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100 HOGS AGREE
Oct 13, 2007
Grimey Drawer
F

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Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

Df Combo

DUDE! You're obviously super upset but I can't help if you psychically paste me!

FrozenGoldfishGod
Oct 29, 2009

JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT POST!



You try to communicate with the winds, but it's like screaming into a hurricane - no matter how loud you cry, it simply is swept away in the screams around you.

You instinctively use your inner darkness, drawing it in front of you like the wedge of a snowplow, or an icebreaker, forcing the winds to part for you. They tear at you, stripping away warmth and memory, and you feel yourself freezing.



Something reaches out, and you feel pressure against your hand. It's cold and terrible and lonely, and amidst the screams, you can hear a small voice.

i hear you

small thing

so small

we never expected it

Before you, you see a frozen river, flowing in an endless loop. Some of the ice is, paradoxically, red and glowing nearly white-hot – yet still and frozen, unmoving flames locked alongside the water in ice. It shimmers, ethereal and unreal, a vision in the storm before you.

who were you, small creature? why did you leave your safe nest?

The question resonates in your mind, questing and seeking.

1. What do you tell the voice?
A. I tell it everything.
B. I tell it my name, but nothing more.
C. I tell it nothing.

You can sense that it can hear you – you can try to ask it questions. The wind howls around you, tearing at you, but while the thing holds your hand, it cannot tear more of you away. You can feel thirst, but it's distant, tied to – whatever that heavy, annoying thing back there is. After the winds, it'd be so easy to let go of that irritant, so easy to just be part of the winds.

2. Whatever you left behind, it's holding you in a grip that rankles and itches. Do you let it go?
A. Yes. Become one with the winds. Scream at the cold, uncaring world.
B. Yes, but I will instead hold on to the thing holding me. It is the only solid thing in this world.
C. No. I cannot remember what it is, but I want to keep it. Why?

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.
Is question one an all or nothing deal? Can we opt for something between A and B or is it that if we let any information out it's all coming out?

FrozenGoldfishGod
Oct 29, 2009

JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT POST!



Yorkshire Tea posted:

Is question one an all or nothing deal? Can we opt for something between A and B or is it that if we let any information out it's all coming out?

The latter. Telling it anything beyond your name will let it know the rest.

You do not know how you know this, but you know it.

Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

B, but add that we are on a quest.
C


This thing is pretty much a really cold, really lonely Machin Shin. Fancy awesome but SUPER DANGEROUS.

sheep-dodger
Feb 21, 2013

AC
Let's not cast away our body

Captainicus
Feb 22, 2013



A,
C


The world is a big scary place, I might be missing the village :ohdear:

FrozenGoldfishGod
Oct 29, 2009

JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT POST!



Blasphemaster posted:

B, but add that we are on a quest.
C


This thing is pretty much a really cold, really lonely Machin Shin. Fancy awesome but SUPER DANGEROUS.

In the interests of avoiding hurt feelings if B wins:

You can try to withhold information, but you are very certain that if you tell it anything more than your name it will know all of it. Where this insight comes from is unknown, but you feel absolutely certain about this.

Patrick Spens
Jul 21, 2006

"Every quarterback says they've got guts, But how many have actually seen 'em?"
Pillbug
BB

Outrail
Jan 4, 2009

www.sapphicrobotica.com
:roboluv: :love: :roboluv:
gently caress you! Bite it!

Cannon_Fodder
Jul 17, 2007

"Hey, where did Steve go?"
Design by Kamoc
BC Try to draw in more darkness.

Ask helmet to scan the new voice.

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.

FrozenGoldfishGod posted:

The latter. Telling it anything beyond your name will let it know the rest.

You do not know how you know this, but you know it.

A
B

If this thing wants information from us there's not much we can do.

I think we should grab on to our anchor. I don't know why.

CourValant
Feb 25, 2016

Do You Remember Love?

FrozenGoldfishGod posted:

1. What do you tell the voice?
B. I tell it my name, but nothing more.

1B

FrozenGoldfishGod posted:

2. Whatever you left behind, it's holding you in a grip that rankles and itches. Do you let it go?
A. Yes. Become one with the winds. Scream at the cold, uncaring world.

2A

SerSpook
Feb 13, 2012




1. B

2. C

Let's keep our body.

Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

Side vote to fart so this thing knows what we had for our most recent meal.

Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
Voting to Never not fart

FrozenGoldfishGod
Oct 29, 2009

JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT POST!



You tell the presence holding you steady in the storm your name, but tell it nothing more.

i do not know this name. you should not have left your nest.

The presence's grip on you tightens.

You can feel that rankling, tormenting sensation hanging on. You could so easily let go of it – it's holding you back, and you don't really need it, do you?

...well, evidently, despite the fact that it feels like you're wearing fiberglass insulation all over your body, you cling to it. The red thirst fills your throat, but there's nothing here that could fill it, only cold and wind.

is this what you are, small creature?



The vision changes. A withered, bent creature, surrounded by clinging scraps of leather, appears in front of you. Clawed fingers rise, reaching for your throat, and the creature's face is turned to yours. It's human-like, but the skin is drawn tight over the bones beneath it, and when it opens its mouth, long, jagged fangs are bared. It reaches towards you, but in this state it cannot touch you.

With a sudden shock of recognition, you recognize your own features in the distorted ones before you.

1. What do you do in response to the vision?
A. I reject it! That is not me, and never could be a part of me.
B. I reach for it with my free hand. It is not me, but I can make it a part of me.
C. I remove my hand from the thing holding it, and embrace the creature before me. This is part of me, and I will become it – and it, me.

what do you seek out here, where i cannot keep you safe, small, precious creature? we did not make you for this.

2. What do you tell it? Like before, you are sure that telling it more than the bare minimum to answer the question will enable it to learn much more about you.
A. I tell it the bare details of my quest, but no more.
B. I tell it all I can about my quest.
C. B, but I include all of my goals, not just my immediate objectives.
D. I tell it nothing.

Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
1: A
2: A


We're a strong, independent woman who don't need no weird roots growing from our crotch.

SerSpook
Feb 13, 2012




1. B We don't reject it--it is a part of us, a part of what we are now, but it is not all we are.

2. A Maybe it can help us get initiated into sorcery.

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.
A

Nope nope nope. We're planning a massive betrayal and potentially going full vampire but we're no monster.

C

But this thing reads as confused more than anything. Hopefully by telling it the truth it'll actually understand and stop wrecking us.

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
AA We can do so much better than that withered old thing.

CourValant
Feb 25, 2016

Do You Remember Love?
1B
2B

Outrail
Jan 4, 2009

www.sapphicrobotica.com
:roboluv: :love: :roboluv:
Try and eat it

Cannon_Fodder
Jul 17, 2007

"Hey, where did Steve go?"
Design by Kamoc
AA.

sheep-dodger
Feb 21, 2013

AA

dont be mean to me
May 2, 2007

I'm interplanetary, bitch
Let's go to Mars


Time for AA because we have a problem.

Tagichatn
Jun 7, 2009

AA

FrozenGoldfishGod
Oct 29, 2009

JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT POST!



You turn from the vision. This is not you! This will never be a part of you!

The screaming mixes with laughter, but when the small voice speaks, it sounds sad.

you cannot escape what you are, small creature. twist against it all you will, the red thirst will never leave you.

You consider trying to eat whatever it is that's holding you, but you cannot seem to find anything to actually eat – the grip emanates from somewhere or something else, and you seem to lack teeth or a mouth.

Despite this, you tell it, your voice rising over the screaming storm round you. You keep it simple, and tell it only of the bare details of your mission – and you can feel that questing tendril from the question, twisting in your mind and seeking answers, but you move them from it's touch as you speak. Finally, it withdraws.

i do not blame you for your reticence. you small creatures always feared us, even as we cradled you from the storms. but even as you turned on us, i sought to keep you safe from what was not. but now i am dead, and can only protect in small ways. go, with my blessing – the silence of what was once Adorjan and Adrian goes with you.

There's a sensation of incredibly swift motion, and then you're back in your body. The storm is retreating, the screaming growing rapidly more distant until it vanishes once again. You are INCREDIBLY thirsty, and it feels like something is missing – and something else is in its place? But much more pressing than whatever is missing is the incredible thirst.

You know what will satisfy this thirst. The village is only a week away, and there's all the warm, rich, delicious warmth there you could ever need. Did you bring some with you? Do you still have it? Your rudhira skin is right where you last had it.

1.You are so. Goddamn. THIRSTY!
A. I'm going back to the village to have a drink.
B. I'm going to guzzle rudhira. I'm way too drat thirsty to stop at a sip.
C. I'm going to drink water – hey, maybe it'll help?
D. I'm going to press on, and try to ignore the thirst. This could go very, very badly for me, and worse for anyone friendly I encounter.

2. Whatever you do (or don't do) about your thirst, your way forward is clear again.
A. I set out at the same pace and heading – northwards, intending to go straight towards the City. This is the most direct route across the desert.
B. I set out northwards, intending to go east once I near the mountains – there might be water somewhere along the foot of the mountains, though I can't be sure.
C. I go east, intending to strike out north. This will take me through the heart of the desert, but if there's anything unpleasant lying in wait between myself and the City, this will take me around it.
D. I go a different direction entirely – which one? Where am I going?

Dog Kisser
Mar 30, 2005

But People have fears that beasts do not. Questions, too.
1B2A

Safest course!

CourValant
Feb 25, 2016

Do You Remember Love?
1B2B

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.
1. C, see if it has any effect, if none or nothing noticeable, then B
2. A

100 HOGS AGREE
Oct 13, 2007
Grimey Drawer

Yorkshire Tea posted:

1. C, see if it has any effect, if none or nothing noticeable, then B
Basically I don't mind drinking all the Rudhira we need, but it's also super easy to gorge yourself and have too much of a thing when you're like super hungry so we should at least try to pace ourselves.

2. B

100 HOGS AGREE fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Nov 22, 2017

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
1C 2A

Hey addict, want to come back off the wagon? All it will cost you is your future and independence.

Fight it until we win. This is the true test.

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Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

C into B. I'd go for A but it's take a round 2 weeks off our travel time, we don't know how go properly create Rudhira etc.

B. Never not go TO THE MOUNTAINS.


I do now kinda wish we'd accepted the crazy murder beast cause that would have been metal as hell to be honest. There will be other opportunities. :getin:

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