that was a good story but you forgot to include why YOU think this would be a good place.

Conflict. Combat. Training!

...I wanna hang out with Sanfas. Send us over, please.

Alright, I'll transfer you.

$%#$@^@$^&@$^&^%@$#%^

Well, at least she's learned some things already. I hope we can truly take advantage of the time dilation here, though.

>>171393
Oooh, time dilation eh? How much of an effect are we talking about here?

Also hello. We didn't get much of a chance to talk to you before, with the hurry we were in. What did you mean by us being Raeve's spawn?

>>171397
I said pawn! Pawn!

Although he is the one who took a bunch of wandering souls and slammed them together like a bad bunch of boiled potatoes.

>>171398
Well, we look kinda like a bad bunch of eyeballs, but I can understand the analogy.

On the upshot I'm pretty sure he's raging so hard over what we did to him that he's gone and pissed himself. I hope that counts for something in your opinion of us.

>>171399
You have no idea!

At first I thought I was going in over my head with some unflappable supreme tactician, but then he lost it and ordered us topside with these sloppy orders.

"Obtain the Book of Final Deeds."
and
"Slay Antares Delarosa."

That's it! And now that I'm here, he can't send me new orders, either! And my men are in place to defend from other tribes, oh man, it's just perfect!

And in addition, I found myself a little blaze and her friendly hurricane.

huh, so what makes him so sure we are a pawn?

>>171402
Obtain the book? Not return with the book? If we gave it to you, would you be forced to bring it back?

>>171412
While that technically may be true, there's still the order to kill Antares. Since that's not an option, the Delarosa line is going to get even stranger.

what if you slay him another way? slay him with laughter, you need to become a comedian.

>>171421
Seconded. Send us to Rosie and we'll ask what he finds funny.

...uh, this is a silly idea. Sanfas, you already said you had dropped that goal since you considered it a tactical impossibility right?

>>171423
That's right. He placed priority on retrieving the book, so...

"At any rate, we're not likely to find any help here. So our first task is to build ourselves a shelter."

"But..." Rosie looks around. "I don't see any trees. "It's all sand until it's all rock..."

>>171426
Well yeah. Rock. Earth. "You're thinking too traditional, Rosie. Remember your abilities."

then alchemy up a shelter by fusing the sand together into a glass house.

"Have you forgotten your own abilities, Rosie?" I ask gently.

"O-oh, r-right!" she immediately scrambles towards the rocky land, moulding a hole in the earth and burrowing down.

I saw her go wild in combat, but now she is meek and simpering. What happened?

the marriage thing is still on her mind and it's making it hard for her to think straight. that's one of the drawbacks of having a mind, you can get distracted by rather simple things.

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/04/28(Wed)16:15 No. 171545 ID: e31d52
File 127249655226.jpg - (909.98KB , 800x1000 , KEYWORDISRANDOM.jpg )

>>171529
"It's done!" she calls up from below, and I walk into the cave she has made. It's rather nice. Defensible, too.

"Nicely done. Our next objective is to secure some foods, yes?"

"Ah, y-yeah, right!" she manages, scurrying out of the cave.

J follows her, as well as myself.

When a loud crashing sound erupts and Rosie runs past me into the cave.

!!!

A huge wyvern and a... something, it's not a demon, crash into the beach together, roars of anger rising from the pile of steel, muscle, and anger.

>>171545
Should we even interfere...? If so, who would we assist? Let's just try to get a better idea of what's going on first.

yes, that seems like the best course of action.

>>171549
>>171561
The two continue their brawl up and down the beach, the smaller of the two hacking at the larger's tough hide with little luck, the larger, biting at and continually missing the smaller. Grunts and roars, as well as a language I know as Abyssal, rumble out of the smaller's mouth as they roll about in their wild rampage, breaking apart multiple stones and making huge ditches in the earth itself. I take a seat in a throne I construct from the earth itself, finding this quite entertaining as J and Rosie make their way inland with care, promising to return with some form of food.

>>171564
Alright, send us over to Rosie and we'll see if we can get her to focus better.

>>171569
Very well. I shall enjoy watching this fight...

@$$%%@@%^@$$%^%$^

Oh my gods this place is insane! Everything that moves wants to eat me!

then eat them first! duh! kill then roast a thing so it's tasty.

>>171573
Think of it as an intense training regimen. Staying here will heighten your combat awareness. Plus we can try all sorts of new techniques! C'mon, it'll be fun. Don't worry, J and Sanfas are here to help you out.

I just wonder if these things are edible or not.

[Ante] .... mmm?

Ah, finally, a river!

>>171883
Oh hey, Ante woke up. Better bring her up to speed.

>>171885
Ante blasts out of the ring, stammering.

"Sanfas is here?! HERE!?" she looks around. "Aaaagh! I can't be seen wearing this!" she says, her form changing wildly from childlike to voluptuous.

>>171886
Heh! I don't think she's going to have any trouble accepting Sanfas. Ask if the two of them have history together.

>>171897
"I, uhm, maybe, kinda, sorta had a relationship with him maybe while I was Harumda's advisor possibly?"

Hah. Um, she said 'wearing' that? Does she have a true form of some sort?

>>171902
"You have a true form?"
"You'd just get jealous, so I don't use it."
...

>>171906
Well, she IS a Seducer. Makes sense for her to have a perfect 'body'.

>>171928
"I... guess that makes sense.Anyway, we're here for food..."I lean down and touch the soil on the side of the bank, letting my senses permeate the earth, feeling the soil on the riverbed. Small creatures cling to and climb the rocks below, and so I lift those stones from the river, placing them in a pot made bt a larger stone with a smile. I fill it with water mundanely, then pick the whole thing up and carry it back, reaching up to a tree, shaping the wood from it with ease into thin sticks the size of my finger, which I have J carry as Ante returns to my ring.

We return to the shelter to find the smaller creature and Sanfas speaking to one another in a quiet, whispering language. The body of the creature sits behind the smaller one, cut carefully into sections, the blood running into the sand. Large flaps of skin lay upon the rock, and the shorn bits lay upon a large, pourous blanket on the sand.
Sanfas smiles.
"You return."

Oh my god he's still just as hot as he used to be.

>>172021
Wait. How did you just shape the wood? That's an out-of-tier application!

>>172021
Speaking of Sanfas... We don't know him or J very well and would like to try to help ease them into becoming friends or more. Could you tell us more about her? We'll probably be riding in Sanfas' head for most of our free time since he's kindof the central element here.

>>172038
>J info

J's been my friend since almost childhood. We played a lot together, and she was really protective of me... still is, I guess. She beat up mean kids who made fun of Auntie and daddy. Later on, she developed a crush on my brother, but it didn't last... She's been by my side as long as I remember.

>>172074
Thanks, that should help a little bit. I'm probably worrying too much.

So, it looks like Sanfas made a new friend! Ask what's up.

>>172211
"Who's this?" I ask, setting up the fireplace on the rocks.

Sanfas looks up from his discussion.
"This is Ira," he says, the creature rising and giving a little bow. I realize that the horns stars at its chin and cover almost the entire face, save the eyes, and the mouth rests where the neck meets the chest, and is vertical rather than horizontal. Rather than hair, more horns rise from the back of its skull, making it look more dangerous from behind than from the front. The weapon was attatched to a bracer that strapped to his arm, with a handle for added support.

The creature, through Sanfas, explains he is an abyssinian, a member of a deeply underground race that only occasionally sends hunters topside to find new food, skins, and other things they have trouble finding in their personal cave system.

"Abyssinians are originally half-demon, but now they are a race of their own after long eons of breeding." Sanfas adds. "Before you ask, demons can corrupt the genetics of a person as easily as they can the soul, as the two are slightly connected."

ask if that's done entirely by accident or if they have control over it.

>>172447
Well since they have control over corrupting the soul, I'd guess that they have at least some control over corrupting genetics.

>>172426
"Nice to meet you."

Rosie, I forgot to ask. You seemed... unfocused when we first got here. Is something distracting you? Intimidated by the new surroundings?

Ensurian: Hey, any news about the 'Talakk'? ... I hope you're not taking this too badly.

>>172454
>Is something distracting you
Most of the men I was around were plain, except Danny. This guy...

[Ante]Yeah, he takes some getting used to.

>Hey, any news about the 'Talakk'? ... I hope you're not taking this too badly.

[E]They existed around the time Hattori contacted you. Since then, they've vanished from the face of the earth. Hattori had done some research on them, seeing this as a chance to advance his soul theory, but had trouble contacting them.

As for this whole affair with Sanfas... I trust Rosie to make her own decisions.[E]

I set up the fireplace and set the food to cooking quietly, as Sanfas stands.
"It's time for your first lesson, Rosie. Come with me."

He steps into the cave, leaving his weapon impaled in the rock, his armor laying beside it.

>>172961
Cool. Maybe J could watch you train.

>>172998
I walk down with J and he closes the wall behind us, locking us in total darkness.

"Your first lesson, Rosie. When do you stop fighting your enemy?"

>>173013
Well, 'when either one of us is dead' is the cliche response, but I prefer 'when there is no longer any profit in battle'.

"When there is no longer any profit in battle."
He turns to me in the utter darkness of the room, eyes glowing softly as he steps closer.
"Wrong. You are fighting until you win. That... is not how a true fighter does battle."
"Then what's the damn point? When do I stop?"
"When they are defeated."
"But... that's the same thing."
"Wrong. When an enemy has been defeated, they will never even attempt to attack you again. Complete, total, utter defeat must ALWAYS be your goal, lest you place those around you in danger."

>>173070
There are ways to render one unwilling to ever challenge you again without resorting to lethal measures.
One is being toyed with, to the point it becomes maddeningly clear you cannot compete.

>>173070
Sigh "That's part of what I said. Securing victory is a profit of battle, and whenever you battle it should be firm and decisive - without reservation or hesitation. However, fighting is nothing more than a means to an end; if your goal is defense or offense then rendering your opponent incapable of combat is usually the goal, but that is not always the case.
Against a superior force, such as those of Raeve, attempting to ensure 'they will never even attempt to attack us again' via 'complete, total, utter defeat' would be the surest way to suffer such a defeat ourselves.
For a master of war, you don't seem to understand the material."
Give him a slap on the ass "At least you're cute, though~"

>>173072
>"Against a superior force, such as those of Raeve, attempting to ensure 'they will never even attempt to attack us again' via 'complete, total, utter defeat' would be the surest way to suffer such a defeat ourselves."

He smiles as I move towards him in the utter darkness, even as I continue to walk around him.

>"There are ways to render one unwilling to ever challenge you again without resorting to lethal measures. One is being toyed with, to the point it becomes maddeningly clear you cannot compete."

And then fires light up the whole of the cave, and he's holding me by the neck.

"True." he says, putting me down.

[Ante] Don't ever sneak up on a Warrior! EVER!

"That's right. Sometimes, you can win without even fighting. That's what I'll show you. I'll claim your defeat, here in this cave, without ever drawing my blades or moving my feet. Should you force me to violate either of these... then you will be rewarded."

I feel a shudder. Not a bad one.

"Otherwise, it will be a learning experience for you. J... you have learned this yourself, from your Ancestor. Do not interfere."

"I know, I know."

>>173075
Don't attack him, just use your earth moving abilities to drop the ground out from under one of his feet.

>>173075
If he can't move his feet, attack his feet.

>>173077
No, this is an object lesson. He's attempting to trick us into attacking him while maximizing his chance for a counter-attack.
If Rosie attacks, she will get smacked.

>>173079
Really? Smacking someone sounds like fighting.

I was under the impression that Sanfas would merely be evading every attack we tried.

>>173076
That's right! I'll ju... what? Why won't it move! It's like my will is...

Opposed.

"Nice try. Needs a little work... focus on your strengths, Rosie."

>>173077
I summon forth a fire from one of the torches to my hand and launch it at him, but the floor in front of his feet rises up, his feet undisturbed, blocking the blast. He hasn't moved at all, save his lips, and the cavern is a little dimmer.

Damnit!

"My turn."

Wha-

I don't even see it coming until it's too late. The fist of earth rises suddenly in front and below me, slamming into my belly and launching me back a good distance, sending my rolling. I regain my footing to see another come at me, and duck it...

Just to see another sprout from that one and almost strike me in the face as I barely dodge.

The constructs fall apart and he laughs.
"Very good, after the first one."

>>173081
Ok. New tactic: Leave.
Once you make it out the door, tell him "I'm going to go make dinner. You can have some once you surrender~"

>>173081
Ah, so he is fighting. Just not with his body. Hmph! Call him out on his deceptive words.

At any rate let's do some experimentation. If you superheat rock can you move it via fire alchemy, but have it behave like rock?

>>173082
I smile.
"Alright then. The water should be boiling outside, so I'll be waiting for you to give up~"

I turn around and there's a loud snap, and he's in front of -

$!%!@#%#!%^@^%&&@^$&

Oh my god, he kissed her. That bastard actually... RRRGH!

@$%$#@^%@#^@%^$^%$@&^$#&

I... uh.... wow.

"You win. Denial of resources, striking at their mental weak points, knowing when and where to use force... all very important lessons you have learned." he says, holding my chin, looking into my eyes.

And then, without a word as he releases me and I stumble back, J steps forth and slaps him loudly across the cheek, then huffs and steps out as he blinks and touches the bright spot.

>>173084
>switch to Sanfas
Dummy. You never asked for her permission. Either of them.

>>173084
Ask Sanfas if he can take us on a quick trip over to see Achilles.
I think J is feeling threatened, and wants some assurance that she will always be your number one. Naturally, the proper response to this is to ask Achilles for some loaner parts so J can bear your child, vice versa, or both.
Since this conflict will be over in less than a month it wouldn't cause any problems until everything is resolved one way or the other.

^@^%$@&^#$&$@@%@$#%^&*
I shall never understand the way this works...

"I... ah... It seems I have blundered."

Rosie looks away.

"I'm sorry. I... do not quite understand these things quite yet."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." she says quietly.

I turn around and walk outside, happy to have the full light of the sun on my skin.

I don't see J anywhere...

>>173090
Are you looking up in the sky?

Look, J is very protective of Rosie. Always has been. If you want to get in her good graces you have to both show that you won't steal Rosie away from her and that you can be trusted to protect her as well.

>>173090
J is very protective of Rosie, and feels that you are threatening her position.
If you want things to be stable and happy, I think your best bet would be to court them as one instead of as two; rather than a three-way pairing, let them be paired together and then pair with their union.

In simpler terms? Treat them as one person, and court that person. We have little enough time to do this right, and no time at all to do it wrong.

>>173094
>>173092
I look, she's not there.

I don't understand... I thought humans thought it was uncivilized to own others completely. How am I stealing anything?

Rosie leaves the cave.

"Where's J?"
"I do not know. I have not seen her yet."

Rosie goes pale.

She feels I am... taking her position? I should court both?

Very well. Let us do that. For now, though, Rosie let's out a little wail.
"I-isn't this place dangerous!?"

>>173095
I suppose so? Most humans believe that it is difficult to love more than one person at a time. So then J thinks you are trying to keep all of Rosie's love to yourself. That you're trying to make Rosie love you more than J.

We'll find J and make sure she's not getting into trouble and/or come back to tell you where you need to go. Try to reassure Rosie that J knows how to handle herself.

>switch to J

>>173095
Yes, you have the gist of it.
The fastest way to secure this would be to have them bear each others children; we have an ally who is capable of making that possible. Once that is established so that J is secure in her position, you could proceed to court them both with deference to their bond.

Your children would be born later, but the relationship would be far healthier and more stable for it.

[Switch to J]

>>173098
>>173097
I shall see what I can do. However, there is a reason I am staying he-

@%$^%^#$%^$#^%#$

Cocksucking motherfucking goddamned shitheads.

I hate birds.

They literally tackled me to the ground, dragged me into a tent, and now they've tied me up. I can't understand a goddamn word they're squaking!

>>173099
Can you tell us where you are? You can't be far away, since you've only been gone for a minute or two.

>>173099
Tell us what direction or location you went and then send us back to Sanfas so we can get you some help.

Unless you think you can use Pacting to get out of this.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/03(Mon)02:45 No. 173110 ID: e31d52
File 127287992619.jpg - (107.11KB , 650x540 , Kenkuqueen.jpg )

>>173100
>>173104
I don't know! I got hit by a hard wind, then these assholes took me as soon as I landed. I was only going to sulk above the clouds for a while...And now I can't even get at my pact...

Oh, wait, here comes one that at least looks a little normal... Except she doesn't say anything. She just sits across from me, staring into my eyes.

>>173110
Kenku? Those fucking birdkind?
They plan to either eat you or fuck you. Either way, try to cut your bonds.
[Switch to Rosie, give her an impression of where J is]
She's been captured by Kenku.
[Switch back to J]

>>173110
Hm. Kenku. Well, it sounds like we have no way of knowing exactly where you are.

Tried talking to them yet? The silent one is the queen, apparently so try to make a good impression.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/03(Mon)02:56 No. 173115 ID: e31d52
File 127288059783.jpg - (51.42KB , 606x900 , Spargen.jpg )

>>173112
%$*&(($
KENKU?!
@#$^@^&

I would have a long time ago if I could!

She smiles, moving closer, her face inches from mine, my sight filled with the golden color of her eyes. I can feel her looking inside me, baring all the secrets of my soul, as if I laid naked before her, not even skin between us.

She smiles eerily.

"Well, you're not optimal... but you will do."

Oh, now I can understand them. Perfect.

"Shall I release her from her bonds, milady?" asks one that enters.

"Not yet. She will likely be violent due to her confusion in the matter."

>>173115
"Maybe you should cure me of that particular ailment. What do you want of me?"

>>173115
"I'm not one you should worry about. Why have you taken me from my mate?"

>>173117
The queen looks at the other bird, who holds up his hands.
"She was alone, my queen! I made certain!"

"Alone then, Spargen!"

He looks nervous.
"I, ah, I shall go and... er, see if I cannot find the others, sh-shall I?"

"Good boy."

He zips away.

"Now, as for your confusion..."

"Let me guess, you need my help against some mean nasty villain or something? Because the Delarosa kid is the other girl."

She blinks.

"Er... I got it right."

"Y-yes."

>>173119
Great, I bet it's Virulent again. We recently received a message from him. Apparently he's not dead. He escaped the limitations of his flesh, and is now a being of mind like we are. A kind of madness that moves from person to person. Granted, that means WE can personally deal with him if we need to... but it also means he'll be harder to track down.

I bet this is what he meant when he said we'd know what he was planning soon.

>>173119
"Alright, you can untie me now. In the future, remember it's a lot easier and less stressful to ask for help first. Lucky for you we're used to such silly behavior.
Oh, and I should go back with Spargen, as otherwise he'll lose life and/or limb.
But before we leave, is Virulent involved in this fiasco, and if so on which side?"

After they've answered some questions you should send us back to Rosie or Sanfas.

>>173123
She unties me, then calls for the eagle she had sent. He returns.

"I know nothing of this Virulent you speak of. The threat is the Rahkshasas of the northerlands..." she sighs. "They slay our tribes constantly. I am only queen because my grandmother and mother passed away in the space of a month."

We walk with the eagle towards my campsite.

$#%@#^@#%^#%$#@!%$$@!#

J's alright? Thank goodness! What's going on?

>>173249
The Kenku just want our help. They're sending some dude to find you two so you can join J, so inform Sanfas of the situation. It won't do to kill our guide.

>>173257
...Oh...

J and the bird arrive, along with a little girl covered in feathers.
"Rosie Delarosa?" she asks.
"Y-yes?"
"We need your help. Sanfas..."
He bows immediatly.
"Yes, milady."
"Your contract has been fulfilled."
"Thank you, milady, but I have personal reasons to stay."
"... very well."

>>173316
Ask Sanfas what the hell that was about.

...I guess we might've left right as he was about to tell us.

>>173318
"I was summoned by her about an hour before the war began." he states, standing up. "She asked me to find the one named Delarosa, the most recent in the line, and bring you here."

"Really. Is that why you stopped everything back home?"

"It's... not the only reason." he says quietly, scratching the back of his neck.

"The mighty Sanfas shows emotion. How endearing." the queen states.

>>173320
Sanfas's eyes widen.

"Legion... can you sense it?"

A great, oppressive force, like a shadow on the very sun, approaches the area. Demonic abilities have been reduced or rendered useless.

Laughter, wild and mad, echoes in the area.

>>173373
"Yes. I think this probably is not a good thing for us..."

>>173373
I KNEW THAT FUCKER WOULD SHOW UP HERE!

Virulent.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/04(Tue)01:31 No. 173383 ID: e31d52
File 127296187399.jpg - (233.16KB , 640x853 , Serrin.jpg )

>>173376
"I speak for legion when I say there's bad news coming."

"Oh, you'd be mostly right."

We look up at the source of the voice. "But I owe you, Legion. Had you not freed me the way you had, I'd be trapped in a weak, simpering body. Now I have this one, free of mental trouble save myself and with the most skill I've ever seen." he leaps down, and walks o-

%$^W@^$%%$^@#$#@%#$

-ver to Rosie, smiling. I had heard of this Virulent. He had ruled a large area of another continent... but had not Antares defeated him some twenty years hence? Damnit! I cannot move!

"You are the daughter of that strong young man, aren't you?" he asks, looking down at her, grinning. Why can't we move?!

>>173383
[Push our way back to Rosie by thinking about 4D squid monsters on unicycles - ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EMPEROR!]

>>173383
Alright, I'm going to try to get in his head. Virulent can't possibly be stronger than US.

>switch to Serrin

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/04(Tue)01:42 No. 173391 ID: e31d52
File 127296256519.png - (322.31KB , 1152x718 , ScepteroftheFinalKing.png )

>>173388
#$@@#$#$@#$@#$@#@$
HAHHAHAHAH! You're a demon, not something like me. I'm a being made of nothing but psionic energy! You're just a bunch of wild upstarts who think being the main character gives you power. Sit down, shut up, and let daddy Virulent talk!

#@#$

I blink, finding myself able to move again. But I cannot leave my place.

"Listen here. I know what Raeve is going to do. I know EXACTLY what he has in mind. I don't much like it... But I can have a little fun."

He holds something up.

!!!

"You want this, right? You want to keep it safe and make sure that Raeve doesn't get his way. Well, the way I see it, it doesn't matter who has it, so long as mister longface doesn't."
He puts it away. "So I'm going to propose a little game!" He hops into the trees, laughing. "You can have it if you bring me her head."

He throws a sword at the feet of the Queen and dashes away, laughing madly.

A few moments later, we can all move and walk.

>>173391
So bring him the queen's head.

...

Completely attached to the rest of her.

What a shitty situation.

Virulent was defeated, yes. But apparently, he lives on as a psionic being of pure mind.

Tell the Queen who we're dealing with, and what that Scepter is. The Scepter of Final Deeds... the second item in the set of three. Key to ultimate power.

Oh before I forget, at the earliest opportunity you should take J aside and apologize to her.

There's some discussion.

We will not kill the queen. Rosie smiles, pulling something from her backpack, the peices of the Spear of Darian.

"We will stop him."

"But if you kill-" J begins, but Rosie interrupts.
"Who said anything about killing him?" she cuts in, grinning. "We're going to set him on fire, and then entomb him in solid diamond, and if that's not enough, proceed to bury him as far underground as we can. We won't kill him. We will defeat him."

The queen smiles. "I see I chose wisely."

"My grandfather killed a god. My father defeated Virulent the first time. I've got to do something to make my own name. I can't keep relying on others to protect me... this is something I have to do myself."

>>173400
Wait, won't he die if he suffocates or is deprived of food and water?

Or can we do some magic stuff to prevent that?

>>173401
@#$@%#$^$&
Crystal hibernation is a technique that a few earth elementalists can pull off. I'm not certain I know it, but I can try. And only managing halfway will merely make it more painful~

Will halfway still work?

>>173824
My father was too kind to Virulent. Should have thrown him into a jar and then the bottom of the sea or something.

"Rosie?" J asks, moving closer. "What's wrong? You look... odd."

I shake my head. "I'm fine."

Sanfas gives me a long look. "Queen. Your people will take refuge with the Abyssinians. I will gaurd you. J, Rosie, You must find and defeat Virulent. The Rahkshasas occupy the northern lands of this continent." he and the Queen leave, leaving me and J behind.

"Some wooing." J says with a scoff.

>>173833
Some things are more important. We will have more time later to continue where we left off.

>>173840
"Some things are more important, J. We can make with romance later. Right now, we have a job to do."
...So I say. But I've got no idea where to start... How should I approach this?

>>173851
We need to find the location of the enemy, then see if we can find a weakness to strike at.

>>173854
"Well, we need to know where they are, right?"
"The Queen said they were north. They sounded militant from what I heard, so... unless we have an army, we'll need to assassinate this guy. We can't just walk into their nation and expect to be left alone."
"Can we scout from above?"
"At the point where we wouldn't be noticed the wind is too wild to be controlled."
Hurm...

How should I approach this...
[Maybe we could find a cave system? | Sneak into the country? | Ask for help (the queen | Sanfas | Ante)]

>>174278
Find a cave system? We can MAKE a cave system. Of course we still need to know exactly where Virulent is IN the nation that we're infiltrating.

Then we find out how to reach him. Via some sort of weakness in his defenses. After that we just need to ambush him in some way that keeps us from getting paralyzed.

Hey Rosie you never answered my question. How did you shape the wood into thin sticks?

>>174290
Tunneling? I'd tire out pretty fast. That cave I made almost made me want to lie down for a nap... Going miles and miles (without using a previously enchanted Way, like at home) is only for masters of Earth.

What wooden sticks? I found those... I think.

Ugh, why does J look so smug about this development? Doesn't she understand the gravity of it?!

>>174529
Maybe she has an idea.

Well, if it does take that much out of you to tunnel like that, you could find a cave system via sensing the pattern of the earth.

>>174531
"Do you have any ideas, J?"
"We can't fly in, tunneling is too much trouble... why not see if we can find another Abyssinian tribe?"
"But we don't know their language..."
"Ante has Tongues."
"Tongues? I was pretty sure she only had one... I mean, that thing she did..."
"No, I mean she can speak any language."
I blush heavily.
"O-oh..."

>>174543
Right, let's do that then.

And if you don't want to believe me about shaping wood even after bringing it up TWICE now, send us over to J.

>>174917
It's not that I don't believe you it's just.... I can't remember it. It's weird. And the time directly after our encounter with Virulent is hazy too...

Whatever. This needs to get done as soon as possible... I let Ante out of my ring, and we search the area for a cave.
Ah...
There we go.

I follow the cave to the opening, where a single Abyssinian stands gaurd with a similar arm blade like the one we saw before.... only he doesn't have horns, instead he has eyes that seem to be literally made of fire, and no mouth present on his face.

>>174928
it's probably somewhere else. don't think too hard on that.

>>174928
Rosie... are there any other events you can't remember? Like perhaps the sparring session with Gerard? I wonder if there's something special about you...

Anyway, get some dialogue going with the guard to find out if we can get some help from them or at least safe passage.

>>174933
Sparring with Gerard? Of course I... I... Oh no...
"Rosie?" J asks, a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"I'l.... Be fine. I'll tell you later."
"Okay."
We approach the gaurd, and he holds up a hand, which blurts out a single grunted word. So that's where it was... It's pretty clear he wants us to stop, so we oblige and Ante speaks with him.
"What is your business with the Tribe of Smoldering Fire?" she translates.

>>175008
Tell him you seek help.

>>175334
"We seek help."

Ante relays this, looking slightly nervous, but the gaurd thinks for a moment, then begins to speak.
"We have issues of our own at the moment. Our trade tunnel with the Rahkshasa has been invaded by a very strong, intelligent undead, claiming it as his place of buriel. Attempts to speak with him are not fatal, but pointless... and attempts to remove by force are fatal and equally unfruitful. We can do little to help you with such an issue on our hands..."

>>175357
"Show us to this undead, and we'll see what we can do."

>>175357
Sounds like perhaps a mutually beneficial arrangement can be made.

"Lead the way. I'll help you, you'll help me." I say, and Ante translates.

"Very well. I warn you, however... this creature was able to kill a great many of our man. We just, at this point, want him to go away."

He leads us down into the caves, his eyes like tiny lanterns. The caves are deep, cold, and lonely, and I see several other Abyssinians peering from their dwellings to look at us. They are all perfectly unique, save the humanoid body shape.

"In there." he says, gesturing to the tunnel he stops at. He hands me a torch. "Whatever you do... Do not let this go out." He lights it, then runs off.

>>175369
Okay... keeping a torch lit should be easy for someone with control over fire like you right?

You could even use the cane to keep the fire going. Not necessarily by spinning it. Taking the sword out for its lesser flame is more reliable.

>>175413
Yeah... Yeah, that's right. I hand the torch to J and pull out my sword, and we progress through the cavern slowly but simply. The smell of embalming fluids fills my nostrils and involuntarily I retch, thankfully not sicking up then and there.

"Visitors again..." says an old voice from the darkness, similar to an instrument that has not been played in ages. "I'd advise you to leave. I'm in no mood to quarrel with thew odd folk any longer."

>>175611
Inform it that we are not Abyssians. He's got special guests, now. Tell him he shouldn't be rude.

>>175612
"We're not abyssinians." I call out, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Ah. So yeh aren't." He sighs. "Same difference. You're here to walk all over Ol' Kayles's tomb, so I'm sorry to say that if you take another step you'll be sorely wanting for lower extremeties. Just want to be left alone. And this is where I want to be. Sorry, them's the beans."

>>175621
We're at an impasse. Fine, let's just have a friendly chat. Ask him more about himself.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/10(Mon)17:14 No. 175925 ID: e31d52
File 127353688574.jpg - (60.16KB , 560x800 , Kayles.jpg )

>>175760
"Very well. If you won't let us pass, we may as well chat, Kayles."
There's a brief silence.
"I suppose that wouldn't be too bad." says the old voice as he walks into our light. He sits before us, his face hidden in the dim firelight by the shade of his cowl, as he slams the sword into the earth, leaning back against it. I can hear him creaking like old driftwood as he moves... How did this man kill so many?

"Why don't you tell us about yourself, to start?"

He rubs his chin.
"My name is Kayles Delarosa." he says quietly. "And I am the greatest assassin to have ever lived."

>>175925
Oh boy.

"You wouldn't happen to know a Hattori Delarosa would you?"

>>175945
"My grandson?" he growls, spits in the dirt and scoffs. "Disgraced me and his father. We were all assassins before him. My son. Me. My father. My father's father... We used to be the greatest, the best, death on legs. But he came along and his new thinking changed everything. We taught him all the techniques and he tossed it all down the fucking toilet."

>>175958
Well, that explains his rather surprising ability with short blades, even taking into account being a lich.

May as well tell him what Hattori accomplished. The whole shebang. Medical experiments resulting in exile from the community at large, culminating in mostly-lichdom... then the whole Coyote Incident.

>>175962
I tell the story of my grandfather, and he listens impassively.

"Rosie, huh?" he asks quietly, looking into the distance. "How... fitting." he sighs, "The one woman I could never kill." he stands up, taking the sword out of the ground.
"You can pass. You're family. Those two, though..." he points at the others, "Those two should be warned that my attitude towards them is unchanged."

>>175984
I wonder if he would be interested in helping us assassinate a being who cannot die?

Also, I think I know a solution for the Abyssinians. You could create a tunnel that circumvents his tomb.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/10(Mon)22:39 No. 176034 ID: e31d52
File 127355637723.jpg - (159.02KB , 610x576 , ???.jpg )

>>176017
I could do that...
"How large is your tomb, Kayles?"
"Mm... it's about ten yards in every direction. See? The entrance is right here." he points to a stone arch, then blinks.
"Hol' on a sec. Got a gift fer ya. Never managed to use them myself, couldn't figure them..." he dashes inside, then returns with a set of plate gauntlets.

"Here."
he hands me them, scratching his head. "Could never figure them out for the life of me..."

I sense the area of his resting place, and build a tunnel around it, offering a wide berth. I feel tired, but not to the point of passing out.
J and Ante come to my side, and Kayles seems pleased. "Thanks for talking to an old soul." he murmurs.

"Kayles... how would you like to kill something that cannot die?" I ask.

He laughs.
"We dead folk, we know the way of things. And let me tell you... the one who saves the world this time won't be you... but you will play the most important part. Now git." he finishes, making a shooing motion. "You have business to take care of!"

>>176034
Have Ante try them on!

Head back to tell them there's a path around the tomb now, and they should leave the tomb alone.

>>176060
We run back to tell them the news, and they thank us deeply. However, they are too low on supplies to give us anything but a small amount of dried food for traveling, so we set out again.

I hand Ante the gauntlets, and as soon as she puts them on, the sides of the fingers shine with strange, nonrunic symbols.

>>176061
Have her punch something.

>>176062
As she curls her fist, there's a brief flash on her thumb and index finger symbols, but it dies out as she finishes and punches a nearby wall, to no effect. She shrugs as we continue walking in the darkness.

Okay, I think I get it. Make a thumbs-up with the index finger sticking out while pointing at a wall.

I think these are gun-fingers.

>>176094
Again, nothing.

"Hurm." Ante shrugs, and we continue our walk. It's going to take a while...

>>176179
Pinch a rock with them. Or touch both index fingers and thumbs together, either in a diamond or rectangle shape.

Also, maybe you should revisit that missing memory topic? Please explain to us what's going on.

>>176179
Try it again, but this time quickly bring the thumb down to lie along the index finger and say "Bang".

>>176183
>Or touch both index fingers and thumbs together, either in a diamond or rectangle shape.

As soon as she does so, placing her thumbs and fingers together to form a circle, the symbols flash, and a bubble appears around Ante, lasting about a full second before disappearing.

>Memory holes
Looking back, there's four main holes in my memory:
>just after virulent appeared
>during the fight at Rivermeet, when I pacted with Ante
>during my sparring matches with Gerard and Danny

>>176187
Hm. Hmm.

Virulent's presence dampened all demon powers. Also, during those other three periods of activity, you demonstrated surprising amounts of skill. The question is, are these facts related or did you simply react to his presence by preparing your mind for battle?

I want you to spar with J or Ante soon. While you are in this... state of mind that allows you to fight so well, I'm going to try to talk with you. Figure out what's going on.

On a different note, Ante could try smashing the gauntlets together. Or clapping.

Or she could try forming an X with the index fingers.

>>176189
I-if you insist. Once we leave the cave.


>>176190
Nothing occurs out of the ordinary.

"These are really strange..." Ante mutters. "Something about these symbols seems familiar, yet not..."

Could you describe the symbols for me?

Ask J what she meant when she said you looked "odd" during the conversation after you met Virulent.

Suggestion 2010/05/11(Tue)16:01 No. 176221 ID: e31d52
File 127361887667.png - (5.65KB , 640x480 , Symbolgraph.png )

>>176218
Well, they are all the same on all the fingers and thumbs... except each finger has a unique symbol. It looks like this:

>>176221
Ohhhh.

Okay, try a circle with the thumb and other fingers.

>>176222
"Ah... Right."
She makes a circle with her thumb and middle finger, and I barely dodge out of the way in time for a summoned blade to dig into the wall beside me... then vanish just as suddenly.

"D-d-dangerous..." Ante stammers, looking at the gauntlet.

>>176223
Well, okay. How was the circle orientated? Does the sword just target whatever's closest or what?

The other fingers should be fire and water. Is it possible to combine the shield and sword fingers? At more of a distance this time, of course.

(and ask J what she meant about you looking 'odd' during the conversation after we met Virulent)

The sword shot straight out of the circle made by her fingers...
>>176261
"You mentioned I looked odd after our encounter with Virulent..."
"Yeah. Like... your eyes. You looked..." she pauses.
"I met Hattori once, when I was younger. I injured another student during a sparring session, on accident. We took him to see Hattori. The look he gave me when he reprimanded me..."
she sighs. "It's probably nothing..."

Ante thinks for a moment, then puts her thumbs touching and her middle and index finger touching, and a cloud of blades springs up around her, spinning and slashing the air.

Okay let's try all the other combinations, one by one.

@Ensurian: Did Rosie look any different to you during the sparring match than she did at other times?

We emerge aboveground, and we go through the combinations of the gauntlets.

The fingers, we decide, are Cantrip, Sheild, Sword, Fire, and Water.

Cantrip + Sheild doesn't seem to produce anything, but her hand glows softly.

Cantrip + Sword launches a short-lived sword out from the circle.

Cantrip + Fire launches a gout of fire forth.

Cantrip + Water shoots out a lance of ice as big as my fist.

Sheild + Shield creates a shortlived physical barrier.

Sheild + sword makes a barrier of blades that lasts a few minutes.

Sheild + fire creates a nova of pushing, hot air.

Sheild + Water creates a sweeping wave of water.

Sword + Sword creates a sword that lasts for a few minutes.

Sword + Fire creates a dancing sword of fire.

Sword + water creates a jet of water only an inch wide but highly pressurized.

Fire + fire creates a jet of flames fifty feet long, very hot.

Fire + water issues a gout of scalding steam.

Water + Water creates a jet of water wider than the sword water does, but less pressurized.

What does Cantrip+Cantrip do?

Also perhaps cantrip+shield allows better punching of things.

Try using the spyglass to get an idea of what's around you.

>>176289
Oh yeah, is it possible to make more than one circle at the same time? Like, connect all the fingers?

pretend you are holding binoculars. do it right and all four fingers should tough your thumb.

>>176319
>>176342
She tries, and there's a flash, the gauntlets flying from her hands and onto the ground, smoking quietly as Ante rubs her hands.

"Well..."

I look around with the spyglass to see there we're alone for at least a few hours of walking distance.

okay then, overload. let's not do that again.

Oh! right, you wanted me to spar... With whom?

>>176382
Uhm... it doesn't really matter, but I don't think we've seen how Ante fights yet, have we?

>>176482
"Ante... I need to see how you do in a fight."
"?"
"Just in case. I want to spar with you."
"You sure? You might get hurt."
"I'll be fine. J can heal me afterwards."
"Allrighty." she smiles, a ring of fire blossoming around us, yet not burning anything. Her body changes, and she grows taller, leathery wings blossoming from her back as her fingers grow long claws. Her outfit changes to a simple wrap top and a long loincloth that exposes the sides of her hips.

She smiles, leaning low, her tail whipping about like a cat's. I pull the sword from the cane, and assume a defensive position.

>>176485
Earth Body should work best here. Try to remember your sparring with Gerard and Danny.

Try tapping the cane once and controlling how it shakes the earth. Can you direct that force in any way? To increase the speed at which you move earth? Speaking of speed, I thought maybe you could get a boost by instead of simply moving the ground, having the earth GRAB your feet for better traction and actually assist your movement.

>>176500
I activate Earth Body.
!!!
This land is tainted! If I do this again, I might be changed by the chaos in the soil...

I feel more bonded with the earth than usual, spikes of stone rising from my shoulders as my skin feels rough to the touch. I grip my feet with earth and slide out of the way of Ante's first lunge. Using the opportunity, I tap the cane once, using the force and concentrating it to launch a spike of earth at her. She throws up a strange, rectangular field, and there's a flash as the rock collides with it... and then nothing, the rock having simply vanished, Ante smiling as a breeze ruffles her hair.

>>176514
Change...? Like the Abyssinians are changed?

Remember anything yet? Like Quake Counter?

Test Ante's defenses. See how rapidly she can move that shield around.

>>176515
I'm not sure what would happen! I just know I wouldn't be able to predict it!

Ante lunges at me, and I block her hands with the cane, claws inches from my face.

"You're good... but you aren't Rosie..."
"Shut up."

QUAKE COUNTER!

Ante is launched across the circle, stopping herself just barely. She seems more wary, putting up more of the strange sheilds to block the stone spires... only to miss the fist that erupts from the ground and sock her in the jaw, landing her roughly on her back. She rises and growls lowly.
"Awnser me!"
"Shut up!"
I launch more spires, only to have them blocked, and this time she leaps out of the way of the fist, breaking it off and tossing it back into a stone wall I create in the nick of time.

>>176535
Okay, who ARE you?

>>176535
So, who are you? Why are you in Rosie's body?

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/12(Wed)15:24 No. 176543 ID: e31d52
File 127370306940.jpg - (49.57KB , 600x798 , Eisor.jpg )

>>176537
>>176539
Ugh, you found out...

It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I'm on your side! Call me whatever you want, I don't care, just help me keep Rosie safe!

this is a sparring match, rosie IS safe. you, on the other hand, are not, Eisor.

>>176543
Sure, but uh... where the heck did you come from?

Also, how exactly will we call you?

>>176546
>>176545
I'll... oh, fuckit.

Let me explain...
Humans are made of the Mind, Body, and Soul, right?
Well, Demons are all Soul, Undead are all Body, and me and you? We're Madnesses, all Mind. Though you're technically a demon. Something like that.

Look, to be blunt, I'm a runeforged construct made by the gods to help out Rosie in times of trouble. I love her like a sister... I just didn't want her to find out about me. Knowing someone else lives in your head and can control you... it might scare her...

>>176543
It does matter, actually. It matters a lot.
This fight right now? Rosie isn't in any serious danger; Ante won't hurt her beyond J's ability to heal.
This fight is happening for the sole purpose of luring you out so we can talk to you.

We want little more than to keep Rosie and the others safe, but in order to do that we need to know who you are, why you're here, what you can do, etc...
Keeping information from us only serves to put Rosie in danger. Start talking.

>>176550
When you're in control, can you use elements out of tier? We noticed that Rosie molded some wood before, which should be impossible. That was you, right?

...Eisor is Rosie backwards.

Who named you? Not very creative are they?

>>176552
>>176551
I can do anything Rosie can do. She just doesn't know it yet.
>>176553
Sh-shut up! It's my name and I like it fine!

>>176554
That's fine, just don't keep silent all the time, 'eh? *Psychic hair ruffles her*

>>176554
Well, if you like your name so much, then we won't change it Eisor.

>>176554
Well, I think Sanfas is going to be a little disappointed that the one he saw fighting (and liked their 'honest' style) at the fort wasn't... really Rosie. Then again we could just not tell him. Hmm. That's probably best.

>>176556
H-hey! D-don't touch me like that, you crusty old demon!

>>176557
You'd best not...


>>176560
O-oh, yeah, S-sanfas. What are we gonna do about him?

>>176563
Well, Sanfas seems like an okay dude so we shouldn't betray him or anything. However I grow less and less confident that the marriage thing will work out. We may have to give him the book, in the end.

Hey, how come we couldn't 'see' you in our mind's eye during that encounter with that... 'Talakk'? Did you get damaged in that fight too?

hehe, not even sure we exist when not summoned, we could very well be considered young :3c
also, while rosie's method of fighting wasn't what he saw at rivermeet, it was definitely her power. you said she COULD do anything she would be able to she just doesn't know. meaning that she very well could fight that well if perhaps you stopped covering for her and let her learn how to fight. sparring is an important part of learning and if she never remembers a spar she will stay weak. try to give those memories to her.

>>176564
When I'm not in control, I'm insulated from her mind. It's why you couldn't contact me before.
>>176583
I... I know. I just get so scared about losing her...

>>176589
There's something I always wondered about using elements out of tier. Could you use Body and Magnetism or Kinesis to pin people to the ground or throw them around? Or Earth(constitution), Body, and Magnetism together for a kind of strong healing ability?

How do you think we could teach Rosie to better use her power without exposing her to enough danger to prompt you to take over?

>>176596
As to the first, yes... as to the second, only on oneself, and only with diseases/poisons.

I can try to instill ideas into her head, but not much else. I cannot communicate with her.

if you are here to stay though, then you and rosie are essentially two sides too the same coin. we may be able to be okay with sanfas if we explain it like that.

>>176597
Wait, how much of Rosie's memories do you have access to, Eisen? If you have access to more memories than Rosie has access to yours, it seems a little unfair.

>>176603
I can't access her memory at all! I can throw stuff at it, but... I dunno where it would land. That's why I'm always trying to help her... I don't know what's going on, half the time!

oh, so whenever she get's into a fight you activate and just wing it based on what is happening. that's a pretty bad rap. i guess switch back to Rosie now or something. we'll tell her what's up.

I'm going to call you Flora from now on.

So, there's no way we can talk to you unless you're in control?
Well...
[Extend a mind tendril and connect it to her, providing a link]

>>176655
H-hey now! That's s-s-slightly i-invasive!
But... uh... Flora? I... I guess that's okay. I mean, I wouldn't mind it... terribly...

------------------

I, ah... Did I win? I was... I was sorta winging it there after you guys dissapeared, but, uh... I think I won! If, uh... being on top of her naked is winning. I mean... uh.

>>176659
I guess so! Take advantage of your position.

@Flora There are far more invasive ways we could have done this, but now we can talk.
So, who was involved in your creation?

we found... something. you may not like it but it's been around so long it can't be removed. it's not a bad thing though so don't worry.

>>176681
?
Well, if you say so.

>>176660
I smile and set to tickling her happily. Everything here has been so serious, it's nice to play like a little kid for a bit.

>>176696
You have another thought construct in your head. It was made by some of the gods to protect you, so you probably shouldn't worry too much about it.
[Pokes Flora with the thought tendril, and tries to reestablish communication.]

>>176702
What? There's...
Someone else here? In my head? besides you guys?
Th-that's... creepy...

------------------

G-g-guys, don't d-d-do that!

>>176719
Wait, so you're ok with your head being host to a demon which was made by your most hated enemy of all time, which happens to be able to devour minds...
But playing host to a helper created by divine hands for the explicit purpose of protecting you is creepy?

Don't worry Rosie, we've got your back. Er... Back of your mind, I guess.

@Flora: Ah, good, we CAN talk to you now. You're acting a bit strange, like your entire form is one big erogenous zone.
[Gently remove the stitches from Flora's 'eyes' and 'mouth']

>>176728
N-no, don't touch those. That image I use is just a representation. It's not really anagolous to anything...

-------------------------

Well, I summoned you! I just... It's like finding out that someone's been hiding in your closet your whole life. No matter their intentions or origin, it's unsettling... Does it have a name?

>>176729
she goes by Eisor, which is just your name backwards. also, it's less like she was in your closest and more standing back to back with you. she has no way of directly talking to you because you have some kind of buffer between you two.

>>176729
It used to be called Eisor, but that name's an eyesore so we changed its name to Flora.

[Pulls Flora close, and binds with her enough so she can piggyback on Legion's communication channel.]

>>176732
['bind' is a bad operative, more like grab her by the hands and pull her over to the microphone]

>>176732
>>176734
I, ah, uhm, wait...

Another voice? No... that... That's like...

A sister you never had, right?

...

Sorry. I know it's a sore spot.

Why?

Father asked for it. So now... I'm part of you.

...

>>176736
Antares asked for a construct similar to us to become part of his daughter? When did that happen?

>>176737
[Flora has returned to her place.]

No, Legion... you see, I was... I was part of a set of twins. But in the womb...

Sorry, it isn't important. We need to keep moving.

walk and talk.

>>176738
@Flora So, you were absorbed by her or died in the womb, and Antares cut a deal so you could survive as part of Rosie? I suppose that means you've got far more soul than us...
[Psychic-embraces Flora]
Well, I suppose we'll have to see about getting bodies for the both of us after Raeve is defeated.

>>176741
Sh-shut up! I... I don't even... even like you!

-------------

At any rate... What way should we head? North, East, or West?

>>176742
[Maintain the embrace]
@Flora: What does that have to do with getting bodies? Also, your Tsuntsun is showing; protest less if you want to be more convincing.

>>176742
Right-hand rule. East it is!

Well, we don't know if we're in Rahkshasas' territory yet... I guess we can go laterally until we find out exactly how far we went underground. North is deeper in.

>>176744
Now now, let's not be rude. Give her a little space, yeah?

Then North!

Hey Rosie, since we missed part of that sparring match with Ante, care to fill us in on how it went?

Also, we have found out that you are currently capable of using elements out of tier. I want you to grab some sticks and attempt to mold them into a different shape while we travel. Don't give up. You can definitely do it.

>>176760
Th-thank you. I'm not used to talking to others...

--------------------------

As to the sparring match, well... after you left...

It's a bit embarrasing...

Anyway! Northeast! Right! I pick up some sticks as I walk, trying to remember the out of tier basics. I can feel it... just outside of my reach. My body is capable... but... nnngh...

"Rosie!" J catches me before my balance gives out, and I lean against her, catching my breath.

>>176868
Hey don't just gloss over the sparring. Did you learn anything from it?

As for the out of tier issues... you just need more practice.

And thank J for catching you.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/13(Thu)13:47 No. 176874 ID: e31d52
File 127378364192.png - (203.43KB , 360x492 , Algol.png )

>>176871
I do...

Well, basically, I went fire form. I managed to save my clothes, and it allowed me to tell that Ante was using advanced temperature manipulation to make screens made of plasma. I managed to redirect these and use them as weapons, though I only really succeeded in undressing her, and... things went on from... from there.

Hm? There's something inspecting a pile of skulls here...

"Atrocious. Utterly tasteless! Really now, why would anyone..."

>>176874
Aw hell. Try to remain undetected. We don't want to get paralyzed.

>>176878
We cloak ourselves with Air, watching him move around the pile.
"Really now, this is utterly barbaric!" he says, kicking one closer to the mass. "No respect for the dead at all. Doesn't even suit a purpose. How can I be a general if I don't even know why we are at war? First the Grand Sultan disappears, then this utter horseshit starts up. Ugh, a lesser man would be hiring assassins."

>>176901
[Jump into his head]
Why hello there! How can we help you?

>>176901
Haha. So that's what's going on. Virulent, or someone else related to him possibly, started this war. Probably. Regardless if we offer our assistance we could find out more about the situation.

"Why hire assassins when someone's willing to do the job for free?"

>>176904
Your path is blocked.

>>176905
His ears perk.
"Stay right where you are." he growls. "Names, affiliates?" he asks, his grip tightening on his cane, which glows slightly.

You feel a slight intrusion on your mind, and the mind of your host.

"It is a mere cantrip for finding lies. Now speak."

Argh! It's not nearly as strong as before, but I feel rooted in place.

>>176909
Okay, tell him the truth then. Our names... and I guess we would be considered independent. We are in search of one particular Rahkshasa. Who is probably behind the upheaval.

Don't try to use alchemy yet. We can do that after he's less likely to attack at the slightest provocation. I am curious as to if we can, though...

>>176909
Go ahead and answer him.
[Act to completely block it from being able to detect Flora, then tickle the mind-probe and 'shout' into it "HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU POKE THAT THING!"]

>>176912
We sound off our names.
"We're looking for a specific Rahkshasa. A panther..."

His ears perk.
"Ah, the royal gaurd captian. Right arsehole, that one." the glow fades, as does the strange presence.
"You have a daemon... no, two daemons with you. Are they bound?"

"Yes." Ante says.

"And the other?"

"Summoned." I say. "And bound to my bidding."

"Oh, good. Because it just attacked me."

Legion!

"No worries, though. It seems to be a Commune, not a Hashin." he says. "So how may humble Algol help you?"

>>176917
Well, I suppose yelling at him was technically an attack. It's not like we tried to kill him or anything.

Wait, are we really bound to do your bidding? I never sensed any sort of compulsion. I bet Raeve made us immune to that when he made us, so that he could ensure we wouldn't get compromised. Um. You trust us anyway right? You probably shouldn't trust us completely to be honest. We're terrible at keeping secrets.

I wonder if Algol would object to teaching us some of his skills? We could be more useful to you like that. We may even be able to break that paralysis if he teaches us enough.

>>176917
By the way, what's a Commune and Hashin?

Finally, we would like to end this war between the Kenku and Rahkshahsa, if possible... alongside kicking Virulent's ass.

>>176917
Think you could tell him that didn't attack, we simply tried to pop over and say hi. Although I might be able to see why he could think that way.
Oh, and we mucked about with his mind probes, but in our defense imagine if he was probing you all over with a tentacle. Not pleasant.

... Wait, we're bound to your bidding? Since when?

Gah! Going off on a tangent!

Anyway, tell him that the Rahkshasa you're looking for is possessed by a transient psychic being of immense power, and since there's no known way to kill it you want to trap it in its current body and seal it away where it can never escape.

Possibly by having a non-sentient golem carrying it down into the time dilation dungeon so years pass like seconds and it's trapped here until well after the end of the universe.

>>176936
"Commune? Hashin?"
"Types of mentally possessing demons."

-------------
Most mythology doesn't distinguish between demons and madnesses...
-------------

"Communes are merely advisors and sometimes channels for communication. Hashin worry and tear at the mind of the possessed, changing the person into something they are not." he snorts. "I believe that is what happened to the head of the royal guard."

You aren't... technically bound to my will. You're bound to help the one who summoned you, but the term is rather vague.

"We have reason to suspect you may be correct Algol."
I explain what Virulent stated in our encounter.
"That explains it..."
"Hm?"
"The king's disappearance. He knows how to make himself psionically invisible. He must have done so to evade the creature when he saw it, and it was forced to take someone nearby." he growls, feeling the long hair of his beard.

"Truly, this is a problem for all sentient races..."

>>177050
Well we're not bound to help Raeve either. When we wound up in his head we weren't compelled to obey him.

So I don't know what's going on with that.

>>177050
Also:

"Yeah, that's why we're hunting him. The plan is to seal him away to live trapped, hibernating in diamond for all eternity."

>>177050
Assuming that bind actually does anything, which I kinda doubt.
Still, it's kinda insulting that whoever made the summoning ritual put it there; we help you because we want to help you, and if we didn't want to help we would still be perfectly capable of giving bad advice or simply not bothering to think of ways to solve problems.

Blah, I digress. Sorry, I hope you didn't think I was directing that at you. It just bugs me, is all.

Oh, and mention that the time dilation dungeon should be a wonderful place to toss virulent once he gets captured.

Virulent must die. The people he's killed need to be avenged. Erghal, the goblins, everyone. No matter what, this will not end until he is annihilated forever.

>>177072
No. Punishment. Punishment is what he deserves!
---------------------------------------
Flora, hush. Legion's right. We can't risk him coming back.
---------------------------------------
You can't kill a madness, though! Especially not one as strong as Virulent.
---------------------------------------
What about...

"Banishment."

"Hm?"

"We can't kill him, imprisoning hiom is too risky... what if we were to banish him from reality?"

"It might work. We could send his vessel to the space between spaces... If you like, I can have a trap set up."

>>177075
>>177050
((Thank god for ID, but, uh, these are me. Sorry! ^^;))

>>177075
Space between spaces? That's a new concept to us. What is it?

>>177075
"Or we could stick him in a certain time dilation dungeon. It would be rather hard for him to escape if every second he experiences is a century to us."

as long as you are SURE that when you open the hole to throw him out you don't let anything worse in. like something that would be capable of driving even Reave insane if he were to catch but a glimpse of such a thing. a thing capable of making a sound that is both the best and worst thing you have ever heard simultaneously. such is that nature of things that live within the cracks.

Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2010/05/13(Thu)23:48 No. 177088 ID: e31d52
File 127381970961.png - (18.56KB , 640x480 , Toexplain.png )

>>177082
"Put it this way... There are three planes of existence here, and they all touch, barely. However..."

Algol explains that the three planes here are not the entirety of existence. There is a huge number of worlds, drifting in a sea of nonreality. Things can be pulled from nearby realities, and things can be pushed out, and so on.

"However, without outside help, he couldn't come back. Ever." he says with a smile. "Ingenious, young lady. And here I thought you were all looks."

what about instead of putting him on one of those other realities we just put him in the emptiness between them? trapped in a place that both does, and does not, exist.

>>177094
I think that is exactly what we were planning.

So yeah that's good. If we can pull it off.

Hell, why don't we seal him in diamond THEN toss him in the Between? We won't even have to lure him into a trap. Unless that's easier, somehow.

Anything can be killed. Virulent should not even be able to exist, if anything he should be easier to kill. If it comes to it, we will find a way to retroactively destroy him.

...What would happen if he was inscribed with healing? A madness, an embodiment of an ailment, healed.

>>177107
Look, you can't really die either. Madnesses are eternal, most of the time. I'm not, since I can't bodyhop, but you are. It's just the way we are... Healing the vessel would simply push him out again, like killing his vessel. Same thing with you, Legion.
>>177098
This would work really well, right? And if we put a warning on it somehow not to breach the container, we could be certain that even another world wouldn't have to worry overmuch about it.

well... that mind control guy managed to REALLY hurt us and we may have died if it wasn't for us getting you to go full flame mode. find another one of them and point it at virulent may damage him if it does then he would need to rest and while he does we can swoop in for the kill.

>>177123
That's a good point... however, there's still the risk that the host would die first and Virulent would abort.

Mindless can't really harm one another. It ends up as zero-sum... while he could hurt you, the rebound would be equally bad, and in the end, you'd both die.

but we have another, Eisor. we double team him and while we would take some damage we would be able to heal it.

of course this would be a plan Z. if this trap to launch him into negative-nothing doesn't work then this is what will happen. having a back up plan is good. i also don't think he knows she is in here so we would have a maximum lvl surprise with that.

>>177135
I, uh, I don't know how much mental prowess I...
>>177140
Ah, good. I'm relieved.

"The main problem is..." Algol says, "that we can't lure the bastard out ourselves..."

>>177115
If you're fated to die with Rosie then we could absorb you into our collective eventually.

Or just find a way to let you out, into a free-roaming entity like us. Unless, of course... you would prefer to be mortal. A life with no end has less meaning, after all...

>>177150
>>177196
I'm glad you're all so worried about me, but what are we going to do to lure out Virulent?

>>177266
We play the part of magnificent bastards.

@Xom: Hey, want to create a believable fake head so we can torment a major political figure for both a good cause and petty vengeance?

>>177270
If we even need a fake head at all. We might be able to just tell him to meet us somewhere, and then ambush him.

>>177270
Xom/Coyote: Eh, Fake head? Whatever for? I'm all for a trick, but I'd need to know more...

>>177270
SEVEN what have i told you about coming up with plans and not tell the rest of us?

>>177685
@Xom: Easy. Virulent wants us to bring him a head of the Kenku queen, so we bring him a head of the Kenku queen. Combine that with masking her existence and Virulent would probably come out to investigate, and then we can troll him by shoving him into a rock.
Oh, and dya think you could chunk him into the 10000th floor of that time dilation dungeon once we catch him?

>>177699
Xom/Coyote: First is easy peasy for me. Second... not so much. The only way to access the dungeon is to actually walk in... there's no outside to enter in from after the first floor, see? And I'm not going down there and forgoing my duties like that after you worked so hard to help me into it! Hahahahah.

>>177706
@Coyote: Don't you craft the items in there? How do they get into the dungeon? Couldn't one of the items be "Crazy Psion In Catman In Rock"?

OH i know! carve a smiley face into it so it counts as something you made!

>>177708
Anansi is the Father of Magic, not me. I birthed the Dungeon... and thus I know exactly how it works.

And no, Anansi can't do this: >>177709 either. My... father... cannot place anythign in the dungeon unless he made it from the ground up. Though for the trapping bit, Raven may be able to help. Those boring plans are right up her alley.

darn, it would have been so funny if someone managed to get to him. 'congratulations! you beat floor fifty, you win.... a dude with a insane thing in his head frozen in a block of diamond!' i could almost see the expression that dude would make...

>>177717
Xom/Coyote: As funny as that would be, I have my limits. Here you are, for now...

Coyote appears beside me, smiling as he walks up with his cane.
"Legion asked me for a favour." he says simply, a fake but detailed head of the Queen appearing from thin air. "Make it a great trick." he whispers in my ear, then vanishes.

>>178349
...it seems like Xom and Coyote are the same God now? How does THAT work?

At any rate, we have the bait. We can set up the trap. How do we contact Virulent?

>>178354
>Xom and Coyote are the same God
What did you two do?

>>178354
Split personalities that represent different aspects perhaps?

>>178422
That would certainly make sense for a Chaos God and Trickster God.

>>178497
Yes, that seems most likely. Now how do we contact Virulent?

Demon abilities are now supressed.

"Shit!" I hear myself say, then cover my mouth. Algol frowns.

"Run." he states, slamming his cane into the earth. Energies scatter, and I feel the strange suppression vanish. "I shall see to it that you have time to plan."

>>178593
Something feels wrong...

Off...

Like we aren't supposed to be here.

Laughter echoes all around us. Algol growls, drawing a longsword.
"Vile blackgaurd! Emerge from thy place of hiding and fight like a true predator!" he roars, his voice ringing true.

You have learned new PSIONIC POWER: Command.
Command allows you to issue a single, simple mental command, attempting to force the mind to commit the action. It is not subtle or gentle. Commands must be three words or less in length, and cannot be complicated ((GM Discretion)). Using Command costs 5% influence.

>>178610
I think we had better run away for now!

Also we just learned a new trick. We can 'command' someone to do a simple action. It's not limited to whoever's head we're in either. It takes a bit of energy though.

>>178705
That's good to hear! Running!

As we flee, I throw fire behind me, putting up a wall of fire and smoke to delay his chase. Thankfully, J managed to cloak the fake head in air so Virulent didn't see it, and we manage to get a good distance away, huffing anf panting with exhaustion.

@Virulent: Run away.

>>178717
[negatory on that one, it would be like suggestion, suggesting something that is nonsensical to the person would be dismissed.]

>>178717
You feel your power arc out and... fail to penetrate. You'll need more practice before you can use that on Virulent!

Okay. We have several things we can do right now.

1) practice out-of-tier alchemy.

2) practice this 'command' power we got.

3) explore Rahkshasa territory further and find some way to contact Virulent, then set up the trap.

>1) practice out-of-tier alchemy.

I pull out the sticks from before, and try again. I can feel it.
....
I've been trying too hard this whole time. I just need to...
....
Let go.

The sticks slide together into a mass, then into an orb. I... I did it. Yay...

$%@#%%^@^%^
50% influence in this mind.
Aaah! Rosie!
I catch her as she falls to one side, a smile on her face as she sleeps.
Haha, Rosie, you silly girl.