1/4 Nalthar 2025/03/04(Tue)11:12 No. 1104506 ID: 6c233e
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In the Gravel Pit Nest, the hearth burns low. Rats gnaw on bits of root, less for nourishment than to just fill time. The young pups huddle around old Fortitude. They've heard his stories a million times already, but its better than thinking on the cold and empty store rooms.

"But the Fox could not bear to eat the Rabbit, for now he could recognize the fear in his eyes. The Rabbit was grateful to be spared, and offered up the leaves he had gathered, but the Fox could not eat them. And so they went before the Witch once more."

2/4 Nalthar 2025/03/04(Tue)11:13 No. 1104508 ID: 6c233e
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"Please" cried the Fox "I am so hungry, but I cannot eat my friend!"

The Witch saw how the Fox had suffered, and she wept. Her tears rained down into her roots and where each tear fell there formed a bud, which grew and grew until they burst open. Out came the first fungal beasts.

"These beasts neither think nor feel. They will only feed on rot and spread their spores. Take as many as you wish and eat your fill. In return, I only ask that those who eat of my brood henceforth spurn the meat of their fellows. Renounce the ways of beasts and live as goodly folk."

3/4 Nalthar 2025/03/04(Tue)11:15 No. 1104510 ID: 6c233e
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"Do not become like those who live beyond the forest. Those who kill and take for mere pleasure. Theirs is the way of ruin."

4/4 Nalthar 2025/03/04(Tue)11:16 No. 1104511 ID: 6c233e
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The sun's pale rays herald the dawn, holes in the shed wall and tent canvas perfectly aligning to bring a beam right to your eye. You stir and peer blearily into the stuffy dimness of the tent. Moving to rise, you find a small and warm body seems to have nestled under your cloak. Their soft breathing says they yet sleep.

You are Tem'rty, young hunter of the Gravel Pit Nest. The nest's store rooms are near empty, by the end of the week there will be nothing. You were sent with one desperate mission; return with food, or not at all.

It is the morning of your second day in House Cadvere.

Chop-chop, time is of the essence no room for lollygagging your family needs the food rent or the grim reaper going to evict them from life. Get up and start looking for solutions or you will become the problem. Also cool world building story that was told.

We can claim to renounce consumption, but the truth is our mere existence prostrates before it. Your bodies consume every day. You will never know if the mushroom you roasted had a soul, nor will you know if the gravel beneath your feet feels the yoke of your oppression. You will never be absolutely sure if the people under your wing or stomping on you with your boot are individual entities and not machines pretending to wear the skin of a soul. And so you must fight for those you best believe are 'real'.

Embrace the violence. Enjoy its splendor. But do not love it. It will never love you.

Time to scavenge.

let's check if those weapons are done being forged

Is the body other than our own? That bears investigation first and foremost, I should think. Otherwise, yes, we must be out and about, to see what the camp's business is.

How could we return with food? Would we take from our new friends, the ones we risk our lives with, and steal away in the night to head for home with a stuffed pack?

boy, i sure am glad fungal beasts neither think nor feel! hey, has anyone ever tried domesticating them? we've got bigger things on the list, right now, but filing that away for later — what if we could bring back not just food, but a way to guarantee food for generations? pay a little more attention to the fungi, maybe, next time we run into them.

anyway, lift that cloak and peek at who's snuggling.

1/2 Nalthar 2025/03/11(Tue)23:26 No. 1104834 ID: 6c233e
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You suspect you know who it is, but gently lift your cloak to peek anyway. Lisel rests upon your chest, soft breaths fluttering her whiskers. With her eyes hidden behind her thick goggles It's impossible to tell if she's actually asleep. Still, you don't want to wake her so you rest a while.

Lost in thought, your mind ranges over ways out of your horrible predicament. You think about fungos. This house seems to have a fair number of them, which makes sense. It must be the only warm place for miles and it's full of rotting things. If it wasn't also a death trap run by a madman your problems would be over.

You consider weather you could sneak some fungos home with you. Everyone you've talked to has said leaving is impossible, but you have your doubts. You are very sneaky. Fungos are not, however, so that plan will need some work. A pity, fungos are rather passive once captured, so just tying them together you could lead a whole pack home.

Fungal beast domestication isn't often done. The ones that lack nasty mutations keep well enough. The mice here even have a few feeding on the impromptu midden. But fungos in captivity never seem to get any larger, nor to breed, so capturing one is more a method of keeping it fresh for later.

The sounds of activity are picking up in the camp, so it seems like time to get up. There is a lot to do today and you need to get your new equipment from the shrews. You huff, your chest rising and falling sharply. Lisel stirs "Mmm, morning already?"

2/2 Nalthar 2025/03/11(Tue)23:27 No. 1104835 ID: 6c233e
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"It seemed you were working late. Did you discover anything?" you inquire as the two of you get up and stretch.

"Preliminary findings are inconclusive." she replies with a shrug. "The fluid left in the mechanical heart has become fully inert. It seems to be a highly complex salt, but I need to run more tests.

I also analyzed that red dust. looks like a powerful psychoactive drug, but you already knew that. I have a few substances try binding it to, might be able to make a fluid version, maybe even a aerosol. In its particle form it would be difficult to use without breathing it in ourselves. Of course it is yet to be seen how it would affect our enemies. Will need to study it further."

She turns to you with a coy grin "Buuuut if you can't get enough of my company I could always come with you today. I took the nozzle on the acid thrower apart and oiled every piece, so there won't be any accidents like yesterday." She rubs at the patchy fur on her muzzle. "Guaranteed."

>fungos are passive once captured
Hmmmmm... if we can capture the horribly hallucinogenic one, then perhaps we could harvest a sizable amount of its dust? Should be reasonably simple now that we know how it works- just don't breathe it. Filtered masks, or even holding your breath could work.
That said, we're not sure how we can use it yet. If we could find any vulnerability in the human's usual routine... something they're likely to inhale perhaps? (a cigar or snuff?) Of course, just using it on the puppets could be useful. Afflict a group and they might turn on eachother instead of fighting us.

>should she come along?
By all means, you'd welcome her company.

Yes, we believe in Lisel's abilities and the promise of her technology, so we 'd be glad to have her along on the day's mission; but she's been getting more and more touchy-feely since yesterday, which is concerning. We should show her her space, as tactfully as we can; we're on a mission for our home, and can't afford to get tangled up in any messy relationships.

I am against her tagging along with us all the time, I get that she is a field researcher but we don't have time for her to reach a breakthrough. I suggest you go with somebody much more capable in a fight or just go alone.