Oh hey, your eyes are no longer yellow from our perspective. I think I get it now. You are able to use whatever that power was once per day, and I think the yellow you had in your eyes lets us know when your charged up and ready to use that power... that is, if we really want to use that again? seems dubious.

((dear god Vax rolled so many 10s))

>>1092685
We don't see the yellow in your eyes anymore... I don't think we'll be able to do that again for a while, something tells me the yellow was an indicator of our power. Good thing we found out what the side effects are in a situation where you wouldn't die from passing out for a bit!

That was "primordial" magic, by the way. Hmm. Tell them you used a very powerful curse, but one you can end whenever you like, so no need to worry.

>seduce Evel’yee?
Uhm, that seems like kindof an awful thing to do while she's under your influence. I know the charm is a weak influence but still.
Once everyone's ready to go, we need to come up with a plan of taking out the final target(s), nonlethally. Look through Vax's stuff to see if he's got anything that will help. If Evel'yee wants some revenge tell her she can strip him down and put him in an embarrassing pose, but otherwise you want him alive and intact. Say you might need a sacrifice or something for whatever's in the box.
Is the scroll of paralyze expended?

Divine favor. You only get that once a day, so don't depend on it.

>>1092685

OK so... you're out of spells, you're at death's door, whatever power was vested in us is gone, one of your two allies is going to kill you once the charm wears off, and Roderick has the box.

Your eyes are... very pretty!

Keep the explanation vague. You still don't know the details, speculations could include incorrect assumptions and it may not be desirable for one of your two allies to understand your limitations. Tell her that it's still a form of magic, even if it's not in the same category, and it's durable but not permanent.

Now that you are less colorful and we got a moment of respire let's assess the situation. Inspect yourself, your allies and the prisoners with the magical detection specifically so we can look for anything that you can't see yourself. We shall compare observations.
Once that's done we can consider testing Mina's Protection from Evil. There are a few considerations to be discussed, so don't do it before talking with your allies. One of those considerations is the best candidate: there are pros and cons for each.

While I recommend not letting them know any of yours specific weakness, sharing your emotional vulnerability could help making them less worried about you being dangerous to them. You were scared, with good reason since you almost died, and you should let them know that the experience shook you and that you are grateful for their help.
Emphasis on their appreciation, that's important for moral. Explain how you thought you were alone is happy to have the support of others.

Next is Evel’yee. We need to know what we are dealing with and maybe work on some kind of emotional connection that isn't a temporary compulsion. What we want to understand is her motivations and the way she deal with problems. Those questions should be presented sparsely in the middle of a pleasant conversation, not an interview.
Wanting to know her better should be a sufficient explanation for the the conversation. You know how to butter someone up, don't you? Pay attention to what she say, show interest in the things she seem to enjoy and make follow up questions to keep her talking. If those attitudes don't come genuinely to you or you don't care pretend you do.
Also given sparsely in the middle of the conversation should be the compliments: tell her she is pretty, that her eyes are beautiful and her fur color is cute.

Combining the second and fourth topics:
You will need to explain to Evel’yee your theory about everyone here (with the possible exception of Mina), including yourself, being under the influence of a mental compulsion magic with a similar nature to what you did to Vax. Mina's spell should be harmless even if it doesn't work, so maybe the idea of being the test subject will be acceptable to Evel’yee.
Don't mention it have something to do with the box. If she realize I suspect she will be less cooperative.

Hopefully Mina will tolerate your weirdness with Evel’yee. You will only be able to explain your rational to her if you are absolutely certain Evel’yee can't hear.

>>1092685
...
Thank goodness your ok.
Had me worried for a moment there slinky.

Theyre right uou know.
Your eyes are grey to us now.

Hmm.
A quick question.
Help with something ive been pondering...
Do you still feel the need to retrive yhe box as strongly as before?
Think on it a moment as you recover.

As to their question of what you did.
I presume the scroll is consumed?
If so thats good cover.
Pass off blame.
Say there was something weird about it but you didnt have a choice seeing as youre so low on resources.
May have interacted with your own magics.

Im not sure you could seduce anyone in a way thatd take in the time you have left on the charm.
Nothing against your wiles tanna, but even under charm she strikes me as the sort to prioritise goals over love.

>>1092697
Hm.
Yes.
Take stock of yourself and your resources while you revover.

Building an emotional bond of a non romantic sort is a good idea.
Explaining and using the protection too...
But im not sure itd be a good idea to mention a strange influence when weve just displayed one infront of her.
May raise her suspicions.

Perhaps using the example of what happened with your magic and alluding to the very clear strangeness of this place you could be vague about potential magical threats.
Then argue that as casters you and mina are trained to offer some resistance so youd like mina to use a protective spell on your best armed group member to for safety.

Im hoping it works, but still thinking on contingencies if it doesnt.

1/4 Tanna 2024/06/20(Thu)16:32 No. 1093194 ID: 2727e8
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>OK so... you're out of spells, you're at death's door, whatever power was vested in us is gone, one of your two allies is going to kill you once the charm wears off, and Roderick has the box.

Yeaaaahhh, woooooo!!! I’d say this is the worst day of my life, but I can’t even be sure about that. At this moment though, everything does suck!

>Oh hey, your eyes are no longer yellow from our perspective.
>We don't see the yellow in your eyes anymore...
>Your eyes are grey to us now.
>Your eyes are... very pretty!

Th-thanks… but why do you all see my eyes as gray now?

>I think I get it now. You are able to use whatever that power was once per day, and I think the yellow you had in your eyes lets us know when your charged up and ready to use that power... that is, if we really want to use that again? seems dubious.
>I don't think we'll be able to do that again for a while, something tells me the yellow was an indicator of our power.
>That was Eldritch of some sort or other.
>That was "primordial" magic, by the way.
>Divine favor. You only get that once a day, so don't depend on it.

So… the color you all saw in my eyes, that was the primordial thingy? And since they’re gray now… that makes sense.

Wait… t-that wasn’t a once in a lifetime deal? You all really think I’ll be able to do it again tomorrow? That’s terrifying. I felt like I could’ve so much more with that power… thoughts were racing through my head when I was deciding Vax’s fate. I know I could’ve entombed him in the earth, or broken all the bones in his body. The original spell was more like a loose guideline at that point. Depending on something that powerful seems dangerous.

Judging by Mina and Evel’yee’s reactions to it, they seem to agree. I wonder what I looked like to them, I couldn’t really see anything past all the colors.

>Inspect yourself
>Take stock of yourself and your resources while you revover.
>Is the scroll of paralyze expended?

Yeah… I need to gather myself. Okay. Starting off… I did use the scroll during that exchange. The magic within was expended and the paper destroyed. After waking up and drinking that potion, I’m feeling alright, if a little dull.

The cut along my chest had been knitted over when I woke up, so Mina must have expended a spell on healing me while I was unconscious. Assuming I’ve kept track of things properly, she should be able to cast three more spells. As for my own reservoir, I’m feeling very drained. I think I’ve got one good incantation left.

2/4 Tanna 2024/06/20(Thu)16:32 No. 1093195 ID: 2727e8
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>You know there are people that willingly prefer to be under such Charm and similar 'hostile' mind affecting effects for long periods of time? It's totally a thing. There are some weird lifestyles out there!

Huh… y’know, as someone who has something affecting their mind, I don’t think that’s my jam. I guess I could see that sort of side to things depending... just letting go and letting it happen. But that ain’t for me!

>A quick question. Help with something ive been pondering… Do you still feel the need to retrive yhe box as strongly as before?

Yeah, I still do. Whatever happened doesn’t seem tied to that compulsion, that damn box is still an awful itch that needs to be scratched. At least there’s only one person left that’s in my way, and I have two potential friends. I just need to… assuage whatever doubts they have.

>As to their question of what you did. I presume the scroll is consumed? If so thats good cover. Pass off blame. Say there was something weird about it but you didnt have a choice seeing as youre so low on resources. May have interacted with your own magics.

“You okay, Tanna?” Ah. I might’ve spent a little too long conversing with you all in my head. Mina and Evel’yee are giving me odd looks.

“S-sorry, I’m a bit dazed, was just trying to understand what happened. I think the scroll had a Paralysis spell on it, but it must’ve been supercharged or something. I have no idea otherwise…” Other than that it was something “primordial”.

>LYING CHECK AGAINST MINA: 9(3[Mentality] + 6[Roll] + 2[Effective] + 1[Argument] - 3[Magical Knowledge]) > 9[DC] = FAILURE
>LYING CHECK AGAINST EVEL’YEE: 14(3[Mentality] + 6[Roll] + 2[Effective] + 2[Charmed] + 1[Argument] + 2[Magical Knowledge]) > 9[DC] = SUCCESS

Mina seems confused as she says, “That’s… the Weave shouldn’t work that way… is there anything you might be forge-”

Seemingly unconvinced, my mind races for an explanation before Evel’yee raises her voice. “For fucks…” She seems to catch herself before shouting though, and taking a breath, more calmly says, “Mina, we’ll worry about it later, she just got gutted and was scared. There’s been some weird shit in this place, wouldn’t be surprised if that scroll was just another bit of it.”

I feel kinda bad for ganging up on her like this, but I really don’t want to discuss the details. I look at her apologetically and say nothing more.

With that, she seems to relent with a sigh. Looking back at Evel’yee and then to me though, there’s a look in her eyes that says this isn’t over.

Breaking the silence, “Well, what’re we doing about this backstabbing scaley piece of shit? My votes to kill him before he breaks out,” Evel’yee says with a bit too much enthusiasm.

>Tell them you used a very powerful curse, but one you can end whenever you like, so no need to worry.

A fearful look crosses Mina’s face as she suddenly stiffens. Gods, this mouse is giving me whiplash. With a calm but firm tone, I say, “No, we’re not killing him Evel’yee. Whatever freak magic happened a moment ago gave me the feeling that I laid a curse on Vax. I’m confident he won’t be able to break free… unless I release him.”

“What… like forever? You got him just like that?” Huh. Yeah, I guess I do. At least, it felt that way when I cast the ‘spell’. I give her a nod.

“Well knock on wood.” the Weski says. Spinning her dagger and sheathing it she continues, “Still think we oughta do something to the bastard.”

>Look through Vax's stuff to see if he's got anything that will help. If Evel'yee wants some revenge tell her she can strip him down and put him in an embarrassing pose, but otherwise you want him alive and intact.

Hah, I like that idea, Winds. Honestly, I want some revenge too. “Well… we could put him in a humiliating pose with Jacob. Strip him of any useful gear, so that if he does somehow break free, he doesn’t have anything on hand. He can still hear and see everything too, so hopefully that makes the revenge a little sweeter.”

Evel’yee gives off a devious little smile at that, and surprisingly, so does Mina. “Oh, is that so? Hehe… sorry Vax, but I quite like that idea myself. Would make up for the past few days. We’ll get Tanna to let you go when we’re far away.”

“A lotta people would consider this worse than dying. Sure, I’m down.”

With that, the three of us sidle up to Vax. A strange camaraderie is formed as Mina and I hook him under the shoulders while Evel’yee lifts his legs from behind. This is silly, but I feel a little lighter. It’s nice to do something other than fight and scheme.

3/4 Tanna 2024/06/20(Thu)16:32 No. 1093196 ID: 2727e8
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As we move Vax into the jail room and begin putting him in a… pose with Jacob, Evel’yee quietly says, “Hey Mina, sorry for being a thin furred little shit towards you as of late. I shoulda seen through their lies earlier, but something got into me.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it Eve. What do you mean about something getting into you?”

“Ah… you’ve been a friend, right? I don’t know why I forgot that, but I swear, whenever I was around Roderick and them, I couldn’t help but think bad of you. I… really shouldn’t have done the things I did, but I thought you were against us, we all did. Turns out you were always on my side.”

Mina sniffles and her voice cracks slightly as she says, “That’s… y-yes, I am on your side. I can’t tell you how much it means to hear you say that, these past few days I’ve felt so… alone.”

“I get what you mean. Thought the crew were friends, but shit’s been so chilly. Felt good to at least agree with them on something, but I shouldn’t have done that to you. I’m really fucking sorry about… everything.”

Shaking her head, Mina clenches her fists. “It’s… not ok. I’m sorry myself Eve, but I’m going to need some time. You said some awful stuff, and did some… even awfuler things. Even now, everything is still sort of broken.” Releasing some sort of darkness as she opens her hands again, she’ll take a deep breath and say. “But we’ll fix it, alright? With everyone. Don’t give up on our friends just yet.”

With a wide eyed expression, Evel’yee will bite her lip and look away after she’s unable to find her voice. She seems genuinely conflicted, some inner turmoil seemingly eating away at her, and once Mina resumes her work on Vax, she gives soft grunt before also doing so.

>You will need to explain to Evel’yee your theory about everyone here (with the possible exception of Mina), including yourself, being under the influence of a mental compulsion magic with a similar nature to what you did to Vax. Mina's spell should be harmless even if it doesn't work, so maybe the idea of being the test subject will be acceptable to Evel’yee. Don't mention it have something to do with the box. If she realize I suspect she will be less cooperative.
>Perhaps using the example of what happened with your magic and alluding to the very clear strangeness of this place you could be vague about potential magical threats. Then argue that as casters you and mina are trained to offer some resistance so youd like mina to use a protective spell on your best armed group member to for safety.

This seems like an alright moment to segue into that conversation. “So, there might actually be something to those dark thoughts of yours, Evel'yee. This place is messed up. I think there might be some weird effect that’s altering people’s perceptions of things.”

“Hmm, yeah? Different from the charm you put on me, right?”

I freeze in shock, and I can hear Mina gasp. As I turn towards Evel’yee expecting anger, I instead see a warm look and friendly smile still. She genuinely isn’t mad about this revelation. “How did you… are you not angry?”

“Ain’t my first rodeo, Tanna. I know fuck all about the Weave, but anyone could’ve told you cast a spell on me earlier. Combined with the weird questions I suddenly couldn’t answer, it’s not hard to figure it out. But it’s fine. You’re my friend, and I trust my friends. I’m sure you had a good reason.”

Hahaaaa… wow… enchantments sure are something. Works for now I suppose. “Well… yes. Far different from the charm I put on you. It might even have to do with my spike of power earlier, although far more subtle. We were wondering if Mina could try a protection spell on you.”

“Actually… do you mind if I have a private word with Tanna, Evel’yee?”

With a wave of her hand, Evel’yee says, “Go for it, I’ll gather his shit in the meantime. What do ya’ think Jacob, you gonna enjoy waking on Vax’s lap?”

I give a small laugh and nod towards Mina. I’ll be long gone when he does, but I wish I could see his face when he wakes up.

4/4 Tanna 2024/06/20(Thu)16:34 No. 1093198 ID: e436f0
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Motioning me to follow her, Mina takes me into the torturer’s room and closes the door. “Hey, so how confident are you that you’re not evil?”

What kind of question is that? “I feel like I’ve been going out of my way to not be an asshole, why? Do you think I seem evil?”

“No, you don’t. It’s just… not that simple. Good and evil is sort of an accumulated energy in the Weave. It’s something that can take an actual form, such as devils and angels, and can rarely become so dense within mortals that they register as such under specialized detection spells. When it gets that far along, it can take a very long time to overcome that accumulated energy in the cases where a person does seek redemption or descends into wickedness. Just because you seem well natured now doesn’t mean that whatever residual karma you may have had isn’t still there.”

Okay, but where is she going with this? “How is that determined exactly, what is good and evil? And why does this matter?”

“People don’t exactly know how or why it gets distributed, but it usually takes context and intent into account. Some actions are obviously evil, while others are obviously good, and that will gets generated into a type of energy that accumulates within a person’s soul. It’s actually fairly extraordinary for a standard mortal to register as “good” or “evil” though, most people go through life in-between these axi, and we’re not even getting into the whole “law” and “chaos” element of it either. As for why I’m bringing this up, I wanted to ask the question because you can’t really remember your past, which seems a little suspect, and you currently have a charm on Evel’yee. This protection spell could break that if… well if you’re ‘evil’.”

Oh… dang. That’s actually a very valid concern. “Huh… I gotta think about that for a second.”

What should I say to that, Winds? Given all the little clues about my past self… I’m actually not confident about whether I’m ‘evil’ or not in Mina’s context. There’s a chance her Protection from Evil spell could break Evel’yee free of my Charm Creature. There’s still so much to go over, such as potentially befriending Evel’yee, coming up with a plan, getting you all a look at them via Detect Magic, and looking through Vax’s gear. I plan on doing all that, but this is a bit of a critical juncture.

Let her know you have major concerns about your pre-amnesia self possibly being an evil cultist poisoner sort of person. There's evidence to that effect.

>>1093196
Oh interesting. The Charm seems to have overridden the cruelty aspect of the box compulsion. My guess is that it's a similar spell effect, but weaker. Or maybe the box itself exudes a sort of cruelty aura, separate from the compulsion? (like a shift in alignment...)

>>1093198
I think you're Neutral. Yes, your gear implies your occupation was dark, but your personality doesn't match. Also, remember your actions before the amnesia-- you were friendly, then stole the box and didn't try to fight or use your poisons. You certainly could have poisoned the party in secret if you had wanted to, that would have enabled you to steal the box without being followed. Yet you didn't, so the evil karma you got was limited.

I don't know about evil, but I bet you were dutiful. You stole the box under great risk for a reason. It's possible you were already under the influence of your mind compulsion, but since your command is slightly different from the others who touched the box it might precede contact with it.

A strong point against past you being evil is how you went out of your way to keep your enemies alive. You went armed with deadly poisons but only used non-lethal methods. That by itself strongly suggest you were not evil. You went prepared to kill them if necessary but apparently miscalculated that it wouldn't be, so you took extra risks (presumably for the sake of morality) that lead you to failure.

While you are alone with Mina explain that you don't want Evel'yee to know things she can use against you if she turns, so you would like Mina to forgive your vagueness and go with the flow. You will explain everything once you got the opportunity.
Also ask is she think it's weird that you are enjoying Evel'yee friendliness, even though she is charmed.

Well, you were under a magical compulsion to slit a guy's throat, and it would have been completely reasonable to kill and eat him, even if you weren't, then you just sorta decided not to, because you didn't wanna. You don't have a violent streak, remember? Good and evil can be measured by your propensity for performing acts that others consider good or evil. You made friends with a butterfly worshipper, and you really care about that friendship. Evil people don't do that. Your charm was cast to save Evel'yee, not to exploit her in any malicious way. You might be a follower of an evil god, or an evil organization, but there is no way in heck your weave is evil. You are terrible at being evil.

>>1093198
Dammit.
That is a valid concern.

Need to think a moment...

>>1093222

...or maybe not.
This wind is onto something.
All correct.

When stripped down to your core you were faced with a choice.
A person who tortured you, preparing to do worse was infront of you and impeding your escape.
They were without remorse.
Many voices spoke in favor of his death.
I was one of them.
You felt the urge to, but chose differently.
And you were right.

You offered mercy at personal risk over very justified and rational violence.
Whatever you were before, that is the nature of your heart.
So, whatever answers come regarding residual karmic energies, remember that.

As to the concern, if she cannot tell then its probably best to hold off on the protection for now.
You can explain to her that blank slate as you were you chose mercy, and you would expect that stripped to the core as you were if you were carrying an evil karmic load, youd have been nudged towards a darker act.

By the way, when i say stripped, i dont mean your brief stint as a nudist.
Its more metaphorical slinky.
I mean, you were starkers, but thats just a coincidence.

Guys, she's saying evilness is sticky. It doesn't go away immediately. There is a delay! If the previous self was really evil, for purposes of magical interactions, the current person may interact with the Weave as an evil person, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY NOW THINK, FEEL OR ACT. For at least a little while as the reset eventually propagates! This is a dramatically relevant and appropriate concern!

>>1093227

Alright, so we know she was kind of bad at being evil before, (probably sent b/c she was disposable), but any connection to her evil cult might stick as a lingering evil according to the Weave. So it's safe to cast the protection spell, she just has to discard all cult paraphernalia, lethal toxins, robes, sacrificial dagger, etc.

>>1093227
So the karmic load is a stain that can progressively be cleaned rather than a weight that has momentum?
Yeah.
That makes sense.
Hell, it could be both.
Harder to turn away from and clense yourself if you do.

It seems the weave is a tricky thing to define precisely as metaphors are one of the only ways to convey it amongst practitioners, compounded by it seeming to be a realm of metaphor and sympathetic magics.

>she just has to discard all cult paraphernalia, lethal toxins, robes, sacrificial dagger, etc.

Dang, guess you gotta be a nudist again, Tanna.

>>1093234

Does it more readily stick to items, people, people's metaphysical parts, their brains, magical items, what? What's the decay rate, and what causes it to vary? We don't know if separating from creepy items would be helpful.

What? Karma doesn't stick to items, guys.

It's about her latent emotional attachment to them. You can never be too careful!

You all might want to stop perving so openly over sapient mustelid people? One can take pleasure in the smile and happiness of this individual who is a PERSON not an object to sexually objectify! And also not creepily try to get her to take her clothes off out of fear! Yes I *know* whatever half-existence some of us have kind of is REALLY FRUSTRATING on lots of levels, but this isn't the way! When things are safe, after we have lots of long conversations that aren't life and death like we promised to have, we can ASK her permission to live vicariously through her --and respect her stated wishes in response!-- like DECENT, MORAL VESTIGE WINDS THINGS!

Weve done the nudist thing anyway.
Very liberating but kinda chilly.

If this karmic toxic waste clings to tanna then we deal with it and adapt.
I know thats not who she is.
It may not be who she was either.
Participation certainly causes it, but even proximity to negatively karmic actions may have a corruptive property.

I still hew to the idea that what she was is significantly less important than what she now is, but magical stank of evil doesnt care about philosophy so...

Just cause were advising holding off on the protection spell now doesnt mean we think you're a bad person slinky, only you may have got a bit of karmic shmutz on you from forgotten events.

another thing to think about, what will Protection from Evil to to us winds? I think we're good winds, if a little weird, but I'm wondering if we came to Tanna through good, neutral, or evil means.

>>1093198
Well, there's this dumb theory floating around the multiverse called 'The Shwartz'. Some kind of cosmic energy entangling all things.
But really, I think Sif Lord Kree explained it best; social networking turned into a psychic monster-god.
You help others, they think good thoughts about you in turn. You hurt others, they start to hate your guts. Them having feelings - empathy, or hatred - for beings that could be miles, lightyears, or even entire alternate dimensions apart, builds up a psychic network of interests and fears that weaves into itself. Enough power, and it can rewrite reality.
In short, ya done made a lot of people hate you for some reason. But maybe they don't know the full story, or what drove you to perform such acts. Maybe you just need to build up a legacy of good with a foundation of 'misunderstood baddyness'.
The fact that you've been cosmically chosen despite your bad karma shows your story probably isn't cut-and-dry.

>>1093261
Honestly, ive been wondering for a while too.

One of the reasons I asked if the impulse to find the box had diminished after we tapped our reserves is for a time now ive been concerned we are a component of the compulsion or a contingency of it.

Im only mentioning it openly as by now shes probably trying to ignore us what with the other stuff happening, general mental noise from us winds and nudity discussions.

Suffice to say, even if we are, what counts for tanna counts for us.
Where we came from is less important than what we do now were here.
And we're here to get her to safety.

>whenever I was around Roderick and them, I couldn’t help but think bad of you.

That's very interesting. Presumable she is still under the same mental compulsion about the box Jacob is, meaning her altered behavior towards Mina was a different influence that was disturbed by her change of allegiance. This and the way he put them all in contact with the box intentionally seem to point toward Roderick being the source of the phenomenon.
A counterargument is the similarity between their aggression and the murderous impulse Tanna felt towards Jacob. This hypothesis fail to explain why Evel’yee feel less animosity. Either unrelated violence is a side effect of the simple mental order or Tanna's case was also a different influence.


>most people go through life in-between these axi

That kind of surprise me, I would expect most people to be on the good side. The demands for recognition must be hard on the good side or maybe the population of this world is a bit dysfunctional.


>What should I say to that, Winds?

All we know is that past you came prepared to kill all of them but chose not to.
It's still a risk to use the spell on Evel’yee. We have to consider if Jacob or Vax are better candidates.


>>1093243
A lot of assumptions there. Those arguments were mostly utilitarian. And don't give Tanna weird ideas about us.


>>1093261
That's a concerning thought. If we got an alignment we could potentially be silenced by the appropriate "protect from" spell.

Why yes, I concur that BWOOH BWOBWOOH BWO BWOBWOBWOOH
(trombone noises)

Might be best to hold off on casting protect from evil for now.

I guess she could just test it on the third guy.

1/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:09 No. 1094220 ID: c2b3ce
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>Alright, so we know she was kind of bad at being evil before, (probably sent b/c she was disposable), but any connection to her evil cult might stick as a lingering evil according to the Weave. So it's safe to cast the protection spell, she just has to discard all cult paraphernalia, lethal toxins, robes, sacrificial dagger, etc.
>Dang, guess you gotta be a nudist again, Tanna.

Disposable?! Come on! If I was part of an evil cult, I would not be disposable! You say some hurtful things sometimes, Winds! And I refuse to take off my clothes, I am not a nudist!

Bleh… you really think my paraphernalia might contribute to this karma? I wasn’t really getting that impression, but… “Can things change one’s ‘alignment’, Mina? My robes for instance. Let’s HYPOTHETICALLY say they were the regalia of an evil god.”

“In general, no. Any old set of clothes or robes aren’t going to make you any more evil than you might already be. That isn’t to say material items can’t be imbued with this karmic energy however. As an example, armor or weapons stained with the blood of countless innocents could become objects of great evil power. If any ol’ person were to pick an item like that up, that evil would malign onto them. I don’t think you have anything like that though, items like that are incredibly rare and tend to make their presence known.”

>Does it more readily stick to items, people, people's metaphysical parts, their brains, magical items, what?

“So items can retain this karma, but not nearly as well as people?”

“You got it, and that has to do with the soul that resides within creatures. Souls accept ‘good’ and ‘evil’ a lot more readily than physical Weave does. When an item becomes so seeped with good or evil that it would register under a detection spell, you can usually feel it. As for why items typically don’t exude this energy, objects don’t have intent. Therefore, to gain such energies, they need a person to wield them. Even then, when a person wielding an item commits evil or good, most of the energy goes to the person, and whatever residual that passes through the object doesn’t stick very well.”

>Karma doesn't stick to items, guys.
>What's the decay rate, and what causes it to vary? We don't know if separating from creepy items would be helpful.

Seems like it can, albeit rarely. I don’t think I have to worry about that aspect of the karmic system, but those are good questions. “So when a person does good or bad, is it permanent or does it decay? And can it vary?”

“We’re getting into more advanced topics that have to do with the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation, but good and evil tends to ‘decay’ within most souls,” Mina says with exaggerated quotation mark fingers. “Souls seem to prefer being clean. Given enough time, a soul will naturally push the karmic energy out, leading a person back to neutrality. That’s why most people go through their lives without hitting the high spectrums of good or evil.”

Taking a quick breath, Mina will continue. “However, karmic energy works similarly to how water attracts more water. A soul heavily stained with evil will find it incredibly hard to redeem themselves, and vice versa. Evil repels good, and attracts more evil, and every selfish little action becomes far more difficult to wipe away. And as for varying?”

Reaching for her amulet, Mina will say, “Some actions, such as worship, are considered far more good or evil than others. Practicing a good or evil Theotian’s ideologies in their name is a good way to fill your soul with certain energies quickly. I’ve only been practicing for a little over a year now, but I'd be surprised if I didn’t show up as good.”

>Let her know you have major concerns about your pre-amnesia self possibly being an evil cultist poisoner sort of person. There's evidence to that effect.

That last point has suddenly got me a bit more worried. “So… I was probably… a worshiper of some evil god.”

“What did you say? I didn’t catch that.”

“A worshiper of some evil god that made poisons that probably killed people!”

“Ah… well hey, it’s fine Tanna, people have their reasons. If it means anything, you seem like a good person to me. It’s just unfortunate that the circumstances make this matter, and some actions are disproportionately more ‘evil’ than others.” Mina says consolingly. “You helped me out of a dark place and seem to have a knack for making decisions, so I’ll go with whatever you choose. What do you think?”

2/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:09 No. 1094221 ID: 94cec2
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TW: Self-Loathing and Suicidal Thoughts

>I think you're Neutral. Yes, your gear implies your occupation was dark, but your personality doesn't match. Also, remember your actions before the amnesia-- you were friendly, then stole the box and didn't try to fight or use your poisons. You certainly could have poisoned the party in secret if you had wanted to, that would have enabled you to steal the box without being followed. Yet you didn't, so the evil karma you got was limited.
>A strong point against past you being evil is how you went out of your way to keep your enemies alive. You went armed with deadly poisons but only used non-lethal methods. That by itself strongly suggest you were not evil. You went prepared to kill them if necessary but apparently miscalculated that it wouldn't be, so you took extra risks (presumably for the sake of morality) that lead you to failure.

I think so too! Why wouldn’t I have just killed them and gotten the box that way. I must’ve had some moral objections because I’m not actually bad!

>Well, you were under a magical compulsion to slit a guy's throat, and it would have been completely reasonable to kill and eat him, even if you weren't, then you just sorta decided not to, because you didn't wanna. You don't have a violent streak, remember? Good and evil can be measured by your propensity for performing acts that others consider good or evil.

And killing Jacob would have been completely fair! He had hurt me and implied worse. Whatever influence the box had on me too was definitely egging me on, but I managed to stop myself with you all’s help.

>You made friends with a butterfly worshipper, and you really care about that friendship. Evil people don't do that. Your charm was cast to save Evel'yee, not to exploit her in any malicious way. You might be a follower of an evil god, or an evil organization, but there is no way in heck your weave is evil. You are terrible at being evil.
>When stripped down to your core you were faced with a choice. A person who tortured you, preparing to do worse was infront of you and impeding your escape.They were without remorse. Many voices spoke in favor of his death. I was one of them. You felt the urge to, but chose differently. And you were right.

I saved Mina too. I don’t think I did that for purely altruistic means, but I could’ve just let her die. And despite being a filthy Cassildanite, I’d rather she not get hurt. I dunno if I can say I didn’t cast the charm to not exploit Evel’yee, Mina and I are lying to her about are intentions for the box, but that’s as far I want to abuse this falsified trust she’s giving me.

>Guys, she's saying evilness is sticky. It doesn't go away immediately. There is a delay! If the previous self was really evil, for purposes of magical interactions, the current person may interact with the Weave as an evil person, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY NOW THINK, FEEL OR ACT. For at least a little while as the reset eventually propagates! This is a dramatically relevant and appropriate concern!

Ah… ugh, that’s still true. I wish I could remember… I even admitted to myself earlier that I was probably a bad person, and that I wasn’t going to care anymore. But I can’t do that, not when it matters like this. Even if I’m being good now, whatever evils I may have committed don’t just disappear, at least in the way Mina’s explaining it.

>Well, there's this dumb theory floating around the multiverse called 'The Shwartz'. Some kind of cosmic energy entangling all things. But really, I think Sif Lord Kree explained it best; social networking turned into a psychic monster-god.
I hate it when my Shwartz gets twisted with other magic systems.
I don’t… who the heck is Sif Lord Kree. What?

>You help others, they think good thoughts about you in turn. You hurt others, they start to hate your guts. Them having feelings - empathy, or hatred - for beings that could be miles, lightyears, or even entire alternate dimensions apart, builds up a psychic network of interests and fears that weaves into itself. Enough power, and it can rewrite reality.
Depends on the world really. It seems like the owner’s made it very personal here.
I… uh… hmm. There’s something about all that… it feels familiar.

>In short, ya done made a lot of people hate you for some reason. But maybe they don't know the full story, or what drove you to perform such acts. Maybe you just need to build up a legacy of good with a foundation of 'misunderstood baddyness'.
She really has. Few know the whole story, least of all the actors. I was even made not to know everything. But I do know that no amount of goodwill will clear her soul.
And that too… I… I remember that. I did make a lot of people hate me… Those of the Eye. They did… something to me. Something terrible, I don’t really remember what exactly… but it made me hate them back. Why? What did I do to earn their hate?

>The fact that you've been cosmically chosen despite your bad karma shows your story probably isn't cut-and-dry.
She’ll likely never be forgiven. It’s very petty.
It feels more like cosmically marked… something I’ll never escape from. It hurts… to even think about.

>If this karmic toxic waste clings to tanna then we deal with it and adapt. I know thats not who she is. It may not be who she was either. Participation certainly causes it, but even proximity to negatively karmic actions may have a corruptive property. I still hew to the idea that what she was is significantly less important than what she now is, but magical stank of evil doesnt care about philosophy so…
>Might be best to hold off on casting protect from evil for now.

...

>Just cause were advising holding off on the protection spell now doesnt mean we think you're a bad person slinky, only you may have got a bit of karmic shmutz on you from forgotten events.

“Tanna? Hello?”

...

3/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:09 No. 1094222 ID: c40947
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>Why yes, I concur that BWOOH BWOBWOOH BWO BWOBWOBWOOH (trombone noises)

AHH!!! HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!

“Tanna?!” Mina exclaims, surprised by my sudden reaction.

“...What’s going on?! Why do you keep doing… what… are you crying?” Mina says. She isn’t wrong, the fur around my eyes is dampened.

“Y-yeah… I mean no. Sorry.” I stammer out unconvincingly. Wiping my eyes and shaking my head I say, “W-what’s your recommendation?”

I already know the answer, why am I even bothering. “Er, well… if you think you were worshiping an evil deity, then I’d really recommend not. Things are precarious right now, and… I really don’t want to risk breaking the charm on Evel’yee. Not yet. Gosh… I don’t know how we’re going to deal with her.”

>It's still a risk to use the spell on Evel’yee.

Whatever. Shove the feelings down, breath, eye contact, keep calm, and deal with it later. “Makes sense then. We should save your spells, it isn’t worth the risk to use them on her right now.”

>seduce Evel’yee? Uhm, that seems like kindof an awful thing to do while she's under your influence. I know the charm is a weak influence but still.
>We need to know what we are dealing with and maybe work on some kind of emotional connection that isn't a temporary compulsion
>Building an emotional bond of a non romantic sort is a good idea.
>Also ask is she think it's weird that you are enjoying Evel'yee friendliness, even though she is charmed.

“Speaking of dealing with Evel’yee, what’s her deal? Even though she knows she’s charmed, she isn’t really questioning our ‘friendship’. And beyond even that, she seems… abnormally nice? Like throwing herself in harm’s way nice. I want to try and build a rapport with her so when the spell ends she doesn’t get as mad. Is that weird?”

“It’s not weird to want to make friends, though maybe trying to do so while she’s like this is… morally questionable. Given the circumstances though… ah, I’m about to share something that I don’t have the right to, so please please please don’t abuse this.” Mina says with trepidation. Looking a bit guilty, she continues, “Evel’yee has really bad trust issues. Even before coming here, she was a very difficult person to anyone she didn’t consider a friend. Rude, cold, distant.”

Mina lets that hang before moving forward. “We picked her up from some… unfortunate circumstance, and for the few months she’s been with us, we’ve tried our best to make her feel welcome. It took a long time, but she eventually opened up to Roderick and I. Once you get to know her, she really is a sweet and beautiful person that values her friendships like treasure. Perhaps even recklessly so.”

“So basically, my charm’s temporarily skipped those months of effort, huh.”

Mina puffs out her cheeks and nods before letting the air out. “She’s gone through some terrible stuff… everything that’s happened here is just another bullet on that list. I was thinking we could knock her out and cause her as little pain as possible, but we got her to turn on Vax. If we leave her here with them, they won’t take too kindly to that.”

Ugh, I don’t regret saving Mina or charming Evel’yee, but I wish it didn’t come with all this annoying baggage. “Alright. She cares about the box, so as long as we keep up the façade that we want to open it, hopefully she’ll continue to play along even after the charm ends. For now, I’m going to genuinely try to be her friend. It helps that she considers you her friend without the charm, and she seemed genuinely sad about how she treated you. We can make this work.”

Mina lips will form a soft smile as she says, “Thanks Tanna, I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

>While you are alone with Mina explain that you don't want Evel'yee to know things she can use against you if she turns, so you would like Mina to forgive your vagueness and go with the flow. You will explain everything once you got the opportunity.

You’re right, Winds. I’ve probably done some odd things from her perspective. “No problem. Hey, really quickly? I know I’ve had some strange moments, but I’ve got to ask for your trust. It’s partly because of the amnesia messing with me, but there’s also been some other things that I’ve kept hidden because I don’t want Evel’yee to use them on us, just in case she turns. I promise to explain once we get a good opportunity to do so.”

“I guess that’s fair. But did you really not know anything about what happened back there with Vax? I felt like I would’ve sensed something that powerful on you earlier.”

She’s making it pretty obvious she’s testing me here. “It… wasn’t the scroll, alright? But a proper explanation would take way too long. For now, can you just drop it?”

“Okay, fine, fine.” After an awkward pause, she’ll clap her hands together and say, “Well, I guess we should head back and see what horrors Evel’yee’s inflicted on Vax and Jacob?”

Hah, I snicker a bit and nod. The two of us begin to head back into the jail room to do just that.

4/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:10 No. 1094223 ID: 12779a
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However, as we enter the hallway, something happens that makes me pause. That weird smell from earlier… >>1086617 “Wait.”

Mina stops in her place, suddenly alert. She doesn’t say anything.

>SNEAKING CHECK AGAINST TANNA: 14(6[Roll] + 4[Dexterity] + 2[Size] + 2[Effective]) > 14(10[Roll] + 3[Mentality] + 1[Scent]) = FAILURE
>SNEAKING CHECK AGAINST MINA: 14(6[Roll] + 4[Dexterity] + 2[Size] + 2[Effective]) > 9(6[Roll] + 3[Mentality]) = SUCCESS

Following the smell, I barely spot a strangely patterned rat scurrying away into the cave-in besides the torturer’s room door. I let out of a sigh of relief. “Just a rat. Sorry for the scare.”

“Oh, you saw it? That creepy thing’s been skulking around here for a while now. Knowing there was a spider the whole time, I’m surprised it never got eaten.”

It’s been here for a while? “Are you sure it isn’t some weird magic rat or monster? It had a really strange coat.”

Mina gives a shrug. “It could be… but even if it was, it hasn’t done anything besides run away whenever we see it. I’d love to check, but the dang thing’s so sneaky. It’s definitely given me a few scares.”

Weird. Why is this place so weird? I hate it here.

5/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:10 No. 1094224 ID: 2926d6
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Ah well, not much to be done about the strange rat. Opening the door to the jail room I see an organized placement of gear on the floor, and a dressed down Vax with Jacob sitting on his lap. Both of them are in their skivvies and provocatively posed in a moment of passion with each other.

Mina doubles over, tears in her eyes from laughing. “Goodness, ahaha! I have to say Vax, you look good! You’ll have to share Jacob though!”

Going completely unsaid, I can feel intense embarrassment and anger radiating from Vax. We’re definitely poking a bear. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Mina begins to cast a spell, I think it’s Prestidigitation?

Giving Vax a few thumps on the back, Evel’yee says, “Doesn’t he? Who knew this dumbass could feel such passion. Maybe we should wake Jacob up, see what he thinks.”

“As much fun as that sounds, it’s probably best for him to stay asleep for now.” Evel’yee pouts at me, but I’m still wondering… “Say, Mina, why’d you cast Prestidigitate just now?”

“Oh, it’s just a small magic trick. I’m copying the Weave arrangement. If we stop by a town, I might be able to find someone to transcribe it onto some parchment. I’d like to have something physical to remember this by.” Oh wow, you can do that? I’m going to have to remember that for myself.

As Evel’yee smooshes their faces together, I realize that I’m going to have to be the voice of responsibility. “Alright alright, that’s enough teasing. There’s a few things we need to do. Did Vax have anything useful, Evel’yee?”

“Ain’t sure… but probably! Have a look!”Evel’yee says as she begins to list out his gear.

Longsword - A well made sharp piece of steel attached to a hit, it’s a deadly weapon that can be held with two-hands to increase deadliness.
Coin Pouch - Formerly Vax’s money, but seeing how he is, he won’t be needing them anymore. In total there’s 9 gold and 12 silver pieces. Easy split. (Taking 3 gold and 4 silver.)
Flame Resin - A sticky resin that ignites extremely easily and burns for some time. Some have taken to slathering it upon their blades, and it’s actually quite effective. (Taking)
Vax’s Diary - I get that he’s a backstabber and he tried to kill us, but there are boundaries. (Taking)
Breastplate - A set of metal armor that is both protective and somewhat agile. It’s fairly heavy though, and takes some training to use properly.
Spiked Steel Shield - A circular steel shield that takes training to use properly. Has a spike in the center you can ram people with.
Potion of CLW - You know em’, you love em’. (Taking)
Pouch of Chalk - If we’re having trouble climbing the ropes out of here or you need to create an eye irritant.
Chakram x2 - Sharp circular disks that you can throw to inflict some serious damage. (Taking)
Rope, 50ft. - A long and pretty heavy coil of rope. (Taking)
Backpack - Where Vax kept all of his stuff. It can hold a lot. (Taking)

There is some neat stuff in here. The backpack will help with carrying some of it. I’m definitely taking those chakrams, and the rope could prove useful too. I also take his diary under the judging gaze of Mina and Evel’yee. It goes unsaid, it isn’t exactly a great thing to do, but they won’t stop me.

Well, with all of that out of the way, I look towards my new ally. “Good stuff, thanks for doing that Evel’yee. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a conversation with you.”

“I’ll move Vax into a better position and refresh his bandages in the meantime, shouldn’t leave him like this. You can get hurt if you stay in an uncomfortable position for too long!”

6/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:10 No. 1094225 ID: c469cb
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Letting her know that’s good with some head movement, I pull Evel’yee into the hallway. “So, what’s up? What happened to Mina casting a spell on me?”

>What we want to understand is her motivations and the way she deal with problems. Those questions should be presented sparsely in the middle of a pleasant conversation, not an interview. Wanting to know her better should be a sufficient explanation for the the conversation. You know how to butter someone up, don't you? Pay attention to what she say, show interest in the things she seem to enjoy and make follow up questions to keep her talking. If those attitudes don't come genuinely to you or you don't care pretend you do. Also given sparsely in the middle of the conversation should be the compliments

Time for my second post-amnesiac conversation with another person. I’ll do my best, Winds! “Ah, figured it wasn’t necessary. We might need her spells. As for why I brought you to the side, just want to talk. Get to know you a little better.”

Leaning against the wall, she’ll say, “Well, okay. Guess I should introduce myself, name’s Evel’yee.”

“Tanna, nice to formally know your name. How do you feel about… being charmed?”

“Eh! I thought about it a bit, but it doesn’t mean much. Might even prefer it? Past few days have sucked, and this is the first time I’ve felt happy in a while.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard things weren’t great from Mina. Y’know, my short time here has been pretty awful too, but I’m glad to have met you two.”

“Likewise, glad to meet you too! You helped me realize how stupid I was being. If I had known Mina was looking to open the box too… I’ve been such a piece of shit. I don’t know what I was thinking…”

“What were you thinking?”

She hugs herself and looks towards the floor as she says, “A lotta bad things. Dumb shit like, ‘she’s just pretending to care’, ‘I’m going to get betrayed again’, and ‘every mistake she made was on purpose’. Stupid blinding thoughts that were hiding everyone else's knives on my neck.”

“Hey, we’ll get the box and get out of here, alright?” Evel’yee nods without looking towards me. Why is she so down? Well, this worked before so… I’ll try again? Moving up to her, I start to lean down to hug her and… she suddenly jerks away defensively!

“H-hey, back off! The fuck are you doing?!”

“Oh sorry! I thought that… well, it just seemed like you were feeling down.”

There’s a wild look in her eye and her fur bristles. I start to worry that I might have broken the charm, but she must’ve realized my intentions as she starts to calm down. As if she’s shaking something bad off, she apologetically says, “Agh… it’s no problem. Shouldn’t have gotten so aggressive. All the same, I’d rather not.”

“Of course, I made a mistake. Won’t happen again.” What did I do wrong there Winds? Attempting to move past that, I say, “So Evel’yee, when the charm ends, what are you going to think?”

“I dunno Tanna? Am I going to think something different?”

I don’t think trying to keep a lie up like this is going to work out in the long run, so I’m going to try a different angle. “It’s possible. I want you to know beforehand that I want to get the box from Roderick and escape this place, but also that I truly and genuinely want to be your friend. Can you please remember that when the charm does end?”

A flash of suspicion dances across her eyes as she looks at me for what feels like for way too long, but it breaks away as she gives me a smile and nods. “I can do that. I promise that if my perception does change, I’ll hear you out. Thanks for being honest with me.”

Can only hope she follows through on that promise. “So, getting the box. Anything you know that might help us do that? Got a plan or preference on how?”

Putting a hand on her chin, she says, “Well… he’s been pretty shifty lately, probably because he was planning on cutting Mina and I out. He’s convinced there’s something in that gods damned ritual room, even though we’ve combed the place thoroughly. Personally, I don’t think anything’s in there, and that he’s biding his time for something.”

“As for a plan? I’d prefer to just stroll up and beat his shit in, though we’d have to be careful about how we did it. If you thought Vax’s little slice from before hurt, Roderick’s will destroy you.”

“He wields a big ol’ sword and has some armor on, right? Nothing else special?”

“He’s experienced and knows how to use that sword of his, don’t underestimate him. But yes, besides that, he plays it pretty straight. He’s no caster like you or Mina. Speaking of spells, what are you capable of casting?”

“Charm Creature, Invisibility, Silent Image, and Grease.”

“Oh you can grease things? Roderick’s good, but he’s old. His reflexes aren’t that good, so that’d probably be pretty effective against him. Might even be able to cast it on his sword? Hell, if you really wanted to, could grease the floor under him, and I could light it with one of my arrows. I also got the Eclipse poison you brought.”

“Mina doesn’t want to kill him, so we’re not going to light him on fire or poison him, but using Grease on his sword is a good idea! Also, about those poisons… can I have them back?”

“Only if you tell me where you got em!”

“Haha! I can’t! Because I don’t know!”

Giving me a skeptical look, Evel’yee asks, “How do you not know?”

“This is going to sound stupid, but please believe me, it’s the truth. I don’t remember where I got them.”

“You weren’t kidding, that does sound pretty stupid. Damn. I was hoping to get a supply of this sick ass death poison. This sort of shit goes for premiums on some markets. Ah well,” She says with a shrug. Tossing the poisons my way, I stuff them into my bag. “You’ll tell me if you do remember, right?”

Absolutely not. “Yeah, for sure. Well, thanks for the talk Evel’yee. Let’s meet back up with Mina and figure out what we’re going to do.”

Vial of Wevekil - A Weavetoxin that is very crippling. While a dose this size isn’t lethal, it can make a person very nauseous. Its main use is crippling spellcasters, making it extremely difficult to cast spells for a time. Can be introduced via ingestion or injury.

Vial of Eclipse - A very lethal magical poison that visualizes a person’s most primal fear and attempts to kill them of fright. The target either survives the scare or dies immediately. Must be introduced via injury.

7/7 Tanna 2024/07/13(Sat)10:10 No. 1094226 ID: c469cb
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>Inspect yourself, your allies and the prisoners with the magical detection specifically so we can look for anything that you can't see yourself. We shall compare observations.

Right, before I forget. “You all mind if I take a sweep with Detect Magic?

“Go for it!”

I go through and get a good look at everyone, making sure to look behind them as well. I’ll organize a list for you all based on what I see.

Me: Gray eyes, nothing behind me, completely normal looking.
Mina: Light Blue eyes, nothing behind her, completely normal looking.
Evel’yee: Dark Green eyes, nothing behind her, has a charm on her (from me).
Vax: Green eyes, nothing behind him, completely normal looking.
Jacob: Dark Blue eyes, nothing behind him, completely normal looking.

>Im only mentioning it openly as by now shes probably trying to ignore us what with the other stuff happening, general mental noise from us winds and nudity discussions.

It’s actually really hard for me to ignore stuff. I can kind of ‘hear’ everything you all say. As I’m doing things, sometimes certain messages get louder. Those trombones really surprised me earlier, I didn’t know you could actually make sounds like that. Scared the shit out of me, but I was having some thoughts that were making me feel terrible, so thanks for breaking me out of that.

As an example of something quiet though, I do hear the discussion about things that might potentially silence the Winds. It sort of felt as though it was a conversation amongst you all, so I didn’t really respond. Sorry if I don’t get to everything.

>>1093243

O-oh. I didn’t… do some of you think of me like that? I really thought the arguments were utilitarian as one of you said, but if not and you’re actually lusting over me, why? Not trying to be mean or dismissive or anything like that, but aren’t you all humans? I appreciate you all finding me attractive, but I personally don’t find humans so, and I think most beastfolk would think similarly. I had figured the feeling would be mutual for you all as well.

Ah! And also, yes, once things are safe, I really am looking forward to those long conversations!

>Where we came from is less important than what we do now were here. And we're here to get her to safety.

And I want you to know that I will never stop saying thank you for this. If I might impose once more… what do you think about everything, Winds? Should I read Vax’s diary and tarnish my soul forever? And what about my current plan to deal with Roderick? The idea is to go in there and beat him up with Mina and Evel’yee after greasing his sword. It’s dumb, but we can probably get away with brute forcing it. Got any other ideas?

Regarding humans finding you attractive... Yes. Unambiguously, so. Human instincts are to, by default, appreciate 'mildly exotic healthy adult humans of the appropriate gender', but that instinct is suuuuper easy to enhance to places that -- well, let's just say that humans are randy, and have a LOT of variety in how, when, where, and why they get titillated. Is it any wonder we find you attractive, when you share the *exact same body language* as humans? Also as Winds some of us may not have had much interaction with anyone at all, depending on our circumstances.

AND outside of the sex stuff, your personality is very attractive as well, your demeanor is very kind, and your story of choosing to be a good person from a probably evil start is very compelling as well, and I personally felt really bad when we made you cry!

Also, I'm sure others will describe some of the magic compulsion stuff, but as many of you all have huuuge compulsions to open the box, you should maybe generally broach the subject of how to safely open the box with appropriate precautions? And what those precautions might look like? You know, do some divinations, different sorts of careful inspections, opening it from a distance with some sort of apparatus, not open it in a place of power of something horrible, have some magical fields set up to contain whatever bad things might be in there, do it at a place where you can react appropriately to whatever might happen, etc. etc. etc.

First of, the detection:
Your command seem to be the same as before and Mina doesn't have any command. Evel’yee, Jacob and Vax have the same command we saw on Jacob earlier. Evel’yee also have a small white command that I presume it's the same you mentioned: "trust" and "friend". Vax have an enormous white command: "BE STILL".
The eyes seem to be like you described except when distorted by the application of the multicolored effect of detection. Your eyes are still not yellow.
The rat (not Evel’yee) had red eyes. If you can, try detection on it sometime.

Since our influence is white it's safe to say the yellow command on you is not our fault.

>she eventually opened up to Roderick and I.
But not Vax or Jacob...

>what horrors Evel’yee’s inflicted on Vax and Jacob
That's way beyond what I was expecting...

>You’ll have to share Jacob though!
What does she mean? Is Mina in a relationship with Jacob? Is she implying an open relation?

Personally I prefer a Longsword, but if you feel more comfortable with the Scimitar it makes no difference.
I'm surprise the shield need training. Sure you would be better if you knew the proper way to use it, but it seem to me it should still be very effective if you just hold it between you and the danger.

We should take a quick look at the diary, specially the latest entries. Vax had a better relation with Roderick than Evel’yee recently so he may know more about the current plan than her.
Maybe offer the girls if they want to read with you, but since they are his friend it could be a potentially awkward experience. Better to read alone, but if you feel too guilty read next to Vax explaining your rational to show some amount of respect.

I would prefer to use grease on the floor than the sword. Roderick may have a backup weapon or be a dangerous puncher, but falling will waste his time regardless. The only problem will be for you, the current melee combatant of the trio.

>Got any other ideas?
Not much... our options are very limited.
The most effective way would be a charm spell, but the relation with Mina and Evel’yee make this more complicated to pull off if successful. You would need to go alone and later bring the two, even so some persuasion would be necessary.
We could prepare a trap in a corridor using the grease in a corridor and waiting as bait. This could be safer with a sanctuary spell.
Ask Mina and Evel’yee what they have to disable him. Even if we can face him in combat we better have something beside hoping he doesn't die if we beat him unconscious. From what I've seen so far the best option seem to be hideous laughter or cause fear followed immediately with a coordinated binding using the rope.

>I can kind of ‘hear’ everything you all say.
No you can't. We talk to each other much more than what you hear.

>I do hear the discussion about things that might potentially silence the Winds. It sort of felt as though it was a conversation amongst you all, so I didn’t really respond
Please share your opinion on the topic. Would you like to get rid of us?

>I am not a nudist!
Yes you are, and so is Evel’yee. You are the pantless duo.

>aren’t you all humans?
Don't make such assumption.
Why would you presume we can speak for each other in the first place?

>I think most beastfolk would think similarly.
I have my doubts about that claim.

>I appreciate you all finding me attractive
Not that I want to diminish your ego, pretty girl, but you are assuming too much with the word "all". You don't know if everyone agree with Spirit Candy.

>I really am looking forward to those long conversations!
Sure, we can have our weird disembodied date. We can talk a lot more about biology trivia, since it seem to be a common interest. I hope yours isn't limited to spiders.

>>1094232
Worth noting: the white command that says "trust" and "friend" on Evel’yee is pretty blurry, maybe vanishing. I think the charm is wearing off soonish. Worrysome cause she still has the command open the box on her.

Also, the three that has the command "Open the Box" is written multiple times on them, like a lot. The command placed on you only says "GET THE BOX" not multiple times, but they are pretty big letters. (Not as big as the BE STILL command that we placed on Vax.) All of them, including the command on you all have the same symbol you saw. The BE STILL command has a different symbol and is white and gray instead of yellow like the others

and yeah, that rat had red eyes. Though I do know that some rats naturally have red eyes. Still, with all this eldritch stuff going on, it's best to be better safe than sorry

That gives me a thought, if BE STILL and the friend command was able to override those box commands, what if we can find a way to charm yourself so that those commands don't force you to open the box if it comes to it?

But yeah, whatever is compelling you to get the box is confirmed evil. Mina might be the best bet to get rid of the box so you don't get compelled to open it, unless the box influences her if she touches it. Though her friends didn't seem to want her to touch it for some reason, so she's probably our best bet.

>>1094225
Daww.
She IS cute.

Though, maybe has personal space issues given how she reacted to that attempted hugging.
Stick to encouraging friendliness in smile and thumbs up form for now.
She seems like a good friend to have-
>>1094224
Uh. Well. Dont get drunk with her unless you want to wake up with lewd shapes shaved into your fur.
But she seems fun.

>>1094226
Hm.
The compulsin on you shares a shape with that on the others who are box foxused, but its subdued in your case.
Less omnipresent.
Im still thinking whatever hit you with amnesia blunted the effect of the compulsion on you.
Theres less for the compulsion to latch on to, perhaps.
Bah, im getting lost in the theory again.
.
Normally I wouldnt say read a journal, but this time...
Read it surrepticiously from the most recent entry backwards.
You arent fishing for saucy gossip or embarrassing revelations.
Youre looking for any clues regarding events prior to their arrival here. See if theres any mention of someone like your good self in there. Also see if he wrote down anything after the compulsion hit. I doubt it but, worth checking.
Make it clear to the others if they notice you reading, its to see if theres anything you can use againt the last.

As to him,
Greasy sword or floor beneath his feet. Hes a veteran and a wiley sounding one by evelees words.

>>1094221
>They did… something to me
I can see more words behind you, there is a sort of curse on you. Something that's making you feel like nothing you do matters and you are doomed to die. Maybe an implied time loop? Maybe it's forced you to experience all timelines or something like that... oh. That sounds awful. Put into a false time loop where your Fate is also cursed into irrelevance, so you can't use knowledge gained between loops to make an impact on events? That's like getting trapped in Limbo. Well, it seems like Whisper decided you've suffered enough. We're an outside influence which means we have our own Fate, which means WE are relevant and are dragging you along with us because we share the same body.
Hmm, some of these words relate to the box. "Box is the answer"? "Box will kill him"? Could just be lingering compulsions, but I wonder if some of these words relate to your memories of earlier lives. Is "him" referring to Roderick?

>>1094223
A strange rat? That's probably someone's Familiar, or maybe even someone who's polymorphed. We could try to set a trap for it, I guess, but I think in either case they'd be too smart to fall for it.

>>1094225
>What did I do wrong there Winds?
She looked like she was feeling down because she was thinking about her trauma. Approaching someone in that state without warning is a bad idea. Next time, ask. Though, there might not be a next time, unless we have to loop.

>>1094226
Everyone has their own sexual tastes, and in humans those tastes can include nonhuman races-- even nonhumanoid ones.

>>1094226
Its a good thing you dont respond to everything.
The amount we talk you spend you whole life tuned out, blank eyed and drooling while trying to keep up.

Our numbers and diversity of thought is our strength.
Many minds coming up with a variety of solutions.
Many eyes watching your back.
...
..
Admittedly, some are staring at your arse, but i assure you slinky, even the horny ones are helping.

Oh, and yeah if you can grease Roderick's sword then... wait, shouldn't he have a backup weapon? Greasing the floor is a more standard technique and would be much better if he's got a dagger or something.

>>1094222

Sorry, I was going to go on a lengthy diatribe, but I inadvertently started channeling the power of Peanuts.

>>1094226

Great... so there's a second kind of magic only we can see. Be sure to let us know any time you're detecting magic. Interestingly, the geas on you to get the box is the same as the geas on the other two, except for them it's to open the box. So whatever you're feeling about the box, that's kind of how they feel right now. You should tell Mina that, so she knows it really is some sort of hidden spell, not anything she did to make her friends hate her.

I really hope your geas doesn't require you to touch the box. You might have been set up, so that once you get the box, the second geas will hit you and you'll have to open it. More likely you're protected, so that... whoever sent you could get you to fetch the box without opening it. But try to be safe and wrap it in cloth, or something, instead of touching it.

Oh I'm so sorry for calling you disposable. I meant that I feared the ones who sent you thought you were disposable, not that you actualy were.

> what about my current plan to deal with Roderick?

If you grease his sword, be sure to grease the hilt. If you grease the blade, he'll just set it on fire and now you're fighting Roderick with a flaming sword.

don't metaphorically grease his sword that is literal not a metaphor

> Should I read Vax’s diary

The more dignity you give Vax, the better. He's having a hard enough time, though thankfully his geas was uh... replaced, so he's not itching to open the box anymore. Leave his diary alone.

> if not and you’re actually lusting over me, why?

I'm surprised you didn't know, it's like the main characteristic of human beings. We'll get horny at anything! Creatures like us are basically constantly in estrus. In life, I was a bit past my prime though, and even humans aren't as lustful beyond the age that they have children, so my motivation wasn't lust per se.

I just think you're a beautiful creature, and it's a shame you have to cover yourself with a robe. I hope you can feel better about it, because in my opinion, the more you can show off that gorgeous fur, the better. I bet the hobs were head over heels for you before the whole amnesia thing. By all means wear clothing to protect yourself and look your best, but I'll tell you right now that you'll never have a bigger smile on your face, when you know people who love your whole body, and don't make you hide it away.

>>1094221
Ugh, there's a higher spirit debasing themselves by bullying your subconscious. HEY ASSHOLE, CUT IT OUT! She's got enough on her plate!

>>1094223
That's totally a magical spy, catch it!

>>1094226
We have an unhealthy obsession with disproportionately large sexual organs, but you don't have those.
But maybe it's your disproportionately large anime-style eyes. Those two traits are usually linked together for artistic purposes, you see.
So at the end of the day, you have one major magical compulsion, to obtain the box, but none of it involves opening the box. Meanwhile, everyone else is obsessed with opening the box by magnitudes more, but there is no compulsion to actually get the box.
Hm. I think there's a solution here. Can you create a long-term mental curse that deludes the target into believing they are holding the box? That way, their compulsion will make them open the box, but it won't push them to look for anything else, like the actual box.

>>1094255

Oh, by the way, 'anime-style' is an art style, one of may, that has overly large eyes on the face, useful for showing expressions on certain styles of rapidly drawn visual art. Now, since it is probably highly unlikely that your eyes are any shape OTHER than spheres that actually fit in your skull AND which also leave room for your brain and nasal cavity and such, I figure this is merely one of the many ways our perception of you and those around you is distorted; not to be *wrong* but rather to emphasize certain realities to our perception.

Though you probably DO have eyes that we would perceive as adorable regardless; undistorted non-sapient mustelids do, after all. And I would contradict the previous Wind; while it is true that art that is distorted in one way is often distorted in others, one does not imply or cause the other! Art is made for a specific context and a specific audience, and those factors matter MUCH more than a bit of correlation to one style or another.

My guess? The entity that brought us here wanted us to be able to read emotions on faces that might look a bit odd to some of us, like those of us NOT familiar with all of your all's species.

>>1094257
I don't think the art style of the artist is plot relevant to the quest. Her eyes aren't that much larger than a feral ferret's anyway.

>>1094281

Well it was mentioned so I responded. It could be a thing that exists in setting, or it could be a thing that doesn't. Who can say? The author is free to ignore both if it doesn't make sense or fit their worldbuilding, as always!