cast them aside, a future is better then a past.

Go left. Always the best path.

Fight.

Suggestion 2010/10/09(Sat)17:14 No. 240867 ID: 56dc25
File 128666964477.png - (2.53MB , 1280x1024 , tornveil_01.png )

>>240827
>>240831
It takes you but a moment to decide- against whatever is consuming you, fighting would only harm your future. Better to leave it all behind while you still have the capacity to do so knowingly and take the escape that awaits, prepared for you long ago by... someone you should know. Did you know this was coming, and ready yourself to flee from it? Or did you have some other purpose in mind? The whys and hows have melted away, leaving only the what still in your consciousness.

That is enough to tell you about your route, however. It is a slender strand of possibility, almost vanishingly unlikely. You will flee to a lesser form, on a lesser world, where beneath the notice of whatever has savaged you there will be an opportunity to recover and grow. It would be essentially impossible for one embodying your knowledge and power to simply appear, but it is far more likely that a creature already on that world would find their mind suddenly snap in a stressful situation when already facing some vestiges of a situation beyond their ken. That happens all the time, after all. Snapping in a very specific way, one which gives their fragile mind a glimpse of you in all your unfathomable power, is much less likely... but possible.

A mental tweak of the appropriate threads, and the future begins to fall into place as you arranged. Somewhere virtually irrelevant, a weak creature with just enough of the higher powers in its blood screams curses at those who menace it, and it is enough. One of them catches a glimpse, and its psyche breaks under the strain. You flood into the breach, a shattered fragment of the glorious mind which struggles and dies to cover your retreat.


In the brief moment before your awareness is bound, you take stock of the few abilities prepared for your escape. Are they most aligned towards the mind of your lesser incarnation, granting knowledge of the world around you and how to use it; the body, physical capabilities which others of the feeble race you're imitating can only envy; or the vision, leaving you better able to glimpse the higher patterns of reality and handle them effectively in spite of your wretchedly limited new form? Or have you some more specialized emphasis within those categories with which you prepared yourself?

let's take vision. the rest can be earned relatively easy enough.

>>240867
Vision. We can improvise the rest.

Vision.

Vision~~

Suggestion 2010/10/09(Sat)19:00 No. 240915 ID: 56dc25
File 128667605042.png - (2.54MB , 1280x1024 , tornveil_02.png )

>>240876 >>240899
>>240901 >>240903
You're pleased to find that such powers as you are left with focus largely upon strengthening the vision which will remain to you. They are relatively balanced between your capacities for awareness, control, and action; this should let you track several threads at once with a fair bit of flexibility, and without being completely oblivious to the world about your new flesh while doing so- even taking very basic actions while seeing.

Your form will be no different than that of the rest of these petty creatures, and you'll have little knowledge beyond that which is common to all of them in your immediate vicinity, but such things can be compensated for with enough strength of vision.


No sooner is your evaluation complete than the chain completes, and the limited awareness of your new host envelopes you. The sensation is like being drowned by a field of grasping muck, and yielding to it is sickening enough that-

-knees hit the ground, stomach rebelling violently at the splitting pain in your head. The legs beneath you reflexively curl into the fetal position, narrowly avoiding the rush of vomit which streams from your mouth onto the pine needles and dirt
>thin blanket of snow
beneath you. Surprised shouts come from around you, their words all but meaningless for a long moment before your overstressed brain can make sense of them. When it does, it's a strong, commanding baritone which forces the others to silence with an angry demand.

"Filthy witch, what did you do?"

With an effort, you wrench your eyes from the ground and gaze at those around you through the pain. Three creatures- humans- young men, you recognize disjointedly, are staring at you in what you dimly suspect is horror. They are each clad in a faded grey shirt
>a matronly weaver smiles at them as she takes their measurements, clearly enjoying their shirtless and embarrassed state and commenting on what fine guards they'll make
some kind of uniform, and carry heavy clubs in their hands. You seem to have dropped yours. Standing beside them is a taller, more powerful man,
>"You don't need to bully others into following you, boy, when you can lead and make them want to follow!"
his face's lines twisted into a fierce scowl, glaring and shouting with righteous anger at a young girl. She cannot be more than fourteen, and looks as though she is shocked
>sits with an ancient woman, sipping tea; "It's not what you can do, it's what they think you can do..."
and attempting to cover it up with bold confidence. Her voice hides its quaver rather well. "No more than I'll do to you, if you don't leave me alone!"


Your body is still suffering from pangs of nausea and feels vaguely unfamiliar, it is fading, and even now not so bad that you cannot act if you wish.

try to use your power to make the larger man believe the girls girl's story. if that isn't something you can do then perhaps fill him with raw fear.

Suggestion 2010/10/10(Sun)00:28 No. 241150 ID: 56dc25
File 12866957304.png - (6.36KB , 275x213 , tornveil_03.png )

>>240921
It might be easier to side with the stronger and more numerous group, but for some reason the opposite course strikes you as more compelling. While directly affecting the world has never been your strength, your vision should be more than sufficient to handle this situation. You focus on the darkly-clad tall man, seeking a specific sort of future. There are so many, so many to choose from, and your mind is only able to handle a sparse few, but you-

>force yourself to stand, grabbing your club and speaking loudly and fiercely in a babble resembling language no one here knows, affecting a maddened disposition that sends the others stumbling back in shock and horror; a quick swipe with your club and a twisted laugh sends the three guards fleeing and leaves their leader backing away slowly, staring at you with superstitious fear cracking his
>speak quietly from the ground in a voice that barely carries, "Has it been so long since the harvest festival, Heinrich, that you cannot remember the promises you made?" The large man stops short and spins to stare at you, gaping and with an expression of shock on
>push yourself to your feet, wipe off your mouth and shake your head dazedly before nodding to the others and confidently smashing your club into the tall man's side, calling out that Lord von Silburke offers his regards while the other guards look briefly confused, then move to back you while your target desperately tries to gather himself and flee
>take a short moment to gather yourself, then stand up and glance about with a sinister smile for the girl, "You called upon the dark powers, little witch, and I come to your call. Now what do you offer me for aid?" One of the other guards drops his club in shock while everyone else freeze and the young woman stutters a moment before shouting that

As you stare into possibilities now lost, voices dimly penetrate your awareness. "Lord save us, Heinrich! Look at Kurt- his eyes!"

Something wet is dripping down your face. It tickles.


You're weaker than you'd thought. Even with your powers of vision, choosing and simply accomplishing a task on the fly is beyond you currently. While it can provide invaluable information and identify potentially promising threads, you'll have to rely upon physical and mental prowess to follow through and truly accomplish things. What now?

take the last one. with your eyes bleeding you will be much more convincing that your are filled with dark energies.

>>241150

Hmm.. Maybe you're suffering a backfire from the energetic consciousness of the lower dimension. The bleeding must be the mind you left behind -- covering your escape from the demons and gods of this new, densest of dimensions.

It would be good if you wiped the bleeding to make the cover perfect and to confirm it's really blood, and not demonic fluid.

In further detail, although envisioning and inhabiting dark energies is matchless in embracing and settling HERE that which was lost in higher dimensions, for to grow back into grandness and higher dimensions, past that point and into a expelling of the evil that took it, it would be better to adopt the expanding, investigating and revealing nature of light and the good. I adore the goal of bringing mastery to the lower planes of existence, but it would be more substancial to spiritually ascend this physical plane and correct the wrong that was done to you.

Why should you wipe the blood? Because that action of dressing more of your skin with blood can be right intended performed as a ritual to invoke the magic of "to cover (with blood, the death of portions of yourself)", and that should and will complete the invaluable escape that large portion of you was sacrificed for. Do not give more of yourself to the dark powers wrapped around the conscient matrix of this world. Do not leave even a slightest a trail for the thieves to follow you through the dimensional crack. Instead of essential impossibility try to achieve an absolute safety from the thieves who might possess enormous potentials in their dimensions. Although they might not be able to embody an avatar, they might be able to influence this dimension through its veil, if they find your trail and location, non-location.

Seek order, concrete under your feet, guidance and inspiration in your thought. Seek integrity, find light in your actions. That's it.

>>241245
what?

>>241262

be good

>>241265
no i mean, what the hell are you talking about? the bleeding eyes is clearly linked to him peering into possible futures. pet theories are fine and good but not when they misinterpret events that JUST happened. and he has no time to be doing any rituals. he needs to finish this encounter before he can do anything.

>>241269

I undirectionally agree with your discord! No! I am RIGHT! I spent so much on my reply and now it's just pet theory? I tell the Truth!!! You can cross-ritualise to wipe the EXISTING threath. You shouldn't drift into dark ways however tempting! It will drastically cripple the recovery process and tie you down into this plane instead. But I agree that it has to be done as a means to avoid total extermination, thus having a mindful purpose. We are visionaries, not action based! We MUST have a theory for every occasion, not just a draft scheme for linear action.

seriously, dude, knock it off, you are starting to sound like a jackass

>>241283

Rituals don't need to be as long as 5000 minutes. You can do them in just a second. Rituals are like replies. You can do a 1 second readable or a 5000 minutes readable like I do. You don't get a shit about the content, so you have to repeat the reading 1000 times. And btw who said a descended god needs to pray? Oh, except we're not a god anymore.

I'm not being a jackass either. I'm just trying to kick you into scientific pissed off mind and have a good argument.

////////Yes, I'm sorry if I seem like a jack-ass. I didn't make a strong enough association between the bleeding eyes and seeing into potentials. This my text is probably good though to express the murky state of the avatar.

I don't see that the eyes bleed because it's epic, it's because the avatar is still weak and descends its damage on the percieving organs accordingly by the law of corrsepondence to body

OR

the body is weaker than the energies from the soul operating from the hidden Soul Anchor location of the plane.

What I saw was more important was write about the importance of ritual, use symbols and tie the meaning of bleeding eyes with a dying soul and a supernatural event.

I made a point that we should confirm it's blood as we know it and not *scientific* blood which has been charged with spiritual meaning of fear which gives it rightfully the property of "demonic fluid".

We shoulnd't ally with fear. Fear is the path to the dark side right? We should wipe the blood and drama and settle the situation, not make it worse. If your intuition tells that all is fucked up unless we show off -- Please, scare them!

Suggestion 2010/10/10(Sun)11:20 No. 241355 ID: 56dc25
File 128673481139.jpg - (21.70KB , 300x300 , tornveil_04.jpg )

>>241158 >>241245
>>241269 >>241304
Lifting yourself off the ground, you swipe a hand across your cheeks. It certainly seems to be blood- and while your knowledge of biology is still a bit fuzzy, you suspect that it's far more than would normally come from injured eyes. There is enough to stain most of your hand and forearm; a side effect, you suspect, of tracking so many threads on the fly. This creature's body is too weak to effectively handle the visions of a... god? Were you a god, demon, something else? Are there even gods and demons? You knew once, you're certain. If there are, none of them will be following you here unless you draw a great deal of attention- requiring acts that would tear this fragile brain asunder if you attempted them now.

But you can certainly act as though there are foul powers watching. Attempting to follow the fourth thread, you force an ominous smile, made crazed and sinister by the flow of blood beginning to drip off your chin. "You called upon the dark powers, little witch, and I come to your call. Now what do you offer me for aid?"

There is a dull thump from the side which you ignore as a known event. The young woman's gaze locks on yours, dark eyes frightened but flashing with impossible hope. After a long moment, she shouts with false confidence, "For- for protecting my life, I will do you any service
>standing at an altar bearing a brutally slain body, knife in hand, as the chants of cultists echo
>screaming in pain on the bed as her swollen belly attempts to force out new life
>staring in shock, "You... don't want anything? But demons always have a price."
>well-washed and dressed in silks, forcing a smile at a well-stocked table with yourself and a corpulent man whose fingers bear many heavy rings while they move slowly up her thigh
you ask in turn, demon! Anything!"

The possibilities blossom, and you tear your sight back to the present, thankful that the others were too stunned to react quickly and take advantage of your vulnerability. A throaty, unnatural chuckle bubbles easily from your throat as you attempt to hold to the thread, kneeling briefly to scoop up a fallen club.

The guards seem shocked and horrified into inaction
>moving to back Heinrich as he charges at you, blade swinging
>stumbling backward from your threatening snarl
but the taller man, Heinrich, steps forward and reaches beneath his cloak, pulling forth a small bronze cross. "By the name of Jesus Christ, be gone from Kurt's body, demon, and go back to the hell from whence you came!"

You'll have to act quickly, before the futures have a chance to collapse in disadvantageous ways.

grab the Cross out of Heinrich's and using it like a small club, smack him with it. the shear audacity should force a rather interesting reaction.

>>241355
[third option for the girl]

Grab the cross, punch him with it. The guards will all be shocked.

Suggestion 2010/10/10(Sun)15:09 No. 241465 ID: 56dc25
File 128674858996.jpg - (34.44KB , 305x180 , tornveil_05.jpg )

>>241356
>>241367
With a harsh bark of laughter, you dart forward with all the speed you can force from your limbs and snatch the tiny cross from Heinrich's hand, tearing it and the chain bearing it easily from his grip. He begins to react, but your momentum carries you into him shoulder-first, sending him sprawling backward. You loop the chain around your hand and follow through, smashing a fist into his face and then yanking free the long knife revealed from beneath his cloak as he stumbles. It fits your hand well, and is clearly a very nice weapon- not that you've seen many to compare it to.

With a wide grin, you prepare a cruel thrust
>and are caught off guard as Heinrich moves with speed you cannot match
but quickly pause and use words instead, glancing at the cross in your hand with a frown of distaste for your act's benefit. "Do I seem banished so easily? Insulting."

A look at the guards shows that one of them seems to have pissed himself while staring at you in horror and is in no condition to accomplish anything, but the others are moving towards Heinrich, presumably to aid him. They are
>fleeing in terror, weapons dropped, as you stand over the large man's bloody body
>charging you with clubs in spite of their fear at Heinrich's command
>following Heinrich as he strides off with a hateful glare over his shoulder
probably more of a threat than you can take on, all at once, should it come to a purely physical confrontation. Behind you, the young woman is standing frozen, seemingly transfixed by the spectacle of her 'demon' easily defeating the leader of the men who was menacing her.

The advantage is yours, as you've got the best weapon on the field, Heinrich is unarmed, and you are well-cloaked in fearful lies, but attempting to see your way to driving the men off verbally might give them enough of an opening to strike at you. Should you attempt to find an acceptable thread, or make a guess at the sort of bluff that will work without using your vision? Or try something else?

>>241465

Try to use your power to see not only potentials spreading to possible futures but also potentials spreading to possible pasts, stories, seeing into Heinrich's mind. Don't care if your vision feints for a while or turns all red. Just suck the best pieces you can get to use against him as a mental weapon, will-disarming, aggression-soaking.

all you really need is something that says he is not as devoted to his church as he claims he is.

[also while option three with girl is what will happen instantly. it will evolve into she your trusted lieutenant]

Suggestion 2010/10/11(Mon)07:08 No. 242073 ID: 56dc25
File 12868061203.jpg - (116.34KB , 481x700 , tornveil_06.jpg )

>>241955
>>241965
Not willing to chance the uncertainty of acting without looking, you lock your eyes onto Heinrich's rising form, seeking words to disarm and shock him. Surely there have been moment of disloyalty, when he
>lay sweating on the floor behind an altar, calling out to Ordella while a young nun moves above him screaming his name
>shouted angrily at an elderly man in ostentatious white robes
>throws a torch onto a pyre where a
>>young woman bearing a cross around her neck
>>gap-toothed crone
>>middle-aged couple
>stands tied, not heeding their screams

Tearing your gaze back to the immediate before you get too lost in his past, you find that Heinrich has moved to fetch the fallen club and is advancing to strike you, the others at his back. That hardly matters, however, you're certain that you have the threads you need now, and as blood leaks smoothly from your eyes you face him with a wide grin, standing confidently.

"After all your sins, you act against me, Heinrich? When you lay with Ordella in sacred ground, we watched and laughed. When you fought with holy men, we delighted, and when you burned the innocent without qualm you declared yourself ours in truth." As he stumbles to a pause in shock, you step forward, pressing him back- and the guards with him. "And then you dare invoke the name of God against me, as though he has a scrap of mercy for you and those with you. Those you usher so smoothly into hell at your back." You give the guards a pleased look, and they gasp in shock- but two of them save their horror for their leader, not you. It's working; they are on a path of your choosing now.

You move directly towards Heinrich
>as he continues to stare, unmoving
as he continues to stare, unmoving, and then shove your hand forward forcefully, pushing him off balance and onto the forest floor. "Get out of here, Heinrich, unless you wish me to take your soul now while the saints look on and nod."
>four figures vanish into the trees

There. The path is set. They will be gone soon enough; you turn back to the young woman, whose fright and wonder seem to have grown in equal measure, and move towards her. You know a fraction of what's coming, and suspect that you can bind her to your service even without directly requiring so, but managing that without seeing how directly might be difficult. At the same time, fountaining even more blood from your eyes might make just the wrong impression.

What will you say or do?

>>242073


Then... answer her questions. In case she loses her ability to speak and interact, soothe her by taking her hand saying or asking a comforting phrase look into her eyes. Don't bring up anything inadequate to characterize or co-create the recent occurences. Maybe ask her if she's a virgin, following her response and reaction to the question and maybe tell like: "It's alright." or if she seems to shudder at the idea, say that she can do it with the man of her choise whenever. The important thing is to continue like this, bringing up the facts and events of late so that she will tear up or something similiar and go through a release.

When she's in state of receptivity, explain yourself honestly.

>>241367
>>242107
You pause, mindful of the fact that moving too close to the girl
>a woman laughs and waves to her, "Viveka, get back here!"
too quickly might cause her to react poorly. Instead, you speak gently. "You must have questions. Ask, and I will answer."

She stares at you for a long moment, clearly not certain if she should be ecstatic- after all, her life was just saved out of nowhere- or horrified by the fact that she called a demon. Eventually, you can see her dark eyes widen with realization- she offered you anything, and with the men moving off behind you, she'll now have to make good on her promise. She takes a deep breath and asks her tentative question. "Wh.. what do you want from me?"

The answer is easy. You know this thread. With a glance behind you just in time to see four figures vanish into the trees, you casually answer, "Nothing, really. Nothing at all." A lie, but the one which will move this path forward as you desire. It's almost amusing to watch her jaw loosen with astonishment.

The reply takes a moment as she stares in shock, "You... don't want anything? But demons always have a price." She nervously brushes her long, dark hair over one shoulder as she answers, clearly disbelieving.

A casual shake of the head should give the right impression. "I don't. Are you all right?" You take a careful step forward, then another when she does not react poorly, and reach out to grasp her hand. "Have you been
>twisting away from one of the guards as a young man leaps upon him, running into the woods with dress torn
hurt?"

She slowly shakes her head, looking into your bloody eyes with her fear fading into relief. "I'm fine. I... I guess I'm even safe." She gives a wan smile, then puts a hand on one of the pine trees behind her and slowly sinks into a seated position, roughspun dress catching needles beneath her as she adjusts to lean back and look up at you, strain seeming to flow out of her. She's much more attractive when not completely terrified, in spite of her young age, if your new form is any judge. "And what in the world am I supposed to do now? I can't go home
>a house in flames, two slowly cooking bodies visible through the doorway
or they'd just kill me."

What do you do or say? With more time available, you should be able to use your vision without placing undue strain on your body, particularly if you only follow threads to which you have a connection of some kind, rather than attempting to look towards a specific desired result. Or you can move forward blindly, trusting in your own intelligence and relatively fresh humanity to give you whatever result you seek from this conversation.

sit down and then tell her that you can see the future(not exactly but close enough). and that the bleeding eyes is simply trying to do too much too fast with a new body. and now that you can go slowly you can see much further.

then look for a thread that leads to the chase for her and you being given up on without ether of you dying.

Suggestion 2010/10/11(Mon)23:27 No. 242418 ID: 56dc25
File 128686484343.jpg - (133.38KB , 640x427 , tornveil_07.jpg )

>>242319
The truth, or something close to it, should do well enough here. You step to her side and seat yourself against the pine's trunk as well, then speak as comfortingly as you can manage. "Don't worry too much about it. With a bit of effort, I can see the future."

She twists her head to look at you, but you suspect that at this point she wouldn't really have the energy to show much reaction no matter what powers you lay claim to. You forge ahead regardless. "The eyes bleeding, that's just me trying to do too much, too fast in a new body. Now that I have time to go slowly, seeing further shouldn't be a problem, and I'll come up with something."

As you begin to look forward, her voice interrupts you. "Is that why they're all strange, too?"

That seems an odd question. You turn and
>look into the clear pool before you, seeing
>>a bearded face with startlingly solid irises
>>a smoothly sculpted face with deep-set eyes, their centers golden disks
>>an unnaturally beautiful, androgynous face whose eyes burn like the sun on a field of stars
>staring back
say, "...yes, that is why they're 'all strange'." The threads seem clear enough on that point; this body can only handle so much power before it begins to shift and warp. It will likely take months or years, but it will not remain static forever.

Enough of that; it's not relevant to the present. The girl's murmured assent hardly registers in your ears as you look forward, seeking a specific sort of thread. One where no one takes the tale of the witch-girl Viveka summoning up a demon to possess and drive off the guards pursuing her as anything more than a way to scare children, if they've even heard it, and you are both hale and well.

>Walking westward for hours, you come to the coast, where a trading vessel is moored at a small fishing village which has yet to hear of you. The ship moves north with you aboard through a series of forks which quickly unify, and the thread dissolves into a fog of possibility that is difficult to track without straining
>Head south, to find the men who fled gathered around a campfire rather than in the village as expected; a quick strike in the darkness and the story is gone before it has a chance to spread, though several twists bring your strand of that thread to an abrupt cutoff
>East, a pass through the mountains, several days of walking (or riding? ambiguity and possibilities) and then further movement afterward takes you weeks away as the thread splits into a myriad of possibilities impossible to track
>North leads deeper into the forest, a wide river, and great amounts of wilderness, with one thread also encountering a merchant on a road which eventually curves and leads to-

The possibilities that you've been following begin to fray as they move towards impossibility. Your eyes snap open to see the young woman beginning to walk off, reddish sunlight streaming through the trees around you- dusk. Hours must have passed while you looked for the right path to take; no surprise, considering your limited abilities and the amount of time that you needed to look over. The girl likely spoke to you and went largely unheard in your distraction, and is now wandering off- to get herself injured or killed, if the paths you just saw were moving towards impossible.

What will you do now?

>>242418

The great geniouses spend a lot of time alone. I've also heard to say that to develop as a man you don't need anyone else around you, instead wise men seem to avoid crowd, malice and distraction like a plague. However, I've also heard that if you want to fly to your destination instead of walking you need a teacher. But then, some people regard everyone and anyone their teacher. I would however try to seek the mystic or preferably high intuitive center of this realm and with the talents of premonition arrange a relationship with a person that can teach us grow the most. We're responsible for Viveka as well until she's old enough to fly on her own or decide again wheter to stay.

Mankind is known to gather around vast sources of fresh water, and the murderers are know to avoid crowds. If we go North, we will meet more cultures, finesse and ideas. East will also lead North and is a shortcut there, but I think we might need more wealth consciousness than the ordinary people to get along in this world, so I vote the forest. We can also get know to Viveka better on the way.

agree, northward. also hold her up and tell her that she should not walk off simply because you were in a trance.

Suggestion 2010/10/12(Tue)22:56 No. 242769 ID: 56dc25
File 128694937389.jpg - (121.93KB , 500x375 , tornveil_09.jpg )

>>242449
>>242455
A brief moment of consideration before moving brings you to the conclusion that northward is likely the best path- if nothing else, a river that size is sure to serve as a route to numerous towns and cities. Perhaps you would be able to use your powers to gain a position of some kind, with resources and the opportunity to speak with respected people regularly; even if they are likely to have little of worth to teach you, the broadening of viable paths that would provide could prove invaluable. And if there is against all odds some way of accelerating your way back to your lost heights of knowledge and capability, it's more likely that you will hear of it in the center of cultures than on the fringes.

With that general course in mind, you push yourself to your feet and begin to jog lightly after the departing woman, catching her shoulder. "Viveka."

She gives a small, startled exclamation, jumping slightly and turning towards you. Apparently she hadn't heard your footsteps following. "When did you- how do you know my name?" She takes a step back, brushing off your arm, and crosses her arms while facing you in the fading light. The past several hours seem to have given her a great deal more spirit, or perhaps simple frustration and restlessness from staying put; she seems much more animated than before.

You raise an eyebrow. Considering your fairly impressive displays of knowledge so far, one would think that a name would not be terribly surprising. "The same way I know most things. In any case, you should be heading north, and not going off alone." You give a quick gesture leftwards, along the path you chose.

She frowns. "I should be? And deciding that took most of the afternoon, including ignoring me every time I tried to talk to you?"

That was slightly unexpected. You must be even more removed from your immediate surroundings when looking forward than you had previously realized. You simply nod and start to walk in the direction you indicated, prompting her to fall in next to you with a sigh. "So what's to the north that I need to go see, demon? And should I just call you 'demon', or do you have a name?"

You have a name. You're not entirely certain what it is, but any name that you give will be a false one; that you're sure of. For the moment, dodging the questions seems in order; you'll deal with pulling her onto whatever path you desire later, after you have decided what to do with her. "It will be too dark to continue soon. There should be
>a clearing
>a small overhang, almost a shallow cave
>a steep ravine
a decent place to rest a short ways ahead."

Viveka sighs at your lack of response, but follows. It takes only a short time before you reach the overhang and prepare to rest, contemplating building a fire before realizing that you don't have enough skills to manage it successfully without any supplies. It will be a cold night.

As you succumb to your body's mental exhaustion, focus on the immediate loosens, and as it falls into sleep you enter your visions once again. With hours to seek answers through your mind's eye, you can try to find out almost anything you wish, to prepare for likely events in the future, or to try and shape your actions towards some future goal. You can also look towards what will be most effective in influencing Viveka, changing her personality over time into whatever you wish through careful words, actions, and body language guided by your vision. What will you seek as you sleep?

hmmm, right now she seems skittish, unsure. but she should become confident and powerful, with skills and powers only you could ever hope to best.

also you need to figure out how to make this trancing better. becoming dead to the world for it to work right is not good.

Viveka became frustrated with the trance, seek its embetterment in your dreams.

Suggestion 2010/10/13(Wed)20:01 No. 243175 ID: 56dc25
File 12870252794.jpg - (171.11KB , 997x698 , tornveil_09.jpg )

>>242835
>>242842
Only one thing really matters- strength and clarity of vision. All other goals pale before it, and all dangers are as nothing next to its importance. When your sight is swift enough to take you down the right path continuously and effortlessly, no obstacles on this worthless world will pose any difficulty any longer. Your current limited abilities are simply not enough; you bend your dreams to thoughts of gaining ever more.

>someone gently catching you as you trip and don't even notice, eyes staring blindly ahead as they slowly ooze red fluid
>>many days spent in solitude, glimpsing the present only enough to stop your fragile body from ceasing to function, cared for by others as one sick or mad
>>mumbling soft glimpses of threads under your breath to those who come and listen, bearing gifts and hoping for answers to petty, irrelevant questions that you look to only for the sake of seeing
>>imprisoned in comfort in a small room, spending endless days seeking the answers to questions murmured into your ear by a man clad in wealthy clothes, and later his family
>yet month by month and year by year, the fog around your vision recedes, body gradually warping to accommodate ever greater powers of sight

>figure before you speaking in a
>>soft, furtive
>>loud, drunken
>>lecturing, scholarly
>voice, telling tales of the unnatural that has not yet been stamped out
>>a long journey to an icy mountain cave, where you find glittering crystal flowers
>>in the dungeons of an aging caliph, a man who shrieks out impossible truths
>>far beneath the ocean waves, the sea floor conceals twisted structures, their center hiding a chamber empty of all things
>and in their presence, the tear in the veil around you rips further, easing sight and smoothing the shifts of your body and mind

Wakefulness strikes you suddenly, arriving the moment that you have the answers you sought within your rest. What you have seen outlines the paths to piercing vision enough to make your current abilities seem mere fumbling about in darkness, you know, but neither is easy. Even with your sight, chasing down legends will be an arduous task, and relying upon simple single-minded tenacity is the work of years at best.

Your thoughts turn to simpler matters in the predawn light, such as the young woman sleeping close to you with her breath creating rhythmic plumes of mist in the chill spring air. Shaping her into a confident aide will not be terribly difficult; simply returning loyalty and encouraging her to handle matters within her capabilities independently will be enough, given time. Answering her questions would help, as well, though it will be a while before she is inclined to believe your answers.

It will be more difficult to turn her into a being of power. The veil around her has only the smallest bit of fraying; it's undetectable even from this close. The only reason you know that she has any strands loose at all is that you were able to exploit it when your sight was far more detailed and clear. Still, around you the tear is fairly significant; enough time in your company and the gaps near her will grow larger. Anything around you will begin to show those effects in time, a phenomenon of inherent danger and possibility. The closer to you, the greater the effects will be; anything which would expose her more directly to your warping body could hasten the process.

The real difficulty in making Viveka's power grow will be stopping her from going utterly insane as her sight clears up, but there is plenty of time to come up with a solution for that.

The sunlight now streaming through the trees catches Viveka's face, and she sits up with a yawn, rubbing her arms against one another to warm herself.

Is there anything you wish to say or do, or should you just return to traveling northward?

"you asked me my name earlier, and at the time i did not have one. i have thought of one for now, it is a simple one. you can call me Harris. and will try to be more receptive to your questions."

Just leave. Leave in silence.

Suggestion 2010/10/14(Thu)00:18 No. 243380 ID: 56dc25
File 128704068328.jpg - (2.23MB , 2592x1944 , tornveil_10.jpg )

>>243252
>>243208
With no reason to delay, you stand, take a moment to stretch chilled muscles from an uncomfortable night's rest, and then begin walking northward. Pine needles crunch loudly under your feet, but you get a fair distance before hearing Viveka give a startled shout behind you.

"Hey!" It doesn't take her more than a few seconds to come dashing up from behind. It seems that she can move rather quickly when she wants to. "Are you trying to leave me behind?"

You shake your head and keep walking.

"Then what's the idea going off without so much as a good morning?" She runs slightly in front of you as she speaks, positioning herself so that you're at least partially facing her.

Watching her carefully, you remain silent until
>she asks,
she is just about to speak, then reply before she has a chance. "It was your choice to follow or not. That was the point."

Viveka is silent for a long moment. "A priest told me once that Satan can only lead people into evil if they are willing to follow him. I didn't expect it to be so literal." Her earlier annoyance seems somewhat subdued.

"Satan?" You give a small laugh. "Hardly. You asked me my name last night, and at the time I did not have one. I have thought of one now, however; it is a simple one. You can call me Harris."

"Harris?" She gives a startled giggle. "They call the Britons demons, but I didn't think that was so literal, either. You don't sound very foreign."

Your speech is a product of the amalgamated linguistic patterns of all the people in a fairly narrow area around you, but explaining that would likely be more trouble than it's worth. "I am not, in the way you mean. Nevertheless, it's the name I chose."

You walk in a surprisingly companionable silence for a while after that, Viveka apparently content to spend her time in a demon's company. On some level, you're comforted by the presence of another person as well, which is somewhat disconcerting. Your body must be influencing you more strongly than you initially believed. If that sort of feedback really gets out of hand, you could end up thinking of yourself as human.

By midmorning, the pair of you arrive at the bank of a wide river, its waters slowly flowing northward, deep and clear. The banks are mostly clear enough for travel, should you choose to head
>south, there is a sizable town of some thousands which you could reach by the evening
>north, there is a smaller village which you could reach by early afternoon
>along the river, there is a small boat that will pass you by heading north quite soon
>across, there is a ford a short distance south and more forest for at least a day
in one direction or another. As you pause to look at your options, Viveka seats herself upon a fallen tree, then leans back and closes her eyes. "Where are we going, Harris?"

While her words reach your ears, holding a conversation while staring at a particular thread would be distracting at best, and you hold off on answering long enough for her to continue. "Not that I don't appreciate your saving my life, and you seem surprisingly not evil for a demon- though maybe you're just subtle- but you can be kind of annoying."

Viewing finished, you turn to her. "That is not my intention; seeing the future is not easy. I will try to be more receptive to your questions."

She looks surprised at your promise of cooperation, then smiles. "Well, then. Oh fearsome and knowledgeable demon Harris, tell me this: Where will I find lunch?"

What should you say or do?

tell her the options. and say you recommend staying northward as in your other vision you saw a merchant of some importance that way.

>>243384

Northwards.