Find the nearest sentient creature.

Begin adorable rolling.

>>668217
Whatever I decide, the first step is rolling my new body over so it can move around. They were walking on just two legs, with sticks bundled and carried in front when I first saw them. Not sure I can do that, yet. I try to push up onto all fours, but the left arm won't support my weight, tears blurring my body's bright vision. Won't be able to run. Can hobble on three limbs, I suppose.

Moving makes it apparent, too, this material that has been keeping me from the adult's innards is not a flexible part of the hide; don't need to tear it off, just find a way around it. At the midsection, there's a gap, I widen it with a few nudges and tear into the exposed flesh.

My new body has grazer's teeth, but the warm meat still tastes good. Even after I have all eaten as much as I can, there is meat left on the forest floor. Myself in the den has not eaten more than a rabbit in the past few days, but my pup bodies do not have enough stamina to make the trip with me to the carcass, though I could leave them in the den.

Use new body's front paws to remove outer coverings from adult carcass. Eat muscle off of the shoulder and hip joints, then twist and gnaw to sever connective tissue until limbs come loose from the torso. Smaller parts will be easier to bring back to the den.

Find a long, sturdy stick for new body to hold in front paws and use like a third leg while standing upright. Need to practice walking on two legs now so you'll be able to do it right under combat conditions later. Eyes further off the ground let you see things further away.

Me 2015/09/08(Tue)16:07 No. 668401 ID: 37b8ce
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>>668247
I pull at the coverings with my small hands. There is heavy body on some parts, there is all of it stuck together on round pebbles, parts taste like skin but hard like bones, wound together. Frustrating. Using teeth of other myself, gnaw and chew, pull loose. Takes time, free arms now.

Sticks are all together, in two bundles. Pull them out, snaps. Other bundle, bendy, sturdy and leafy. Good smells. Practice with one while chewing at shoulders. Coverings on feet and stick make for a strange feeling, the ground is muffled, snap of leaves I never felt underfoot.

I lean onto one of me not carrying an arm, am holding stick in mouth instead. Practice more later. Even carrying those, it's much faster not having to support my new body, I go far ahead. I walk until it's hard to tell which limbs belong to which body and all blur together. The sun is low.

All but two of me are at the den now. I eat an arm, and the other arm. Scrape out a hollow under a fallen log and curl up under it, newer body hidden by the grey fur of a stronger body. Feed pups. I am all of me tired and full, so let the day slip away with the light.

The end of the first day seems like a good place to talk a little about mechanics.

At the start of the game, you have eight bodies and three supernatural abilities:

[Body Thief rank 1]
[Hivemind rank 1]
[Mother of Monsters rank 1]

The first two seem self explanatory, but if you want clarification on any point just ask. Type [HELP] before your question if you want it explained clearly in this bold textual fashion, otherwise it'll be fielded by your regular narration.

The Mother of Monsters ability allows you to influence the physical attributes of any bodies you gestate. Rank one allows for a slight increase of an existing trait of the base species, or the introduction of a new one.

Try choosing traits for the three wolf pups now.

>Try choosing traits for the three wolf pups now.
Stealthy. The better to sneak and scout on other potential bodies, and so they can follow and help our human body without people noticing.

Increased stealth for one of the females, ability to digest plant matter for the other (as a hedge in case this whole apex-predator thing doesn't work out), majestic black mane of porcupine quills for the male.

Fast growth for one of the females. You've only got one adult female. I like stealth for one of the others. Some sort of chameleon ability maybe? Eh, maybe just increase toughness for the male.

>>668607
im gonna agree with this

What does the weird body look like?

>>668440
>>668561
>>668607
Pups bodies are the first bodies to wake, have a morning snack. One is getting bigger faster. Think I will be off milk sooner, able to hunt sooner with that me. Another has some black quills poking out of my ruff, which sometimes pokes the other myselves when I am suckling. Think it looks very impressive, will be a fearsome body. Think it will be harder to have my throat torn out. Last body looks like wolf pups I find, take. But it is better. I made it. Still, maybe it is a little easy to overlook.

Look around, no danger. Sounds of birds, stream, breathing.

Caught a big meal yesterday, most of me can relax today, rest.

As puppies, I run, move. No purpose to it, just enjoyable.

Soon enough, I am all awake, even my new body.

>>668676
On two legs it is tall, but the adult was much taller, maybe double. This pup can see over a wolf's shoulders, if barely; that's how tall. Mostly hairless, soft pinkish hide, soft hair. I can move all the fingers on my hands, one by one, and one folds over, grips easily. Nose barely functions. Eyes see better, more colors. Long ears, jut out but can't twist around, seem to hear about the same.

The upper cover on the body is light brown, stiff, covers guts. Layer under is flexible, pink, yellow edges. Easy to see. Patches are stiff with dried blood. Over legs, there's more flexible cover, held tight with a brown braid. There's a sticky purple stain on one side, don't think it was there yesterday. Feeling at it, I find a flap. Berries inside! They taste good, even squished. What else? Pebble-feather hung on neck. Bark on wrist, probably easiest part of the cover to remove, it flops around. Stiff flesh covering my feet, but soft inside. Fur, maybe rabbit fur.

I spend some time practicing with the new body. Walking, grabbing hands. Getting better at it, but I am still using the leafy stick, sometimes leaning on other body.

When the sun is high, I am finally all of me at the den.

How do you gain more bodies? Is there a limit on the number you can have?
Guess you'd better go hunting. Those pups won't feed themselves. Have your new body help look after the pups. Can it help improve the den with its opposable thumbs?

Majority should stay back near the den, conserving energy and guarding the pups. Eldest male and new body follow scent trails back to wherever those berries came from. Try out different foods to learn what the new body needs, scout around your territory to see what can be learned from new colors and new levels of thought. Anything threatens, retreat rather than escalating.

Have you ever seen others of the same type as your new body? Not of the pack that your new body came from, but another group? If so, you should send the new body to them, their instinct will be to care for it, meaning the rest of your bodies don't have to. Plus you can learn more about it.

Send a body or two to track the trail from where you got this body, if it's not gone cold. Don't attack yet, though, just learn where their den is for future reference. Well, unless you find a prime target like two pups with no adults.

Me 2015/09/14(Mon)12:13 No. 669565 ID: 37b8ce
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>>668790

Bodies is... Has... Hm. Around...no, in, sort of. Ok, no, um.

Body grows; growing in, out of body, is thing. Thing that watches, thing that is being body, ok? All living have.

So I tear thing out. Not pulling with body, but need to touch not-me body still, to know where body is. Then there is space in, I can be body through. I can be many many bodies.

Is easier to take out a young, not rooted in much. Or if hurt to dying, start to unroot by themself, can be easier to pull out; can take older bodies sometimes like this. But then that body hurts, and is dead soon.

As for den...don't know what to improve? Is sturdy, tree roots to one side. Dug into bank facing stream, hard to see I think. Ah, but notice now, I am leaving tracks in wet dirt by stream.

>>668802

New body tired, arm is red, hurts. Will stay near den, I think. Maybe pat on tracks, smudge them. Have grazers teeth, so will try eat different leafs.

Low leafs is probably fine? Eat as deer. Hard to tell. Doesn't taste good, doesn't taste bad.

As oldest, I return to yesterday's kill. See thickets on the way, birds. Probably is berries, will come back later. Prickly.

When return, is new scents, tracks, body is under new cover, all covered. Sticks is gone.

New scent is fresh, same type of creatures. Couldn't be gone long, maybe could catch up. Hunt was easy yesterday, maybe take down another? Scent leads one way along yesterday's trail.

Surprising, smell no other type of creatures, think none more eat. Crows at least always are cleaning up, not this time.

Still, meat left, always good. Could take more back? Follow new trail? Old trail?

>>668971

Long times ago, seen similar? Maybe same? Not sure.

On plains of tall grass, saw beasts with two heads. Thinking now, maybe one on another, but could not get close then. From far, creatures struck me through a heart, bled and died. Changed path after that, fast and far striking seemed dangerous.

Rocky coast, seen another. Less rain than here, but more water. Salt, fresh. Flowing, still. Creatures like this there live floating on water; like birds in trees, in sight, out of reach.

Another coast, seen lots, ate careless when they travelled near. Their territory was always day, lit by its own sun. I was many eyes in night then, never approached. Lazier then, maybe.

Should go to one of these? Take only new body, others? Leave when?

>>669565
You have only oldest body there? Track, but be cautious, don't let them see or hear you. They may have farstrikers. Leave meat for now, can always come back.

How far are places? If sunny coast is within a couple days' travel go there. If not, same goes for the other coast. Stay away from those plains though.
If you do go, take at least one other body for protection. New body seems too weak to defend itself well at best of times, and is injured. Just keep other bodies out of sight when approaching.

>>669565
Maybe new body will be able to do far-striking when it grows up?

>Still, meat left, always good. Could take more back? Follow new trail? Old trail?
Yes, some bodies should harvest some meat to take back if good.

One body should scout the old trail. See where yesterday's kill and new body came from. Maybe find nest and useful things?

Is it too late in the year for there to be baby birds in nests? An owl would open up lots of useful options.

For now, follow the new trail, try to catch up but don't attack. Stay behind cover, out at the edge of visual range. You want to find where the bipeds sleep, where they keep their young, so you can get more biped bodies and breed them.

Me 2015/09/22(Tue)20:09 No. 671823 ID: 37b8ce
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>>669594
Days? Hah. Further than that!

As wolf body think I could be at grasslands before the longest days, rocky waters before the leaves turn, and the sunny shore before snow falls if I am running until my paws bleed. But new body is slower. Maybe because pup, maybe because injured, maybe both; it travels slow. Even to the trail where I found it is whole day to walk for it!

So, would be slow, but maybe worth it. Maybe when pups are weaned, whole pack can move easy.

>>669720

Birds is a good idea, but how to get their young? This is always the problem, getting close. Young are guarded, or hid, or put up high in trees.

Sometimes see an owl around, near dusk or dawn. Not sure if it has chicks, never tried to see where it roosts, but could do.

Crows usually show up to eat a kill. Could leave something out, try to catch a young looking one.

A pond is two days walk downstream, ducks make ground nests. Might be an easy catch.

Will think about it.

>>669655

I follow new trail with nearest body, bring one other from den to come follow old scent. Want to rest with full bellies, but there is things to be done, and meat to be brought back later anyway.

As thought, soon see the scent leavers, two more of the same type as newest body.

One is carrying both stick bundles under one arm. Moves smoothly, with predator steps. One is very alert. Like a rabbit, jumping at the sound of wind. Can't get too close. Wait and follow their scent out of sight. Slow, careful.

Even slow, one body reaches the nest a bit before other reaches the old scent trail. Biped scent trails overlap, smells of prey animals, strong flower scents blowing by. Even from here, not close approached, can hear some chattering. There are many, like a migrating herd, but am sure this is a nest. Trees twist in and around each other, still living, blooming, and creatures move in and out of the shelters, carrying items, pups, plants, many things. Surprising too, a herd of small deer browing through the mishappen trees, are they not noticing creatures all around?

Not sure where trail leavers are, all are looking very alike to me. Do see more young, here and there.

Move through forest cover, circling nest. All different shaped structure, think I see maybe meat at one? Some areas like big thickets near the edges, areas open to the sky near the center. Clouds are dark, and air feels like rain maybe soon again.

Meanwhile, have found the other end of the old scent trail. Massive tree, have seen before, passing by. Scent dodges between roots clawing from the ground, up to the massive trunk. Same scent as stick bundles, same leaves. Sap still oozing from some limbs high, but not too high. Creature's scent on the trunk, climbing? Brush my nose against a branch as smelling, and can feel a powerful other, like brushing against a sleeping bear.

Flinch back, leaves rustling like laughter, but am not sure of the mood. Feeling of a gaze.

Uncomfortable, what to do?

Now you know where the hominids live, and a bit about how they operate, you can return to the den and start making plans for infiltration.

Find the owl's nest and have the new body climb up to possess an owl chick while the parent is off hunting. Send at least two of the adult male wolves along as escorts. Pile up soft and/or springy underbrush before climbing to minimize chances of further injury in the event of a fall.

>>671823
Oh. Elves, not humans. That complicates things... that there are multiple races i mean not so much which they are

Exploring other bipeds' areas not a short-term goal, then. Eventually, though.

For becoming birds: would eggs work? If so, could get great advantage from chasing off duck parent temporarily and becoming entire nest of eggs. If only chicks work, is harder. Maybe could try for crows, but only with meat hard to get at anyway, no sense wasting good meat for slim chance.

Might be worth sending new body back to its nest, but risky; they might recognize it as changed. Probably better not to, at least until have other body of this kind. Maybe if spot child by itself, become and send back for learning?

Living tree is weird and worrying. Stay back.