitor (Kobolt Klan Adoption)
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

>>6023394
"How are we falling behind? I thought we were the better team for sure this time!"
Science: "Scanners indicate our opposition has slipped through consecutive holes in the shifting asteroid field asteroid field. I can't tell if it was calculated or just duck luck!"
Navigation: "And here I am dodging and weaving like my tail's on fire! Can't we ever catch a break!"
Cucked by the random topic then the random comeback dice... Kirobros its so over.

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
I think Reynauld is better suited to a more hands on kind of charity work.
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
Oh, you'd better believe this snake WOULD play a mono-blue deck.

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
He's practically attached to all the gothamite bigwigs at the hip these days! It'll be a sinch.
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)
He LITERALLY has experienced MTG stuff in-quest. And killed it, hard.

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out-snaking the competition

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

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>>6023400
"So, what is this?" Karn asks, his daughter walking him through the rules again aided by both a rulebook at hand as well as her ever-present and dubiously helpful chat. "Okay, let me see if I've got this right. Draw a card, play a 'land', then either summon creatures of play these other cards to set up an advantage. Then go into a 'battle', with the goal of lowering their points from 20 to 0?"
"That's it." Chaya replies. "And remember, card rules overrule the game rules. If a card says you can do something against the rules, the card is the rule to follow."

“Got it.” Karn replies, looking over the assorted piles of decks generously provided by the hosts. “But which ones are good to play? Are all the decks equal? Or are some better than others?”
“Well, chat's saying that blue is the strongest, because you can counter your opponent's plays.” she says, eyes darting back and forth reading the chat moving so fast she can barely read it all. “But blue is the hardest to play. Green ramps up lands the fastest, to play bigger and better cards sooner. White deals mainly with gaining life and stretching out the game.”
“Gaining life doesn't win the game, it just slows my opponent down. That wouldn't be an effective strategy.” Karn mutters.
“Black is all about doing damage to yourself, either directly to your life or sacrificing minions to hurt your opponent more, while red is all about damage. Playing fast and trying to do as much damage as quickly as possible.” Chaya continues, then keeps going through the rules. “And you're not limited to a single color either, some rare decks like Slivers play all five.”

“Slivers?” he asks, even more confused. “What?”
“Right, so there are archetypes too, basically from different times in the game when different mechanics worked best.” Chaya says, reading from her chat. “But most of the time archetype or 'clan' decks can't compete. But as for what decks are good, there are a few Tanya thinks you'd pilot pretty well. Merfolk are pretty good, all about powering each other and forming an army that can't be stopped, with counterspells at the right moment to protect them. Then there's Infect, which only has to deal ten infect damage to a player to beat them. But there's one she thinks you'll wield the best; Rakdos Death's Shadow.”

Reaching down Chaya picks up and hands him a deck of cards, Karn looking through the black and red cards as Chaya explains how the deck works. Which Karn does like, between the extremely aggressive playstyle and being more dangerous the closer to losing he gets, this feels like it would play as many of his real-life battles have. Karn sits at the table, waiting for his opponent to pick one so they can start the game as he goes over how his cards work. Seems simple enough, the real strategy will be in getting through his opponent's strategy.

>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)
>General Karn (Saiyan Conqueror Quest)

>>6023400
>Officer Mark DeLucia (Gotham City Beat Cop Quest)

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)
A control player is one after my cold mechanical heart.

>>6023440
Beta probably shouldn't have won that one. He has limits. It's also luck that he hasn't been sent into a social setting competition yet, where he should be so out of his depth it's comedic.
Guess his blind guardian angel is modifying a few rolls on his behalf.

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>EXCERPT FROM THE NOTES OF CORRESPONDENT #314, AKA "RICHARD", ETC.

"I won the 'paddleboard' contest, naturally. The feline proved inferior in the face of unexpected circumstances, and I enjoyed some leisure time. I had not doubted my competence, of course, but it did solidify that I might have an easier time than anticipated. Hopefully Charlie was here to watch it.

Almost as soon as it was completed, the next round was thrust upon me. This time, my opponent was the man with the obscene hair--- the father of the Charlie-like woman I had spoken to previously. Speaking forthrightly, I could not win any physical contest with him, and I had been warned that trickery was off the table. I found it exceedingly fortunate, then, that the round was centered on pure strategy. A card game.

I had never played this 'Magic the Gathering' before, but I swiftly learned that 'Karn' had not either (though allegedly he had fought some of the monsters the cards depicted, an experience I did not find applicable). I was wary of the title, but could not find true haemic influence in the game. It was fictional. Better 'Magyck the Gathering,' then.

With that resolved, I found a liking in the card game. Deceptively straightforward, it masked a wealth of strategy I fear my opponent is not well-suited to grasp (no matter how much his daughter might attempt to explain). I would not cheat, of course. I was warned. But I found that all manner of chicanery was possible within the letter of the tournament rules. He would attempt to win through raw power, as anticipated--- but how well would raw power hold up if my opponent were unable to play his cards at all? If he were to sit there, waiting patiently, then less patiently, as my own cards activated infinitely? We would find out. But I think I knew the answer."

>Richard (Drowned Quest Redux)

----

"A noble knight versus a lowborn officer. It should be a clear advantage. But if I've learned anything from Charlie, nobility is no mark of refinement."

>Rolling for vote:
1 = Mark
2 = Reynauld


----

>>6023445
"As the game was about to begin, I was presented with a sheet of paper. On it, an audience member had drawn myself (my body) in a compromising position. I was remarkably hairy, though I suppose most mammals are.

I did not know how to feel. I suppose I have an admirer. I would hope they would admire me more for my unique talents than for my physical form, however."

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Oops. Even Richard makes mistakes occasionally. But only occasionally!

1 = Mark
2 = Reynauld

I am obliged to inform you, anyone who plays blue or votes for someone who plays blue, is subhuman and an enemy of the people as well as fun. I can only imagine how much worse playing against blue is nowadays compared to over a decade ago.

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>>6023464
I assure you, anon, Richard will be having lots and lots of fun. No need to worry about him.

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>>6023470
>mfw

>>6023459
It did feel a little arbitrary, yeah. I thought maybe both sides would get a d6 since they were both suited this time but I guess it's only for underdogs? Ah well.

>>6023484
>>6023474
lmao what the hell. Who took this foto?

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>>6023476
>EXCERPT FROM THE NOTES OF CORRESPONDENT #314, AKA "RICHARD", ETC.
"..."

>>6023487
Patience, anon, patience...

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>>6023462
"Well, you got me in round one, not bad. Once you got that infinite combo going, there wasn't anything I could do with this deck to stop it. But let's see how well you do in round two." Karn says to his smiling opponent, Richard clearly having enjoyed himself. Both players shuffle back their cards into their decks. With the 'official tournament rules', as was explained to both before the game began the match is a best of three, whoever wins two rounds first wins the whole match.

Having lost the first game rather handily, unable to get a card to stick to the field for the last several turns as his life was slowly chipped away, Karn now understood his foe's deck. And now knowing the more problematic cards his opponent can play and how they work, Karn adapted his strategy. Knowing which cards were the best to hit with Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek, peeling them from his foe's hand before they could be used proved invaluable. As well as what problematic card name to declare with Pithing Needle after the second Thoughtseize was countered. Baiting his foe's counters against a card he's worried for then playing the real card he wanted to play was just like baiting a student to make a certain attack, only to punish the move and demonstrate the correct counter. Karn found himself rather enjoying the strategy of the game as round two went on.

Much like knowing when to throw a jab or a feint, when to hold back and when to go for the win, the game could play out much like a real fight. If rather conceptualized and greatly slowed down. And after studying how Richard played, slowing the game by countering his opponent's plays and trying to frustrate them into making poor decisions to further exploit them, wearing their willpower as much as their life, he was ready. But Richard is good, and in the second game as well he managed to get Karn down to a single life as the match stretched on for turn after turn. But with one life left, Karn cast Banefire, with enough of the lands required to make its damage unstoppable and the card uncounterable. Removing RIchard's last seven life while he could do nothing to stop the final blow, narrowly winning the second round.

“You're good. If I were ten, maybe fifteen years younger, I'd never have the patience to beat you at something like this.” Karn says, both competitors reshuffling their decks and readying themselves for the third and all-important final round. It all comes down to the luck of the draw. A truly bad hand now could ruin either of their chances of winning.

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>>6023498
"I had bested him. Then he had bested me, all due to that one damn card-- was it my fault that I did not have all the cards in this game memorized? I had been exposed to it an hour ago. I am very good, but I could not be expected to be peerless.

It seemed to me that my opponent thought he had me figured out. Perhaps he did. I certainly had him figured out. He had fooled me once, but now all the cards were on the table (no pun intended). A coinflip? It could be. But I tended to think that my deck outmaneuvered his, on average. A coinflip-- but a weighted one. That was how I liked it."