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Toughy posted:C
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Oct 13, 2018 03:30
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A B C XX D Z Y X W XX                Back at the Archive, everyone takes a rest in the Hidden Room. Miramie is pacing around and looking through the thesis. Natalia stands quietly. Leonardo is lying slumped on the bed with Jasper sitting next to him and clutching his hand. Chuubo is staring out of the window and Seizhi is sitting on the floor. "I think I need to get Leonardo home." says Jasper suddenly. "Can someone help me?" "Sure, I'll help!" says Chuubo. "Seizhi, how about you." "Oh yes." Seizhi glances at Natalia. "Anyone else?" "Sorry, but I very much want to discover where our work has taken us." After Jasper, Chuubo and Seizhi have helped Leonardo get to his feet and walk out, Miramie pulls a few sheets out of the folder. "I don't fully understand this, but I think we can get a grasp of it if we do some research. Please don't tell anyone too much about this for the moment though." Natalia nods, and Miramie starts to spread all the documents out on a table. (Miramie Mesmer gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Action'!) (Miramie Mesmer gains a point of Mystery!) (For gaining her fifth point of Mystery, Miramie Mesmer regains 1 MP!) (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Bonus XP for sharing the moment!) *** As he reclines on his own bed in his laboratory, Leonardo De Montreal seems to recover some spirit. "We... need to go... back." "Not right now Monty! You're not in the state for another fight! Besides, I think we need a plan!" Jasper squeezes his hand. "In the meantime, we can start to do something about your problem." Leonardo starts mumbling to himself. "Oh, that reminds me!" says Chuubo. "Seizhi, I think that I might have made a mistake building that Wish-Granting Engine." "How's that?" "I read this book by someone called Lord Entropy, and it says that wishing calls down the Outside." Chuubo frowns. "You know though, I used one wish to make you so it can't be completely a bad thing." Leonardo snaps his head up. Seizhi closes his eyes. Oh well, I suppose he was bound to give the game away sooner or later... "You... did what?" demands Leonardo. "I thought he was... your pen-pal!" "Oh no, I made a wish for a best friend, and then he appeared, and he not only was my best friend, he had been my best friend!" "Ah!" says Jasper. "That's why he wasn't with us on our adventures! Like when Monty' robots went wrong!" "Oh... great." says 'Monty'. "You inserted someone into... existing history?" "What's the problem?" asks Jasper. "That's what you did with me isn't it?" "Yes... but you had a destiny... waiting for you. Otherwise... you would've turned out like... Billy Sovereign." "Billy Sovereign?" says Seizhi sharply. "What's he got to do with any of this?" Leonardo hesitates, then turns to Jasper and deliberately speaks to her instead of Seizhi. "I... made a mistake. I... made a monster... when I was trying to help... you. I... made Billy Sovereign." He shifts nervously. "He's... a person... without definition. He... tries to find one... but just spreads himself... like a disease." He gestures at Seizhi. "This one... must be... the same. When you make someone... they need a proper origin... to come from... or a proper destiny... to pursue. Or else... they lack... stability." He subsides. (Leonardo De Montreal gains 1 Quest XP for 'Natural Scientist'!) An option flashes up on Jasper's HUD. Can't he share my destiny? She turns a little pink. Should I say that? "But what about his family?" asks Chuubo. "I've seen them!" "Probably... some group of unrelated people... with altered memories." A: Chuubo travels back to his house to make a wish to give Seizhi a destiny. B: Chuubo apologises for foolishly wishing Seizhi into existence. C: Jasper offers to let Seizhi share her destiny. D: Jasper asks Seizhi how he feels about his existence. E: Seizhi offers to get rid of Billy Sovereign. F: Seizhi insists that he can fight the Outside as well as anyone else.    Rinley remembers... Simon Brambles is a presence in our nightmares. He is a thing of thorns and secrets and snakes. When you dream of being lost, he is the one who's behind it. He brings us confusion and fear. In the Nightmare World, he reigns as of one of authority. Oh, I get it. He's left the Nightmare World, and he's made his own little realm here, stealing bits from our own wilderness. The snakes have closed in and surrounded Rinley. The cat elder growls. Z: Rinley summons a Wish Spirit to distract the snakes. (Wish Spirit, spend 1 MP) Y: Rinley convinces the snakes that it's too dangerous for them to attack someone with arms, and starts running before they have a chance to give the notion appropriate consideration. (There's a Tree in the Way, spend 1 MP, spend 2 Will) X: Rinley beats the snakes into submission with her bare hands. (Spend 4 Will) W: Rinley just runs through the snakes and hopes she doesn't get hurt too badly.
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Oct 14, 2018 17:44
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C > D W > Y
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Oct 14, 2018 22:57
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D>F W>Y
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Oct 15, 2018 02:29
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D > F W > Y
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Oct 15, 2018 02:38
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C > D Y
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Oct 15, 2018 13:00
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A B C XX D XX E F Applying secondary votes: A B C XX D XXXX E F XX Z Y X X W XXX  "Seizhi, how do you feel about your life yourself?" asks Jasper. "Myself? About my life?" Seizhi frowns. "I'm... not sure. I'm forever worried about being 'fake'... But if I can forget about that, it's not so bad." Chuubo blinks. That's how he feels? That's what I've done? (Chuubo gains 1 Quest XP for 'Wishing For Ease'!) "I think I think that one day all my moments will run out and I'll stop being what I am right now. There won't be anything left for me, and I won't be remembered when I'm gone." He looks at Chuubo. Chuubo drops his head and stares at the floor. (Chuubo gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Reaction'!) (Seizhi gains 1 Bonus XP for sharing the moment!) The awkward silence is broken as the front door bursts open. Entropy is outlined against the light from outside. "BEHOLD! Look who walks among you! Be fearful of my sight." He scans the room and brightens as he catches sight of Jasper. "Finally! I was wondering how many more times I'd have to recite that spiel!" He strides inside, Simon Brambles following nervously. "This one-" he points at Simon. "-has been telling me about a nefarious plot to grow a maliginant entity inside the Child of the Sun!" "What?!" Leonardo makes an attempt to get up, but ultimately decides to remain where he is. "Principal, do you need... help with... punishing him?" (Leonardo De Montreal gains 1 Quest XP for 'Relearning Friendship'!) "No- " Entropy looks at Leonardo with confusion. "What's happened to your diction?" "Oh, Monty got his insides frozen when we were trying to break into a building at the Bleak Academy." "Really? You'll have to tell me all about that. But for the moment-" He grabs Simon's arm. "Kindly remove this Nightmare Seed from inside her." "Oh, wait!" Jasper raises her hands quickly. "I know about that. And I'd prefer to keep it, I think we can use it to help Monty." "Ah? How?" "It seems to have a similar nature to that... thing, that's inside him." "Oh yes, the Blasphemy." says Simon suddenly. "My own people would appreciate it if you could put an end to the thing, but that seems implausible." "He... told me before." says Leonardo. "His world... is troubled... by part of my spirit. The Headmaster... made it so." Jasper looks puzzled. "What does that mean?" "Yes," says Entropy. "And if you know he's the source of the trouble, why don't you just kill him?" Jasper gives an affronted gasp. Simon coughs. "Well, ah, we discovered that the 'stable' element of him is acting as some type of 'anchor' for the rest. This is why he is troubled by it, and it means that eliminating this part of him that we see here-" He indicates Leonardo. "-will just let the other part reach its full potential. So, as we could not defeat our adversary, we started planning our escape." (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Discovery'!) (Jasper Irinka gains a point of 'Over Your Head'!) (Entropy's Miraculous Will refreshes!) "Please- " Simon pleads. " -let the seed sprout, if not in this way, in some other." Entropy pauses. "What does it require?" "It needs to grow inside a living medium, and be strengthened by anguish." A: Entropy decides to leave the seed inside Jasper. B: Entropy gets Simon to remove and destroy the seed. C: Entropy gets Simon to remove the seed and hand it over to him. D: Entropy gets Simon to remove the seed and plant it in Leonardo De Montreal. E: Entropy gets Simon to remove the seed and hand it over to Jasper. Rinley rushes the snakes. "Ouch! YOW!" (Rinley Yatskaya loses one Normal Health Level!) (Rinley Yatskaya gains the wound 'Bond: Snake-Bitten: 1'!) Rinley keeps running through the forest, and reaches the full light of day, emerging from the trees. She sits down and checks the few bite marks over her legs and arms. Fortunately, whatever poison the snakes held is negligible. They're pretty itchy though. Scratching irritably, Rinley tries to avoid the cynical gaze of the cat. I need to take my mind off all this... Z: Rinley starts trying to find a way to the 'world of dragons' that Simon mentioned. (Start a new 15 XP quest). Y: Rinley decides to go and visit the Prince of Cats. X: Rinley decides to go and search Fortitude for more information about Sessily. (Spend 2 Will with Legends 1) W: Rinley decides to go home and rest.
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Oct 16, 2018 21:34
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I'm not following exactly the seed will do. Will it harm Jasper? X>Y>Z for 2nd
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Oct 16, 2018 22:09
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Toughy posted:I'm not following exactly the seed will do. Entropy doesn't know exactly what it'll do either, but if you look back you can review what he knows.
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Oct 16, 2018 22:44
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Z Y X X W  Rinley returns to Fortitude and starts to ask around about Sessily. She talks to the shrine families, the rats, the vampires, the foxes, and everyone else. The sun is shining and there's a light breeze. The wind carries the sound of the waves washing across Big Lake. Entropy frowns for a while, but can't reach a decision. "All right, pull out the seed, let me take a look at it." Simon hesitates, and then extends his hand towards Jasper's face. Shadows drip from his fingers. She flinches slightly as he dips his wrist inside her as if into a body of water. He fumbles around for a few seconds and then pulls the seed free and hands it over. Entropy inspects it carefully. It's about the size of a walnut, and composed of black-violet material. It's still closed up, with an unbroken surface. "What happens when it sprouts?" "I dont know." replies Simon. "We haven't made one before." "DE MONTREAL!" roars Entropy suddenly. "Use this equipment! Make an examination of this thing!" "Not... my project." "Hey-" says Seizhi, raising his hand. "I might be able to help. Can I get a certificate of achievement or something similar?" Noticing him for the first time, Entropy peers suspiciously. "You're one of my students?" "Of course! What other type of student would have such a sense of civic duty?" "Mmm. You have a point." (Seizhi Schwan gains 1 Quest XP for 'Hide the Evidence'!) "I think I can use Leonardo's equipment to perform the analysis you require, if you give some information about your specifications. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind me borrowing it..." (Seizhi Schwan gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Action'!) Chapter 7 Scene 4 The next day. Leonardo and Chuubo are both taking naps, Leonardo tucked up in bed in the next room, Chuubo in an old armchair in the corner. Simon Brambles is pacing nervously. Entropy is watching Seizhi work intently. Jasper is scrying on Fortitude. Much to his irritation, Entropy's focus keeps being broken by pieces of Chuubo's dreams bumping into him, compelling him to spend some time fanning them away. Jasper notices, and looks sympathetic. "Monty's nightmares kept escaping like that! He had to practice sleeping for a while before he could get it under control." Surprised, Seizhi stops work for a moment. "Leonardo's had that problem as well?" "Oh yes." says Jasper. "But it only happened while he was actually asleep." "Didn't Chuubo say that happens because of a shard of glass inside him? What's inside Leonardo?" "No glass shard, I'd have spotted it." She pauses. "Wait, isn't that normal? Doesn't it happen to all mortals until they learn to deal with it?" (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Quest XP for 'A Mortal Life'!) "No, I thought Chuubo was the only one who made that happen." "Back to work, back to work!" insists Entropy, clapping his hands. After some analysis, Seizhi assesses that the seed will, when exposed to the correct conditions (inside dreams, fed with anguish), demonstrate explosive growth. Letting it sprout inside someone probably isn't a good idea. He holds it in the palm of his hand and trains his Wish-Sense on it. He can feel it waiting to grow and burst forth. I should use this ability more often... A: Leonardo De Montreal lets his nightmares leak out from his head, and they plant the seed inside them, outside of his body. (The Sickness Rises, one free use per chapter) B: They plant the seed in Chuubo's floating dreams, outside of his body. C: They smash the seed. D: Entropy puts the seed in his pocket.  Miramie and Natalia have finished their assessment of the thesis. It seems that it was written after Melanie Malakh received the cornerstone from the Headmaster and was trying to work out how to utilise it. It speaks of a plan to create a 'hybrid' creature, with a body formed from things of the 'Inside' (an Outside name for Town?) and a soul of the Outside. The two key points of the thing were that it needed to have the shape of something 'Imperial', and be made of material that was magical. The first of these points seemed to be more difficult to achieve, but Melanie seemed to think she'd achieved a solution. She believed that the old idea of people possessing a 'shoulder angel' and a 'shoulder devil' was a representation of mortals containing 'sparks' of divine natural, little pieces of the powers running the universe. She thought that she might be able to draw a 'divine dragon' from a person, and use its raw shape as a template for a fresh creation. (Miramie Mesmer gains 5 Quest XP for 'Fascination' for making a sustained effort to study the works of Melanie Malakh!) Ah. thinks Miramie. I think she was correct. I saw dragons inside Chuubo. But I think he'd have remembered something being pulled out of him, so she must have found one elsewhere. "I think-" she says to Natalia. "-that I see what happened. From the looks of this, she received the cornerstone from the Headmaster before she conceived of the Glass Dragon, and I don't think he worked on this plan with her. I think he was only involved as far as giving her the cornerstone. And I think that the plan was stopped by Jasper Irinka. She's a goddess, but she's also the Headmaster's daughter. That makes her neither one thing nor the other, like the Glass Dragon. I think she made it break." "It has been said, 'Poor Communication Kills'." says Natalia. "If they had co-ordinated their activities more efficiently, such a thing would not have happened." (For resolving the mystery, Miramie gains 4 Bonus XP and regains 1 MP!) What now? Z: Miramie and Natalia go looking for Hideo Hayashi (he should be downstairs) to ask him some questions about Melanie Malakh. Y: Miramie decides to help Natalia continue her attacks on Typhon. X: Miramie decides that the two of them should just take a break. W: A problem suddenly arrives for Natalia. (Frantic, Natalia regains 1 MP).
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Oct 18, 2018 22:56
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A > D Z > W
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Oct 20, 2018 04:14
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golden bubble posted:A > D
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Oct 20, 2018 04:17
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A XX B C D Z XX Y X W "Hideo Hayashi helped Melanie create the Glass Dragon." Miramie explains. "He doesn't like talking to me all that much, but we might be able to get him to tell us something about what he remembers of it." "Myself, I am interested in what he might tell us about Melanie Malakh." Miramie pauses. "What is it exactly that you want Natalia? You've been helping me with my work, but I don't know why." (Miramie Mesmer is now Innocent and OK. Miramie Mesmer gains 1 Quest XP for 'Art Shop and Garden'!) "I want-" Natalia hesitates. "I want to know why Melanie helped my family." "I hate to say it, but it was probably for her own ends. When I first met you, her spirit was strong within me, and I felt a sense that I needed to stay clear." Natalia thinks. "Perhaps you are correct, but even if that is the case, I would still like to know why. Shortly after my arrival here, Typhon appeared. If I am responsible in some way for its appearance, I have to know that." (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Quest XP for 'The Golden Snake of the Rooftops'!) A: Natalia persuades Hideo Hayashi to open up and start talking to her about Melanie Malakh. (Spend 4 Will) B: Miramie unmakes any refusal to talk that Hideo might exhibit. (The World-Breaker's Hand, spend 1 MP) C: Miramie repeats her spell to take up Melanie's appearance and tries to trick Hideo into giving something away. (Spend 2 Will with Changeling 2) D: Miramie and Natalia ask some of the other inhabitants of the Archive to talk to Hideo and hope he might tell them something.  It's morning in Fortitude. Rinley has finally found her answers with the Jotun. One of their families welcomes her into their home and the father tells her a tale: "Back in the old days, when the old gods ruled here, before the end of the Third Age, the Fey often visited us. They'd play tricks sometimes, but we felt that we were one of a kind with them in many ways. Like us, they would fear the touch of iron." "But after the Outside drowned the rest of the world and the old gods vanished, their appearance became less. Some said that their own home had been drowned, and that they were spending all their time trying to raise it. If you've seen one of the Fey near Fortitude, that's a wonder indeed!" (Rinley Yatskaya regains 1 Will for completing the task!) Rinley scratches her head. "I haven't heard of the old gods. What were they like?" "One was a great serpent who ruled over Dreams, while the other was an winged man who ruled over Nightmares." Serpent? The dragon who gave me magic? I met it in a temple... (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Quest XP for 'The Straw-Haired Kid'!) M: Rinley starts to search for legends of the old gods. (Spend 2 Will with Legends 1) N: Rinley goes to try and find the temple of the dragon a second time. O: Rinley walks out into the Outside to search for a way into the land of the Fey. Jasper walks into Leonardo's room and whispers into his ear. A few moments pass, and the room starts to change. The floor blurs and transforms into a murky swamp. A dark smog rises up. From the corners, eerie whispers emerge. Jasper beams happily. "Seizhi? Please come in and try to find a place to plant the seed." Seizhi starts to enter, hesitates in disbelief, then gingerly steps inside. Entropy and Chuubo peer around the door, Chuubo rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Seizhi casts his eyes around, and then carefully presses the seed into the ground. As he tries to brush the mud off his hands, there's a cracking noise and a sphere of darkness rapidly expands from beneath. Everyone is quickly enveloped! *** Seizhi, Jasper, Leonardo, Chuubo and Entropy stagger to their feet and find themselves somewhere else. Leonardo recognises it as the Nightmare World that he's seen before. The others are unfamiliar with it. Around them there is a crowd of blank-eyed horrors. The sky is dead and grey. The earth is black and blue. In the near distance, there are trees that grow black tentacles and regard their surroundings with red eyes. In the far distance, there are strange, alien-looking buildings. The leader of the nightmares that stand around them steps forward, Simon Brambles suddenly standing at her side. Entropy nudges Jasper. "I think we might be in trouble." (Entropy II gains 1 Quest XP for 'Mentor Syndrome'!) The leader has golden eyes and is surrounded by a cloak of shadows. Jasper suddenly realises that she's seen this creature before, in a vision. "Simon, who are these people?" "They helped me get the gateway open. Look! It's all ready!" Everyone looks to where Simon points. Behind Jasper, an archway of shadows has now formed. Beyond it, Leonardo's room can be seen. "We can make our exodus now!" "We can begin it, but where is the Yatskaya girl?" "Ah, I had some trouble." The woman 'tsk's. "Never mind, we will find her. Bind these ones." Simon shakes his head. "That's unnecessary-" "Do as I say. We can't let anything obstruct us." From this point on, I'm going to make a note of what type of action is being used and how strong it is, because this determines how difficult it is to 'defeat'. 1. Mundane actions are 'normal' actions. 2. Wondrous actions are beyond normal, being comparable to magic, but they can still be defeated by Mundane actions. 3. Miraculous actions can't be defeated by purely Mundane/Wondrous actions. (Now it gets more complicated...) 4. Auctoritas actions are Mundane/Wondrous actions that can resist Miraculous actions but can still be stopped by Mundane/Wondrous actions (so such actions have both an Auctoritas rating and a Mundane/Wondrous rating so that they deal with opposing Miraculous and Mundane/Wondrous actions separately). 5. Imperial actions can't be defeated, and two different Imperial actions have to reach a consensus if they crash into each other. Z: Leonardo De Montreal commands the assembled nightmares to bow before him. (Supreme Invocation, spend 4 MP, Imperial) Y: Seizhi Schwan talks to the nightmares, infects them with his essence and insists that they have to help Chuubo with whatever he might ask of them. (Touch the Heart, spend 1 MP, spend 4 Will, Auctoritas 3 and Mundane 4 ) X: Jasper Irinka starts to change into Kaiju form. (Kaiju Form, Imperial) W: Jasper Irinka shifts into Wicked mode and triggers a inverted Hope-Splosion, a Cynicism-Splosion. (Wicked Mode, Hope-Splosion, one free use per book, Imperial) V: Entropy II induces wondrous terror in the nightmares. (Spend 2 Will with Superior Magister 2, Wondrous 6) U: Entropy II induces miraculous terror in the nightmares. (Obsession, one free use per chapter, Miraculous 2) T: Chuubo smiles in a friendly manner. (Spend 4 Will with Good Smile 2, Mundane 6) S: They surrender to the nightmares. Leonardo's Supreme Invocation ability gives him a stronger version of one of his existing abilities, plus there's a couple of other things he can do with it...
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Oct 20, 2018 19:24
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Backstory! Leonardo De Montreal's robots roam through Fortitude handing out informational flyers about hairdressing, liposuction and water sports. In his laboratory, he and Chuubo rummage through crates filled with junk. "So-" says Chuubo. "-you're quite sure the shut-off device is in here?" "Of course! Leonardo De Montreal has a memory that is perfect in every regard!" "But when I asked you earlier 'Is there any chance that these robots could malfunction?', you said 'No, Leonardo De Montreal could not possibly have made a mistake when programming them.'. But they were supposed to clean up these crates, and instead they're trying to inform everyone about the advantages of- Whatever it is that they're going on about." Jasper hurries through the door. "Bad news! You know how everyone was getting 'irritated'? It's worse! Now they're 'annoyed'!" Scroll up for options.
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Oct 22, 2018 07:43
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A > C N > O W > T > U
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Oct 22, 2018 19:35
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A X B C D M N X O Z Y X W X V U T S Natalia finds Hideo reading quietly in a room filled with tables holding piles of books. There's a sweet, chocolately smell in the air. Old paper... Natalia thinks. She stops for a moment, and listens. She can hear noises in the distance, but other than that, the only sound is that of Hideo Hayashi turning the pages of his book. (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Quest XP for 'Peaceful Moments'!) She slowly walks closer. "Excuse me, professor..." He raises his head. "Yes?" "I wish to know something, and it's quite important, but I'm afraid you might find it to be a painful subject." He blinks at her slowly. He's wearing spectacles that make his eyes look smaller. "You're not one of the usual children. Have you wandered in?" "I suppose that I have. Please, may I still talk to you." He smiles. "What can I tell you?" "I would like to know a little more about... Melanie Malakh." His face falls a little. "I see." He closes his book. "As you thought, I find that person painful to talk about. But do you know why?" "I'm afraid I don't." "She became my 'everything' for a while, then she went away. I can't feel right without her." He stops for a moment. "I didn't get to know her properly. Rather, shortly after we first met, she took part of herself, and placed it here." He taps his forehead. "At that moment, I became hers." He falls silent. Natalia waits patiently. "If you want to know about her... I don't think I can help. I can feel it, but I can't know it. It's all here, but it can't be expressed." Aha. Now that is interesting. (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Discovery'!) (Natalia Koutolika gained her second point of Mystery!) (Natalia gains 1 Will for completing the task!) (Natalia's Miraculous Will refreshes!) Rinley knocks on Chuubo's door a few times, but if he's in there he doesn't answer. Giving up, she starts to walk around the house, peering into the distance. Shouldn't I be able to see it from here? It was such a big place. It must be here. Somewhere... Rinley thinks back. I was just looking around, and then it was there. I remember the outside, I think it was white marble or something similar. A huge door. A really high roof. A: Rinley makes a dowsing rod to point the way to the temple. (Work of Fable, spend 1 MP, spend 2 Will) B: Rinley is interrupted. (Frantic, regain 1 MP) C: Rinley goes home to take a nap and tries to find the temple by swimming through dreams (Spend 2 Will with Superior Dreamer 2) D: Rinley climbs through an open window into Chuubo's house to look around. Jasper frowns. Hmm, I think I'd better stop this before it starts. Shadows fall around her. Her face sharpens. The nightmares pause. Jasper snaps her fingers, and a Cynicism-Splosion blooms around her and her friends. The nightmares shake with dismay and shock. Can't do it, can't escape, can't get away... Simon Brambles covers his face. That girl isn't my friend, she won't help me... The golden-eyed one shudders. Will be mocked, hunted, consumed... Jasper crooks an eyebrow. "You wanted to run away from your problems? Shame on you. You'll quite happily imagine a better life where the grass is greener, but cowards don't deserve such things, do they? You know and I know it." Seizhi looks at her in confusion and nudges Chuubo. "What's happened to her?" "Oh, she just gets into these 'teacher' moods sometimes." "That's not it! She's totally different!" "Yeah, like a teacher instead of a normal person, right?" (Chuubo gains 1 Bonus XP for invoking 'Face-Palming'!) The nightmares moan with fear and shame. A few of them cast glances towards the gateway leading into Fortitude, but then avert their faces. They hang their heads, and start to disperse. Entropy laughs. "That's it? That's all they were? That's all they are? Pathetic. Perhaps I should bring my Ogres and Nimblejacks, give them a little taste of real monstrosity." (Entropy II gains 1 Bonus XP for invoking 'Shivers'!) The golden-eyed one stops and glares at him "I am Ill-Made. I go now to fight the Blasphemy that eats at our home. For she is correct. We shouldn't run from it. Will you ever do something as significant?" Leonardo mutters something and hugs his arms to his chest. Z: They head back through the gateway but leave it open. Y: They head back through the gateway then destroy it. X: Seizhi decides to offer to help the nightmares with their troubles. W: Chuubo offers to wish away the Blasphemy, that seems to be the problem here. Upon reflection, I don't want everyone to get too hung up on the numbers, so I'll just make notes about the precise details of the actions when I think it's especially important.
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Oct 22, 2018 22:38
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Added summaries of the first six chapters to the first page.
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Oct 23, 2018 20:17
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B > C Z > W
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Oct 23, 2018 20:46
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golden bubble posted:B > C
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Oct 24, 2018 00:30
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A B XX C D Z XX Y X W After Natalia explains what she's learned, Miramie paces back and forth for a while. "Another piece... I can't risk touching it, not after what happened last time. But I have to investigate somehow. Ah, I know!" She lies down on her bed. "I'll wait until he falls asleep, and then I can send out my spirit into him. There's a connection between us that I can use, it should be pretty simple!" Natalia stares at her for a moment. "You can do this, as well as the other things?" "Yes, it's another talent." Miramie tries to relax. "How long is it going to take?" "Well, we both need to fall asleep... He's likely to take a nap. Please keep an eye on me while I'm dreaming." Natalia shifts a little, feeling awkward. (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Quest XP for 'Thaw Your Heart'!) Rinley feels something cold strike her cheek. She looks up at the sky. "Noooooo!" (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Bonus XP for 'Being in Trouble'!) Everyone hurries through the gateway, back into Fortitude. Upon closer inspection, the perimeter of the gateway is formed of some strange black-blue wood, with little branches expanding in all directions. At its base, roots have grown into the ground. On the other side, it looks much the same, but the roots have had to punch right through the floor. Chuubo tugs at Seizhi's shirt. "Come on, there's some things I need to talk to you about." Jasper feels Leonardo's forehead. "Are you feeling any better Monty?" He scowls. "Child, how was he harmed?" asks Entropy. "One of the students at the Bleak Academy did something to him while he was trying to free my mother." "Really? Tell me all about it." Chapter 7 Scene 5 Entropy thinks about Jasper has told him and turns to Leonardo. "I think you've found a project to work upon, haven't you?" Irritated, Leonardo nods. "But are you willing to say as much? Come on, speak up." Leonardo forces out his voice. "I'll help Jade Irinka leave the Bleak Academy." (Leonardo De Montreal gains 5 Quest XP for 'Someone's In Trouble' for committing to help!) "Excellent! Good boy!" Entropy catches himself. Getting a little too positive... He turns back to Jasper. "Now, I've been a little stuck with my own work. I think I need to arrange some sort of event to help people shed the contaminants from their souls, but I don't know what's best. What do you think?" "Hm. I've noticed that mortals enjoying forming in large groups..." (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Quest XP for 'A Mortal Life'!) A: They should hold a concert. B: They should hold an art contest. C: They should hold a festival to celebrate the sun. D: They should hold a cooking contest. Leonardo is still suffering severe discomfort, but he can think of a couple of things he could do to address the problem. M: Leonardo reworks his body's inner systems to incorporate the frozen elements more effectively, unlocking new potential. (Empowered Wounds, one free use per book, regain one Tough Health Level, lose one Divine Health Level) N: Leonardo starts building the Inner Heating Prosthetic, a machine to compensate for his current problems! (Spend 4 Will with Nightmare Science 2) O: Leonardo starts building the Inner Heating Prosthetic, a machine to compensate for his current problems, and also activates the Incomparable Nightmare Engine to ensure that it will run indefinitely! (Spend 4 Will with Nightmare Science 2 and Supreme Invocation, spend 4 MP) P: Leonardo decides he's just going to live with it for the moment. Walking to Chuubo's house, Seizhi and Chuubo encounter Rinley, sopping wet, and shivering. "What happened to you?" asks Chuubo. "I got caught in the rainnnnnnnnn!" Rinley wails. "Come on, I'll open up the house and you can have a bath and a blanket." "Okay, but I won't take them both at once, that'd be silly!" (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Bonus XP for invoking 'Groaning'!) Later, they all sit in Chuubo's living room. Seizhi and Rinley look at Chuubo, who's spent a few minutes ducking his head and unsuccessfully trying to gather his thoughts. He finally decides to just spit it out. "I think that my Wish-Granting Engine is actually a bad thing." He looks up. "I think it's doing something bad to Town." "Chuubo-" says Seizhi. "-I can normally detect the sort of thing you're talking about. I don't think it's doing anything like that." "But when I read the book from the library, it said that wishing was a bad thing. And the Outside Dust keeps showing up here." "I don't think that wishing is a bad thing." says Rinley. "And I think the Wish Spirits would agree with me!" "Oh, you know them too?" says Seizhi. "Wish Spirits?" asks Chuubo, confused. "Yes-" says Rinley. "They're like little clouds of light, and they try and help people realise their dreams. You haven't met them?" "No, I don't think so." "They come and talk to me whenever I'm around! There was this one time where we all got together in the autumn and we swept up all the leaves from the streets, and we made a giant pile to jump into!" (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Quest XP for 'Story Time'!) "Yes, Rinley's got a good point there. The Wish Spirits have always been around, and I've never sensed anything unreal about them. I can spot something of the Outside quite easily." Seizhi frowns. "I've been meaning to tell you, I think there's something wrong with De Montreal..." "Oh, everyone knows that!" "Ah, hm. Anyway, I think that you have possibly been too eager to blurt out wishes in the past, but perhaps now is the time to make a carefully considered wish to make the world a better place?" Chuubo thinks. Z: Rinley summons a Wish Spirit for them to talk to. (Wish Spirit, spend 1 MP) Y: Seizhi takes Chuubo and Rinley to meet a gathering of Wish Spirits in Fortitude. (Spend 1 Will with Connection: Wish Spirits) X: Chuubo decides to go make a 'carefully considered' wish. (Wishing, one use per chapter) W: Rinley remembers a tale about someone who got into trouble with wishes... (A Little More To Any Tale, spend 2 MP) V: Seizhi starts quizzing Chuubo about all the wishes he's made to see if there are any odd patterns he can spot.
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Oct 24, 2018 22:25
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C O Y
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Oct 24, 2018 22:56
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Toughy posted:C
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Oct 25, 2018 07:14
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A B C XX D M N O XX P Z Y XX X W V Rinley, Seizhi and Chuubo arrive in Fortitude, and Seizhi quickly leads them to a street corner where Wish Spirits gather. (Seizhi regains 1 Will for completing the task!) --Seizhi! What a pleasant surprise!-- --And Rinley too! How nice to see the two of you together!-- "Hello." "Hi guys!" --And your other friend?-- "Ah yes. This is Chuubo. He's having some concerns with the idea of wishing, and I thought you might be able to help him." Chuubo looks at the Wish Spirits with interest. As was said, they resemble clouds of light. They bob back and forth, constantly fidgetting. They don't seem to possess any real mass. "Are there a lot of you around here?" --Oh yes! And we're always busy!-- (Chuubo gains 1 Quest XP for 'Learning the Ways of Fortitude'!) "Chuubo here-" Seizhi continues. "-is worried that if he makes wishes then he's attracting Outside Dust and maybe weakening the fabric of reality." "Yeah, what he said." "What's your opinion on that?" --Attracting Outside Dust? Well, maybe, but I think it'd be only a tangential effect. Weakening reality? How could that be? Everyone wishes for things, it's completely natural. Were this not so, why would we exist? We, the Wish Spirits!-- "Buuuut, I made a machine that can just make a wish come true, in one go. Can you do that?" --Well, no. But it sounds wonderful! Can such a thing be anything more than magnificent?-- "Ah." says Seizhi. "I feel I have to play Devil's Advocate here and point out that making wishes without consideration for the consequences can be disastrous." "Hey!" says Rinley. "Whoever had anything interesting happen to them when they insisted on being careful?" --We ourselves grant every wish, and that never leads to anything going wrong.-- Seizhi frowns. "How can that be? What if someone wants something cruel?" --Cruel?-- Rinley shakes her head. "We who read hearts can see the truth of a wish! A wish is never cruel, a wish is always pure and beautiful!" She pokes Seizhi. "I can see your heart striving for a vocation!" She points at Chuubo. "I can see his heart calling out for friends!" She turns to the Wish Spirits. "What does my heart wish for?" --For another meeting with a straw-haired girl!-- "Right! ...Er, please keep that quiet. So, you see, your engine can only be a source of wonders as long as you keep making wishes that are spoken from your heart!" "But what about those whose hearts are cruel?" asks Seizhi. "It can't be that everyone-" "Pff. Lighten up!" Chuubo thinks. "Seizhi... Rinley says that my heart wants friends, so when I wished for a friend, that should have turned out properly... But, for you, I don't think it did... Right?" Seizhi hesitates. "...Maybe not perfectly, but I think I'd rather be here, than wherever I was before. Perhaps..." He looks at the Wish Spirits. "What do you do when you need to spend a lot of time granting a wish?" --What do you mean?-- "How do you decide whether to help or not?" --I don't understand. We are they who help.-- "Hm. I suppose Wish Spirits don't have any lives outside their work?" --Rinley does.-- "I told you before, I'm not a Wish Spirit with arms and legs, I'm something different!" "Anyway Chuubo, I suppose they can just spend all the time they want fixing up a wish, but you can't, and you're in a better position to make mistakes. I think you need to keep remembering that, and be ready to accept the responsibility for anything that goes wrong." Chuubo blanches. Responsbility? But... Still... I don't want Seizhi to be sad, but I think he is... If that's my fault... (Chuubo gains 5 Quest XP for 'Wishing for Ease' for learning an important lesson!) Rinley starts fidgetting. "Can we go and have some fun? I'm sure there are lots of people in Fortitude who need things, can't we go help them out?" "Hmm, good idea. Chuubo, do you need to think it over a bit more?" "No, I think I've got it. But where do we go?" "Anywhere!" The three of them set of through Fortitude, the Wish Spirits bobbing alongside. Chuubo shoots his arms out and takes the hands of both Seizhi and Rinley. He smiles. (Chuubo gains 1 Quest XP for 'Precious Memories'!) In Fortitude, there are fences that need painting, washing that needs to be hung up on dryers and messages that need to be carried. (Chuubo gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Action'!) "How about a Sun Festival?" "Yes, that's it!" Entropy hurries out of the door. He looks back. "Aren't you coming?" "Well, all right, I'll help you get started, but I do need to be getting back to my job at some point?" "Oh? What's that?" "I'm working at a pipe shop!" "A 'pipe shop'? Surely that's beneath you?" (Entropy II gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Action'!) Miramie starts. "Ah, I think he's fallen asleep at last!" She lies back on the bed, and twists her head to look at Natalia. "You'll keep an eye on me, right?" Natalia nods. She hesitates. "I'm a little afraid... But... I don't want to turn away..." She closes her eyes. (Miramie Mesmer gains 1 Bonus XP for invoking 'Comfort'!) Miramie's spirit walks away from her body and sinks down through the floor. She sees Hideo's self glowing like a great light, and she flows towards it, immersing herself in its radiance. A dreamscape blooms around her. She can see Hideo's memories and thoughts, taking the form of a cluttered room filled with books and papers. His insides match his surroundings! Slumped in a chair in front of a desk is a young woman wearing a mask and hat. She stares blankly at nothing. Ah. Melanie Malakh? But not so energetic this time. "Melanie?" There's no response. "I have some questions." Still nothing. Miramie frowns. A: Miramie projects her curse onto Melanie. (Curse Projection, spend 1 MP) B: Miramie attempts to unmake Melanie. (The World-Breaker's Hand, spend 1 MP) C: Miramie transforms the dreamscape around them, making it resemble the Bleak Academy. (Spend 4 Will with Superior Dreamer 1) D: Miramie transforms the dreamscape around them, making it resemble Fortitude. (Spend 4 Will with Superior Dreamer 1) E: Miramie attempts to absorb Melanie. F: Miramie sends her spirit back to her body.
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Oct 26, 2018 23:04
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Oct 26, 2018 23:14
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Oct 27, 2018 06:02
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A B C D E XX F Miramie hesitates. I said I wouldn't do this, but... She reaches out to touch Melanie's mask. The moment her fingers make contact, she's overwhelmed by a series of images and sounds. She feels her tongue grow dry, and her head starts to ache. She desperately tries to snatch at the flow of information, trying to pull out something useful. "YAH!" She sits bolt upright in bed, awake again. Natalia shifts position, and her eyes widen slightly. "Are you all right? "I...Rrr. Mm." Even though the connection's been broken, she still feels terrible. It subsides somewhat as she shakes her head, but she still has something awful haunting her. (Miramie Mesmer is now Innocent and Twitching. Miramie gains 1 Quest XP for 'Under Siege'!) Should I tell her? ...I have to. She's helped me. Even if it makes her leave, I have to tell her. (Miramie Mesmer gains 5 Quest XP for 'Fascination' for making herself vulnerable!) "I saw something... I'm afraid I was right. She did just help you for her own purposes. She needed to examine the right sort of dragon before she could make her own, so she sought you out and drew Typhon out of you. That golden dragon you've been hunting... is borne from your rage over the loss of your home." Natalia stares at Miramie for a moment, then leaves the room. (Miramie Mesmer gains 1 Bonus XP for 'Suffering Corruption!) (Miramie Mesmer gains a point of Sickness!) Chapter 7 Scene 6 Night has fallen. Natalia's made a phone call telling her family where she is and not to worry. She doesn't feel like making the journey home. Out on the street, she stares up at the stars and wonders. Why me? Why did she choose me for this purpose? And what do I do now? A: Natalia decides to keep helping Miramie with her problems. B: Natalia decides to return to hunting Typhon. C: Natalia decides to try and raise Russia from the Outside. In his dreams, Chuubo sits on his throne in the Glass Castle. The dragons await his command, but he knows not what orders to give them. In her dreams, Rinley is running through a forest. Sessily is ahead of her, calling to hurry, but Rinley can't manage to keep up. In his dreams, Seizhi is haunted by images of Jade Irinka. The same events keep repeating. She's shot down from the sky by the Headmaster, she falls to the ground, she looks up at Seizhi. He wakes up in his darkened bedroom. She's asking me to do something, I think, but I can't hear her. I need to find a way to hear her. (Seizhi Schwan gains 1 Quest XP for 'The Wishes of Birds and Beasts!) F: Seizhi decides to return to the Bleak Academy alone, and try and find a way to talk to Jade Irinka. G: Seizhi decides to return to the Bleak Academy with some of his friends, and try and find a way to talk to Jade Irinka. H: Seizhi decides to ask Chuubo if he can use a wish to address the situation. I: Seizhi decides to go and see the Sosunov family, and see if they can use their magic to help. Jasper is working on something to present at the approaching festival of the sun. She wants to take this opportunity to test her talent with her favoured craft. What is Jasper's favoured craft? M: Painting? N: Sketching? O: Making mirrors? P: Something else? Entropy is busy trying to make sure that there'll be plenty of entertainment available at the festival. There must be some appropriate people somewhere... Z: Entropy constructs a Festival Recruiter Golem to scout some talent! (Guide, one free use per chapter) Y: Entropy makes some calls to ensure the presence of performers at the festival! (Spend 2 Will with I Know Somebody 0) X: Entropy calls in some ogres to perform at the festival. (Spend 2 Will with Superior Land-Rule 2) W: Entropy decides to just concentrate on getting some sleep.
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Oct 28, 2018 18:49
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C > A G > H N > M Y > Z
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Oct 30, 2018 04:37
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golden bubble posted:C > A
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Oct 30, 2018 12:42
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A B C XX F G XX H I M N XX O P Z Y XX X W  Entropy phones up some musicians, a few acrobats, a couple of grill chefs and a group of carpenters. He's able to make the financial arrangements without too much trouble, and he impresses upon them the importance of the occasion. He's confident that the festival will now be a success. (Entropy II regains 1 Will for completing the task!) (Entropy II gains 1 Quest XP for 'Clean for a Day'!) All right. I shall bring Russia back. I will turn away from this place and all these ridiculous people. No longer will I live this absurd, cartoonish, existence. My family and I will live the lives we were meant to have. But how shall I do that? New York has started to reappear, but I'm not convinced that it's quite the same as it was before. A: Natalia travels to 'New York', locates a high stakes Poker game somewhere, wins a large quantity of money, and then travels to an airport to buy a ticket to Russia. (The Prodigy) B: Natalia travels to 'New York' and starts carrying our research on Russia to see if there are any indiscrepancies between what she can read and what she remembers. (The Prodigy) C: Natalia goes to talk to her family about the subject. D: Natalia walks into the Outside and sits down to dream of Russia. The next morning, Seizhi goes to visit first Chuubo, then Rinley. Both of them are eager to accompany him on his adventure. It turns out that Chuubo knows where Jasper lives, and they seek her out in an abandoned house in Fortitude. This is how goddesses live? She's working on a series of sketches. A tree, a cloud, leaves on the breeze, a flower turning towards the sun, lights glimmering on a lake... (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Quest XP for 'The Light of Hope'!) After he explains the expedition, she immediately agrees to help. "If I can see my mother again, I'm not going to miss the chance." They proceed to the gates of the Bleak Academy once again. Jasper spends some time scrying on their objective, extending her senses through the light that falls even here. The two graduates from before are on guard in front of the entrance to the House of the Sun. Seizhi ponders. We need to be careful, we could get ourselves into a lot of trouble. Rinley looks at the buildings with interest. "I've never been out this far before! Why is there a school here?" (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Quest XP for 'The World is Changing'!) Chuubo looks puzzled. "I never thought about that... Jasper, do you know?" "I know that Dad runs it... I think it might need to exist because Horizon Academy exists... Or is it the other way around? I think I remember him telling me that it had to be set up after the end of the Third Age as a means of 'pursuing diplomacy by other means'." "Irregardless-" says Seizhi. "-how do we get in to talk to your mother?" Z: Jasper calls upon the sun to protect Seizhi as he approaches the House of the Sun. (Sun Lights the Path [powered up], one free use per book) Y: Jasper shifts into Kaiju form in order to create a distraction while Seizhi enters the House of the Sun. (Kaiju Form) X: Seizhi attempts to impersonate a student of the Bleak Academy and approachs the House of the Sun, then infects the guards with his essence so that they're compelled to be helpful. ('Is this my Destiny?' with 'Touch the Heart', spend 1 MP) W: Chuubo summons a dragon and they attempt to rush through the guards with it. (Summon Dragon, one free use per chapter) V: Rinley super-charges Seizhi's heart, making it easier for him to follow his dream. (There's No Turning Back Now!, one free use per chapter) U: Rinley super-charges Jasper's heart, making it easier for her to follow her dream. (There's No Turning Back Now!, one free use per chapter) T: They all approach the House of the Sun and attempt to negiotate with the guards. Twiler fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Oct 31, 2018 |
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Oct 31, 2018 00:38
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A U, T but Seizhi isn't in the group and sneaks in while they negotiate.
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Oct 31, 2018 01:56
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Toughy posted:A
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Nov 1, 2018 04:30
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A XX B C D Z Y X W V U XX T  Natalia walks out to 'New York'. Utilising her knowledge of urban environments, she's able to locate an underground poker game, and say precisely the correct things to join it. She sits at the table beneath the dim lights. Before looking at the cards she's just been dealt she carefully studies the expressions of the other players, reading their emotions. She also takes note of every little motion of their fingers. It's a minor matter to memorise every card that's been played, and to calculate all the relevant probabilities. She's also familiar with established theories concerning the heuristics of the game, and what the other players are likely to know about it as well. After a couple of profitable hours, Natalia locates an airport, and buys the relevant ticket. Reclining in her chair, she looks out of the window of the plane, and wonders what might await her at the other end of the trip... (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Quest XP for 'Peaceful Moments'!) (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Bonus XP for 'Foreshadowing'!) (Natalia Koutolika gains a point of Calling!) (For gaining her first point of Calling, Natalia regains 1 MP!) Miramie spends some time searching the Archive, but she eventually has to admit to herself that Natalia has gone. And I bet I know why she's gone. Am I going to have to spend the rest of my life paying for my former self's mistakes? (Miramie Mesmer gains 1 Bonus XP for invoking 'Comfort'!) Depressed, she returns to the Hidden Room and stares out of the window. Rinley fixes her eyes on Jasper's heart. It's flaring brightly. In fact, it's like the Sun, painful to stare at, and Rinley has to avert her eyes for a moment. She stretches out her hand and touchs it. Jasper blinks. "What are you-" Rinley lends some strength to Jasper's dream, letting it impact reality more strongly. Jasper's eyes widen. "Yes. I see." She turns and starts to walk purposefully across the Bleak Academy towards the House of the Sun. Seizhi winces, and nudges Chuubo. "She's going to get caught. I'll try and sneak in while she distracts everyone. We can meet up when all the shouting's over." He resumes the guise of a student and zips away in a different direction. "Whoa, he's smart!" says Rinley. "Yeah-" replies Chuubo. "But let's stick with Jasper and make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." They hurry after her. All heads are turning as the three of them proceed through the buildings, but everyone seems too confused or awed to approach them. Jasper's presence is much stronger than usual. ...but as they approach the House of the Sun and start to pass through the outer gates, the two graduates from before appear. Jasper promptly switches into Wicked mode. "Out of my way. I'm the Headmaster's daughter. You can't stop me." They exchange glances, and then speak. "I am Horo Kenlik." says the boy. "I wield the void of the vacuum as a test of worth. I am a Keeper of the Sun. You may not pass." "I am Kinseis Salome." says the girl. "I expose the lies inherent in the concepts of motion and direction. I am a Keeper of the Sun. You may not pass." They both stare at Jasper in a determined manner, but they make no move to attack. She lets her heart speak. "You have to let me past. If my father was here-" "I am here." All of a sudden, there's a figure wrapped up in a hooded cloak and bandages standing next to her. Her jaw drops, and she switches back to normal. "Dad? That's you under there? What happened?" Chuubo tries to look insignificant. I guess he's still in a state after what Miramie and I did to him... The figure turns to the keepers. "Let her in. What will be will be." He faces Jasper again. "I don't know what you might come to think of me, but I think you deserve to know what your mother has to say." The keepers scramble to open the doors beyond the gates, and he points. "Enter." "...The others must be allowed in as well." "As you wish." Looking sheepish, Seizhi emerges from behind the corner of the building and rejoins the group. Together, they step inside, leaving the Headmaster and the keepers behind. Inside, they find themselves standing on the edge of a great pit. Below, there stands Jasper's mother, Jade Irinka. She simultaneously resembles a normal-sized adult standing in a sunken floor section, and a gigantic figure standing in an endless abyss. She looks very much like an older version of Jasper, aside from the massive fiery wings extending from her back. She looks up at the four of them, and smiles. "Ah! You made it here!" Jasper feels emotion start to overwhelm her and she has to close her eyes for a moment. "Mother? I thought you were dead! I was falling from the sky, and I saw Dad shoot the Sun down and you weren't there any more- And then I was stuck here, and I couldn't find a way to get back to Celestia and I didn't know what to do- What happened?" "Please, daughter, try and calm yourself." Jasper takes a few deep breaths. "I'm very much afraid that your first thought was correct. I am dead. One of the reasons I've brought you here was to assure you of this fact. My presence is an aberration of the natural state of things. The Keepers of the Sun have collected my remains and made a place where I could manifest myself once more. Which is fortunate in some ways, for it means that I can speak to you. But I fear that it's not going to end with this." She stretches out her arms as if trying to reach Jasper. "There are two particular things I need to tell you. Firstly, you must beware me, if you see me outside this place. Right now, I'm still very much the person I was, but if I walk the world again, awful events will follow." "Secondly, you have to understand the implications of my absence. While I was present in the world, I was the Sun. Now, that I am gone, the old Sun is gone, and you are the new Sun." Jasper forces herself to calm down a little. "I think I knew that... Sort of." "But you have to accept the full responsibility it entails. You have to understand it. But not only that, you have a greater responsibility than I held, because your light falls upon both Town and the Outside. That's why you exist, really. You're representative of the union between the two things, the union between me and your father." "How could he do it? How could he shoot you down?" "It presumably made sense to him. If I wasn't going to accept that he was going to do things I didn't understand, there couldn't have been anything between us." Jasper clutches her head. "I need... I need to think." "I do have a question of my own. I didn't think your birth was quite complete, but here you are. What happened?" "Oh... Monty gave me his heart to make me real." "Monty?" "Leonardo De Montreal." "Hmm. Well, give him my thanks." (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Bonus XP for 'Discovery') (Jasper Irinka gains a point of 'It Never Stops'!) (For gaining her first point of 'It Never Stops!', Jasper regains 1 MP!) As Jasper retreats, the others edge forward. She casts her gaze upon them. "And you three? Do you have words for me?" "I thought you meant to tell me something!" exclaims Seizhi. "Why have you appeared in my dreams?" "Ah? I just wished to draw my daughter here. I thought I could sense someone listening to me. Was that you?" "Apparently so. Was that all? I just needed to bring her here?" "Yes. I am grateful." She smiles radiantly. Seizhi turns a little red. Is this what I'm here for perhaps? Helping people end up in the right place? Not just a friend, but a guide? (Seizhi Schwan gains 1 Bonus XP for 'Foreshadowing'!) (Seizhi Schwan gains a point of Calling!) Jade regards Chuubo and Rinley. "You two carry your own duties. Good luck." She tilts her head, listening. "As I've said, I can't be sure of how my husband might act. I'd advise you to leave while you can." Chapter 7 Scene 7 At the end of the week, the festival of the Sun arrives. Jasper's had a chance to recover from all the excitement, and she turns out to lead the occasion. With a little effort, she's able to make the Sun shine a bit more cheerfully. She sets up her sketches on display. (Jasper Irinka gains 1 Quest XP for 'The Light of Hope'!) Displays of flowers have been set up everywhere around Fortitude. The still functional fountain raises water into the air, where it glimmers in the light. There's a pleasant hubbub as people mill around. Rinley, Chuubo and Seizhi eagerly explore the attractions. (Chuubo gains 1 Quest XP for 'Learning the Ways of Fortitude'!) Entropy has carefully allocated all the spaces and times. This is very different from his normal sort of work terrifying pupils or running the Evil World. He can't imagine his father doing something like this. (Entropy II gains 1 Bonus XP for a 'Shared Action'!) (Entropy's Miraculous Will refreshes!) Jasper sits on a chair on a wooden dais, and looks up at the sky. The Jotun are performing a song and dance around her. She gets the impression that they're waiting for something to happen. She smiles as her eyes turn to the Sun. I am you, and you are me... She opens her hands and it floats down from the sky, shrinking itself to fit in her hands... (Jasper Irinka spends 17 Bonus XP to complete 'The Miracle'!) Everyone starts to cheer. Jasper feels her whole being unify for a moment, and she gains something. What does Jasper gain? A: Jasper Irinka resurrects one of the horses that once towed the old Sun across the sky! (Accessory: Horse of the Sun) B: Jasper Irinka detaches a tiny fragment of the Sun and changes it into a talisman to ward off despair! (Accessory: Talisman of Hope) C: Jasper Irinka finds that her body starts to emit light! (Affliction: Light Source) D: Jasper Irinka regains some of her Celestian nature, and feels her capacities for hunger and fatigue recede! (Superior Celestian 2) E: Jasper Irinka feels the duty of one who has held the Sun in her hands! (Bond: Bringer of Hope: 1) Afflictions are powers that can't be switched off, but will generate extra Will/MP if they get the owner into trouble. Bonds represent codes of conduct which will give the owner bonuses in conflicts where they're relevant, and will generate extra Will/MP if they get the owner into trouble.
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Nov 2, 2018 00:14
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Wow that's alot happening!!! Love how my idea of deception was made moot, anyway! D>E Toughy fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Nov 2, 2018 |
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Nov 2, 2018 01:58
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'F'?
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Nov 2, 2018 02:04
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Twiler posted:'F'? Typo sorry Or is there a secret option..... 
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Nov 2, 2018 02:09
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E > D
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Nov 2, 2018 02:16
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I'm really torn between the two, if there aren't any more votes and it ends in a tie I'm ok with this.
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Nov 2, 2018 02:27
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Nov 2, 2018 08:05
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A B C D X E XX Jasper Irinka stares into the Sun in her hands and thinks back to what her mother said. Responsibility... Responsibility... She can feel her soul being etched with a commandment. THOU SHALT NOT DESPAIR. She can hear people cheering her. For a moment she can glimpse all the connections between her, those people, and all the places they inhabit. Above, on his great skyship, the Prince of Cats watches through a telescope. So, that's her... (Jasper Irinka gains a new quest 'The Refusal of the Call'!) (As the chapter ends, all characters regain their Will!) (Chuubo regains 1 MP!) (Leonardo de Montreal regains 1 MP!) (Jasper Irinka regains 1 MP!) (Seizhi Schwan regains 1 MP!) (Rinley Yatskaya regains 1 MP!) (Natalia Koutolika regains 1 MP!) (Rinley's wound heals!) (Rinley regains one Normal Health Level!) Chapter 8 Scene 1 Natalia sits in the front room of the Koutolika family home, and muses on what she has discovered. She was able to land at the airport successfully, and on the way here she paid close attention to everything. It seems to be the same day that Russia was drowned, but there are inconsistencies. Some aspects of Russia are symptomatic of time passing, while others are stuck in stasis. When she got back to her house, the door was open. The fridge still contained food, and the electricity was still on. Has any time passed for this place? Is there someone else living here? A shame I hadn't trained my mind properly back then or I could remember the precise contents of the refrigerator... She looks around at the familiar surroundings of the room. Irregardless, it's good to be back. (Natalia Koutolika gains 1 Quest XP for 'Thaw Your Heart'!) I need to know more. If I can discover the exact mechanics of the phenemenon that occurred when the Outside took this place, I may be able to find a way to reverse it. A: Natalia takes a series of trips around Russia to assess the geography and see if there's anything missing. B: Natalia asks around to see if anyone in Russia knows anything about Town or the Outside. C: Natalia stays in the house and waits to see if anyone arrives. Miramie gets ready for another day. I am not Melanie Malakh. I am not Melanie Malakh. How should she spend her time? F: Miramie decides to try and hunt down Typhon, in the hope that investigating it will help her to find some way to help Natalia. G: Miramie decides to go and check on Chuubo, see if anything new's happened to him. H: Miramie decides to go back to the Art Shop project for a while. I: Miramie decides to stay in her room and work on her Stone Dragon sculpture. J: Miramie decides to send her spirit out to Chuubo. (A Waking Dream, spend 1 MP) Leonardo De Montreal works quietly in his laboratory. Over his head, he wears his completed Inner Heating Prosthetic. It resembles a large metal gas-mask. Inside, tubes protude down his throat. He's set it up so that it doesn't prevent him from speaking, but experimentation has shown that it still distorts his tones somewhat. It has solved the problem of his inner chills, and he was able to fix any long-term issues by visiting the Incomparable Nightmare Engine back in Old Molder. He hears a noise behind him, and he turns to see Ill-Made and two other nightmares walking through the still open gateway. "What do you want?" Ill-Made hisses. "We've resolved to destroy the Blasphemy, but we're stymied as long as we restrict ourselves to battling with weapons and tools of our own realm. We're here to demand your help. Consider that this is essentially your fault anyway." She stretches out a claw-like hand. Her golden eyes shine through the shadows surrounding her. "Come to us." M: Leonardo agrees to help the nightmares. N: Leonardo refuses to help the nightmares. O: Leonardo suddenly attacks the nightmares, waving one of his wrenches. (Spend 4 Will) Rinley sits in Chuubo's kitchen with him and Seizhi, having breakfast. "And so, after I got out of that forest, I went to Fortitude and I started asking everyone about Sessily, but I couldn't find anything out at first. But I kept trying, and then someone told me that the Fey used to be around more during the times of the Old Gods. Then I thought, hey, maybe that dragon I met that gave me powers was actually one of those gods, so perhaps it could tell me something, but then I came to take a look around here, where it was, and I couldn't find anything..." (Rinley Yatskaya gains 1 Quest XP for 'Story Time!) Seizhi rubs his chin. A temple that vanishes? Surely someone else would have noticed its absence? Chuubo thinks back. I don't ever remember seeing a temple around here... Z: The three of them search Chuubo's house to see if there's anything that might indicate what happened to the temple. Y: Chuubo summons a dragon and questions it. (Summon Dragon, one free use per chapter) X: The three of them go to the Archive to see if they can find some maps of the area. W: Chuubo decides to simply go and make a wish for them to know where the temple has gone. (Wishing, one use per chapter) Updated character sheets and chapter summaries.
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Nov 3, 2018 21:23
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| # ? Apr 16, 2024 19:30 |
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A > B G > F N > O X > Y
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Nov 3, 2018 21:35
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