Typhon 2015/12/22(Tue)16:39 No. 689960 ID: f63c85
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Personal history? Most of my first conversations with Keya were with her screaming at me. If you mean whether Keya has personal history with Akar, well, it definitely sounds like Akar backstabbed her pretty badly.

Underground units are something that never even occurred to me, which given the worm motif of my units feels especially embarassing. Tunnelling through and flying back up under the world. Hm. Then again, we don't even have any sort of airpower aside from transports. I do like the idea of misleading fronts. I'm not strong enough to shy away from army-scale trickery at this stage. Most of our battles have gone better when the enemy had no idea what we were or what we were doing, either way.

As far as ichor levitation goes, it is fantastic at maintaining height and less good at climbing and falling. I don't think I've ever tried to see how high it goes. There's some almost instinctual aversion to going too high, and that was before I fell to my death that one time. Also, not just unique to me alone. It's hard to estimate what the theoretical maximum is.

I'll talk to Keya about assassinating Akar some other time, if it comes to it. Part of me wonders if there could be some peaceful resolution to the problems Akar is causing. I've barely spoken to her personally. Of course, I know I'm not exactly the diplomat to solve this problem, but maybe if I find the right person somewhere else? There's no immediate need to earn the undying hatred of an entire species just yet.

I wonder if Taja is doing alright.

"Soroi lands it is! What are you planning on doing, anyway? Something related to the miasma soroi? I mean, it's your business, mostly I just want to know if it's going to provoke them."
"Miasma soroi? What? No, I just want to set up an outpost for further investigation! And no, not something that's going to start spewing miasma out into the water. An observation post, more than anything. Miasma soroi. That's... well, now I want that outpost constructed more urgently. If that provokes them, so be it. The entire area's an uncomfortably blind spot to my intel. I have got to stop telling you everything going through my head. Feh."
"Well, I'll leave you with those thoughts! I need to go speak to Nashi."
"Don't take forever."

The ichor seal retracts. The miasma stays as I leave.

Typhon 2015/12/22(Tue)16:39 No. 689961 ID: f63c85
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I head into the soroi habitat. Nashi stirs awake as I enter.

«Typhoon?»
"We're going to head back to soroi territory."
«I am exiled from there.»
"Yes. I know. This is the problem."

Nashi stands up, and looks thoughtful.

«The punishment for rulebreakers varies depending on rules broken. But I don't know what the punishments are, because no one breaks the rules. And a rulebreaker looks like any other soroi. If all soroi follow the rules, then an exiled soroi walking around in plain sight simply cannot happen.»
"Wouldn't they recognise you?"
«The akari are homogenised as a consequence of their hivemind. The soroi are homogenised as a consequence of a series of rules that strip away the burden of individual choice and responsibility. I would not stand out any more than any other female soroi of wind, unless I said the wrong things. I did not know many soroi well enough to tell them apart.»

I begin to suspect the soroi society might actually be the most broken one I've encountered.

"What wrong things?"
«Anything in contradiction to the rules. I do not fear judgement from my kind, Typhoon. That is not what is worrying me.»
"What is?"
«I'm worried I'll lose who I am the moment I breathe the rules in the air. But, if that happened, I suppose I would not even care what I had lost. I would join the pointlessness of the rest of my people, dancing to the call of pointless conflicting instructions older than us all. I wouldn't have to worry about making a choice ever again.»

She puts her wing to her beak. Snout. Beaksnout. ...Mouth.

«I have lived in a subconscious fear of straying too far away from the path chosen for me for my entire life. No, I will go. There are places I never would have gone that I have to see now.»
"Uh, well, I hope that's good. Do you, uh, happen to know of any hot springs, or anything like that?"
«There is an intersection between the flow of fire and water close to the east of the lands.»
"Can you lead us there?"
«From the skies, yes.»
"Good. We're flying there in ichor bubbles."
«Bubbles?»
"You'll see."

Typhon 2015/12/22(Tue)16:39 No. 689962 ID: f63c85
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Errol scooches up to me as I leave the soroi habitat. "Sir, I've gathered a report on the intel we gathered on Skimmy's scouting missions, and the new unit, and--"
"No, Errol. For now, we're going to ignore all of that."
"Well, the report's not going anywhere, I guess. Typhon, with all due respect, this is a really bad idea. The entire world isn't going to just sit there waiting patiently for us to come back. What if we get attacked?"
"If? Errol, I fully expect to be attacked during this break. It's just how the world works. You let your guard down and someone is there to take advantage of it."
"What? Then why aren't you setting up an army?"
"The last time I was in soroi territory, it didn't matter. I'd rather just keep the spare ichor floating around for emergencies. No one is going to be doing any research, anyway."
"Typhon, I'm worried about this."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I have the feeling that if anything's going to go wrong, it's going to single me out anyway. Just relax. For Skimmy's sake, at least."

Errol pauses, nods, and wanders off. "I'll go gather everyone else."
"Oh. Before you go, what purpose does your eyewear serve?"
"Purposes."
"No more detail?"
"You want reports, I'll give you full reports, not excerpts. See you on the surface."

Right. Well.

That's everyone accounted for, then. I'll get the geists to lock the base down.

Typhon 2015/12/22(Tue)16:39 No. 689963 ID: f63c85
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An ichor bubble trip later...

Well, here we are! Soroi lands! I asked Nashi if they had an actual name, and she shrugged. The ichor bubbles collapse and disperse. I have the ichor free for any other emergencies.

The rest of the group head off towards a bubbling pool, led by Nashi. I don't see any soroi around, and clearly neither does Nashi, as she's happily explaining the local geography and the reason for the bubbling pool.

«--soroi don't often have need to refer to many places, but this overlap of fire and water is important as one of many official meeting points referred to by the rules for different kinds to confirm and resolve any conflicts between rules--»

I half-listen as I watch Keya walk off in a totally different direction, purpose in her eyes. I consider following her from a distance, but decide it's not worth the risk of being caught spying on her. Let's maybe not sabotage one of the incredibly few positive relationships I have with someone with influence.

I hear the others jump into the bubbling pool with various sounds of satisfaction. Nashi comes over to me.

«As there haven't been any conflicts between rules for some time, this place might as well be ours. Typhoon, can you follow me?»
"Hm? Yes, why?"

I follow her away from the pool as I hear Colin and Ladon having some kind of splash fight in the distance.

Typhon 2015/12/22(Tue)16:40 No. 689964 ID: f63c85
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Nashi leads me down and around into a more quiet part of this elemental crossroads. She looks around anxiously and fidgets with her body.

"What's wrong? Is this area actually unsafe?"
«What? No, this place is fine. ...Typhoon, I've noticed that every time we've mated, uh, you've taken great pains not to see it through to the very end.»
"Wh-- what? Nashi, I'm sorry, I didn't know you weren't getting anything out of--"
«No, no no! I've had a lot of fun.» She seems flustered by something. «But you've never, well, made me pregnant.»
"Yes. This is intentional." I am suddenly and deeply not liking where this conversation may be heading. "Why?"
«Isn't that the purpose?»
"You want me to make you pregnant? Why? I don't exactly have the free time to be a father, and you don't really strike me as being ready to be a mother--"
«I am! I'm a healthy, fit, young female perfectly capable of childbearing! Was that your concern?»
"No, I don't doubt you're physically capable, but I don't, I mean, haven't you said yourself you were never exactly raised properly? How would you even know what to do? I don't know. I don't like the idea. Given how frequently my base of operations is attacked..."

«Oh.» Nashi stares off into the horizon. «I had an idea, well, more of a dream of starting more of a colony than a family. Just imagine. You've spoken about bringing peace to the world, but you're just one being. You could help start a new civilisation and show the world how you think things should be.»
"I'm not a leader. Well. Not a leader of societies. I'm a soldier. A general. Nothing more. My place is not to govern the masses. I don't think it's a good idea, Nashi, and I don't understand why you feel that this is the best way to achieve your aims. Wouldn't you be better off trying to find other exiled soroi?"
Nashi shrugs. «I'm going to have a lot of time to do that either way. If you won't help me here, I'll have to find a different male for the purpose--»

I put my hands on her.

"No. Don't."
«What?» Nashi stares at me in confused alarm. «But then how--»
"I don't know how much of this is your plan and how much of it is the idiotic rules about procreation in the Sannersoon-damned water, but either way, it's a terrible idea."
«I don't understand, I'm not asking you to contribute anymore--»
"Don't just go behind my back like that. Don't do it."
«Is-- are you-- is that an order?» Her head feather crest rises and falls a few times and her breathing seems quicker. She's confused and upset. «Is-- is that a rule?»

If I tell her it is a rule or ruling, she'll likely follow it, and I'll be setting an incredibly, incredibly horrible and oppressive tone for both our personal and working relationships. This is probably closer to what Wintermol Typhon would do.

If I don't tell her it is, she's likely to go off and find some other male in her ridiculous unadvised 'colony' plan. I'm not sure I can explain the concept of monogamy to her very well in a way that isn't also going to upset her either at the prospect of being tied down or at my refusal to comply with her wishes. I guess this is entirely my fault. I got too close to a mortal again and now this is a situation again.

Obviously my baser instincts are telling me "what's the harm, go on" but my baser instincts can take a long walk off a short cliff. I don't want Nashi to do something this stupid. She's spent her whole life blindly following commands and told me as such. Her colony idea is a pipe dream at best and self-destructive at worst.

Then again, who the hell am I to say any of this? I shouldn't have involved myself in any one mortal's affairs so closely. Maybe I should just let her go and try to forget I ever encountered her.

Surely there's no rush? Ask her to wait until tomorrow to talk about this, promise to help one way or another. You're supposed to be relaxing, dammit.

It's not like we even know if it's possible for you, or what a mortal-ichor hybrid might be. Go for it.

You want to change your fate right? If 'Wintermol Typhon' and 'General Typhon' are telling you not to do this, then go for it. If the game is going to change it needs a wild card who's not afraid to break the rules.

Just explain to her that you have no intention of bringing more life into the world that will not be your mindless, soulless thrall if the whole universe go boom in a matter of years. Wait until the end-of-the-universe threat has passed and focus on your mission, otherwise you're BOTH unfit for survival.

She isn't one of our solders, we can't order her to do anything really but that doesn't mean we can't offer her advice. That's what this is, Advice. If she doesn't want to follow it it's her choice but ask her some questions, like where does she plan to set up this colony? Almost all the land that's left in the world has been claimed and all the races have proven they are willing to kill to gain more land and keep what land they have left. Where can she start a village that won't be torn apart by the locals?
Where is she going to find a mate?
How is she going to start a village with only herself and a mate? I mean she said it herself, we're only one person, but then again so is she.

It's an admirable idea but in this day and age the world doesn't really care about how noble something may be, if you want to do something you're going to have to work for it, plan it out, prepare for everything including the unexpected. Even if you do all that it's still posable it will just blow up in your face. If she's set on doing this then at least make sure she has an idea on how to actually pull it off instead of just "I'm sure it will work out."

>Then again, who the hell am I to say any of this? I shouldn't have involved myself in any one mortal's affairs so closely. Maybe I should just let her go and try to forget I ever encountered her.
Typhon; you need to get more comfortable with idea of a relationship falling between "literally an extension of yourself" and "puny mortal of no personal significance". As a friend, it would generally not be your business what she does with her love life, but in this case there is a partial exception since she was just telling you about how she was worried about the rule-air changing her. Point this out and request (not order) that she waits until the two of you can discuss this later somewhere away from the rule-air.

As a side note, why should you care about monogamy? Non-exclusive relationships are honestly more compatible than monogamous ones when one or more of the people involved are immortal, and non-exclusive relationships are only balanced if it goes both ways.

>Colin, breifing
Can't you communicate with your units at a distance? Next time maybe you could do the briefing thing during a flight if you are in a hurry.

>I don't think I've ever tried to see how high it goes.
We have flying scout units; let's find out.

>>689964
Tell her it is not a rule. It is advice. If she does that, she will regret it.

Also, it is an expression of your feelings. Tell her how you feel, Typhon. Tell her you want to be the only one for her, but you're not ready to start a family, and it's not a good time anyway since you're essentially at war. With the entire world.

...how long does pregnancy last for Soroi, though? If the campaign is soon to draw to a close, you could do it, and it would not be a problem.

Typhon 2015/12/23(Wed)10:46 No. 690069 ID: f63c85
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I can communicate with my units at a distance. The point is more that I didn't want to worry about it for now. As for having flying scouts, we, well, unless I am forgetting something, don't have any. Skimmy can glide for fair distances, but is entirely reliant on wind patterns for sustained flight. He doesn't have any means of going up of his own power.

"No, this is not a rule. You are not one of my soldiers. I have no right to command you. This is advice. I don't know where you can find a safe place to start a village. In this age, everywhere is taken and held with bitter force. There are no safe places left for anything new."

Monogamy. What the hell is going through my head? Why do I suddenly feel like I want to tie myself to someone I've known for a couple of days at best? I can't trust my own feelings on this matter. Why should I chain down someone who I will outlast? I don't know why I suddenly had that notion fly through my mind. I can't make such judgements based on raw emotional impulses. I will wait and consider how I feel. But the rules in the air and the water are a factor I should have considered sooner.

I have no idea how long this campaign against the entire world at large can even last. There's an entire continent I haven't seen with my own eyes, and three out of eight marbles I have no idea as to the whereabouts of. I have the time marble, Akar has the growth marble, the decay marble is somewhere in Fell lands and the flow marble is somewhere in soroi lands. The void marble is in pieces, and I have one of those pieces. That leaves the sun, moon and space marbles. I could be waging this war for months, years, or even decades.

It isn't even a war. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Gathering ichor, reinforcing my base, plotting to recover the marbles that I can claim without killing anyone or ruining entire civilisations. This is probably a fine time to reassess, well, my entire purpose of being. What am I even doing? Trying to stop the Shatterer? Do I think I can defeat something I'm an intrinsic part of by punching it? Maybe Echidna was right. Maybe the best thing I can do for the world is to seal myself away in something external to the world.

I'm snapped back out of my head by Nashi speaking in her almost flutelike voice. «Advice. Yes. I'm sorry.»
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be giving you commands. Besides, we're here to relax. Can we discuss this some other time?"
«Yes. I have been feeling very tense lately. I suppose if I had not been randomly selected for messenger duty I would be breeding by default around this point in my life otherwise. The rules are quieter but present again. I do not feel compelled to follow, but they are making me tense. Anxious. I feel like I am failing to be soroi.»

I walk around Nashi and start rubbing her gently. Her blue patterns remain, but shift paler. "If being soroi means living your whole life for someone else's benefit, is that what you want?"
«I woke up out of the soroi dream. I have dreams of my own.»
"And your dream is admirable, but it is too soon. I also have no desire to personally bring more life into a universe while I dream of its death."

Nashi tenses up and I curse my tongue. "A death I am devoting my life to ensuring never comes to pass!"
«Do you think even you can prevent the end of all things?»
"Even if I can't, I can tell you for definite that this world keeps on going. I mean, the end of all things already came once, and yet the world's still filled with life." I try to put the red sky and shrill cries of the scavengers of the future out of my mind.
«Do you know how the soroi came to be?»
"Hm? I, uh, no. Do you?"
«I heard the story once, but only accepted it without thinking about it. Do you want to hear the story?»

Nashi leads me to one of the smaller satellite pools. I briefly check in on the others via mindlink, who are having a fantastic time and appear not to be surprised that I'm off spending time with Nashi instead of them. Some of my unsummoned personalities, mostly Mannimarco, are incarnating just to have the experience. It's a drain on my ichor reserves, but I'm not concerned. Everything is quiet for now.

Typhon 2015/12/23(Wed)10:46 No. 690070 ID: f63c85
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"Nashi, I reacted too strongly. I think if you want to find another male to help you form that colony, I won't stop you--"
«No, no. I would prefer your help. I think you're right. We can wait.»
"How long is a soroi pregnancy, anyway?"
«I am not sure. Many full moons?»
"I don't suppose the soroi keep records?"
«Records?»
"Information on what happens? ...Do you know how to read?"
«The currents?»
"What do you read from the currents?"
«Events from afar that matter. Conflicts. Congregations. Always what is happening.»
"What about what has previously happened?"
«Is it important?»
"Well, it'd let me know how long soroi are pregnant for."
«The seasons all pass from start to end?»
"What are the seasons here?"
«Four. Storms, swells, placidity, torpor. It's currently the season of torpor. The flows are sluggish and the rules bring soroi into closer groups. The contact mating rule is rescinded until storms. Soroi are usually more spread out.»

I had noticed less soroi and only now realise that the water we're walking through has barely any motion to it whatsoever. It's also not even foot deep. Just acres of the largest puddle in the world.

"So soroi pregnancies last a full year? That's a little longer than I expected."
«Sometimes a little longer, sometimes five, even six seasons.»
"Hm."

Now that I think about it, I vaguely recall pregnancies and egg incubation times for magical creatures taking longer than non-magical creatures. I vaguely remember some lecture from Wintermol on magical creatures taking progressively longer and longer to breed as the mystic force of the world diminished, and no one was sure why. Soroi are probably flesh and blood enough that it doesn't affect them too strongly. No wonder the soroi rules are worrying about breeding so much.

We sink into one of the pools. Now this. This temperature. This is what my shower should have been. I'll keep a note of that. Colin will know what I'm talking about too. Actually, maybe we should just shuffle part of the soroi habitat to have one of these bubbling pools.

Nashi brushes her wing along the inside of my thigh under the water. I reciprocate. «Maybe not the full path, but how do you feel about walking most of the way?»
"Like I could get there and back for some time." That sounded so much better in my head.

We move in a little closer.

...actually, as you advisors mentioned, perhaps I could go all the way here. I mean, for tenuous reasons like "it isn't what anyone would be expecting" and "you might have solved the world's problems by then". I wonder how Nyx would react. Probably with offended indignance and a lecture on how I'm ruining the world even more. Hm. No. Let's not. Never mind. I wish I knew why I cared. I'm going to outlive any children I have, and I'll just be introducing weakpoints within my social structure for enemies to exploit. Also, they'll be freaky ichor hybrids and will possibly be the cause of my downfall.

Anyway. Any requests for where I reassing you, advisors? I feel like me and Nashi are going to be, well, accounted for for some time, and I don't need, or, well, more accurately want your advice or input on how to proceed from here. Colin, Ladon, or Skimmy? Maybe Errol for a change? I can't really be sure that they'll need advising, though. I. Uh. Hm. What to do with you, what to do with you...

«Typhoon?»
"A moment, please."

>What am I even doing? Trying to stop the Shatterer? Do I think I can defeat something I'm an intrinsic part of by punching it?
We have a lead. We know the Shatterer can be defeated; just at the cost of causing a cataclysmic explosion. And we also know that there is at least one thing that can withstand that explosion, the Tower. Our mission then is to discover how to use the second of these to deal with the first, whether from fighting the Shatterer inside the Tower, replicating its shielding effect, or trapping ourself as the Shatterer inside if it comes to that. The marbles and such are ultimately useful only as far as they further this, but they will probably help if we go with one of the options involving fighting the Shatterer.

>possibly be the cause of my downfall.
A downfall not involving the Shatterer is kind of the least of our worries.

>What to do with you, what to do with you...
I vote visiting Colin. We have briefings to talk about and research involving drills and stuff to consider.

>>690070
>I wish I knew why I cared.
Like you said, you're getting attached. You like her. Part of being alive is the instinct to pass on your genes. Then there's the whole "having a family is nice" thing.
Optimally, after this is all over, you can live a normal life.

I don't see any reason not to go with Errol this time.

>>690074
Alternatively we could attempt to stabilise the Shatterer's form while it is trapped in the Tower, the fact that time appears to be inconsistent for creatures inhabiting it may prove useful for any plans that require determining what the Shatterer actually is.
Using the Tower to trap it could result in it using all of your apparent alternate selves to fuel it with even more ichor than what it could gather outside the Tower , this is both a risk and an opportunity for us.

In regards to Ichor hybrids, I agree, we don't know what could happen, and you have encountered differing grades of Ichor in the field, making me think it is the result of magical contaminants...
I think we would need to capture a Chaos entity before we can be sure of hybrids and effects, it's likely that it is a result of energy from the marbles leaking into the Ichor during use, which could also make areas of high magic like Locus dangerous to explore.
>>690076
I think a normal life is not an option even after this current crisis is dealt with, though not bouncing from conflict to conflict while the world slowly becomes unfamiliar sounds like a worthy objective for an immortal.

And probably best to hand us to Errol or even Mannimarco, I suspect Colin and Cadmea may be doing their own things as well.

>It isn't even a war. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Gathering ichor, reinforcing my base, plotting to recover the marbles that I can claim without killing anyone or ruining entire civilisations. This is probably a fine time to reassess, well, my entire purpose of being. What am I even doing?
There's going to be blood shed, if we could talk everyone into holding hands and stop killing each other someone else would have done so by now. Right now the whole world is teetering over oblivion and if we where to strike even on nation it would have a domino effect that would bring the whole world down with it. So right now we're probing all the nations because but when we strike we're going to have to hit everyone at once. But not even we have the power to do that alone so we're building alliances within all the territories to aid us. Keya was right in a way, we where not made to save or build but to destroy, so that's exactly what we're going to do, we're going to destroy the world again. But this time not in a mindless rage, first we're going to set up safety nets for people to fall back on and rebuild upon. We already have two in the works. We have Keya and her empire to as allies to take control of the fell lands after we remove the other three war lords, Nahsi's plan may be rash but if we can build upon it we might be able to set up a real Soroi civilization that isn't held together by bat shit insane rules that would fall apart once everyone stops following said rules. The world is hell right now but there are a few bright spots that give me hope, if we can preen the bad and leave only the good the world might finally be able to start rebuilding itself instead of tearing itself apart with this constant gridlock it seems dead set to remain stuck in.

>perhaps I could go all the way here.
After you went through all that effort to say no, seems a bit hypocritical to me. Beside if you ever do want to have kids with her why now? couldn't you wait? It's not like she's going to die of old age in the next 10 minutes and even if you did pop out a kid with her could you really find time to be a father when the fate of the whole world rest with you? Now probably isn't the best time to start a family.

>I wish I knew why I cared.
Because outside of your forces you have very few friends that actually care for you and you're lonely. You're not just a weapon Typhon, you're also a person, a person who has needs just like every other living thing. The old rulers of wintermol failed to see this and treated you as nothing more then there personal toy until it broke you and in turn you broke the world. You're more then just a weapon but at times you seem to forget that yourself.

>Any requests for where I reassing you, advisors?
Errol. haven't really had time to get to know her yet and see does seem kinda pissy that we're taking a brake. Might do us and her some good to talk to her.

>>690074
Agreed on all accounts.

All right, Typhon! You go, dawg! Er, I mean, lizard?

Oh, shit! I just realized something! Did we remember to bring Cadmea with us? Typhon has mentioned everyone made of ichor being present, but he didn't mention if Cadmea came with us or not! I hope we didn't leave her behind, she deserves a break just as much as everyone else!

Typhon 2015/12/25(Fri)18:17 No. 690369 ID: 80fae4
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No, Cadmea came with us. Colin wouldn't have had it any other way.

Yes. I don't know what I was thinking. No complicated, messy family issues. Ichor hybrids are definitely possible, from what I dimly recall of my former life, but the exact nature is definitely an open mystery. Maybe for the best we aren't investigating it.

I should revisit the Tower someday to ascertain just how indestructible it is.

Anyway! Enough chat! This is an intimate situation and I really could do without an audience. Colin's sending out do not disturb signals, anyway. I shan't question why. To Errol with you all!

Errol 2015/12/25(Fri)18:19 No. 690371 ID: 80fae4
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Ah, invisible, intangible advisors! I've felt you but you've only now deigned to look at me so closely. Hi. My name is Errol. You probably already knew that.

We're all linked and a part of the greater hive of intellects that compose the ichor mindswarm, but, you know. It's weird to think of it like that. None of us are really well equipped to appreciate how alien that is to our mentalities. We're individuals, and when we let that go all we are is crashing and conflicting opinion and noise.

Sorry. I'm in a, uh, contemplative state of mind. I can recall the report from the mindswarm later. Right now I'm musing on everything I've seen and haven't told Typhon. I only report what I have substantial evidence for, but.

Errol 2015/12/25(Fri)18:19 No. 690372 ID: 80fae4
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Advisors? There's something that's been weighing heavily on my mind. I saw things I wasn't intended to see, both in the inside and outside world. I made these lenses to help me focus more on what I was supposed to observe.

Firstly, I have seen the lands to the east. I have seen an empire of light far larger than anything I would have thought this world supports. I have seen platforms hanging from sky rails of light flying at impossible speeds, transporting armies of a size and scale that make the entire Fell seem primitively small. I have seen scorching columns of fire fall at the command of leaders with simple gestures.

I have seen, most surprisingly of all, civilisation. Roads. Farms. Housing. Trade.

This empire is waging war and conquering the lands around it at alarming speed, save for two frontlines. One is the Fell. The other is a mountainous region inhabited by what looked like living shadows.

And to the southeast, all I can see are stars where the land should be. It's just too far away to see any more detail.

Errol 2015/12/25(Fri)18:20 No. 690373 ID: 80fae4
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Secondly, my role was never simply staring into the stars and the world at large, but to observe, well, everything. Everything including the ichor collective consciousness.

I found my past lives within the ichor collective. In a former age, Optosi, intel specialist and high inquistor for Lord Typhon of Wintermol. Ages before that, Watcher-Worm, the form responsible for determining the motions and patterns of suitable targets.

That second one made me afraid.

Me and Ladon? We're both far older than Typhon is. And I don't know who we worked for.

I'd need to collaborate with Colin on more dedicated research except that would involve Colin finding out his past. Advisors, I apologise. I should be telling you these secrets. But I can't risk it. I absolutely could not allow Colin to know how he entered the ichor collective. It would with absolute certainty lead to rebellion. For the sake of the cohesion of the group, and because Colin is my friend, I can't let him know.

I am a little high strung. I was using my work to ignore most of these revelations, then Typhon has the ingenious idea of going on holiday to clear our minds. Sometimes I don't think that's a good idea. After all, if we clear our minds too much, I might leak some of these secrets to the others. I can't allow that.

-Errol?- Skimmy's mental voice pops into my head. -Are you alright?-
-I'm fine, Skimmy. I'm fine.-

I fidget with my lenses.

-You don't sound fine, though.-

>>690373
You keep secrets, huh? Keep this one. We have seen via the Time Marble an entity in the far future, where everything is drastically different. Typhon exists there in a new form, and referred to another of his minions by the name "Betrayer-Worm". He caused/will cause some trouble for us.

Find Betrayer-Worm with your new abilities, so that we may be forewarned, and possibly prevent a major betrayal. If it's you... well, I'll be honest. Betrayer-Worm is not going to make a difference in the long run. Keep that in mind too. You say Ladon(Or Colin? Two foreign minds were mentioned but three names?) was the other foreign consciousness? What was he called before?

Also, if you know what time period exactly you were called Watcher-Worm, we can go back and revisit that time period, even if it was before Typhon existed. We can find out what you were used for, to ease your troubled mind. Or confirm your fears. Either way, it'll be informative. We can keep this a secret from Typhon until we use the Time Marble again, and not tell him the real reason why we're visiting the time period you were in.

Why are you so certain this would lead to rebellion?

Tell Skimmy you're just thinking about your work, you're worried about the area to the south where all you can see are specks of light. You should keep in mind that they might not be stars...

As for your observations of the Sun civilization, it sounds like they have full control over the Marble's power but have only accessed it recently. We will need to rally the Fell against them to stop their advancement, I think. Or at least distract their troops enough that we can get in to steal the Marble and neutralize their military might. I expect their civilization can go back to the state it was in before without all of them dying or something stupid like that. Same for the Life Marble to the west of Fell territory. Pretty sure we're going to have to fight Akar, by the way. Maybe we can convince the Soroi to attack them at the same time as the Fell, to distract her forces. Also, we've seen that Soroi can survive without the influence of their marble... which means they CAN live in Akar's territory. We just have to worry about the hostile Chaos creatures, because the Soroi marble is all that's keeping them in check. This world is in a precarious balance, but we can still work through it. Only the Fell seem to be completely reliant on their Marble to survive, so far.

>>690376
>Also, if you know what time period exactly you were called Watcher-Worm, we can go back and revisit that time period, even if it was before Typhon existed. We can find out what you were used for, to ease your troubled mind.

Seconded.

She said Colin might rebel if he learned who he was. Is he Betrayer-Worm, maybe?

Re. the shadow civilization and star field: You've likely found the users of the Moon and Space marbles, respectively. Good job.

>>690376
The entity in the future was called Doubter-Worm, though it did indeed have a penchant for betrayal. Does that name ring any bells?

Re. your secrets: This is a dangerous game to play. What we're missing at this point, more than anything else, is understanding of how this world works. You risk depriving your side of information that's essential to finding a way to prevent this world being destroyed by the Shatterer.
Let's see if you can answer any of the following:
1. Would the rebellion be Colin's, or that of other elements against him?
2. Is there anything we can do to make it safe for this information to be shared, that you can talk about? Push his mind (or those of other people) into different states, find other information to put it into context, something else?
3. Is there something else we should be doing - some information we should specifically look for - that you can identify from the secrets you're not willing to share, which is itself safe for you to talk about?

Errol, I have to ask you two things. The first is could any of these secrets have strategic value? The second is whether or not you trust us advisors? It could be possible that this information could be vitally important to future plans, and we would never do anything that could jeopardize what we are trying to accomplish here.

alright I'm going to ask some questions. First off I don't find it all that strange that you and your boyfriend are older then Typhon. I mean he was created by Wintermol to be there ultimate weapon. It makes since that he's younger since he was created only one age ago while Ichor was only found one age ago. But the thing I'm most curious about what you have said when you said
>I absolutely could not allow Colin to know how he entered the ichor collective.
what do you mean by "enter the collective"? You make it sound like he was someone else... something else before before become an Ichor being... Oh god he's not one of those hybrid children that Typhon made right before he snapped was he?

Anyways about those nations to the east, can you tell us any more about them or is that going to be something that we're going to have to send a scout out if we want more information. I ask because this world (while falling apart) is in a odd state of balance where everything is pushing on each other that keeps everything from falling apart. We remove one piece and the whole thing collapses so before we act on the sun nation we need to know how they balance the world. If we're lucky we might be able to just focus on the 4 nations/marbles we have now before we move out the try and gain the last 3.

Oh and let skimmy know that you're just talking to us and if he wants he can come on over. I know that you probably want to be alone but it might be easier to not let anything slip if you're speaking to him in person then within your own head. Plus he could use the company.

>>690380
Whoops, Doubter-Worm. Yes. ...actually, such a designation makes it sound like they were made to cross-check actions of some ruler. A kind of foil for an overconfident king, like a court jester. The vision makes them out to be something more disruptive though. Maybe that future involves Colin/Ladon finding out they're Doubter-Worm and deciding to fully embrace that role?

Hmm. Also, if there are entities in the Typhon collective that existed before him, would that mean they were made of ichor, so that the merging was possible at all? Typhon was likely not the first ichor creature created, but... I wonder, did ichor and ichor-creatures exist since this world's creation, and Typhon was created via technology effectively stolen from the gods?

>>690376
>Attacking the Akari.

But what about Taja? After we let her stay in our base and we gained her trust, we're just going to attack her and her people? This is going to crush her emotionally! Sure, we could try to warn her and tell her that Akar isn't as nice as she looks, but that's going to cause a genocide! Since Taja's entire species is linked, if we try to tell her then everyone will know, including Akar! And, if what everyone that's told us about Akar is to be believed, she will destroy her entire species and start over again! If we're going to take Akar's marble, then can we please find a way to do it without risking a genocide of an entire species?

>>690447
The attack's meant as a distraction to take out their leader and seize control of the Marble. We have enough information at this point that we can conclude Akar isn't to be trusted. Whether we can convince her servants of this is irrelevant, because after she's dead they won't be able to continue fighting. We can just tell them to shut up and deal with living under our rule, because we'll have the Marble. We can tell the Fell and Soroi forces to try to minimize casualties if that makes you feel better about it, but either way we'll still be saving lives in the long run because the fighting will end.

...oh! I thought of an alternative.

We could somehow trick Akar to come with us personally on a mission into Soroi territory and assassinate her while she's isolated. My initial thought was Fell territory but she'd refuse to enter the Miasma for obvious reasons.

>>690469
>>690447
In my opinion, Taja isn't to be trusted either. She's too brainwashed into Akar's cult thing, and was probably sent to seduce and spy on us in the first place.

>>690489
dude they're whole race is a hive mind. Anything they know Akar knows. Hell if the stories are to be believe she can kill the whole race on a whim. Honestly the biggest problem with Akar and her race is going to be getting them to join us over Akar and trying to keep her from finding out we're trying to back stab her.

>>690494
Our only option if we want to spare the Akari is to bypass them completely and kill Akar without their intervention.

She's not stupid, she's not going to be drawn out. I still think the best assassination plan is installing a miasma generator in Typhon's dick and pretending to take her up on her offer of impregnating her with freaky ichor hybrids. Even if it doesn't kill her, maybe the shock of it would weaken/distract her enough we could pry the Marble from her.

It's not exactly gentlemanly, but who would expect a guy to weaponize his junk?

>>690495
alright... so let's say that somehow works, what stops her people who worship her from trying to kill the shit out of us for killing there god/mother?

>>690497
Once we have the Growth Marble, we can nuke them if we want/need to. Or if we need to attune to it first, we can still use it as a threat. They may not necessarily know that. If Akar is as vain and narcissistic as she sounds, she likely wouldn't tell them how it really works.

>Me and Ladon? We're both far older than Typhon is.
How many of the ichor-minds are from the same era Watcher-Worm is from?

>I absolutely could not allow Colin to know how he entered the ichor collective. It would with absolute certainty lead to rebellion.
If you were Watcher-Worm, would that make him the Doubter-Worm we have heard of in visions?

>Pretty sure we're going to have to fight Akar
Why are we so sure that she is beyond negotiation? I forget what it was she did that was all that much more assholish than half the major powers around here.

>This empire is waging war and conquering the lands around it at alarming speed, save for two frontlines.
If they are just conquering instead of exterminating the locals or turning them into cyborg slaves, is that even our problem?

>And to the southeast, all I can see are stars where the land should be.
You know, about the whole floating landmases thing, do we know what is under them? I think we should get a pre-conscious or volunteer ichor worm and drop them off the world's edge to see what happens.

>>690504
>Why are we so sure that she is beyond negotiation?
Here's what Odon (a known liar, but still) had to say about her:
http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/res/471394.html#509301
Keya confirmed the jist of that story. Akar has committed genocide FOUR TIMES because she didn't like her troops.
She's never gonna just give up the Marble, and I don't want her as a ruler anymore anyway.

If you REALLY want to super double confirm Akar's history we can view it either tonight or tomorrow night. Depends on what our priorities are when night falls.

>>690534
Oh right; I had forgotten that part. Yeah I guess we will probably be killing her eventually then.

Errol, thank you for bringing the issue of past identities up again. Unfortunately all that have past incarnations will likely feel the influence of them as time goes on, so it is inevitable that Colin will learn of his origin, is there any changes in mindset that could be used to help soften the blow or circumstances that could be arranged to alter his perspective when he learns of this?
If possible could we use distance to avoid Colin being able to make use of the base when this is revealed to him?
Also, in spite of the issue of not having substantial information, small facts like this are useful to us, from what you say it sounds like Sannersoon came out of the apocalypse with less harm to infrastructure than its counterpart, while the so called "sects" that the Soroi originate from may be the shadows you have seen.

Also to all of you bent on the death of Akar, I would not be suprised if each genocide coincided with a major attack by outsiders and a contraction in the size of her territory. The extent of "industrialisation" and apparent lack of desire to attack by Warminds makes me think that Akar's mindset of "turtling" brought the genocides upon her creations.
I'm tempted to offer her escape, namely to those mountains Errol mentioned to see if she still has the compulsion to stand her ground and fortify no matter the cost to the forms of others.

Errol 2016/05/21(Sat)20:23 No. 725044 ID: b024e9
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Whether or not I trust you, you serve Typhon, as do I. And clearly, Typhon trusts you. So, more information, then.

I've told you all I know about the east. We would need to send a scout there. I have no idea what this empire of light is doing.

>Doubter-Worm
Doubter-Worm. Can't say I recognise that name at all. Ladon's second age name was Shaper-Worm. Now he's shaper-drone. His third age name, I think, was also Ladon.

>Ages
I know the relative ages involved for my former lives. This is the fifth age of, uh, well, that's for the sixth age to decide. The fourth age of the empires of Wintermol and Sannersoon, Lord Typhon's time in the sun and moon, that was the age of Optosi. Watcher-Worm must have been before then. I have vague memory glimpses into an age of hazy dusk where machines rise and tower into the sky, and of an age of magic so raw and wild the world was alive with dreams. A far cry from the shattered rocks it is now.

>Colin
The rebellion would be entirely Colin's. He was an ichor creature created outside of and forcibly integrated into our ichor swarm. Against his will. A library assistant turned military scientist. That's all I'm comfortable sharing now.

>Akar
The information we have on Akar have come from predominantly her enemies. She has been difficult to work with, but perhaps we should not rule out diplomacy completely yet. Maybe Skimmy should take a trip to the forests next time.

-Errol?-
-What, Skimmy?-
-Why are you all alone under the water?-
-I'm thinking about things.-
-Ladon wants you to look at something for him.-
-Can't you go look?-
-I already did. He said he wanted your expertise.-

I paddle over to Ladon.

Errol 2016/05/21(Sat)20:23 No. 725045 ID: b024e9
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Ladon points into the horizon. "See all of that?"
"I don't see anything."
"Exactly. No soroi for miles."

I stare into the horizons into soroi lands. True to Ladon's words, I can't see anyone.

"Well," says Ladon, "Any ideas why?"
"It's torpor season. Sort of like winter."
"When did you learn that?"
When Typhon did. "Dunno. The vague weird consciousness thing?" Shouldn't Ladon know that? Was he not paying attention? Am I the only one here with any sort of vigilance?
"Huh. Alright then. Think soroi hibernate?"
"They clump together, I think, for whatever reason. They might just be in places that aren't open floodplains."

Ladon shakes his head. "Something else has to be up. It isn't winter anywhere else. Well, uh, huh. The forests, well, bad example, I'm not sure the forest has weather, and Fell territory is just constant overcast smog clouds. ...Does the world actually have weather patterns and seasons anymore?"
"Some places, yes."
"Huh. Where?"
"Mostly the east."
"What about the west?"
"Constant rainstorm to the southeast where Wintermol used to be. No idea why. Constant lightning storm over Fell skies. That's probably defenses. Constant clear skies over the akari forests. Light showers at most. Only this place seems to change, and all that changes is how fast the storms are."

"Storm continent," says Ladon. He ponders. "Y'know, if a place is always changing and that's a constant truth, is it ever really changing?"
"I'm a scientist, not a philosopher."
"Aren't you always seeking answers though?"
"To questions that actually matter, yes."
"Rude! Try to relax, okay?"

Errol 2016/05/21(Sat)20:23 No. 725046 ID: b024e9
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It's hard to relax when I have an idea of just how unstable the world is. Forget the Shatterer. I don't think the current age even needs a Shatterer to fall apart and blow itself into even more pieces. Let's revisit Akar. Let's think how things would happen if we kill her.

Akar, the resident pretender-goddess of a forest that never sees the sun, waging war against the Fell and the soroi. The soroi, beset by akari attacks and invasions by what we've come to call chaos creatures. The Fell, fighting two fronts, the akari and the eastern empire. The eastern empire, fighting the Fell and a mountain range's shadowy dwellers. To the south west, a frozen wasteland with an indestructible tower, and to the south east only stars or other points of light.

We remove Akar from the equation. The akari, a species that has only known one ruler and one unifying thread binding them, are thrown into disarray. Perhaps their hivemind will remain, but I suspect removal of the marble of growth is going to show what happens when an unnatural forest has its existential support removed. The survivors will pose no threat and will likely die out from starvation and exposure as Akar's forest dream faces harsh reality.

The soroi and the Fell now fight against each other to claim what was formerly akari lands. Both of them are interested in increasing their numbers, which both requires and only makes sense for further expansion. Either the Fell are victorious and continue to conquer the entire eastern continent, or they're set back by this.

Say the Fell win. They now have the entire eastern continent. Odon is likely to systematically wipe out all of the soroi, save for the miasma adapted ones, as far as I can guess. They turn to their one remaining front, the eastern empire, which they've been only barely keeping defended. They throw everything they have at the eastern empire and the tide of conquest turns against the eastern empire. Beset by a newly aggressive Fell empire in addition to their southern enemies, the eastern empire puts up a strong fight with its superior forces but ultimately can't fight against the miasma, the Fell's greatest weapon of all.

When the eastern empire falls, that's it. Nothing else is left to put up any sort of resistance to the Fell. For all intents and purposes, they have the world. And we better hope Odon hasn't won the succession conflict at that point. If he has, the Shatterer arriving would be a mercy at that point.

Say the soroi win. The Fell have taken significant losses, and pose no threat to the eastern empire. The miasma generators will be destroyed as the eastern empire advances, and the Fell will be wiped off the face of the map. The soroi pose little threat to an organised empire, and are easily defeated. With only one remaining force of resistance left, other than us, they crush the mountain dwellers.

Altogether, I think we can wait to assassinate Akar. We really either need more ichor or more efficient ways to use ichor. Colin tried last time to get some from Akar, but she's clearly turning out to not be particularly co-operative. I could be at home scanning for more deposits, or more marbles, or anything else. Instead I'm here in some dumb bubbling pool. And everyone else loves it but me. Blegh. I'm more relaxed when I can see what's happening all around me on a screen.

I guess I can take these goggles off. I'll, uh, just put them in my pockets. There we go--

Errol 2016/05/21(Sat)20:24 No. 725047 ID: b024e9
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«This is a meeting point for fire and water soroi. During torpor, none convene here. You are neither fire or water. State your intention.»

Oh a soroi behind me. I. Uh. Hm. Ladon is the first to say something. "Oh! We, uh, we didn't know that! We'll, uh, head off!"

The soroi walks on the water's surface as though it were solid. Um.

«There is no departure for rulebreakers save exile or destruction. Exile is reserved for the first rule violation of soroi. You are not soroi.»

Uh oh.

-See, I knew this was a bad idea! How did we miss this guy?!-
-No idea. Look. We can't fight this guy. Stall. I think I can throw together a worm for him to chase or something.-

I hear a splash as Ladon submerges himself.

"So," I say, "are we supposed to stay here forever?"

«None convene here during torpor.»
"So what are we supposed to do?"
«Not be here.»
"Then what do we do after that? We're not soroi, we don't know the rules."

The soroi stares at us coldly, but doesn't look like he's about to strike.

«We find your kind to be an affront. Your mere existence stifles our growth, and the forest monstrosities multiply with no such harm. We are plagued by the stains of chaos preying on our weaker-willed, a sickness threatening to tear apart our way of life. You come here, to our lands, to our waters, and rest as though innocent in torpor springs. You break rules you say you do not know, while basking in a sanctified place of negotiation and resolution.»

"Well--"

«You would remain here for me to rend you both into ichorous ribbons, if such an act was sanctioned.»
"Does that mean it's allowed or denied--"
«Leave.»
"But exile is for soroi, you said--"

He breaks into a run! I start paddling backwards HELP ME ADVISORRSSS

dive under him and appear behind him. It probably won't work twice but if you're in trouble then wouldn't everyone else know you're in trouble and come to your aid? You just need to avoid him until they show up.

>>725047
This is a place of negotiation, ask to negotiate.

ask if it wishes to turn this place of peace into a battleground.

Do the dolphin! DO THE DOLPHIN!

Say that if he lists the rules for us we will know not to break then next time.
If we can't get this guy to back down or negotiate our goal will be to minimize political problems that could ensue. So that means first of all absolutely no hurting this guy (the currents will very likely let others know if we harm a soroi in soroi territory). Second, it would probably make things worse if Typhon and Nashi are also seen here, so if its a fight we should message them to sneak away, then distract this guy until they are gone and we can de-form and re-form back at the base.

On Colin, by rebellion do you mean leave and/or refuse to follow any more orders, or do you mean actively trying to destroy us? I kind of feel like he is bound to find out eventually, so things might go better if he finds out from us on our terms rather than from some enemy at a time where his rebellion would screw us over. Of course, if telling him ourselves would still lead to the worst case scenario of him running off to use the hive link against us that won't be a very good option.