Heretic 2019/12/06(Fri)19:02 No. 951088 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157568774261.png - (84.58KB , 1046x1064 , Oven.png )

>>951035
>It might pay to understand history like this.
JACLYN: Recognizing what happened here can help us all avoid it again.
FINCH: Or it'll encourage people who think they know everything to give it a whirl! Assholes that think they can tame it, make it their own. Knowledge like that can be dangerous.

>>951010
>Hold on, is it gonna make you go crazy or mutate or something?
JACLYN: How dangerous is this? It won't turn me into a monster will it?
FLINT: Like I said, when handled by someone with a lick a sense, it's mighty useful. I'm quite a sensible fellow y'know?

>>951030
>But what do you gain from helping us really?
JACLYN: There any reason why you're helpin' me?
FINCH: Can't a gentlemen aid a young lady in these tryin' times?
JACLYN: Cut the bullshit bike man
FINCH: Okay! okay. The machine doesn't refine ALL of the ichor, some of it is stored for me. It's like a tax, s'only fair huh?

>Dump some Ichor
Jaclyn puffs her cigarette and dumps the smaller vial of ichor into the machine funnel. It's about 4 ounces.
JACLYN: This...Is this an oven?
FINCH: Yeah, it was a perfect vessel for the machine! A few modifications and it all came together.

The oven sputters and heats up as the ichor is poured into the funnel, a little smoke escapes from the stove pipe.

FINCH: Sorry, that ain't enough. Needs 15 ounces else it's no good. you got 11 more to give if you want something out of it.

fuck it dump out the other 11. It's not like we can really do anything else with the stuff.

Sigh, fine.

Heretic 2019/12/06(Fri)20:16 No. 951094 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157569220773.png - (109.09KB , 1304x1064 , Solrg Style Baking.png )

JACLYN: Fine.

Jaclyn pours some of the other jar of ichor into the oven's funnel, it leaves her with a jar of 5 oz of ichor.

FINCH: Fantastic! Now we can get cooking...

The machine begins to shutter and whir. The heat is intense, and the stove pipe spews out a much larger plume of smoke. It fills Jaclyn's lungs along with the cigarette smoke, she begins to hack and cough uncontrollably, her lungs burn, her body aches, something feels different...

PICK ONE ATTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE

STR. What doesn't kill you...

Dexterity since that's the shootin' stat and it should at least be at C since we've been doing some shooting.
(also whoops during prior combat we were making rolls as if it was C, when it was D)
Either that or Willpower, to help stave off insanity in the long run.

Voting int, for obvious reasons.

>>951094
Increase Willpower! Need to make sure Jaclyn doesn’t go insane!

>willpower

kinda want to say dex to make our shooting better but seeing how badly we were flunking those sanity saves I feel it would be wiser to try and deal with the silent killer of insanity now instead of having it ruining us down the road.

Can it increase Charisma? If not, then increase Dexterity.

Haha, let's go for +Int and try to figure out how this machine actually works.

Cough, and glare at bike man.

"That's 'using it with a lick of sense'? Boil the shit so it invades your body vape-style? Fffuck. I'll throw in the rest of what I've got of this damn stuff if you let me have a look at what the fuck this machine actually did."

>>951094
Knowledge is power, lets crank up Int.

Int.
Why be slightly less mediocre at something when you can be the best at something else?

>everyone voting for Int
Guys? Our Int is already maxed out, we can’t go any higher. Could you please vote for something else?

On one hand, we’ve failed most if not all of our WLL checks, and things might start getting ugly fast if we don’t improve that.

On the other hand, our DEX is abysmal, and if we didn’t stack the deck and otherwise luck out with our rolls, we’d be dead right now. My vote is DEX.

Int
>>951153
Our Int is only A+
It could be S
Think about it. We're about as smart as a human can be, but now we got some superhuman Juju Juice.

Know the Unknowable

Fuck it. I want big brain.

Have there been any int checks?

>>951161
>It could be S
This was the suggestion everyone supported: >>948800 , which Heretic created here: >>948823 .

That means Int is already at S rank.

>>951172
Wait, we max it? If that is the case, we should invest in DEX, if we are going to be using guns, we should be able to properly use them.

>>951172 But what if there is something beyond s rank, like, not a rank increase, but a metmoorphosis into something greater. What if we trade in our nasty-old A+ int to get a d class psi? What could possibly be better to use against a damned city-state of eldritch horrors than psionics?

This is a very silly discussion. Why would Heretic allow us to choose between four different stats to upgrade if one of them were 'maxed out'? Maybe maxed out for a human, but this is literal eldritch blood bullshit, so who knows what it can do to a person's stats!

Besides, I've seen nothing out there that says our Int is 'capped out' or anything. For example, we know C gives us a 50/50 odds at doing things. Assuming an increment of 10 per increase in stat, we have:

C - 50
B - 60
A - 70
A+ - 80
??? - 90
???? - 100

Or maybe 75 is A+. I can see 80 being S, 85 being S+, 90 being SS, 95 being SS+ and 100 being You Cheesy Fucks Don't Know When to Quit Do YouSSS. Anyway, if this upgrade 'fails' to take because our brain was 'too big already', I'll honestly just laugh.

1/2 Heretic 2019/12/07(Sat)21:16 No. 951183 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157578220544.png - (92.64KB , 1558x1098 , Smokey Flavour.png )

>Intelligence
Jaclyn's head throbs in pain, like brain freeze and a hangover had a baby.
JACLYN: AAAGH! What the fuck!?
FINCH: Yeah...Forgot to warn ya the first dose is a bit intense.

JACLYN'S INTELLIGENCE ROSE TO S RANK! ATTRIBUTES ARE GRADED FROM F- to S RANK. JUST AS THEY CAN RISE, THEY CAN ALSO FALL.
THE SCALE IS [F-|F|E|D|C|B|A|A+|S]

FINCH: Well, besides the terrible headache how ya feelin'?
JACLYN: I...Don't know? Everything sort of seems the same.
FINCH: It tends to feel like that unless the change was extreme. Oh and next time you'll need more ichor, each time you get a dosage the next one has to be stronger. Next time it'll be 45 ounces.

Jaclyn takes a few breaths before continuing to smoke her cigarette.

JACLYN: ...Were can I rest when night comes?
FINCH: Hmmm...Well, there's a small settlement a ways away from here, you ought to make it if ya keep followin' the road. Problem is I don't think you'll make it before sun down, anything could happen from here to there that can stall you. If night falls the most I can offer you is one of these.

Finch takes a mushroom out of his pack and hands it to Jaclyn.

2/2 Heretic 2019/12/07(Sat)21:17 No. 951184 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157578222679.png - (27.48KB , 620x584 , Strangle Cap.png )

FINCH: This is Strangle Cap, it keeps away most of the more dangerous things at night. It ain't a perfect defense though. Now, before we part ways is there anything else you need to know? I'm a repository of knowledge.

>>951103
>whoops during prior combat we were making rolls as if it was C, when it was D
Jaclyn's military experience makes her better with guns. As long as she's using a firearm she'll make attacks as if they were a rank higher.

>>951183
Well that's maxed now I guess. Hopefully we use it for something.
>>951184
>good with guns, thus C dex with them
Oh nice, I guess it's less of a priority then. Maybe next ichor dose should go to Will? Depends on what happens later I suppose.

>strangle cap
How is it used?
>questions
Does he know of any long term side effects of ichor use? Does anyone know where it comes from, despite not knowing what it is exactly?
A general map of the area, please. Even a simple layout is useful.
What are the major players around here? Are the cultists organized, for instance?
Does he know anyone who would know more details on what caused the collapse of the kingdom?
What's the currency around here, anyway? Do people trade with drops of ichor or something?

Current plan: head to settlement, recuperate and help out a little with manual labor or whatever, then make a brief trip back home to make sure some information gets out about what's happening here. There's no reason to do all our investigation at once, that's putting all your eggs in one basket.

>>951183
>It tends to feel like that unless the change was extreme.
What exactly do you mean by “extreme”? Will I end up growing some horns or a tail or a third eye or something?

>>951184
>anything you wanna know?
How do you find Ichor? Is it commonly found in places like that cultist house?

Will we meet each other again or will I have to look for someone else next time I want a dose of Ichor?

>>951185
>list of things we want to know.
This.

You said there was a settlement, are there many? How does one avoid a fight? What are the standard practises by which one might persuade others towards assistance of oneself? What goods do they value?

>I'm just a good listener. Though not as good as you are.

C-can Finch hear us?
Hi Finch!

I’m assuming INT will start mattering when we start having more non-violent encounters, such as in this nearby settlement. Right now, I think STR is the only stat that isn’t a priority, since we’re covered for INT, military training can only carry us so far with our abysmal DEX, and WLL seems like an important stat for maintaining mental health no matter who we are.

> What to ask.
This Strangle Cap seems like something I’d love to save for emergencies. How viable would you say hunkering down here is; maybe if we spent the rest of the day fortifying? Er, you need to find someplace before dark too, right? Or can you make much better pace on that bike? ... Is there a way I can ride with you?

1/3 Heretic 2019/12/12(Thu)05:46 No. 951479 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157615839917.png - (146.61KB , 1517x1064 , The Cyclist 4.png )

>Ichor
JACLYN: Tell me more about this ichor stuff.
FINCH: Odd stuff, sometimes it rains from the sky, sometimes it bubbles up from the ground, but only in Solrg. There aren't any long term side effects as long as you take it properly refined. Us it wrong though and you get monsters, I get the feeling you know what I mean though.

>Stranglecap and shelter
JACLYN: How do I use this stranglecap?
FINCH: Burn it. The fumes'll ward off most anything, except for people. Though people normally stay inside where it's safe. So basically, it won't totally protect you in the night, but it's better than nothing.
JACLYN: And what if I wanted to save it? Would hunkering down in this barn for the night be a good idea?
FINCH: I doubt there's any amount of reinforcing that'll make this rickety ol' barn safe. Besides, once the fire in the house grows it'll probably start to attract things, the smoke should be enough to bring anyone to see what happened.

>Settlements
JACLYN: Are there a lot of settlements? Why are there any to begin with?
FINCH: Some people feel an odd pull from Solrg, even people who've no ties to it. Some see value in hidden treasures buried here and come to make profit.

>Map
JACLYN: Got a map?
FINCH Sure do...

2/3 Heretic 2019/12/12(Thu)05:47 No. 951480 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157615842936.png - (424.72KB , 866x690 , Map1.png )

FINCH: That circle in the lower left is where we are. One hexagon is around 3 miles, empty houses are wrecks and ruins, filled in houses are in-tact buildings, Triangles with crosses in 'em are safe settlements, exclamation points could be dangerous, question marks could be something good, skulls are bad news.

>Group of Interest
JACLYN: Any groups of interest I should worry about? Are these cultists organized enough to be a massive threat to me?
FINCH: The cultists aren't too organized, a few are but there's a lot of in fighting between em. As for other groups, there are plenty. The closest safe town houses a lot of 4A activity.The Anomalous Artifacts and Activities Acquisitions, people looking to make money off of any anomalous materials or items they find. Not any real threat unless you antagonize them or get in the way of buisness. The Church of the Final Bang is around too, despite being a cult they're much more well put together than the Fetid Cultists. Not entirely insane, not entirely hostile, but still dangerous. There are plenty of lone scavengers too, wanderers and the like.

>Trade and Currency
JACLYN: Is trade normally done in ichor? Or is currency still done with silver dollars?
FINCH: Silver is fine for merchants and shop-keepers, but they won't have everything you need. Plenty of people are willing to trade goods with you, usually simple things, maybe a cigarette or a sewing needle. Many won't know what to do with ichor and the one's that do'll normally try to short change you.

3/3 Heretic 2019/12/12(Thu)05:47 No. 951481 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157615846826.png - (113.80KB , 1558x1064 , Finished Cigarette.png )

>Finch
JACLYN: If I need another dose, where can I find you?
FINCH: Around, and if you don't find me you'll find one of my friends. We know how to get around, trust me.
JACLYN: ...Anyway you can give me a ride to the settlement?
FINCH: I ain't a taxi service, plus I got my own places to go.
JACLYN: Fine...oh and about knowing my name. Did you just hear it through my coms?
FINCH: Coms?
JACLYN: Yeah, the communication piece I have. It connects me to my contacts.
FINCH: Is that what you thinks happening?
JACLYN: What are you implying?
FINCH: Eh, it's not that important. You'll figure it out sooner or later, I gotta jet. I look forward to seeing you in the future Jaclyn, safe travels.

Finch cycles of before Jaclyn can ask anything else. Jaclyn finishes her cigarette
JACLYN: Not my brand...but damn did I need that
JACLYN LOST 1 INSANITY!

Jaclyn's beginning to feel hungry...and a bit thirsty too, but she isn't too tired yet.
BEING STARVING PUTS PENALTIES ON STRENGTH, BEING DEHYDRATED PUTS PENALTIES ON DEXTERITY, BEING SLEEP DEPRIVED PUTS PENALTIES ON INTELLIGENCE. IF HUNGER, THIRST, OR SLEEP GO NEGLECTED FOR TOO LONG JACLYN'S WILL SHALL BEGIN TO SUFFER AS WELL.

well...shit. From the map the closest "safe" place is roughly 30 miles away. I mean I'd hate to say it but do you think the woods to the north would offer you any shelter? I mean it seems like a bad idea to me but I'm only really seeing 2 options at the moment.

1) head north into the woods and hope the ??? are something to help you last the night or that you can find some place to hunker down safely for the night

or

2) B line it straight to the nearest settlement (while taking care to avoid the skull area on the map) and hope you can make it before the sun goes down and you burn up all of your mushroom.

kinda leaning towards option 2 at the moment truth be told.

>>951479
>Ichor
That’s neat. Means we can almost always find some if we need it.

Only problem is if it starts raining. Don’t want to get caught in that and end up turning into a monster.

>>951481
>Where to?
I say you should head north, towards the closest question marks. From there, you can head towards the safe settlement in the morning.

>Jaclyn's beginning to feel hungry...and a bit thirsty too, but she isn't too tired yet.
Might want to nibble on your rations a little.

I say follow the road, and camp out in an empty house somewhere along the way.

Which way does the road go, anyway?

Did you get a good like at the ichor processor? or the bicycle? It could be handy if you could reverse-engineer them and build one for yourself...

North to the question marks. Seems like the best option.
Do take some time to skulk around the POI in case it's a trap though.

>>951496
This

1/3 Heretic 2019/12/18(Wed)16:24 No. 951824 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157671508849.png - (85.61KB , 1558x966 , Snacktime.png )

>>951496
>Might want to nibble on your rations a little.
Jaclyn unpacks her Bosco Brand Meat Rations. 3 servings of meat and meat flavored foods including beef bullion cubes and bologna flavored crackers, sausage rolls and pork rinds, beef jerky and meat shake powder, and a sweet cake (chicken flavored). Why would anyone want this? Jaclyn starts with one of the normal options and eats the beef jerky along with a few gulps of water.

>That’s neat. Means we can almost always find some if we need it.
JACLYN: He said sometimes it rains from the sky. I doubt it always rains ichor here.

>>951502
>Did you get a good look at the ichor processor? or the bicycle? It could be handy if you could reverse-engineer them and build one for yourself...
JACLYN: See thing is, I didn't get to see inside of the ichor oven thing. Besides I'm not an engineer so I doubt I could build one of those myself.

2/3 Heretic 2019/12/18(Wed)16:25 No. 951825 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157671510177.png - (443.47KB , 866x690 , Wheretonext.png )

>>951498
>Which way does the road go, anyway?
JACLYN: Road splits, leads in three directions. Now that I get a better look at the map.

>>951508
>>951496
>>951545
>Head North towards ???
Jaclyn moves north...

3/3 Heretic 2019/12/18(Wed)16:25 No. 951826 ID: 8fb3ba
File 157671511526.png - (163.43KB , 1558x1064 , Prayer House.png )

At the end of the road, in a clearing, there sits a small church. The roof caved in and the windows cracked, and most notably a dead body sits near the entrance. At the side of the building, an old swing set slowly rusts.

JACLYN: I'm not a religious woman, but this place could use some god couldn't it?

oh fuck I hope this isn't the church that note we found was talking about.

Oh well not like we have enough time to make it anywhere else before the sun sets now so might as well head in and hope we can at least find a sturdy room we can barricade ourselves in for the night.

Be ready with that gun, that body might not be dead.

>>951826
Check the body for anything useful. Have your gun ready in case it attacks you.

Then head inside and look for a place to sleep for the night.

>>951826
Do some scouting around the edge of the forest first. There are windows, so you can see a little into the church, right? Unless they're stained glass in which case nevermind and just go check out the body, see how recent the death was.

Pretty worthless as far as shelter goes.
Check to see if there's a celler.
Is that a small annex around back I see?

>>951826
Sneaky time. Do a circle 'round, peek through the windows and see if anything's moving inside. Or outside, for that matter. Then check on dead guy.

Make a beeline for the body, gun at the ready; we don't want it disappearing on us. Once we confirm that the guy is dead, make a loop around the building to confirm that any nasty surprises will come from within. If those are uneventful, checking what looks like the annex out in the back would be our next step. With that, we might as well declare the outside secure.

Find a long stick. Poke everything you touch before touching it. Especially the ground!
Are any of the trees close enough that you could climb them and get to the roof without jumping?
How stable is the building? Will it support your weight if you jump from a tree? Do you know it these sorts of churches usually have basements, cellars, or similar?

>>951825
Just a note for later. If we continue along the road, take the split left and go around the mountains. A road through a mountain pass is prime ambush territory.