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File 126030725842.png - (69.73KB , 700x700 , Intro1.png )
88264 No. 88264 ID: cc6759

Hey... can you hear me?

Ok, you can. Well, that's a start. Wow... You're a complete blank slate, aren't you? That's never happened before.

I guess I can't leave you like this. I suppose... well, I'm not supposed to, but... ah, screw it. I'll help you out. Hold still.
Expand all images
>>
No. 88269 ID: c5f90c

Okay, we'll hold still.

... Who're you?
>>
No. 88270 ID: cc6759
File 126030755042.png - (69.60KB , 700x700 , Intro2.png )
88270

>!!!!!!

>???? can now hear VOICES OF THE PAST
>???? can now hear SOMETHING ELSE(?)
>???? will now obey your suggestions!

There you go, these guys should help you. Might have opened you up a bit too much, there, but you need some sort of direction.

Well, I guess I should introduce myself...
>>
No. 88271 ID: f98e0b

Let us do it. Your name is Marge and you are 10 years old and it is time to go home, Marge.
>>
No. 88276 ID: cc6759
File 126030771354.png - (38.91KB , 700x700 , Intro3.png )
88276

Hi, I'm Luna! You may remember me from such divine portfolios as TRICKERY, SURVIVAL and BEING THE MOON.

And let me say, I've got some good news for you...!
>>
No. 88279 ID: 276781

>>88276
You're gonna be our girlfriend? Sweet, you're pretty hot for a moon.
>>
No. 88280 ID: cc6759
File 12603077908.png - (15.08KB , 700x700 , Title1.png )
88280

>>
No. 88284 ID: cc6759
File 126030815059.png - (37.84KB , 700x700 , Intro4.png )
88284

>>88279

Thanks, but I'd hold off on the advances for now. You don't even have a gender yet.

It seems the infusion of my MOON POWER into your body has reacted poorly with something. Right now, you have no identity whatsoever! We have to fix that down before you fall apart.

To start with, what is your sex? And what's your name?
>>
No. 88286 ID: 34470e

>>88284
Our name will be Ivanna Penelli.
>>
No. 88287 ID: f373c2

Our name is Blossom.

We are male.
>>
No. 88290 ID: 276781

>>88284
'Saul' sounds like a good name.
And we gotta be a man. I feel manly, like a manly man among manly men.
>>
No. 88293 ID: cc6759

[Before anyone asks, by the way, this Quest is indeed based in Exalted. Sorry for the unoriginality, but I had the idea and I wanted to go with it.]
>>
No. 88295 ID: 5d5878

Sex: Chick
Name: Something not manly
>>
No. 88297 ID: e30533

Female. Always.
The little herbivorous girl, remember?
>>
No. 88298 ID: 034a30

>>88284
Name: Charlie Rocknuckles
Sex: Female
>>
No. 88299 ID: 697b23

Sure, let's go with female. Name... Tanya.
>>
No. 88300 ID: c0f3bf

Sex: Female
Name: Ricardo Botticelli
>>
No. 88301 ID: 276781

>>88295
>>88297
Can't we be a manly man this time?
C'mon. Or should I say c'moon?
>>
No. 88303 ID: 5d5878

>>88301
I'll meet you halfway.
Sex: Manly Chick
>>
No. 88305 ID: 7bf257

>>88303
I am okay with this.
>>
No. 88306 ID: cc6759
File 126031001046.png - (37.20KB , 700x700 , Intro5.png )
88306

Trouble deciding, eh? Well, don't worry too much; you can learn how to change gender later, if you want to bother. For now, you're a girl.

>???? is now FEMALE

As for a name... you seem to have trouble with that, too. Well, why don't we mix it up, then?

>???? is now SAULANNA RICANYA ROCKBLOSSOM

So, Saulanna, I need to ask you a few more things. Are you better at using your MIND, your BODY or your PERSUASIVENESS? Which one are you worst at using?

And what is your STYLE? Are you AGGRESSIVE, DEFENSIVE or TRICKSY?
>>
No. 88309 ID: 697b23

>>88306
Persuasive body-ness.

Aggressively tricksy.
>>
No. 88311 ID: 7bf257

>>88306
There are just not enough spellcasters around. Lets go with MIND being best, BODY being worst.

AGGRESSIVE all the way, baby.
>>
No. 88313 ID: 34470e

>>88306
Let's be aggressive and persuasive.
>>
No. 88318 ID: 276781

>>88306
You better believe it's all in the MIND, hot stuff. So maybe our BODY's not so good, but the brain's the part that matters most.

As for your second question, Saulanna always gets what she wants - even if that means she has to get AGGRESSIVE to get it.
>>
No. 88320 ID: 0d501f

>>88306
Best: Persuasive Worst: Body

Style: Tricky
>>
No. 88323 ID: e75a2f

MIND and TRICKSY.

Lets be a Schemer.
>>
No. 88331 ID: 5d5878

Best: MIND
Worst: PERSUASIVENESS

Style: TRICKSY
>>
No. 88333 ID: 445c48

Good with Persuasiveness, bad with Mind.

Tricksy
>>
No. 88336 ID: c8028f

Best: Mind
Worst: Body
Style: ImpetuAggressive
>>
No. 88338 ID: 2cbe3e

Persuasive, aggressive.
>>
No. 88340 ID: fe0817

best: persuasive
worst:body
>>
No. 88346 ID: 43d730
File 126031216483.jpg - (59.88KB , 406x735 , aisha_clanclan.jpg )
88346

>>88306
Body-Mind-Suavity, Agressive.
>>
No. 88376 ID: cc6759
File 126031412959.png - (38.61KB , 700x700 , Intro6.png )
88376

More trouble deciding. Well, don't worry. The choices you make will be able to refine your balance of TALENTS as time goes by.

For now, it seems you're best with your MIND and worst with your BODY. Of course, as one of my champions, you're still better than a normal person in most everything, especially when you need to be AGGRESSIVE.

> Calculating TALENTS

> MIGHT: Remarkable | AGILITY: Average | TOUGHNESS: Average.
> INSPIRATION: Astonishing | BEAUTY: Remarkable | DICKERY: Remarkable
> SAVVY: Ridiculous | ACUITY: Astonishing | INTUITION: Astonishing

Alright, one more question.

What ANIMAL do you feel the most AFFINITY for?
>>
No. 88380 ID: 135d9a

>>88376
Cat. :V
>>
No. 88382 ID: 445c48

>>88376
Duck billed platypus.

We need to get that agility up, by the way.
>>
No. 88383 ID: b1e366

>>88376
MANTIS SHRIMP
>>
No. 88384 ID: c0f3bf

Ferret!
>>
No. 88387 ID: 276781

>>88376
I gotta go with >>88382 - the platypus is like a combination of a bunch of different animals, and we're a massive conglomeration of a bunch of different voices. All working in unity to make or break our charge!
>>
No. 88388 ID: 445c48

Nah, we don't want something completely aquatic.
>>
No. 88389 ID: 51d0f5

Simhata.

(This is an Exalted animal. It's like 3/4 warhorse, 1/4 lion.)
>>
No. 88390 ID: 697b23
File 126031445026.png - (16.18KB , 450x439 , cat_proximity.png )
88390

>>88382
Perfect animal for doing that is the cat.

Pic related.
>>
No. 88391 ID: e75a2f

The Grues.
>>
No. 88394 ID: 34470e

>>88376
Mosquito!
>>
No. 88397 ID: 43d730

>>88389
Seconding.
>>
No. 88399 ID: 03a468

Rabbit :3
>>
No. 88400 ID: 05c3ee

C'moooooon, cat.
>>
No. 88401 ID: 51d0f5

I already suggested Simhata, but... If it MUST be a Charisma-ee animal, can it not be a cat? How about a mouse, or a dove? Or a cleverness pick, like a fox or a raccoon?
>>
No. 88402 ID: bf957e

>>88389
You want us to be 3/4 HORSE!?
>>
No. 88408 ID: 78631b

Raven. Then learn Sorcery. And war form is just raven wings and eyes that see EVERYTHING.
>>
No. 88409 ID: 51d0f5

>>88402
What's wrong with that?

Plus, since we're weak with Body, having a fast and dangerous animal form could come in handy.
>>
No. 88412 ID: 5d5878

Changing vote to raccoon to go with the whole "Mind" thing.
>>
No. 88420 ID: cc6759
File 12603152268.png - (37.54KB , 700x700 , Lunabytheway.png )
88420

Choose carefully, now. The ANIMAL you choose will decide your initial selection of MOON ABILITIES and will offer you MOVEMENT options that will not be without effort to obtain otherwise. And unlike the other questions I've asked you, you can't do anything to change your answer afterwards!

Your current strongest answer is CAT. Is that what you want?
>>
No. 88425 ID: 5d5878

>>88420
Stayin' on coon.
>>
No. 88426 ID: 135d9a

>>88420
Actually I would be willing to go with raccoon too. :V
>>
No. 88427 ID: 51d0f5

Not cat! Anything but cat! That's the most unoriginal pick ever!
>>
No. 88430 ID: 34470e

>>88420
Actually, a raccoon is fine, too.
>>
No. 88431 ID: 276781

>>88420
Actually, I'll change my vote to Mantis Shrimp.
Or Raccoon, if that's not available as a choice.
>>
No. 88434 ID: 03a468

Screw it, cat.
Raccoons are fat useless lumps.
>>
No. 88440 ID: 5d5878

>>88434
You sir have not had to deal with a pissed off raccoon at three in the morning.
>>
No. 88451 ID: 51d0f5

Changing vote to Raccoon even though I still think Simhata is better, because Cat is the most cliche thing ever.
>>
No. 88457 ID: 78631b

>>88427
Along with fox and wolf.

Pick a bird so we can fly. Plus mental stats go well with owls, ravens and such.
>>
No. 88464 ID: 445c48

Winged Platypus.
>>
No. 88471 ID: 05c3ee

Okay fine raccoon geez.
>>
No. 88476 ID: 03a468

Catacoonypus.
>>
No. 88490 ID: 51d0f5

Raccoon isn't as fast or lethal as other choices, and it can't fly, but it can blend in almost anywhere, which is handy if we're caught snooping around.
>>
No. 88494 ID: 632862

Giant Eagle.
>>
No. 88498 ID: 43d730

>>88420
CORGI
>>
No. 88500 ID: 697b23

Squirrel.

Or we could not be major douchebags, concerning ourselves with 'oh noes are we being teh clichy?'
>>
No. 88508 ID: 276781

>>88490
Raccoons are also nocturnal, which fits in with the MOON theme we've got going so far.
>>
No. 88510 ID: 78631b

So... pangolin? Armadillo?
>>
No. 88528 ID: ad91d9

Racoons, eh? Let's run with that.
>>
No. 88529 ID: 54af1f

Cat
>>
No. 88530 ID: 95ab41

pistol shrimp
>>
No. 88532 ID: 087863

I SECOND THE CORGI.

FOR ODD REASONS I DO NOT KNOW.
>>
No. 88534 ID: 964033

Cat.

In fact, we feel so strongly that we are catlike, that we groom ourselves with our feline tongue and meow in greetings at newcomers before rubbing our sides against them and purring.
>>
No. 88539 ID: 2f6f8a

Cat
>>
No. 88540 ID: b9af96

No, cat is retarded. PISTOL SHRIMP is fuckin awesome.
>>
No. 88541 ID: f44349

>>88498
OH MY FUCK, YES
CORGI
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY BUT THIS IS THE BEST IDEA EVER
>>
No. 88542 ID: b8687a

Ferocious Feline.
>>
No. 88543 ID: 03a468

Claw shrimp
>>
No. 88545 ID: 7289d4

WE SHALL BE THE KITTY
>>
No. 88547 ID: 445c48

I change my vote to Skeletal Giant Eagle.
>>
No. 88548 ID: 697b23

Oh well, cats are cool. Graceful, cunning, arrogant bastards.

I'd definitely prefer a cat to a mangy raccoon any day. And yes I've dealt with both.
>>
No. 88549 ID: 597b9b

>>88540
Only if we retain the pistol shrimps ability to create high intensity explosions by snaping our fingers.

Otherwise, I second racoon.

Also, this quest is looking to be awesome already.
>>
No. 88551 ID: 5d5878

>>88549
That was my first vote, but it doesn't go with the MIND thing I think.
>>
No. 88552 ID: 6a6a5e

anything but cat

take that as -1 vote for cat.
>>
No. 88555 ID: ba41e5
File 126031878127.jpg - (44.96KB , 450x364 , Corgi.jpg )
88555

Corgi.
>>
No. 88556 ID: 5f60be

>>88549
I'm not quite sure that would work very well on land.

I vote for a Duck Billed Platypus. It can go along on land, and it can swim. In addition, they have a poison barb, and sense prey through electrolocation.

If we somehow turn into one with wings, all the better.
>>
No. 88560 ID: 2b38c5

Cat.
>>
No. 88561 ID: 66f2a5

Corgi! so adorable.
>>
No. 88562 ID: e3f578

Uh uh Corgi. Fuuuuuck yes the Corgi.

DO IT!
>>
No. 88565 ID: cc6759
File 126031896768.png - (31.25KB , 700x700 , Saulanna.png )
88565

>VOTE WAS RACCOON WHEN I STARTED DRAWING SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS

>CHARACTER GENERATED
>>
No. 88566 ID: 603c39

Giant Eagle. We want to do something other than just walk around, flying's cool.

Maybe a giant owl for MIND
>>
No. 88568 ID: 964033

>>88565
Nickname self: Tanuki
>>
No. 88569 ID: 4aad78

>>88565
Well, so long as it isn't a cat.
>>
No. 88571 ID: 51d0f5

Nice eyes.

>Nickname self: Tanuki
Better Nickname: Ricanya Raccoon
>>
No. 88573 ID: c0f3bf

>>88571
Yes. That is too perfect for words.
>>
No. 88581 ID: 51d0f5

Say. Why did we pick high Mental stats when we're the ones making all the ideas anyway? Lunar Mental charms are kinda so-so anyway...
>>
No. 88589 ID: cc6759
File 126032024422.png - (78.88KB , 700x700 , Intro7.png )
88589

Alright, you're done! You're ready to set out! Or... are you? You still have no MEMORIES, so it's possible you don't even know how to do some things. Not even the BASIC stuff.

Well, tell you what, one last gift from me to you. The FULL MOON will last two more days. During that time, I'll give you INSTRUCTIONS on how you can interact with the world, and you can even PRAY to me to get answers to specific questions! I don't normally do this, but you look like you're going to be interesting. Heh heh.

Well, for now...

GO FORTH, MY CHOSEN CHAMPION, AND KICK ASS IN MY NAME!!
>>
No. 88590 ID: c0f3bf

Air guitar, IN THE NAME OF THE MOON!
>>
No. 88592 ID: 51d0f5

Make a triumphant pose.

Hug Luna.
>>
No. 88594 ID: 445c48

>>88592
Second.
>>
No. 88600 ID: 5d5878

>>88589
POSE AS A TEAM
SHIT JUST GOT REAL
>>
No. 88605 ID: 276781

>>88589
Kicking ass? You got it, sweetcakes.

>>88592
I suppose a hug's innocuous enough. Let's do that.
>>
No. 88610 ID: cc6759
File 126032115625.png - (44.83KB , 700x700 , Scene2.png )
88610

>>88592
>>88594
>>88605

Luna disappeared in a dramatic flash of light after her last statement!

Saulanna's EMOTIONS are more confusion than triumph, but she has a go. She efficiently merges a victorious arm-raise with a hug-beeseching gesture towards the moon.
>>
No. 88612 ID: f21281

>>88610
Say "AH LUV YEW, MOON!"
>>
No. 88613 ID: 34470e

>>88610
Check size and firmness of breasts.
>>
No. 88620 ID: 43d730

>>88613
Thoroughly.
>>
No. 88622 ID: 276781

>>88620
With gusto.

Then find something with an ass to kick - preferably something that deserves it, mind.
>>
No. 88626 ID: 5d5878

>>88610
Er... Pray to Luna, ask "What now?"
>>
No. 88627 ID: cc6759
File 12603228372.png - (26.57KB , 700x700 , verimportant.png )
88627

>>88613

First things first!

Saulanna has no memories of other women to compare herself against, but in terms of first-hand perception of size, each of her breasts seems to be not quite a handful. Thanks to her RIDICULOUS SAVVY, it occurs to her how unusual it must be that they are both the same size. They appear to be of pleasant firmness.

Saulanna's AROUSAL increases by a fraction.
>>
No. 88630 ID: 34470e

>>88627
OK, next thing, GO LEFT! If you can't go left, then go right.
>>
No. 88631 ID: 445c48

It's time to embark on a quest.

Our quest? HUG THE MOON
>>
No. 88632 ID: 445c48

>>88631
Alternatively masturbating.
>>
No. 88633 ID: cc6759
File 126032347249.png - (43.53KB , 700x700 , Scene1.png )
88633

>>88626

Saulanna's SAVVY suggests looking at where she is, first!

This is a SHADOWY LAND. It is dark. You are likely to be eaten by a ZOMBY GOAST. Exits are NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, CLIFF, SKY and GROUND.

Salanna's ACUITY notes that there is a CREATURE to the EAST. It also allows her to note a feeling of her magic being STIFLED, despite her only gaining magic a moment ago. That's how good her ACUITY is! Her SAVVY posits that she will not be able to regain her MOON POWER very quickly while she remains under whatever effect is causing this.
>>
No. 88636 ID: 34470e

>>88633
Co INVESTIGATE the CREATURE to the EAST
>>
No. 88639 ID: 135d9a

>>88633
I guess go figure out what's to the east.
>>
No. 88643 ID: fe0817

Sneak in the direction of East, don't let the creature detect you. Wait... Agility score... Nevermind...

Charm the heck out of the creature.
>>
No. 88651 ID: cc6759
File 126032536133.png - (46.03KB , 700x700 , Scene3.png )
88651

Saulanna goes EAST.

There is a BURLY-LOOKING FELLOW here. He is gazing at a FALLEN TREE. He does not appear to notice her.

Saulanna's ACUITY notes that the lower end of the tree and some of its branches are embedded in the dirt. Her SAVVY offers the theory that this PATH is in fact a dried-up river bed, which had deposited mud beneath the tree over time.
>>
No. 88657 ID: e0499d

he haz no face...
erm...

charm the man?
>>
No. 88662 ID: ad91d9

Figure out what this strange man is doing here!
>>
No. 88668 ID: ad91d9

Question who he is and why he's standing there, looking like a log. Er. At a log.
>>
No. 88670 ID: 51d0f5

Use SAVVY to determine LIVINGNESS of stranger.

If he is ALIVE, say hello. If not, punch him in the back of the neck as hard as you can.
>>
No. 88678 ID: cc6759
File 126032751634.png - (46.70KB , 700x700 , Scene4.png )
88678

Saulanna gives the man a pleasant greeting!

"... The tree fell...?"

Hm.

Saulanna's SAVVY finds it difficult to draw definite conclusions without sufficient background education, but something is definitely wrong with this guy! Now that she pays attention, her ACUITY does note a lack of breathing on his part. He also has an OTHERWORLDLY QUALITY to him.
>>
No. 88680 ID: 276781

>>88678
A zombie, perhaps? Or someone in a zombielike trance? How odd.
>>
No. 88682 ID: 192956

>>88678
Well the man clearly needs help throw him over the tree.
>>
No. 88683 ID: 51d0f5

Recall basic things such as ZOMBIES EXIST, and BREASTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAME SIZE and YOUR TAIL AND EYE MARKINGS ARE UNUSUAL.

More immediately, PUNCH ZOMBIE VERY HARD.
>>
No. 88686 ID: 1831fc

He's undead, or a ghost.

Go around to his front and start digging at the tree.

It's obvious his body or something important to him is there.
>>
No. 88689 ID: ad91d9

Wait, no punchings! Maybe he's a ghost. Maybe special powers are needed?

Pray to Luna and ask what wondrous MOON POWERS you have been granted and how to use them. Also, who/what the heck that guy is.
>>
No. 88690 ID: 51d0f5

Also, use SAVVY to figure out what ACUITY and INTUITION might be used for, as these are your next highest stats. (Those and INSPIRATION, which is clearly to Kamina someone.)
>>
No. 88692 ID: 697b23

Yeah, don't punch him.

That's so cliché.
>>
No. 88700 ID: 43d730

>>88678
Obviously, the only choice is SUPLEX.
>>
No. 88702 ID: 632862

>>88678
Try lifting the tree off the guy's corpse.
>>
No. 88705 ID: cc6759
File 126032900840.png - (47.23KB , 700x700 , Scene5.png )
88705

Saulanna delivers an INCOMPETENT STRIKE.

... That's not a zombie. That's not a zombie at all.

>>88686
Saulanna's SAVVY agrees with your assessment that he is likely to be a ghost. Her TOUGHNESS is low enough that it'll be a chore to go digging with her bare hands, but it seems the best-

>>88689
... Or it might be prudent to call Luna first.

>>88690
SAVVY, ACUITY and INTUITION are game abstractions that are meaningless from Saulanna's perspective! From the words themselves, though, she would guess that ACUITY is about how keen your senses are and how well you can perceive things, while INTUITION measures how good you are at reacting without time to think properly and your ability to make decisions under stress.
>>
No. 88712 ID: 51d0f5

(So she's good at making quick decisions, which is our job, good at producing solid judgments, which is our job, and good at thinking up inspiring speeches, which is our job...

...I won't say these are useless specializations, but this sure isn't going to be easy on the GM.)

Yes, call to Luna. Be like "Help, I don't know anything."
>>
No. 88718 ID: cc6759
File 126032972329.png - (46.37KB , 700x700 , Scene6.png )
88718

>Saulanna PRAYS to Luna.

Hello, you lot. Looking for answers? I expected you'd want them soon enough.

This looks like a good time to teach you about CHALLENGES.
>>
No. 88724 ID: 51d0f5

==>
>>
No. 88741 ID: cc6759
File 12603304769.png - (46.21KB , 700x700 , Scene7.png )
88741

A CHALLENGE is when you have to perform a difficult task. Very simple, really. You just compare your SKILL NUMBER to the the level of the CHALLENGE, and if it's matched or greater, you succeed. Your SKILL NUMBER is equal to the TALENT you need plus whatever relevant COMPETENCIES you have. Unfortunately, as an amnesiac, Saulanna does not have an COMPETENCIES at all! She'll pick them up as she goes on, and I expect her to do so quickly, thanks to her RIDICULOUS SAVVY.

Anyway, for example, one of you suggested Saulanna DIG under that tree. As a CHALLENGE, that simple action is level 2. Digging without tools is an exercise in TOUGHNESS, so Saulanna can make it - barely. Enough to dislodge things from just below the surface. If there's SOMETHING DEEPER that you need, she won't be able to do it without taking MUCH TOO LONG.

Now, you could try other methods. This GHOST, for example, is temporarily MATERIAL, and his TOUGHNESS is high enough to dig that out no problem. However, as a ghost, he is trapped in thoughts of his UNFINISHED BUSINESS. You would need RIDICULOUS INSPIRATION to talk him into action.

There are probably other solutions as well, and the one's I've outlined are useless, right? Well, not quite. This is where my MOON POWER comes in!
>>
No. 88750 ID: 51d0f5

Surely there's an element of chance involved. Your Inspiration is only one point below that needed to Inspire the ghost...
>>
No. 88763 ID: cc6759
File 126033134414.png - (46.32KB , 700x700 , Scene8.png )
88763

>>88750

Not chance, but tactical consideration! Allow me to explain.

As you can see, Saulanna's MOON POWER, or MP, is visible in the lower right corner of the screen. She currently has 12 MP. MOON POWER does lots of things! You can use it to SHAPESHIFT and to activate MOON ABILITIES, but the most immediate use for our situation is the MOON BOOST. Basically, you can spend a point of MP to double one of your TALENTS for one action! Handy, eh?

Be careful, though. MOON POWER takes some time to recharge, especially if you don't rest, and especially especially in this SHADOWY LAND. There is one other way to get it back, though: being cool! Whenever you perform AWESOME DEEDS, I'll return one (or maybe even more!) points of MOON POWER to the pool.

One more note about MOON POWER: as you can see, each dot is more brightly-coloured than the last. If you spend too much MP all at once, Saulanna will start to GLOW with lunar energy. People will be able to tell where she is, and that she's one of mine!

That should be all you need to know for now. Good luck!
>>
No. 88769 ID: 445c48

>>88763
To Luna: "Can I hug you?"
>>
No. 88772 ID: 1f66ea

So we're essentially playing Exalted, awesome.
>>
No. 88779 ID: cc6759
File 126033181583.png - (26.09KB , 700x700 , pause1.png )
88779

[Time to pause for a while. Bedtime!]
>>
No. 88780 ID: 51d0f5

Use MOON BOOST to give yourself TRULY SUPERHUMAN INSPIRATION.

"O Ghost! Know that I am SAULANNA RICANYA ROCKBLOSSOM, and you have spent far too long mulling over your misfortune instead of correcting it! By my will, you will defy Death itself and STRIKE THE EARTH!"
>>
No. 88928 ID: 597b9b

>>88772
That is what the OP said.
>>
No. 89203 ID: fc53e5
File 126039587669.png - (51.14KB , 700x700 , Scene9.png )
89203

>>88780

Spending a point of MOON POWER, Saulanna boosts her INSPIRATION from "astonishing" up through "ridiculous", past "phenomenal" and "incredible", to TRULY SUPERHUMAN.

>"O Ghost! Know that I am SAULANNA RICANYA ROCKBLOSSOM, and you have spent far too long mulling over your misfortune instead of correcting it! By my will, you will defy Death itself and STRIKE THE EARTH!"
>>
No. 89206 ID: fc53e5
File 126039602046.png - (31.04KB , 700x700 , Scene10.png )
89206

>>89203

"It... but... the tree...

...

You... you're right! What am I just standing around for!?"
>>
No. 89207 ID: fc53e5
File 126039612766.png - (47.85KB , 700x700 , Scene11.png )
89207

The ghost gets down and begins digging with INSPIRED gusto. Saulanna is pleased with the success of these new powers.
>>
No. 89209 ID: f21281

>>89207
Newcomer behind you.
>>
No. 89210 ID: 43d730

>>89207
Try to get a better look at his bum.
>>
No. 89212 ID: 0d501f

>>89207
While he's in a more lucid state, if you think it won't send him back into catatonia, ask why he's anchored to this world and not passed on to the next.
>>
No. 89213 ID: 597b9b

>>89212
I agree. Helping a mournful soul pass on seems like a worthy deed. Besides, not much else to do while he digs.

Also, whats that wispy thing above your head?
>>
No. 89219 ID: f13c4d

>>89213
That "Wispy thing" looks like it's behind some of the trees in the background, let's notice it before it eats us.
>>
No. 89222 ID: 43d730

>>89219
I think it's the bit of MOON POWAH that we used.
>>
No. 89229 ID: fe0817

Can we regenerate moon POWAR by any means? Resting at inns? Pleasing the moon? sacrafices of young forest animals?
>>
No. 89238 ID: 51d0f5

>>89229
All of the above, I think. Not sure about the sacrifice part. Think it's more to do with eating.
>>
No. 89239 ID: f13c4d

>>89229
I would direct you, aswell as anyone else ignorant of Exalted to http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Exalted

Also, I feel I should remind you that we are part young forrest animal.
>>
No. 89242 ID: fc53e5
File 126040442999.png - (23.39KB , 700x700 , Scene12.png )
89242

>>89210

NOTHING AT ALL

>>89212

He seems strongly focused on his task, but can speak a bit while he works. Apparently he had something hidden out here, and he was just about to deliver it elsewhere when this tree fell on top of him. He says he should have reconsidered using this CURSED FOREST.

After a moment, he uncovers his own SKELETON. It unnerves him, but he seems set on retrieving whatever it is that's underneath.

>>89209
>>89213
>>89222

Something to the NORTH? the perpetual GLOOM in the trees makes it tricky to see anything, but with Saulanna's ACUITY it shouldn't be much trouble. She turns-
>>
No. 89243 ID: fc53e5
File 126040459219.png - (27.70KB , 700x700 , zomby.png )
89243

WHAT

>COMBAT START!
>>
No. 89245 ID: 51d0f5

We don't know what Moon Abilities do.

Spend an MP to randomly activate a Moon Ability WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING WHAT IT IS.

This will be awesome if it works.
>>
No. 89247 ID: f13c4d

>>89243
Fucking called it!
>>
No. 89252 ID: e3f578

Wiggle your tail, decrease its accuracy.
>>
No. 89256 ID: 43d730

>>89243
Throw it bodily into the woods.

Or beat it against a tree or something.
>>
No. 89257 ID: f13c4d

Piddle self, call luna.
>>
No. 89261 ID: fe0817

Uhmmm... charm it? Or challenge it to a battle of wits. Just make sure it is not the Oldest Game this time.
>>
No. 89347 ID: 84297a

Don't use a gun; you have to kill fast, and bullets too slow.
>>
No. 89399 ID: ad91d9

Er. Well. Um.

Oh hell. Go with using a random moon ability, if you can. If not, pray to luna for instruction.
>>
No. 89483 ID: 5d5878

>>89243
Tell it to LEAVE THIS PLACE!
>>
No. 89608 ID: fe0817

Switching my choice to commanding it to leave this place. Bonus points for You Shalt Not Pass speech.
>>
No. 89714 ID: 107da3

>>89243

Make him vanish in a puff of logic.
>>
No. 89756 ID: 171e7b
File 126048404713.png - (48.08KB , 700x700 , Battle1.png )
89756

>>89245
>>89399

Reaching randomly, you activate BEAST SENSES. Adopting the awareness of the canny RACCOON, your senses of SMELL, HEARING, SPIRIT and TOUCH are all enha-
>>
No. 89757 ID: 171e7b
File 126048407442.png - (51.14KB , 700x700 , Battle2.png )
89757

OW OW FUCK OW

THAT HURTS
>>
No. 89759 ID: 43d730

>>89757
Punch though its chest.
>>
No. 89760 ID: 276781

>>89757
Worry about clothes later, concentrate on available combat abilities and not dying.
>>
No. 89761 ID: 445c48

>>89757
Look at that, it ripped right through the bra.
>>
No. 89764 ID: 5aa60d

>>89761
wow and considering how revealing that bra was its armour class must have been AMAZING
this is a seriously powerful ghost were fighting here, what combat abilities do we have?
>>
No. 89766 ID: e3f578

This is what you get for not lowering it's accuracy. You could have dodged but no, now you have no shirt.

Your alertness has gone up at least. Dodge every future attack, try and find a weak spot with your senses. Then notify your new ghost friend who dug up his thing.

Something like "OH GOD FRIEND HELP ME! THE GOD DAMN MONSTER GOT MY BRA OFF"
>>
No. 89768 ID: 2cbe3e

>>89757

Attack back by rubbing your rock hard nipples and wetting your lips. Let out a little moan.
>>
No. 89769 ID: 171e7b
File 126048477733.png - (52.60KB , 700x700 , Battle3.png )
89769

Protected slightly by the magical nature her body now possesses, Saulanna loses one HEALTH POINT. The burly ghost takes a defensive posture, but is too DISTRACTED by her WARDROBE MALFUNCTION to take other action.

The next TURN begins. Saulanna's high INTUITION puts her at the top of the queue.

>>89483
>>89608

Saulanna's SAVVY objects! It looks like the zombie ghost is a mindless entity of blind hunger and vengeance!

>>89760
Concentrating on available abilities, Saulanna senses a number of combat-suitable options available to her, in addition to MOON BOOST:

>MOON CLAWS
>FLOWING DEFENSE
>WAR FORM

She can also perform non-magical actions, of course!
>>
No. 89770 ID: 5d5878

>>89769
Claw it to more-death!
>>
No. 89773 ID: 445c48

>>89769
Moon claws, slice that honky up.
>>
No. 89781 ID: e6bf37

Use FLOWING DEFENSE
>>
No. 89784 ID: 51d0f5

War Form! Use War Form!

(If it's not obvious, a lunar's War Form means Morph Into A Big Furry Killing Machine)
>>
No. 89785 ID: 597b9b

>>89781
Seconding FLowing defense.
>>
No. 89787 ID: 135d9a

>>89784
That sounds like it'll work. Do that.
>>
No. 89789 ID: e6bf37

>>89787
>>89784
War form might take more mana that FLOWING DEFENSE though. Also seeing that it only did one damage on us, with the additio
n of FLOWING DEFENSE it might not even be able to hurt us.
>>
No. 89791 ID: 276781

>>89769
Use SAVVY to determine what would be most effective to use against it.
If that would take too long or does not provide a clear answer, try some MOON CLAWS.
>>
No. 89794 ID: 597b9b

>>89791
My assumption would be that, since its a ghost, non-magical attacks probably won't be very effective.

See HERE:
>>88705
>>
No. 89796 ID: 51d0f5

>>89789
It probably won't take more than one mana.

Also, this is probably our one opportunity for bare warform tits.

>My assumption would be that, since its a ghost, non-magical attacks probably won't be very effective.
That's a better point...
>>
No. 89809 ID: e6b5e3

Didn't war form also give some sort of regeneration? It'll help heal that scratch.
>>
No. 89812 ID: e6b5e3

>>89794
He just clawed us, besides him being half zombie.
>>
No. 89814 ID: 597b9b

My position would be, adopt flowing defense, and see if you can't get that ghost out of his stupor. Perhaps point out that there are more pressing matters at hand than your exposed cleavage.

If the BURLY GHOST can get the ZOMBIE GHOST's attention off of you, drop flowing defense and attack with MOON CLAWS.
>>
No. 89815 ID: 597b9b

>>89812
So? BURLY GHOST was digging through solid earth, yet our INCOMPETENT STRIKE went right through him.
>>
No. 89821 ID: 445c48

We and BURLY GHOST have to hit ZOMBIE GHOST at the same time. We'll hurt the ZOMBIE part, he'll hurt the GHOST part.
>>
No. 89826 ID: 51d0f5

>being half zombie.
I think that's an abstraction of the Hungry Ghosts in Exalted. The idea being that humans have two souls, and when you die, you can produce up to two ghosts, one of which is your higher thought and personality, the other being your base drives, emotions, and hungers. Like Ego/Superego vs Id.

...in fact, these two ghosts might be from the same guy.
>>
No. 89827 ID: 5d5878

>>89826
How convenient. You don't know how many times I've wanted to beat the shit out of my base instincts.
>>
No. 89829 ID: e6bf37

>>89826
That makes sense. They do have the same amount of HEALTH and hairstyle. But what does this mean...can we make BURLY GHOST posses his own dead body !!!! (don't think so)
>>
No. 89832 ID: 597b9b

>>89826
Hmm, I thought these two looked similar.
>>
No. 89840 ID: 597b9b

>>89829
Nah, they're both Ghosts, just representing two different aspects of the former living person's identity. The body is the thing buried under a tree, and it's just bones.
>>
No. 89846 ID: e6bf37

>>89840
Well that also makes sense. BURLY GHOST and ZOMBIE GHOST are perverts. Notice the shirt tearing and boob peaking.
>>
No. 89862 ID: adbbab

Use moon claws, and tell mr ghost to follow up with his own attack!
>>
No. 89870 ID: 51d0f5

While I'm pointing things out: Has anyone else noticed that Saulanna has a collar and manacles in addition to her sub-peasant grade clothing? She's probably an escaped slave or prisoner.
>>
No. 89889 ID: fe0817

Command burly ghost to possess base desire ghost. Alternatively, give the ghost a hug.

If we are copying FFIV, they we may need the burly ghost to defend until the base desire ghost tire itself out.
>>
No. 89896 ID: 276781

Be wary of UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES on the ZOMBIE GHOST'S part.
"Base desires" includes sexual appetite.
>>
No. 89948 ID: 445c48

>>89896
That's right! Rub BREASTS.
>>
No. 90197 ID: 445c48

>>89948
Allow me to ELABORATE:
Trick Zombie Ghost into attempting an UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCE, then have BURLY GHOST or YOURSELF attack him while he is DISTRACTED
>>
No. 90199 ID: ada320

Offer Burly Ghost "some fun" if he beats Zombie Ghost. IT CAN'T POSSIBLY GO WRONG.

And you're an exalt, you're supposed to fuck every good looking being you come across.
>>
No. 90204 ID: 43d730

>>90199
CHECKERS!
>>
No. 90212 ID: 4cd10a

How about less RETARDED SEXUAL ADVANCES and more WARFORM?
>>
No. 90220 ID: ada320

>>90212
How about RETARDED SEXUAL ADVANCES in WARFORM?
>>
No. 90227 ID: e3f578

Why isn't Luna giving us more MP for being in mid-battle partially nude? That has to be awesome in a way, even by accident.

Half nude WARFORM baby! Let's hit us that shit.
>>
No. 90307 ID: 4ce1b0

Nude WARFORM away!
>>
No. 90308 ID: 4cd10a

>>90307
We need this ASAP!
>>
No. 90319 ID: f56f3c
File 126058024090.png - (51.29KB , 700x700 , Battle4.png )
90319

>war form
>moon claws
>war form
>moon claws
>war form
>moon claws

War form is SHAPESHIFTING and moon claws are a MOON ABILITY. Saulanna can use them at the same time.

SO SHE WILL OK ARE YOU HAPPY.
>>
No. 90322 ID: f56f3c
File 126058041433.png - (60.96KB , 700x700 , Battle5.png )
90322

>Saulanna takes her WAR FORM.
>Saulanna feels a surge of strange energy!
>Saulanna's BODY TALENTS go up one level!
>Saulanna begins to REGENERATE!

>Saulanna activates MOON CLAWS.
>Saulanna's NATURAL ATTACK gains DAMAGE!
>Saulanna can do harm to ethereal beings!
>>
No. 90323 ID: 1831fc

>>90322

>BABIES

FUCK YES YOU ARE THE BEST LUNAR EVER.
>>
No. 90324 ID: 43d730

>>90322
Blast, I thought that would be worth at least a cup size.
Anyway, it probably has HUGE GUTS.
You know what to do.
>>
No. 90325 ID: f56f3c
File 126058064099.png - (55.83KB , 700x700 , Battle6.png )
90325

Saulanna delivers an INCOMPETENT STRIKE. Her enhanced AGILITY gives her a HIT!

>SAULANNA GAINS COMPETENCY: BASIC NATURAL ATTACK

The zombie ghost attempts to strike back, but Saulanna's improved AGILITY and the bonus from BEAST SENSES causes it to MISS.
>>
No. 90327 ID: f56f3c
File 126058078082.png - (56.30KB , 700x700 , Battle7.png )
90327

The zombie ghost is severely damaged!

The burly ghost is yet again DISTRACTED, this time by Saulanna's frightening transformation.

Another TURN begins.
>>
No. 90329 ID: 34470e

>>90319
>>90322
My pants are tight.
>>
No. 90331 ID: 276781

>>90327
RIP AND TEAR some more.
Fuckin' zombie ghost is gonna regret ever crossing paths with you.

Also, would be a good time to learn how many turns/how long Moon Claws and War Form last.
>>
No. 90333 ID: fd9a95

Sink those claws into that fresh ethereal energy!!!
>>
No. 90337 ID: 4cd10a

>>90319
Well I guess we're sorry that you made a thread that caught everyone's attention and made them want to participate and give their oppinions, then!
>>
No. 90338 ID: 4cd10a

Also, rip and tear.
>>
No. 90340 ID: 6cfb3f

Screw this fightin' nonsense - go find a boy raccoon and let it shag you rotten.
>>
No. 90352 ID: 6157cc

Kick its tush. Rip and tear.
>>
No. 90355 ID: 632862

>>90327
Impale him with your claws then bite its head off.
>>
No. 90359 ID: 19114e

Rip his arms off.
>>
No. 90361 ID: 4cd10a

>>90359
Yes, dissarm him, no pun inteded (I swear).
>>
No. 90366 ID: 597b9b

awesome warform is AWESOME.
>>
No. 90378 ID: 107da3

>>90327

Eat the ghost.
>>
No. 90458 ID: 51d0f5

Okay, so just shapeshifting with your tits out isn't epic enough for MP regain. Let's see here...

Spend yet another MP on boosting your SAVVY to EPICALLY ASTRONOMICAL levels. Combine this with your ENHANCED SPIRIT SENSES brought on by BEAST SENSES, as well as your mental link with LUNA, THE ARGENT MADONNA to discover if these two ghosts in fact represent the HUN and PO of a single human.

Figure out how to perform the IMPOSSIBLE TASK of RECOMBINING these souls into a SPIRIT SIDEKICK.
>>
No. 90460 ID: 76ae02

>>90458
This sounds reasonable and cool, I therefore second this notion.
>>
No. 90468 ID: 54af1f

>>90378

Eat the ghost!
>>
No. 90472 ID: fd9a95

>>90458
Indeeed
>>
No. 90474 ID: e3f578

>>90458
And if your SAVVY detects this is impossible, fuck the impossible and do it anyway.
>>
No. 90713 ID: 442734
File 126066635297.png - (53.05KB , 700x700 , Battle8.png )
90713

RIP
>>
No. 90714 ID: 442734
File 126066637316.png - (53.49KB , 700x700 , Battle9.png )
90714

AND
>>
No. 90715 ID: 442734
File 126066639755.png - (53.29KB , 700x700 , Battle10.png )
90715

TEAR
>>
No. 90717 ID: b17d6c

Hot.

Look around for more aggressors. If nothing, shift back to wimp form and go left.
>>
No. 90719 ID: f44349

>>90715
>>90714
>>90713

Damn, girl.
Yous HARDCORE.
>>
No. 90729 ID: 5aa60d

fapfapfapfapfapfapfapfap
>>
No. 90731 ID: 76ae02

WOOH! RIP AND TEAR! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
eh, ghostly shit for the... Hai gais, does Khorne eat souls?
>>
No. 90736 ID: 442734
File 126066758584.png - (29.06KB , 700x700 , Scene13.png )
90736

Luna is impressed by the OVERKILL. She restores one point of MOON POWER!

The burly ghost seems to be very impressed with Saulanna's display of savagery.
>>
No. 90738 ID: e3f578

Make powerful love with the ghost right now when the moment is ripe of battle, raise an MP.
>>
No. 90740 ID: 76ae02

RIP AND TEAR the tree, too!
>>
No. 90747 ID: 192956

>>90736
blush
>>
No. 90751 ID: 76ae02

>>90747
Oh yeah, that's a better idea, do blush.
>>
No. 90752 ID: bbde1f

>>90736
Hug Burly Goast in triumph.
>>
No. 90753 ID: 76ae02

in b4 butter.
>>
No. 90763 ID: 9289ae
File 126067148769.png - (25.93KB , 200x198 , durbutter.png )
90763

>>90753
>>
No. 90764 ID: 5d5878

>>90763
No! Shoo! Bad butter!
>>
No. 90765 ID: 34470e

BUTTERFACE BUTTERFACE YOU'RE A BUTTERFACE
>>
No. 90804 ID: 8e7062

Well, since you're in your war form now, moving the tree a bit to help the ghost dig up his IMPORTANT ITEM could be a possibility. Granted, that depends on how long the war form and moon claws LAST.
>>
No. 90847 ID: f373c2

>>90804
Don't do this unless the ghost asks for help. It's his unfinished business; he might want to clear it up himself.
>>
No. 91089 ID: faeba9

If the zombie ghost is destroyed, turn back into normal form and comfort the burly ghost.
>>
No. 91090 ID: 426169

>>91089
Do this before fixing our clothing.
>>
No. 91157 ID: e0499d

>>91089

WITH YOUR BREASTS!
>>
No. 91252 ID: e75a2f

Wait a minute, I call bullshit. Luna you have no goddamn powers at all. The moon is just a focus of the sun, therefore all your powers are really SUN POWERS, derived from SOL; probably because he/she feels lonely or sorry for you.

I'm calling your bluff.
>>
No. 91254 ID: eebe97
File 126075124944.png - (6.41KB , 207x203 , lunastare.png )
91254

>SEX SEX BOOBS SEX BOOBS

Saullana won't even consider doing any of these things until her AROUSAL is high enough!

sweet gaia it's like you haven't even read the manual
>>
No. 91255 ID: 5aa60d

>>91254
you never gave us a manual.
also how does i shot arousal level?
>>
No. 91258 ID: 426169

>>91254
Chill, but deactivate that WARFORM if you haven't already. We tore that guy up, we don't need it anymore. And if we impress the burly ghost any more he will sexually assault you. By running away.
>>
No. 91259 ID: c8028f

>>91254
So let's ignore the perverts and see if the burly ghost wants help with his task.
>>
No. 91260 ID: eebe97
File 126075170963.png - (7.18KB , 207x203 , lunafindsthishilarious.png )
91260

>>91252

Gosh, you're right! If only this setting were on a flat plane bordered by the madness of unreality, so that the sun literally disappeared every night and was replaced by a moon that glows under its own power... and if only its gods were made by the unfathomable Titans to fulfill certain functions in their own right, with their local manifestations in the sky merely tools for them to fulfill those duties! Then I would have power, possibly as the shapeshifting god/dess who holds power over chaos and trickery. But no. I am merely a reflection, whose sole power is to deceive.

...

... Just kidding!
>>
No. 91261 ID: e75a2f

...I'm onto you...
>>
No. 91267 ID: 276781

>>91260
Hey Luna, hey
Do you know why we named ourself 'Saul'?

Let me make it clearer for you
Because Sol is your perfect other :3c
>>
No. 91270 ID: 51d0f5

So Saulanna's AROUSAL does not increase while killing things? Good to know. I guess. :(

Maintain incredible awe-inspiring WARFORM while silently encouraging the ghost to complete his task.

In the meantime, attempt to construct a new top out of SPIRIT FLESH.
>>
No. 91275 ID: e0499d

>>91254
but how would we use sex to get people to do stuff?
oh wait... we can inspire...
>>
No. 91278 ID: eebe97
File 126075346546.png - (45.57KB , 700x700 , Scene14.png )
91278

Saulanna drops her WARFORM and MOON CLAWS, now that combat is over. It seems they are not conductive to SOCIAL INTERACTION.

The zombie ghost has dissipated.

The burly ghost seems very nervous now! He says he is very sorry for not realizing you were a HERO OF THE MOON. He thought you were an ordinary BEAST-BLOODED and says he will be much more respectful now, ma'am, and will continue his digging if it is entirely agreeable with you of course miss please don't hurt me.
>>
No. 91280 ID: eebe97
File 126075351543.png - (43.14KB , 700x700 , Scene15.png )
91280

Partially because she feels like some comforting herself, Saulanna gives the ghost a HUG. He is cold.

Saulanna's EMOTIONS raise slightly.
>>
No. 91282 ID: f21281

>>91280
"Give me your shirt."
>>
No. 91283 ID: eebe97
File 126075359337.png - (43.06KB , 700x700 , Scene16.png )
91283

The ghost wonders if perhaps maybe you would like to have his PHANTOM SHIRT.
>>
No. 91284 ID: 5aa60d

>>91280
kiss him on the cheek and ask if you can borrow his shirt
>>
No. 91285 ID: e0499d

>>91280
hugging while naked?
niice... Getting clothes for your upper body is advisable...
>>
No. 91289 ID: f373c2

Gently whisper something comforting in his ear, like "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."
>>
No. 91290 ID: 5aa60d

>>91289
then nibble on his ear a little
>>
No. 91291 ID: f44349

>>91283
Accept GOAST SHIRT.
Blush furiously.

Also inb4 phantom shirt disappears at the most inopportune/shenanigans-causing moment.
>>
No. 91292 ID: 632862

>>91283
Interesting. We can touch him now that he's regained his mind.

...

No, I'm not going to suggest THAT yet. Just take his shirt for now.
>>
No. 91294 ID: 51d0f5

Accept the shirt.

Tel him he's more than welcome to complete his business, and you'd be happy to help him complete his tasks. However, ask if it's possible for him to hang out with you over the mid to long term.
>>
No. 91312 ID: 2a822a

Wooh! Hug! Awesome!
>>91294
Also, do this.
>>
No. 91315 ID: 5d5878

How the hell would we wear a ghost's shirt?
>>
No. 91319 ID: 276781

>>91283
Look down at own BREASTS. Announce "Damn, that's the third one this week," then accept PHANTOM SHIRT.
>>
No. 91329 ID: eebe97
File 126075672315.png - (47.51KB , 700x700 , Scene17.png )
91329

Saulanna gains and dons the PHANTOM SHIRT. It is somewhat large for her.

The ghost thanks her for her permission and returns to his excavations. At her questioning over continued hanging-out prospects, he seems anxious. He is very polite about it but does not seem keen on committing to anything.
>>
No. 91336 ID: 632862

>>91329
Well, he probably thinks he's going to move on to the afterlife soon. Let's stick around and see if he needs any more assistance in that endeavor.
>>
No. 91347 ID: 5aa60d

>>91329
check out his MANLY ABS and SWEET ASS while he is digging
>>
No. 91351 ID: 534df4

No I just think he's as scared as hell of us and would rather not have his guts ripped out for angering us.
>>
No. 91352 ID: 2a822a

Alternatively, go right.
>>
No. 91368 ID: 445c48

Ask if you can help.
>>
No. 91465 ID: 8e7062

Let the poor guy continue to dig without further hugs or haranguing. I'm rather interested in what he's after.
>>
No. 91863 ID: f57e4b

Explore the general area while he digs!
>>
No. 93025 ID: f8c23f
File 126101054779.png - (36.10KB , 700x700 , Scene18.png )
93025

>>91347

He does indeed have a well-developed musculature. Perhaps he was some sort of physical labourer when he was alive.

Saulanna gains a small amount of AROUSAL from watching his shirtless efforts.

>>91465

Success comes quick! He excavates a MYSTERIOUS BOX and carefully removes any dirt remaining. The wood is remarkably easy to clean, despite its burial.

How... strange. Saulanna's high ACUITY and beast senses ability allows her to hear a very faint MUSIC from inside the box. She can't quite make it out...
>>
No. 93034 ID: 632862

>>93025
"What's in the box? What's in the booooox?"
>>
No. 93038 ID: 5aa60d

>>93025
ask him whats in the box

and can we have an arousal meter on our UI?
>>
No. 93067 ID: e0499d

>>93038
yeah, and all the other stats too so that we clog the screen.
It'd be better if we could just see the stats that went up on that post so we know our statuses.

Anyway, open box facing away from you
>>
No. 93069 ID: 597b9b

Lean in close behind him and ask him what it is. A music box?
>>
No. 93109 ID: c9ef51

ASk him what is in that box for greater justice!
>>
No. 93290 ID: 1349ad

Just ask him what's in the box and why he needed to dig it up.

Also, no to the arousal meter. Let's not taint our suggestions by knowing exactly how aroused she is. Those kinds of cues should be visual anyway.
>>
No. 93301 ID: 597b9b

Agreed.
>>
No. 94184 ID: fce6fd
File 126119628873.png - (35.99KB , 700x700 , Scene19.png )
94184

The ghost confirms that it is a MUSIC BOX. He seems to grow a little more shy of answering, however, when you ask why it was so important he retrieve it.

After a moment, however, Saulanna's high INSPIRATION does it's job, and he starts to explain.
>>
No. 94188 ID: fce6fd
File 126119640541.png - (25.59KB , 700x700 , Scene20.png )
94188

There was this woman... Ruive, he calls her (and somehow, Saulanna recognizes that word as meaning "blade of grass"). She was a BEAST-BLOODED, like he thought you were, but who cared about that any more? She was unusual, he says: she was from far away, she lived up at the spring where the stream came from, she made strange mixtures of strange ingredients, people said that she spoke to spirits... and she had a collection of books and CURIOS, the supply of which was occasionally replenished by a brief excursion or the arrival of a mysterious visitor.

This box, he explains, was one of those. Ruive had seemed excited by the thing, and whenever he visited to drop off wood or food she would be poking at it, trying to get it to work. But she never got it to play... and as time went by, she got more and more frustrated, as if she'd put great hopes in there that weren't answered. Eventually, she threw it out.

Getting a little more hesitant in his retelling, the ghost goes on to tell how he took it himself, and thought maybe he could figure out why it didn't work; the inside was all little golden gears and systems. He hid it away at the base of the small waterfall, and whenever he was free he would go and try to puzzle it out. It took him years, but although some parts were still strange he eventually found that the actual problem was just one simple mechanical piece. He had to go out on a long trip to the nearest city, and what he got wasn't anything like the quality of of the original, but it worked...

A wistful look passes over his face as he describes hearing the music play the first time, in the dark of the forest, the water rushing nearby; he had stayed out all night finally fixing it. And when it was done, he grabbed the box and ran right away to bring it to Ruive...

...

... Then he died...
>>
No. 94196 ID: d1dbf3

well then lets go help him deliver it to Ruive.
>>
No. 94207 ID: 51d0f5

Become moved by his story, and agree to help him deliver it to her, or to her descendants, if that's what it takes.
>>
No. 94280 ID: 15f6d6

This is what we must do to put his soul to rest.
>>
No. 94295 ID: 41f88d

Shouldn't we at least try to find out how he died? Maybe the music box attracts deadly animals. Or maybe its music is so haunting it TURNS YOU INTO A GHOST.
>>
No. 94313 ID: 697b23

We can't discount the possibility that Ruive was the one who killed him...
>>
No. 94434 ID: 82167e

>>94295
Given where his bones and the box are, the tree probably just fell on him. Oops.
>>
No. 94565 ID: 9cbac6

>>94434
That would be a pretty frustrating time to die.
>>
No. 96828 ID: 8af4a4
File 126154099611.png - (47.60KB , 700x700 , Scene21.png )
96828

Saulanna is moved by the ghost's tale! Focusing her steely gaze skyward, she dedicates herself to helping him find peace! The two of them set off...

... to the map screen!
>>
No. 96834 ID: 8af4a4
File 126154143959.png - (14.94KB , 700x700 , map1.png )
96834

The ghost describes to you the location of both his HOME VILLAGE and RUIVE'S HOUSE. However, he does not know what may have happened in the time since he died, how long ago that was or how far this SHADOWY LAND may extend. He describes the two simplest paths to Ruive's home: to follow the dried stream's path further to where it crosses a path, which will lead back along a gentle slope; or to return along it to where Saulanna first became aware and attempt to climb the cliff.

>A portion of the map is revealed!

>The moon is full.
>>
No. 96836 ID: 31fa25

>>96834

Follow the dried stream path.
>>
No. 96842 ID: 51d0f5

Full moon means you're more suited to performing feats of strength and athleticism. Go for the cliff.
>>
No. 96846 ID: 632862

>>96834
Eh, let's go to the cliff briefly just to see how hard it would be to climb.
>>
No. 96854 ID: c35a59

What are we, mortal? Climb the fucking cliff while carrying the ghost and his box assuming he can't just levitate.
>>
No. 100814 ID: d3069e
File 126211958575.png - (49.20KB , 700x700 , decisions.png )
100814

Saulanna and the ghost make their way to the cliff. Unfortunately, a problem presents itself! Climbing a sheer surface such as this is an exercise in AGILITY. Both he and her possess only Average scores in that Talent, which is not sufficient by itself. The ghost does have a COMPETENCY in OUTDOORSYNESS that would allow him to make the climb, but not while his hands are occupied with the music box.

Asked whether he can simply levitate or something, the ghost admits that he cannot: his selection of GHOST ABILITIES is extremely limited. Saulanna will have to use her MOON POWER to get them up... barring an IMAGINATIVE SOLUTION, of course.
>>
No. 100815 ID: c0f3bf

Punch the cliff SO HARD that rocks fall down and you are able to climb up them like stairs. Don't have remarkable strength for nothing.
>>
No. 100816 ID: f78140

>>100814
you are in a forest. if any of that wood is still green, it can be bent, and if it can be bent, you can shape and bind it into a backpack of sorts for the music box. as for you getting up, follow the ghost's lead; if it works for him, in theory it should work for you if you copy him almost exactly.
>>
No. 100824 ID: b082e5

>>100814
Do the trees reach up to the cliff edge? You could just climb up a tree then haul yourself up to the edge.
>>
No. 100827 ID: f373c2

Make a rope out of nearby plant products, have the ghost carry it up, then use it to follow him.

How long will that take? It might be worth it to just go the long way.
>>
No. 100831 ID: 9cf63d

I'm going to agree that utilizing the trees is probably your best bet here.
>>
No. 100841 ID: e75a2f

If the cliff is not very high, have the ghost give you the box and climb up. Then throw the box to the ghost. Then either use some MOON POWER to climb up yourself or see if the ghost can't assist your climb.

Otherwise, get a more conclusive readout of that guy's GHOSTLY ABILITIES
>>
No. 100849 ID: f373c2

Don't risk damaging the box.

If the trees aren't tall enough to reach the top of the cliff, you can at least make a shorter rope if you only need to reach the treetops instead of the ground.
>>
No. 100850 ID: c66207

We could probably use moon claws to climb easily, perhaps even carrying the ghost.
>>
No. 100867 ID: 445c48

Go the other way. Probably simpler.
>>
No. 100869 ID: f373c2

>>100867
But also much longer, and we don't know how much. The shortcut is a good idea if we can figure out a decent way of using it.
>>
No. 100874 ID: 791976

I'm assuming Saulanna can carry the ghost up using her moon power, however, I'm wondering if the ghost is strong enough to carry Saulanna, thus saving some MP.
>>
No. 100877 ID: e0aea5

Tie the box to the ghost and have him climb up, then use a dot of moon power to climb up yourself.
>>
No. 100878 ID: e0aea5

>>100877
Actually, climb up first, so the ghost will be more "encouraged" as he climbs.
>>
No. 100880 ID: 51d0f5

Use his OUTDOORSYNESS to construct a crude but sturdy BACKPACK for the box. Alternately, construct some ROPE so you can carry it up once you climb to the top.
>>
No. 100965 ID: e0499d

go other way, or
1: find vines
2: make ropes from vines
3: use rope to strap box to self.
4: have ghost climb with extra rope
5: have ghost tie rope from some tree above
6:climb rope yourself
>>
No. 101423 ID: 22722e
File 126219987917.png - (32.98KB , 700x700 , science.png )
101423

>>100815

Remarkable Might is only the level of a heavy labourer or village strongman! Not enough to punch cliffs into stairways.

BUT WITH A FEW CALCULATIONS YOU COULD MAP THE EXACT STRESS POINTS WHERE A STRIKE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CAUSE THAT TO HAPPE-
>>
No. 101425 ID: 22722e
File 12621999302.png - (49.22KB , 700x700 , Scene22.png )
101425

... Oh, wait. That accuracy would require either high Agility or precision tools. Forget it!
>>
No. 101427 ID: 22722e
File 12622001359.png - (52.41KB , 700x700 , getrope.png )
101427

Most of the trees seem to be dead, but with Saulanna's high ACUITY and the ghost's OUTDOORSYNESS, the pair do find saplings of some DARK WOOD. With further help from her companion, she succeeds in weaving the fibers of their bark into ROPE!

>Saulanna gains COMPETENCY: BASIC WOODWORK!
>>
No. 101428 ID: 8e2e01

>>101425
well screw it we shouldn't be wasting moon power on this
lets just walk the long way around
>>
No. 101431 ID: 22722e
File 126220031355.png - (16.50KB , 700x700 , map2.png )
101431

With the music box strapped to his back, the ghost succeeds in climbing the cliff. Once up, he unties the rope and lowers it to Saulanna, allowing her to climb.

The vantage from the top of the cliff reveals a little more of the MAP.
>>
No. 101434 ID: 597b9b

EXCELLENT! Onword, to deliver the magnificent music maker to the mix-breed madam!
>>
No. 101436 ID: 597b9b

BTW, there is a tgchan IRC channel if you're interested.

irc.rizon.net #rubyquest and #tgchan

>>
No. 101925 ID: 2855c8

what charms do we have total?

can we sense our solar mate?
>>
No. 102251 ID: c0f3bf

Okay then! Off to music box land!

...Try to watch out for death knights
>>
No. 102259 ID: af3e6d

Yeah, time to go complete the FUCK outta this task.
>>
No. 102477 ID: 51d0f5

Proceed straight to the village where Ruive lived. She's been waiting for years. Maybe decades. Maybe we'll just find her ghost. In any event, no need to make her wait longer.
>>
No. 102637 ID: e75a2f

Go with the ghost to the village and return the music box if she's there. If not ask around because somebody probably knows where she went.
>>
No. 102916 ID: bf8e75

theres the possibility that her house is also in the deathland. we would have to face the superego of a beastman if this is true.
>>
No. 103720 ID: 7b807e

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaXqU7hVVhI
>>
No. 103820 ID: 107d80

Guys, Ruive's house was not at this guy's home village. We're heading to the house now. RIGHT NOW IN FACT.

>>101423

Waait. Ridiculous Savvy makes her a mad genius?

GUYS WE NEED HENCHMEN! AND TOOLS! FOR THE STEAMPUNK AND PSYENCE AND THE UTTER RUINATION OF ALL THOSE WHO LAUGHED AT HER IN UNIVERSITY--Wait. Nerts. I guess there IS a backside to just being spawned from nothing.

NEW OBJECTIVE: Find reason to go mad. Create doomsday device. Hold world hostage.
>>
No. 103827 ID: ad8569

>>103820
dont toy with this, exalted can build soul-empowered nuke bombs.

as to henchman, lunars are famous for making beastmen. guess how and why.
>>
No. 103838 ID: 107d80

>>103827

Sir, your arguments are not at all that discouraging.

...But fine. I'll stop suggesting the world hostage thing. BUT SO HELP ME, IF SHE CAN LEARN ALCHEMY SOMEWHERE SHE WILL.
>>
No. 104020 ID: 57fe20
File 126249067767.png - (35.42KB , 700x700 , Scene23.png )
104020

... Saulanna doesn't think anyone lives here any more.
>>
No. 104022 ID: 488063

>>104020
Knock.
You never know.
>>
No. 104025 ID: c0f3bf

Call out for ghosts.
>>
No. 104027 ID: ad8569

>>104020
yep, shadowland was created at the cost of all living nearby creatures.

send HOT GOAST DUDE in first. with super music box.
>>
No. 104032 ID: 632862

>>104020
Is that a RIVER of BLOOD?!
>>
No. 104033 ID: ad8569

>>104032
shadowlands: home of BADASS EMO DEMIGODS since the birth of genocide.
>>
No. 104038 ID: ad8569

also there is a thread on >>questdis/318207 about exalted setting.

it is made of awesome and win. catch up with it.
>>
No. 104039 ID: ad8569

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/318207.html

i fail in crossboard linking =c
>>
No. 104231 ID: 51d0f5

>send HOT GOAST DUDE in first. with super music box.
No way. You're a Celestial Exalted. That means you go first.

Investigate to find clues of what happened to the inhabitants!
>>
No. 104240 ID: ace43d

There's still a QUEST to complete! Saulanna can't be discouraged just yet just because of a piddly little pool of BLOOD! >:(

Take heart, and enter to investigate, using your SAVVY to see if you can figure out what's happened here. Tell the ghost to be on lookout and call if there's anything.

Saulanna should also feel a little bit miffed at whatever created the current status of this land. There needs to be serious BUTT-KICKING for GOODNESS at some point.
>>
No. 104270 ID: 5feace

>>104231
we are a newbie exalted. we have no memories or skills. a superego of a beastman may just be able to kill us.

well i dunno, we could as well search outside for any clue what is inside.

use beast sense, walk around house? also investigate the pool of blood a bit.
>>
No. 104590 ID: ad93e3
File 126256951144.png - (38.96KB , 700x700 , Scene24.png )
104590

>>104022

There's no door!

>>104025
>>104270

Saulanna's BEAST SENSES ability is still active. If there were any creatures living or dead nearby, she'd know. There's nothing.

It's actually sort of unnerving.

>>104032

Yep, that's blood! There's something wrong with it, though. Saulanna's LUNAR INSTINCTS are acting up - presented with the sight and smell of blood, they want her to drink some, but at the same time are very insistent that this particular blood is wrong somehow.

Her MOON POWER twists uncomfortably inside her. A dark and broken force weighs heavily on this area.

Saulanna looks up the river...
>>
No. 104591 ID: ad93e3
File 126256954717.png - (41.03KB , 700x700 , manse.png )
104591

... Hmm.
>>
No. 104594 ID: e75a2f

Hmmm... That's unusual...
>>
No. 104596 ID: 119b5c

>>104591
I spy loot!
*ahem*
Now, it's gotta be something bad, as the river of blood suggests, however, I spy a gem set in the head of the dragon. Might be worth a coin or two.
>>
No. 104608 ID: b14128

>>104596
...No offense, but I get the feeling that's less the 'Shiny-valuable-loot' type of gem and more the 'Corrupting-evil-bad' kind.
>>
No. 104619 ID: 5feace

>>104596
if its a hearthstone its worthless cuz its a abyssal type. but it also means theres a deathknight here, and some people may be able to put it to good use.

ask luna for help. wathc cinematics.

oh. it just ocurred to me that maybe the beastmen we are supposed to deliver is a deathknigth. thus, this altar near its home.
>>
No. 104622 ID: dc06af

Look up.
>>
No. 104628 ID: 5feace

also, expect dickery from a social based abyssal. if you see someone playing mind tricks, we found our deathknight.

oh shit. the hearthstone ISNT there. we need to destroy the manse somehow.
>>
No. 104637 ID: b14128

>>104622
Do this, and ask Luna for help.

...Also, guys, stop assuming the world is like Exalted, it might be similar, but we don't how -how- similar.
>>
No. 104651 ID: 5feace

better ask questions straight away:

where is this manse's hearthstone?
is it useful to us?
how to better destroy the manse?
are you winning the game of divination?
>>
No. 104660 ID: 34bfdb

>>104637
Pretty much this. Ask Luna what we should do about this abomination, this wrong must be fixed! and... yeah cut the meta already.

Our character is a blank slate, even she doesn't know this stuff! Let us explore, and discover in game rather then opening the campaign guide, and making assumptions.

Funner that way for everyone I think ^_^;
>>
No. 104693 ID: f373c2

Say hello to the dragon statue. It might be friendly.
>>
No. 104932 ID: 119b5c

No.
Damn the consequences. If there is something new to be gotten. Steal it. Lose it later. Don't care. I just want to have it once.
>>
No. 105022 ID: 51d0f5

Investigate the statue for clues on who built it.

Hesitantly taste some of the blood.
>>
No. 105100 ID: c0f3bf

We need Luna, this might have ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE!
>>
No. 105195 ID: 107da3

>>104591

Steal the orb thingy.
>>
No. 105512 ID: c2c011

>>104591
Time for some fuckitall awesome. Swagger in there like you own the fucking place, because now you do.

Whoever owns the place tell them that you're there to deliver a gift to them with your ghostly servant. Watch for reactions and be prepared to hulk out and rip and tear. We can't have abyssals running around, well unless they agree to serve us on our quest for... SCIENCE!!!
>>
No. 105514 ID: 03cccb

Look up, report to Luna and ask for some halp.

What happened here would be somewhat useful knowledge.
>>
No. 105949 ID: a19994
File 126275269948.png - (30.02KB , 700x700 , Scene25.png )
105949

>>104622

There's no decoration or parapet or anything. Just a huge, featureless white pillar driven into the landscape. It's pretty damn tall, though.

>>104596
>>104932

Saulanna's BEAST SENSES are little use, since raccoons are not known for their eyesight. Fortunately, humans are, and her keen human senses tell you that that's just an empty depression in the statue's head! It looks like something's supposed to fit in there... but if there was, someone's taken it.

There is a big orb curled in the tip of the statue's tail, but it's about three feet wide and set into the column.

>>104619
>>104651
>>105100
>>105514

Time to call Luna!
>>
No. 105971 ID: a19994
File 12627535426.png - (41.43KB , 700x700 , prayin.png )
105971

Hey there again, guys. I see you got through your first combat without me... and found yourself in a somewhat interesting situation!

I should tell you, though, before we get any further: I'm just here to fill you in on how the world works. It'd be no fun if I just told you the solution to your problems; in any case, it's not like I'm all-knowing up here.

Still, I can instruct you on a couple of things.
>>
No. 105979 ID: b14128

>>105971
...Hey, is ghost-dude over there alright? He looks like he's kinda down in the dumps (Which is understandable...)

...Err... Hi Luna! Wasn't directing that at you, sorry.
>>
No. 105980 ID: 445c48

>>105971
"What's up with the river of blood? And how can I improve my relationship with BURLY GHOST?" It's hard to grab an ass that's incorporeal!"

Also, whoops, I don't think we asked the Burly Ghost his name.
>>
No. 105984 ID: 445c48

>>105980
Ignore those quotation marks after Ghost
>>
No. 105989 ID: 8b9792

>>105971
wat is a manse?
(throw ghoast shirt on floor)
but a miserable pile of secrets?

ok, srsly, ask about urge to drink blood, what are manses and how to pwnd them.

...maybe about the nearest settlement of lunars?
>>
No. 105991 ID: 8b9792

>>105971
ask about deathlands too. and i think its safe to ask about ebon dick and his scourges.
>>
No. 106000 ID: c0f3bf

"Luna, do you have any idea what this thing is? Cuz we don't want to somehow accidentally revive a psychotic demon or something.
>>
No. 106007 ID: a19994
File 126275477280.png - (36.25KB , 700x700 , prayin2.png )
106007

>>104637
>>104651

For a start, let me just say that I'm basically willing to give you information that'll make up for your amnesia; stuff most every Lunar would know. I could help you more, but really, the whole point of me making you my champion was that you'll do stuff I like, in exchange for getting superpowers.

If you want bona-fide miracles or divine guidance, that'll require some serious Religion all up in here. And y'know, I don't see any voracious hell-beasts around whose still-beating hearts you could tear from their chests to offer me. I am doing pretty well in the Games, though, thanks for asking!

Now, I guess I can tell you what a MANSE is, and how it relates to your dealie.

Basically, a MANSE is a structure built to harness the magical energy in the landscape of a PLACE OF POWER, for various uses. However, when the vitality flowing through the land is blocked or twisted - for example, this SHADOWY LAND - these MANSES stop working or are corrupted. This girl you're looking for probably made her home next to this one in order to harness its power somehow, and likely left when the shadows finally managed to strangle it. Now it's a DEATH MANSE, and whatever power in it is helping spread the taint further.

MANSES provide power to their owner, if they're a magical being, and concentrate at least part of their magic into a gemstone HEART, which can provide power to the one who carries it. Can't tell you who has this one's, though!
>>
No. 106011 ID: 51d0f5

"I don't even know enough to ask an intelligent question. I found a river of blood coming from a huge stone pillar and a big dragon statue curled around a gemstone the size of my torso. And there's ghosts and stuff and... what's with all this death, anyway?"
>>
No. 106012 ID: 6faa8c

"What if we destroyed this manse? would that help the land?"
>>
No. 106014 ID: 8b9792

let him finish the replies? i can fill in the small gaps after.
>>
No. 106015 ID: c0f3bf

"Would destroying the manse stop the stone's power? I mean, it's pretty clear the guy that's holding this one is a baddie."

It probably wouldn't be a good idea anyway, what with us trying to keep a low profile, but it helps to know these things.

"Do we have some kind of linking/tracking magic in out repertoire? Find her shoe, trace her path kind of thing?"
>>
No. 106034 ID: 8b9792

i just realized i suck at basic reading.

we must use our mind status to destroy the manse. this will not really revert the shadowland but it will help. also consider a scourge is using a heartstone that will be disabled when we destroy the manse :>

>>106000
its a death manse. it produces shadow energy instantly delivered at the shadow hearthstone. its like a portal that links to a MP pool., but not for our type of pool.
>>
No. 106039 ID: 74fd41

we can't just climb up there and kick the ball loose can we?
>>
No. 106043 ID: 8b9792

>>106039
im sure its worth some, but that ball is just decoration.

the real hearthstone fits in your hand confortably.
>>
No. 106056 ID: a19994
File 126275597460.png - (40.97KB , 700x700 , prayin3.png )
106056

>>105989

You have the urge to drink blood because that's how you learn new SHAPES to turn into! Next time you're fighting a living creature, try to do a sufficiently impressive FINISHING MOVE. Pull it off, and you can drink their HEART'S BLOOD and learn to take their form.

>>105991

Do you mean this SHADOWY LAND? It's a place where the LAND OF THE DEAD touches to THE LAND OF THE LIVING. The death-magic in the environment is what stifles your ability to regain MOON POWER, and what allows your ghost friend to be material when he's normally ethereal... at least, at night. If you try to leave the domain of the shadows at night, you'll go into the underworld; leave during the day, and you'll pass into the real world.

As for the Ebon Dragon... Well, you don't need to worry about him or his servants where you are, and you're a bit young, so don't bother your head yet. I've got some more experienced people working on the problem.

>>106012

It'd remove the MANSE'S contribution to the spread, but it takes a bit of more serious mojo to actually clear the existing corruption. Damaging the thing would break its connection to its HEART, though, and deprive whoever has it of its powers.

I'll be impressed if you can damage the thing, though. It's magically reinforced by the power going through it.

>>106015

Well, you have your BEAST SENSES. With your ACUITY, your nose could probably pick up a scent.
>>
No. 106062 ID: 8b9792

when praying stops, START SNIFFIN!

also, attempt to use MIND POWERS with BOOST to study MANSE and theoretical ways of destroying it.

how long till dawn? i forgot about the nigth/day thing ._.
>>
No. 106063 ID: 6faa8c

>>106056
If we went battle form and blew a full load of moon power, that might do it.
>>
No. 106072 ID: 8b9792

>>106063
hold your horses till we find the lady to deliver the music box.

one more thing, there is no such deal as impossible in exalted:
>I'll be impressed if you can damage the thing, though. It's magically reinforced by the power going through it.

we can destroy it, but not with pude damage. take time to think it trorougthly. we are gonna stunt like madmen and adquire all our MP back :3c
>>
No. 106080 ID: c0f3bf

Hold on, I thought we could die or go crazy by changing forms? And I don't think drinking some random blood would be a good idea.
>>
No. 106087 ID: 668828

taking the heart might take enough of its power that beast form+moon claws+RIP AND TEAR could do some damage, and once we make a weak spot it wont take much more to break some chunks off
>>
No. 106088 ID: 8b9792

>>106080
luna didnt said but that is blood from the manse thus no animal we hunted.

yeah, changing shape in the wyld is kinda dangerous. im sure it is also in the outside, just not by much. or not at all.
>>
No. 106093 ID: 8b9792

>>106087
we dont have the heart (pun not intended).

some random evil dude has it. and when the manse is destroyed he will wonder where is his extra MP. scourges cant recover MP outside shadowland, much like we cant here.
>>
No. 106098 ID: 8b9792

i just realized we also dont have a martial art. its better to flee the emoland after making the delivery.
>>
No. 106195 ID: b62d89
File 126277705947.jpg - (93.56KB , 450x600 , Battering_ram.jpg )
106195

How much of the manse do we need to destroy to make it useless, and how much OMPH is required? I mean, the dragon's head looks easier to break off than the big pillar...But Luna said it was magically reinforced. We have to think smarter, not just bruter. Good thing that is what Saulanna is good at!

We have rope (and could hopefully make more), basic woodwork competency and there are a lot of trees around. If we found an axe or something, or if we used our war form+claws we could, with work and some help from the ghost, make a simple, primitive siege engine (much more simple than sample picture, but hopefully sufficient).

Then we could hammer on the weak part of that manse (dragon's throat) like there was no tomorrow, and if anything comes to stop us, RIP AND TEAR. It might not be crazy stunting, but disabling a wicked manse on your first day of 'xaltation? Good stuff.

Oh, and once prayer-time is over, encourage your ghostly friend, he seems to be slipping into depression. Touch his shoulder gently and be softly inspiring this time.

"You poor man...This was no easy sight, was it? But take heart and shake off your hopelessness, for I have not given up; we will find your friend yet! So rise! This is no time to rest. There is more to do still for the both of us."
>>
No. 106220 ID: 342988

>>106195
...or we get help from nearby GOASTS DUDES AND DUDETTES and come back to it later.

i think its weird for all the undead and ghosts to not be found like that. im pretty sure these emolands are very dangerous to anything that lives because of those kind of things.

if we discover a bonestrider was build using them as pieces, i will enter in a simultaneous state of glee and terror.
>>
No. 106221 ID: 119b5c

Also, Luna. Your awesome.

Well, since there is nothing to do with this Manse, I guess it's time to sniff around the house!
>>
No. 106238 ID: 107da3

>>106056

Okay.

Time to make some THERMITE.
>>
No. 106244 ID: 8dc9d5

>>106238
I dunno, we'd need to find aluminum...
How hard do you think it would be to get potassium chlorate or nitric acid?
If we can get potassium chlorate, than we can make black powder, and if we get nitric acid, we can get a rudimentary form of gun-cotton, also know as nitrocellulose.
>>
No. 106247 ID: 8ecfd4

>>106244
Through the power of SCIENCE!

I say we use our very massive intellect and find some structual weaknesses in this thing. Then we need some tools to bring it down. We need to SCIENCE our way towards dynamite, or atleast nitroglycering.

Come on chemistry fags, get cracking on how to mix up high volatile explosives without a lab and in the middle of the forest.
>>
No. 106248 ID: 342988

>>106238
thats... not a bad idea. exalted use a flintlock type of weapon called firewand, but im not sure how we could find or make it here.
>>
No. 106250 ID: 8ecfd4

>>106248
So long as we can get some explosives. If we could find Sulfur we could probably mix up some black powder, not high quality stuff but it should explode. If we can find an animal farm we might be able to get some low quality black powder and blow some shit up.
>>
No. 106257 ID: 51d0f5

Black Powder doesn't exist in Exalted. We could try to make some firedust but I have no idea how.

Search the house for TOOLS. You could use some kind of CHISEL to crack the depression the HEARTHSTONE would have fit into, which would be enough to break the manse.
>>
No. 106263 ID: 8ecfd4

>>106257
Well we need some sort of explosives or a way to make stuff explode. I mean how else to you destroy a house in a balls to the walls awesome way?

OK there are a few, but we're not hulk strong or kung fuie enough to pull off those. We need some epic levels of intuition so that we find the weak spot that brings it all down.
>>
No. 106574 ID: 4f8e95

u guys know there is a thread about luna quest in >>/questdisc/318207 ?

currently we should search surroundings and house with the beast sense, consolate HOT GOAST DUDE, attempt to find the gurl he loves and deliver the box and use intellect to study the manse.

>>106257
im pretty sure the manse can literally ignore this kind of damage.
>>
No. 107971 ID: 537c75

Is ghost-dude okay? He looks a little upset...
>>
No. 108274 ID: e23d5d
File 126309425158.png - (40.58KB , 700x700 , comfortingghost.png )
108274

Saulanna stops PRAYING.

Driven by her EMOTIONS, her foremost urge is to see how her ghost friend is doing.

... He looks pretty bummed!

>>106195
>"You poor man...This was no easy sight, was it? But take heart and shake off your hopelessness, for I have not given up; we will find your friend yet! So rise! This is no time to rest. There is more to do still for the both of us."

"... You could find her, yeah. But... not me. The only reason I'm here is 'cause of the curse on the place. I leave, I go right to the realms o' the dead, day or night. Takes a stronger ghost than me to push up into the real world."

He sighs.

"If Ruive ain't here, then she won't have hung around. She won't be anywhere I can go..."
>>
No. 108281 ID: c0f3bf

Curse? ...Interesting, I wonder if there's some way to concentrate, move, or take on the curse effect.

"Tell me about this curse, unless it somehow kills you if you do."
>>
No. 108283 ID: 6834bc

>>108274
There's only one solution!
We'll find her and BRING HER BACK HERE!

...That, or somehow figure out how to make him able to leave this area. That would probably be the more impressive task!
>>
No. 108287 ID: 0debda

Check the discussion board for info.

Hmm. I guess we should make you stronger then. Helping me fix this manse should be a difficult enough task to make you stronger.
>>
No. 108288 ID: 8ecfd4

>>108274
Let's just investigate the place before we go looking for the girl. I'm still suspecting that she's the on behind it all. And be awesome while investigating.
>>
No. 108291 ID: e0499d

>>108274
someone needs a hug...
>>
No. 108529 ID: 445c48

>>108291
He does need a hug.
>>
No. 108532 ID: 51d0f5

Say "If it can be done, I will bring her here. What direction do you think she might have gone?"
>>
No. 108553 ID: f373c2

If the problem is his lack of strength, the obvious solution is to train him. Though I'm not sure what type of training a ghost would need to enter the living world.

It would be handy to have an idea of what ghosts are capable of. We could ask Luna; it might make things "too easy", but it's worth a try.

Hug our friend first, of course.
>>
No. 108680 ID: d9faf1

Can we maybe sniff her smell on that music box?
>>
No. 108730 ID: a43a7d

you hug a HOT GOAST DUDE. i triple dog dare you.

>>108553
the emoland links directly to hell. its that kind of strength.

there IS one thing we can do. we can end the emolands. that means finishing the emo manse and makin some other brighthappy things.

i am however worried that his GF is either the emoknight or part of his unded minions.

we should START SNIFFING, its the only thing we can do to find his gurl.

also use RIDICULOUS SAVY to study the manse. i wanna know moar :3

inb4 we make it our manse
>>
No. 108734 ID: 8ecfd4

>>108730
That's silly, we can't make something ours if it already belongs to us. That's our Manse just like this is our forest. Everyone else might not know it yet but it's still true.

So get sniffing on what's inside the manse and use ridicules brainy stats to figure out how we can use it to our advantage.
>>
No. 108751 ID: fdbad3

>>108734
upon the chance you arent trolling:

the manse is a MP generator to whoever holds the heartstone (wich was supposedto be in its forehead). we cant recover energy here, but with a compatible heartstone we could drain from it. somewhere outside the forest, a evil dude unable to recover MP is using this manse's hearthstone to get MP.

we must destroy the manse. the LULZ we could have when a diplomacy-based emoknight runs out of MP is too much to bear.
>>
No. 108753 ID: 8ecfd4

>>108751
I'm not that familiar with Exalted. But I understand that the Manse is the source of power for the Emo knight.

Part of my style was the kind of arrogance I think an exalted being should have. They're better than everyone else and they know it. And finding the most awesome way to do stuff seems to be the quickest way to even more awesome power. I would say taking over an emo knights castle simply through the power of arrogance would be extremly awesome.
>>
No. 109103 ID: 2e9e6c

>>108753
The heartstone might give him/her some power, but not ALL his power. It also helps refill essence, but that's not much of a problem for abyssals in a shadowland.
>>
No. 109269 ID: b727d1

>>109103
im pretty sure the emoknight isnt here. luna said so.

yeah i remmeber emo knight can slay hyoomans to gain motes. but this is a social type, the emo knight may be in the middle of a ball with royalties, ready to cast some mind control shenanigan spell when suddenly theres no MP.
>>
No. 109272 ID: ff9361

Uh... how do you know this theoretical deathknight is a social-type?
>>
No. 109339 ID: b727d1

>>109272
that is a statue of the ebon dick dragon. he favor mind control, backstabbing and all that sort of dickery.
>>
No. 109372 ID: 2e9e6c

>>109339
How do you know it's the Ebon Dragon and not a random dragon? Also the Ebon Dragon has infernals, not Abyssals afaik, and i'm not sure if those like shadowlands.

>>109269
Abyssals can regain motes from just being in a shadowland i think, but being far away having the heartstone would be helpful yes.

The thing is... we don't even know who has the heartstone. If this ghost's friend has it since before the shadowland appeared we wouldn't gain much by destroying it even if we could. We also don't know if there's an abyssal around, we're just making shit up.
>>
No. 109374 ID: ff9361

>>109339

Luna just said this was a corrupted Manse, which means it was originally not cursed. Also, this place is full of death-shadows, not ebon-dragon-shadows. Abyssal, not Infernal.

There are lots of dragons in Exalted.
>>
No. 113088 ID: 96d52a
File 126375882652.png - (42.54KB , 700x700 , comfortingghost2.png )
113088

Saulanna gives the ghost a hug before leaving him to sort through his emotions in peace.
>>
No. 113089 ID: 96d52a
File 126375891325.png - (26.39KB , 700x700 , thinkin.png )
113089

So! Do you want to investigate the MANSE up close, or go into the hut and investigate whatever Ruive may have left?
>>
No. 113090 ID: 6faa8c

Latter then former.
>>
No. 113091 ID: 632862

>>113089
Investigate the MANSE. We should see if there's a way to damage it.
>>
No. 113094 ID: 445c48

Check the hut.
>>
No. 113097 ID: b1b3d1

>>113090

What she said.
>>
No. 113102 ID: 8ecfd4

>>113089
Check the hut first and then go into the Manse.
>>
No. 113124 ID: 1f2a4c

>>113089
manse first. then we can use beast sense to check the hut.
>>
No. 113459 ID: f7a2ac

Hut first, investigate the shit out of that hut.
>>
No. 117428 ID: 4fe2f2
File 12643014341.png - (35.52KB , 700x700 , inhut.png )
117428

Saulanna enters RUIVE'S HUT. Looks like someone packed in a hurry!

>SOMETHING(?) is tryjng to gfu atufojpo¿¿??;???
>>
No. 117429 ID: dbcddd

>>117428
Oh no! Not fu atufojpo! Grab something from the shelf and make your leave!
>>
No. 117432 ID: 34470e

Fu Atufojpo? Is he related to Cjopaze Ftaghn?
>>
No. 117433 ID: ec4966

UNNATURAL MENTAL INFLUENCE!

GRAB THE SHINY THING FROM BEHIND THE SHELF. IF IT'S HOSTILE, SMASH IT.
>>
No. 117435 ID: 632862

>>117428
Interference!

There's a thing behind the shelves. Grab it.

I repeat, there's a thing behind the shelves.
>>
No. 117437 ID: 15f6d6

Shelf Thing! Grab the Shelf Thing!
>>
No. 117438 ID: 632862

>>117428
Wait. Translating...

>SOMETHING(?) is trying to get attenion¿¿??;???

Whatever it is can't spell 'attention' properly.
>>
No. 117466 ID: 140e67

Hey, neat! Carry-nets. Grab them and see if they are usable. Could come in handy.

Look behind the shelf there. Looks like there's something shiny.
>>
No. 117493 ID: c0f3bf

Behind the bookshelf, prepare to punch it. Or hug it. Could go either way here.
>>
No. 117517 ID: 5ddb7b

ohshit. open the music box, hope the superego recognizes the music
>>
No. 117590 ID: e32eb5
File 126431053248.png - (31.59KB , 700x700 , book1.png )
117590

>>117433
>>117435
>>117437

It's a book! Must have fallen down behind the shelves. Not in the same language the ghost speaks... looks like pretty dry stuff. The basics of how magic flows through the landscape, how it pools and collects, how manses tap into it, etc. Some of the words give Saulanna a strange feeling, like she should understand them, but there's something in the way. Still: a good long, thorough read would teach her a good deal about ENVIROMANCY. Maybe even some general METAPHYSICS.

Funny thing, but she could have sworn that it was glowing a second ag-
>>
No. 117591 ID: e32eb5
File 126431057096.png - (36.27KB , 700x700 , book2.png )
117591

>"uissf¡!!"
>>
No. 117592 ID: e32eb5
File 126431065920.png - (47.04KB , 700x700 , book3.png )
117592

>"bpn po,,, Mutu mfu ne... Aha!!"
>>
No. 117593 ID: e32eb5
File 126431071899.png - (35.66KB , 700x700 , book4.png )
117593

>"At last... yes, much improved."

>Saulanna gained COMPETENCY: BASIC ENVIRONMANCY
>Saulanna gained COMPETENCY: STANDARD ENVIRONMANCY
>Saulanna gained COMPETENCY: BASIC METAPHYSICS

...

Saulanna is new to this Lunar thing, but she's pretty sure that wasn't supposed to be something she can do!
>>
No. 117594 ID: f21281

>>117593

Did you see forever?
>>
No. 117602 ID: c0f3bf

Are you an environmancer now? Try mancing some environments.
>>
No. 117603 ID: 632862

>>117591
>>117592
Translating...
>"thrre!!!"
>"com on... just let me... Aha!!"
>>
No. 117604 ID: ec4966

Excellent work!

Is Enviromancy like Geomancy?

Can you understand the statue now?
>>
No. 117605 ID: 632862

I would like to note that the red glow around the LUNAR POINTS meter grew bigger the closer we got to the book.
>>
No. 117606 ID: b14128

...Call Luna.

-NOW-!
>>
No. 117616 ID: 5ddb7b

>>117606
agree, i dont know what that is. exalted have itens and charsm that allow teaching and learning, but nothing like it.

if that comment didnt camed from soulana, we got visitors in our mind.
>>
No. 117620 ID: 5ddb7b

failing luna, just get out and check the manse with your skills. also talk with yourself, attempt to curse someone else in your mind.
>>
No. 117624 ID: 140e67

Seconding calling Luna, and asking her such questions as:

-What's happened to Saulanna?
-What does it mean to know environmancy and metaphysics?
-Red glow around mana bar, not good right?
>>
No. 117635 ID: 5ddb7b

wait, what is that on her eyes? i thought it was old realm, its actual writing
>>
No. 117640 ID: 5ddb7b

goddam. the red lining started here

>>104590

it ended now.

._.
>>
No. 117643 ID: 632862

>>117635
It translates into words but since we don't have full sentences it's not meaningful. Plus at that resolution it's hard to make out the letters. One of the words is CENTER I think.
>>
No. 117744 ID: 445c48

Swear, loudly. Then call Luna. Maybe more swearing.
>>
No. 117760 ID: 2eac65

If we're going to ask Luna for help, let's ask about how ghost powers work too. We shouldn't forget about our friend.
>>
No. 117764 ID: 119b5c

>>117593
Don't call Luna. We've just been possessed. I want to stop running to mother every freaking time yo. Alright. Anything behind those boxes?
>>
No. 117768 ID: 2eac65

Examine ourself and use our awesome mental powers to see if anything is wrong with us.
>>
No. 118017 ID: 61b108
File 126438229737.png - (34.73KB , 700x700 , wordsinhead.png )
118017

Yes, Luna! She'll know something abou-

>"DO NOT contact her about this! Both our lives are concerned in this matter! Sadly, I do not have the strength to evade the argent traitor's senses much longer. Wait until the moon sets, and her power wanes; I ask only that you listen to what I have to say, when it is safe to do so. Please. Until then..."

... Saulanna feels a sudden urge to not to ask Luna about this. How odd.

She doesn't feel harmed in any way... but all the knowledge contained in the book seems to have been sucked right into her own mind. She now knows a lot about how Manses are built, how they operate, what they do. With it came some broader information on the metaphysical realities of the world, the nature of gods and of the elements, things like that.

The way she got it was a bit of a shock, but it's sort of nice to know more things.
>>
No. 118020 ID: b14128

>>118017
Um... Crap, yeah, whatever this is, I think life just got more complicated.
>>
No. 118024 ID: 445c48

>>118017
Swear, loudly, then say "What the fuck is going on" aloud. Not too loud, though.
>>
No. 118025 ID: 61b108
File 126438273873.png - (35.49KB , 700x700 , findstuff.png )
118025

>>117764

Still somewhat disorientated, Saulanna investigates the large chest that lies open across from the shelves. Within, she finds a TORN PACK. Checking behind the weighty lid, she also uncovers a FORGOTTEN SKIRT. It's made to fit someone less generously provisioned with hips than herself, but she could wear it.

...

She could still talk to Luna if she really wanted to...
>>
No. 118030 ID: a64482

We should talk to our patron, since she's shown us nothing but kindness.
>>
No. 118031 ID: c0f3bf

Do not call Luna, but try to keep tabs on all unusual feelings.

Put foot down now. "I am going to call Luna unless you stop influencing my mind. If you have any way of swearing on power or whatever, do it now. Possibly with the corollary 'unless I am being mind controlled against my will and you can somehow fight it off'."
>>
No. 118049 ID: 3416ec

>Wear FORGOTTEN SKIRT.
>>
No. 118050 ID: 54af1f

How about you trust Lunar who has shown you nthing but kindness
>>
No. 118056 ID: ec4966

Say "If you are an enemy of Luna, you are an enemy of me. Give me one reason not to contact her!"

If you don't immediately get a good reason, contact her.
>>
No. 118057 ID: 3dbae2

Yes, call Luna! Evil is always colour-coded for our convenience!

Besides, it called her "the argent traitor". Well duh. She IS the godddess of trickery. But by golly, she's YOUR goddess of trickery, and something with a grudge against her has nothing to do in your mind.

Besides, I don't believe the Other-voice's boon of knowledge or claim to self-preservation will come without a price...Already it's asked us to give up, at least for the night, the nifty help hotline to a higher power we've got here.

Pshyaw, says I! You didn't ask to be possessed, and with your Savvy, you could certainly have figured out the knowledge from that book on your own. Instead the bugger burned it into you, and now wants you to double-deal against Luna.

...That said, it would, uh, suck if Luna decided you'd been tainted somehow and needed to die or somethin'.
>>
No. 118064 ID: 889351

There's no need to call Luna constantly. Let's give it a few hours and hear it out.
>>
No. 118066 ID: 2eac65

Luna has been nice to use so far, but we don't know what she's really like. We should figure out who and what this thing is before doing anything hasty.

Also, use our newfound knowledge of metaphysics to figure out a way for the ghost guy to pass into the living world.
>>
No. 118079 ID: f75ab7

>>118025
menance entity with it. we got a demon that appparently wants to evade the deathknight.

we either extort info+skill or we wipe our head. feels like a win win situation.

also the argent traitor may not be luna. she is trickery, but not dickery. i do think the demon is mentioning some yozi or the likes.
>>
No. 118082 ID: 934ef5

We shouldn't push too hard for info now, from the sound of it it would draw attention to it just as contacting Luna directly would. Let it make its case and decide what to do about it then.
>>
No. 118143 ID: 5dd9c1

Poor girl. Her first day, and already in trouble. Ask new voice why you shouldn't call mom--err... call Luna.

Also, hug ghost.
>>
No. 118197 ID: 32102c

Let check the book's cover for an image of a crane first.
>>
No. 119404 ID: 4c848c

>argent traitor
>Incarnae betrayed the Primordials
>Only Primordials would call an incarnae the 'Argent Traitor'
CALL FUCKING LUNA

YOU HAVE A PRIMORDIAL OR AN ABYSSAL OR AN INFERNAL OR SOMETHING VERY BAD IN YOUR HEAD

SEEK HELP
>>
No. 119405 ID: 4c848c

>>119404
Alternatively, use our REDICULOUS SAVVY to see if we can pry some clues from our...guest.

Then call Luna.
>>
No. 119406 ID: 1b0537

>>119405
i agree with calling luna
>>
No. 119408 ID: eba583

Can we perhaps trick it out of us and back into the book? Or is our mighty SAVVY not mighty enough? ...Or would that be Dickery?
>>
No. 119409 ID: c2f461

>She now knows a lot about how Manses are built, how they operate, what they do. With it came some broader information on the metaphysical realities of the world, the nature of gods and of the elements, things like that.

...but first, perhaps we could use this to figure out how to deactivate, reset, or destroy they manse?
>>
No. 119420 ID: 57aa53

>>119404
its a demon indeed, but we need to milk it of information. we are relatively safe for now, since demon possession on exalted takes too much strength and skill from the demon.

for your understandal, exalted are so badass they keep demons as pets and working hands with no drawnbacks. this one may just help us before we dismiss its existance to luna. he may not even posess the charm to "demonify" exalted.
>>
No. 119421 ID: 57aa53

>>119409
dude, let us handle the FREAKING DEMONS in our head before we become THE DEMONS.

also watch for sundawn. we can leave the emoland if sundawn arrives, but we would take our guest with us.
>>
No. 119429 ID: 57aa53

>>/questdis/318207
>>
No. 119898 ID: e2020c

>>118066

This
>>
No. 119907 ID: 2eac65

Thanks for your support.

I think it bears repeating that we don't know if this thing is even a demon, and even if it is, whether demons are actually evil or not. For all we know, Luna might be worse.
>>
No. 122189 ID: 6bc746
File 126490203158.png - (36.83KB , 700x700 , Scene26.png )
122189

With a bit of mental effort, Saulanna is able to focus on the half-subconscious recommendations she's receiving. She demands to know why she should listen!

>"What strength I regained from consuming the language of the book is taxed sorely by communicating with you, and again by striving to conceal it from Luna! I give my Word, my life depends on yours; my best interest is served in aiding you. I can serve you in so, so many multitudes of ways; yet as I am pressed for time, I shall give you but one reason to be secret, ere I must collapse exhausted to the recesses of your soul."

>"Allow me to give my answer as a query, as you have admirable wits. Tell me, then: Considering that you have been rendered blank of knowledge, how is it that you have, to this point, understood three different languages with nary an ounce of effort?"

... Thinking about it, Saulanna doesn't know a thing about the study of languages.
>>
No. 122190 ID: 6faa8c

>>122189
You don't need either skirt.
:3
>>
No. 122200 ID: cfad4e

I guess I'm willing to give this voice a chance. It has been only helpful so far, and is simply begging for mercy.

If you wear the too-small skirt, you'll probably just rip it in half next time you go War Form.
>>
No. 122204 ID: c0f3bf

We assumed it was Luna, talking in some kind of basic languageless speak all forms of life can understand, then stuck it in our mind without us knowing.

Or something like that.
>>
No. 122207 ID: 632862

>>122189
Seems like this fella is some kind of... memory of who you used to be, perhaps?

Try on the skirt, but keep in mind War Form will increase your size...
>>
No. 122209 ID: 9ed20c

If it's this weak, it won't be doing anything too troublesome behind our back. Not in the next few hours, at least.
>>
No. 122225 ID: 631142

in exalted not all demons are bad, this is true.

but in exalted, all demons can flip you inside out because its fun. against a exalted its harder but they can still do it. im not convinced we have a good guy here.

consider this also: no more calls to luna at all.
>>
No. 122226 ID: 6c28cf

>>122200
On the other hand, if we're going into war form, there will likely be people who no longer need their clothing when we turn back.
>>
No. 122227 ID: 631142

>>122189
wtf 3 languages?

common, old realm and ...?
>>
No. 122228 ID: 6c28cf

>>122225
What? No. No more calls to Luna until night, when we can talk to this guy. After that point, we can do as we will.
>>
No. 122229 ID: 631142

>>122226
you assume there will be clothing left.

anyway with our withs, we should be able to make armors later on that will reshape with us.
>>
No. 125738 ID: 627d28
File 126541188684.png - (35.29KB , 700x700 , wearskirt.png )
125738

Saulanna suspects the instruction was to avoid informing Luna, not to not contact her at all. She puts on the SKIRT. That's a lot less breezy!

What do you want to do now?
- Continue hut investigation
- Find a scent
- Go back outside
- Other
>>
No. 125762 ID: c0f3bf

Keep searching the hut, there's gotta be more than just a magical possessive book in it~
>>
No. 125763 ID: 15f6d6

Find a scent!
>>
No. 125778 ID: 934ef5

>>125738
Investigate hut, and pay attention to the scents in there too. Either it can give you more of a lead on what to follow, or just be informative in it's own right.
>>
No. 125786 ID: 68d32c

>>125762
This. Otherwise, there are other huts nearby, I'm sure.
>>
No. 125794 ID: 8ecfd4

>>125738
We know alot more about Manses now. Let's get cracking on investigating and taking over that thing!
>>
No. 125835 ID: 627d28
File 126541923581.jpg - (140.36KB , 700x700 , useyanose.jpg )
125835

Saulanna uses her BEAST SENSES ability, which is still active, to perceive the the world through SCENT.

The smell of the blood outside overshadows everything! Using her high Acuity, however, Saulanna manages to perceive a number of distinct odors through the haze. Which is the one she wants to MEMORIZE?
>>
No. 125840 ID: d31d16

>>125835
The skirt, its previous wearer.
>>
No. 125841 ID: 3416ec

>>125835

The... green one. I guess.
>>
No. 125852 ID: d2781d

>>125841
I think green is her scent. The yellowy one seems the best bet.
>>
No. 125853 ID: 1685eb

Definitely the skirt.
>>
No. 125856 ID: 34470e

>>125835
Memorize the yellow one. It's around the book.
>>
No. 125886 ID: f12f07

green is saulanna. she has een around the hut enought to gahter her smell like that.

also dammit, we should have sniffed BEFORE wearing the clothes.
>>
No. 125887 ID: 6c28cf

>>125835
What can you tell us about the orange one?
Also, the book's smell may be best, unless it just smells like paper and whatever they used as binding.
>>
No. 125948 ID: 445c48

Smell the orange on the skirt. And then go and smell BURLY GHOST whose name I don't remember.
>>
No. 126003 ID: 934ef5

>>125835
Go for whichever smells most like people. Your skirt might be the best sample smell of whoever lived here before so probably we should go with that.
>>
No. 126014 ID: 632862

>>125835
The scent on the skirt and the floor. The yellow/orange.
>>
No. 126028 ID: 2eac65

The smell on the bed is either the former inhabitant or someone very close to her. It might be a good choice. The skirt, not so much; why would she leave it behind?
>>
No. 133106 ID: 1540c0
File 126637390439.jpg - (45.83KB , 700x700 , useyanose2.jpg )
133106

Saulanna focuses on the scent which clings to the FORGOTTEN SKIRT and the BED. This somewhat faded scent is spread to a lesser degree all over the hut, and close nasal inspection allows Saulanna to draw some comparison between it and her own odor; she does not have much in the way of an OLFACTOVOCABULARY yet, but when put through the wringer of her SAVVY, the similarities are enough to declare that this is the smell of a FEMALE HUMAN - and the only one in the room!

Saulanna identified RUIVE'S SCENT!

> +2 SCHNOZZLEPOINTS
>>
No. 133107 ID: 445c48

Climb that echeladder.
>>
No. 133110 ID: 632862

Before we go tracking this scent... is there anything in the TORN PACK? Pick it up regardless so we have an extra item with the scent on it. The dress we have on will likely get dirty and stuff.
>>
No. 133113 ID: c0f3bf

Excellent. Doubt there's anything else worthwhile here, go outside again, check for the scent around the place.
>>
No. 133144 ID: 1540c0
File 126637612481.png - (35.22KB , 700x700 , Scene27.png )
133144

>Hold S to display trails of current SCENT.

Saulanna picks up the TORN PACK; it idly occurs to her that it would improve her INVENTORY SPACE if repaired, allowing her to hold more items such as the ROPE that is looped around her torso and therefore of course visible to everyone.

As she does so, a crumpled and DISCARDED NOTE falls from the rip.
>>
No. 133146 ID: c0f3bf

Read note. Check that gray container, is that a spilled potion?
>>
No. 133188 ID: 445c48

>>133144
Read note, hug ghost.
>>
No. 133229 ID: cfad4e

>Saulanna identified RUIVE'S SCENT!
Well that's rather bloody useful, seeing how that's who we're looking for.

Read note.

Repair pack using JUNK ON THE GROUND.
>>
No. 133253 ID: 940de3

Wouldn't it be easier to repair the pack with the nets hanging on the walls? All you'd have to do is tie, sew or somehow fasten 'em around the hole.

Also, read note.
>>
No. 133301 ID: 8b7db1

>>133253
Trying to remember what the ghost did in life, maybe he could repair it for us? As a small favor, or course. ...or we could pay him by showing our titties.
>>
No. 133319 ID: 135d9a

>>133229
These are both good ideas.
>>
No. 133453 ID: ea2140

Was there anything in that oddly large box?
>>
No. 136740 ID: 9305be

>>133144
we dont have pocket meditation tecnique? crap

investigate the room a bit further, if we missed a note in the backpack we may have missed a corpse under the bed
>>
No. 136996 ID: f62918

read note and repair pack if possible
>>
No. 137670 ID: ddac14

Read the note, hug the ghost, repair the pack, check under the bed (just in case)
>>
No. 145316 ID: 89ff2a
File 126828261556.png - (32.87KB , 700x700 , SaulannaPackRepairwoman.png )
145316

The writing on the unfurled page is incomplete. It begins as, apparently, a page in some sort of journal.

"up five feet from cliffside, with third set of test seedlings showing signs of disease. Four jars of salt left.

13th Ascending Water
Bridge closed over the Ada; no more chance of getting anything from Copperstand. They're still letting people get out, not for nothing. No point staying here on my own. I'm not going to get any more of the solars' water, much good it did, and with no one living here the shadows will have the manse in a week. Spiders can't do anything. Note to self: next time I get a magic box that can fix everything, don't throw it away. Buy prayer strips from actual priest. Strange clouds over the mountain again, more like smoke. Time to leave.

14th Ascending Water
Bottom fell out of the bloody pack when I tried to get all the wine in, so I'm drinking it. Scattered pages all over. Wish th"

The words past this point are blurred beyond recognition. It was presumably while that ink was still wet that the big stain appeared.
>>
No. 145319 ID: 89ff2a
File 126828284461.png - (33.26KB , 700x700 , SaulannaSenseSomething.png )
145319

!!

Saulanna's ACUITY and BEST SENSES percieve three new creatures approaching outside!
>>
No. 145322 ID: 701a19

>>145319
So HUG GHOST, then go out and check the beasts!
>>
No. 145329 ID: 632862

>>145316
>Magic box that can fix everything
>don't throw it away
>music box thrown away

I SEE. We had the macguffin before we even knew we needed it!

Poke your head out to gauge the possible threat.
>>
No. 145332 ID: 697b23

>>145319
What are her GOOD and OKAY SENSES perceiving?
>>
No. 145335 ID: cfad4e

Attempt to ascertain nature and threat level of new arrivals before revealing yourself.

But, if they're threatening the ghost, protect him immediately.
>>
No. 145341 ID: 1ac39d

(yay, this is back)

investigate by peeking through the door without leaving building.
>>
No. 145342 ID: c0f3bf

Can you perceive their size?
>>
No. 145700 ID: 7edee6

>>145316
so its safe to say the box is somehow going to help with something asides playing music. also, its not just a music box, its a EXALTED! music box that can fix stuff. nice. remember to learn how to make this kind of stuff later. it also seems the previous owner of the journal was somehow aware of patterned spiders.

>three new creatures
that is 1 more that what you can fight with the help of HOT GOAST DUDE. change to racoon form in a non furry way and sneak a peek outside.
>>
No. 162785 ID: 6493bd
File 127101568254.png - (41.30KB , 700x700 , closeup1.png )
162785

([Alright, let's see how this works out.])

With raccoonly stealth, Saulanna edges her way to the door and peers outside.

"Hey, buddy! What are you doin' here, hand that over!"
"Wait, no, this is-"
"You want my boys teachin' ya a lesson? We're in charge around here. Give it here!"
"Ah, hey!!"
"Lemme see this... Well, whatever it is, it's contraband in your hands. You don't know how much trouble you're in, buddy..."
"Who-"
"Listen! Normally I'd take you in to th' Skull right now, but you got once chance to make good."
>>
No. 162787 ID: 6493bd
File 127101571760.png - (83.18KB , 600x600 , mobsters1.png )
162787

"You seen a half-naked girl with a collar and manacles on around here?"
>>
No. 162788 ID: 8ecfd4

>>162787
Don't think we're gonna get past these bastards in a non violent way. Fire up the warform and get ready for some riping and tearing. Start with the one on the right, he forgot his armour and boy is he going to regret that.
>>
No. 162792 ID: 445c48

WAR FORM, MOON CLAWS, Rip and tear, rip and tear their guts!
>>
No. 162795 ID: 0fc814

Stay hidden.
Buff up with warform and moon claws.
Examine abilities for cool sneak attacks.
Try to loop around using your raccoony stealth and then attack from the rear.
>>
No. 162812 ID: 4cf60c

This doesn't look like a good fight. Even if we could take down one of them in ambush, that's still 2-on-2 odds. We don't even know how well our ghost friend can fight, since he was sort of distracted last fight.

So, our first priority is to keep our ghost safe. Getting the box back is number two, and finding Ruive is third.

Do we have a way to the roof? Or another exit? If not, stay put and get ready to transform. If things turn dangerous for our ghost friend, we need to pounce and start attacking. Hopefully, they'll turn and run before ghost dude gets hurt.
>>
No. 162823 ID: 9a1fa4

Wait a second which one is OUR ghost? And maybe you could climb up a hole in the roof and jump onto them or something.
>>
No. 162825 ID: 4cf60c

>>162823
>>162787
I don't think our ghost is one of these three. It looks like they took his box, and are trying to find us, Saulanna. He's likely off screen.
>>
No. 162888 ID: 1ac39d

yes, double power sneak attack to even the odds. it may be best to take the mobster first as he is the leader and without him the goons may panic.
>>
No. 162890 ID: d576fd

they dont know you exalted. war form and claws would waste your power straigt away and they could run.

we need to trap them. forget hot goast dude, he is going to turn you anyway. leave the house either by a window on the back and sneak attack them once they get in or use racoon form to peform said sneak attack.
>>
No. 162891 ID: d576fd

>>162888
pardon me, i am mildly drunk ._.
>>
No. 162907 ID: 701a19

Warform moonclaw Sneak attack to OHKO the guy holding the box so they can't flee with it.
After that? IT'S BATTLIN' TIME!
>>
No. 167024 ID: 1d0fc2
File 127172031860.png - (71.90KB , 600x600 , mobstertalks.png )
167024

"I... I haven't seen anyone like that."

"... You're a terrible liar, buddy."
>>
No. 167025 ID: 1d0fc2
File 127172048566.png - (65.37KB , 600x600 , waitwhat.png )
167025

Looks like trouble! Saulanna decides to climb up through the hole in the roof and sneak attack from above. She activates her WAR FORM and MOON CLAWS.

"Guess we'll have to show you we mean busine- wait."
>>
No. 167026 ID: 3416ec

>>167025

Methinks Mister Gangster can sense us.
>>
No. 167029 ID: 1d0fc2
File 127172076617.png - (67.25KB , 600x600 , crashtheparty.png )
167029

Using two more dots of MOON POWER put Saulanna above discreet levels! Her LUNAR MARK begins to shine!!

She decides to act quickly.

"Where's that glowing coming fro- AARGH SHIT IT'S THE FUZZ"
>>
No. 167031 ID: d6fef9

>>167029
Calling you fuzzy? Kill him first!
>>
No. 167035 ID: 7524b0

>>167029
Don't let him escape with the box!

Claw his leg to cripple him.
>>
No. 167038 ID: 1569b3

the box is more important. leap in front of the dude with it and bite his neck, proceed to mangle the 2 thugs with him on your mouth.
>>
No. 167053 ID: 445c48

If you can still talk, say "Nice Pun" and then bite his head off
>>
No. 167076 ID: 43d730

>>167029
You've been waiting to use that joke for YEARS, haven't you.
>>
No. 167077 ID: 54af1f

Leave the leader alive, let's find out what he knows.
>>
No. 167079 ID: 0fc814

Try to secure the box from the boss ghost before he can get his mooks in between you and him!
>>
No. 167175 ID: f900dd

>>167029
Rip and motherfucking tear. Start with the one holding the box, he should go down quickly.
>>
No. 167204 ID: 9e9b47

>>167029

If you can still talk the obvious response is "sorry, can I CUT in?" as you cut some dude's head off.
>>
No. 167217 ID: 43f94a

>>167029
Welp, there goes another skirt!
>>
No. 167309 ID: 2eac65

>>167217
Intelligence is our highest stat. Obviously, we had the foresight to take off all our clothes before transforming. That's why there aren't any torn pieces hanging off of us.

I agree with taking the boss alive if it is reasonably practical. Our left arm is in a good position to grab him.
>>
No. 167397 ID: 24aa45

>>167309
well, a hostage attempt would probably go well...
Unless they have spectral guns... that'd make things a bit harder considering how big we are in this form... (and how exposed we'd be even behind the boss's body...)
>>
No. 170081 ID: 6721c0

Our mind stats are more impressive than our body stats. They still outnumber us. We can track by sent.

Taken together, getting out-muscled is a larger problem than losing track of someone. Tear apart his bodyguards, as we can track him down later. Plus, if we're going to capture someone, the "boss" will usually provide better information than a grunt.
>>
No. 170086 ID: 732129

>>170081

There are probably more of them elsewhere. The runner will try to meet up with them. Stop him now.
>>
No. 170599 ID: d88dcd
File 127233086235.png - (71.11KB , 600x600 , swinganamiss.png )
170599

Saulanna isn't quick or skilled enough to get him! He's a slippery bastard - she'll need something to even the odds.
>>
No. 170601 ID: 1ac39d

stunning roar or something.
>>
No. 170605 ID: b08d07

MOONBEAM from gem in head
>>
No. 170612 ID: 7524b0

>>170599
Start cutting down trees to block his path.
>>
No. 170615 ID: d6cb21

>>170599
looks like we are in a good position to deliver a nast kick, from the looks of it.
>>
No. 170619 ID: 2eac65

>>170612
That won't work. We're in a clearing, and I doubt we'd be skilled enough to do it well anyway.

We have two options at this point: either we suddenly become more agile than him, or we deny him the option of running away. The latter doesn't look too likely, since he's holding the box and he doesn't have any other reason to stick around.

We'll have to brute force this situation. Use MOON BOOST to boost our agility and grapple him.
>>
No. 170622 ID: cda1dd

is say accurancy charms, but i dont remember the name for lunars.

how about we check for the chaste power?
>>
No. 170764 ID: 275a5d

>>170619
THIS.
>>
No. 170788 ID: 86bece

>>170619
Moon boost should work. We will just have to kill him in a awesome way to restore our mana stuff.
>>
No. 171085 ID: b7aca4

Use MOON BOOST to grapple one of the grunts, then throw the grunt at the slippery bastard.
>>
No. 171187 ID: 2eac65

>>171085
Not a good idea. Those grunts are pretty stong-looking, and the boss could probably dodge. If we get a hold of him, we could hold him hostage and force him to call of his goons.
>>
No. 171192 ID: 7524b0

I wonder if we could just ask our buddy to block his escape path.
>>
No. 171541 ID: 5d0ea1

>>171187
The grunts can also grab our Ghost Buddy and hold him hostage. Remember that we're leaving him defenseless while playing around with the weasel.
>>
No. 175063 ID: a7afbf
File 12733479852.png - (89.36KB , 600x600 , SaulannaAccelerate.png )
175063

Saulanna sends the power of the moon flooding through her veins. The world seems to slow as her Agility doubles, bringing a sense of perfect poise, position - and speed.

She surges forward!
>>
No. 175064 ID: a7afbf
File 127334802744.png - (82.09KB , 600x600 , touchdown.png )
175064

One powerful swipe of her hand carries her ghostly quarry to the ground with a heavy thud. She resists a momentary surge of predatory instincts that tell her to disembowel him.
>>
No. 175066 ID: 0fc814

Go ahead and disembowel him.

Maybe you can eat him to regain power.
>>
No. 175072 ID: a594b9

>>175064
Retrieve the box, that's the important part. Then find out who sent him.
>>
No. 175078 ID: 0b2a05

Remove his arms and legs. You're an exalted, you can probably get them to grow back later if need be.
>>
No. 175081 ID: ecf25b

>>175064
RIP AND TEAR HIS GUTS!
>>
No. 175084 ID: 1ac39d

i thought we were going to question him? he looked like the brains to the other two's brawn. snarl a little, maybe have some spit flake on him and DEMAND he tell you what he wanted with the box. and if you sense the goons trying to approach tell him to call them off or his head will cease to exist.
>>
No. 175085 ID: 2eac65

Straddle his chest to pin him down.

"Now, you're going to tell me who you are and what you're doing here. And don't even think about lying, because I'll know."
>>
No. 175087 ID: f16354

First of all, Saulanna needs to do something -very- important.

Namely, disable his gun hand and tell him to order the grunts to stand down.
>>
No. 175143 ID: 45cf37

offer him to luna. its petit, but its the thought that counts =3
>>
No. 175252 ID: d6cb21

>>175064
Question him, THEN eat him.
>>
No. 175425 ID: 54af1f

Why don't we find out what this is about first then offer him to lunar?
>>
No. 175485 ID: 5f7d52

>>175064
Rip off his gun arm. He's a ghost so he shouldn't bleed out or die from it. Then question him some before doing some very messy ripping and tearing.
>>
No. 175509 ID: a7afbf
File 127341982041.png - (92.34KB , 600x600 , noblood.png )
175509

Yeah, no blood.

Good bit of yelling, though.
>>
No. 175514 ID: 1d2641

welll i think he can grow his arm back but it should not be instantaneous.

eat both of his foot and go check on HOT GOAST DUDE
>>
No. 175516 ID: 1ac39d

call ghost dude over and tell the guy to tell the grunts to back off or his arm will be the least of his worries. if the goons seem to not care then they are not working for him, just the muscle sent by some other person.
>>
No. 175519 ID: 445c48

Throw the arm at the guy the friendly ghost is fighting.
>>
No. 175522 ID: 1d2641

>>175519
no, throw it for HOT GOAST DUDE to catch it and say "here, you should get armed!"
>>
No. 175524 ID: 0fc814

Demand he surrender and make his boys stand down. If he doesn't, attempt to eat him for more moon power.
>>
No. 175525 ID: 1ac39d

>>175524
wait, ghost dude says he couldn't leave the area because his ghost power wasn't strong enough. if he ate other ghosts would it make him more stable?
>>
No. 175528 ID: 1d2641

>>175525
he must be talking of essence. wich is not adquired that way.

there are charms to pass him, im pretty sure we cant use it like this. also, we dont want a pet gost, we need to make him be reborn. wich i entirely forgot how.
>>
No. 175530 ID: a594b9

>>175509
Hrm. You just turned a bit blue. Does that mean you've gained... negative karma or something?
>>
No. 175531 ID: 1d2641

>>175530
impretty sure its the moon boost aura
>>
No. 175532 ID: eaec5a

Take Mr. Bossghost and chuck him into one of the other ghosts to knock them both over. Then move in and sort out what's left. Kill/spare however is most convenient. The goons are likely useless to us.

I'm going to suggest that you stop wearing clothing. It keeps getting destroyed.

p.s. you look great.
>>
No. 175748 ID: 2eac65

No! Why did we do that? We can't just go around dismembering people! We're Exalted; we shouldn't need to! And we're supposed to be Mental Primary, Social Secondary, so let's put our social skills to use.

It would've been easier if we hadn't ripped his arm off, but we should persuade him to call off his goons. Then we can begin questioning him. Warn him that we'll be able to tell if he lies to us; we don't actually have that ability, but he doesn't know that.

I was hoping we could convince him to forget he found us or the box and not report this encounter to his superiors. That's going to be much harder now that he's missing an arm.
>>
No. 175821 ID: 4eb774

>>175748
well, we should still have some intimidation to do on the remaining thugs. thats still mind right?

coming to think of it, so far saulanna hasnt made anything smart, commoner style
>>
No. 175836 ID: 275a5d

>>175748
We're a lunar in warform first, Exalt second.
>>
No. 175839 ID: c5b357

>>175748
Well of course we're killing him and the goons afterwards. The bastard dared to actually make demands of an exalted. He must perish for his crimes.

So dear miss Rockblossom. Time to tell him to call off his goons if he wants to keep the rest of his limbs attached and ask him who sent him and why.
>>
No. 175890 ID: 2eac65

>>175821
People are more cooperative with things that could hurt them than with things that did hurt them. Fear is much easier to work with than anger.

>>175839
He hasn't disrespected us yet, only the HOT GOAST DUDE, and that was before he knew we existed. Even so, people who simply go around demanding respect don't deserve it. I want Saulanna to be one of the good Exalted.
>>
No. 175917 ID: 25aaca

GOOD exalted? is that before or after the curse was undone?

exalted are violently imposing be you willing for it or not. sure, some of them are nice and polite like lawyers, but their tongues are as dangerous as a grand daiklaive.

what exactly were you expecting? a scolding and suddenly they regret their life choice's up to their UNlife, to then return us the music box that problaby a death knight menanced them to get for him, in a land of pain and suffering where even the top of the food chain is still set to suffer forever, with not even a choice to be reborn?

i just dont see it happening.
>>
No. 175923 ID: 2eac65

There are ways of controlling people without dismembering them. The methods we choose determine who we are and whether we are worthy of respect or not. We could have gotten through this with intimidation and some clever bluffing.

And this isn't exactly canon Exalted. For one thing, Exalted doesn't have guns.
>>
No. 175929 ID: cfbfdc

>>175923

>Essence cannon
>>
No. 175930 ID: 2eac65

>>175929
Yeah, but not handguns that a random ghost mobster would get a hold of.
>>
No. 176009 ID: 25aaca

>Firewands
>>
No. 176031 ID: 2eac65

>>176009
Okay, you got me there. I still say not to put too much faith in our Exalted knowledge.
>>
No. 177547 ID: 3adca9
File 127389147825.png - (88.63KB , 600x600 , gripping.png )
177547

Saulanna politely suggests to the scrawny fellow that he would be best advised to call off his companions.

"A'right, aright! I'll do...

...

... hold on, I'm a ghost."
>>
No. 177548 ID: 3adca9
File 12738915255.png - (97.38KB , 600x600 , whoops.png )
177548

Uh oh.
>>
No. 177550 ID: 1ac39d

GRAB THE BOX!!
>>
No. 177551 ID: 3adca9
File 127389161039.png - (41.51KB , 600x600 , possession.png )
177551

Saulanna is ousted from control of her body!
>>
No. 177552 ID: 1ac39d

BULL SHIT!! hold on to your arm! he has no soul on that part so you should be able to stay in that part.
>>
No. 177555 ID: 1ac39d

set your body to overload from that arm. that much moon power would destroy him while your soul would be fine.
>>
No. 177558 ID: 38699e

freakin wowderful. gotta go scrouge up my book on undead later.

activate PASSENGER SEAT. and by that i mean the dude that got inside our head from that book.

failing this, we should have a something against him. if our moon boost gaved us the physical status, im pretty sure i dont know where to go from here.

asides wasting willpower to shit him out.
>>
No. 177560 ID: aa755c

Use your savvy to realize you're way better than him in every aspect, including resisting possession. FURIOUSLY engage in a mental tug-o-war over your body! Bugger ain't got anything on an Exalted whose mental strength is her main point.

THEN kick his rear end up and down the street a couple of times and ask him to call off his goons again.
>>
No. 177561 ID: 0b2a05

Burn. Him. Out.
>>
No. 177563 ID: 275a5d

>>177560
Basically this. Stomp all over his ass.
>>
No. 177638 ID: a85626

>>88376

>> it seems you're best with your MIND and worst with your BODY.

>>177551

>> Saulanna is ousted from control of her body!

No worries here. You're way better with your mind than your body, and your body was basically ripping him apart. Try to trap him in your mind, so that he can't get out to do more ghosting until you've gotten things settled.
>>
No. 177660 ID: 7b5606

Yes, trap him within the labyrinthine complexity of your mind and thought processes.
Only let him out when he's begging, or when everything is done.
>>
No. 177667 ID: 0fc814

Consume his soul for energy.
>>
No. 177678 ID: 2eac65

We also have a demon inhabiting our mind. One that feeds on information. We could ask it to help us fight off the GHOST MOBSTER in exchange for his mind, or possibly just threaten to do so with it to make him more compliant.

If it seems like we can't fight him off, use our last moments of control to shift into ANIMAL FORM. A small raccoon body will be significantly less useful to a ghost than a Lunar Warform.
>>
No. 177721 ID: c71597

>>177551
Oh he does not know what a mistake he just made. Fuck him up with your superior mental capacities. That little fucker shall be put through eternities of pain in mere seconds.
>>
No. 179003 ID: 670003
File 127415384744.png - (21.86KB , 600x600 , mindbattol.png )
179003

Saulanna employs her prodigious mental capacities towards fighting the intruder, and it works!... to an extent. Once over the initial shock, she easily slips under the ghost's defense and evades all his attempts to push her out again - her MIND is much too quick for him, and his dead soul hasn't the adaptability to get a grip on her.

Unfortunately, Saulanna is still an amnesiac! Having no strong purpose or deep emotional bonds, she doesn't have the strength of identity needed to push him out!
>>
No. 179005 ID: 0b2a05

Who said you had to push him out?

EAT HIS SOUL. What you lack in identity you can probably compensate for in raw power.
>>
No. 179006 ID: e31d52

Use your ANGER at the thought of him making you do nasty and lecherous things with his friends.
>>
No. 179008 ID: 1ac39d

hey look, it's the book thing!

anyway, think about your promise to ghost dude, you told him you would help him, how are you going to do that without your body?

if that don't work then see about getting book thing's help.
>>
No. 179010 ID: a594b9

>>179003
Ask for help from the BOOKWORM.
>>
No. 179017 ID: 2eac65

Various ideas from me:

Tell him that we have a spiritual partner and we'll let it consume his mind if he doesn't cooperate with us. I recommend that we threaten to do this before actually doing it.

I don't know what exactly we can do in mental combat. Can we rip his memories out of his mind? Target specific insecurities? Anything like that?

If we need a boost of willpower, focus on the GOAST DUDE that we promised to help. He is innocent and must be protected.
>>
No. 179019 ID: 445c48

Motion to the thing in the corner for a little help here, and then start punching the ghost.
>>
No. 179023 ID: 771080

You must do this, Saulanna! What would Luna think if you let yourself get beaten by some puny little ghost? You wouldn't be able to make her proud of you! You have to do this so you can keep showing Luna how much you love her! THINK OF THE HUGS!
>>
No. 179029 ID: a85626

You can't lose your body yet! You haven't even found a reason to go mad, create a doomsday device, and hold the world hostage!
>>
No. 179091 ID: 0fc814

Eat his soul!

If that doesn't work, ask the book demon for help. Tell it that you need a purpose. To a demon, hearing that from an exalt will be like a child being told that he needs to eat a piece of candy. He'll jump at the chance to manipulate you on such a fundamental level, and incidentally give you something to win with.

Without a preexisting identity, you don't have a lot to lose.
>>
No. 179097 ID: 2eac65

>>179091
No to both of those ideas. The boss ghost more useful to us alive than dead (so to speak) unless we have a way of extracting information while we kill him, and allowing a demon to control our mind strikes me as a Very Bad Idea even if we don't have a particular reason to distrust it.

If we need a motivation, we should choose one for ourselves. "Protect the Innocent and Helpless" might work, or we could go the Blood Ravens route and choose "Discover the Truth" since we have so little information now.
>>
No. 179165 ID: bcf25c

Kick him inna rocks.

I mean, uh. Attack him emotionally.
>>
No. 179248 ID: 6d381d

pretty much ask for help of the book thingie that is in our minds.

and if this is a ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWA moment, remember of HOT GOAST DUDE and that he is out there having a 2 on 1 battle
>>
No. 179370 ID: 0f260a
File 127422276081.png - (41.47KB , 600x600 , mindbattol2.png )
179370

Saulanna calls up what she can from her limited memories - the desire to please Luna, to protect the ghost, her promise to help him. She calculates the outcomes of being possessed - of being taken, used, manipulated! Imprisoned! It makes her angry!

Saulanna's EMOTIONS rise significantly. She develops enough strength of will to get a tight hold on her intruder.

Her other passenger, however, doesn't wait to be asked for help!

>"A moment, my lady, and all that this shallow phantom knows will be mine to put at our disposal..."
>>
No. 179371 ID: c71597

>>179370
Hold down the spirit. It shall learn the error of it's way.

Thank other passenger for its courteous words and assistance.
>>
No. 179372 ID: 1ac39d

SCORE!! go little buddy go!

anyway, just hold him until our little guy can get the info we want.
>>
No. 179392 ID: 445c48

Hold him down, and also give your thanks to the other guy.
>>
No. 179402 ID: 0b2a05

Still don't completely trust you!

But this definitely helps! A whole whole lot!
>>
No. 179447 ID: 2eac65

Oh, hey, fast update. Thanks.

Hopefully, whatever he does won't leave the mobster a vegetable. His superiors will realize that something's up if he doesn't report back that everything is going fine. It would be nice if the spirit could only erase his memories of finding us with the box. Neither possibility seems too likely, though.

I'm also worried by the spirit's willingness to absorb his mind without our permission. We were going to ask anyway, but still, we should establish a "no mind-raping without our permission" rule at some point.
>>
No. 179477 ID: 0fc814

Continue holding the ghost. Let the demon do his thing.

The ghost has had ample opportunity to surrender, but chose instead to try and destroy Saulanna's mind. End him.
>>
No. 179482 ID: a85626

>>179477

Take over her body. Slightly different. She's the one destroying his mind.
>>
No. 179657 ID: 2eac65

Okay, I think I've got an idea.

First, we'll get behind the ghost and hold his mouth open so the word spirit can enter and eat him from the inside out. This isn't important; it's just for the sake of being cool.

Second, let the spirit eat his memories but leave enough of his mind for basic functioning. This is the important part.

Third, use hypnotic suggestion to implant new memories in the mentally weak ghost mobster. This will mislead his boss as to what actually happened to him, allowing us to avoid drawing more attention to ourselves.
>>
No. 179728 ID: 6d381d

>use hypnotic suggestion to implant new memories in the mentally weak ghost mobster
trippin balls. unless our "guest" can do that we should just mangle him and make our guest milk him for informatio while we handle the thugs.
>>
No. 179785 ID: 2eac65

>>179728
After having his brain hollowed out, he should be highly suggestible. It's at least worth a try. Of course, a one-armed partially amnesiac mobster will be more suspicious than an intact mobster who reports that nothing is wrong, but if we play this right, we can make it look like a known rival did this as a warning/threat. That should keep them off our trail for a while.
>>
No. 179805 ID: a6349f

This is wrong!

How can draining a person's memories and identity, his soul itself, be right? It removes him forever, kills him deader than dead. Expell your passenger before the demon can finish him off, Saulanna! A misguided mobster he might be, but even the wicked can be in need salvation.

Show that you do not need to be beholden to a demon to rid yourself of possession, or gain knowledge! You are Saulanna Ricanya Rockblossom, you have a stunning intellect and a fine body! You are a newly-exalted Lunar and in but a few hours of memory you've slain the hungry dead, seen the devastation of deathly magic and started a quest that will see you beyond the borders of this deathland! You've made friends with a ghost, and seen him in despair and hope, determination and apathy! Which of these would you rather emulate? Win your fights and challenges on your terms, not this demon's, nor any mobster's!
>>
No. 179811 ID: 6d381d

>>179805
this is not wrong. this is exalted. this is about what we can do, not what we want to do.

that dragonbook demonworm is not quite on his right to literally eat a soul, but this is a uncaring creation. before time immemorial, before exalts, before demons were tame-able, primordials ate sould for fun and kicks. now this gangster soul decided to linger on earth, on a deathland maybe against his will, maybe because he likes pushing people around even after he died.

we should use this time to talk with the dragonbookwormdemonthingie after we mangle the gangster's soul. then we decice if the bookworm demondragon can eat him. if he can.
>>
No. 179815 ID: 2eac65

>>179805
It's a spirit of information. I don't think it could literally destroy a soul even if it wanted to. It's just going to erase his mind, kind of like what happens when a soul reincarnates. Maybe it'll actually help him to lose some emotional baggage.

Mercy is important, but there's a limit to how much mercy you can show while still protecting those that need protection.
>>
No. 179829 ID: b3ee70

>>179370
Hold man down, taunt him a bit for picking a woman with a demon.
Erase everything except his fear of you (he has to have some. You just captured him and he's about to die... like... death in death death...
>>
No. 179946 ID: d6cb21

As long as we dont destroy him utterly, Im good. As for tearing information out of his mind, thats what happens to those who push others around.
>>
No. 181097 ID: a6a1c6
File 127450366985.png - (32.02KB , 600x600 , mindbattol3.png )
181097

>This is wrong!

Saulanna feels a sudden sense of compassion grip her.

>How can draining a person's memories and identity, his soul itself, be right?

The urge to save the invading ghost rises up inside, but... a moment ago, she was trying to be angry with him! She still is! He was trying to take her over, to take her back to... but... this isn't... it... bluh!!

Saulanna suffers EMOTIONAL CONFUSION, and is paralyzed with indecision.

And...
>>
No. 181098 ID: 1ac39d

tgchan always get's coldfeet when it matters!
just kill the fucker DAMMIT!
>>
No. 181099 ID: a6a1c6
File 127450380354.png - (71.48KB , 600x600 , headache.png )
181099

... and then it's too late.

>"There, done (ugh, he's terribly stale). Just a brief period of digestion (do all these strange persistent souls taste like this?) and he'll be a part of me. Thoroughly subservient, I assure you. I... ah, yes, there we go."

Saulanna feels a measure of spiritual energy flow into her, and recovers two dots of MOON POWER. It... doesn't feel exactly pleasant.

>"Knowledge is a bit trickier. I beg a trifling amount of patience while I finish the incorporation."

Only a few seconds have passed since the ghost first possessed her.
>>
No. 181101 ID: 1ac39d

assist hot ghost dude in fighting the other ghosts.
>>
No. 181106 ID: 8bdb6a

Stand up and say "I ate your boss," to the others. If they don't immediately run or surrender, tear them apart.
>>
No. 181108 ID: 3afd1f

>>181099
There, you're a proper white color again.

Looks like that surge of Compassion balanced your karma out.

Assist our ghost friend. In some flashy manner. Like, do a rebound off a tree for an angle of attack that would take them by surprise.
>>
No. 181112 ID: 701a19

>>181108
Once you've subdued them, kiss ghost guy.
>>
No. 181116 ID: 8b7db1

>>181106
As soon as you say this, burp.
>>
No. 181136 ID: 710b93

>>181106
This, adding on 'Stand down or else i shall do the same to you.' It's a bluff with backbone.
>>181116
Then this. If they don't surrender, then
>>181101
>>
No. 181176 ID: 2eac65

I would say that didn't go well.

Once he's finished doing whatever it is he's doing, we're going have a long, hard talk about our partnership, starting with just who he is and what he can do and ending with just what his role in our partnership is going to be.

For now, though, we deal with the goons.

"Your boss couldn't do a thing to me, and neither can you. If you know what's good for you, you'll wait right there while I decide what to do with you." Don't tell them their boss is dead (again); we might want to keep that bit of info to ourselves.

I'm not sure this is the best idea, since we don't know how our buddy is handling them. If he's doing badly, we might lure them away from him by pretending to be their boss who easily dominated the weak-minded beastwoman.

Whether we reveal ourselves now or not, a short burst of maniacal laughter should draw attention to us.

>>181112
He already has a lover. If she rejects him or turns out to be a manipulative bitch, then we can comfort him while he's heartbroken, but until then, we respect his wishes and help him get together with Ruive.
>>
No. 181186 ID: 1ac39d

>>181176
please take your ideas on what we should shape salunna's personality to be to the discussion thread, if half say yes and the other half says no it will just cause her to enter a state of crippling indecision and cause her to get seriously hurt

yes, don't try making out with ghost dude yet, a victory hug may be nice though.
>>
No. 181255 ID: b1c12c

we kinda fucked it. real bad. karmically speaking its like wh40k HERESY. we destroyed a soul.

that was literally the coldest solution ever.

we dont have how to "redeem" him. unless he somehow let go of his soul wich wont happen. lastly we now know the entity inside us IS malevolant in nature, at least in a defensive way.

the worse is, WE CANNOT LET THE NEWS OF A NEWLY LUNAR EXALT ESCAPE THESE VICINITIES. "kill" the thugs, if possible, in a non eatery way.
>>
No. 181261 ID: 2eac65

>>181255
He might not be all gone. The way the word-spirit talked about it, it sounded more like he absorbed the mobster rather than destroying him outright. We don't know much about him or his abilities, though, so at this point that's just wishful thinking.

On another note, once we've assimilated his knowledge, we may be able to teach our friend GHOST MAGIC. If we train him enough, he might be able to cross over into the living world.
>>
No. 181315 ID: 48de3d

>>181255

I thought killing ghosts in Exalted, assuming you didn't half-ass it and leave them to come back, pushed them straight to Lethe?
>>
No. 181737 ID: 5abfe2

Tch! Cold feet?! I was just willing to stand up among you jaded goons and tell Saulanna some right from wrong. Letting an arguably evil thing have its way with him wasn't right, however it benefited her.

Sometimes being a good person means doing things that give less outright gain, or naught at all. But... cut is cut, nothing to be done now. There are still two more souls we have to stop.

Now how about using some of those smarts of ours? Regain your calm, Saulanna, and try to act like the mobster. ACESSORIZE the gun (use SAVVY on gun to figure out its basic functioning) and the torn ghost hat (if it's still there). Then walk over to the goons, covering your ghost friend, and crow over how this is going to be a profitable week. Like "Hold it there, buddy. Your friend's a handful, but she's all mine now, so you'd better stop fightin'."

If the deception works, we can see where to go from there. We could get a backshot with that gun. Or convince the goons to lead us to their hideout (and their boss). If not...Rip and tear, I suppose.

Hmm...What would this go on? Dickery? As tempting as it is to MOON BOOST the relevant lying stat, I don't think we should risk it. Her aura (or whatever) might flare up again and give the deception away.

How do we kill ghosts and send them back to the wheel of reincarnation all good-like in Exalted? Is it really just rip and tear their physical forms? Can we THREATEN or CONVINCE them into letting go for a new existence?
>>
No. 183277 ID: 2eac65

>>181737
They don't know we're friends with the ghost gu, only that we attacked their boss.

Yes, it's best to act like the mobster succeeded in possessing us. We can always drop the act later. Since we don't know much about his personality, we should act as if we're enjoying the strength of our new body (with aforementioned laughter); that should cover up some minor inaccuracies.
>>
No. 183347 ID: 7e97fb

>>181737
>Regain your calm, Saulanna, and try to act like the mobster.
Great idea. This.
>>
No. 184049 ID: 2eac65

I just remembered that there should be a disembodied ghost arm lying somewhere on the ground. We might want to do something about it.
>>
No. 184057 ID: d3dfb8
File 127498277840.jpg - (26.28KB , 604x337 , omg.jpg )
184057

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
>>
No. 186651 ID: aaa128
File 127545008498.png - (76.43KB , 600x600 , threat1.png )
186651

After a moment's deliberation, Saulanna opts to eschew deceit. With the mobster's soul still digesting, she has no way of knowing what tells she may give of not being him; for all she knows, these ghosts may have a way of knowing whether someone is possessed or not. Besides, she has no COMPETENCY in acting.

She no formal skill in intimidation, either, but her WAR FORM and high Inspiration will lend themselves well to the task.

They look scared already.
>>
No. 186652 ID: aaa128
File 12754501485.png - (100.01KB , 600x600 , threat2.png )
186652

>"I ate your boss. *urp* Stand down, or I'll do the same to you. If you know what's good for you, you'll wait here until I decide what to do."

"Y-yeahanythin' y'say lady pleasedon'teatus."
"I didn't sign up to fight no moon hero, believe me!"
>>
No. 186653 ID: 8b8eef

>>186652
Smart boys. Now are they smart enough to know why the mobster was after you, I wonder?
>>
No. 186654 ID: 8bdb6a

Get the box and make sure ghost dude is okay. (As okay as someone can get and still be dead, anyway)

You can't bring the mobster back, so you'd might as well make the most of this. Still, it's worth asking if his soul was destroyed, or merely stripped of identity and sent to Lethe. Try to be neutral and conversational about it, so it's a little less likely to lie. Do your best to tell if it's lying.

As for what to do... We're taking this box to Ruive. Or her ghost. Or her descendants. Or something. I guess finding out about this evil temple and river of blood and whatever dark conspiracy surrounds it would be good, too, but we are delivering this goddamn box.
>>
No. 186655 ID: c5296f

The whole moon hero thing sure seems to command a lot of respect in and of itself. We really should try for more showy intimidation in the future and less limb ripping. Seems like it'd be a nice time-saver.
>>
No. 186656 ID: 0b2a05

Where is your ghost pal? Find him and the music box for starters.
>>
No. 186659 ID: f82d85

Lick one of them in the eye
>>
No. 186660 ID: e16c45

Two seconds, guys.

First of all, pick up the ghost mobster's GUNTHING. Give it to our GHOSTLY FRIEND, after checking on his status. Then check the music box.

Also...Perhaps we should consider actually opening it. That one note we found from Ruive was pretty cryptic, but it did mention something about the box being able to 'fix everything', and I'm wondering if she meant a more personal problem, or this shadowland business.

Then we should consider interrogating the ghostly mobsters, find out who they are, where they're from and what they were after. While the demon inside us is digesting info, we shouldn't rely solely on it.
>>
No. 186669 ID: 1ac39d

play it in front of the manse if anywhere.
>>
No. 186676 ID: aaa128
File 127545908932.png - (81.89KB , 600x600 , saright.png )
186676

Saulanna checks on her friend. He went for the box as soon as it was safe, and he declares it and himself to be in good condition.

The mobster's gun is-

>"Not a weapon, apparently - it's in recent memory. Rather, some sort of explosive signaling device."
>>
No. 186680 ID: 1ac39d

probably would of called back-up then, good thing we stopped him.

if you can, syphon power out of them and give it to ghost dude somehow. like tell them to give their excess energy to ghost dude so he can manifest better or you will just... take it all.
>>
No. 186682 ID: 701a19

>>186680
Can you DO that in Exalted?
If you can, then there's your plan.
After that, have a hot makeout session with hot ghost dude.
>>
No. 186683 ID: a594b9

>>186676
What's that other object there on the ground?
>>
No. 186685 ID: e31d52

>Can you DO that in Exalted?
You mean

>Do we have enough Essence or the right stats to?
>>
No. 186688 ID: c5296f

I'd think the trauma of being possessed, possessed again but harder, and kinda sorta devouring someone's soul combine to be a bit of a mood killer. Let's just focus on activating the McGuffinBox for now, and hope it isn't actually more of a sealed evil in a can sort of thing that came with misleading documentation.
>>
No. 186776 ID: 2eac65

Finally, things are starting to go our way. See, Saulanna? People can be very cooperative as long as you know how to talk to them.

>>186654
>Still, it's worth asking if his soul was destroyed, or merely stripped of identity and sent to Lethe. Try to be neutral and conversational about it, so it's a little less likely to lie. Do your best to tell if it's lying.
Good idea, but let's be a bit less specific. If we phrase it like that, he might think we suspect him of something. A simple "What exactly did you do to the boss?" would suffice.

>>186676
Does "explosive signaling device" mean a device that signals for explosives, or a device that signals with explosives?

>>186682
>Can you DO that in Exalted?
We probably couldn't. That sort of thing takes high-level magics, and I doubt that we or they have anywhere near that level of power. We shouldn't ask this of them; if they can't do it, they'll have no choice but to refuse, and if we accept their refusal, they might think they have some chance of manipulating us.

>After that, have a hot makeout session with hot ghost dude.
I still oppose this. He's got his heart set on another.

>>186688
>sealed evil in a can sort of thing that came with misleading documentation
That sort of thing is exactly why messing with unknown magical devices is a bad idea. Although, that particular possibility is unlikely, since both Ruive and our companion opened the box to try to repair it.

So, now we've got two mobster henchmen who are probably very eager to be helpful and obedient. Let's question them about who they are, their job, the chain of command, what they're doing here, things like that. There might be a difference between what they know and what their boss knows. Remind them that we'll be able to tell if they try to lie to us. Also, slip in a few personal questions about their own lives and their reasons for staying behind as ghosts.

Wait. There might be someone watching us. Look around in the trees and the sky above us (for flying spies).
>>
No. 186810 ID: 3cb197

> "explosive signaling device"
its a flare gun. i do not remember that exists in exalted. she may be in the real world.

>I still oppose this. He's got his heart set on another.
we have charms to find our destined loved one. seriosuly. HOT GOAST DUDE is just a cool guy that may or may not lead to the strangest one night stand ever.

and maybe a new type of beastman.

> unknown magical device
we know what the box is. its a "EXALTED!" magical musical box, afaik we should fix it because the GURLFREND of HOT GOAST DUDE can be soothed with it.

to saulanna: no boldness means no trainning in skills. had you taunted them with your lack of acting skills, you could still menance them with the fact that you did ate their boss.

after questioning everyone, you should be mindful that there are others searching for the box, and that you are quite in a strategical spot.
>>
No. 186816 ID: 2eac65

>>186810
>its a flare gun. i do not remember that exists in exalted. she may be in the real world.
Better safe than sorry. An orbital bombardment beacon wouldn't be too over-the-top for Exalted.

>we have charms to find our destined loved one. seriosuly. HOT GOAST DUDE is just a cool guy that may or may not lead to the strangest one night stand ever.
We're Exalted. We make our own destiny.

>we know what the box is. its a "EXALTED!" magical musical box, afaik we should fix it because the GURLFREND of HOT GOAST DUDE can be soothed with it.
That's what the ghost thought, but Ruive's diary implied there was something more to it. Also, he said he already fixed it.

>to saulanna: no boldness means no trainning in skills. had you taunted them with your lack of acting skills, you could still menance them with the fact that you did ate their boss.
I was thinking the same thing. As unlikely to work as it was, we had nothing to lose by trying. It looks like things are working out now, though, so no big loss.
>>
No. 186820 ID: cfd073

its a exalted music box.

that means that the music is so awesome that it can stop rain from falling, its dancing dolls so well crafted they step out of the box and invite the audience to dance with them, its jewelry so well kept that it has a maid to hold them in a display for you, along with 4 mirrors showing how you would look with them before putting them.

it just occured to me it can also be the perfect spot to hide a heartstone.
>>
No. 186824 ID: cfd073

>>186820
i forgot, insert motes in the musical box. 2 should do since it expects solar motes.
>>
No. 186848 ID: 2eac65

>>186820
That, or it could play the song that heralds the end of mankind's time, awakening the Old Ones from their slumber to destroy civilization. Or a song that makes roads appear beneath our feet. You never know with magitech.
>>
No. 186849 ID: d65928

A) The song box is working. Ghost fella fixed it.

B) Ghost fella listened to it. Whatever it does didn't kill him. He just got whacked by a falling tree when he was taking it to Ruive.

C) We don't know why it was important to Ruive or how it functions, so it can wait for now. We have goons to interrogate. Where are they from? Who were they after? Who employed them?

D) Pointless romance is pointless.
>>
No. 186852 ID: 754d8d

Demand absolute ghost thug obedience. In return, MAYBE, you will help them pass on. If they show themselves to be helpful, and deserving.
>>
No. 186950 ID: 73bb32

>>186852
this is not bad. they may not be willing for it but saulanna actualy has perception to pick their acting.

>Ghost fella listened to it.
he did? i was under the impression any exlated item needed motes to work properly.
>>
No. 186959 ID: 2eac65

>>186852
I like this idea. There are a few too many unknowns, though. For one, they might not want to pass on; being ghosts looks to be working out rather well for them. We also don't know what, specifically, their issues are, or how much they've done as thugs. It's best to confirm that they're evil scumbags before acting like they are; knowing the details will allow us to control them with guilt.

I'm also wary of having two heavily muscled thugs around in the long-term if their only loyalty to us is out of fear. Without our charms, either one looks like he could probably overpower us on his own, and they're professional enforcers. Plus, they might come up with some clever way to escape; we should never count on anyone being as stupid as they look.

So no, the time's not quite right for that. We should make them tell us their own histories, then use their crimes (if any) to force them to admit that they're horrible people, then offer them forgiveness and salvation by obeying us (along with side benefits such as not being vivisected).

On an unrelated note, it's possible that they're wary of antagonizing "lunar heroes" because they're an organized force around here. We shouldn't ask about them specifically, to avoid tipping them off that we're amnesiac and, therefore, not with the main group.
>>
No. 194357 ID: 3fec76
File 127665738241.png - (61.46KB , 600x600 , goontalk.png )
194357

The spectral thugs quickly start spilling the beans, though they do it through a tale that rather transparently tries to paint themselves as helpless schmoes forced to their labour.

Still, there is good information. They're your typical hired muscle, though their focus is enforcement on the ghostly denizens of this region - they say there's not any living humans around here any more, and the ghosts mostly live in the settlements. They are scared of someone, the "fancy guy" who their boss reported to. They don't know if he reports to anyone in turn, but he lives up in "the needles", a fortress in the mountains south of here; at the center of the shadow's curse on this land. They've seen their master, but never really met him, that being a duty for the ghost Saulanna dealt with.

Its on their master's orders that they're around here, rather than their usual stomping grounds; apparently some prisoner escaped, a woman. Someone really important, judging by how they've been instructed not kill her, and to signal for backup if she's found rather than dragging her in themselves.

>"Oh dear. We... may have a problem."

There is a sense of strain in the voice.
>>
No. 194361 ID: aeade0

let me guess, self destruct?
>>
No. 194373 ID: 8bdb6a

Displace immediately. Get all the plot items together and get the fuck out of there.

Head towards, uhh... the other question mark on the map! On the double!
>>
No. 194386 ID: a594b9

>>194357
Sounds like WE are the escaped woman.

Skedaddle! Knock these guys out. Or 'kill' them. Don't EAT them, of course. Just like, forcibly send them to the afterlife or something. That's actually a good deed, isn't it?
>>
No. 194395 ID: 3fec76
File 127666049671.png - (77.34KB , 600x600 , thinkinworries.png )
194395

Saulanna swiftly decides that she should get out of here! Just as she's about to tell her ghost friend to get going, however, the voice speaks again.

>"I should inform you, there's a little... extra urgency you should add to your retreat. It occurs to me, you see, that if these agents were instructed to signal for help, someone has to be watching for it. For anything unusual, as a matter of fact."

>"I'm not sure how to say this, but... absorbing that fellow into myself... I can't exactly... well. Stop. I'm sorry. I'm trying to hold it now, but, I've lost so much of myself, there's momentum, pressure, it... I can't get rid of it, and it has to go somewhere. And... me being, it seems, rather tightly bound to you, you of course get whatever power I do..."

>"Basically, um. You're going to light up like a bonfire. I... can't keep it contained much longer."
>>
No. 194397 ID: 2eac65

So we were someone important even before Luna gave us moon magic. That's interesting. This might be about our brain parasite. I suppose now's a good time to ask it for more information.

And as I feared, the mobster worked for a much higher authority. That's going to be very inconvenient for us. We need some way to get him off our trail. If we convince his boss that we were taken by someone else, it might divert attention away from us and toward his existing enemies, at least temporarily.

>>194386
Aside from questions of "Is there life after undeath?" and "Do we have the means to send them there?", it might not actually be a good thing. From what we've seen so far, life as a ghost doesn't seem all that different from life as a mortal. Some might prefer it to what's waiting on the other side.

As for "Is it a good deed?", well, who has the authority to make such a decision? That's an important question to ponder. The current order of things might not be too great.
>>
No. 194398 ID: e31d52

ohcrapohcrap

GRAB HOT GHOST GUY AND RUN
>>
No. 194400 ID: d6cb21

>>194398
I agree, we need to GTFO
>>
No. 194401 ID: 8bdb6a

Can't you spit it out? Cram it into a rock or one of the two goon ghosts or the evil altar or something?

If not, grab the plot stuff and run for it. I guess the two goons are going to get away and tell exactly what happened, but short of killing them, it can't be helped, so let's just say bye and start running.
>>
No. 194403 ID: 2eac65

>>194395
I was a bit late, it seems.

Okay, quick idea. Tell the two thugs that, since it was the first time they came after us, we're going to let them go. But tell them to give their boss this message: "We have obtained the one you're looking for. You know what we want in exchange. You have thirteen days."

Then carve a small, hard-to-notice mark in each of their chests. Inform them that if they come after us, or give their boss any information about us apart from what we told them to say, the mark will go straight through their hearts.

We don't actually have that ability, but they don't know that and they're probably too scared to risk it.
>>
No. 194408 ID: 2eac65

Also, when we escape, don't go straight for where we're headed. Run in its general direction, but at an angle, so any pursuers would think we're headed somewhere else. Keep going in a straight line until this "bonfire" effect wears of, then abruptly change direction back to where we're planning to go.
>>
No. 194424 ID: 701a19

>>194395
Will this 'bonfire' harm hot ghost guy due to proximity?
Should she stuff him into the backseat of her mind and tell him to sit down and shut-up while she gets moving out of there? If so, she should kiss him and say "You're lucky you're cute~" before doing it.
>>
No. 194433 ID: 2eac65

>>194424
>hot ghost guy
We really should get around to asking his name. The brain worm's, too.

>Should she stuff him into the backseat of her mind and tell him to sit down and shut-up while she gets moving out of there?
I don't think that's possible, and if it is, we shouldn't do it. If we look like we're panicking, it'll show weakness.

>If so, she should kiss him and say "You're lucky you're cute~" before doing it.
No flirting. Yet.
>>
No. 194445 ID: 67c611

These guys are a security risk. Why not roast them with the bonfire? Are you technically a good guy? Whatever, killing them is simple and effective. Kill them both.
>>
No. 194454 ID: 2eac65

>>194445
Ending someone's existence is not something to do lightly. Besides the fact that it's simply wrong, there's not much information they could give their superiors that they couldn't figure out on their own, and they can be useful if we keep them alive.
>>
No. 194460 ID: a594b9

>>194454
"Killing" a ghost in this universe doesn't END them, they just get forced into the afterlife thing. The bookworm demon was absorbing the mobster; that's different.
>>
No. 194467 ID: 2eac65

>>194460
We don't know that. And if it's true, it's still not something to do lightly.
>>
No. 194469 ID: 701a19

>>194467
*facepalms*
This is EXALTED. Yes, we DO know that.
>>
No. 194471 ID: 8b2040

what panicking is this? i may be kiddin when i say we have over a week to think this trhu, but we really should calm down.

FIRST: we still have the initial problem. HOT GOAST DUDE cannot leave the deathlands under normal conditions.

SECOND: >>194454
they do not die. its definitively a place worse that death however.

THIRD: the "bonfire" is her "lunar aura" or the "demon aura"? this may be important, as it would determine what excactly we would attract. we also have to face the possibility of a lunar incursion to save us.

well ok they hardly even consider getting in a deathland but anyway, moving on.

now to SRS BSNS:

question the thugs about where is the former owner of that house they were about to get in AND where is the exit of this deathland. meanwhile, tell HOT GOAST DUDE to play the music box near the manse. i shit you not, i want to at least know its just a freaking regular music box. it can also be a jewelry box, and if it contains a heartstone, we are set for a long battle.

then, wack the dead dudes. im pretty sure they cant go unconsious, but we should disable them. we cant rely on them in the long run and i dont know how to call ghostbusters to lock them, even temporarily. if you can trust them to just stand still and do nothing its ok, but if you can drain more motes from them, even better.

grab the music box after all of this, even if it didnt stopped playing. its likely you will see or face HOT GOAST DUDE's girlfriend, she may or may not be moved by the music. ask the demon if he can somehow help HOT GOAST DUDE to get out of the deathland with us/inside us. if he cannot follow trhu for any reason, tell HOT GOAST DUDE that you wish good luck with his girlfriend but you must GTFO with the box, for is surely what they seek to either posses or destroy due to a reason yet to be determined.

then. and only then. GTFO ASAP trhu the path the thugs indicated to you.

and attempt to not cry nor look back while you remember that hot goast dude was left behind with 2 other possibly innocent thugs that will have to take him in custody to a emoknight anyway because noone knows wtf is going on.
>>
No. 194473 ID: e31d52

No Seven, it's not. The author has stated that while similar, it is NOT THE SAME. There are some aspects which might be different, some that are the same, and some which simply do not exist. So get off the horse and join us down here in in-character-knowledge-land.
>>
No. 194478 ID: 8b2040

>>194469
actualy no we dont. saulanna is in a worse case that the usual exalted. she does not have basic charms yet and seems to be using some of them out of reflex rather that knowledge.

if we have pocket meditation, put the box there.

lastly since i am a horrible poster due to the lack of a edit button. we need YEAR, LOCATION, BOSS NAMES, NEARBY TOWN even if destroyed or belonging to the dead. ask the bookworm demondragon thingie, he must have some more stuff from his recent memory.
>>
No. 194481 ID: a594b9

>>194473
Let's ask our ghost friend when we're done running away.

Saullana: RUN AWAY!
>>
No. 194485 ID: 8b2040

oh shit the flare gun. hold it in your hand, you may need to use it as a actual weapon.

>>194473
now i agree with you, but we have to put a consensus here. we are META. we CAN make it work as a META.

however we must also understand the character at hand and its limitations. for instance, when Player send us to face the two death kittens we literally locked up and failed to even see the problem at hand.

in here we have a potential beardbeard, but this is all that it is. potential. we need to know what we can do, how to do it and then we need trainning, masssssssssive amounts of it. all of this will put our meta to good use.

for instance, we have already determined the thugs had a flare gun. this is however not exalted stuff as they have more magical means of doing "stuff".

we also determined that she is a lunar in shackles. its LIKELY that a nearby lunar tribe KNOWS we exalted. when we flare near the border its LIKELY we will be targeted by every wyld hunt, emoknight and tree-hugging lunar that there ins in a ten mile radius, to then consider this is exalted modern and that the police + local human factions would be willing for a piece of us as well.

we need to be ready. only meta will help.
>>
No. 194491 ID: 8bdb6a

>>194485
We have no way of knowing what is the same as canon exalted and what is different.
Also, there's a /questdis/ thread here: >>/questdis/318207
Use it.
>>
No. 194507 ID: d86f54

Test is very very right.

Also, rather than panically run away and get seen by whomsoever's looking for the flare, is there anywhere we can, well, hide?

The hut? Cover ourselves in detritus? Could invite the goons and our ghost fellas to sit it out in there, while they continue to tell you about the area.

Or is 'lighting up' more spiritual than physical?
>>
No. 194509 ID: 2eac65

If we do end up sparkling, we'll probably be able to draw attention away from our ghost buddy. He could hide somewhere while we draw off pursuit. Do you think he'd be safe where we first met? He won't be safe here; "they" could possibly know who lived in this house, and be very keen on investigating for that reason.
>>
No. 194581 ID: 2eac65

Remember to retrieve our STUFF from the hut before we go, especially the diary page that Ruive left. We don't want to leave them any clues.

Also, our clothes, and the backpack for later repair. Maybe keep the rope, maybe not; we can make another if need be.

It's a long shot, but we might be able to fashion a crude wheeled contraption out of the bed, some posts, and some sections cut out of the walls. Then we could move faster and carry more.

It all depends on how much longer is "not much longer".
>>
No. 194614 ID: b6ab34
File 127671643421.png - (89.59KB , 600x600 , orders.png )
194614

Considering her options, Saulanna decides it would be best to scarper, heading north to be as far away from things as possible before her SOUL FIRE blows up. Not being sure what would happen to the goons if she "killed" them, she settles for letting them go - "this time" - with a misleading message for their master. She affects an attitude of having expected to do this.

>>194424
>"Once I have this power digested, I should be able to... enhance myself, so as to be able to pull spirits into your mind... your mental capacity is enough to hold several passengers, and I could imprison them, or eat them, as you desired."

>"If I were not holding it, I could be making such changes to myself now. Ergh... I can keep it back for at least a few minutes more, maybe seven or eight. I could just spit it out, but... that would create an even more pyrotechnic display. If only I were not so enfeebled!"

Saulanna quickly grabs the torn pack into which she stuffed her clothes, as well as the page she had been reading. Time to leave!
>>
No. 194625 ID: a594b9

>>194614
Okay, so after we get north a ways, and the soul fire explodes, we should head in a completely different direction so that at best they think we kept going north and at worst have no idea where we are.

I guess we should take a look at the map again once the explosion happens though, to decide where to go next.
>>
No. 194626 ID: 67c611

>>194614
Time to GTFO.

You keep destroying your clothing when you transform. You should give up on it. It's a lost cause. I'm sure no one would mind if you weren't wearing any :3c

Also get ghost guy a new shirt if he wants one or don't if you like him topless.
>>
No. 194627 ID: 8bdb6a

You've got a few minutes before it starts. Stride confidently out of sight, before grabbing your ghost buddy under one arm and his box under the other arm and running like it's Scooby Doo. Which I guess is appropriate since you're a ghost and a were.

In the meantime, ask your brain buddy to hurry up with the processing, because you want to be able to safely carry a passenger so you can move more quickly.

Also, react to how goddamn strange it is that you're apparently being rewired to hold captive ghosts and spirits in your mind. Though that's also pretty cool.
>>
No. 194629 ID: 8bdb6a

Also, stay in your warform. Hiding's going to be a lost cause for awhile.
>>
No. 194631 ID: 2eac65

>>194626
We've been fine with clothing so far. The first time, our skirt survived (and our top was torn beforehand), and the second time, we had the foresight to remove it.

If we want to take our friend with us, we might want to make a riding harness out of the rope, if it doesn't take more than a minute or two. We'll be able to move faster if we don't have to carry him manually.
>>
No. 194635 ID: d386ed

>>194614
the gun the ghost gangster dropped! grab it as well!
>>
No. 194638 ID: a594b9

>>194635
It's not a gun. It's a signaling device. Like a flaregun or something.
>>
No. 194665 ID: b6ab34
File 127673014426.png - (74.82KB , 600x600 , skedaddle.png )
194665

Saulanna grabs the gun and puts it in the pack with her clothes; with the dress and shirt folded inside it to (hopefully) be too big to come out the hole, it should be secure. She departs casually, and when she's sure the goons are out of sight, frantically.

She takes a shortcut down the cliff that impeded them previously.

>>194627

>"If you're certain, my lady, then I will oblige... brace yourself."
>>
No. 194669 ID: 8bdb6a

>>194665
Think 'This had better not be irreversible or something! If you're so smart, you should know whether there's something about this which I'll get mad at you about later! If not, do it now, so I have one less thing to worry about!'

Tell your ghost buddy to hold on, you're going to have to hide him somewhere safe for awhile. No time to argue.

Make sure to grab the box when he drops it.
>>
No. 194670 ID: e973f4

>>194665
That's a clever way of carrying things.

So yeah, uh, stabilize your footing at the first opportunity and let's see how this works out, then.
>>
No. 194671 ID: d3dfb8

==>
>>
No. 194672 ID: 0b2a05

Brace yourself.
>>
No. 194674 ID: 2eac65

No, cancel the process. This is not a good time for it.
>>
No. 194675 ID: 2eac65

By that, I mean we need to keep moving and can't be delayed.

On second thought, it would be better to get it over with before we light up than to be delayed while we're glowing.

I want assurance that this won't damage our emotions or reasoning capabilities, though.
>>
No. 194683 ID: 67c611

Confirm that we can absorb, carry, and release ghost guy without harming him or without any other less severe adverse effects.
>>
No. 194684 ID: e973f4

>>194683
Alright yeah it couldn't hurt to ask before we try this.
>>
No. 194718 ID: 45be60

why the hell are you wanting to start the process that we are holding off earlier than it needs to? It's not going to help us get away faster, because it also moves the deadline closer.
>>
No. 194720 ID: b6ab34
File 127674175632.png - (83.53KB , 600x600 , steady.png )
194720

>"I will try to catch most of the ghost's memories, so you shouldn't be overwhelmed. Nnh. A few will slip through; you seem well capable of handling them, however. Uhh... as for containing the ghost, you'd have control over whether he's affected or not... Ah! Ok, that's it...!"

Saulanna quickly advises her friend to back off. She's not sure what this will-
>>
No. 194722 ID: b6ab34
File 127674186473.png - (52.95KB , 600x600 , memoryflash1.png )
194722

cruel on the street quick the knife drips gold jade small sly left in the dark watching waiting, bide time take the moment take orders give orders need survive friends no more take the money let it slip trouble flee find case it force it secret stealthy no home no place dark under payment crime dodge fight capture noose tight black wake up again again

>Saulanna gains COMPETENCIES:
>Advanced Knifework
>Basic Swordplay
>Basic Shooting
>Average Clubbing
>Advanced Evasion
>Basic Athleticism
>Advanced Intimidation
>Average Smoothtalking
>Basic Command
>Average Theft
>Advanced Streetsmarts
>Average Infiltration
>Average Concealment
>Basic Sleuthing
>Basic Economics
>Basic Horseriding
>Basic Repair
>>
No. 194724 ID: b6ab34
File 127674197227.png - (37.18KB , 600x600 , memoryflash2.png )
194724

same old working ghost town meet racket empress gone found job fear profit protection same again sun heroes moon heroes beasts march war she returns a new sun rises and it casts a

dragon's

shadow


>Basic History
>Basic Worldliness
>Average Deathlore
>>
No. 194725 ID: b6ab34
File 127674205699.png - (100.28KB , 600x600 , burst.png )
194725

>Saulanna gains three measures of TITAN'S WILL.

>Saulanna's MOON POWER is refilled!

>Saulanna's SOUL FIRE reaches full power.
>Saulanna's Soul Fire resonates with the FULL MOON. Her strength and speed are doubled!
>>
No. 194728 ID: b6ab34
File 127674213916.png - (41.62KB , 600x600 , likewoahman.png )
194728

...

... Woah.

>"Are you still well, my lady? I think I slightly overestimated my ability to cushion you. It will be easier the next time."
>>
No. 194730 ID: aeade0

cram ghost dude into your head and start running, use all skills picked up to go as fast and as far as you can.
>>
No. 194732 ID: 0b2a05

That was fucking AWESOME.

Still, shouldn't do it to people if it can be helped...
>>
No. 194734 ID: 2eac65

We're going to have a long talk with him once we get the chance. For now, a slight change of plans. Instead of heading straight north, head straight northeast. That should confuse pursuers a bit.
>>
No. 194735 ID: e973f4

>>194728
Well that was pretty awesome.

In a totally disorienting way.

So let's, uh, check the map to see what direction we ought to head from here, add ghost dude to inventory (???), and get the hell out already, seeing as we just sent out one hell of a beacon there.

(Also, how am I just now noticing those bracer things that apparently just disintegrated?)
>>
No. 194736 ID: e973f4

>>194735
Also, this thread is getting heavy. Might wanna call it a thread soon, I'm thinking.
>>
No. 194741 ID: 67c611

Holy shit that was awesome. Start devouring souls to gain power. Make it people worthwhile. Especially competent enemies you meet. Absolutely absorb every decent enemy you defeat. You don't have a choice. It's so awesome that the universe demands it be so.

Hey NPC headvoice. That was fun. Let's do it again real soon.
>>
No. 194743 ID: 8bdb6a

>Saulanna gains three measures of TITAN'S WILL.
holy dickbutter what does that mean

Oh man that is not what I expected.
>gigantic pile of free abilities
Score! This spirit thing in your brain rocks. I hope he stays as our sidekick and doesn't betray us or something like that. I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement which doesn't involve our enslavement or the destruction of our soul. The whole 'titan's will' thing implies there may (or may not) exist a slippery slope. We'll have to have a good long talk if we get a minute sideways.

Also, his boss's boss is the fucking ebon dragon. Could be worse. Could be a neverborn.

Presently, use your increased speed and strength to continue getting the fuck out. Be aware that the enemy will likely find some way to chase you down, but just give it a good try anyway.
>>
No. 194746 ID: f95872

>Average Clubbing
Does this involve hitting people with clubs, or dancing and drinking and things of that nature?

>>194725
>>194728
You're flaring fairy hard, it's time to bolt.
>>
No. 194747 ID: 2eac65

>>194741
No. We're not doing that. Souls have their own lives just like ours, and we are not going to simply end another being's existence. If people with power abuse their power carelessly or selfishly, the whole world suffers. We don't want to end up as someone's snack, do we?
>>
No. 194753 ID: d6cb21

>>194724
>Dragon's shadow
OH FUCK

Okay, lets inquire with our little friend about this "Shadow". We need to determine who it is that casts this "shadow". Hopefully not our mental companion. Also, he hasnt even told us his name!
>>
No. 194754 ID: d6cb21

Also, we dont want to go around eating people's souls. We only did it because we needed to get that guy out of our head. Only do it if we really need to.
>>
No. 194757 ID: 2eac65

After we deal with the immediate problems, we should ask Luna some more questions about the state of the world and what exactly we are. She's more likely to know than anyone else.

>>194753
That too. We should get both sides of the story before we make a decision. Also keep in mind that both of them are spirits of lies, trickery, and deception, so far as we can tell.

But all that's secondary, since we're in the middle of running.
>>
No. 194937 ID: 6718ba

>Basic History
>Basic Worldliness
>Average Deathlore

INFODUMP TIME!
>>
No. 194957 ID: 620bfb

Aww yeah, we totally found the morality system. Do we go all grimdark by devouring more souls and gaining their power, or do we moralfag and struggle to succeed without all the abilities we could get?
>>
No. 194958 ID: 701a19

>>194957
nb4 flood of golemquest people saying "don't be fags lets eat souls nothing wrong with it"
>>
No. 194964 ID: f95872

>>194753
I'm guessing it was probably the Ebon Dragon. And I'm quite certain our passenger isn't the Ebon Dragon. We saw its form in our mind, for one thing.
>>
No. 194967 ID: f95872

Also,
>>194958
Don't be fags lets eat souls. It's not like we can use them for much else.
>>
No. 194968 ID: 2eac65

>>194957
This is Exalted. Our only morality system is ourself.
>>
No. 194970 ID: d3dfb8

>>194958
don't be fags lets eat souls we get good shit
>>
No. 194971 ID: a594b9

We will devour the souls of only our most wicked foes.
>>
No. 194973 ID: 2eac65

This is really not the time to talk about this. This is the time for running.
>>
No. 195051 ID: a0709a
File 127681586035.png - (65.89KB , 600x600 , heybuddy.png )
195051

>???? expends a measure of TITAN'S WILL to grant himself the power of METASMOSIS.
>???? may attempt to capture any spirits Saulanna is in contact with.

Saulanna decides to get things moving as quickly as possible.

>"I need you inside me."
"Wh-wha-!?"
>>
No. 195053 ID: a0709a
File 127681599354.png - (60.98KB , 600x600 , sweetcatch.png )
195053

"Gaah! What the-?"

>"Greetings, mortal soul. My lady Saulanna has decided you would be safer in here; be welcome in the fortress of her mind."

"Uh... thanks...?"

>"It's a little sparse at the moment."
>>
No. 195055 ID: a0709a
File 127681605727.png - (69.97KB , 600x600 , scarper.png )
195055

Saulanna gets going.

>"So, your name would be...?"

"... Gevin."

>"Gevin. I am... oh, no, I suppose that wouldn't be my name any more. Call me... let's see... Call me Wordblood. That would be appropriate. Now, I'm going to see about sorting these foreign memories, but ask me if you need anything."
>>
No. 195058 ID: 8bdb6a

I guess we did forget to ask their names...

Wordblood: Did you strip that guy's soul of memories and persona and send it to Lethe, or actually destroy it? What other stuff can we spend TITANS WILL on? Does that give us permanent abilities, or temporary ones?

Saulanna: From now on, assume that we want to know the name of anyone we come across as soon as is convenient. Also, keep running. Towards the second question mark on the map, for lack of a better destination. Maybe something helpful will be there!
>>
No. 195059 ID: c5296f

Might be worth reminding head-demon that head-ghost is off the menu if everyone's going to be roomies for a bit here. I know he knows, but it has to be a tempting situation.
>>
No. 195063 ID: e973f4

>>195055
Alright. We can sort through all of this stuff while on the move, right? Right.

So about all of this memory we just picked up. Anything useful in regards to expanding our knowledge of our location?
>>
No. 195066 ID: 8bdb6a

>>195063
Good idea.
Use newly acquired memories to help think of a good place to run to. Or at least figure out what the second question mark on the map is.
>>
No. 195082 ID: f95872

>"It's a little sparse at the moment."
We should get on that. Get, I don't know, a mental rug. Some mental chairs. Maybe a few dozen mental concubines, if we really want to get ritzy.
>>
No. 195087 ID: 65afa8

>>195051
his disapointment while "inside" her must have been epic.

also ask my favorite Dragon Bookworm Demon Thingie That Got Named Much To My Dismay what he is.

i have a clue of what titan will may be for what i red in the exalted wiki. it may just be a plot device to spend huge amounts of exp quickly.
>>
No. 195088 ID: c4c313
File 12768272576.jpg - (78.29KB , 800x800 , datMoon.jpg )
195088

>>195055
>>
No. 195092 ID: 2eac65

>>195051
I said no flirting!

Okay, so what exactly are you? Be specific and thorough; I want details about your species and its history, and of you as an individual.

What are you capable of? How much control do you have over a person's mind? How precise can you be when altering them? Would it be possible to alter individual memories without otherwise harming a person, or recover lost or suppressed memories?

What specifically did you do to the mobster earlier?

I assume you feed on knowledge somehow. How much do you need to eat? What kinds of information can you eat? Could you, for example, derive sustenance from a poem or a story? What happens to it afterward?

What is your connection with us?
>>
No. 195097 ID: 701a19

Remember: Head in a DIFFERENT direction than the one you want to go in until the HUGE SPIRIT FIRE around you goes away.

Also, can we spend a point of TITAN'S WILL to grant her the ability to manifest and function inside her mindscape without losing concentration and focus on the real world?
>>
No. 195100 ID: e973f4

>>195055
OKAY HOLD ONE ONE SEC

Last I remember there was some kinda condition keeping the GHOST DUDE from leaving this general area. Do we have a solution to that, or is it not affecting things right now, or... what?
>>
No. 195106 ID: 2eac65

>>195100
The area we're in now is a place where the land of the living is merged with the land of the dead. We can go either way, since we're still alive, but Gevin doesn't have enough ghost magic to manifest in the living world.

That's another thing to ponder. The mobster obviously had some experience with ghostly powers, so we should have some knowledge of how they work.
>>
No. 195114 ID: 67c611

67c611 cancels useful suggestion, interrupted by dat ass.
>>
No. 195185 ID: 2eac65

Also, I'd understand if you don't want to answer while we have someone else with us, but we'd like to know more about the "traitor" you mentioned and why you are apparently enemies now.
>>
No. 195333 ID: 58e84d

>>195097
let us not do that yet. i want saulanna to learn solar circle sorcery, if not other styles of sorcery. that may be too many titan's will.

then we have to consider the possibility of becoming a inventor/creator/twilight equivalent. we can make mecha, kamen rider and weapons that change at will!

>>195185
it seems to be one of the deathlords. also take note that i am led to belive that this
>>194724 may be the first and forsaken lion before failing like abaddon the despoiler.

>>195100
i am hoping her mind is somewhat connected to elsewhere, or at least good enought. in short words, we are passing him trhu customs trhu another gate that wont check his luggage.
>>
No. 195338 ID: 2eac65

>>195333
>let us not do that yet. i want saulanna to learn solar circle sorcery, if not other styles of sorcery. that may be too many titan's will.
You're getting way ahead of ourselves. We don't even know what TITAN'S WILL is and what effect it has on us. We don't even know what sorcery is.

>it seems to be one of the deathlords
Highly unlikely. He already told us who the traitor was; I was being ambiguous for security reasons.

A question I forgot to ask before: while Gevin is in our mind, can we take him with us into the living world?

...This is a lot of questions we're asking.
>>
No. 195616 ID: 834f47
File 127691703878.png - (62.82KB , 600x600 , wordbloodtalkin.png )
195616

>There would be a wisdom in providing information while we travel, I admit. I will answer questions.

>To begin with, you seem concerned with the soul that I devoured. Well, I would not say I destroyed him - I took his memories and personality apart, first, which is the same thing that would happen during reincarnation. I then took the purified soul-essence and incorporated it into myself; into us both, to be more accurate. It would only have gone on to some mortal human life, which is such a waste when we are here, bereft of Titan's Will. Now it is part of our existence, seeing what we see, becoming what we become. I don't see where the problem is with that.

>What the Titan's Will is... now, that is a different question. The Titans, of course, are the creators of the world, and their Will is the force that was their tool and primary resource in the doing. A whole and healthy Titan has vast reserves of Will with which to shape reality, though of course each has their own strengths and weaknesses in accomplishing various tasks. The Titans are so vast that they are akin to worlds within themselves, and manifest different aspects of their own personalities as semi-autonomous entities, each equal in power to the greatest of the gods. So great were these secondary souls that they, in turn, had their own secondary souls; and each Titan birthed within themselves untold scores of lesser spirits to serve them.

>Souls - the essential core of all beings that think and dream and want, whether independent of a Titan or not - are fragments of Titanic Will; independent souls were made so that the memories and belief of mortal beings could sustain the life-force of the gods and hold back the sea of chaos that assails the borders of the world. I am weak, unfortunately, but in absorbing souls I may command their Will, and use it to improve you, myself, or even to work changes on reality. The possibilities available to me are limited by our joined SOUL FORCE, but I can use Titan's Will to improve that, as well.

>And what am I? I'm afraid the answer is that I am not certain. I know I am closely tied to the concepts of words, language; speaking and writing and other signs. Aside that... My own last memories are of the great war against the Titans, led by the Heroes that the gods of the sky and the dragons of the elements had made from humans in their own likeness. And yet the memories of the ghost that I consumed think of that conflict as the faintest of legends, akin to the dawn of time, and they place it thousands of years in the past. I think... I think I am just a fragment of a greater being, a Titan, lost in battle as you might lose a finger. But I sense that now I belong to you. I do not know how this came about.

>...

>Your friend Gevin should be fine, regardless of where we go, so long as he remains in here. However, I know nothing of the nature of these persistent souls, or the Underworld in which they reside. I have no memory of them.

>>
No. 195618 ID: 834f47
File 12769172706.png - (36.73KB , 700x700 , mapagain.png )
195618

Saulanna angles herself north and slightly away from her ultimate destination. The memories of the mobster come through faintly yet, but they paint rough estimates of the nearby landscape in her mind.

She senses Wordblood pause, and speak again.

>"... When I sensed that book, I tried to get you to read it; in so doing I was able to reconnect myself to the wider essence of words that exists across this world, and that gave me the power to communicate with you. Through that same connection, I now sense that there are other fragments of Titans in this world, like myself, but bereft of any host soul to give them life."

>"If I consumed them, I would also gain considerable measures of Titan's Will. That would avoid the need to eat souls, which you seem to uncomfortable with, but I do not know how to find such fragments, and they would be very rare. I sense this world is dangerous, and if you wished my advice, I would say that the road to true power should not be dallied upon."
>>
No. 195619 ID: c4c313

>>195616

Oh, that's useful thanks. So the soul isn't gone, but incorporated into yourself. That means we should also devour pure and virtuous souls since we wouldn't want you to have to incorporate only bad guys into yourself. It's good to be well rounded.
>>
No. 195620 ID: d6cb21

>>195616
Well, during the absorbtion of that one soul, we got a flash of some "deathlore" or something, so that may have some answers on the whole "ghost" thing.

(attempt to look through Deathlore)
>>
No. 195621 ID: 0b2a05

>>195619
I don't think it works that way...

Anyway that helps, and those fragments sound very interesting.

So, what do you have against luna again?
>>
No. 195622 ID: c4c313

>>195618

Yeah, some of us are against eating souls. I'm like... psh whatever. Long as it isn't my soul! Or body for that matter. I dunno. Just be nice, and don't worry about the details!
>>
No. 195624 ID: d3dfb8

i vote for using the remaining titans will to improve our soul force
>>
No. 195625 ID: 0b2a05

You look a bit like a dragon.

Are you a dragon wordblood?
>>
No. 195627 ID: d6cb21

>>195618
Just being cautious, Wordblood. I dont know what kind of effect Titan's Will would have on us. Also, you look a bit different. Your Karma shift or something?
>>
No. 195628 ID: d6cb21

>>195627
Also, that seems a bit better. We arnt destroying the souls, just recycling them.
>>
No. 195629 ID: e973f4

>>195620
Seconding this.

>>195616
>>195618
Hey, you seem like a pretty cool guy. Nice to know you're with us. :V

Wordblood: Hug Gevin/ uh I mean

Well, who says we can't go after souls and fragments, especially while we're in this kind of gray area between the world of the dead and the living where we seem to have a lot of souls hanging about?
>>
No. 195630 ID: d6cb21

>>195629
Hug Gevin, Read Deathlore
>>
No. 195632 ID: 8bdb6a

Wordblood: Saulanna is an instrument of Luna's will, as you're certainly aware. You should at least consider the possibility of making peace with the gods.

Saulanna: Did you turn towards the other village for any particular reason? If your memories indicate that's a better place to go, like, if our current destination isn't safe, or we'll destroy it by leading the enemy there, then to the alternate instead.
>>
No. 195644 ID: 2eac65

>>195632
We aren't an instrument of anyone's will. We make our own decisions. We will protect Wordblood's secrecy, for the time being.

I'm not sure how to feel about absorbing the mobster's soul, but it's not something we should do lightly. Losing one's identity and becoming a part of another being would be a horrible thing to happen to anyone. I'll forgive you this time, but don't do that again without our permission.

That also applies to the other lost titan souls. It's obvious that they have their own thoughts and identities, and we should respect that like we would a human's feelings.

Wordblood, you said there was a large gap in your memories. What is the first thing you remember after the gap? Figuring out how you became bound with us could be useful. Also, what part of the soul hierarchy were you? Were you directly beneath a titan, or were you one of the secondary subsouls?
>>
No. 195646 ID: 2eac65

As for where to go, how long before this glowing effect wears off? We might try finding somewhere to hide while it's just about to fade, then suddenly escaping when it vanishes completely; then they'll think we've got a hideout there and waste time searching. For that to work, though, we need to have enough distance between ourselves and our pursuers that they won't catch up to us before we leave.

And remember, aim straight in a direction far away from our destination. That'll make it look like we have a different, specific destination in mind.
>>
No. 195650 ID: aeade0

things like the zombie ghost would be good eats as otherwise it just mindlessly roams around.
>>
No. 195660 ID: 701a19

Wordblood, can you spend some Titans Will to allow Saulanna to manifest inside your space without detracting from her concentration and focus in the real world?
She was incapacitated last time we fought a ghost in here, and since that might happen again under less ideal circumstances we need to be prepared.

I'd suggest investigating the village, then doubling back to use the music box on the manse.

Oh, and how is Gevin holding up in there? How's he feeling about all this

*Imagine a room with chairs and gravity for Gevin to use*
>>
No. 195663 ID: 2eac65

>>195650
Yes, that's a good idea.

Another idea: Souls have to come from somewhere. It's not as if there's a finite amount of TITAN'S WILL in existence, or else they probably wouldn't have used up such a massive amount in creating our reality.

Souls, and other things made of Titan's Will, have to be made of something, and if we figure out what and how, we can refine it to gather more Titan's Will without harming any existing people.

There are other possibilities, though, such as the Titans needing this world for something very important, or being just that powerful.

On average, how many primary subsouls does a titan have, and how many secondary subsouls do they have?

Can you give us more details on your powers over knowledge?

How much of this conversation can Gevin hear? We'd prefer if you could keep certain things between the two of us, to avoid putting you at risk.
>>
No. 195667 ID: f4e4f9

I can't say I like some of the phrases whispering across your form, Wordblood, but as long as we have an understanding, you'll be safe with us.
>>
No. 195669 ID: 9b64a5

let us NOT waste titans will!

dont you people get it? we can literally WILL literaly (pun intended) anything to happen and you guys wanna do only one thing? we shold be getting tools that would allow us to peform even better, not one deed that we should already be able to do!

if we learn solar circle sorcery we may pass the ghost easily. if we learn shadowland/void sorcery we can surely pass it, but it will be harder to play the hero. one EXCLUDES the other, by the way.

for what i know, we should get solar circle sorcery and some defense charms. considering that as a lunar, we would be better of as a mage that a warstrider pilot, we should get any kind of magic/sorcery circle.

yes, more infodump, and run towards that village. do you know if it is INSIDE the deathlands still? we still need to know of the deathland and basic history.

lastly.
>Well, I would not say I destroyed him - I took his memories and personality apart
Fantastic.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.
>>
No. 195671 ID: 2eac65

>>195660
I'm reluctant to spend Titan's Will on anything right now. We don't know what the extent of its effects could be.

I believe the ghost's possession was a special circumstance.

>I'd suggest investigating the village, then doubling back to use the music box on the manse.
After our we lose our pursuers. We can't lead them to any occupied places, or they might ask the locals unpleasant questions.

We're planning to take the box to Ruive. She knows what it's supposed to do; we can talk to her about it, then use it on the Manse if it still seems like a good idea.

Yes, since we've got a guest in our mind, it would be nice to give him a room with a bed to rest in, if that's possible.
>>
No. 195679 ID: 701a19

>>195671
We're wandering around deathlands where the population contains high numbers of ghosts. If one attempts a possession while its buddies attack, we're hosed.
>>
No. 195701 ID: 9b64a5

>>195671
>We're planning to take the box to Ruive
knew i forgot something.

dig for ruive in the gangster's memories.
>>
No. 195807 ID: 2eac65

>>195701
And we were going to track her by scent. I just remembered that. Now we're probably off the scent trail. Before we started running, we should have taken a moment to check which direction it went in, so we could get a general idea of which way to go after losing our pursuers.
>>
No. 195985 ID: 2eac65

We should also take time to talk to Gevin. All we know so far about him is that he lived near Ruive and wanted to fix the music box as a gift to her. We'd be interested in knowing more about his personal history and his relationship with Ruive.
>>
No. 197236 ID: 604703
File 127723616555.png - (42.43KB , 600x600 , fallindownallthisexposition.png )
197236

>>195621
>"All of the gods, and Luna the second greatest of them all, rose up in rebellion against the Titans who were their creators. They had been bound never to do so, but in their place they chose and empowered their Heroes from the ranks of humanity to do their work for them. The gods would not have done such a thing unless they hated us, and I doubt Luna would have any tolerance for my existence."

>"It's a pity. I like humans; they're the only race that makes new languages. If I had known... well. Thousands of years too late on that score."

>>195624
>"We currently have a total SOUL FORCE of 4; 2 on my lady's side, and 2 on mine. Increasing her soul force will increase the potential for greater SHAPESHIFTING and MOON ABILITIES, while increasing mine will improve our capacity for more potent TITAN'S WORKS. Improving either will cost 2 measures of Titan's Will, and will add 3 to the maximum supply of MOON POWER, as well as increasing general spiritual potency."

>"There are many other options for its use, as well. I could take advantage of your shapeshifting nature to alter your body, permanently improving your Might, Agility, Toughness or Beauty, or to make other permanent physical alterations. I can craft WORDS OF POWER, which will cost MOON POWER to use but allow the shaping of external reality in a similar manner to Sorcery. I can manipulate your Lunar magic, drawing forth dormant MOON ABILITIES or increasing your capacity to SHAPESHIFT. And I can improve my own capabilities, allowing me to perform new kinds of TITAN'S WORKS."

>"I may even be able to grant Gevin some benefactions, if you will it. Perhaps I could graft some of the other's knowledge of GHOST POWERS directly onto him, but it would be tricky without first improving myself."

>"Our current supply of Titan's Will is 2 measures. Please choose carefully.
"

>>195625
>"I find the draconic form comfortable, as do many supernatural creatures."

>>195627
>"As I alter myself, my form will naturally change. As I am now bound to her, I expect also to eventually harmonize with my lady's nature, which will also work changes on my form and personality."

>>195644
>"I was a key part of my progenitor, I think. My memories haze, somewhat. I may even have been the defining soul of He from whom I came. I wonder what happened when I was torn away. To damage a Titan's souls is to alter their nature."

>"Hence it is that I wonder at this reluctance to damage souls. The Heroes of the Sun and Moon and Stars must have had no qualms doing such a thing to defeat the Titans, as that is the only way to do them injury."

>"The first thing I remember as I am now is being lost in my lady's mind. It took me some time to explore and puzzle my way to sharing her senses, at which point she was traveling through this dark forest without any seeming aim, but a sense of fear and determination. Two days of this passed without cease, at the end of which Luna appeared."

>"Before that, between the war and my "waking", I do not think I was alive. I was like a puppet, awaiting strings, and a hand; at least, I reckon it so. I may be wrong, but if I am not, other fragments of Titans would be the same."

>>195650
>"Unfortunately, that was a BEAST SOUL; the base, animal portion of a human mind. Eating that would restore MOON POWER, but little else. Only the NOBLE SOUL of a sentient being can provide Titan's Will."

>>195663
>"Titan's Will is not exactly a resource in that way; rather than being a substance to be molded, it is closer to being the effort required to hold something into a particular shape. There's more complexity to it than that - you can't just "relax the hold" to unmake something that has been made with Titan's Will, though certain Titans could do so through their unique nature - but it will serve as an analogy."

>"Different Titans have different numbers of souls, according to their own nature. They can even grow new ones, if need be. Aside that, a Titanic being's nature describes their affinity or lack thereof for certain feats. Any particular Titan can do almost anything with sufficient time and effort, but individual Titans have certain things they find easy, certain things that only they can do, and certain things they find difficult or cannot do. The Titan I was once part of was bound to the concept of words and of language, and so I find it easy to allow my lady to understand any spoken or written word, as I have already been doing; another Titan, even being whole, would have to work harder and be more intrusive to accomplish the same thing. But on the other hand, I would find it nigh impossible to cause memory loss or otherwise destroy knowledge, while other Titans would find it a simple task."

>"Gevin cannot perceive any of this that I or my lady do not allow him to hear. He does not share the link."

>>195985

"Uh. Well. I guess you'd say I was a woodsman. Born on a farm... did a bit of farming, a bit of hunting, chopped wood... simple life, really. A little lonely, out in the forest most of the time. Ruive... well, she seemed sort of solitary, too, so I... visited her sometimes. Helped out. She was an... introspective sort of lady."
>>
No. 197241 ID: e31d52

Huh.

>improve Beauty
Huuuuuuh.
>>
No. 197249 ID: 67c611

To make things simple improve everything a tiny bit. I can't make good decisions on what is important and what isn't.

Stay with the general outline of the character. Strengths get stronger weaknesses stay weak.
>>
No. 197258 ID: 2eac65

Let's not use any of it until we get our bearings. We don't know all the abilities we already have. I have an idea of what to do with it, but I'm reluctant to even suggest it because it would be a very dramatic change.

So after the titans created the universe, they were overthrown by humans who were given power by the gods. There must be a reason the humans went along with this plan. It might be more than simple hatred. Still, it's better to be safe. We won't reveal your existence.

>"Hence it is that I wonder at this reluctance to damage souls. The Heroes of the Sun and Moon and Stars must have had no qualms doing such a thing to defeat the Titans, as that is the only way to do them injury."
The person we are is not the same person that fought in the war. We don't know whether they were forced to take extreme measures, or just didn't care, but we will decide for ourself.

When it's convenient, I'm going to want to commune with Luna to hear what she has to say about the universe, our nature, and such. Since she was (presumably) awake after the war, she might be able to fill in the gaps. For that to be a good idea, though, two things need to be true:

1: Wordblood can hide his presence so that Luna doesn't find out about him.
2: All our questions are filtered through Saulanna's logical sense, so that one stray comment won't reveal any damning secrets and earn her wrath.

And we'll have to act as if we're completely ignorant of this whole affair and didn't learn anything from Wordblood.
>>
No. 197261 ID: c4c313

Tiny improvements are really hard for the quest artist to draw, so avoid those.

I say either increase Saulanna's SOUL FORCE (yours later to keep it even (oh god we're going to have to consume so many souls)) or give her more AGILITY (though what its relation to BODY, MIND, and PERSUASION are I haven't a clue). The most trouble Saulanna has had so far is due to her agility.
>>
No. 197263 ID: c4c313

>>197258

Holding off is fine too, but can you do something about that "blazing like a pyre" thing? I don't want us easily spottable and leaking energy like crazy.
>>
No. 197271 ID: 2eac65

In the mean time, let's talk to Gevin a bit more. We've been dragging him around a whole lot; the poor guy must be... I think "frazzled" might be the right word.

"You seem to be rather frightened of me. Moreso than we'd expect, I mean. Did you have a bad experience with a... 'lunar hero' like me in the past? Or is it something about us?"

If he's reluctant to answer, continue "Please, you can be honest with us. I promised I wouldn't hurt you."

Then ask about what he feels he should do in the future. We've been trying to help him, but we've been doing it in the way we though was best without asking for his input, and that was rather inconsiderate.
>>
No. 197273 ID: 2eac65

>>197263
From what we've gathered, it looks like that's just something that happens when we expend a lot of energy. It should wear off with time.

>>197261
My personal recommendation is unlocking some new ability, to add to our options. First, we need accurate knowledge of the abilities we already have, and the options we could plausibly choose, so we know what to pick. Plus, we're in the middle of several things at once right now; this isn't the right time.
>>
No. 197281 ID: d6cb21

>>197273
True, we can do whatever upgrading we need later.
>>
No. 197288 ID: ff6cf4

the anima from the exalted does not lasts more that 15 min. i think everyone in a mile radius can see us, the good news is that we should be able to run more that a mile.

so to boot, you are the piece of the ebon dragon that was donated in his desistence on the fall of the primordials a primordial. this is nice and bad. primordials are loathed everywhere in creation. even gaia is somewhat feared.

so we cant use titans will to learn socery or a craft? how about a manse or the likes, maybe even a warstrider?
>>
No. 197294 ID: ff6cf4

oh this reminds me, we need a set of defense charms. i dont want to die out so easy because a wyld hunt was in that village and runned off to us.

...so! this open is so nice! do you think there is a cave or a hole neaby that you can hide?
>>
No. 197297 ID: d6cb21

>>197288
Gaia is pretty cool with the lunars, from what I know. In fact, she sided with the gods in the war against the primordials because she was in a relationship with luna. From what I understand, they are still on good terms. No idea if they're still in a relationship, though.

Also, I think we should keep our's and Wordblood's soul force about equal. Keep things balanced, ya know?
>>
No. 197310 ID: 2eac65

>>197288
You're meta-ing pretty hard there. It's not wise to make any assumptions about the world we're in, mainly because our character doesn't know, and partially because the world is massively different from what we do know.

>>197294
We've got FLOWING DEFENSE. We don't know what that is, but we've got it.

>>197297
Better idea: accumulate enough personal strength to completely dominate him if we need to. Balanced relationships are for the trustworthy. Wordblood's been nothing but helpful so far, but even so, we shouldn't take any of what he says for granted. It's still very possible that he's just using us, and is willing to betray us when it becomes convenient.

Don't tell him I said that.
>>
No. 197323 ID: ff6cf4

>>197297
for what i remember she isnt her former self anymore. luna skill lurves gaia, but gaia sent pieces of her to scout the wyld, and ever since then, nas been a bit "vacant" on that therm.

>>197310
this is correct even in the meta part. primordials arent to be trifled with. for instance. wordblood may decide that we are a good snack for 2+ titan's will.

also exalted has perfect defense charms. it literally is a rule that says not even a dozen of criticals will hit, because the dices wont be rolled. im not sure we have these here...
>>
No. 197333 ID: a594b9

>>197236
Ok, let's spend some of that Will on Agility.
>>
No. 197339 ID: ff6cf4

oh ffs. we are not spending anything until we get a good idea of what we can get. we need magic or craft skills to output our huge intelligence, then we may not have enought charms to use that skill.

or we could go for the miss universe route and get good looks. it would definitively match the fact we are bent on saving the worl-

WE ARE NOT SPENDING ANYTHING JUST YET.
>>
No. 197342 ID: 732129

Spend it on Beauty! Yeah!
>>
No. 197346 ID: 2eac65

>>197342
Saulanna is pretty enough. Now's not the time for body image issues.

So, from what you've told us, here's what we understand of the timeline:

Titans exist.
Titans create the world.
Titans create gods and humans.
Gods empower humans.
Humans rebel against titans. During the war, Wordblood is broken off one of the titans.


Thousands of years pass. During this time, the afterlife suddenly exists.

Wordblood is bound to Saulanna.
Saulanna is given powers by Luna.
Wordblood wakes up.
And here we are.
>>
No. 197347 ID: ff6cf4

>I can craft WORDS OF POWER, which will cost MOON POWER to use but allow the shaping of external reality
how similar to sorcery? this sounds interesting.

i dont want to take a level of words of power just to discover its obvious we have a primordial in us. or worse, we cant take further levels of other magics.

>drawing forth dormant MOON ABILITIES
any clues what they can be? we are yet to be casted, so we dont even have a clue if we can get the tatoos with defensive runes on it.

if all of these cost only 1, including upgrade of hability, i can tottaly see us getting POWA WORD and MOON POWA.

WORD POWER TO THE LUNARS BECAUSE THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAT THE DAIKLAIVE.
>>
No. 197348 ID: ff6cf4

>>197346
ITS DISC THREAD TIME!

NO DAD NO!
>>
No. 197361 ID: 8bdb6a

Voting for not spending anything.

The effect is instantaneous, or nearly so. We should hold off until there's something we need to be better at.

(If we do eventually go for a general improvement of abilities, I'd vote for either more Agility or a Word of Power.)
>>
No. 197367 ID: 5f20de

Whoah, infodump. And we haven't even started getting into the current-day history and setting, where we are and who the heck the mobster was working for. Let's get to that.

And, well...Let's avoid absorbing human souls. Too late on that mobster's account and there's no way we'd be able to resist the temptation of using all those WILL points (and quickly want more), but still... The path to power may not be smart to dally on, but straying from the straight and narrow can lead to less fortunate results...

Our best option for now if we want Saulanna to 'upgrade' herself in the Wordsblood manner seems to be to urge her to seek out Titan shards. So...Saulanna? Note down a new quest: Acquire Titan Shards To Appease VOICES OF THE PAST and BECOME GREAT.

Also, start heading in the direction of the village to the west. I'm just curious about what's there.

>>197339

He's been pretty clear on what we could use it for. It's just a matter of getting a decision through that enough of us agree on. And that is what discussion is for, yes?

Speaking of which, I have a proposal. Wordsblood says he's good with language and words, the basic necessities for social skills and reasoning.

Can, for example, a WORD OF POWER be created that causes someone's brain to get reshuffled for a while? Give 'em a early case of Alzheimer's, senility, forgetfulness, or that kind of stuff.

Failing that, I think enhancing Wordsblood's SOUL FORCE (I'm intrigued on what he said about enhancing Gevin, and Saulanna does seem to be more a leader-type Exalt, so making Gevin more useful would benefit Saulanna) or our INTUITION (making Saulanna better able to deal with stress and make oh-snap decisions such as acting earlier in a BATTLE) rather than a BODY stat like agility suits Saulanna's path better. Though we could up our best stat, SAVVY, instead, since it'd help us learn faster on our own.

Curiously, I seem to have lost a lot of my antipathy towards Wordsblood. I still don't trust him completely, but I'm willing to believe him as far as his story goes.
>>
No. 197371 ID: ff6cf4

>>197367
im not sure how magic would work here. i think its likely we will have acess to a array of magic rather that a specific spell. i also dont want to restric saulanna to a type of magic that will not only point out she is exalted but in consorts with a primordial.

necromantic magic for example, has 3 circles and learning the fist one prevents learning the last solar circle spell, its counter.

we should get MOONPOWER and POWER WORD. but only if we can get both (each for 1 of titans will), and if POWER WORD wont interfere with other types of magic.

ultimatively, EVERYONE keep forgetting this: saulanna is not a brawler. she is not a warrior. she is a thinker. the fact she has kicked butt so far actualy shows how much a exalted is, and how resilient a lunar can get. we should not HOPE to turn her into a warrior, we should SUCEED in making her a caster/crafter/diplomat in order to use her intelligence.

physical habilites is her dump stat. accept it and move on.
>>
No. 197433 ID: 604703
File 127726111543.png - (35.04KB , 600x600 , moretalkin.png )
197433

>>197258
>"I can hide my presence from Luna now, I think, so long as I do not speak during the conversation."

>>197263
>"It appears to be a quality intrinsic to my lady's nature as a Moon Hero. I would have to be far more powerful to be able to do anything about it."

>>197271
"You don't... um. You don't know? Everyone knows about the war of the Moon Heroes against the Lords of the Underworld. The march of their Beastfolk armies against the city of Thorns, and the Leviathan's conquest of the islands of Skullstone. I mean, the whole reason there are Beast-Blooded around is because the Beastfolk settled among humans afterwards and, y'know, mingled. This was all years and years ago, but it was all around the world. Except in the Empire, of course."

"I suppose all that did became kind of old news when the new sun came, and Dragon of Shadow took over the land of the dead. The whole world's been going crazy the last few decades; my dad used to say it was ever since the Sun Heroes came back. All those weird machine people, too, but we don't ever see them here. Wait, was it decades? I dunno how long I've been dead. Might be more than a hundred years, now."


>>197288
>"Sorcery is possible. However, I do recommend using Words of Power, which can accomplish most everything sorcery can and are much more simple to use, though they do follow their own rules. It wouldn't interfere with the possibility of learning anything else; indeed, with my ability to work alterations on us, I see no reason that learning all forms of magic would not, some day, be possible."

>"A Word of Power would be a single word, most likely a command, which I would empower to work its changes on reality. For example, if I created a Power Word from "burn", it would cause most anything to burst into flames. It could also be a single word description, such as "strong"; the target would then become stronger, for a time. A noun would be more difficult, but possible: using "tree" as a word of power would cause a tree to grow instantly. Or as a more ephemeral example, "anger" would create anger in a person. Power Words will require different amounts of Titan's Will to craft depending on their power and the degree to which they resonate with my nature; they will also consume a large amount of Moon Power to speak, again based on their potency; and magical creatures would have certain defenses against them, as they do for sorcery. But the possibilities are effectively limitless."

>>197347
>"If I were more powerful, I could perhaps perceive what Abilities I would help my lady develop; as it is, I would not know until I had drawn them forth, but I would say they would be based on her experiences. If one had been favouring stealth as a tool, say, one would learn stealth-related Abilities."

>>197367
>"Using "forget" or "confusion" as a Word of Power would create such an effect."
>>
No. 197434 ID: 604703
File 127726122040.png - (40.32KB , 600x600 , youmeetariver.png )
197434

Saulanna, heading north to try and avoid approaching the village until her Soul Fire dies down, reaches a river. There is a wide space next to the water, a path; it probably leads East to the village, and West to somewhere unknown, perhaps another settlement.

Her Soul Fire has faded significantly, but is still very visible and attention-grabbing; in this darkness, she would probably be visible for miles if she stepped out from under the trees, and is likely to be seen by keen eyes even then. Every minute increases the likelihood that someone has seen her.

What should she do?
>>
No. 197447 ID: 8bdb6a

Dive into the water, snatch a fish up in your jaws with a lightning quick snap, swallow it, then turn into a fish with your raccoon mask markings.
>>
No. 197450 ID: e973f4

>>197447
I like this plan.
>>
No. 197451 ID: ff6cf4

>>197447
its in a deathland.

well if it has fishs, go for it.

i bet we will eat a undead fish.
>>
No. 197453 ID: b4ae88

Then become a 'flaming fish'?
>>
No. 197455 ID: 2eac65

To Wordblood: So if we use it to develop our own powers, we won't know what we're getting. That's very inconvenient.

To Gevin: Really? They've got that kind of reputation? The way you reacted, it seemed like something more to do with personal experience than hearsay.

>>197447
Nice idea, but our aura will still be a problem, for two reasons. One, when we're glowing, we can't transform into stolen shapes; we're stuck as our natural self. Two, even if it works, we'll still be a fish burning with silver fire, and therefore quite conspicuous. It could still be viable if the former weren't an issue.

Jump or swim over the river. Spend another moon point if we have to. Raccoons are good in water, so it shouldn't be too hard. Keep going straight until we're reasonably sure we could have lost our pursuers. We're not leading them into a village.
>>
No. 197456 ID: ff6cf4

>>197455
i dont remember that disvantage =c

we should scamper deep in the forest while the "soul fire" dims.

yay, we may meet alchemicals!
>>
No. 197457 ID: f9f4d9

yea, that plan is rather silly.
>>
No. 197458 ID: a594b9

If we turn into a fish we won't be able to carry any of our stuff!

>>197434
Just follow the path east. The Soul Fire has faded enough, I guess. Stay in the cover of the trees.
>>
No. 197462 ID: 2eac65

>>197456
It was said that people with keen eyes would still be able to spot us. Anyone looking for us probably fits that description.

If we keep heading straight, it'll enhance the illusion that we're on a mission and know where we're going. Then they'll try and cut us off, and we can double back to avoid the predictable ambush without much trouble.

Or, we could change to animal form and burrow a hole to hide in while we fade. That might be more plausible.
>>
No. 197466 ID: f9f4d9

>>197462
now that sounds like plan, just keep charging.
>>
No. 197469 ID: 67c611

Burrow into the ground and cover yourself with dirt and leaves? Might be a good time to take a nap.
>>
No. 197472 ID: ff6cf4

well ok, in a serious note.

use the river to hide footprints and smell. get in it, wash a bit, burrow the music box under a tree a bit far away from the shore.

then turn into a racoon, get to the river again and make yourself confortable in a quickly digged hole outside of the river with a view to the box. be ready for combat.

also we may need to wait for sundawn.
>>
No. 197473 ID: 445c48

Personally, I say we let him use the stuff to boost himself up.
>>
No. 197483 ID: c4c313

>>197472

I dunno about the turning into a raccoon thing, since we might be stuck big until the fire goes away, but yes, dig a hole! Where could we dig one that is inconspicuous? Maybe beneath the roots of a tree...
>>
No. 197513 ID: 5f20de

Can Saulanna Moon Boost her agility and jump across the river?

Once we're out of the dead zones (which seems to be up ahead a bit, we should be able to recharge moon power slowly but surely, while we find ourselves a new base of operations.
>>
No. 197520 ID: e67080

Id say beauty, and the word of power, "Stop"
>>
No. 197526 ID: e31d52

Votan beauty out of curiousity
>>
No. 197529 ID: 0d5620

>voting beauty
Why would you vote for that when you could vote for 'power word: arousal'?
>>
No. 197530 ID: 701a19

>>197236
I'm pretty sure that Luna would be fine with you if you bound yourself to service to her and Saulanna in a way that makes you unable to oppose them. It's not ideal, obviously, but being in the service of - what, the second most powerful deity? - would really do wonders for your life expectancy.
Besides, it's not like you were planning on betraying either of them anyway~
>>
No. 197533 ID: 2eac65

We don't need any more Beauty. We've got Inspiration for social effects, and extra options are what's really important.

So the two plans so far are either:

1: Cross the river until glowing stops, double back to fool pursuers.
2: Find a hole to hide in and wait out glowing.

Either way, we'll want to stash our goods here (to make the crossing easier, if we decide on that). Before doing so, mark them with our scent so we can track them if they're stolen.

If we go with the river-crossing plan, we could cut down a tree with our claws and float it in the river to act as a momentary bridge, decreasing the jumping/swimming distance. But if the cutting delays us more than a few moments, this will be counterproductive.

Overall, I'm sticking with the "cross the river and double back" plan. If we just hide here, our pursuers will know this is where we vanished and might check it over looking for us. Going straight will be more confusing.
>>
No. 197535 ID: 8bdb6a

>>197533
>Overall, I'm sticking with the "cross the river and double back" plan.
It's a good plan.

If the river contains no fish, (Gevin should be able to tell you in an instant) I change my vote to this. The fish thing is still good if the river's reasonably deep. Murky water soaks up light really well.
>>
No. 197939 ID: 2eac65

Also, since we didn't get a straight answer last time, ask Gevin how he feels about all this, and what he would want. Emphasize that we're trying to help him, and it would be pointless if we didn't give him a say in it.

For the sake of experimentation, try to mentally poke and/or tickle Wordblood, just to see if we have some way of influencing him.
>>
No. 197947 ID: e973f4

>>197939
Heck, sure, why not.
>>
No. 197953 ID: 0c4fcd

>>197533
i suggested bathing because it can wash our smells, this is however more complete.

i would like to stay off the river bank because we may be easily spotted. digging self as a raccon would make difficult to spot us, even if we glow, but it seems we cant even change.

>>197535
i am not sure, but i think we need a charm and a few hours to properly adquire a new form.

>>197520
>>197526
we are not doing any status we wont use. for social attacks we can use out savvy and other mind stuff.

also im pretty sure we get a circle of power word rather that one or two ypes of power word. we should get power word right away and check if we can get other stuff later on, after we upgrade demondragonbookwormthingie and us.
>>
No. 197959 ID: 2eac65

>>197953
Anyone who would be a threat to us has probably already spotted us by now.

I've got my own ideas on what to upgrade, but I'm holding them because we're in the middle of something else.
>>
No. 197979 ID: 0c4fcd

>>197959
take it to the disc thread.

fake edit: it seems power word is indeed a unique circle of spells. we should get it ASAP
>>
No. 198076 ID: 445c48

Personally, I vote eating souls is kosher, so long as we just happen to run into those souls anyways, no slaughtering villages for power but if we're punching people well we may as well, they're probably bad people if we're punching them.

Also voting on powering up Wordblood right now, to make future powerups better.
>>
No. 198092 ID: 93e2f2

>>197953
If Lunar transformations work the same way as in Exalted, our anima banner doesn't prevent us from changing into our "true" shapes: human, raccoon and warform (the one we're in now). But it does prevent us from changing into one of the forms gained through Sacred Hunts (of which we have none).
>>
No. 198376 ID: 43a8f2

t'was decided in the disc thread that power word and efficiency of consumption are the best upgrades to get now.
>>
No. 198392 ID: e973f4

[5copper that's not really how it works, nor is that really what the /questdis/ thread even says. That's what you said, not the consensus.]

I'll put a vote for upgrading Efficiency of Consumption, and also a vote for not using any more Titan's Will beyond that just yet.
>>
No. 198422 ID: 2eac65

>>198076
I have a lot of things to say on the subject of soul absorption, but now is [i[extremely[/i] not a good time for a moral dilemma.

You know what would be a good time? After we lose our pursuers, retrieve our stuff, and have a place to camp out so we can talk in peace.
>>
No. 198785 ID: 87ad1f

We should go to raccoon form and hide till dawn, for now.
>>
No. 198786 ID: 8bdb6a

I vote for spending 2TW, one on Efficiency of Consumption, and one on Agility, which is immediately useful and will never stop being useful.
>>
No. 198792 ID: 2eac65

>>198786
Any significant physical or spiritual changes could make Luna suspicious if we ask her for info.
>>
No. 198808 ID: e973f4

>>198786
Meh, sure, Agility too I guess.
>>
No. 198817 ID: 2eac65

That would be a waste. We can train agility.
>>
No. 198825 ID: a594b9

>>198786
I agree with this.

We've already gone SOUL FIRE. If it's possible for Luna to notice Titan's Will usage then she'd have noticed that, surely.
>>
No. 198827 ID: e973f4

>>198817
Ooooooor we can, y'know, use our Titan's Will instead of just hoarding it. :V

Just sayin'.
>>
No. 198832 ID: e513f1

Byooty
>>
No. 198833 ID: 2eac65

>>198827
Or we could use it on something useful. If we need agility now, we can spend MP to get it. If we need agility later, we can train to get it. We don't have to spend a valuable resource right this very instant on something we don't know we need and can get through other means if we do, just for the sake of using it for something.
>>
No. 198838 ID: a594b9

>>198833
Using TW on Agility now isn't keeping us from training it later. It's not a waste. You said you have better ideas, so let's hear em.
>>
No. 198849 ID: 2eac65

>>198838
>Using TW on Agility now isn't keeping us from training it later. It's not a waste.
That doesn't mean it's not a waste. There are many other things we could use it on; Agility will be easy to acquire through other means.

>You said you have better ideas, so let's hear em.
I was planning to suggest making a deal with Gevin to give him enough strength to manifest in the living world, so he could meet with Ruive himself, but I wanted to ask about his feelings and plans first, to make sure it was appropriate.

I was also thinking of different Power Words we could get, or ways to increase our soul-hunting abilities, but before we discuss those, we need to understand our own feelings and motives. Our abilities define our options, and our options define our actions; our abilities should, in turn, be defined by our motives. That's why I want to slightly delay our advancement.
>>
No. 198861 ID: c029a6

i actualy thought that powerword was the whole spellcircle =c i was so happy we would finaly do spellcasting with a lunar...

im fairly sure luna will not care anymore. no god, primordial or the likes would keep check so much of their underlings, most specialy when they are supposed to handle themselves (and have a orgasmic game to play). we also have to keep in mind that luna of all being in existance is the one that most keeps contact with primordials.

>>198849
then your wait is futile. saulanna has literally no self to determine anything, nor to say she likes or dislikes something. she is the orb, we are commanding saulanna instead of something inside her head.

we should MINMAX her. however we can. id say efficiency of consumption is a must.

id like to get MOON POWER but this may be a mute point, unless we get actual battles now we should consider saving it to upgrade wordblood.
>>
No. 198893 ID: 5f20de

Sticking with my vote for increasing Wordsblood's SOUL FORCE and abandoning the INTUITION increase, as I just realized Wordsblood can only power-up the physical aspects of Saulanna, or make new physical aspects.

Though if anyone wants to get behind me on a Power Word: CONFUSION, I'd rather go for that.

I am also still very much against using soul absorption for buffing Saulanna. Some things just claxon 'ethically wrong'. A soul is more than just fodder, whether or not it loses all its memories in reincarnation. It's like... saying it's okay to kill someone, because eating their corpse gives you nourishment and they're going to die one day anyway. Nuh-uh, says I. Nuh-uh.

As an aside, I think it would be more challenging (read: fun) to seek out other titan fragments than to be hunting down lost souls and munch on 'em all day long. That just seems so... cheap, I suppose.
>>
No. 198902 ID: c029a6

we are already set to hunt other titan fragment. however id like to point out 2 things:

first, titans are primordials. wordblood is friendly, but any living body (and some that dont live) can tell you that a being that eats souls for fun is not something you would keep around.

secondly, and problaby the most important. we arent eating all and every soul around. we are literally using primordial versus primordial. we have about 4 "broad" goals, wich some we havent even began knowing of. this may sound weird, but a power word to clean curses could be simply reality breaking.

the strangest of all would be to see wordblood eat a solar exalt and say "yuck, theres something rotten in his exaltation".
>>
No. 198903 ID: 711ab4

>>198893
your analogy does not work. if we are attacked by a ghost killing it will send it in for reincarnation while eating it will power us up. the memories are destroyed regardless of what we do to it, the only other option after eat and kill are run away.
>>
No. 198909 ID: c029a6

>>198903
apparently we consume everything of the soul. not even lethe remains a choice.

those that do reincarnate (or go to lethe, w/e)are actualy in a wait line for a human woman to give birth to it. it is a huge wait line. we should keep it a choice, but this quest isnt named "pacwoman in the deathland".

also, to the disc thread!
>>
No. 198921 ID: 2eac65

This is a very bad time to have a discussion on our identity, but since everyone is so insistent on doing so regardless, I might as well. Don't blame me if we end up paralyzed with doubt or do something stupid because we were distracted with less immediate concerns.

WARNING: Epic Speech Ahead

Is it right for one being to exploit another? It's true that we are far greater than a mortal being, but there are many beings greater still than us. Would it be right if Luna decided to swallow our memories, to sate her hunger? Or cut out our love and eat it as a snack? Or drink our hopes and dreams to savor their taste? No, that would not be right. We could not accept it being done to us, so we should not accept it being done to others.

The purpose of power is not to exploit those without it. The purpose of power is to aid and protect those without it. Just as the sun gives light and warmth to the world, the earth lets a seed grow into a forest, and the moon does whatever it is she does, we must do our part to help those in need.

And yet, look at the state of the world. We know little of it, but what have we seen? A dying, ruined world with a history of war and blood, where the innocent and weak live in fear of those with power. Though it may be too soon to say so, it seems next to impossible that such a world is the way things should be. How could such a world come to be?

We know that the titans and gods, the mightiest of beings, were once at war. From there, the answer is obvious: Those with power were petty and cruel, plaguing the world with suffering. Instead of being kind to their lessers, they set their own purposes and desires above all others, with no regard for whom they harmed on their personal missions, whatever they may have been.

Am I speaking of the gods who made war on the titans, or the titans who forced them to do so? That, we cannot say, but the core of the problem is clear: the strong have exploited the weak rather than protected them. That is something we cannot stand for.
>>
No. 198926 ID: 9bddc8

whoa whoa whoa
Everyone shut up for a minute

Let Saulanna deal with the whole "big flaming target" thing first and then set up camp. Then you can bicker back and forth about how to use Titan's Will. And then Saulanna can try to contact Luna about the 'eating ghost souls' thing.
You're never coming to a consensus otherwise, so it's the only logical step. "Hey Luna, some ghost mobster tried to possess me and I sort of panicked and wasn't sure how to deal with it and before I knew it I kind of ate him and took his memories and powers. Is that a really bad thing?"
>>
No. 198943 ID: c029a6

>>198921
i am not having this here, the thread is already HUEG by itslef.
>>/questdis/328193

>>198926
we accidentaly a whole soul.

yes its bad. but we are now a humongous plot device.
>>
No. 198951 ID: b17648
File 127750924299.png - (62.89KB , 600x600 , feesh.png )
198951

>>197455
"Uh, well. You are, also, sort of, a giant scary ghost-eating monster, at the moment. No offence."

----

Saulanna feels herself plagued by a myriad thoughts of potential plans, possibilities and moral dilemmas. At the thought of finding a fish to devour, however, she realizes that she is really quite hungry. Before her conflicted human brain knows what's happening, the instincts of her animal side come into play and she's already snatched herself a meal from the river.

>Saulanna's HUNGER is reduced.
>Saulanna learns animal shape: PALE SALMON

Switching to another form requires spending one dot of Moon Power. She senses instinctively, however, that while her Soul Fire is as strong as it is, she can only take her human form, war form or totem form.

Saulanna spares another thought from amidst the whirling cacophony to consider that finding an old warren or den would be much faster than digging a hole for herself, and should be pretty easy with the benefit of her Beast Senses; though she senses that that Ability is close to wearing off.
>>
No. 198952 ID: e31d52

Well hurry up and find someplace then and hey at least it looks like you're starting to go out that's cool anyway get your striped tail a moving before we get found
>>
No. 198954 ID: a594b9

>>198951
Find yon hole and hide thyself in it.
>>
No. 198955 ID: 5f20de

>>198903

Ah, but that's if we are attacked. And being attacked does leave one with other options, incapacitation and plain dispersal among them. At any rate, can't we at least agree that the prevention of being attacked through, say, diplomacy, coercion or guile should be a front line of defense for our not-so-physically-mighty young exalt, and that we shouldn't seek to actively subsume the wills/souls of others to enhance our own stature?

>>198921

A mighty speech to hold for only having seen a single area of land, and heard a slip of watered-down history.

Everything is subjective and it is one's choices that define oneself. I'm as eager as the next voice not to lead Saulanna down a path of wickedry, but I'm not particularly fond of clinging to a constructed self-righteous line of thinking either.

The world is more complicated than the fanatic would assume, and less vindictive than the cynic would think. Take Wordsblood...Thousands of years after the titanomachy (or whatever this struggle was called), he says things that make me question whether the gods were 'correct' in doing as they did (an answer would invariably be subjective, I fear), and whether the titans who 'died' were wholly opposed to the freedom mortals and gods wanted (even though it necessitated their 'deaths', or perhaps in spite of it). Maybe I'm just misinterpreting his words. At any rate, now he's here, aiding us, as ready to be shaped by Saulanna as he is to shape her.

I've rambled on enough. I think there's an important question we've let slip by. Who is this Dragon of Shadow? Or... what?
>>
No. 198956 ID: 5f20de

Weren't we going to cross the river?

Ah, bah! Hidey-hole it is. I'm guessing one would be easier to find if we were to turn into our raccoon totem form.
>>
No. 198972 ID: 60bd5e

Totem form?
>>
No. 198978 ID: 54af1f

We're glowing too much to hide, stand here and wait to see what, if anything is chasing us.
>>
No. 198979 ID: 2eac65

See, this is the sort of thing I was trying to avoid. Long-term planning can wait.

Now should we keep going straight and double back or should we turn back now and hide?

If we run, it will enhance the illusion that we've got a goal in mind and make it harder to tell where we really are, but it'll also expose us to danger in the open and force us to leave our goods behind. It might also be too implausible, depending on the length of the river, and could delay us if we use a tree to cross.

If we hide, it'll keep us closer to our real goals and let us keep watch on our goods, but our pursuers will know we disappeared into the forest and might search it or keep watch outside.

Here's a trick to help us hide the box: put it in a deep hole, partially fill it, put our clothes in the shallow hole, then cover that up. If someone finds our stash, they'll dig up the backpack and think that's all we have there, leaving the box for us to retrieve.
>>
No. 198983 ID: 732129

>>198972

That's the form we've spent most of our time in, isn't it?
>>
No. 198984 ID: 54af1f

>>198951

Use some Titan Will to upgrade Agility and Consumption Efficiency by 1 each.
>>
No. 198986 ID: 2eac65

>>198983
When a Lunar gains their powers, they are associated with a particular animal. This is their "totem". Both their human form or the form of their totem animal count as "true" forms; the war form is third true form which combines features of the other two.
>>
No. 198987 ID: 2eac65

>>198984
Don't start that again.
>>
No. 198988 ID: c029a6

>>198972
our racoon shape. we can however expand on that. very specifi, endgame charms.

use BEST SENSES and find a unused cottage. also CLEAN EVERYTHING. i dont want to be tagged by smell, mind you.

lastly, follow the most of the path that you can from inside the river. this should take care of foot tracks.

>>198979
its likely that we will find a fisherman den or maybe a tannist workshop. lets follow the plot hook most likely place to rest before we get wyld hunt'd or civilization.

>Who is this Dragon of Shadow? Or... what?
wat.

its the ebon dragon. the manse is his as well.
>>
No. 198991 ID: 8bdb6a

>>198984
>>198978
Seconding these.
There's no way these guys predicted we'd exalt as a Lunar, and no way they could have predicted Wordblood. If we are being pursued by an Infernal or Abyssal, maybe we can eat them. Those guys (the loyal ones, at least) are pretty danged evil, so it's not really a moral quandary.
>>
No. 198993 ID: c029a6

take what to do with Titan Will, wordblood and soul eating to the disc thread.

we aint upgradin so soon, we also should get better ideas of what to do with it. take note that everything can also be trained trhu ordinary means.

> the manse is his as well
i mean the manse is his image. this is problaby his lands.

>>198955
read the disc thread? no primordial wasnt a asshole about it. they eat souls for fun, ffs.
>>
No. 198994 ID: 2eac65

Even if it's futile, it's better to run or hide than to simply wait for trouble to come. If we keep running, we can evade them until we fade, and if we find an underground burrow, it can conceal our glow.

Even if we are superpowered, there are most likely stronger and more experienced magical beings in this world. Moral quandries are the least of our worries if we run into one.
>>
No. 198997 ID: c4c313

Whee, whirling thoughts! I like ice cream!

Find a burrow. That's all I'll suggest. Have fun everyone!
>>
No. 199000 ID: c029a6

>>198991
wat. lunar elders can predict where their newly exalts are born, siderals predict where any exalt is born, and infernals cant see a lunar that just farted rainbows and raw power in a land where everything is black and very un-lunar-ish?

somewhere in the far a abyssal was brooding in the top of his tower, thinking for himself how so tremendously unfashionable all of those dead trees, ghosts and lunar totens everywhere wait, what? its time to get busy!

we are a new exalt. we cant eat them, we dont have weapons, armor or perfect defense charms. we struggled against one zombie, we barely won a ghost possession and you want us to make a stand in a open area, on a riverbank, half wet, carrying a very precious adn delicate music box because we have wordblood on us?

im pretty sure we can put only ghosts in our mind for wordblood to eat. altho delicious pun is delicious.
>>
No. 199018 ID: b17648
File 127751635282.png - (38.33KB , 600x600 , itsasettup.png )
199018

Saulanna heads back to the south side of the river and into the forest again. With her Beast Senses and a little advice from Gevin, she swiftly finds an old abandoned badger sett to hide in, just about large enough to contain her backpack and the music box. She spends a dot of Moon Power to take her raccoon form - renewing her Soul Fire slightly with the expenditure - and pushes it all in with herself to follow.

While she does so, she ponders the Deathlore she picked up. By her estimation, Gevin can travel with her wherever, so long as he stays in her head; as he currently is, however, letting him out anywhere in the lands of the living would have him disappear back to the Underworld. With only a little training, however, most ghosts learn to travel the real world in an invisible, intangible state, and manifest as an immaterial spectre at night.
>>
No. 199019 ID: e31d52

Make sure he knows that.
>>
No. 199020 ID: 01e059

can he be trained or do you need to find a ghost that can already do it for training?
>>
No. 199035 ID: a594b9

>>199018
Is there any way we could like, cover the entrance so our glow is concealed?
>>
No. 199041 ID: 2eac65

>>199035
We could send Gevin out, have him cover the hole, then pull him back in. Or maybe our powers don't work like that; I'm not sure.

>>199018
Okay, now that we've got a hiding place, let's talk to Gevin about what he feels he should do. Offer to train him to manifest in the living world. Also, assure him that we aren't going to eat him.
>>
No. 199043 ID: 2eac65

Another idea: find another, slightly better-hidden spot that you can watch from this one, and put the music box there, but keep our clothes with us. If anyone finds the one we're hiding in, we can run off to lead them away from the box.
>>
No. 199045 ID: e973f4

>>199018
Alright, could you train Gevin to do that?

And yeah, reassuring him that you're not going to eat him or tear him in half or whatever probably couldn't hurt.
>>
No. 199087 ID: 0a290e

>>199018
YOU'RE THE MOST ADORABLE RACCOON EVER!!

Curl up and rest for a while. You've had an exciting first day.
>>
No. 199095 ID: 8bdb6a

Hide in the burrow until your anima quiets down. Don't have Gevin stand watch. Whatever's after you can probably spot and sneak up on him.

>itsasettup.png
Is this important? I hope not!
>>
No. 199096 ID: c4c313

>>199095

Because it's an old abandoned badger sett. A sett-up. Get it? Ha!
>>
No. 199125 ID: 2eac65

>>199095
Digging a fake badger den in hopes that a shapeshifting half-raccoon will use it to hide from you would require a bit too much foresight, even for an Exalted.
>>
No. 199131 ID: 57b4a3

>>199125
unless time-travel is involved.
>>
No. 199139 ID: 67c611

Make a cute raccoon face for us.
>>
No. 199144 ID: 2eac65

>>199131
There's no time travel in Exalted.
>>
No. 199147 ID: f95872

>>199125
It's arguable that the Fair Folk might make badger den traps just to see what they catch, though.
>>
No. 199178 ID: 57b4a3

>>199147
in the middle of a deathland though?
>>
No. 199246 ID: 78a7db

>>199178
Depends on how long this land is a shadowland. If for less than a decade, then it's pretty plausible - there just isn't any rakshas anymore.
>>
No. 199347 ID: 560417
File 127756446068.png - (39.52KB , 600x600 , raccoonface.png )
199347

>>199139

:3

>>199019
>>199045

>"It would be much faster to simply work it into him, but I can commence training him the usual way. It will take quite a while."

"That... that would be handy, thank you. And, um; I know you're probably not going to eat me at this point, you've been... nice. I can't give much advice on what to do, though. I'm out of date. The local villages have probably been abandoned, except by ghosts. I'd, um, watch out that you don't run over the edge of this shadow land, too.Iif you do that while it's still night, you'll go fully into the Underworld."

>>198955

"I don't know. Big scary dragon demon god thing. He took over the Underworld... there was a big war between him and the Lords of the Dead, with his big demon shadow army."

>"The Dragon's Shadow is a Titan. His sinuous form is large enough to blot out the sun over many miles; but of course, that is only his central manifestation, and he has many souls, as does every Titan. The "demons" Gevin refers to, I assume. Personality-wise, he is... well, let me put it this way. The Dragon's Shadow created justice, so that there could be injustice. He created honour so that he could be honourless, and selflessness so that he could be selfish. When the gods were made to be our servants, he gave them the ability to dream of being more. He prizes his own interests and freedom above all else. He is the Shadow of All Things."

>"He can be very charming, though."

>>
No. 199362 ID: d6cb21

>>199347
Sounds like a nice guy, aside from the whole "evil demon god" thing he has going on.
>>
No. 199367 ID: c4c313

>>199362

And the whole "everyone has to be nice so I can screw them over muahaha" thing.
>>
No. 199371 ID: e973f4

>>199347
Sounds like a real stand-up guy.

(We need an image macro for "stand-up guy," I wanna say. :V)
>>
No. 199376 ID: 8bdb6a

Looks like your anima's quieting down. Wait for the caste mark to fade, then venture out, check if the coast is clear, and head for that mystery village near the center-east of the map.

The bad guys already know what your human form looks like, and the locals know what lunars are and that they're intelligent and (more or less) reasonable, so just stick with your war-form for now, unless Gevin thinks that's a bad idea.
>>
No. 199377 ID: 5f20de

>Titan, charming.

I don't doubt it.

Well, I guess it's time to chill for a bit. Perhaps Saulanna should get some rest while we're here after question time is over? Do we have anything else we want to ask Wordsblood or Gevin? Like...Who's the dude the mobster was working for and what's his agenda?

Some kind of local death baron, yes?
>>
No. 199404 ID: a594b9

>>199347
So, not all the Titans were killed in the war against the gods? Are there any other Titans still alive?
>>
No. 199428 ID: 2eac65

>>199347
>"I can't give much advice on what to do, though. I'm out of date."
"No, I mean what you want to do. As in, do you still want us to deliver the box to Ruive, or would you rather wait and deliver it in person? And what kind of message would you like to give her?

"And what about afterwards? Are you thinking of moving on to the afterlife? Or living with her as a ghost? Or something else?"

Personally, my plan would be to deliver the box, tell Ruive that Gevin's training to enter the living world, then let him go in person once he's strong enough. But it's really his call.

>Dragon's Shadow
So basically, he's the embodiment of rulebreaking, which consequently makes him the embodiment of evil. Someone like that is going to be very difficult to sympathize with.

What about you, Wordblood? Can you tell us about the titan you were a part of?

>>199376
>The bad guys already know what your human form looks like
Only from before we gained our magical moon raccoon powers. Even our gender wasn't fixed after that; for all we know, we could have looked entirely different before; the only thing that tipped us off was our shackles, which we don't have now. After that, the only people who've seen us out of warform are Luna, Wordblood, and both of Gevin's ghosts.

I think it'd be best to stay in human form to keep a low profile. A beastwoman is apparently nothing out of the ordinary, but if a Lunar shows up, word is sure to spread.
>>
No. 199433 ID: c4c313

Doing good Saulanna! If the village has (living) humans in it they will probably prefer if you approach them in human form. Talking with raccoons is considered uncouth by humans and socially awkward. Your war form is good for fighting, but the two ghosts who ran away know what you look like, like that. Nobody's seen your human form yet besides Gevin, so that should be safer than entering the town in war form. Plus it's worth a point of moon energy for your opponents to underestimate your full capacity, so I suggest against war form.

You could try approaching the town in raccoon form, and if it seems lively enough you can then switch to human form to converse with the locals. Hopefully Wordblood's ability extends to spoken language too...
>>
No. 199569 ID: 8bdb6a

In addition to your other actions, use Inner Den to store the box. Use Mask Sneak to avoid being seen as you leave the burrow, and for however much longer it lasts.
>>
No. 199578 ID: 560417
File 127760462360.png - (36.68KB , 600x600 , tunnel1.png )
199578

>>199377

"I have no idea who that guy might be. I was kinda zoned out until recently, after I... died. There was a spread of the shadows gradually from the south, but I didn't hear of anyone being behind it. I... didn't hear a lot of things, though."

>"Reviewing the memories we acquired, it seems this mysterious fellow may be some sort of DEATH HERO. There certainly weren't any of those around during the war, however. It seems he was quite secretive, so no idea on his agenda; but he did expend some of his resources keeping the local... "ghosts"?... in some semblance of order."

>>199404
>"If my Titan's Senses were more developed, I could tell you myself. Our new supply of memories think of the war as a distant legend, so it is hard to puzzle out from them; but apparently, a number of Titans were slain and the rest surrendered, and were imprisoned somehow. I find it quite disturbing."

>>199428
"Um. I... I just, sort of... want to see her again. When she gets the box. I'm hoping it'll make her... uh. Happier. She's not happy very often. You're smarter than me, though, so I think you'd know better what to do..."

>"I wouldn't call the Dragon's Shadow the embodiment of rulebreaking, per se. That would suggest that he has to break rules, which would still be a constraint by opposites, if you get my meaning. He would be... freedom, perhaps. Or selfishness. Or just Shadow. You cannot trust him to do anything but that which is in his own interest, but it is at least enlightened self-interest. He is very intelligent, or at least, I remember him being so. That makes him dependable, in a way."

>"As for myself... It's uncomfortable for me to remember. If you lost all your limbs, and your eyes, and your ears, would you like to recall what it was like to have them? But... no, my apologies, my lady. If you ask, I provide. I was honored to be a part of He Who Bleeds The Unknown Word, the embodiment of all language, the living expression of expression itself. I, or he, also took the form of a dragon, during the war. He, or I, took flight on wings of elegant song; my fangs and claws were of cutting wit, dripping with venomous slander, and my armour was of the most impenetrable legalese. Voice was my bones, and ink my blood; my true name burning inside me was my heart."

>"... I cannot remember what it was.
"
>>
No. 199581 ID: 560417
File 127760501031.png - (39.45KB , 600x600 , tunnel2.png )
199581

... Saulanna hears someone walking around outside. Light footsteps, but not bothering to hide themselves.
>>
No. 199583 ID: 45be60

sniff like the dickens, but remain hiding. you are still quite glowy.
>>
No. 199585 ID: 67c611

Stay completely silent. Try to quiet your breathing and even slow your pulse if you can. Don't move besides breathing and heartbeat.
>>
No. 199588 ID: 8bdb6a

Take a quick peek outside to see what's up.
>>
No. 199592 ID: 057cf1

>>199588
no, whoever is out there will be all 'WOAH! what is that glowing light?!
>>
No. 199595 ID: 915b70

Wait to see if they walk on by. If they pause outside the sett for too long, or if something reaches in, growl like the dickens. Prepare for biting.
>>
No. 199606 ID: d3dfb8

>>199583
>>199595
This.

>>199347
Gevin: Of course we wont eat you. You're cute :3
>>
No. 199607 ID: d3dfb8

>>199583
>>199595
This.

>>199347
Gevin: Of course we wont eat you. You're cute :3
>>
No. 199619 ID: 60bd5e

>>199595
This, but instead of growling like the dickens, squeal like a banshee and glow brighter! Make it think that you are some kind of evil spirit that will devour its soul.
>>
No. 199648 ID: 5dedfd

ONE person? its either a very brave tracker or a deathknight.

SNIFF the air, see if you can smell blood or deceased flesh. prepare for battle.

fake edit: use inner den to hide the music box there if it doesnt increase your soulf fire.
>>
No. 199651 ID: 2eac65

>>199578
>He would be... freedom, perhaps. Or selfishness.
There must have been something more to him than that. To say a being's only desire is to fulfill its own desires is a tautology; the result would be the same as having no desires at all.

I wonder why a being would have the desire to create evil before such a concept existed.

So the titans are now dead or imprisoned, at least according to legend. We know that when humans die, they either linger as ghosts or reincarnate, but what happens when titans die? Can they die at all? You said that destroying one of a titan's souls changes its nature; maybe that's what happened to them, and their "death" was a result of the legend being corrupted over time.

I think Ruive wanted the box to fix something specific. It's probably best to get it too her soon. If she and Gevin knew each other in life, she'll most likely be happy to see him, but that can wait.

Personal Note: If Gevin starts to reincarnate, interrupt him with an inspiring speech about making the most out of his life.

>>199619
Scaring them might work, but we could gain something from talking to them instead. It depends on who it is.
>>
No. 199655 ID: 5dedfd

>>199651
it has been about 4 updates that i wanted tohear the music box. i think it may have something important inside it.

altho anything exlated is awesome anyway.

ples check disc thread. i posted stuff about titans and primordials.
>>
No. 201080 ID: 3b13ac
File 127786593795.png - (50.75KB , 600x600 , persuasivevoice.png )
201080

Saulanna quietens herself down. She gently sniffs the air, twitching her tail - just a bit - to get some motion of air through. Her BEAST SENSES ability has faded, but as a raccoon, the balance of her senses has been altered in any case.

The memories of the ghost that Wordblood consumed put some sense to her sense of smell. The whole of this shadowy land has its native scents: trees, soil, moisture. But these are touched by the air of the Underworld; a dull, pervasive scent of old blood, and above that... not a smell, but a sense to the atmosphere, as of being lost in a big, open, and lightless place.

There is a new odor. A human being, living, male, though odd somehow, cold. Atop that, fresher blood, but only the slightest touch. Silk. And something else, again not quite a scent, but-

"I did see the Lunar flame, and it doesn't fade so instantly."

A man's voice, smooth; tones of culture, but informality.

"I know Lunar tricks, as well, and I can only think you must be hiding from me. Either that, or you have tunneled away; I hope not. Too far down, here, and you can hit the Labyrinth. Come speak to me."

Suddenly, the voice is... compelling.
>>
No. 201084 ID: 00160c

aaaugh, resist as hard as you can, wordblood, you know anything that can help? slap her mental image or something?
>>
No. 201086 ID: 6a5a08

Satan, that sweet talker. Don't listen, make them come to you- they may not actually know where you are.
>>
No. 201104 ID: 8bdb6a

Resist the voice. Draw on your Lunar will to survive, realizing that the voice represents death, in both a real and figurative manner.

If that doesn't work, politely introduce yourself.
>>
No. 201107 ID: 00160c

oh wait i know

he is covered in blood but does not bleed, a killer, has fur but did not grow it, a hunter, confident and sure, a warrior. he will kill you.
>>
No. 201110 ID: 716eb0

alive but cold
blood and silk
You smell a vampire, deary. They do not count as alive, they are only pretending. They are very compeling, highly charismatic, but they do not have your best interests at heart. If his voice is bad, I shudder to think what would happen if you looked him in the eyes.
>>
No. 201112 ID: a594b9

>>201080
Hmm... Try to throw your voice so he doesn't know where you are.

"I don't need to come out to speak to you."
>>
No. 201114 ID: c4c313

Don't listen to him! Stick your head in the music box! Can you spend moon points when you're out of sight of the moon?
>>
No. 201116 ID: c4c313

Also, clearly he didn't mean come as in approach him. He meant come as in orgasm.
>>
No. 201117 ID: 2eac65

Hide the music box with Inner Den. If he checks our hideout and finds our clothes, he probably won't think to check our magic pocket.

Focus on resisting the effect, but go out and meet him anyway. With luck, he'll think we're weak-willed and won't bother with higher-level mind control magic in the future.
>>
No. 201143 ID: 2eac65

Wait. He doesn't know where we are. It could be better to hide and let him pass.

I was afraid something like this would happen if we hid. When someone sees us crawl in a hole, they know what hole we crawled into.

Should we hide and let him pass, or come out and make ourselves look weak? Given the way he spoke, he probably doesn't know our specific hiding place, but he could be faking it. If he's talking in our general direction, or approaching our hole, he's probably faking it. He may also have some magical means of finding us, but if he did, he would have used it already.
>>
No. 201228 ID: 67c611

stay hidden, stay quiet

You're pretty good at this mental stuff and you have Wordblood, Gevin, and all of us backing you.
>>
No. 201236 ID: 0aa2c2

godsdammit, the scourge can compell us to get out.

resist it as you can. ask wordblood for assistance even if it is just distraction (aka infodump).
>>
No. 201259 ID: 2eac65

>>201228
Gevin probably won't be much help. Wordblood might, but since he isn't trying to possess us, I doubt it.

Isn't it true that the only reason we can understand him is with Wordblood's language magic? The next time he tries to command us, we could have Wordblood block the translation so the command doesn't affect us.

The question is, should we? He knows there's a Lunar lurking in this forest, and he's very close to where we are. He might already know we're here, and if not, he might stay and search for us, and eventually find us. Resisting the mental command could convince him to give up, or it might only delay the inevitable confrontation.

If, on the other hand, we let it affect us (after magic-pocketing our box), it would make us appear weak-minded. Then he might use mind control magic on us that we can resist, while thinking that it's working. But if we show ourselves to him, he may have some means of pulling Gevin, Wordblood, and/or the music box out of our mind pockets. Or he could simply want to kill us.

I'm assuming this guy has some connection with the ghost mafia. The message we gave them was only meant to be confusing; it's going to be quite difficult to explain if questioned.

The question is, do we stay hidden in hopes of avoiding him, and risk being found, or do we reveal ourselves and appear weak, but expose ourselves to him?
>>
No. 201342 ID: 45be60

>>201080
Do not listen to the vampire, just hide. He will rely on his command words to draw you out, because they have always worked for him before. But you have a shard of power living in your head who's entire SCHTICK is words. If he cannot help you now, you need to throw the useless freeloader out on his ass.
>>
No. 201395 ID: d6cb21

Hey Wordblood, block this guy out, would you?

We dont know what he's capable of and need to be cautious. If he doesnt get a reaction, maybe he'll think that there is nothing here.
>>
No. 201397 ID: 4a9385

Create Word of Power: NO
Gives us the ability to refuse orders, by mind tricks or otherwise. Do it.
>>
No. 201409 ID: 5f20de

>>201397

Backup plan if Wordblood cannot help us, I'd say.

>>201104
>>201228

Supporting this.
>>
No. 201410 ID: 148105

>>201409
'NO' is pretty abstract, it may need a lot of TW to use. but she needs to be able to talk to use it, that could be a problem.
>>
No. 201542 ID: 914efe
File 127793929582.png - (74.88KB , 600x600 , resistancegrrr.png )
201542

Saulanna struggles with herself to resist! She knows that anything here could be dangerous. The desire to obey makes no sense. It must be magic. She considers dipping into her own, her Moon Power, but she is suddenly aware it's not going to respond, not on this. There's a... resonance. The compulsion is not just external. Something inside her wants it as well. She-

>"Hold!"

She feels Wordblood helping her, a strange sensation, like the mental equivalent of having someone throw their arms around her. Gevin flails uselessly- he has no idea how to do the same. It's not enough. The sense of Wordblood changes: without muscle or sinew, he tenses.

>"I must-"

wearcollectionanytusslecanmeturnanotherwillmycarrysevenwalking

For moment she reels as senseless strings of misplaced words and meanings tumble through her head, and then they fade. For a moment, thought lost definition, the memories of speech scrambled into gibberish, the sounds twisted to different words, no longer able to fit together. The compulsion turned to nonsense, impossible to obey, and faded.

A pause.

"... No? I don't like having to drag my guests around, but I can't just leave you run amok. I can still just find you myself. It just takes a little more exertion."
>>
No. 201543 ID: c4c313

>>201542

Well at least he admits it. Um... I don't think you have any other option at this point. He knows he can't control you so he'll probably tear up the whole area trying to find you, if you won't deal with him. Plus he warned you about the Labyrinth, whatever that is. Poke your nose out hesitantly. If he sees you, make it clear that people around here haven't been exactly welcoming so far, or deserving of trust. I still think avoiding human form would be good until we learn for what purpose those manacles were on you.

Wait, Saulanna, you can understand us, right? Oh crap--Wordblood, that wasn't permament what you just did, was it?
>>
No. 201544 ID: c4c313

>>201543

But do hide the music box first. Do you have anything called "Inner Den" or other pocket space trickery?

Alternatively dig for all you're worth and you'll get away from him, but you'll probably fall into that Labyrinth he just warned you about.
>>
No. 201546 ID: d6b892

>>201544
something tells me that whatever he could do to you would be worse then the labyrinth. start digging.
>>
No. 201552 ID: 2eac65

Well, that didn't do much good. But it could be good for us if he wastes energy and MP searching. It'll leave him vulnerable while we're refreshed and ready to confront him.

Hide the box, then wait for him and/or sneak up behind him. Then tell him "You could have just said please".
>>
No. 201574 ID: 8bdb6a

Use Inner Den to store the box, even if it makes your anima flare up more.
Come out and introduce yourself, now that you've made it clear you're not his puppet. Maybe.
>>
No. 201594 ID: 110562

he is bluffing. its possible he has some undead/ghosts with him but this is hardly a menance.

i do agree we should store the music box in the inner den no matter what. but we should remain hidden.

stay put. and thank wordblood for that. if possible, if he can do it again "at will".
>>
No. 201646 ID: 914efe
File 127795695697.png - (48.59KB , 600x600 , emerging.png )
201646

Saulanna's Soul Fire rises again as she spends a dot of Moon Power to store the music box in her Inner Den. But no matter - she decides she will show herself anyway, and no trouble if the strength of her magic is on display. She does not have far to go.

"Oh, there you are."
>>
No. 201647 ID: 914efe
File 127795706232.png - (69.33KB , 600x600 , whyhello.png )
201647

"How terrible you are to tease me so. Well; I am Peregrin Kaan, Lord of the Needles, Champion of the Dead, Warrior, Scholar, Master of Four Circles... and a humble conjurer of cheap tricks."

"Now we can get to know each other, I hope."
>>
No. 201649 ID: c4c313

I...have no idea what all that meant.
>>
No. 201650 ID: 45be60

chitter.
chitter like mad.
>>
No. 201651 ID: c00244

>>201650
While giving a ridiculously adorable raccoon bow and gesticulating with your hands, as though formally introducing yourself.
>>
No. 201652 ID: 36b456

"i hope so as well, what is it that you wish?"

be ready to go run back down your hole.
>>
No. 201653 ID: a594b9

>>201647
Ask him what he wants. Tell him not to try compelling you again, as it won't work.
>>
No. 201656 ID: 110562

I SHOULD HAVE STUNTED. I KNEW IT.

quickly look around, ask for clothing before turning human. or just jiggle your chest at him when you do, whatever you think will get us more friend points.
>>
No. 201657 ID: 0a290e

Stick your tounge out at him, then just start walking away.

Keep in mind he'll probably get mad and try stopping you, so be on guard.
>>
No. 201658 ID: 8bdb6a

Try to look mysterious and wise and dangerous. Also figure out how to talk in your current form. How hard could it be?

Sit on your haunches and introduce yourself. Ask him why he's chasing you.
>>
No. 201663 ID: 45be60

No no no, we don't WANT him to know we can talk or understand him. Luna, in all her infinite wisdom, has granted her power to a furry little woodland creature. Nothing to see here. Move along. :3
>>
No. 201665 ID: 6a5a08

Seconding impossibly adorable and yet regal raccoon bow.
>>
No. 201678 ID: 67c611

>>201650
yes
>>
No. 201681 ID: 40cb26

Cock your head to the side and look at him curiously.
>>
No. 201682 ID: 2eac65

Seems like a reasonable enough fellow, at least for the moment. He at least cares enough to show some form courtesy, though whether that extends to letting us keep our immortal soul, it's risky to say. We know it doesn't extend to mind control.

For now, we can gather more information, but we should have some plan of getting away from him. We know he can follow us, and I'm not sure he'll just let us leave.

"If you wanted to talk, you could have just asked nicely.

"Since you gave us your name, I'll give you ours. We are Saulanna Ricanya Rockblossom.

"This land is yours, yes? Just what position do you hold here, Mr. Kaan?"

Stay in raccoon form. Changing will only waste magic.
>>
No. 201712 ID: c4c313

I vote for chittering like mad. Even if he already knows we can speak the human tongue, he can't expect me to form a coherent reply to...that introduction.
>>
No. 201926 ID: 35e55e

Vote for chittering.
>>
No. 201962 ID: 2eac65

>>201712
That would be a bit rude. If he wants a polite conversation, it's beneficial for both of us to oblige. We could learn something about him and the world.

I doubt he'd be fooled anyway. He says he's familiar with Lunars; it would probably just annoy him.
>>
No. 202196 ID: 2eac65

Now that I'm thinking of it, tell this to Gevin:

"I'm sorry we got you caught up in this. I don't know how long we'll have to associate with this man, and we don't want to put you in more danger, but if I let you out now he'll see you, and we don't know what he'd do then.

"I think we could trick him to give you an opening to escape with the box and find Ruive on your own. Or, we could keep you hidden until we can escape and help you ourself.

"Either one is risky. It's up to you to decide. This is a decision we can't make for you. Think carefully; I don't know how much longer this conversation will last."
>>
No. 202375 ID: 5e976b
File 127811910257.png - (50.29KB , 600x600 , littlebow.png )
202375

Feeling that, as a stated "scholar" he might well know more about her powers than she does, Saulanna decides not to masquerade as either a harmless or untalkative woodland creature. She doesn't want him to be offended. She has the vague sensation that she somehow knows this man already.

She does, however, essay a short, stiff bow. The gesture is not one of this form's natural movements, and she fumbles a little with getting it to move right.
>>
No. 202377 ID: 5e976b
File 127811915836.png - (58.99KB , 600x600 , peregrintalking.png )
202377

>>201682
"Aha. But I did ask nicely. I may have enhanced my own natural charm a little, but I'm sure you've done the same."

"Well. Saulanna. It has a pleasant sound. I think I would be described as having your typical feudal arrangement with this region. I offer some protection and some services to the local ghostly population, and in exchange they help me do so, as well as providing a little assistance with my studies."

"Excuse me, by the way, if I could ask a favour; could you take your human form? We're both liable to get a crick in our respective necks, talking like this."
>>
No. 202386 ID: d3dfb8

... We're kinda... naked.
>>
No. 202388 ID: 8bdb6a

It's probably a trick. Take your warform instead. Tell him you don't feel safe in human form. Maybe he'll reveal why they're hunting you, in an I-know-it's-you-but-can't-prove-it way.

Ask why he's following you.
>>
No. 202389 ID: 6a5a08

Tell him we are naked, and he should be more considerate of this fact.
>>
No. 202390 ID: 1e9d01

>>202377
Let's not, using the excuse that this fiery glow will get worse if you do that. Find a convenient branch to perch on instead.
>>
No. 202391 ID: 2eac65

>>202377
>"Excuse me, by the way, if I could ask a favour; could you take your human form? We're both liable to get a crick in our respective necks, talking like this."
That came up much sooner than I would have liked.

To Gevin: "Okay, I need an answer now. Do you want to run or hide?"

If Gevin wants to take his chances escaping now, proceed with the following:

Ask Mr. Kaan to look away while we transform and change into our clothes.

Retrieve our backpack from the burrow. Go into the trees a little, so that Peregrin can see your soulfire but can't see us clearly.

Take a few moments to sniff the air, on the off-chance we can pick up some hint of Ruive's scent trail.

Change into human form.

Tell Gevin this: "Hide here until you hear me say the word 'time'. That will be the signal that it's safe to walk away." Tell him which direction Ruive is in, if we can tell at all.

Release Gevin into a section of the woods where he'll be somewhat hidden from sight, and hand him the music box out of our Inner Den.

Move back a few yards. Proceed to clothe ourselves.

While we converse with Mr. Kaan, try to slowly and subtly move away from Gevin's hiding spot, in hopes that Kaan will follow, directing his attention toward us and away from Gevin.

If Gevin chooses to remain hidden in our mind, then don't go through all that and go with some other plan instead.
>>
No. 202392 ID: 7324e7

yes, tell him we would be willing to change form if he would offer up some clothing. he knows we are new so i see no use in knowing we can't just make some.
>>
No. 202413 ID: 68fbf2

forget gevin. right now he is a liability, and having him running with the box or the bag is a bad idea no matter how much of a trick it is.

do not take WARFORM. it will spend too many MP for something that he will understand as a agression. simply draw a t-shirt in the floor, if he doesnt get it, go behind a tree.

>She has the vague sensation that she somehow knows this man already
something inside me died a little. im hoping this is a cross wiring from the gangster ghost's memories.

also where did he heard our name? or was it obvious the runaway slave was saulanna (even tho we got named by luna) wich then exalted?
>>
No. 202414 ID: 45be60

>>202413
Seems we said the things listed in that linked post aloud. so he hear our name from us.
>>
No. 202415 ID: 7324e7

>>202413
i think it's because our exaltation met him before.
>>
No. 202425 ID: 68fbf2

>>202414
im kinda panicking over this.

"as much as i would like to have a conversation in a even eye level, i had a bit of a wardrobe failure a few hours ago."

"you see, it seems the clothes i was found with are not compatible with warform. i do not wish to burden you, but pehaps you could be a gentlemen and loan me a piece of cloth while i arrange something more dignified for myself?"

"alas, have we met before, pehaps in a past lifetime? sadly, you strike me with a uncanny resemblance i cant remember."

>>202415
im also kinda panicking over this. ghosts can alter memories with somewhat ease, if he is a scholar its possible our state is because of him.
>>
No. 202443 ID: 1e9d01

Guys, we actually do still have clothes in our pack. Saullana took them off before she engaged warform.
>>
No. 202575 ID: 8d16ab

Not sure what to do about it, but as an advisory? I'd give three-to-one odds that he wants to see our human form to find out whether we're the girl who escaped from his house.
>>
No. 202594 ID: 2eac65

>>202413
>forget gevin. right now he is a liability, and having him running with the box or the bag is a bad idea no matter how much of a trick it is.
We have to give him the choice.

We should say we don't feel safe in human form and/or want to conserve what's left of our strength in case of emergencies. This implies we have little strength left, when we actually have nearly all of it left. Our lack of clothing won't be a good excuse, since he might just offer his robe to dress ourself.

Once Peregrin seems placated, ask him about something else, such as how long he's been ruling this land, or what sort of experiments he conducts.
>>
No. 202599 ID: c4c313

>>202413

Not a chance. You remember who the gangster was looking for? Some half naked girl with a collar and manacles? That's us. That's Saulanna. And this is the guy who's after us. Change into human form and we'll be lucky to wake up buried in a dungeon somewhere. More likely we won't wake up at all.

Right now we're in more danger than Gevin and his box. If we can't take war form at once, tell him to turn around while we dress. Gevin would probably be safer if we hurled him bodily (ghostily?) at the vampire wizard, than if that guy gets his hands on us.
>>
No. 202645 ID: 44ca5e

>>202377
Well, now, considering that we're Exalted and he probably is, too, a crick in the neck probably isn't likely to be a major concern to either of us. Besides, raccoons are adequate climbers, if I recall correctly, so if he really insists, we could probably climb to an eye-level branch.

But we should avoid giving too much information before we're sure he's trustworthy. As others have mentioned, he may be after Saulanna, so we shouldn't readily show him what we look like. (Actually, a lack of clothes is also one of an Exalt's lesser concerns; they would be the least of our defenses, really, and Saulanna hasn't shown signs of being particularily modest before.) But we shouldn't let him know now that we're naked, either, let's keep that to ourselves for now, as he doesn't really need to know if we're going to avoid turning human anyway. We probably shouldn't take our warform; we aren't quite sure he's an enemy, and if he's not, it may be construed as rude. And if he does turn out to be so, we shouldn't show our hand regarding that too soon.

So I suppose what Saulanna might do is climb a little way up a tree, and say something like this as she begins to:
"Oh come now, what's a crick in the neck to someone as powerful as you or I? Besides, good girls don't show their human forms to men they've just met!"
Oh, I don't know, perhaps with a wink to him at that last part?
>>
No. 202669 ID: 68fbf2

i am getting mixed messages here.

we camed out to talk to him because we estabilished we can resist him, however we are trying to get ghost dude to run off with the box thus beginning either battle or chase scenes, and we arent willing to actualy discuss anything?

my idea was using clothes as a form of leverage, to gather how friendly he is. it seems we have nothing much to talk to him, even the fact that he is exalted.

>>202645
say its bare human form and i approve of this =3

id also like to ask a few things:

"alas, have we met before, pehaps in a past lifetime? sadly, you strike me with a uncanny resemblance i cant remember."

what else could we ask him?
>>
No. 202754 ID: 2eac65

>>202669
I wasn't trying to avoid a conversation with him. I was trying to give Gevin a chance to escape. I came up with that plan before Peregrin asked us to change into a human; I expected that to come up later in the conversation.

>>202645
Yeah, it's a bad idea to show him our human form. I'd go with the excuse "we've just met, it's too soon for that". That will probably be the least suspicious one, and will let us change our mind later in the conversation.
>>
No. 202769 ID: 68fbf2

>>202754
its possible there are no other lunars around. if there are no other running slaves/candidates for exaltation it will be quite difficult for him to not assume we are the slave he is looking for.

id be willing to show mistrust rather that weakness (because he knows us better that we do) or willingness to befriend rather that mistrust, because he hasnt attacked us yet.

he either belives we are a match for him or he really need us alive. at that point, we also have to look for who he is in our memories. then yes we can worry with gevin and the music box, untill then leave them in our minds.

saulanna: take a good look at the gem on his chest.

wordblood: is it possible you can help us with the memory of him?

how do we roll for memory?
>>
No. 202779 ID: 2eac65

>>202769
I don't think he knows as much as you assume he does. He has no reason to believe we are the escaped prisoner, or that we got our powers after escaping; if we were, he'd expect us to remember him. He only knows that we're a Lunar running around his realm; for all he knows, we could be here for any number of reasons.

If we act like we don't know him, he'll be less suspicious of us. He might guess that we've lost our memory, though; be wary for that.
>>
No. 202910 ID: 2eac65

Okay, I think I've got a response worked out.

"We've only just met! It wouldn't be appropriate to show you that."

("That" ambiguously refers to either our human form or our nude body.)

"Besides, I've used up a lot of energy alread; I want to save what I have left."

(Implying that we are ordinarily much stronger but lacking in MP at the moment, neither of which is the case.)

And try and climb to a branch closer to eye level for him.

Think this will work?
>>
No. 202923 ID: 1e9d01

Oooh, we could also ask him to maybe take a seat somewhere, and we can climb up on a rock.
>>
No. 202927 ID: 2eac65

>>202923
On the grass? That would stain his suit!

If there's a conveniently-placed rock or stump nearby, we can brush it with our tail (a guest should be courteous to their host). Then he'd have a place to sit while we talk.

Or maybe we don't need to.
>>
No. 202946 ID: f4e4f9

Do not change back. DO NOT.

This guy is the same one that likely sent those goons after looking for you, the "half naked girl in manacles". As it is, he has no idea who you are, I suspect, aside from being a Lunar in the land of the dead.
>>
No. 202973 ID: c4c313

>>202910

Sounds good.
>>
No. 203113 ID: 68fbf2

>>202910
changing to human form most likely consumes no mana, he should be aware of that.

i agree with everything else, we just need a better excuse to not turn human. maybe even outright distrust.
>>
No. 203217 ID: 6f9d3f

Wait, are we positive we still have the backpack? I mean,
>>194665
seems to be the last we've seen it, (over her shoulder) and Saulanna didn't seem to have it with her when she ran off as seen here:
>>195055

Okay, it's at least been mentioned since then,
>>199018
but this matter just jumped out at me.
>>
No. 203223 ID: 2eac65

>>203113
We seem to have some intuitive understanding of our powers. If this is indeed true, we can expand the second line to:

"Besides, I've already got a perfectly good burrow. If I change now, I'll have to either find another place to sleep, or use up more energy changing back into this form. I'd rather save what I've got left in case of emergencies."

Or go with the old version, then this one if he doesn't buy it.

Also, cancel the escape plan for Gevin. It's far more likely to put us in danger than to get him out of it. Don't even ask him about it yet; if he agrees, it'll only lead to disappointment.
>>
No. 203904 ID: c68c04
File 127838851480.png - (58.80KB , 600x600 , peregrinsits.png )
203904

Saulanna offers a polite objection to the suggestion that she change form, citing reasons of formality and practicality. He makes a small show of being mildly abashed.

"I do apologize, I should have realized. What must you think of me?"

Before she can change her own position, Peregrin proceeds to carefully spread his cloak beneath him and sits himself down on the ground, as if settling in for a long conversation.

"Well," he says, "Since we're going to be doing some negotiating, I hope you'll not take it amiss if I ask more about you. You have such an unusual name, and I can't place your accent. Where are you from, Miss Rockblossom?"

>>202196
Safe in the confines of her mind, Saulanna asks Gevin what he wants to do.

"I'm... glad for the thought, but I think I'd rather stay in here, if it's all the same to you. I don't think anything of my chances for escaping, much less finding Ruive on my own."

"I, uh, think you have more important problems, anyway. Wordblood... ever since he did that, that thing to help you, he's sort of... not doing anything. At all."

>>
No. 203908 ID: e04045

"i'm not entirely sure, probably forgot because of my exaltation."
>>
No. 203913 ID: e973f4

>>203904
Tell him what you know. (That is, you don't.)

Also, uh, yeah, that's mildly concerning. Uh. Do we have some way of figuring out exactly what happened to him? Like is he having to "hold" in order to fight off the compulsion, or has he incapacitated himself, or what?
>>
No. 203914 ID: 1e9d01

>>203904
We're not from anywhere in particular. Family traveled a lot due to business, never staying in one place for long.
>>
No. 203915 ID: c4c313

We may not have any memories, but we have a map! Use BASIC WORLDLINESS to select a relatively unimportant village, and add that such things do not overly concern us, for our mission is to be AWESOME in the NAME of LUNA. Strike a pose as we finish this. We're trying to convince him that while off our rocker, we pose no threat to him or his territory and will likely be moving through to reach our IMPORTANT MISSION to the south once daybreak allows us to leave the shadowlands.
>>
No. 203917 ID: c4c313

>>203915

err, to the east. Large village to the east is a good place as any to head.
>>
No. 203919 ID: 8bdb6a

Admit our total amnesia, but then use the DELICIOUS SOUL KNOWLEDGE to avoid being manipulated.

I have no idea what to do about Wordblood. Maybe he just needs a rest? He could be dying, for all we know. Can you expend a point of Moon Power to sustain him?
>>
No. 203976 ID: 2eac65

>"I'm... glad for the thought, but I think I'd rather stay in here, if it's all the same to you. I don't think anything of my chances for escaping, much less finding Ruive on my own."
"I thought the same way. Still, we had to give you a choice."

>"I, uh, think you have more important problems, anyway. Wordblood... ever since he did that, that thing to help you, he's sort of... not doing anything. At all."
"He's probably hiding or resting. He's still there, right? Not dying?"
Let's hope he isn't hurt. It wouldn't be logical to kill himself just to delay this meeting a bit, right. There's no sense worrying about it now, though.

...So we dodge one arrow, only to be struck by its shadow. We're going to have to be very careful about this.

We cannot let him know we've lost our memories; that would make it far too easy for him to piece together that we're his escaped prisoner. His goons already saw us in raccoon warform with our chains still on us; if he hears their report, it's going to take some very clever lying to get out of.

My plan is to construct a simple, "standard" backstory that has nothing to do with his prisoner and will appear consistent at first glance. Then, if he sees through that, we can adopt a more elaborate lie that seems to explain our presence; if he believes he already knows our trick, he won't look as hard for the second trick.

Since we're already trying to give the impression that we've got a mission, let's further that impression:

"I'm from... somewhere north of here... I think."
>>
No. 204093 ID: 0499d6

>>203915

Excellent plan. While we're at it, pick a few names in advance for family and such, in case he asks.

Also, make sure that wherever we pick is somewhere far away - he suggested that our name is unusual for this area, so being local wouldn't make sense. This will also decrease any chances that he may know anything about wherever we choose.
>>
No. 204137 ID: f95872

>>203915
That's not what "Worldliness" means.
>>
No. 204229 ID: 2eac65

>>203915
I doubt that will work. Having an insane, overly enthusiastic Lunar running around is not going to seem like a good idea. Better to convince him that we're reasonable and don't intend to harm him.

Plus, he saw our soul fire heading north. That's why I suggested saying we were from the north: so that, if he asks, we can claim we're trying to return home.

If we need a name for our hometown, we shouldn't pick one that already exists; that runs the risk of using one he's familiar with. Instead, we should make up a name. There's bound to be at least a few villages in out-of-the-way spots nobody bothers to keep track of, and if he wants to know exactly where it is, we can claim we're kind of lost and don't know how to get there from here. Hence, the expression of uncertainty.
>>
No. 204303 ID: e5423a

If we're going to claim to be from an invented village, we might as well write what we know. (Heavy leaning on the fourth wall ahoy!):

We could say that we're from the town of Tiji Jan, off near the edges of the world. That town has a rather large "beast-blooded" population; indeed, it is said that a rabbit beast-blooded woman named Ruby was instrumental in the formation of the town.

The town of Tiji Jan is sort of an offshoot of (or refuge from) the much larger nearby city of Vor Jan, and still carries some of the culture of that place. You get all sorts in the Vor Jan area, from many different places, (which would explain Saulanna's unusual accent,) though it's often hard to tell people apart due to a defining custom of the area. The vast majority of the people, by choice, wear identical masks and are known collectively as "Nameless." Nameless people are often viewed by outsiders as more poorly-behaved than those who let their identities be known, and this contributes to the reputation of the most notorious and lawless district of Vor Jan, called "bi."

And as said before, the area has somewhat of a reputation to outsiders, so it can be hard to find people willing to admit they are going there. In fact, in this place, we haven't been able to find anyone who even claims to have heard of our home region. We are now most singularly lost. We have no idea where we are, where our hometown is, or even, really, exactly how we got here.

(We should also take care to specify that we do not want to GO to whatever invented place we may come up with, as a lie about our destination would be less stable, I think, should he try to help us.)

That is, if we claim to be from an invented place. Someone else may have another plan, and if it is better, we should of course go with it.
>>
No. 204329 ID: 2eac65

>>204303
Too many details will be hard to keep track of, and run the risk of not fitting into the timeline which we don't know. We should keep it simpler, like...

White Ring, a town named after the field of white flowers that surrounds it. It's said that the flowers protect the town from evil. We can't say much more than that, though, because when we were young, we were forced to leave the town for... some reason. Possibly slave traders. Now, we're mainly trying to survive, and possibly find our way back to check up on our hometown.

Of course, we shouldn't say all that right away. It wouldn't be appropriate to tell our life story to someone we just met.
>>
No. 204344 ID: 68fbf2

you guys do know he is trying to sweetalk salanna into serving him, right?

id go with >>203914 and anything else is gibberish until he proves he is friendly or we can overpower him.
>>
No. 204366 ID: 6c9d14

Claim that you are, in fact, from the moon.
>>
No. 204370 ID: 08a345
File 127847068728.png - (54.55KB , 600x600 , peregrinlistens.png )
204370

>>203919

Saulanna prods a dot of Moon Power towards Wordblood, and is relieved when it sinks in and she feels him stir in her mind. Her Soul Fire takes on an added radiance; Peregrin sees it happen, but remains silent, watching with perhaps a touch more wariness in his gaze.

>"I... I'm sorry, my lady... I overestimated myself, again."

Wordblood still sounds fatigued.

>"You understand, since I am so closely tied to language, to the way things can be made to mean... other, more complicated things... Trying to stop meaning is, for me, somewhat like a human trying not to breathe. I can do it, but it's not... healthy. Moreso than I realized. I keep forgetting how weak I am, as matters stand."

>>203976
>>204093
>>204303

Saulanna spins a short story, as befits introducing oneself, to describe a distant village and an itinerant lifestyle. The man listens in silence, seeming to weigh every word; when she's done, he speaks softly.

"Such a relatively... peaceful history. And I see you have no tattoos. I take it, then, that you are not aligned with the rest of your people. Other heroes of the moon, I mean. And since, I regret to say, I have never heard of you before, I guess you must be quite... new... to your power. Am I right?"

His manner is no less polite, but a large portion of the good humour seems to have suddenly leaked away. Crimson eyes view Saulanna with care and calculation.

"Would you care, then, to explain the message you left with my two underlings? They had quite a tale to tell."
>>
No. 204377 ID: 2eac65

So he already knows. Okay, now it's time to get serious.

Whoever we claim to be working for, we should make it seem like we're not actually allied to them so much as unwillingly indebted to them, and wouldn't be too opposed to betraying them.
>>
No. 204379 ID: d6cb21

>>204370
Oh my. Well, they were interfering with us, so we had to rough them up a bit. Nothing personal, you understand. And besides, that message was more to scare the bajeezus out of them than anything. One cant be too careful in these parts.

And be sure to remain in an amicable, polite, and socialable manner. This guy seems like he is (somewhat) reasonable, so we may be able to talk our way out of this encounter.
Also, use raccoon cuteness on him. I want to see him D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
>>
No. 204382 ID: d6cb21

>>204377
Also this.
>>
No. 204392 ID: c4c313

>>204370

What? When did we

>>194403

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
>>
No. 204397 ID: c00244

>>204370
>"Would you care, then, to explain the message you left with my two underlings? They had quite a tale to tell."
Backing our lie at this point would probably be silly. Come clean and try to play it off as something reasonable or amusing.
"Oh, I was just messing with them. I figured that anyone who was inclined to attack me without knowing anything about me didn't deserve the truth. I was rather hoping to be gone with nothing but a trail of confusion behind me by the time anything came of it."

>>204379
Agreed. We're physical tertiary, so we should always avoid violent confrontation when dealing with other exalts.

Speaking of our stats, we should be using our mind here, if we can manage it. We got some history, worldliness, and deathlore at >>194724; can we mix that with our perception of the current situation to make an educated guess or two about who (or what) this guy is beyond what he's said, what might have tipped him off about our background being bullshit- he seems skeptical- and possibly anything else that might be relevant. We're walking in the dark here, and it's highly uncomfortable.
>>
No. 204410 ID: c4c313

>>204370

Sorry, Wordblood! I'm sure we could figure out a way to turn that weakness in your favor. Maybe we can invent a language that only you know, so that you can hide in it if things get linguistically nasty. You don't want to be defeated by a bunch of punks sitting there deliberately babbling at you, do ya?

>>204397

I guess we might as well fess up that we made up some crap story based on what his goons were saying, just so that we could get a chance to meet him. Or no, no wait. Let's go with the lie! Ask him if he has what we want in exchange.

If he has, for instance, guaranteed freedom from himself and his lands by all previously manacled girls accidentally mind wiped by lunar goddesses, then we can work with him. If he has great riches if you only follow me to my dungeon lair, then we tear him to pieces.

If he asks us what we want, remember we said that he already knew. If he doesn't know already, then the deal's off, and we make a break for it!
>>
No. 204414 ID: c00244

> since I am so closely tied to language, to the way things can be made to mean... other, more complicated things...
I wonder, could Wordblood grant us the ability to hear the motivations behind what people say? Or to know what they mean, the way the "Caution: Hot" on a coffee cup means "Don't sue us for your own stupidity"? What would be required to gain such an ability?
>>
No. 204418 ID: 40cb26

>>204410
Make a new language? Interesting idea, although it seems a bit time consuming.

>>204370
Hey wordblood, would creating a language be useful to you? Does it have to be normal, or can it be somehow more abstract in meaning or drawn in glyphs? Or would it matter at all if it weren't commonly used?
>>
No. 204440 ID: 8bdb6a

Say, "Oh, that message? I made that up so we could talk, and so you wouldn't kill me from far away."

Give him a sheepish smile.

"Apologies for the deception. I'm in kind of a bad way. I just want to leave here alive. You should let me. You can probably kill me, but, maybe not. I could escape, or even kill you, perhaps, if I had no choice. I'm full of surprises. Still, I don't much see why you'd want to kill me. It's safer to let me go, and my death is no profit to you. If you do let me leave, I'll know you can be kind, not merely polite. If, on the other hand, I escape with one hand holding in my guts, I'll remember it as long as I live."
>>
No. 204442 ID: a594b9

>>204440
Oooh, saying we did that to get his attention is a good idea.
>>
No. 204474 ID: 2eac65

I have a feeling that admitting we were making it up is going to end very badly. Remember, while Peregrin Kaan may act like a gentleman, he is not a nice person. He runs a criminal empire, and the first thing he did in this encounter was try to mind control us.

Right now, there is one thing we absolutely do not want him to think: "This is the slave girl who escaped from me recently." He already guessed we've gotten our powers recently, possibly in his land, and we were seen wearing the same chains we escaped with. He's dangerously close to making the connection, and if he does, he's likely to capture us again just to be safe. We need something to distract him.

Plus, we killed and ate one of his henchmen. That's not something he's just going to laugh off.

Our best bet is to keep up the deception. Say that we had an obligation to... someone... to enter these lands and send a message to the man in control of them. We weren't told what the message meant.

"When I came upon your henchmen, they appeared to be simply a group of thugs taking advantage of an innocent traveler. I didn't realize you were employing them to protect these lands."

Then, when we realized who they worked for, we decided to leave our message with them.

If he brings up the thing about killing one of his minions, say this: "He tried to invade my mind. He was destroyed by my mental defenses before I could think to spare him."
>>
No. 204492 ID: c4c313

>>204474

Make that "someone" the Ebon Dragon and you've got yourself a story!
>>
No. 204497 ID: 2eac65

>>204492
Maybe, maybe not. We could claim we work for a band of Lunar elders - we're not "with" them, but we're forced to work for them - but that might mean trouble for them, and that's probably not a good thing if they're seen as heroes.

Or we could give him the name of one of the subsouls of the Dragon's Shadow, and act like we don't know who exactly it is, just that it's someone using the name. That could reinforce my original plan of directing the ghost mafia against itself, but that could leave them weak against the Lunars, who aren't necessarily as nice as we've heard.

We'll also have to explain our being seen in the prisoner's shackles. If it comes up, let's say that we were told to wear them in order to catch the regional lord's attention - though we were a bit unsure as to what kind of attention it would be.
>>
No. 204499 ID: df7322

>>204497
did you miss when they exploded? i doubt the thugs remember that detail otherwise this guy would of known who we are already.
>>
No. 204500 ID: 2eac65

>>204499
They probably did remember, since they were specifically looking for a girl in chains, and told us that themselves. Maybe they didn't, or didn't mention it to him, but we should have an answer ready just in case it comes up.
>>
No. 204533 ID: 6308c2

>>204392
i would like to join you in this reaction.

we have to show him the music box IF we are willing to pass wordblood away of this mess. at any other point, i agree with the bluff thing.

>>204492
dont mention ebon dragon. if we are to look in shape we definitively cannot be connected to ebil things. say its the elders in our borth village, and that we were human and healthy by then.

the tale ALMOST connects. you need to add a bit of endurance for the lunar exaltation.

something in the lines of we camed here to mostly ask for help to someone else, family and friends were left behind in a ill village a month ago, since we looked healthy we got sent to ask for medics. they had a few weeks to suceed but we wandered in the deathland and it threw us off course with its danger. after some time barely surviving we exalted and this began.

this is the most likely tale to be linked to a new lunar exaltation. problem is that lunars do not exalt for doing great deeds, but for surviving great ordeals. if we claim that we suceeded in making a living here, we are definitively done with the tale.

>>204500
she was with the ghost we protected, but fled before they were to meet. its how we runned into him, the slave pointed us to someone that knew the surroundings?

>>204497
lunar elders dont work that way. you either get tatoos (that hide themselves when your anima is low and in human form) or you die to make the exaltation reach someone else worthy of it.
>>
No. 204564 ID: 54af1f

Why are we negotiating with this obviously utterly evil critter? let's go war form and tear his face off then eat his heart.
>>
No. 204620 ID: 2eac65

>>204533
>we have to show him the music box IF we are willing to pass wordblood away of this mess
He doesn't know we have either of those. If he asks where the other ghost went, we can say we split up from him to avoid getting him into more trouble.

>dont mention ebon dragon. if we are to look in shape we definitively cannot be connected to ebil things.
Kaan works for the Dragon's Shadow. Or whatever he's called now. My plan for that is to ask Wordblood for the name of one of the Dragon's subsouls, then tell Kaan we're working on behalf of "someone who goes by that name".

>the tale ALMOST connects. you need to add a bit of endurance for the lunar exaltation.
We're not going to tell him everything about our life. I'm hoping to imply we were already a Lunar before we came here.

>she was with the ghost we protected, but fled before they were to meet. its how we runned into him, the slave pointed us to someone that knew the surroundings?
She was alive when she escaped. I'm hoping to imply that our "boss" has the girl he's looking for, but we ourselves aren't too familiar with her.
>>
No. 204625 ID: 2eac65

>>204564
Our physical stats are our lowest, and he has much more experience. We've been having trouble against normal ghosts; if we try to fight him, we're only likely to get ourself killed.

Apart from that, though, why negotiate with evil? There are many ways to answer that question. First, how sure are we that "evil" beings are really evil? They could simply have a different perspective on things. And even if they are evil, that doesn't mean they're irredeemable; with the right words, it's possible to convince someone to show compassion to others.

But what if we can't? Even if we can't keep people from being selfish and cruel, that doesn't mean destroying them is the right thing to do. All beings have their own hopes, dreams, feelings, and desires. Just because one person doesn't care about others doesn't mean we don't have to care about them. Destroying evil isn't always the best option; it's often better to enter an agreement which benefits both parties.


So that's why it's not always best to destroy evil.
>>
No. 204627 ID: c00244

>>204564
Because we're mental primary and social secondary, that's why. We are better at talking through things than fighting them out, when relating to others on our level. Considering that this guy has already shown magical abilities that we only resisted thanks to Wordblood, it's a good bet that he'd tear us apart in a straight-up fight.
>>
No. 204636 ID: 54af1f

>>204625
>>204627

He looks like a social himself, not a combatant, indeed, that seems to be his thing, and we can turn into a giant werewolf.

Also, as for him maybe not being evil... he's a death knight. He's evil.
>>
No. 204637 ID: 8bdb6a

If he doesn't agree to let us go, we should spend 1 TW on Agility and then attack him. He knows we're new, so he probably won't expect that.
>>
No. 204684 ID: d6cb21

>>204636
Wereraccoon
>>
No. 204706 ID: 7df93f
File 127855429250.png - (56.04KB , 600x600 , peregrinmmhmm.png )
204706

Saulanna insinuates that she is a largely ignorant messenger, told to speak without being told why, and that her interference with his men was born of noble intent. That on the way, she suffered hardships, and was rewarded by Luna for surviving. She places the source of the message as an entity of mystery and distance, and with a few suggestions from Wordblood, tries to drop subtle hints of some great magical power behind it.

Peregrin puts on an expression of mild perplexity; some of his good mood seems to return.

"How strange," he begins. "I don't know anyone who would know of the lady in question; I keep to myself, down here, for the most part. Perhaps somebody I don't know of, but in that case... well, I very much doubt they'd want anything of mine in trade for her."

His voice turn more friendly and conversational, and his eyes drift, as if contemplating the past.

"The poor dear certainly did escape on her own, I know that... though I wonder if she knew what she was doing. She's lost her memory, you see. Completely blanked. Being a danger to herself, I've had to keep her for some time, for her own good; myself being closest to her when she lost her mind, I felt she was my responsibility. I had been giving her treatments. I can't imagine how she must feel running around out here, all by herself. Alone. Not knowing who she is, or where she came from, without me to inform her..."

His eyes slide back onto Saulanna's face again.

"You wouldn't know where she is... would you?"
>>
No. 204707 ID: df7322

of course not, you have seen nothing but ghosts and zombie ghosts.
>>
No. 204708 ID: e973f4
File 127855469471.png - (18.05KB , 300x300 , 127691820783.png )
204708

>>204706
"Sorry, I have no idea."

Pic related.
>>
No. 204709 ID: 34470e

Okay, seriously. Archive this beast of a thread. It's OVER 1000!
>>
No. 204713 ID: c4c313

Express sadness; such a helpless and innocent girl should be easy to find, so you can't hold out much hope she is still alive. Tell him you will look out for her though, and console him to hope for the best. He's done all he can, and that's an admirable quality in a man.

Do **not** promise we will retrieve her, or that we'll do anything concrete like notify him or spill the beans. If he asks us to, just say we'll do our best.
>>
No. 204714 ID: 8bdb6a

Nope. You haven't heard of her.

Ask who she was. Try and sound like you're just being compassionate and/or polite, since he obviously cares about this person (who we definitely have never heard of before!) and we obviously just want to stay on his good side.

If he brushes off the question, politely take your leave. Head for the northwestern village.
>>
No. 204721 ID: a594b9

>>204706
Point out that there must've been some reason for her to want to escape; perhaps the treatments were unpleasant?
>>
No. 204724 ID: 9f36e6

i was going to post before the update. but then i saw update and id like to say, he is trolling us.

very hard.

like, immensurabely hard.

so hard, he may knows us as his soulmate.

also the thugs faced saulanna with the shackles and no tatoos. its pretty certain that he knows its us.

>>204636
it doesnt happen like that. he is a EXPERIENCED exalt first of all. if he wanted us dead we would be dead simply because abyssals are battle specialized. even if we have physical tertiary and can turn into a wereracoon, he has spells and other skills to fight us with his primary attributes. also, he seems to have some magical items with him. of couse we should not befriend every dammed beast in front of us, but its not like we should bite him just because he is the nigger equivalent of a solar exalted

also, unlike solars or lunars, abyssals are picked by deathlords, wich are known for picking up procastinators, sinners and other people not that attatched to service, maybe because they arent themselves. he could become a ally if he remember him from the lunar exaltation, he could be our destined soulmate.

if we are his soul exaltation, he may not know of it, even as a experienced exalt. however, if he knew the running slave was his soulmate, its possible he is toying with us, as he can use that link to find us. wich seems to be the case.

if we are going to fight, nab the gem on his bowtie then run. we cant win a fight and we have not a single clue of from where we remember him.

if we are going to fight, nab the gem on his bowtie then run. we cant win a fight and we have not a single clue of from where we remember him.

>That on the way, she suffered hardships, and was rewarded by Luna for surviving.
before or after the thug meeting? did i just failed reading comprehension or saulanna gaved the gold?
> and with a few suggestions from Wordblood, tries to drop subtle hints of some great magical power behind it.
nowai. now we have huge problems if he recognizes us as the slave. wich he should already.
>>
No. 204728 ID: 7df93f
File 127855909114.png - (55.60KB , 600x600 , peregrinapologise.png )
204728

Saulanna asks - casually, as an idle concern - about this missing woman's past. Peregrin smiles faintly.

"I doubt she would appreciate it if I started to tell all, right now."

Well, that's enough of that. Making a show of wanting to get on with herself, Saulanna politely prepares to withdraw. Peregrin sees this and, to her mild surprise, seems unconcerned: he even bows, part-way, as he still sits.

"Of course," he says, "I wouldn't want to hinder you. I can only offer my apology..."
>>
No. 204730 ID: 7df93f
File 127855912972.png - (59.60KB , 600x600 , peregrinflowers.png )
204730

His hand flicks, and black roses suddenly appear.

"... for disturbing you, if you will accept it."
>>
No. 204731 ID: c4c313

WELL THAT'S NOT CREEPY AT ALL
>>
No. 204732 ID: e973f4

>>204730
As politely as you possibly can, decline his present on account of you have absolutely no idea what you're supposed to do with them. :V
>>
No. 204733 ID: df7322

accept his gift and thank him for being understanding about this whole thing. carry them in your mouth i guess? and get moving.
>>
No. 204735 ID: 1e8ba0

admiralakbar.jpg
>>
No. 204738 ID: c4c313

if this isn't a trap I'll eat my tripcode.
>>
No. 204743 ID: d6cb21

>>204730
I dont think those flowers are exactly safe. But it really is a nice gesture. He isnt so bad, for an abyssal. I bet he's our exalt soulmate. That would be so damn ironic.
>>
No. 204745 ID: d6cb21

ALso, do cute raccoon stuff when he gives you the roses. Be endearing.
>>
No. 204749 ID: a594b9

>>204730
Accept the roses, telling him that's sweet of him but it's really not a big deal. It was nice talking to someone as interesting as he is.

DO NOT SMELL THE ROSES. Pretend that you did.
>>
No. 204750 ID: 8bdb6a

Take one. There's a very real, very serious chance that it's some kind of weird trick, but we're a powerful demon-augmented lunar exalt now, and thus not afraid of flowers.
>>
No. 204752 ID: 29ddd8

>>204738
Ok, whatever trap this was, you have to delay it just so that I can see this guy eat his Trip Code. I am holding you to this.
>>
No. 204754 ID: 620bfb

Seems legit. I wanna see someone try eating a tripcode.
>>
No. 204761 ID: 45be60

Take one flower and wear it!
>>
No. 204771 ID: 67e8ff

Wake up. Realize this has been a dream and he's not trying to get you to literally smell roses.
>>
No. 204796 ID: c00244

>>204730
Thank him for being a gracious host, whatever else we do.

If we really want to find out our past, we can use Wordblood's abilities to create some sort of "Power Word: Remember" ability. In addition to filling us in on our origins, such a thing could potentially be useful as an offensive or utility power by making other people get lost in memory, recall details, or feel emotions they'd long gotten over. Just a suggestion for later.
>>
No. 204798 ID: 2eac65

"That's very kind of you. Thank you. You're a very interesting person."

Note to self: This is most likely not kind of him. Accept these flowers with extreme caution.

"If I ever find some sign of this girl you're looking for, I'll be sure to do whatever I can to help her."

Which means keeping her - that is, ourself - safe from him. If he was kind to her, she wouldn't have tried to escape.

Also notice that he doesn't particularly mind that we ate one of his minions. Either he's a bit too understanding, or he has little respect for human afterlife. The latter is a much safer bet.

...Well, that turned out better than I thought it would. After he leaves would be a good time to talk with Luna, but after finding our way out of one minefield of a conversation, I don't feel like going straight into another. Let's just put the flowers somewhere that isn't downwind of our burrow and curl up to sleep off all this stress. Maybe we can talk in the morning.

One last note: Apologize to Wordblood for asking him to do something so painful.
>>
No. 204921 ID: 166e8f

kinda creepy but better that expected. except this makes no sense at all.

refuse the roses claiming that you dont want more snacks, proceed to the village on the north.
>>
No. 204933 ID: f4963f

>>204921
Ooh, I like this. Yes, tell him we're full, but thank you.
>>
No. 204989 ID: 42838c

>>204921
Not sure that'd work. He might just tell us to take some for later.
>>
No. 204993 ID: 6a5a08

Tell him we're allergic to roses, then give a cute raccoon sneeze.
>>
No. 204994 ID: 6a5a08

Also, I do believe giving of black roses means you want someone to die... or something like that.
>>
No. 205001 ID: 716eb0

>>204994
A single black rose is the symbol/calling card of many assasin guilds across the multiverse. The association with death is there, but I think, given the location and person we are talking to, the meaning may be nothing more specific than general association with death.
>>
No. 205024 ID: 2eac65

We've already pressed his hospitality far enough. Declining his gift is too much of a risk.

>>204921
There isn't a village to the north. There's a river to the north, and villages to the east and west. And if we leave now, we'll have to leave our pack behind.
>>
No. 205028 ID: f4e4f9

Heh, Black Roses have a number of connotations (note: THey're not actually black, but such deep red as to be nearly indistinguishable).

Two of the big interpreted meanings are:

1. Death. A declaration of Vengeance.

2. Death of old habits, or rebirth.
>>
No. 205071 ID: d1a99e

>>205024
oh yeah we where hoping to pass the night here. well we can still pick our backpack and go to any village, or simply call it a night and burrow.

i feel he will be a magnifcient bastard and invite us to his home. if this happens, i have a good excuse to now show uselves in our human form, even tho im pretty sure he knows who we are. the wyld had tainted us before, so we would like to keep a bit of humility and not turn human. if asked what mutations we got we should say petty stuff like patches of fur and claws.

about black roses, im pretty sure that he cant grow living roses in the deathland.

i remember how to make that parlor trick. its with folded plastic flowers =3 also im this close from believing he is a plot device.
>>
No. 205103 ID: 42838c

Oh, right!

It is not considered impolite to, when one is offered flowers in one's home, ask the person offering them to leave them in a nearby vase, correct? So the receiver does not actually need to touch them? Well, we obviously don't have a vase, but the spirit can remain the same.

Saulanna can say something like: "Oh! They're lovely! Thank you, sir! Just set them by the den, if you please, and I'll see to them before I go.

Goodbye, then, sir. Should we meet again, I hope it shall be under more convenient circumstances." (Or some similar polite farewell.)

If necessary, Saulanna might intimate that she has a couple of things to do before she actually sets off, and this would be to justify our not touching or smelling the roses before he has left. (What sort of things? I don't know. Fixing up the den a bit, washing her hands, or other innocuous and generally raccoony stuff.)
>>
No. 205348 ID: 8bdb6a

Also, make a mental note that this person was evidently your owner when you were a slave, or else your captor when you were a prisoner. Either way, he's clearly a bad person. (If his exaltation didn't make that obvious)

Later, you'll kill him and eat his soul. After you've grown stronger. For now, deception will suffice.

You're here to kick ass in Luna's name. This deathland is a blight on the world, and is therefore an ass in desperate need of kicking, as soon as you get strong enough. Finding and eating evil ghosts is the best way to do that.
>>
No. 205486 ID: 2eac65

>>205348
Hold on. That's a lot of unnecessary assumptions.

>Also, make a mental note that this person was evidently your owner when you were a slave, or else your captor when you were a prisoner. Either way, he's clearly a bad person.
That's very true.

>(If his exaltation didn't make that obvious)
His powers don't make him evil. There's no reason they can't be used for a better purpose, as far as we know. What matters is what people do with power. People would be just as afraid of us if they knew what we were capable of. For instance, this:

>Later, you'll kill him and eat his soul.
We don't know that's the best way to handle him. There could be a way to teach him to use his power for a better purpose. Perhaps he has a small bit of genuine kindness that can drive him to guilt and repentance.

>You're here to kick ass in Luna's name.
That is what she commanded of us (and I don't recall getting a choice in the matter). Who's to say that her code is the right one?

>This deathland is a blight on the world,
Which world? Maybe it's harmful to the living world, but it lets people come and go from the land of the dead. The world might be better off with shadowlands than without them.
>>
No. 205487 ID: 8e2486

>>205486
by 'his exaltation' he means the fact that the guy is an abyssal, who's job is pretty much try to blow up creation itself.
>>
No. 205490 ID: 8e7d2a

>>205487
That still doesn't make him EVIL, it just means he may very probably have an evil boss and his very presence sickens the world, and he probably has a somewhat twisted outlook on life.

But a great deal of Abyssals aren't EVIL.

That said, you two? Probably won't get along.
>>
No. 205532 ID: f4e4f9

>>205490
The vast majority are horrible monsters.
>>
No. 205603 ID: 076306
File 127873021446.png - (61.39KB , 600x600 , saulannaflowers1.png )
205603

Wary of trickery yet not wanting to appear suspiciously suspicious, Saulanna accepts Peregrin's apology, but politely reminds him that she's not in a position to take the flowers with her.

"Ha ha. Of course," he chuckles, and sets them down beside her. She eyes them for a moment, but they seem innocuous.

She draws a breath and asks-
>>
No. 205604 ID: 076306
File 127873028495.png - (55.41KB , 600x600 , saulannaflowers2.png )
205604

psshhhhhhh
>>
No. 205606 ID: f21281

>>205604
I TOLD YOU MAN.

I TOLD YOU ABOUT FLOWERS.
>>
No. 205607 ID: 8e2486

EXHALE WHILE JUMPING BACK!
>>
No. 205608 ID: 67c611

Assume warform. Use 6 points of power to upgrade all around and rip this motherfucker a new one. I don't care for an explanation. We can kill him so we do.

Ask WordBlood about eating or absorbing him.
>>
No. 205611 ID: 8156a3

damn it lunar girl

you gotta know

abyssals that are hot are gonna trick you, that's why they're hot

that's why
>>
No. 205616 ID: e67770

>>205532
actualy vast majority of abyssal exalted are useless POS. those that are dangerous where before, like serial killers.

example of useless exalted includes superwhores whose goal in life is to outwhore someone else and emoboys that want to get even for the bullying they had.

saulanna: use 6 motes to buff physical. get to warform and attempt to steal the gem on his bowtie, then leg it.

wordblood: attempt to keep saulanna awaken. dig trhu memories of thug whatever you can find og pilgrin.

gevin: panic.

pilgrin: its time for your trademarked evil laughter followed by a short, anticlimatic battle while you explain your nefarious plans.
>>
No. 205625 ID: 8e2486

can't use all six points. use 1 to up endurance, maybe you can shake off this gas?
>>
No. 205630 ID: 6a5a08

Unleash the wrath of a thousand rabid raccoons, twenty angry squirrels, and one very unhappy gorilla!
>>
No. 205639 ID: 2eac65

Why did we stand directly in front of them? When dealing with potentially poisonous flowers, that's one thing you want to avoid.

Put the gas inside our Inner Den. If we can put a box larger than us in it, it should work on this.

If that doesn't work, boost our Endurance to shake it off, or our mental attributes to keep our focus. Then fake losing consciousness, in preparation to catch him by surprise.
>>
No. 205642 ID: 42838c

D'oh! I thought they were gas flowers, almost KNEW they were gas flowers, (because what other kind of trap could they be?) Yet I didn't think to say anything about somehow increasing our resistance to such things. Well, mainly because I didn't and still don't know how, or even if we could, but now that seems to be the first thing we need to do, if we can.

Our first priority, of course, would be not to die. That gas might be lethal, (though I very much doubt it's meant to be,) so avoiding it's effects are our foremost objective now. Exhale, of course, and if there is anything among our various types of abilities that will allow us to resist or defend ourselves from a sort of gas attack, use it! (Someone more knowledgeable than I am may be able to say what could be used, if anything, perhaps? I don't even know what would be done in regular Exalted...)

Second, if at all possible, assume warform and other combat enhancements. Prepare for battle against not just Kaan, but any minions of his who may be lurking nearby.

Now, I don't expect Saulanna to actually get this far. I expect the gas to take effect very soon, and even if she could take her warform, I'd expect she'd just about immediately collapse.

But she should still assume the warform if possible at all, even if she won't be able to land a blow, because by Diego, we're certainly not going to make ourselves easy to carry away!
>>
No. 205644 ID: 42838c

Oh! Almost forgot:
Ahem.
"KAAAAAAAAAN!"
>>
No. 205652 ID: c4c313

Ah, and I was hungry too.

GODDAMIT WAR FORM AND FFFF AND RUN
>>
No. 205655 ID: e67770

>saulanna: use 6 motes to buff physical
read: use 6 motes to buff whatever protects versus poison. proceed to steal the gem in his bowtie then run like the IRS is out to collect you.
>>
No. 205656 ID: 8e2486

>>205655
>[went to dis thread and skipped posts]
>>
No. 205657 ID: a594b9

War form is a good start, here.

Wordblood: Can you use Titan's Will to make her immune to poison and other chemical agents?
>>
No. 205658 ID: c4c313

>>205655

Don't use six motes that's like half our power. Two motes should be more than enough. We need to boost more than just poison resistence if we're going to get out of this without getting captured!
>>
No. 205659 ID: 8e2486

[GOD DAMMIT! everyone go look at the dis thread before making plans, some tips were put up by jukashi]
>>
No. 205661 ID: c4c313

>>205659

>Tells people to go to /dis/ instead of linking to it
>fail

>>/questdis/318207
>>
No. 205667 ID: e67770

>>205658
we are not fighting. our best hope is to actualy run like fuck.

>>205657
power word stop and immunity? im almost certain immunity is too much. maybe cure or recover?
>>
No. 205672 ID: 42838c

>>205667

For running, still, warform would probably be best. A raccoon's top ground speed is apparently only 15 mph/24 kph, which I believe is less than the top speed of a human and probably of a Goliath-sized raccoon-woman, whom I'd guess would be the fastest of the three availible forms.

Also, (and I have no real basis within the rules of this world for saying this, but here goes,) perhaps taking warform may reduce the effect of the gas. If Peregrin was smart, and wasn't trying to kill Saulanna, he wouldn't have used so much knockout gas as to be lethal to a small raccoon. But perhaps the amount of the gas in Saulanna's system might be enough to bring her down quickly as a regular little raccoon, but only enough to maybe daze a, well, Goliath-sized raccoon-woman?

Now, that's almost certainly irrelevant, not the way it works, and all that, but it's just a thought I had. I can't say I truly know how magic and shapeshifting would interact with dosage amount.
>>
No. 205686 ID: 8bdb6a

Exhale and backflip away, the movement causing the gas to disperse in your wake. Transition to Warform mid-leap, the increase in mass altering your spin and trajectory just enough that you land perfectly in a ready crouch.

Craft a Word of Power: Escape!

>>205606
>I TOLD YOU ABOUT FLOWERS.
IT KEEPS HAPPENING!
>>
No. 205712 ID: 2eac65

Problem against running: we have part of Ruive's diary in our backpack. If we leave it behind, she could be put in danger. We have to at least do something about that.

Another problem: We haven't got a place to run to. Leave the forest, and we'll be in open terrain and still on fire. Peregrin will have no problem tracking us.

So we can't escape now. Another option is to fight him. Instead of turning into warform right away, we can pretend to be affected by the poison and drift unconscious. Then we'll have a chance at a surprise attack. At worst, he'll try and finish us off, but that won't be any worse for us than overtly starting a fight.
>>
No. 205713 ID: e2d0a6

>>205604
thank god you already took a breath and was about to speak. You didn't inhale when it gassed cause you were about to exhale while speaking.

RUN LIKE THE WIND!
>>
No. 205724 ID: 42838c

The problem with fighting him here and now is that he has almost every advantage except perhaps sheer physical strength. He's certainly more experienced and powerful than Saulanna is; he could have goons waiting nearby, or other backup, and he was more prepared to deal with Saulanna than Saulanna was to deal with him; he may have other tricks up his sleeve.

This was really not a good position for Saulanna to end up in, but I'm not sure how she could have avoided it after Kaan showed up.

In any event, we are certainly getting ahead of ourselves here! We need to make sure Saulanna gets through the gas now, and as I am completely unfamiliar with how that could be done in any form of Exalted, I'm afraid I'm no use here, so I'll leave this matter to more knowledgeable folk.
>>
No. 205726 ID: 0a290e

>>205604
Hold your breath until out of the gas, shake out any that might be trying to hang about, then exhale. Would warform be better for escape? We might need to disable this guy first, as I doubt we can outright beat him. Perhaps we can get his flowers away from him and use them against him?

(I hope there's not a contact vector for the gas, too...)
>>
No. 205732 ID: 40cb26

Wordblood, craft POWER WORD: WIND, and we'll blow it right back into his face! And give us some possibly useful utility for later.
>>
No. 205737 ID: 2eac65

If boosting our Endurance won't stop the poison, create this:

Power Word: Cleanse (Removes foreign substances and magical effects from the target)

and try to cast it subtly. If he learns we have Power Words, he could learn we have Wordblood.

If we're going to escape, I have a plan for that: run down our burrow and use Inner Den on the bag, then keep digging in. Give the impression that we're trying to escape by going underground, so he won't suspect we have Inner Den.
>>
No. 205738 ID: 8e2486

>>205737
not just that it would do anything that cleaning could apply to. super high lvls could do something crazy. i approve this one.
>>
No. 205742 ID: 40cb26

>>205737
Oh yeah that sounds more useful, changing my suggestion to seconding this.
>>
No. 205808 ID: e67770

>>205737
if power word stop wont work to stop the poison from working, i approve of this as well.
>>
No. 205846 ID: 42838c

>>205737

We can't dig that fast. Even moles can only dig at a rate of about "12-15 feet (~4-5 meters) per hour," and I don't believe raccoons are natural diggers even to that extent. If we go into the den without definitely incapacitating or killing Kaan, we'll be cornered, at best.

I do suppose I agree that creating and using a Power Word seems to be the best option to protect Saulanna, so "Cleanse" sounds good to me.

So I suppose my final recommendation for what Saulanna should do would be fourfold:
1. Exhale (I now believe it may be significant that she took a breath before Kaan gassed her; let's use every little advantage we can, and this ought to come first, to try to avoid inhaling as much of the gas as we can,)
2. Jump back, (same purpose as above,)
3. Use anti-gas Power Word, (as soon as possible, if we needn't wait, we shouldn't.)
4. Assume warform.
>>
No. 205861 ID: 2eac65

>>205846
>We can't dig that fast.
I didn't mean to escape by digging. That's just a trick to hide our bag.

>I do suppose I agree that creating and using a Power Word seems to be the best option to protect Saulanna, so "Cleanse" sounds good to me.
Only if there's no other option. If we can power through it using Endurance, we should.

If there's no way to resist the gas, then as a last resort we can have Gevin pop out and run off with us. But that plan should be avoided, for obvious reasons; I'm just noting it for completion's sake.

Your plan seems good, except that instead of assuming warform immediately, we should feign unconsciousness to lure him closer for an ambush. We need to press every advantage we can, and even if we decide to run, causing him some injury with a surprise attack could cause him a crucial delay.
>>
No. 205879 ID: e67770

>>205861
its also possible he wasnt lying about the labyrinth. we should not dig.

i suggest to forget the bag. if we somehow try to fetch it we will be cornered by peregin in the hole.

i liked the idea of ambushing him, but this needs to not use motes to resist the poison. id say we should just run after using a power word to hinder the poison and possibly peregin.
>>
No. 205880 ID: 42838c

>>205861

>I didn't mean to escape by digging. That's just a trick to hide our bag.

Fair enough. My concern with that plan is how we'd get out of the den. If we haven't incapacitated Kaan, we've trapped ourselves and left ourselves vulnerable to any of his many tricks or attacks. He may just, say, decide to flood the den with more of that gas, for example. If we HAVE incapacitated him by the time we retrieve the bag, then why pretend to dig? (We could also leave ourselves vulnerable to any backup he's brought. He has minions, we know that, so I would recommend that we be at least aware of the possibility that he may not have come alone.)

>If we can power through it using Endurance, we should.

Oh, is that how we might otherwise avoid the gas's effects? Well, if you or anyone else know of a better or cheaper way to avoid the effects of this gas, I'm all for it, so long as it's effective. I just went with what I did because I knew of no other way, though I fully admit that's just because of gaps in my knowledge.

>instead of assuming warform immediately, we should feign unconsciousness to lure him closer for an ambush.

Also fine with me, though it looks to me that he may be close enough for an immediate attack by warform anyway. I also fear that the risk he'd do something else to us in the time we spend waiting for him to come closer may outweigh the benefits of a split-second more for a surprise attack.

And I'll just say this generally again: Our foremost immediate priority by far is avoiding the effects of the gas; we shouldn't skimp on our first attempt to shake it off, as we may only get one shot at it, if that, and if we get poisoned or knocked out, then all our plans for what to do next are for naught.
>>
No. 205884 ID: 2eac65

>>205879
>i suggest to forget the bag.
That isn't an option. If he finds that bag, he'll know what our goal is. Even if we escape, that won't only put us in danger, it'll put Ruive in danger too. We can't endanger an innocent person we're trying to help, that's why we need to shake off the gas and keep our bag away from Kaan.

>i liked the idea of ambushing him, but this needs to not use motes to resist the poison.
Right, because it'd increase our Soulfire again. Hopefully, he'll conclude that we tried to resist with magic, but weren't strong enough (which might in fact be the case). If he doesn't, well, we're no worse off.

>>205880
Yeah, that plan to retrieve our bag leaves us too vulnerable. I had hoped he would try and drag us out by our tail, or something similar to that, but he has too many options to risk it.

>Oh, is that how we might otherwise avoid the gas's effects?
I'm not too sure myself. I think it might work, but the gas might be too strong to overcome even with boosted Endurance. If we need more help, we could use some words of encouragement:

Focus, Saulanna. Concentrate. You can't lose consciousness. You can't leave yourself vulnerable. If you let him overcome you, you'll be helpless. There's no telling what he'll do to you. You are free now. We can't let you be captured again. We won't be an experiment. We are not a toy. We are free now. Our mind is strong. Our thoughts are clear. Concentrate, Saulanna. Focus.
>>
No. 205914 ID: 42838c

You know, I feel that the risks that Ruive will come to harm if we leave the pack behind are less than the risks that both we and Ruive will come to harm if we stick around too long. Think about it: if we run, he comes back and finds the pack and the diary page. If we corner ourselves or fight ineffectively, he catches us and probably finds the pack and diary page, too.

But I just remembered something. The pack need not just be a liability for us, and we mightn't be defenseless if we dive into the den. The pack, remember, provided that nothing has fallen out, contains the diary page, Saulanna's clothes, and THE FLARE GUN.

So an alternate plan might go thus: After Saulanna has avoided the gas, (and I am leaning towards "Power Word: Cleanse" or synonym as that seems to be the surest way to avoid it, and we need something that strong, I think,) Saulanna could dive into the den to get the pack. But once she has it, she should tear through it as fast as possible until she extracts the flare gun. Then, provided that Kaan is coming after her and trying to grab her out of the den, or even still just sitting outside, we SHOOT HIM IN THE FACE WITH IT. (We can use it, I think, since we have its last owner's memories.)

Now, that's unlikely to kill him, or even to hurt him, as this is Exalted, Land of the Perfect Defenses and so forth, but the flash!-bang! could be enough to render him insensate or dazed for just long enough for us to sprint out of there.

He's probably prepared for us to try many things. Shooting him is probably not something he's expecting.

Now, I wouldn't say this is the best or safest course of action. I think it could be "Crazy Awesome," heavy emphasis on the crazy, and there's many ways it could go wrong. What if the flare gun is lost? What if we can't get it out of the pack in time? What if he tries to gas us again while we're in the den? (If we use a Power Word to avoid the gas the first time, I THINK we might use it again to avoid further uses, while relying on Endurance or something else may be overwhelmed by a second exposure, but I'm of course not sure.) We wouldn't be able to defend against other magical means of extracting us, I don't think, and if goons show up, we'd be in more trouble, of course.

So even though I doubt this is the best plan, I just hope someone else might find the image of a vampire magician reaching into a badger sett only to be shot in the face by a raccoon with a flare gun to be amusing, at least.
>>
No. 205954 ID: 2eac65

>>205914
Good plan, except that there hasn't been any mention of us still carrying the flare gun in our pack, just our clothes and the note.

Thinking back, even if we do retrieve the note in our pack, Peregrin could find out about Ruive by searching her house. It had diary pages scattered all over. But if he built a Manse there and has its heart, he may have already looked inside. Still, if we have a chance to get our pack, we should.
>>
No. 205957 ID: 42838c

>>205954
It was mentioned as being put in the pack here:
>>194665
So long as it hasn't fallen out or been removed since then, (and I don't recall any mention of that offhand,) it should still be in the pack in the den.
>>
No. 205964 ID: 2eac65

Right, I forgot that. I only looked up to the part where we planned to escape.

Okay, new plan:

Shake off the effects, but pretend to be weakened. Go into the hole, retrieve the gun from our pack and put the pack (or, failing that, just the note) in our Inner Den. Clutch onto the gun, but try and slow our breathing and heart rate so it seems like we're losing consciousness. Hopefully, he'll pull us out to investigate. Then we shoot him in the face.

Or we could put the whole pack in our Inner Den, then pull out just the flare gun, if that's possible.
>>
No. 205965 ID: de5d0f
File 127880348049.png - (72.24KB , 600x600 , getback.png )
205965

The gas is powerful stuff - for a moment, Saulanna feels consciousness dim, despite only catching the furthest edge of a breath of it. She leaps back and quickly shifts herself into her War Form, spreading the drug through a much larger body, and Moon Boosts her Toughness.

It works! Her body fights off the gas' worst effects, leaving only a dull fuzz around her thoughts to betray its presence in her system. The Boost won't last too long, though, and she wouldn't want to be exposed to any more. She-
>>
No. 205966 ID: de5d0f
File 127880350595.jpg - (44.34KB , 600x600 , ow.jpg )
205966

Gnnnh!!
>>
No. 205971 ID: 701a19

>>205966
STAY AWAKE! Flee! Or turn around and rip his throat out!
>>
No. 205974 ID: d3dfb8

BOOST TOUGHNESS!
RIP OFF HIS HEAD AND SHIT DOWN HIS NECK
>>
No. 205976 ID: f21281

>>205966
If you have any sort of teleportation ability, now would be the time to use it.
>>
No. 205977 ID: 40cb26

Wordblood try to keep her conscious! Saulanna turn around and gut that asshole! Gevin continue to be usele- I mean, stay hidden!
>>
No. 205978 ID: f4963f

runrunrunrunrun!!!1

run saulannas!!1 run run run away from stinky doom flowers of not nicings!
>>
No. 205979 ID: a594b9

Get out of the immediate area! Start jumping around and grabbing trees to bounce off of and stuff.
>>
No. 205980 ID: 2eac65

Well, so much for deception. Looks like we're officially in a fight now.

If it's that potent, it should be effective on him, too. Grab a handful of gas and shove it in his face. Put our weight into it, so if he dodges, you can shift into a leap over him. If we catch him between ourselves and the gas, he'll be in a bad position.

Don't use any magic right away, but be prepared to trigger Flowing Defense is he attacks again.
>>
No. 205986 ID: 42838c

Aw man, we're not going to shoot him!

No matter, our primary objective at this point is to stay conscious, so perhaps we should boost Toughness again, if necessary?

We should also keep in mind that he's fast. He was in front of us when he activated the flowers, but we just jumped back and suddenly he was behind us. If we can keep consciousness without another boost, we should probably boost Speed, (not sure that's the right term, but you know what I mean,) to keep up with him.

And as for what we should try to do to him, I'm not sure... Wrench the stick out of his hands and return the favor. Or grab him and dunk him in his own drug. Or just go for the face again.

Bottom line, he just challenged a Lunar in War Form to physical combat. We now have far more advantages than we did before; we just need to stay awake to use them.
>>
No. 205989 ID: 42838c

Oh, there I go forgetting things again.

While we attack, (if we do manage to,) we should say something like this to him, which would explain why we bothered to speak with him for as long as we did: "And I thought you could be a gentleman!"
>>
No. 205990 ID: 2eac65

Alternate plans:

If we can't get enough in our palms, use Inner Den to place some gas in our mindspace through our leg. Then push it out of our hand right in his face.

If the above trick won't work with gas, do it with the flowers, or just kick them at him. This could work, if it's mostly at waist level like it appears, but it might be too much of a risk.

We could still go with our plan of feigning unconsciousness. It would have worked better if we were a raccoon, thus forcing him to get closer to check on us, but it could still provide a critical surprise advantage.
>>
No. 206088 ID: 765cb6
File 127881750677.jpg - (35.65KB , 600x600 , runaway.jpg )
206088

Run. Get away. Yes.

Saulanna stumbles into motion, and feels the resonance with the full moon still there, through her Soul Fire, lending her speed.

Her head hurts.
>>
No. 206090 ID: f21281

>>206088
Dull the pain. You're a magic were-racoon, it should be horrendously easy to conjure up the Lunarcane equivalent of Tylenol.
>>
No. 206091 ID: 2eac65

Stay in the forest. Leaving will only make us easier to spot.

If we're going to pass out, running will do us no good, and we won't be able to hide as long as our Soul Fire is active. Trying to escape now will be futile.

Focus on the pain. As long as it's there, we know we're conscious. We can't lose consciousness. There's a very dangerous man very close by.

Feel the back of our head. Are we bleeding?

Focus on the world around us. This is going to be a contest of stealth, and we're at a severe disadvantage. We have to know where Kaan is. Don't lose track of him.

Talking to him would help. Taunt him. Does he really fancy himself noble? Is this how a gentleman would act? If we can get him talking again, we can keep track of him, and we may be able to throw him off-balance.

Our best chance is to set a trap for him. Any ideas?
>>
No. 206094 ID: 42838c

Ya got lucky, Saulanna.
>>205966
He hit you right in the ponytail; so your huge hair probably cushioned the blow.
Provided, of course, that the red burst is just an effect and not actually blood, for if so, YIKES!

It seems that our next course of action would be to heal the pain and damage from the blow and the gas, if possible... However we would do that. I'm sorry, I don't really know the ways Lunars keep themselves alive, and that's what's most necessary here. What we aim to do, though, is heal the wound and dull the pain, so someone more knowledgeable might suggest a more specific course of action, please?

And immediately after that! We need to improve our Awareness, so that we don't run into one of his traps or some of his goons; we need to see whatever he's going to do next before it actually happens to us; that's our best hope.

And run like a rabbit; zigzag through the trees so our course is less predictable.
>>
No. 206100 ID: a594b9

Keep away from him until your head clears a bit. Then we fight for real.
>>
No. 206103 ID: 2eac65

>>206094
>heal the pain and damage from the blow and the gas
Our war form lets us gradually regenerate from injuries. We should be fine if we keep away from him for a bit.

>improve our Awareness
We could use Beast Senses for that. But not unless we lose track of him with our normal senses; we need to save moon power.

For now, running is fine, but it'll only serve to delay him. We don't have a plausible means of escape.

Maybe feign weakness? Slump against a tree, act like he got us worse than he actually did, then attack when he comes close?

A pit trap won't work. We don't have time to dig one.

We could hold something up with a rope and drop it on him when he comes close. But that runs the risk of him seeing the rope and I don't know where we'd get the materials so suddenly.

Or we could lead him in circles to confuse his sense of direction, until he loses track of the gas cloud, then attack so he gets knocked or dodges into it.
>>
No. 206121 ID: 42838c

Right now, my primary concern here is to make sure Saulanna stays alive and conscious. While it's good to know that just being in her War Form should provide healing, I'm taking the mention of her head hurting to be a sign that more active measures are necessary now. What those measures are, again, I'm not sure, but she should do something to alleviate the pain and the injury.

I'm not sure it's necessary to try to set traps for him or fight him. I feel that we're PROBABLY faster than he is, so he may not come running after us in person yet. If he has no minions or traps waiting in the general direction we're headed, I feel we could probably escape him for now. (Unless he magically stops us, but I don't know what we could do against that.)

So it's not against him that the increase to Awareness is meant, necessarily; rather, it's meant so Saulanna could notice any lurking goons (And he has goons, we know. Probably a lot more than the two we saw plus their now-eaten boss.) or traps before they get her.

And I'd actually recommend trying to run out of the deathlands if at all possible, because doing so would probably greatly reduce his manpower. Ghostpower.

Now, this won't get him off our back for long; only killing him would, I expect, but it seems that Saulanna doesn't want to, at the moment.
>>
No. 206144 ID: c4c313

We shoulda ripped his head off first time we saw him.
>>
No. 206156 ID: 701a19

>>206121
Desire, not capability. She's a fresh lunar while he's an experienced abyssal. As if that weren't enough, he's also working with several different kinds of terrain advantages.
>>
No. 206163 ID: 8bdb6a

Put some distance, but then stop running. Don't let him out of your sight. Look ferocious.

He isn't giving chase. He's up to something devious.

Say "I'll not forgive you for this."
>>
No. 206180 ID: e67770

there goes the bag with ruive's diary and the flare gun.

i have no suggestion asides avoid civilization. he likely has contacts in many places.
>>
No. 206340 ID: 2eac65

>>206121
>head injury
If it doesn't heal or gets worse, Kaan might have used some magical effect to enhance his attack. If that's true, I can't think of a way to fix it apart from creating Power Word: Cleanse. That will be bad, because it will also cost us MP to use, and we're running scarce on that.

>I'm not sure it's necessary to try to set traps for him or fight him.
We should be faster than him on foot, but the only way we'll keep away from him for any significant length of time is to continuously run away from him. Even that is assuming he doesn't have some means of catching up to us, like a transportation spell or a curse that affects us remotely. And he'll still know where we're headed and be able to track us easily. I think our best chance is to try and incapacitate him somehow.

>So it's not against him that the increase to Awareness is meant, necessarily; rather, it's meant so Saulanna could notice any lurking goons (And he has goons, we know. Probably a lot more than the two we saw plus their now-eaten boss.) or traps before they get her.
We should be careful using any Moon Powers, because we're already almost half empty and we've got no way to regain them, unlike Kaan, who is continuously regaining magic points through the Manse heart he's wearing on his collar.

Still, we might as well use Beast Senses, since I don't think we'll be getting a better use out of that MP.

>And I'd actually recommend trying to run out of the deathlands if at all possible, because doing so would probably greatly reduce his manpower. Ghostpower.
Two problems. First, I don't think we're anywhere near the edge of the shadowland. Second, we can only leave during the daytime; if we leave at night, we'll end up in the Underworld. It's a good idea if it's possible, but if so, we should try to lure Kaan across the border; he'll be slightly weakened in the living world.

>>206163
Or maybe something like "I was hoping I could reason with you."

On to battle tactics. Since we're stronger, faster, and in the middle of a forest, we'll be able to set the range of any confrontation. Given our skills with outdoorsmanship, we might be able to craft an improvised bow and arrows out of wood fragments. That will give us a range advantage, and force him to focus on us, which will let us divert his attention from traps.
>>
No. 206352 ID: 42838c

Wait, guys, new strategy:

I'f I'm right, we still have two measures of Titan's Will. We cannot consider that Too Awesome To Use; if we do neglect it, we're heading for capture, for "Chapter II: You wake up in a cell," or worse. We have the option of creating Words of Power, (Wordblood can do it instantly,) and we might as well exercise it now.

So what we should do:
1. Wordblood should craft Power Word: Confusion, as he suggests is possible here:
>>197433
"Using "forget" or "confusion" as a Word of Power would create such an effect [as causing "someone's brain to get reshuffled for a while"]" That would probably be useful in many future conflicts as well as this one.

2. Use it on Kaan. More experienced and powerful though he may be, he's not going to be as much of a threat when he can't figure out what's wrong with the equation "too minus octopus equals hats." He probably won't expect such an effect, and his magical defenses against it may not be as high as they even could be.

3. At this point, we could either continue running, (which I wouldn't recommend; we might still run into some of his underlings.) or go back and kill him and take his form. I'd recommend that; it would end his threat, and we've also sorely neglected our shapeshifting powers. Aside from our three true forms, our entire library of shapes consists of a fish. We could use his shape to impersonate him, once our Soul Fire cools down, and call of the search for us, or disband his minions, or whatever we want and can do quickly.

Now, I'm afraid Saulanna's Emotions are too high for her to readily want to do anything but run, so let's see if we can do anything about that, everyone?

"Saulanna, STOP! Don't turn your back on such a dangerous person! You let your guard down before, and he hurt you; he could do it again! Yes, he's powerful, and scary, but you can be, too! You're a Moon Hero, and you have friends; you are not helpless. You can stop him from hurting you, or others, again.

Yes, I know he's charming, and polite, but that's a lie just like his gift. Just like the flowers, his appearance and manners mask poison inside, and you can stop that poison.

You're hurt, and confused, all because of him, but you can keep him from hurting you more, and return the favor manyfold."


Now, we'll all have to rally behind one Power Word; too much disagreement about whether to use one or what to use could keep her indecisive long enough to fall back into Peregrin's clutches. We could get more Titan's Will later, possibly even from Peregrin, because if ANYBODY we've met deserves to have his soul eaten...

So:

"Wordblood! So sorry to ask for your help again so soon, but the situation's even more dire. Please craft Power Word: Confusion; we need something that will addle his mind long enough to turn the tide of this fight!"

(Be sure to thank Wordblood as soon as we get the chance.)

And as for exactly what Saulanna should do to use it, I would say that she should jump into the nearest tree that will easily hold her, (as raccoons are natural climbers and comfortable in trees,) to get out of reach of his stick and his drug. She should make sure to spot him, and then use the Word of Power on Kaan; shouting it at him as strongly as she can. And then, if it works, he's all hers; she can keep running, or attack him, but she must be on guard for any of his traps or minions.
>>
No. 206355 ID: c4c313
File 127888196771.png - (56.21KB , 600x600 , datsaulanna.png )
206355

>>206163

There is a reason he isn't giving chase right away.
>>
No. 206363 ID: e31d52

>>206355
That is an excellent argument.
>>
No. 206375 ID: 2eac65

>>206352
I doubt that would work. Kaan is an intelligence specialist, and very experienced; if anyone could resist a confusion effect, he could.

And, as Wordblood said, a confusion effect would be strongly against his nature, which means it will be rather expensive in terms of Titan's Will and Moon Power, and we're short on both right now. We should try fighting him without expending either, first.

If we do run into any ghost minions, we can trap them in our mind and possibly consume them to replenish our strength. I want to save some Titan's Will to spend on Efficiency of Consumption in case that happens. But we shouldn't get that upgrade right away, because we might need the Will for something else, and it won't cost anything to get it later instead of now.

Killing him and stealing his shape is a good idea, but we could also capture him and extract information from him. That gas cloud is still lingering, and if we catch him in it, we can search him for gadgets and bind him while he's unconscious.
>>
No. 206388 ID: 701a19

>>206375
>Abyssal
>Gas attack
>Unconscious
>>
No. 206391 ID: 8e7d2a

>>206388
It could theoretically work, if he was distracted.
>>
No. 206392 ID: aabc6d

first id like to remember you all that leaving a deathland at night is not a good idea.

power word confusion has a limited use and we should not rely on that. saulanna has handled herself well, so id like to get efficiency and to boost moon power. efficiency seems to be quite a necessity since we wont really have that many ghosts to eat, moon power so far is the only thing we managed to use right. any power word by itself is very restrictive, and im not quite sure we can afford a power word of generic use like not.

if we get too undecided, a generic buff to saulanna soul power should work all around. this could even work better when we get magic spells and other stuff. im pretty sure we will gain more MP and increased other generic effects of our charms.
>>
No. 206399 ID: aabc6d

>>206391
we are not fighting a experienced exalted. most specialy NOT in a place where he can recover energy and we cant.
>>
No. 206454 ID: 2eac65

>>206399
It's far from an ideal situation, but we may not have a choice. It order to escape, we'd need to be at the edge of the shadowland during the day, and I don't think we meet either of those conditions.

Let's at least wait and see what he does.
>>
No. 207447 ID: bc4f88
File 127907758242.png - (59.75KB , 600x600 , peregrinexplains.png )
207447

Saulanna turns to face Peregrin again once she's gone some distance; she leans heavily against a tree, only partly an act, but she can feel her War Form's regeneration kicking in. The man stays where he is, standing calmly, examining his cane as if waiting patiently.

Then he speaks, projecting his voice like a stage performer so that she is sure to hear.

"You would have done better to let me incapacitate you. I truly have no desire to harm you - quite the opposite. I appreciate that you're unlikely to cooperate, however. Hence the subterfuge. It really is for your own protection."

He contemplates his own fingernails a moment.

"Do you know what they did to the Titans, when they won? The gods, I mean, and their Heroes. It's not pleasant."

"Most of them were imprisoned. Before that, though, they were crippled. They had surrendered, and rather than banish them, the gods instructed their champions to tear out some of their souls: a form of spiritual surgery, changing their nature to make them into lesser beings. Robbing them of their sanity, for many, and most of the rest went the same way when they were forced to swear oaths of slavery and submission, to swear on their own names that they would stay in their prison forever. A prison made from their own king, turned inside out and still alive. That prison became known as hell, and the souls of those Titans are called demons."

"And they... were fortunate."

"They surrendered to avoid being killed. The Heroes of the gods had killed Titans, in that war. But Titans cannot die."

"Their bodies fell to earth, fell through the fabric of reality, left a gaping emptiness in their wake, into which the souls of the dead and their memories of life began to fall. The space left by their passage became the Underworld. Beneath the underworld, the bodies of the slain Titans became the Labyrinth, and in the centre of the Labarynth... the spirits of those Titans remain. Slain, but unable to die. Living only in the infinite agony of their final moments, given respite only by a sleep filled with nightmare and torment. The only pleasant dream they can have is of the sweet embrace of oblivion."

Wordblood is silent, but Saulanna can feel... horror.
>>
No. 207449 ID: bc4f88
File 127907762712.png - (55.81KB , 600x600 , peregrinwarns.png )
207449

He looks up.

"So. Those are the things that can happen to Titans in this world. Or fragments thereof."

"I, however... I can help you gain power, I can teach you what you need to know, about yourself and about the world. I will help you. All I want, in return, is to learn - for a while. I definitely do not want to hurt you. I will, if I have to, but only for your own benefit."

He raises his cane.

"Since you have, fortuitously, been Chosen as a Hero of the Moon... I think you would be able to take quite a bit more hurt than I thought."
>>
No. 207452 ID: 8e7d2a

Hell, why not.
>>
No. 207460 ID: a6e87d

>>207449
he's mind magiking you.
But hell, why not. You do have a demon in your head...

Idea. Shake dude's hand. Have demon go into his body and eat his soul. Happy ever after...
>>
No. 207461 ID: e973f4

>>207449
I don't trust this guy very much at all, and don't really want to say "yes."

But quite frankly? Can we take this guy? I really don't think with where our abilities are right now versus his that we can take this guy at all, and there's really no sense in getting the living shit beaten out of us and then still having to go with the guy either way.

So while I don't want to say yes, I don't really see a way around it that doesn't flat-out suck. :V
>>
No. 207462 ID: e3f578

Does this mean a party member style of relationship or do you have to stay in his house or some shit? We still need to help Gevin out!
>>
No. 207464 ID: c4c313

Don't be a pussy. This guy seems legit.
>>
No. 207467 ID: 2eac65

See, that's the sort of thing you say before trying to knock someone unconscious.

"That was quite a story, but I'm not sure what exactly you mean by it. Why are you telling me this, and what exactly are you offering to teach us?"

While talking with him, check our surroundings carefully. Make a mental map, plan for possible routes of escape, check for nearby things we could make use of. We should be able to do this without him noticing, since we don't have pupils in this form.
>>
No. 207477 ID: a594b9

Tell him you KNOW you used to be his prisoner. However, you are a blank slate no longer. If he wants to learn something, then ask. Using force to recapture us is not acceptable.
>>
No. 207487 ID: 0e676d

'i don't trust you, if you really wanted to teach me you could of just asked. but at the moment i know i have no hope of beating you in combat so i have no real choice on the matter now do i?'
>>
No. 207491 ID: d6cb21

>>207449
Thats nice and all, but HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO TRUST YOU? DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FALL FOR SUCH AN OBVIOUS TRAP? WELL?
>>
No. 207492 ID: 2eac65

>>207477
That's a good idea, but only if he himself tells us. That information isn't something we want to volunteer.
>>
No. 207496 ID: d6cb21

>>207491
Its not like we can trust him after what he just did, even if what he said was true. How do we know he wont pull some trick like that again?
>>
No. 207500 ID: 67c611

Cut the bullshit. Give it everything you've got. Yes, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. 4 point physical boost to close range and grab him. 1 point to absorb him into your consciousness. 2 points to help you and WordBlood tear him to pieces and consume him. We are going for optimal so adjust this to how it would work best. We've got two points of TW last I checked. It might be good to use one of them for a temporary or permanent boost that would contribute to the success of this plan.
>>
No. 207503 ID: d6cb21

>>207500
I dont think absorbing him would be the best thing to do. He does seen to know quite a bit. We just need to get him under our heel. ie make sure he cant kill us.
>>
No. 207517 ID: 2eac65

>>207496
That's an important point of consideration. The first thing he did was try to trick us, then he tried to take us by force. This is his backup plan for when force didn't work.

I'd like to milk him for more information about us and the details of his offer before we decide how to deal with it, but I've got a plan for that:

"I would have gladly accepted your offer, had I received it before you assaulted me. As of now, I have little reason to trust your intentions.

"I left something in my burrow. Bring it to me, without looking at it, and I'll accept that you can be trustworthy. And leave your cane behind."
>>
No. 207518 ID: a594b9

>>207500
It doesn't work like that. We can only cast one spell at a time. One Moon Point at a time.
>>
No. 207524 ID: e973f4

>>207517
This isn't a bad idea. I have a very strong feeling that fighting in this situation is going to go badly for us, so this is a reasonable move.
>>
No. 207526 ID: 911d56

Saulanna, you're a smart girl. Smart girls don't go with those willing to hurt them to get their way.
Obviously, this guy is used to being able to manipulate or beat you into doing what he wants. He's trying to do so again.
Luna said to kick ass in her name. Surrender to someone that is likely to blame for your memory loss is not 'kicking ass'. We must think on how to go about kicking his ass in a crafty manner.
>>
No. 207529 ID: 2eac65

>>207503
True. There's no reason he couldn't just lock us in a cage again and metaphysically vivisect us. >>207517 would only be a superficial gesture at best. It would be better if he has something to lose by doing so.

Fortunately, I've got a plan for that, too. The first step is to find a rock and palm it without him noticing. I'd say more, but I don't want to frontload too much information at once.
>>
No. 207546 ID: 40cb26

>>207449
"Stop with the threats. Now. I don't want to fight you, I want freedom and to live as I choose. I want to explore and learn and kick ass in the name of the moon. If you learn something without impeding on that, fine. But I can gain my own power. Respect me as an equal, Peregrin."
>>
No. 207548 ID: c00244

>>207449
"That sounds very generous, but it's also the sort of thing that would have gone over much better about thirty seconds ago. If you want to know something- something SPECIFIC- feel free to ask it now. I won't lie. I'll even consider forgiving you for hitting me if you provide helpful information in turn. But you're kidding yourself if you think I'm going to stay anywhere near you one second longer than I absolutely must."

We need to get this back to being a social interaction long enough for our war form's moon-boosted regeneration to purge the poison from us.
>>
No. 207550 ID: 2eac65

>>207517
Addendum: Replace "leave your cane behind" with "leave your weapons behind". This includes his hat, cloak, and shirt; we don't know what else he has hidden in them.

He can keep the glasses, though.
>>
No. 207567 ID: a7a85a

Even if we won I think fighting him would leave us too vulnerable. We'd be pretty drained thereafter, unless absorbing him gave us a power boost that would cope with the loss of whatever power was required to deal with him.

Absorbing him might be okay as Wordblood might retain the knowledge he offers.

I'm probably too trusting but my final answer is to take him up on his offer. He is still being relatively polite, even if he is using fear tactics. Either he's very concerned for Saulanna, or he's going through negotiating motions to acquire her.


Go with him if he can provide a gesture of good faith.
>>
No. 207573 ID: 5f20de

>>207526

This man has a fair point.

Peregrin's talk of the titans' fate could just be a facade to gain sympathy. Maybe he just means to empower himself. Sneaky git.

Saulanna? Tell him 'no'. Also, tell him 'bye'. Moon boost agility, bestial senses and fly like the wind in some direction, double back to ambush him, and disarm that staff of his. Bugger tried to kidnap you. Again, it seems.
>>
No. 207579 ID: e0ec6a

"after failing to command me to get out of my burrow, after failing to persuade me to join you, after failing to poison and stun me, you fail convincing me of your grander goals. there are no titans left, your willingness to fight proves your point is not one of kinship."

then id suggest to leap on his butt with flowing defenses and war claws on. drop the rest of the motes on agility or the skill to hit him when you can, and pray for his speech to get better when he "captures" you. make that soul fire burn for the added bonus as well.

screw the plot and survival chances, im going for drama =3
>>
No. 207587 ID: f4e4f9

Hmm...I would recommend against acceding to his wishes if you can help it.

If, as he says, these fallen titans wish only to be obliterated, how would they accomplish that?
>>
No. 207615 ID: 2eac65

I just realized, as far as he knows, we have no idea who the Titans are or about the war between them and the gods.

But apart from that, escape plan!

After we convince him to give us back our pack, tell him this:

"This isn't enough to convince me to trust you. But, since you're willing to make a gesture, I'll give you a chance.

"There's a reason I was so set on leaving this shadowland. I already have something I need to do. It could take me weeks or months, possibly even a year or more. Don't come after me, or try to track me, or send anyone after me, even to help. Then, when I finish my goal, I will return to you."
>>
No. 207735 ID: 36395f

i realized noone gaved a good stunt case saulanna decides to join battle with peregin.

if that do happens, give whatever initial speech you wanted to give and climb a tree to leap to peregin while using flowing defenses. attempt to disarm him by biting his cane and trhowing as far as you can, then we can worry with his stunts.
>>
No. 207738 ID: 8bdb6a

Hell no! He JUST tried to batter us into submission. Does he assume we just have no short term memory at all? (Well, there are a lot of suggestions between updates...) He is very obviously the opposite of trustworthy!

NEW PLAN: We pretend to surrender, then try to maul him until he runs away. (Let's face it. A guy like that is going to have a lot of tricks, so we're unlikely to kill him, but we can at least force him to run away)

Put your hands up, even though that's just demonstrating that you're armed, approach him, say things to keep him talking instead of zapping you, then maul his face right off.

Also, spend a TW to improve Agility. It might take awhile, but start right now. We've got the votes for it in the /questdis/ thread.
>>
No. 207739 ID: 54af1f

Are we a hero of lunar or a cowardly insect? Pretend to surrender using our social stats to make it convincing then tear his face off.
>>
No. 207740 ID: e973f4

>>207738
If we are gonna fight/flee/whatever (and it looks like we are), then yeah, TW to upgrade agility.
>>
No. 207743 ID: 2eac65

>>207738
No, and stop trying to start that same argument over from the beginning.
>>
No. 207794 ID: a594b9

TW for agility.
>>
No. 207800 ID: ec8582
File 127914180133.jpg - (79.60KB , 315x480 , grrrrrrrrr.jpg )
207800

>>207794
go to disc thread. it will be decided there.
>>
No. 207837 ID: 7b5606

Smack him with his own pimp stick. Ask him where your money is and call him a bitch.
>>
No. 207846 ID: d3dfb8

RIP OFF HIS HEAD AND SHIT DOWN HIS NECK
THEN COPULATE WITH HIS DEAD BODY
RAPE RAPE RAPE RAPE RAPE
>>
No. 208241 ID: 9f6778
File 127916635844.png - (52.65KB , 600x600 , peregrinwary.png )
208241

Saulanna takes a moment to describe her anger and disappointment at Peregrin's treachery, and to chastise him for his poor timing. She tries to draw her speech out a bit, stalling for time. Her head is clearing with good speed.

"With your bindings gone and your supernatural power so clearly enhanced, I didn't want to give you too much chance to use any titanic tricks. After you proved too clear-headed to be tricked or cojoled, I felt I had to incapacitate you swiftly. Since you've yet to do anything to me, however, I think perhaps you haven't the ability."

"No reason not to try the civil road one more time, though obviously I don't think negotiation is going to work at this stage. So: I cannot trick you, you cannot trick me, you cannot run, you have no convenient powers and you can't trust me."
>>
No. 208242 ID: 9f6778
File 127916643685.png - (54.38KB , 600x600 , watchout.png )
208242

"Shall we just get to fighting, then?"
>>
No. 208243 ID: 0b2a05

BEHIND YOU!
>>
No. 208253 ID: 701a19

There's a ghost behind you. Grab it and shove it into your head so Wordblood can eat it.

Fight defensively until you know what his capabilities are.

I wonder how an EXALTED would taste to wordblood...
>>
No. 208259 ID: 54aa3e

>>208253
agree, CHOW TIME!
>>
No. 208262 ID: c4c313

Jeez you guys are insatiable.

...proceed.
>>
No. 208277 ID: 2eac65

>>208253
Would that fill up our Moon Power bar again? If so, we should use some combat buffs before doing the actual eating.

"I was really hoping we could at least come to some agreement, but it looks like your nobility is little more than a mask. Don't think this will go unpunished."

For our opening attack, punch down a nearby tree so it knocks down other trees in turn and flattens him. If we can find the weak points in a stone cliff, we should be able to do it in wood, especially with the Strength and Agility boosts from our warform.

Then grab/break a decently-sized wooden stake from the tree.
>>
No. 208279 ID: d6cb21

>>208253
OMNOMNOMNOMNOM

DELICIOUS SOULS
>>
No. 208282 ID: 701a19

@Luna: Hey, we've heard that there are fragments of titans around that Exalted can bind to their will. What can you tell us about these? And would you object to Saulanna grabbing one for her own?
>>
No. 208284 ID: 74f2e9

>>208242
awwwright, now people we need to stunt like a motherfucker solar exalted fighting the wyld hunt for the first time!

first, put the ghost behind you in your mind, warn wordblood that efficiency is to be taken before eatin the dude. gevin should help that fight as well. then as fast as wordblood can, ASPLODE in SOULFIRE and more MP. the buff should put us even handed.

then i want you to run for cover while taunting peregin that you can still outrun him. meanwhile buff agility with your motes and turn on FLOWING DEFENSES, and use the trees as cover to attack him with the intent to disarm, preferably from above.
>>
No. 208287 ID: 74f2e9

>>208282
FFS NO LUNA

there is no time and if peregin is even half right, there will be HUGE PROBLEMS to even explain wordblood to her
>>
No. 208310 ID: 8bdb6a

Moon Boost Agility.
In a single motion, grapple the ghost and hold him up as a shield to block the magic that Peregrin's about to shoot. (Feel real dumb if it goes right through him)

Start running at Peregrin, still using the ghost as a human shield. A moment before you reach him, without warning, suck the ghost into your mind and attack the abyssal, summoning Moon Claws for the task. We'll eat the ghost later. Put the spirit in a tiny box or have Gevin and Wordblood pin him or something so he doesn't distract you.

Alternately: If there's multiple ghosts, grab two of them, roar, charge at Peregrin, and use them as weapons to beat him into submission. He's half ghost himself, sort of, so hopefully they'll connect!
>>
No. 208315 ID: 54aa3e

also if that is the ghost we scared off before then he totally deserves this. we gave him fair warning.
>>208282
NO LUNA TALKING!
>>
No. 208338 ID: a594b9

If we're going to eat that ghost, then FOR THE LOVE OF GOD use Titan's Will to increase efficiency of consumption!
>>
No. 208389 ID: 2eac65

>>208310
I think he's a melee specialist, which means it's a bad idea to get close to him. Or maybe not. We'll have to fight him a bit longer to tell for sure. If he is, then I'm guessing he has a way of attacking at a range anyway, but it'll cost him mana to use.

Using ghosts as bludgeoning weapons has a low chance of working. When we first met Gevin, our hand passed right through him; that's likely to happen again if we try to grapple a ghost without our Moon Claws.

>>208315
Probably not the same one. He has a pointier helmet.

>>208338
And Ease of Consumption. This is a very bad place to incapacitated by our ghost digestion process.
>>
No. 208413 ID: c00244

>>208338
Indeed. If we're going to eat a ghost right now, burn our Titan's Will to make doing to easier and more effective.
>>
No. 208425 ID: d86f54

Sheez, you guys are like junkies, slavering for the next hit. (Or like dedicated gamers who know that sweet upgrade points are just around the corner. Hum. Wonder if there's much of a difference.)

What about, y'know...NOT eating him before we know what's goin' on? Even if I wasn't opposed to soul-nommings on a "this titan power thing is neat, but you EAT SOULS" basis, NOW does not seem to be the right time. There might be more than one, and Peregrin is still here. If we suck 'em in, a soul could also try possessing Saulanna, or distract her mentally, even if we upgrade both Efficiencies. At least SOMEWHAT.

Also, to touch ghosts, don't you need something with spiritual om-pah-pah? Like the MAJICK claws. I thought this had been established earlier? I suggest she at least activate those, if these brawling suggestions win out.

Although, I'd rather suggest Saulanna just use her high ACUITY to gain some general battlefield awareness, and figure out how many foes she's facing, what Peregrin is doing, and if there are any good ESCAPE ROUTES she could take. Y'know, just in case the battle doesn't turn out very well. I also support a Moon Boost of Agility.

If there's mental capacity remaining, put out a consoling word to Wordsblood and briefly ask if he can handle himself okay? He just got a bombshell dropped, after all. Tch. Peregin's a cad, he knew just what to say to shake W's confidence/blissful ignorance.
>>
No. 208427 ID: a594b9

>>208425
"eating" souls doesn't kill them, really. It's more of an absorption type thing. They're still there, just kindof... enslaved.
>>
No. 208430 ID: 2eac65

>>208425
It seems we have the ability to draw ghosts into our mind simply by being nearby, like we did to Gevin. How that relates to language, I don't know, but it's convenient.

Absorbing souls doesn't destroy them completely; it essentially means reincarnating them as a part of us. Normally, this would be a horrible thing to do to a person, but against Peregrin's soldiers, we'll have no choice but to fight and possibly destroy them anyway.

Moon Boost is a single-action effect. It won't keep up our Agility for the duration of the battle. If we have time to use moon magic while also capturing the ghost soldier, the best option is Flowing Defense.
>>
No. 208432 ID: f4313a

>>208430
It's probably an extension or modification of the inner den
>>
No. 208443 ID: d86f54

Ah, if Moon boost is a single-action effect, Flowing Defense would probably be better, yes.

I haven't seen any signs of the mobster's consciousness still being 'there', which would indicate it's not as much 'reincarnation' as it is gutting a man's being for useful parts/fuel. On a purely practical level, it's useful and personally empowering.

On a more moral level, I would say it's the spiritual equivalent of murder for gain, and not something to be done lightly, even to people who threaten us. But we've had this discussion, haven't we?
>>
No. 208446 ID: 894f59

>>208443
when wordblood eats a soul it is fused directly into his being where the memories are striped fro it (same as in reincarnation) but instead of a new body it becomes a separate but connected part of wordblood. basically wordblood is legion for he is many.
>>
No. 208449 ID: d86f54

Oh wait. Self-correction time.

>Wordsblood sez: "There, done (ugh, he's terribly stale). Just a brief period of digestion (do all these strange persistent souls taste like this?) and he'll be a part of me. Thoroughly subservient, I assure you."

Pfeh. I still have issues with the whole soul consumption business, and would like to reiterate that it shouldn't be done lightly, even to people who threaten us. Granted, I'm probably in the minority there.
>>
No. 208508 ID: 75af7b

>>208430
we wasted a TW to get that. it better be good and instant. theonly one we wonteat is peregin, and thats because he is exalted, alive and has too much soul power to be eaten.

>>208427
they are goners once eaten. forever.

stripped of will and knowledge they wont even reincarnate least the primordial holding them manages to spew the "spare parts".
>>
No. 208680 ID: 736caa

om nom nom time.

Or at least put him into your head, and ask questions later.
>>
No. 208689 ID: 2eac65

If we don't feel like eating him, we can capture and interrogate him to find out what other guards and traps are around.
>>
No. 209201 ID: 331878
File 127934085421.png - (57.61KB , 600x600 , whop.png )
209201

Wordblood.

>"Yes."

>TW 2 -> 0
>Efficiency of Consumption +1
>Ease of Consumption +1
>>
No. 209202 ID: 331878
File 127934095233.png - (58.55KB , 600x600 , getinhere.png )
209202

>"I have him."

Saulanna feels a brief struggle in her mind; much lesser than the previous one. She pays the sensation little mind and leaves Wordblood to his business, focusing on the man before her.
>>
No. 209203 ID: 331878
File 127934102050.png - (55.60KB , 600x600 , peregrininterested.png )
209203

He doesn't seem at all put out by the sight of his minion being absorbed. In fact, he seems... interested by it.

"You already have the ability to completely dominate lesser spirits. Very good. I need to get you back into controlled conditions..."
>>
No. 209204 ID: 8bdb6a

Say "We all want things."

Then throw a fucking tree at him.
>>
No. 209205 ID: 331878
Audio peregrinfight.mp3 - (3.23MB )
209205

>>
No. 209206 ID: 331878
File 127934141674.png - (56.70KB , 600x600 , snikt.png )
209206

"... as soon as possible."
>>
No. 209207 ID: 701a19

>>209206
Stay back and wait for him to attack. We don't know what he can do, and he likes playing dirty. If he gets in close then hit him with a quick swipe then get your distance back.
>>
No. 209208 ID: f4e4f9

HELL ya, awesome boss battle music? CHeck.

Boss is a douche in need of asskicking? Check.

In Were-form? Check.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's rock!
>>
No. 209209 ID: 5d3ed5

>>209206
Kick on Flowing Defense, then Moon Claws if we've got time. Then it'll be time to take it to this guy; play defensive and use our buffs first, then hit him when we're powered up, not before.
>>
No. 209211 ID: c19edf

something tells me ripping off his brooch will be important.
>>
No. 209214 ID: 620bfb

Oh man I am already stoked for this boss battle. We just need to figure out his attack patterns and hit his weak points. Unless it's an entirely different type of game, then that will only end in us getting beat up.
>>
No. 209216 ID: e3f578

RACOON PUNCH!
>>
No. 209218 ID: 40cb26

Agility will be key here, this guy is fast and we need an edge in that regard. Disarming him is our first priority, followed by shredding his entire being into easy to swallow pieces.
>>
No. 209227 ID: 2eac65

"So it all comes down to violence with you. For a while, I was really hoping you would be better than this." (attack his ego, and he could lose focus)

Looks like he's a melee type. That means we should keep him at range if we can. Too bad we don't have any convenient ranged attacks. For now, stay back; there's no benefit to closing first.

He seems to be the type to favor speed over strength; that means if we can grapple with him, we'll have the advantage. And if we can get his weapon away, we can stash it in our Inner Den.

Since we're in a forest, we have plenty of resources to use against him. Feel the tree to our left. Try to find the weak points in it, where a light blow could knock it down easily. He probably isn't expecting to have a tree crashing down on him.
>>
No. 209237 ID: a594b9

>>209209
I agree here. Activate the Flowing Defense/War Claws and test his guard with some quick attacks. Do not, I repeat do not overextend yourself. Find out what he's good at, so we can use his style to our advantage.
>>
No. 209275 ID: 69beeb

flowing defense first. close in to him using the trees as cover, if possible from above.

ask wordblood to haste the SOUL BONFIRE. when possible activate the claws then agility in this order, lastly, attack without flurry-ing.
>>
No. 209402 ID: 2eac65

Oh! What about the ghost mobster's memories? He was Kaan's direct subordinate. Has he ever seen him fight?
>>
No. 210289 ID: 5fa2f4
File 127959758628.png - (64.61KB , 600x600 , raccoonpaanch.png )
210289

Saulanna activates FLOWING DEFENSE. She can't use any other Moon Ability at the same time, but it doesn't stop her doing anything else!

With her strength and speed still increased twofold by the the power of the Full Moon, she unleashes a precise strike on the tree beside her, sending it on a downward arc towards Peregrin.

Timber!!
>>
No. 210290 ID: 5fa2f4
File 127959763535.png - (98.38KB , 600x600 , cardsgo.png )
210290

A falling tree proves much too slow to catch Paregrin Kaan, however, and he leaps out of the way with a cloak-swirling tumble back up onto his feet. His free hand flicks forward as he hurls...

... cards?
>>
No. 210292 ID: e973f4

>>210290
Those are bad cards! Get away from them!
>>
No. 210294 ID: dd6959

avoid them! his flowers were poison, i see no reason to think his cards are any nicer.
>>
No. 210302 ID: a6e87d

You need a weapon.
Obtain club(hefty branch) as you sommersault out of the way. Cards may be explosive.
>>
No. 210303 ID: c4c313

Then use tree as WEPON
>>
No. 210304 ID: 8bdb6a

Leap behind a nearby tree or other form of cover.

Examine your surroundings, if you've got a moment. Become in-tune with your arena, so you may use it to your advantage.
>>
No. 210313 ID: a594b9

Dodge the cards.

Moon Boost strength and use the tree as a club.
>>
No. 210324 ID: 2eac65

Hidden weapons! Of course. That means it's not feasible to stay out of his range or to disarm him. At least, not without removing all of his clothes.

Duck under the cards, then leap forward, grab his pants and pull them down to his ankles. That will limit his mobility and cut off access to anything he has in his pockets. Follow up with a suplex.
>>
No. 210339 ID: 42838c
File 127960658175.png - (32.48KB , 424x304 , de-pants.png )
210339

>>210324
HAHAHAHA!

Well, there is precedent for Lunars doing that, and even though that seems it would be fated to prove a phenomenally bad idea, it's just funny enough that I wouldn't object.

But, more seriously, I would have to recommend jumping up, over the cards, and into the nearest sturdy tree. The cards are moving about horizontally, and so leaping should keep Saulanna clear of the cards (unless they're magic homing cards,) and their effects (unless they explode, or summon monsters, or so forth.)

Once in a tree, Saulanna would be in rather natural territorry, as a raccoon, and might be out of Kaan's easy reach. The branches may provide some cover, and she could tear them off as she pleases to use as clubs or projectiles. In the trees, she would have the high ground.
>>
No. 210342 ID: c4c313

USE ENTIRE TREE AS WEPON
>>
No. 210343 ID: 2eac65

>>210339
Yeah, that's probably a better idea. If we tried to grapple him, he could stab us in the back or slash our ankles.

I'm serious about stealing his clothes, though. They're a huge unknown factor; without them, he has no weapons.
>>
No. 210358 ID: d86f54

Get out of the way of those cards into cover, and/or toss something at them to interrupt them mid-flight.
>>
No. 210403 ID: 3db564

The middle card seems to have some sort of elemental effect. The left card looks like a grasping hand. The right card is some kind of snake creature?

Dodge to the left, but before the hand card reaches you lift the end of the tree you just broke and flick it into the path of the hand card to block it. Then go down on all four and DASH under the still airborne tree trunk and close range with Kaan before the other cards start wrecking things.
>>
No. 210464 ID: 42838c

>>210343

>without them, he has no weapons.

But he's an Exalt; he IS a weapon. The only way to be absolutely sure he's got nothing to use against Saulanna would be to incapacitate him, himself. Exalts can fight just fine even with no clothes or extra weapons; that's what Saulanna's trying now.

Though it's probably worth a shot to try to get him to stop using such tricky weapons. Maybe we can try to talk him out of it; attack his ego, perhaps?

Saulanna could say something like this, (provided she's dodged the cards and their effects:) "It's not sporting for you to use such things when you're already so much more powerful and better equipped than I am! What must you think of yourself? Do you really think you can't take me on even terms?"

I don't think it's altogether too likely to work, but I also don't think we have much to lose in trying, anyone agree?
>>
No. 210465 ID: d586b6

>>210464
While it's true that an Exalt is a weapon, if you completely disarm them, there is a large chance a low-to-medium power Exalt will not be able to do much, particularly against another Exalt. This is even more true when they don't seem to be the type to hit things with sharp or heavy things.

Of course, it's...pretty damn difficult to remove any attuned artifact.
>>
No. 210470 ID: c00244

>>210339
I definitely like the "dodge up" concept. Amongst other things, it's more awesome than other suggestions; aiming to be awesome in all things is important. For the potential moon power, if nothing else.
>>
No. 210473 ID: 2eac65

>>210464
On Peregrin's psychology, from what I've seen of him, it's something like this: he's an evil, deceptive schemer who only pretends to be a gentleman on a superficial level, but he thinks it's okay because everyone's as rotten as him. When we called him out on mind-controlling us, that was basically the excuse he used. I think he wasn't even considering diplomacy as a serious option, except to get us to drop our guard.

So honor isn't going to mean much of anything. On the other hand, he might believe at some level that he really is a gentleman, and that this is important. So if we're going to taunt him, the best thing to target would be something like this:

"Another hidden weapon. How fitting. I wonder how many more tools of force you've got under your 'gentleman' act."
>>
No. 210484 ID: 42838c

>>210473

That is a good idea, and analysis.

Now, our (or at least my) objective with taunting him, or challenging him, or whatever we might or might not do would be to get him to drop most of the tricks he could use against us. We'd be trying to disarm him, and I think talking him into this has a bit of a better chance than trying to forcibly strip him would. (Though if you can come up with a really cool stunt for trying that, I absolutely won't impede you.)

My concern with your phrasing would be that it seems too inviting to Kaan; asking him "how many more" weapons he has is really just asking him to answer "Quite a few! Here's another!" and produce another nasty surprise. It doesn't seem to me to be likely to cause him to decide to stop throwing as many tricks at us.

And although honor isn't likely to actually mean something to him, he does seem to like to APPEAR to be a gentleman at most times, the same way he likes to appear to be a magician. Look, we're in open combat and he's still using magician-themed attacks. Unless those cards are Cards of Autochthon or something, it's likely that he could do better if he hadn't decided to adhere to a theme. (Granted, that may be for stunting purposes, but I think the point still stands.) I would actually expect him to, if he agreed, make a show of getting rid of many of his weaponized tricks, while still keeping a couple of really nasty ones hidden to spring on us.

It seems to me that he's mainly dropped the gentlemanly manners act for sneak attacks, and even though it is just an act, we might still use it against him.

But if you disagree, I'll defer to your judgement. You do seem to have a better grasp of his mind than I do.
>>
No. 210487 ID: 48730f

use TREE to block CARDS. proceed to use TREE as a giant club and peform a FEIGN STRIKE on peregrin to trhow him out of balance.

if the tree is destroyed, attempt to leap at him also peforming a FEIGN STRIKE.

use AGILITY BOOST nonetheless.
>>
No. 210500 ID: 2eac65

>>210484
>You do seem to have a better grasp of his mind than I do.
I'm not too sure about that. I might be assuming too much from just a few lines.

But I am pretty sure referencing honor will just make us look silly to him, since it's not something he cares about. Plus, it would be hypocritical, since we're quite clearly using the forest as a weapon.

There doesn't seem to be an easy way to talk him into disarming himself, but if we persistently taunt him about his possible insecurities, it might work eventually and/or make him lose his temper.

>My concern with your phrasing would be that it seems too inviting to Kaan;
That's true. As an alternative, we could say something about his gentlemanly persona only goes as far as his outfit, just like he's only acting noble and elegant without making any sincere effort to live up to his pretense.
>>
No. 210523 ID: 42838c

Hold on, I think I've just gotten straight what I meant.

We don't need to appeal to his honor, or gentlemanliness, or sportsmanship, so much as his pride. It may be better for Saulanna to say something like "Really. [Fill-in-what-they-do-here] Cards? If you really thought you were something powerful, would you need all those tricks to take on plain little me?" The implication to whatever she says might be something like "Wow, you must be a really inadequate Exalt if you have to uses all these tricks and weapons to fight me, when I'm so much weaker than you are." Perhaps she could keep this up for as long as she can, treating every successive new trick or weapon as a sign that he must not think he's as great as he says he is, until she's provoked him enough into trying to "prove himself" by not fighting with hidden weapons as such.

Don't target his manners; target his power and skill, and make him feel (to himself!) like a coward for throwing so much more than necessary at a weak, drained, newly exalted Lunar.

So whaddya think? Does this have a better chance of working than other plans?

(Of course, this whole line of discussion is moot if she can't avoid the effects of the cards, so I'm going to say that I still stand by the idea that she should dodge by jumping into the nearest sturdy tree.)
>>
No. 210526 ID: 8846ea

>>210523
agree 100% his pride will be hurt.
>>
No. 210527 ID: 736caa

Pay attention to the cards, and get out of their way, into the trees.

Taunt his pride, wait for his reaction.
>>
No. 210528 ID: 8e7d2a

Of course, he could just shrug it off and call you a worthy foe.
>>
No. 210529 ID: 736caa

Jump up, making sure to step on each of the cards vertically, before a final jump in the air. Let your sillouette be against the moon as you taunt him, and fall the long jump into a tree.
>>
No. 210530 ID: 8e7d2a

>>210529
Hell yes, running on top of projectiles is an Exalted MUST
>>
No. 210531 ID: 8846ea

>>210530
>>210529
our agility may be good but it's not THAT good...



yet.
>>
No. 210537 ID: 42838c

Let's try not to touch the cards. It may just take a touch to harm us, like if there's a contact poison on them. Best to avoid them entirely.

>>210528
That's the risk we'll have to take. If he's smart, he wouldn't let our words get to him, but the goal of speaking to him is to get him to do something unwise. People do stupid things if they feel they have to prove themselves, and it would really be best for us if he didn't act and fight as wisely as he could.
>>
No. 210538 ID: 2eac65

>>210523
That might work, but only if we target something he has pride in. I'd expect him to be more proud of his tricks and scientific inventions than his ability to get by without them.

It should be possible to say something he could interpret as a slight to his conduct or his competence, depending on which he cares about more. Like, "It looks like you really are just a pretender, in more ways than one."
>>
No. 210566 ID: bffb4b
File 127968672953.png - (89.50KB , 600x600 , jumpup.png )
210566

Saulanna launches herself up over the flung cards towards a tree, easily borne upwards by her enhanced strength. She successfully avoids the cards!
>>
No. 210567 ID: bffb4b
File 127968678181.png - (78.48KB , 600x600 , indatree.png )
210567

... Which do nothing, apparently?

She prepares a truly cutting taunt for -
>>
No. 210568 ID: bffb4b
File 127968701591.png - (83.42KB , 600x600 , twasabloff.png )
210568

OW FUCK THE CARDS WERE A BLUFF!!

>"Complete absorption in three."
>>
No. 210570 ID: c4c313

Buff your strength. Throw that fucking cane with extreme accuracy right through his head.

More importantly GETTITOUTOFYOURLEG
>>
No. 210574 ID: 8bdb6a

Tell him that he isn't classy.

Break his cane in half. If you can't do that, use Inner Den on it. If you can't do that, stick it firmly into a tree so you have to be super-strong to pull it out. If you can't do that, throw it far from the fight.

Then, rush at him and claw the shit out of him, with Moon Claws, if possible.
>>
No. 210575 ID: 2eac65

Good! Now we can hide his cane in our Inner Den, where he can't get to it. Or, if we can't do that, drive it into the ground from blade to tip. Or stab it into a tall tree where he can't get to it.

Next, grapple him to exploit our advantage of strength. Boost our Agility if we need to. Once we get him in a good hold, we can focus on disarming him. And maybe toss him into the gas cloud, if it's still hovering nearby.

How urgent is that warning from Wordblood, though? If we don't have time to do all that, leap as high as we can so that we're in the air while the absorption process finishes. That will keep us out of reach.
>>
No. 210576 ID: da3f60

son of a bitch! yeah destroy or take the staff out of play if it can't be used as a weapon. just need to last long enough for wordblood to finish, the boost should cause some powerful reactions.
>>
No. 210577 ID: e31d52

THE CARD BLUFF...

......... WAS A DISTACTION
>>
No. 210578 ID: e31d52

>>210575
>>210574
THESE.

PULL THAT FUCKER OUT EVEN IF IT'S BARBED.

EVEN IF IT HURTS TO TOUCH.

THEN RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE AND ATTACK HIM WITH ALL YOUR POWER! HE'S UNARMED!!!
>>
No. 210582 ID: 8bdb6a

>HE'S UNARMED!!!
I bet that's not true. (But we should probably attack him anyway IMO)
>>
No. 210584 ID: a594b9

>>210568
Rip the cane out, and wedge it into a nearby tree.

Rip a suitably large branch off of somewhere, and prepare to pummel the daylights out of this punk.
>>
No. 210591 ID: 2eac65

I don't think we should kill him just yet. He's got a lot of information we can extract if we capture him, so my choice would be to grapple him or knock him unconscious. Or, if we really need to, dismember him.

He seems to be fairly agile, so I wouldn't bet on simply slashing at him or hitting him with a branch. But we only have to catch him once to get him in a grapple.
>>
No. 210593 ID: e31d52

>implying we can't just eat his delicious Heroic soul like motherfucking Mordre
>>
No. 210618 ID: d86f54

Now see, this is why you seek COVER, not HEIGHT ADVANTAGE. This hurts, I know, but chill. Don't rage, don't lose control, but GET COVER before absorption happens (it'll stun you a little, and we don't need that fucker playing funny buggers with us while you zone out).

Inner Den requires use of moon majick dots. You're in a fight where you might need all of your moon majick. Just pull out the cane, and throw it to heck and dodge, or lodge it into a tree so hard he'll be hard-pressed to get it out without the use of some effort or magic.

Also...Steel yourself for poison. Again.
>>
No. 210631 ID: d560d6

>>210574
I agree with this plan in its totality.
>>
No. 210685 ID: 42838c

Say, is that a Soulsteel blade? (SOUL METAL, or whatever we call it; the Abyssal material?) As in, made of souls? As in, what Wordblood eats? 'Cause I have a hunch that this may be what was referred to as being "absorbed."

But it might not be; the "Absorption" referred to may be a danger to us, so it's most important for us to ask Wordblood, (If he said it, if not, ignore it and see below,) "ABSORPTION OF WHAT?!" If his answer has anything to do with souls or the like, LEAVE THE BLADE IN! It may dissolve into a veritable cornucopia of Titan's Will.

If Wordblood wasn't the one who spoke last, then there's no reason to leave the blade in. If the blade ISN'T made of SOUL METAL, then it's probably not an artifact, but rather a mundane blade which Saulanna can wield against him as best she can.

If Wordblood IS absorbing the blade, LEAVE IT IN and let him work.

If he is NOT, pull the blade out and determine whether or not you can use it. If you CAN (If it's not a blackish metal,) use it against Kaan, but if you can't, get rid of it, and make sure Kaan can't use it against you!
>>
No. 210694 ID: 5f20de

>>210685

Wordsblood is most likely referring to the soul we yoinked into ourselves at the beginning of the battle. He's eatin' the dude right now, which means we'll have another 'digestion moment' as we absorb the poor git.
>>
No. 210727 ID: 2eac65

>>210593
We could, possibly, but capture and interrogation will get us more coherent information, and possibly a very useful tool ally. Or we could sacrifice him to Luna if we decide to kill him anyway.

Plus, it's more fun than just killing him.

But we're getting ahead of ourself. We need to survive first.

He seems vulnerable, but we don't know what other tricks he has up his sleeves (or in his hat, or his pants...). He wouldn't leave himself unprotected. We need to approach him with caution.

So, I propose we grab a fallen log and use it as cover while we charge him. That will protect us and give us an effective weapon.

But our immediate priority is to escape again. We're about to assimilate another spirit's memories, and we're injured and need to regenerate. So escape for now, unless there's a convenient way to delay him.
>>
No. 210737 ID: 0b2a05

>>210694
Man we gotta stop doing that to people. Well, maybe people trying to kill us.
>>
No. 210743 ID: c4c313

>>210727

OR MAYBE A FALLEN TREE

RECENTLY FALLEN

LIKE THAT ONE
>>
No. 210844 ID: 9806cd

>>210743
i think i get it. we dont have strength to actualy use the tree yet.

saulanna should use agility buff next turn. in the second turn there should be constitution buff then war claws. with the SOUL BONFIRE we should consider landing strenght to enhace damage.

its possible the cane was not only poisoned but also attuned to him. im pretty sure you will either lose motes or health if you remove it.

ignore the blade, take cover and fling rocks/sticks at him. make a pun about you getting your feelings hurt. DO NOT take your eyes of him.

also im calling now, the cards have ghosts in them.
>>
No. 210910 ID: 37bccd
File 127977385113.png - (87.95KB , 600x600 , retrieve.png )
210910

Saulanna is briefly stunned by her fall; before she can grab the cane and put it in her Inner Den, it suddenly flies out by itself and soars back into Peregrin's grip.

Ouch!
>>
No. 210912 ID: 37bccd
File 127977389758.png - (61.66KB , 600x600 , gettinmad.png )
210912

Saulanna feels she is beginning to get a trifle pissed off by all this.

She decides that a suitably large branch would make a good instrument for subduing her opponent.
>>
No. 210915 ID: 8bdb6a

Swing it horizontally so it's harder for him to dodge.
>>
No. 210917 ID: 37bccd
File 127977414617.png - (79.25KB , 600x600 , largebranch.png )
210917

This one should do.
>>
No. 210921 ID: 97c117

wait... SHIT! look at her eyes! something is going very wrong.
>>
No. 210926 ID: e31d52

LET'S FUCKING BURN SOME MOTES MOON POWER AND KICK HIS ASS

THEN WE WILL EAT HIS SOUL

DELICIOUS ABYSSAL SOUL
>>
No. 210927 ID: 8bdb6a

>>210921
Maybe, but what can we do about it? She already boosted Toughness to fight off poison.
If she doesn't go on the offensive, he's just going to keep pulling tricks, IMO.
>>
No. 210931 ID: a594b9

>>210921
I think they're turning red, because she is pissed off. This is the first time she's really been angry.

Attack him with a swing, but pull upwards when it gets near him so he'll have a harder time just jumping over it.
>>
No. 210948 ID: 2eac65

Good. Use your anger. Control your anger. Don't let it control you. He will be ours soon.

Don't just kill him. That would be too quick, not nearly satisfying enough. We want to capture him and show him what it feels like to be helpless. Then we can show him the proper price for every one of his actions.

Now, on to tactics. Swinging a tree around like a club won't do much against someone as agile as him. The point is to keep it between him and us to protect from his blade and other weapons. Charge until you're close and shove it into him, then use Agility Boost and make a grab for his weapon, or weapon arm, or whatever else is conveniently within arm's reach. If you can twist one of his limbs out of its socket, that would be great.
>>
No. 210957 ID: c4c313

>>210931

I think our eyes are turning purple because Peregrin has got us totally boned and a half.

Whatever works though. BATTER UP!
>>
No. 211035 ID: d86f54

...

You guys? Peregrin might -actually- have poisoned Saulanna again, you know. He seems the type, and purple eyesight is pretty, er, ominous.

Saulanna? You're pissed, okay. But remember that this is a dodgy bastard, so if you're gonna swing this at him, at least try to make sure it HITS. Remember, you have an average competency in CLUBBING to lean on, from the guy you absorbed. And one in ADVANCED EVASION. Recalling you know these things should help you, if they aren't already doing so.

But whatever you do, plan for a slight pause as YOU WILL LIKELY BE STUNNED MOMENTARILY FROM ABSORBING THE NEXT GHOST REMEMBER LAST TIME?

Wordblood, once you're done, can you tell if anything is affecting Saulanna? Poison, mind majick, whatever?
>>
No. 211045 ID: 54af1f

Whatever you do, don't throw the enemies weapon back to him, keep hold of it or stick it in the tree if you decide to pull it out, then close in and rip his face off.
>>
No. 211049 ID: 54af1f

>>210917

Smash him with the tree!
>>
No. 211072 ID: a7a85a

Have wordblood monitor your for mind magical mental effects. Use a little moon power to combat it if Wordblood can't handle it himself. Might be a magical physical effect too.
>>
No. 211112 ID: f8daa9

>>210957
i dont remember any effect that makes purple eyes =c

also saulanna did not boosted anything. big mistake there.
>>
No. 211140 ID: 8e7d2a

>>211112
Dude, I think you're leaning way too hard on existing Exalted knowledge for metagaming information anyway.
>>
No. 211468 ID: ffff17
File 127994800154.gif - (222.79KB , 600x600 , whack.gif )
211468

Saulanna Moon Boosts her Might, combining with the power of the Full Moon to momentarily QUADRUPLE her normal physical power. Peregrin did not seem to anticipate this!

Wordblood growls approval in the back of Saulanna's mind. Or was that her? No time for that. She doesn't think her opponent will go down that easily!
>>
No. 211469 ID: 3416ec

>>211468

FINISH HIM.
>>
No. 211470 ID: 8bdb6a

Keep hitting him. We'll tell you when to stop.
>>
No. 211473 ID: e31d52

>>211468
GRAB AND EQUIP HAT

FINISH HIM

EAT DELICIOUS SOUL
>>
No. 211474 ID: 45be60

second dramatic hat snatch.
>>
No. 211475 ID: 2eac65

Nice one. Loot his hat and check inside it. That's where magicians hide their magic stuff.

Now, how far away is he? Our next step depends on that.

If we can, leap after him and bring the tree down on top of him, pin him to the ground with it and then sit on it to keep him pinned down. Then start grabbing and take away from him whatever we can get our hands on - ideally, his staff, but pieces of his clothes would work too.

If we knocked him too far away to do that, rush off into the woods to recover and/or digest our new soul. Shout a warning to stay out of our way.
>>
No. 211476 ID: 701a19

>>211473
I wonder what we could get from an Exalted...
>>
No. 211477 ID: 048003

his tie looks like it has that power crystal thing from the manse. taking that would do wonders.
>>
No. 211500 ID: 8bdb6a

Also, her eyes are definitely getting more purple, but I have no idea what that signifies or what to do about it. Except that the abyssal's magic cane glowed purple just before her eyes started changing... and he's apparently the person who grafted the titan-fragment into her in the first place...

Ask Wordblood if he growled with approval just now. If not, prepare to repel boarders!
>>
No. 211504 ID: a594b9

Don't put the hat on; he could be able to control its magic from a distance to harm you.
>>
No. 211523 ID: b1ca04

bite the hat and shred it. the less stuff he has the better.
>>
No. 211732 ID: a7a85a

I'm thinking bezerker spell. Making Saulanna a little angrier, a little dumber, easier to trick. I'm not entirely sure Peregrin just got smashes. Could have been a cheap illusion.
>>
No. 211746 ID: b6178d

Uh. Wordblood? You in there? Weren't you gonna eat a soul or somethin'?

I... think we have a problem. Wouldn't it be wiser to check our mental space if we have a breather?
>>
No. 211748 ID: a1361d

Make him pay! Destroy his hat! That ought to show him!
>>
No. 211765 ID: 4c7b39

Waaait a second.

This guy's a master of trickery, correct? So what if we are under an illusion right now while he gets ready to stab us in the back while we think he's down?

Wordblood, what's the state of Saulanna's mind?
>>
No. 211845 ID: c4c313

Saulanna, use BEAST SENSES to smell Peregrin!

Pray he isn't upwind of you.
>>
No. 211856 ID: 2eac65

>>211748
But it's a very stylish hat. Just shredding it would be a waste; we should take it and use it for ourself. Then do the same to him.

Also, check it for stray hairs. We can use them for sympathetic magic.
>>
No. 211858 ID: 42838c

Actually, it seems to me as if chompin' on the hat would be a good test of whether or not we actually got the real person. If the hat in the air feels (and tastes) like a real hat, that was probably him. If not, it's an illusion, and we need waste no more effort on attacking it. (Plus there's the plain spite factor of damaging or destroying your enemy's hat.)

Just in case it is an illusion, Saulanna should stay especially aware of what's around her, especially behind her. (Her raccoon senses and instincts should suffice for this, but But as we don't have any concrete evidence that it even WAS an illusion she hit, she should make sure to keep her alarmingly purple eyes on him, wherever she knocked him to, unless the situation as she knows it changes.
>>
No. 211859 ID: f4e4f9

>>211732
Illusion. That cane did something. No way in hell he'd just stand there and take a tree to the face.
>>
No. 211866 ID: 788388

>>211859
he did try to dodge but we moon-boosted strength, letting us wield the tree with ease.
>>
No. 211867 ID: f4e4f9

I still don't believe for a second that we actually hit him there. Way too convenient, too easy. It reeks of falsehood, in some manner.
>>
No. 211872 ID: 40cb26

>>211468
Grab hat, wear it as you proceed to smash him until the tree shatters into toothpicks.
>>
No. 211873 ID: 2eac65

Maybe he's hiding inside his hat.

BEAST SENSES should help here. It will give us a clear scent trail to follow, if he did get knocked away.
>>
No. 211907 ID: d82ecc

Dramatically trhow tree on peregrin kaan. grab hat and equip it.

find another tree, throw at him and circle him to get him from behind. hope that the sound of the trees are enought to distract him.
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No. 211914 ID: 42838c
File 12800139001.jpg - (29.74KB , 400x300 , Nothing up my sleeve.jpg )
211914

I'm going to have to argue against actually putting the hat on, on the grounds that there could be something nasty inside it, something that we wouldn't want to have a clear shot at Saulanna's skull. Touching or destroying the hat, however, may give us a clue as to whether or not the person Saulanna knocked it from was the real Peregrin Kaan, and could conceivably help to disarm him.

Yes, it still could be just an ordinary hat, but there is still a risk I'd rather Saulanna not take.

And let's not get so focused on the hat that we distract her from the real threat!
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No. 211992 ID: c13222
File 128002612580.png - (49.16KB , 600x600 , andtherehegoes.png )
211992

That definitely felt like the real Peregrin she hit; it's very hard to miss with such a large weapon if you can swing it fast. Saulanna considers grabbing the hat, but she doesn't want to be bereft of her weapon.

>"I... I think that was me. Or was it you? I'm not certain what it is that's going on. You're angry, my lady, and that makes me angry, but I'm already angry, which makes you..."
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No. 211994 ID: c13222
File 128002615593.png - (49.87KB , 600x600 , hehassthesky.png )
211994

>"Wait, is he flying!?"
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No. 211997 ID: 8bdb6a

Plant your feet firmly, wind up, and hurl the entire tree like a javelin to smash Peregrin out of the sky.
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No. 212002 ID: d3dfb8

>>211997
This.
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No. 212003 ID: 2eac65

Peel off a hand-sized chunk of wood and throw the sharp end at him like a javelin.

Or maybe he's just trying to distract us for another attack. Plant the tree upright and be prepared to duck behind it for cover. Look at him and see what's keeping him aloft. I'm guessing it's his staff, so if we get him to lose his grip, he'll fall.
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No. 212004 ID: 3416ec

>>211997

Yeah, this.

If it misses, quickly follow it up with a jump tackle.
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No. 212012 ID: 2eac65

Don't use the entire tree; that would be harder to hit with and leave us unarmed and unprotected.

Same for jumping at him; it's hard to dodge in the air.
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No. 212021 ID: 42838c

Oh well that's not good at all. We've got to get ourselves one of those.

Well, as we can't fly, we can't meet him in arial combat, and no one option jumps out at me as being best. So I'll just list potential strategies as they come to me.

1. Retreat: How fast is he flying? Slower than Saulanna can run? If that's the case, then she could just turn around and bolt in the other direction, leaving him behind and disappearing into the woods (for just a short while.)

2. Anti-Aircraft: Remember what he did to you when you sought height advantage, Saulanna? Yep, that's right, grab a straight, sharp branch of goodly heft and javelin him with it. Alternatively, grab MANY branches and fill his section of the sky with slivery wooden shrapnel.

3. Fortification: How far is Saulanna from the den? If she's close enough, she could conceivably a. block the entrance of the den (to humans) with the tree, b. slip inside as a raccoon, c. get out the flare gun, and d. prepare to blast him if he gets close. Alternatively, reach out and blast him out of the sky.

4. Take another sphere: "He has the sky," so Saulanna could take her side of the fight somewhere else where SHE has more advantages? But where? Underground? (That could be covered by going into the den again?) Into the stream? (She can't turn into a fish while glowing so brightly, so that doesn't work.) I don't know about this one.

5. Misdirect or flank him: Perhaps she could send out Gevin, but for what purpose? Maybe she could have him go get the flare gun while she draws Kaan away, so he could come back and blast him. But I don't like this plan, as it would leave Gevin a sitting duck to the powers of the Abyssal boss of the ghost mob, and we do want to protect him. On the other hand, our Captain Ahab here isn't likely to break off attacking his white whale to go after a duck, so I dunno.

More generally, I'm just going to advise that she should try to stay out of his direct line-of-sight, as cover will be more important now than even before. Unless she succeeds in knocking him out of the sky.
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No. 212040 ID: a594b9

Throw SOMETHING at him.
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No. 212172 ID: b6178d

I agree with the throwing, but we might need another moon boost for that.

Wordblood, are we talking about a positive feedback loop here? Saulanna gets angry, you get angry, Saullanna gets angrier, etc.

You're both in the same mental space, as I understand things, so it's not like it's very far-fetched. Try to cordon off or muffle your emotions for a short while, see if that helps.
>>
No. 212197 ID: 1ccfc6

MOON BOOST DEXTERITY

*advice saulanna*

USE TREES AS SPEARS AGAINST FLYING ABYSSALS
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No. 212198 ID: 1ccfc6

i forgot, ask wordblood to watch out for mind boggling effects.

how is gevin?
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No. 212234 ID: 42838c

I concur that throwing something at him does seem like the best plan. Probably best not to throw the whole tree, because what that has in heft it may lack in range. So she could drop the tree, rip of a big straight branch, throw that at him, and then if he goes down, pick up the tree again and charge him with it.
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No. 212465 ID: 2eac65

Suddenly, I'm worried that we're focusing too much on him and possibly missing an attack from another angle. Watch for traps or other sources of attacks. For instance, his shadow.
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No. 212537 ID: d9ca51
File 128016853038.jpg - (203.81KB , 700x700 , Saulanna-MOON-BOOST-DEXTERITY-USE-TREES-AS-SPEARS-.jpg )
212537

>>212197

Sounds like a plan to me. But is dexterity the stat for it? What if she just uses senses or something to get a perfect fix on the target? Strength would be enough to throw it unerringly right?
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No. 212540 ID: 5f20de

Strength, dexterity, boost whichever works.

Or boost both, just in case. Though that brings our mana pool dangerously low.

...On the flipside? IF IT WORKS IT'LL BE EFFING AWESOME.
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No. 212572 ID: 42838c

I think we need to focus on literally bringing him down. He's the lead and most powerful threat, and if we can take him out of the fight, many smaller threats may cease to be so. I don't think we have to fear his shadow; he's not exactly Doctor Facilier. And as Wordblood has spoken since Saulanna's eyes turned purple, I think we can assume that he's not noticed any other mind-altering effects, if we do trust him. Still, we might ask him to be especially on guard for anything odd going on in her mind.

And as for what, if anything, we should aim to improve before we try to knock him out of the sky, it should be... whatever it is that would increase our accuracy. What that is, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't know what it is in regular Exalted, anyway. I think that range would not be a problem, as she's already pumped herself up to being strong enough to knock Peregrin so far, and if strength governs accuracy, I think she's good enough there. And even though we are low on Moon Power, improving our accuracy might be a good investment, as even later in the fight, we could just keep our distance and lob things at him.

We'll also want to deprive him of his cane as soon as we can. It's very useful to him, being a club, sword, spear, magic wand, and apparently means of flight, so it's clearly got to go. Now, maybe we can try to shoot him down and disarm him at once, by throwing a branch at him in such a way as it would knock the cane out of his hands. Maybe she should just try to hit him with such force that he lets go. Maybe she should try to spear his hand. If we want to go silly-awesome, she could hurl a branch at him like a boomerang, aiming it precisely enough to just miss him, but knock the cane from his hands and leave him holding the branch! It's up to all of you what to do, but it seems to me that depriving him of his cane should be a priority.
>>
No. 212578 ID: 2eac65

>>212572
My reasons are as follows:

His fighting skills (as well as his social skills) have centered around deception, trickery and misdirection. Knowing that we'll focus on him, I expect that he'd try to distract us from a trap he set, or an attack from another angle.

If he's using his staff to fly, that means he can't throw it at us. That leaves the possibility of hidden weapons, but it does mean we can focus more on our surroundings and less on him. That could be what he's expecting, though, so we can't ignore him completely.

There are several hints that he's in league with the Dragon's Shadow. Manipulating his own shadow is exactly the sort of power I'd expect him to gain from such an arrangement, and a good way to exploit such a power is to fly away from his shadow to force his opponents to split their attention. It's not the only possibility to watch out for, but it's a good enough first guess.

Thus, I recommend activating Beast Senses while we keep our eyes on him. That will make it much harder to sneak attack us.

(Remember, Moon Boost only lasts long enough to enhance a single action)
>>
No. 212589 ID: 42838c
File 128019133613.png - (70.35KB , 666x458 , NoShadowsMeansNoShadowPowersOOTS.png )
212589

Well actually my objection to the notion that he'll attack us with his shadow is that he doesn't seem to have a shadow; I'm not sure offhand if anyone has been drawn with a shadow in this Quest. So as those details have been omitted, I don't expect them to pose a threat to us. (Though you are right that it would be thematically appropriate, and if we do see his shadow, we should be wary of it.)

I absolutely agree that Beast Senses are a good thing to deploy against a master of misdirection. And I do apologize for any misunderstandings of the mechanics of mine; I yield to your judgement in these matters.
>>
No. 212591 ID: 4220c3

>>212578
yeah, lets just fling trees at him. boost beast senses and keep your ears up.
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No. 212684 ID: f4d08a
File 128020045298.png - (63.71KB , 600x600 , openfire.png )
212684

Saulanna swiftly tears chunks of wood from the tree and sends a flurry of overlarge splinters towards Peregrin, trying to knock him out or down or just away. Even just putting him off-balance would be nice!
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No. 212685 ID: f4d08a
File 128020054411.png - (49.30KB , 600x600 , acrobatics.png )
212685

He flips and swings himself around like an acrobat, cape fluttering around him, and manages to evade every one. Throwing things is not nearly one of Saulanna's strong suits - even a Moon Boost probably wouldn't let her hit him at this range and in this darkness, she muses.

What does he expect to accomplish by fooling around up there, anyway?

>"Ah; complete absorption in less than two, my lady, by the way. I missed keeping track for a moment."
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No. 212688 ID: d3dfb8

he is absorbing you into his staff or some shit i unno. we are rather lacking on the ranged offensive capabilities, so lets get in close.
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No. 212691 ID: dad664

That or there's something on the ground which is going to absorb us.
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No. 212696 ID: a594b9

Wordblood is talking about the SOUL that he is ABSORBING.

Check on the hat, Saullanna. He can control his staff at a distance, so I'm going to bet he'll use the hat against you.
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No. 212697 ID: 2eac65

Okay, he's definitely trying to distract us. But more importantly, we're about to digest a ghost.

Which means we should be putting up Beast Senses and any other continuous powers we can, since we'll get our MP back afterward.

Plan: Leap up in his general direction with the tree and kick it in just the right spot so that it bursts into sharp splinters. Or just hurl the whole thing at him. Then run off and find a place to hide.
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No. 212698 ID: f4d08a
File 128020252024.png - (45.48KB , 600x600 , yesshehasears.png )
212698

Sensing trickery, Saulanna reactivates her Beast Senses - best to have a little extra protection anyway.

...?

There's someone trying to hide nearby; multiple someones!
>>
No. 212701 ID: 710b93

>>212688
>>212691
Did you two forget that we're eating another ghost?

Now then. Can we use our savvy to read his movements and start figuring out where he's gonna be going? Is there anything like that? Use the thrown stuff as an analytical tool if you can.
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No. 212702 ID: 42838c

You know, at this point, it actually strikes me as best to barricade ourselves back in the den (with the flare gun) until Wordblood is done. Unless someone's in the way, Saulanna might make a beeline back for the den, block it with something large, (maybe pick up the tree and charge off with it, acting purposeful,) slip in as a raccoon, and be prepared to strike anyone who comes too close.
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No. 212703 ID: c4c313

360 degree TREE SMAAASH

no seriously, pretend we don't notice them and try to pinpoint their location. After launching the rocket missilestree branches at Peregrin, activate moon claws and slash the hell out of your hidden assailants.
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No. 212704 ID: c00244

>>212698
Perhaps we should Moon Boost our ACUITY so that we can easily pinpoint them all and understand what exactly we're facing here.
>>
No. 212706 ID: 2eac65

>>212698
Almost ninja'd. Your kung fu is impressive, Jukashi-san.

Are they all ghosts? We've been able to tell before. Activate Moon Claws and make it look like we're shredding them, but instead suck them all into our mindspace. Don't eat them yet, just tell them to play nice.

Alternate plan: Use Moon Boost and jump straight up as high as we can, if the absorption will be finished before we hit the ground.

>>212702
That's another good plan. If we're not going to be using a Moon Boost for something, we might as well put up our Moon Claws in any case. And steal Peregrin's hat.

>>212701
Since he's swinging around on his staff, it might help to target that instead of his body. I don't know if we have the skill for that, though.
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No. 212711 ID: c4c313

>>212702

Yeah, except the whole "moon points to change shape" and being trapped underground by a guy with poison gas attacks and the fact he already knows we hid in there, and can see us hide while hanging around right up there.

Plus we were exhalted on the full moon. That makes us the kind to fuck shit up, not to do all that subterfuge and sneaky stuff. Incidentally use RIDICULOUS SAVVY to notice that Peregrin is continuing to drain our energy somehow with that staff of his.
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No. 212713 ID: 42838c

Yes, what we need to do now is buy time. We can't win this fight, not against Kaan and "multiple someones"--- yet. We need to hold them off for just long enough for us to come back at them with some fearsome Titanic trick. To this end, it strikes me as best not to reveal that we know about the others for as long as we can, to keep them from acting and overwhelming us before we are ready.
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No. 212716 ID: 2eac65

New plan: Hide the tree with Inner Den, leap straight at him, and hurl it at him at close range. Possibly kick off it so he doesn't notice us hiding it.

Or use it to "double jump" and redirect ourself in midair, to dodge an attack of his or make a grab for his staff.

Or if the tree is too big to hold, we can use another sharp sliver for the plan.
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No. 212725 ID: 8bdb6a

Run at the people trying to hide.
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No. 212733 ID: 42838c

>>212711

>Peregrin is continuing to drain our energy somehow with that staff of his.

How do you know that? Would make sense, yes, more sense than just a random stabbing in the leg, but I'm not sure where the evidence is that this, specifically, is what he's doing.
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No. 212753 ID: c4c313

>>212733

Call it a hunch? If we are losing energy or moon points or BODY or whatever, then we should be able to detect it. I'd hate for such an effect not to be drawn until we were about to lose consciousness. Maybe ACUITY would be more appropriate than SAVVY?
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No. 212757 ID: 42838c

Well, we seem to be losing Moon Power only at the rate we're spending it, so it looks clear on that front to me.

Are you thinking the draining is indicated on his end by the magenta glow of the cane? Because that first showed up when he telekinesis'ed the cane back after jabbing Saulanna out of the tree, and then again when he stopped his fall. (Perhaps he did the same thing both times?) Yeah, that, coupled with Saulanna's purple eyes made me think something was certainly wrong, but they're back to blue now, so make of that what you will.


On another subject! There's some information at the discussion topic relevant to how long we have until "absorption" occurs, (Wordblood was saying that it will occur in "less than two" turns,) and it seems we won't have to batten down the hatches for a couple minutes as I feared we would. So all I have to contribute now is a recommendation that Saulanna avoid attacking the "multiple someones" or revealing that she knows about them for as long as she can, while still avoiding them (and Kaan,) at least until she knows more about what she's up against. (This is assuming he was speaking about absorbing the ghost. If it was something more dangerous to us, then absolutely disregard what I just said!)
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No. 212837 ID: d93589

guys, its for certain that its not ghosts surrounding us. he must have something we cant eat against us or he would not try that.

i like the idea of remodeling the terrain, but how about we go for lucky shots?

fling whole trees at peregin's direction, but aim at the surrounding units behind him. move around peregrin as needed.

with luck, we can dim their numbers before they show up and wordblood get our SOUL BONFIRE out to kick butt and chew bubblegum. made of ghosts.
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No. 212899 ID: 2eac65

A plan to escape... the key moment is when the absorption process finishes and we're left vulnerable. We need some way to protect ourself at that time.

Take a moment to pause, as if we've realized that attacking him is a waste of time and we can simply run off if he's going to hang in the air all day. Then sprint into the forest. I see two options for protecting ourself:

The first is to find a different hiding spot. That would be safest, but it would cost an MP to take our raccoon form and another to change back. It also runs the risk of being discovered, but we only have to hide for a short time.

The second is to jump. This will keep us moving while we're stunned, but we'll have to be able to recover before we hit the ground. We can spend an MP if we need to, since we'll be getting it back soon.
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No. 213067 ID: 714b9c
File 128028918479.png - (60.95KB , 600x600 , dereheis.png )
213067

>Saulanna has already activated Beast Senses this turn. She cannot Moon Boost or use any other Moon Ability until her next turn!

Saulanna focuses - small movements, yes, but no breathing and no heartbeat. They're ghosts, alright; Peregrin probably went up there to distract her and to watch his men get into position.

She contemplates various ideas of running away and hiding, but discards them. She is still feeling a bit peeved, and decides to get the drop on them instead!
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No. 213070 ID: 714b9c
File 128028939261.png - (65.03KB , 600x600 , andanotheronegone.png )
213070

Catching one of the ghosts off-guard, Saulanna captures him but instructs Wordblood not to eat him - yet. His sword and shield, however, clatter to the ground; they're actual mortal objects, not spectral analogues.

She hears alarmed voices behind her as the other ghosts realize she's eliminated one of their number; they sound scared. There are three left, and she has now broken the box they were forming around her. Her earlier wound has fully regenerated.

>"Complete absorption of the first ghost in one!"
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No. 213071 ID: 701a19

>>213067
Eat him, then shout "RUN AND SURVIVE!" as menacingly as you can.
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No. 213073 ID: c00244

>>213070
Hey, a sword! If we're better with a sword than with claws, grab it.

We should probably move to a position where we're relatively shielded from Peregrin Kaan, in case he throws something at us again. There will likely be a moment of disorientation when we complete absorbing the first ghost- at best. Likely more. I would recommend darting out of the box, running a short distance away, and getting behind a tree or large rock for t=0.
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No. 213074 ID: 42838c

Yes, see if you can intimidate the others away; snarl, yes, "Run and survive!" or anything suitibly intimidating to that effect, ("Anyone else?!" might be an alternative.) And if you can do it without leaving yourself vulnerable, acquire MOOK-GRADE SWORD & SHIELD. (Again, be cautious in doing so. Ya don't want to bend over to pick them up and end up speared in the bum by Peregrin.)
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No. 213075 ID: 8bdb6a

Equip SWORD and SHIELD.

Say "Run away, and don't stop or I'll eat your souls!"

If they don't, make good on your threat. If they do, try and relocate Peregrin.
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No. 213082 ID: c00244

>>213071
>>213075
>>213074
Wait, guys, why do we want to intimidate them into running away? We can kill them in all of one hit and each one that we get provides us with more delicious Titan's Will. Shouldn't a secondary objective of our battle here be to absorb as many of the opposition's souls as possible?
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No. 213084 ID: 8bdb6a

>>213082
We don't want Peregrin to ambush us while we're distracted.
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No. 213088 ID: 40cb26

>>213070
Absorb them all, eat none of them yet. I wonder if we can command them to rematerialize and fight for us?
>>
No. 213090 ID: 42838c

Well, Saulanna already has had some doubt about whether or not eating souls is the right thing to do, and I, personally, am not comfortable with it becoming a habit.

Plus scaring them away is quicker and perhaps a bit less immediately dangerous. They do fear us, as this guy showed, and it doesn't seem unlikely to me that they could flee if we told them to.

And maybe, just maybe, this guy needn't be devoured. Perhaps Saulanna could turn him into a friend or ally, eventually. She could sit him down after the battle and tell him "Hey, your boss sent you, a ghost, after me even though he knew I could devour ghosts with ease. Seems like a pretty rotten guy to me." (That's not necessarily how it needs to go! Just speculation!)

We are shaping her morality, and I'd like Saulanna to see others, even ghosts, as people rather than resources.

So no, Saulanna, don't eat this guy, unless the situation gets dire enough that we can't get out without doing so. Besides, in one (turn), we'll gain three measures of Titan's Will, and a bit of a recharge, if I recall correctly, and so we could come back with up to three deadly Words of Power that could bring the Abyssal to his knees. (If I understand the situation correctly!)
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No. 213093 ID: 2eac65

>>213082
>Shouldn't a secondary objective of our battle here be to absorb as many of the opposition's souls as possible?
No, that would be "excessive force". Capture them and decide what to do with them later.

For the one we've got, tell him this: "I could just eat you for added strength, but I don't really need to at the moment, so I've decided to be merciful. Tell me everything you know about your boss and his fighting style, and I might be able to defeat him without eating you."

While it's nice that we can handle the ghost problem, that still leaves us with the more serious problem of our impending digestion. So, taunt the other ghosts with this:

"Looks like he wasn't the lucky one. How about you? Feeling--AH! MY LEG!"

And collapse to the ground, clutching our leg and yelping in pain as if we're incapacitated. If one of them moves in for the kill, drop the act and capture him, then clutch our side and resume writhing in agony.

If they seem to be catching on, congratulate them and immediately try again with a different body part. Enough of this, and they'll think it's another ruse when we're actually vulnerable.
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No. 213094 ID: 42838c

>>213093

Okay, that's clever. I have to agree that this seems like the best plan, and my one bit of advice would be that we should beware Kaan's potential to rain down Death From Above on us, so we should perhaps be sure to use the shield for extra protection, or perhaps move under the branches of the tree. Beyond that, I think it's a really good cover for impending temporary incapacitation, so I agree with it wholeheartedly. And we pray that the ghosts aren't dumb enough that we'll have to deal with all three in succession!
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No. 213095 ID: 6b9eb9

get moving so we can find something to do when the absorption finishes. don't want to be caught off guard. if it barely does anything to impair you then we don't have to worry about being incapacitated with the next one, and as wordblood gets more souls he will get stronger and the backlash will be even less.
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No. 213103 ID: c00244

>>213090
>>213093
I am comfortable with Saulanna deciding that devouring the souls of her enemies is the right thing to do and making a habit of it. And yes, if they surrender (or even flee) it becomes a much less clear-cut issue, but as long as they're in the field might as well strike fast and hard.

From the current numbers, I suspect that increasing our Soul Force will require a number of points equal to its current rating; that's our basic measure of power, and will take a lot of investment even before we get into boosting statistics and crafting new abilities. With so much to spend Titan's Will on, we should ensure that our moral system supports ways to gain a hefty supply of it without too much difficulty. Devouring the souls of all who oppose us seems like a pretty solid option to me.

Now, I'm not opposed to making friends- we'll certainly need some, since there's precious little chance that we'll make it for long entirely alone- but starting in on converting our enemies rather than snacking on them seems like it's actively sabotaging one of our only decent routes to more Titan's Will. Besides, it's far less morally acceptable to capture someone in battle, keep them for a while, and then absorb them than it is to absorb them right off, in my mind; keeping a ghost sitting around in our head is too much like being a walking POW execution camp, rather than someone who just grows stronger as she defeats more foes. Yes, this means not being the nicest possible, "do no more harm than absolutely necessary and be merciful even to your foes" type, but we don't need to shape Saulanna to be THAT magnanimous. I'm shooting for "not an ass" on the morality scale. Reaching "she seems nice" is about as high as I'd want to go, actually.

Rereading this, I'm not sure it's as coherent as I'd like to be; if anything is unclear please say so.
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No. 213132 ID: 2eac65

>>213103
Eating people's souls isn't the only way to gain strength. The methods we choose are decided by our principles, not the other way around.

I'd go in-depth, but I don't want to inflict moral paralysis on Saulanna again. This is an even worse time than the previous bad time for this.
>>
No. 213184 ID: d5220e

oh hey, they are already scared of us. unless we DONT want to do socialization, we should somehow let them know we wont eat any retard that raises his hand/voice against us.

remember that their choices when facing us is desertion and thus being turned into a magical item inside soulsteel or being eaten alive. turning into a magical item may be better at that point because there is the chance that the item is destroyed thus releasing the soul.

i second a "scream for your lives, i am the one that eats the unruly ghost" or the likes of it and let the bonfire do its job to impress them.

but this leaves us with a major problem, we have to either spend all our TW "now" to chase a (possibly) fleeing peregrin or we have to face him head on with a mortal sword and shield, wich should not be a match for his skills/magical stuff.
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No. 213186 ID: d5220e

>>213184
damm i forgot gevin. let the ghosts have a good conversation.

if you can change the enviroment inside your head, make it like a open door area with gevin and wordblood having some tea. bonus point for wordblood in a maid dress =3
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No. 213204 ID: a594b9

We're about to get hit with backlash. Get behind cover!
>>
No. 213296 ID: 8bdb6a

>>213204
Good point. We might still be vulnerable in spite of our upgrade. Changing my vote to this. (Also, we should just go ahead and eat all the ghosts if we don't spot Peregrin)
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No. 213360 ID: e346c1
File 128037329141.png - (58.31KB , 600x600 , runcowards.png )
213360

Saulanna quickly grabs the sword but judges the shield to cumbersome to properly equip quickly. She gathers up the knowledge of Intimidation she garnered from the first ghost she ate, and pitches her voice with all the harsh growl her war form can provide.

>"RUN, COWARDS, OR FEED MY HUNGER!"

It comes out a little more throaty than she was going for, but it works; she hears the crack of branches as the other ghosts flee. She can catch them if she wants to, thanks to the-
>>
No. 213361 ID: e346c1
File 128037339275.png - (71.33KB , 600x600 , asplode.png )
213361

GRRAAAARRHGH!!

>Saulanna gains COMPETENCIES:
>Average Natural Attack
>Average Swordplay
>Basic Bow & Arrow
>Average Athleticism
>Average Repair
>Basic Tactics
>Basic Outdoorsyness
>Basic Logistics

It's... not as intense as before. She feels the ghost's memories bubbling up, but Wordblood manages to snatch them away before they intrude on her consciousness; she is still terribly disorientated as new skills slide heavily into place in the back of her brain! Without the overwhelming flood of images, she can be aware of how it feels to have the titanic power well up inside her.

>Saulanna gains three measures of TITAN'S WILL.

>Saulanna's MOON POWER is refilled!

It's... incredible!
>>
No. 213366 ID: 8bdb6a

Look for Peregrin. If you see him, craft a Word of Power: Halt and stop him mid-flight so you can hit him with a chunk of wood.

If he's out of sight, then you definitely need to start moving to limit the complexity of whatever dirty trick he's about to pull. Succumb to unfathomable bloodlust. Catch and eat the slowest ghost.
>>
No. 213367 ID: 701a19

>>213366
No.
Powerword: Fall would be far more effective. It would force him to the ground, and if he manages to stand and start moving then we could use it to force him off his feet.

We are going to eat this fucker.
>>
No. 213368 ID: e31d52

>>213361
At this point, I think Luna knows we can omnomnom ghosts.
>>
No. 213370 ID: 3416ec

>Basic Outdoorsyness

Time for a camping trip!

Anyways, now can we kill Peregrin messily?
>>
No. 213372 ID: e31d52

Seconding Fall.
>>
No. 213379 ID: 42838c

Only use "Fall" if you're sure Peregrin is still in the air! We don't want it to end up much less effective against a grounded opponent!

And perhaps other, more unusual options could end the fight sooner. Perhaps Power Word: Sleep, if aimed at Peregrin, could knock him out for a longer time than "Fall" would. Just an idea.

But most importantly, be sure that you don't burn through all three measures of Titan's Will impulsively! At least save some, at least one, for later in the fight! It's not over yet!
>>
No. 213383 ID: 445c48

More into Ease of Absorption and Efficiency of Absorption, maybe, to eat the second ghost faster?
>>
No. 213387 ID: e2c09c

How about down instead of fall?
Useful in more situations
>>
No. 213427 ID: 2eac65

No need to eat any of the other ghosts. They won't be getting in our way.

As for Peregrin, we could plan to simply kill him, but that would be an awful waste, wouldn't it? Aside from practical concerns such as alerting his boss and politically destabilizing this area, it would be over far too quickly. When a delicious meal is presented to you, you don't simply swallow it without hardly tasting it at all. No, this chance is something to be savored. Wouldn't it be far more satisfying to capture him, to make him fail, to tell him exactly why we are acting against him and force him to confess to his crimes? And then, once we show him how wicked and pathetic he is, we might get some use out of him. He is powerful, and that power will be very useful if we make him ours.

And if not, we can always kill him later.
>>
No. 213437 ID: 2eac65

Now, enough fantasizing. On to practical matters.

>She feels the ghost's memories bubbling up, but Wordblood manages to snatch them away before they intrude on her consciousness
I hope you can give those back to us at some point.

And just to be sure, tell the ghost we have imprisoned to behave himself.

Those new skills are going to be very useful. With knowledge of archery, repair, and outdoorsmanship, we should be able to quickly craft ourself a bow from things around the forest. And if we use a Moon Boost (What's the stat for crafting? Intelligence?), we can make one fit for a hero. Then we can face Peregrin Kaan without even needing a Power Word!
>>
No. 213442 ID: 42838c

I must also agree that we don't need to kill him. Though I said we should before, that was when Saulanna was running low on power and up against an opponent of unknown capabilities. Now we know much more about him, and she's as powerful as she's ever been, so she can afford mercy.

Besides, he may still be useful to her alive, and while she could always kill him later if she decides she wants him dead, she couldn't un-kill him if she decides she needed him alive.

So she should have Wordblood form a Word of Power meant to incapacitate, and then use it on Kaan. ("Fall" sounds good here, as long as he is still airborne, and she could determine that with just a quick glance! Just because he's out of frame doesn't necessarily mean he's invisible!) She should intend to render him unconscious, or otherwise knock him out, then deprive him of everything magical or that could otherwise be of use to him, tie him up, and abscond with him, for interrogation, perhaps? (Plus if we just knock him out first, we get to be sure none of his minions are waiting to ambush us, by threatening "Show yourselves/Surrender or he dies!")

So my suggestion at this point is basically "Don't be hasty. Don't be wasteful."

Fake Edit:
>>213437
Making a bow and arrows in the middle of a battle seems a little too time-consuming to me! Strikes me as best just to hit him with some incapacitating Power Word now; seems like the quickest way to the end of the fight.
>>
No. 213467 ID: c00244

>>213437
We have only average and basic in those skills. Whipping up a bow in a matter of seconds from things lying around the forest is almost certainly well beyond our abilities.

>I hope you can give those back to us at some point.
We have them already. They're what is giving us all these new skills. What Wordblood did was catch them before they could mess us up, like last time.

>>213383
I do support eating the second ghost at some point, but we're getting a ridiculously prominent level of Soul Fire here and planning to use even more abilities. Is this detectable from afar by others? I got that impression somewhere... and if it is, we're going to be in a world of trouble even after Peregrin Kaan is dealt with. Eating the soul now would brighten our beacon and rob us of the opportunity to refresh our power later.

>>213427
Or just eat his soul and absorb his memories. Although I suppose that we might want to boost up our consumption abilities further before attempting that.


Anyway, for our immediate purposes, a power word "Fall" and its immediate use, followed by a melee assault on Kaan, seems in order.
>>
No. 213481 ID: 47cff4

>>213467
not just his soul, perhaps his exaltation shard or whatever as well. who knows how much power is in that thing?

also, how much brighter can we get? we are already on MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!
>>
No. 213485 ID: 40cb26

Uh, Peregrin is flying, why not get Powerword: Flight so we can fight at his level?
>>
No. 213487 ID: d86f54

I suggest increasing Saulanna's Soul Force, and support creating Power Word: Halt.

And useful though Titan's Will may be, acquiring it this way is, and sadly always will be, still wrong. Let the other ghosts go. Hell, let the ghost you've currently got trapped go (once this is over), if it turns out we don't truly need the extra boost. We're robbing people of their futures and identities here, and that has consequences beyond just empowering us.

Not to mention it's totally, totally, unfair. Consider that the only 'threat' they are to you now is if they shoot at you from afar. They've actually done very little to deserve the consumption fate, beyond Peregrin being their boss (and to be fair, they may not have much choice on that).

I'll grant that survival has a tendency to break taboos, but even so... when something so inherently morally questionable starts to feel good you should begin having second thoughts.

But have those later. Go get Peregrin, girl. HALT his ass, and knock him down to size with something thrown before he can break it.
>>
No. 213560 ID: a8c7f2

>>213487
no PW. increase your soul power since we cant do a status buff, then if you can, increase something in wordblood.
>>
No. 213562 ID: a8c7f2

damm me i forgot. i support one point in MOON POWER if we can get that without any downtime.

with the renewed soul bonfire, attempt to hit peregrin again with tree branches. fling the shield at him first, and DO NOT parry him at any point.
>>
No. 213565 ID: a7a85a

>>213487
Wordblood said that we aren't destroying souls when we absorb them. They were bound by Titan's Will and would be again through eventual reincarnation. Saulanna seems to be a safe haven of sorts from this effect. By absorbing them we remove them from that grasp. I got the impression it was a good thing.
>>
No. 213587 ID: 0d11d9

Power word: Stop might be better than Power word: Halt. Halt implies just not moving. Stop can be applied to other things.
>>
No. 213597 ID: a7a85a

What about Power Word: Charm?

Can't hit us if he's an obedient love slave.
He would also be perfectly willing to spill everything he knows if he adores Saulanna unconditionally.
>>
No. 213608 ID: 2eac65

I'd recommend against spending any more Titan's Will than we have to. It's instant, so there's no cost in delaying, and if we have some saved up, we can exploit a key opportunity if we see one.

I also recommend against using any Power Words on Kaan immediately. After that light show, he's probably wondering what new powers we've gotten; if we pretend we still don't have anything convenient, we can bait him into a trap.

So! After making sure the area is secure, go back to him and just stand there watching him. Ask how long he's planning on hanging up there. Then say that he can either hang in the air all day or come down and fight for real.

When he comes closer to the ground, use Stop on him mid-fall and tackle him out of the air.
>>
No. 213622 ID: 5f20de

Just as a heads-up to the rest of you:

Any Power Word needs sufficient support to be made, three votes or more according to Word of God. From what I can see, "Fall" is currently in the lead with three votes, to "Halt's" two.

I'm responding to SirTen and 0d11d9 in the Questdis thread.
>>
No. 213623 ID: 5f20de

>>213622

Oop, with 2eac65's say that makes three for "Halt/Stop" as well.
>>
No. 213675 ID: 701a19

Fall would be useful any time we want something to hit the ground. Even people standing on the ground. Or walls. Or basically anything else that has potential energy from elevation.
>>
No. 213744 ID: 42838c

"Fall" also has my vote now. Even if Kaan's not in the air, we could still knock him off his feet from a distance, and that's still useful.

We could get "Halt" later, if we get through this fight with enough Titan's Will, or if a situation later in this fight requires it. For now, let's stick with one.
>>
No. 213843 ID: 2eac65

I think Fall fits into the category of "useful in this situation and a few similar ones". What about a more generally useful word, like Move (to move a target in any direction) or Come (to bring a target to us - handy if we're not below what we want)?

I'd rather not use one at all, though. That would show him that we've developed new abilities; I think this might be what he wants. First, we should try to talk him into coming down; then we can catch him off guard, by using Stop on him mid-fall or something similar.
>>
No. 213882 ID: a594b9

>>213843
Goddamn it. You don't get it! The MORE USEFUL a power word is, the MORE EXPENSIVE it is!
>>
No. 213891 ID: 701a19

>>213882
Yes, and Stop is even more powerful. Stop a heart to kill a person. Stop a stream to create a temporary dam that will serve as a bridge immediately and flash-flood the countryside later. Stop a spell to have it fizzle.

Really, though, the cost of an ability should be in how it is used. The more significant the usage, the more it costs. In terms of TW this would be expressed in 'ability levels', and in terms of moon power this would be expressed in point costs.
>>
No. 213946 ID: d86f54

>>213891
>>213882

Read the Questdis, sirs. Word of God has it that 'halt/stop' largely only stops momentum (or creates stasis at higher levels). It's not, currently, as useful as you think it is.

It costs 1 TW.
>>
No. 214039 ID: 50c8c4

I'll throw in my own vote for Fall.
>>
No. 214060 ID: 736caa

I will vote for anything that behaves like a gravity gun.
>>
No. 214062 ID: 445c48

I'm throwing my vote in for Efficiency of Consumption and Ease of Consumption again. I'm not sure if buying them again makes them cost two, or if we can just add one to each or whatever. If we have any left over, Stop gets my vote.
>>
No. 214067 ID: 7e8901
File 128054316758.png - (43.50KB , 600x600 , woahagain.png )
214067

>[Please try to hold back on the debate here; use the discussion thread instead. I remind you that voting and suggestions for Power Words should be done there as well.]

Saulanna manages to refocus on the outside world. A multitude of ideas on what to with this new power spring up in her mind, and-

Wait a moment.
>>
No. 214068 ID: 7e8901
File 128054319776.png - (67.42KB , 600x600 , faceoff.png )
214068

Peregrin!! How did he get over there so fast!? What is he doing!?!

>"He's casting a spell!!"
>>
No. 214069 ID: 701a19

>>214068
Ok, now we need Stop.

Mostly because then we can tell him:
"Stop saying words" and bite his face.
>>
No. 214070 ID: 1b8ddf

he stopped moving. fling ANYTHING at him and gain some distance.

prepare to dodge the undodgeable. boost agility again.
>>
No. 214072 ID: 0fda82

Fine, voting for stop.
>>
No. 214074 ID: 0fda82

Also, throw the sword in his face.
>>
No. 214077 ID: e31d52

STOP

HAMMERTIME
>>
No. 214090 ID: c4c313

>>214069
>>214072

STOP FUCKING VOTING IN THE QUEST THREAD

>>/questdis/329450

please :3c
>>
No. 214097 ID: 2eac65

>>214068
>How did he get over there so fast!?
That's a very good question! If he was really that fast, how did we hit him with a tree earlier? We've got Beast Senses up; we'd have heard his breath and heartbeat, right?

Come to think of it, he only seems to be this fast when we're not watching him. Maybe he can teleport when no one's looking, or make copies of himself. Keep a close eye on him, and we can find out the secret of his ability.

As for now, he wouldn't leave himself open like this without some safety measure. Maybe he's trying to lure us close for an attack, or has a defensive effect on him. There's one way to be safe: knock a tree down on him (they look tall enough). That will keep us out of range of a counterattack, and either batter his defenses or force him to dodge. If it's the latter, follow up with a tackle-hug and start tearing his clothes off.
>>
No. 214108 ID: 5f20de

Do something to stop him, Saulanna. Use a Power Word!
>>
No. 214120 ID: 2eac65

Check for a scent trail! If he's moving quickly, he should be leaving one behind.
>>
No. 214137 ID: 8bdb6a

Moon Boost: Agility

Leap forward and stab him in the throat.
>>
No. 214198 ID: 736caa

Check for scent

and knock a tree on him
>>
No. 214206 ID: 54af1f

>>214137

Yeah, jump forward real fast and kill this guy before he casts
>>
No. 214383 ID: 611633
File 128063491232.png - (88.99KB , 600x600 , peregrincasting.png )
214383

Peregrin's SOUL FIRE blazes in streams of black and crimson as he pours his Power into the spell. Saulanna doesn't know if she should get near him. So she decides to try something else.

Wordblood!

>"Yes, my lady."

>Wordblood uses one measure of Titan's Will.
>>
No. 214385 ID: 611633
File 128063506615.png - (72.20KB , 600x600 , STOP.png )
214385

Power Word
>>
No. 214386 ID: 611633
File 12806351531.png - (97.43KB , 600x600 , peregrincasting2.png )
214386

Peregrin's mystical intonations and gestures are suddenly cut off; for a fraction of a second, a look of dull surprise and confusion appears on his face.
>>
No. 214387 ID: c4c313

>>214386

FALCOUN PAUNCH
>>
No. 214388 ID: 476456

Hammerfist him and scream hammertime.
>>
No. 214389 ID: 611633
File 12806352262.png - (126.18KB , 600x600 , ohshit.png )
214389

A look which turns to horror as the magical energy around him begins to twist and collapse back in on itself.

"No! The sp-"
>>
No. 214391 ID: 0b2a05

>>214385
Should have been power word: objection...

Punch his face in five.
>>
No. 214392 ID: 476456

Oh well it looks like your work here is done, Maybe run before he explodes or something
>>
No. 214393 ID: a594b9

Guys, we have a sword.

Use it to stab him.
>>
No. 214394 ID: c4c313

>>214389

Oh shit. TAKE COVER
>>
No. 214395 ID: 611633
File 128063545579.png - (84.96KB , 600x600 , criticalfumble.png )
214395

Peregrin's spell backfires.
>>
No. 214396 ID: e973f4

>>214389
Back off. I think he might explode.
>>
No. 214398 ID: 4c7b39

Don't get close to him! For the love of Luna, don't get close to him! Get behind something for god's sake. If there's anything a story ever told me, it's that you shouldn't poke something unless you know damn sure what it does!
>>
No. 214400 ID: a594b9

>>214395
Wait a moment for the magical energy to dissipate, and keep your guard up. Get in there and kill the fucker as soon as it's safe. Then om nom nom delicious soul.
>>
No. 214402 ID: 3416ec

>>214396

I think he just did.
>>
No. 214403 ID: 4c7b39

Before charging in, consider that he might be better at outwilling you than you might be. That might be a little too spicy of a ghost for you to handle currently.
>>
No. 214405 ID: 13fc22

>>214403
not really, wordblood has 2 extra souls so he would be like 3 people at the same time. and gevin and you can also help. so it would be like getting teamed up on by 5 people at the same time.
>>
No. 214414 ID: 701a19

>>214395
Wait for the fireworks to stop, then eat him.

Wordblood: Think you could eat his EXALTATION? Or maybe put Gevin into that body and give him this guy's exaltation? How much TW would it take to do that?
>>
No. 214415 ID: 445c48

Start eating the other ghost now.
>>
No. 214419 ID: 2eac65

We don't need to kill him. He can be very useful to us alive. We just need to push the right buttons.
>>
No. 214420 ID: c00244

>>214415
I'd keep the other ghost on ice unless we really think we'll need more Titan's Will and/or Moon Power. We've got some pretty absurd soul fire running at the moment and I'm loathe to boost it further than we need to.

We can probably handle this just by waiting for the magical energies to die down, then pressing the attack physically. Which is what we should do.
>>
No. 214424 ID: 8bdb6a

Oh man... There's no way of knowing if the red explosion is going to blossom outwards with many dangerous effects, or fade away immediately.

Stay put until you can tell which way. If it's fading, charge in and kill his ass. If it blossoms outwards, command anything headed your way to STOP.
>>
No. 214429 ID: b94e61

If that put him outta the fight, we should give the guard ghost a choice. Leave, assist, redeath, or omnomnom. Violence counted as omnomnom.
>>
No. 214434 ID: 2eac65

>>214424
Think about it this way: Would you rather have his dead body, or have him begging for forgiveness?
>>
No. 214436 ID: 8bdb6a

>>214434
Definitely dead. I think if we give him time to recover, he'll pull something. He's an evil vampire magician. Plus, then we can eat his ghost. Or even just keep it prisoner, if you prefer.
>>
No. 214437 ID: 13fc22

>>214436
have to agree. i don't think there is any way of keeping him restrained other then death.
>>
No. 214445 ID: 3a289a

Hide behind a tree in case shit blows the fuck up. Have your shield ready in case that shit blows the fuck up so hard that the trees blow the fuck up too.

Alternately, Wordblood might know a thing or two about sorcery. What does Wordblood think of this?
>>
No. 214458 ID: 2eac65

>>214436
We just need to convince him that trying to fight or escape is too much of a risk. He knows we can stop him for a split-second if he tries anything, and that's all we need to wrap our Moon Claws around his heart. Besides, I don't think he'll be feeling too active after a blast like that.

Then, after explain to him his personal failings, we can offer him a chance to redeem himself. He'll be extremely useful if we can convince him to serve us while he's still alive; he's not only powerful and knowledgeable, but in a position of authority. We've got decent social attributes and some spare Moon Points to boost them, so I'd like to at least try something like this:

"Listen closely, Peregrin. In spite of all you've done to me, I'm going to give you another chance. Pay attention and you might just get out of this unharmed. You might even gain something you're after. Just don't say or do anything without my permission or you'll die in your next heartbeat.

"Now, slowly drop your weapons."

"Weapons", of course, includes his clothes. Magicians are known to have hidden tools in unexpected places.
>>
No. 214552 ID: 5f20de

Stand back and let the lightworks end, then assess Peregrin's state. Be very wary, and ready to dodge out of the way of anything exiting the blaze. If he still lives and is conscious, give him your best A-level Intimidate glare, and tell him there's no fleeing now, you want answers to your questions without any further shenanegans.

I'm still debating whether we should just kill him and try to confine/consume his exaltation just to end the very real threat he represents, or if it's safest to intimidate information out of him.

Thing is, he knows who Saulanna was prior to her exaltation, and if the consumption attempt fails (as it might do with our current soul strength) then we'd lose that information. Being an exalt, we can't eat his soul without killing him, and that leaves us with a rather narrow window of opportunity to 'catch' his soul.

If he's incapacitated, loot him down to his britches, and check even those. I suspect the stone he has around his neck is the HEART of the MANSE we found earlier, so be sure to yoink it. It's full of bad-mojo majicks, but with it we might figure out a better way to break the manse's contributions on making this a deathland, if that's what we want.

Ah, and don't consume the captured ghost soldier just yet. You might need him later, whether as a gesture of peace towards Peregrin's (former?) minions ("See, I can be nice and NOT eat you, provided you do as I say."), or for more practical reasons (we've only used three majick dots so far, and still have two TW in reserve).

Besides, we have enough of an anima flare already. Hell, with the lightshow we're producing, I wonder if anyone -else- will drop by.
>>
No. 214587 ID: 2eac65

>>214552
It's risky, but I personally think it's a very low risk/high reward option. And if we do kill him, it will cost us a lot.

Cons of killing him include:
-He might escape as a ghost.
-If we do catch him, we might not be able to absorb him (he's pretty strong).
-If we do absorb him, the info we gain from his memories will be scattered and incoherent (or maybe not, but it's a risk).
-This region will be politically destabilized. As evil as he is, he seems to be helping the people of this realm somewhat.
-His Heroic Soul will escape and empower someone else (they're next to impossible to catch, and even harder to destroy).
-His superiors will notice his disappearance and pay us even more attention. I don't doubt they could find us if they tried.

But the pros of converting him are:
-We gain a powerful, experienced ally.
-We gain access to all the information he has.
-He can help us research new information.
-We can influence this region's laws and politics.
-We'll have a place we can retreat to, if we need any of his resources.
-He can cover for us to his superiors and allies.
-No one else can bond with his Heroic Soul.
-We get to learn about his backstory.
-Saulanna will be developed as a more social, less violent character.

So, I think we have very good reasons to want to capture him instead of killing him.

If we're going to intimidate him, we should try and Boost Inspiration to make sure it sticks. If we have to use violence, let's at least try to grapple him before finishing him off.
>>
No. 214618 ID: 35de9d

Or you could create another powerword: Bind which would be directed at his magic power.
>>
No. 214662 ID: 13fc22

those who want to capture seem to be forgetting he could just lie about agreeing with us.
"stop attacking me"
"okay"
no you nee-"
"SNEAK ATTACK!"
"BLARG! i am dead!"
>>
No. 214822 ID: 736caa

Suggestion: Peregrin willingly enters the sell your soul deal, where we control him but he has free will otherwise, or we kill him.
>>
No. 214834 ID: a9b02b

check what the fuck is happening in the surroundings. i want to know how "alive" peregrin is as well.

if you can, try to talk with him for the last time. get the most information you can out of him, and watch for tricks.

guys, peregrin is surely a essence 3~5 abyssal. we most likely wont be able to eat him.

also its time to question our prisioner. most precisely, why should we not eat him?
>>
No. 214863 ID: 2eac65

>>214822
Not just yet. We'll need to wear him down a bit first. It's best if he's already questioning his worldview and mentally vulnerable when we make the offer.
>>
No. 215320 ID: e9e254
File 128088378412.png - (66.47KB , 600x600 , pgdamaged.png )
215320

>>214445

>"A mishandled spell does not explode in the manner of, say, firedust. There is a general release of unshaped magical energy, but also an errant firing of half-formed spellwork that produces random effects. It is very dangerous."

>"Peregrin seems to hold some similarities to those Sun Heroes who resonated with the setting sun, however; if so, he may be partially protected by his Soul Fire, which for them would offer an extra layer of defense while the Hero worked as a medic or on field repairs."

The residual energy fades; Saulanna watches cautiously.

>"... He seems a little worse for wear."
>>
No. 215323 ID: e9e254
File 128088382546.png - (43.01KB , 600x600 , threaten.png )
215323

His breathing is a touch laboured; his face seems a little more gaunt, his skin a little more worn, as if he were drained of vitality.

Saulanna decides to put herself in a more advantageous position. She tells him to not move or speak unless she tells him to. He does not, which seems to be acquiescence; his expression does not give much away, however.

What, exactly, should she say? Or do?
>>
No. 215325 ID: 2ae266

Create Powerword: Bind. Use it on him, either physically or on his magic.
>>
No. 215333 ID: d560d6

>>215323
We could just kill this guy before he turns into an annoying recurring villain.
>>
No. 215337 ID: 0b2a05

I would say power word: impotence? but that might work differently than intended.
>>
No. 215338 ID: a594b9

Check out the ground. Was he trying to summon skeletons?

Hmm... Ask him who you are. Obviously, he was your previous 'caretaker' that you ran away from. We need to find out about your past.
>>
No. 215341 ID: fdaabb

>>215323
Tell him that you are going to leave now and that if he is smart, he will let you go. Else things will get unpleasant for him.

Personally, I think we should tear out his throat with our teeth, but I doubt the hugbox 'diplomacy at all costs' faction of /quest/ would go for that use of figurative smite evil.
>>
No. 215344 ID: c00244

>>215323
Tell him that you'd simply kill him, but he seems to know more about you than you do, so it's time for answers instead. Who were you? What are you? How did he get this information, and who else knows about it? Who in the area might have sensed your battle? Keep asking questions until you run out of things to ask.

If he tries anything, stab his face (or otherwise attack physically in whatever fashion is most convenient). You might also wish to smash his staff at this point on general principles.

Do not make a new power word; you've already won this fight without one. It's time for the spoils of victory.


While you're asking Peregrin these questions, ask Wordblood if he thinks you'd be able to successfully eat this guy's soul and/or that portion of him which grants supernatural powers, and if so what would be required on your part to accomplish that.
>>
No. 215347 ID: 40cb26

"I can simply kill you and devour your soul, and learn all I need to know and gain your power. But I will let you say one thing before that. One. Thing. It will be a good reason for me not to kill you, or it will be your final words."

If he says anything that even almost sounds like magic or any kind of trickery, Stop him mid-sentence, cut off his head and eat him.
>>
No. 215353 ID: 8bdb6a

Saulanna has the ability to sink her claws, permanently, into someone's soul without killing them. She can basically turn them into an autonomous extension of herself. The subject theoretically maintains free will, but without the ability to work against her orders or her interests. It was described as a 'sell your soul' deal.

Saulanna: Explain to Peregrin that he must willingly submit to this, or you'll kill him.
Moon Boost your INSPIRATION, expanding your force of character to TRULY SUPERHUMAN levels. Take on the voice and demeanor of an awakening Titan. Tell him that his choice is either to join with you, to further influence your development, and observe your progress, or to be destroyed utterly by his magnum opus, never knowing whether or not the final work of his life was a success.
>>
No. 215357 ID: e973f4

>>215353
This is fucking brilliant. Do it and do it now.
>>
No. 215363 ID: a594b9

>>215353
I like how you think.
>>
No. 215370 ID: 2eac65

Keep in mind: if we were in his position, how could we get out of it? That should keep us ready for any tricks he might pull.

The first step is to disarm him so he can't escape. While listening closely for anyone sneaking up on us, tell him to let go of his staff, then grab it and place it in our Inner Den (unless the following plan takes less than one turn, in which case put a tree between it and him) so he can't retrieve it. Then we push him up against a tree and remove his shirt and cloak.

Next step, we talk to him. We don't want to be too threatening, or he'll think that escape would turn out better than cooperation. Remind him that we would much prefer to have cooperated with him, and the only reason we've been fighting him is because he forced us into it.

"Now, I have some questions for you. Answer me honestly and you'll get out of this with your body and soul in one piece. And I do have ways of telling whether you're being honest or not, so don't try anything tricky."

Possible questions... this is a chance to not only gather information, but also affect his state of mind. We should choose questions with that in mind.

"What am I?"
"Where and when did you find me?"
"How long have you kept me prisoner?"
"In what ways have you been experimenting on me? What did you find out?"
"Was I a virgin when you captured me?"
"Who else have you been experimenting on? What state are they in now?"

And also, some questions about himself, such as...

"What's your story? How did you get your powers?"
"How long have you been ruling this area?"
"Who are your enemies?"
"Who are your allies?"
"Who do you work for?"
"Of all the people you killed, who do you regret the most?" (and other questions like this)

Keep asking probing questions about his life and history. That should shake his confidence and remind him of any terrible mistakes he's made.

>>215353
I expect we'd need a bit more finesse than that before we deal the final emotional blow. People aren't generally willing to sell their souls except when they're at their lowest point of vulnerability.

The "see your life's work in action" angle is good, though (assuming we are a work of his, not just a research subject); I hadn't thought of that.
>>
No. 215382 ID: 2eac65

While questioning him, pay close attention to his reactions. Measure his pulse to detect any sudden changes in heart rate. Watch for any other involuntary motions that would indicate nervousness or discomfort.

Enough of this, and we'll have him doubting himself and his outlook on life. That's the time to use a Moon Boost on our Inspiration and ask him one final question:

"Why aren't you getting what you want?"

Give him a bit of time to think it over, but the answer to look for is this:

"Because you didn't think to cooperate. I had no intention of getting in your way; if you had simply let me go, I would have gone about my business and you could have gone about yours. If you had made a genuine offer to work together, I would have gladly accepted it. I might have even let you study me if you had told me how you planned to do it."

"But you didn't even try. It never occured to you. The first thing you did was use magic to warp my mind, to force me to come to you because you didn't think I'd come out if you simply asked nicely. Then, instead of telling me your intentions, you put up a show of politeness and tried to drug me so you could drag me back."

"You remember what happened next? The reason I didn't attack you isn't because I couldn't. It's because I half-hoped that we could still have talked things out. If you had done enough to convince me of your sincerity, it just might have worked. Instead, you only thought of violence and force."

(insert reminder of other failures here)

"I know what's wrong with you. You're a rotten, scheming snake, and you think the whole world is as rotten and scheming as you. You had every chance to gain a valuable ally and willing research subject, and you hardly even noticed. It almost makes me pity you; someone like you couldn't have had an easy life. And look where it got you now. It's sad, but you're simply too dishonest to work with."

"But there is one thing that could make me trust you."
>>
No. 215386 ID: f835c3

>>215353
perfect plan.
>>
No. 215391 ID: 2eac65

(Important: If we can, move him out of the moonlight for this.)

>>215382
Now it's time to turn on our charm. Put up another Moon Boost if the old one wore off. Move close to him and whisper. Be tempting, be alluring, be seductive. If he still has his hidden weapons, now's a good time to relieve him of them.

"There's one way I'll know you won't betray me. Make your soul a part of mine."

"You enjoy learning. You appreciate knowledge. I know that passion well. I want to discover everything I can about this world. I want to know what lies beneath the earth, above the heavens, within myself and beyond the world. And I'll share everything with you. You'll see firsthand how I develop and all the secrets I seek out, and you'll learn what the will of a Titan can really do."

(insert promises relevant to his other goals here)

"You won't even have to give up a thing. You'll keep your life, your soul, your power, your kingdom, your research, and someone very interested in helping you."

"Join with me. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

TL;DR: "I would helped you except you're an evil bastard and the only way I'd ever trust you is if you let me steal your soul and make you my slave. But you totally should, because I'll give you lots of knowledge and power and you won't lose a thing (subtext: and it's better than a wooden stake through the heart)."
>>
No. 215394 ID: 660412

Linking souls seems like an intimate thing.
Not sure it'd be something to do with such a slimeball. Or is it more of a 'leash and make him our soul-gimp' thing? In that case would we be any better than him?
>>
No. 215395 ID: f835c3

>>215394
our options are ether this or kill him.
>>
No. 215396 ID: c00244

>>215394
It's more of a "hollow him out, devour the creamy filling, and have our soul wear his mind and body as a mask" thing. Which is, y'know. Kind of creepy, but probably better than eating him (we'd get less out of it), killing him (he'd probably come back as a ghost and mess with us), or letting him go (to plague us later).

Anyway, now is not the time for doubts regarding morality! We need conviction in our mind to display conviction in our actions, after all.
>>
No. 215398 ID: 2eac65

>>215394
If it were forced on an innocent person, it would be objectionable, but that's just the sort of thing he'd do if left to his own devices. It's more merciful and effective than a lot of other options for keeping him under control.
>>
No. 215402 ID: 660412

>>215396
As far as the coming back as a ghost to torment us goes, is that a problem? We've been eating ghosts like they were delicious candy, so far. He might put up more of a fight than the others, but by the time he finds us again, we would be stronger, too.

But go ahead with your soul-gimp plan. I'm apparently a minority opinion, so I'll bow out gracefully and not object.
>>
No. 215411 ID: c4c313

Man, we are turning into the baddest monster ever.
>>
No. 215493 ID: d560d6

>>215353
She can? Oh, that then, instead of >>215333 .
>>
No. 215510 ID: 6aaaf6

we should start by scaring him, or giving a false impression of us. first and foremost, he has a jewel in his bowtie, remove it from him.

ask what he is and what saulanna is. do not mention wordblood.

what are his goals and why should we let him live, or even better, why should we not try to eat his soul for everything he has done to us, that we cant remember and that he just did.

then finaly say "i dont belive in you". wait for a few comments and strike to not kill.

rinse and repeat until you are satisfied with the answer.
>>
No. 215512 ID: d86f54

Do you really want to become like Peregrin here, or worse? Think about it. What's proposed is Peregrin's desire, in reverse. Peregrin seemed to want to use or control us. To "learn" from us as he put it. Now most suggestions are for using him, controlling him, to best subsume his skills and knowledge. Om nom nom.

Heck, and we haven't even figured out his full motives yet! Oh sure, he's an abyssal, and he's got no regard for the people under his command, a sneaky bastard and likely jaded as all heck. This makes him a bad boy and dangerous, but we're not being much better right now, are we? Where's the difference between him and us? "He started it?"

So hey, snap to! From what I understand, Peregrin's Exaltation used to be Solar, until something wickedbad (i.e. the dead titans) captured and twisted it. With the right abilities, Wordblood could change it back, couldn't he? And Solars were allies to the Lunars, no? Something to think about. An alternative, certainly.

So..What to do? I say cut off his brooch. If it is the MANSE'S HEARTSTONE he could use it to recharge his macjiks. Knock away his staff too, some power might be invested in it. Thus defused, get him to tell you his story. No omissions, no lies... Who is he really? Why did he set up here? Who were you? How did you end up with a titanic fragment inside? Why the interest in the Titans? You could claim you've just spent some juice on an ability that can tell if he's lying or going to try something, boost your Dickery to make it convincing, and use your high ACUITY to back it up if he contradicts himself on something, based on what he's already said. We're good at detecting lies as-is, fortunately.

Alternatively, you could make and use Power Word: Confess[/Truth/Reveal] on him.
>>
No. 215516 ID: d9dec9

>>215512
why should he? he has no reason to tell us anything, and we would need to use confess with each question draining our power entirely for just a few answers. besides that, if we leave him alive then he will just try again later with more back up.
>>
No. 215518 ID: 620bfb

I was gonna say eat him or something, but I prefer the while slave thing.
>>
No. 215584 ID: 9997a6

guys. mothing we do to his soul will be good. im sure he would kill himself before even accepting whatever we do to his soul.

we need to make him baw about his life story. we need to know wtf is going on and we dont really have the option of eating him.

however if we dont act fast he will have his motes back due to the hearthstone and loldeathlands. killing him is a almost ok option, getting even lies from him before killing him could be better.
>>
No. 215618 ID: 2eac65

>>215512
It's very presumptuous to say this is "like him". The first thing we tried was talking to him in hopes of avoiding a confrontation or even working with him. This is our last resort, and we're only doing this because force was the first thing he tried.

He is powerful, and he abuses that power to exploit completely innocent people. We shouldn't assume this is because he has a corrupted Hero's Soul, or that an uncorrupted one would make him any more noble. We can't simply leave him to his work; something has to be done about him. If it were feasible, we might imprison him and slowly teach him exactly what is wrong with him, but we don't have any means of keeping him from escaping, or simply faking a change of heart until he has a chance to recapture us. If we do this, we can make certain he uses his powers to the right goals, and we won't have to kill him to do it. That is the difference between us.

For now, yes, it's best to ask questions about him and about ourself. Then we can learn if he's truly as hopeless as he seems, or if there's something to him we can use to ease him onto the path of righteousness. And if not, we can make the offer without threatening him; then it'll really be his choice.
>>
No. 215625 ID: 958617

>>215618
i really shouldnt say this but there are means to make him a solar. of course we have absolutely no means to do that, let alone trust on him that we wont be simply piled up in ghouls or something we cant eat.

i wonder what wordblood has to say about his exaltation. i know its a tad early to spit out clean, uncursed exalts, but with enought TW, any plot hole device can be made!
>>
No. 215665 ID: 2797ee
File 128097115297.png - (43.01KB , 600x600 , qna0.png )
215665

Saulanna flicks his staff out of his hands. She is so, so tempted to just get this over with and make her demands; taking his soul and making him her slave sounds appealing. But it may be a good idea to get answers first, just in case something goes wrong.

>"..."

>>215370

>"What am I?"
"How to put this... Aside from being one of the Moon's Chosen, which I had nothing to do with, you're supposed to be the beginning of a new Titan. A seed of one, if you will, or an infant."

>"Not quite an infant, even, but correct in principle.

>"Who am I?"
"You were a "treasure hunter", as far as I understand. Part archeologist, but mostly thief. No offense."

>"Where and when did you find me?"
"About seven months ago. You were in my home, trying to purloin some of my more interesting possessions."

>"How long have you kept me prisoner?"
"Since then."

>"In what ways have you been experimenting on me? What did you find out?"
"You're... going to be upset with me."

"The Titan fragment I found, you see, needed a living soul, but a... pure one. If you understand. I had to, ah, clean yours before it could accept the graft.

>"Was I a virgin when you captured me?"
"... I wouldn't know. Beyond basic health, your physical state wasn't a factor in what I was doing."

>"Who else have you been experimenting on? What state are they in now?"
"I did try the cleaning process on a few others before you, to be certain of it. It worked, if a little less completely than on you at first. I left them in the care of my vassals."
>>
No. 215666 ID: 2797ee
File 128097119812.png - (42.83KB , 600x600 , qna1.png )
215666

>"What's your story? How did you get your powers?"
"... I was a stage magician. Conjuring, sleight of hand. I wanted to learn real magic. I studied Rituals, and had my try at Sorcery and Necromancy. I won't bore you with the details, but a demon took umbrage with my questions one day, and almost killed me. Instead, the Hero's Soul came to me, and I was returned to life, and given the power I wanted."

>"How long have you been ruling this area?"
"A half-dozen years, maybe a bit more. I was fortunate to find this land. There's not really anywhere else I can go."

>"Who are your enemies?"
"Well. Let's see. I am a renegade Death Hero, refugee from the dominion of the Dragon's Shadow and anathema to the world of the living. So... everyone, I'd say, aside my spectral plebeians."

>"Who are your allies?"
"... I suppose that other rogue Death Heroes would not look unfavourably upon me."

>"Who do you work for?"
"Myself."

>"Of all the people you killed, who do you regret the most?"
"... A librarian. She got suspicious of me when I searched for certain volumes, and found out what I was. She would have set the Illuminated on me. She was young, and intelligent. Where are you going with this?"
>>
No. 215667 ID: 2797ee
File 128097126747.png - (43.15KB , 600x600 , qna2.png )
215667

>>215382

>"Why aren't you getting what you want?"
"I underestimated you."

>"Because you didn't think to cooperate. [...] It's sad, but you're simply too dishonest to work with."

"Oh, well, let me think. What would I have done in your position? I'm running from something but I don't know what. I learn I was a prisoner, and that my former imprisoner is pursuing me. I have devoured one of his valuable servants. The land he appears to rule is one of darkness and the undead. Oh how am I going to react to him? Certainly with trust and cooperation."

"I knew it was you, but I pretended not to; you could choose to "reveal" yourself at your pleasure, and so feel more in charge of the situation. When it became apparent you wanted to leave, I had to subdue you. For your own good. Eating souls may not be such a big transaction to you, and it's a better fate than some I could think of; but people out in the world won't think of it that way. You're still too young, too small and weak to protect yourself. I want to help you. All I want in return is to learn your magic."

He doesn't seem as chastised as Saulanna was hoping. Should she still deliver her ultimatum?

>"I have an opinion to offer, my lady, if you desire it."
>>
No. 215668 ID: d0073c

wordblood's opinion matters, let's see what he has to say.

"just so you know i had you filed under 'little suspicious, but an okay guy' until you tried to pull the flower thing on me."
>>
No. 215671 ID: f4e4f9

>>215668

No no, let him think we're as suspecious as he. Better he overestimate facets of us then otherwise.
>>
No. 215672 ID: f4e4f9

Also:

"Oh? By all means, Wordblood, what do you have in mind?"
>>
No. 215673 ID: e973f4

>>215667
Let's hear what Wordblood has to say.
>>
No. 215675 ID: 67c611

>>taking his soul and making him her slave sounds appealing.
You want it. Wordblood wants it. Do it. You'll be glad you did.
>>
No. 215677 ID: 620bfb

Let Wordblood talk. Then you can work on the slavery.
>>
No. 215681 ID: 715fb7

>>215667
Let's hear your words...
If only there were some sort of compact that would harm him if he betrayed. Destroying souls is a bit... Well, not the appropiate punishment.
A talented set of hands is more useful than one powerful set of hands. One eventually falls to the many...
>>
No. 215695 ID: 2797ee
File 128097910858.png - (54.55KB , 600x600 , wbadvice.png )
215695

>"You face a wonderful opportunity, but not one that is without potential consequence. If you can persuade this man to give you his soul, you will have a valuable and utterly loyal servant; aside that, however, what is his will become yours. You will have access to all of his power. His magic."

>"On the other hand, there may be a certain degree of... seepage. Do not doubt that he will be utterly subservient, but his personality, his desires... I will not be able to surgically remove and abstract them from you, as I can with those who are devoured. You are not a whole Titan, into whom a single soul will vanish. He will be separate, and that will be some protection, but also a part of you, as I am; and I think we have already begun to blur a little, my lady. I do not recall telling you that this willing absorption was possible, and yet you knew."

>"I will tell you this, however. It is part of my nature to know and to learn the True Names for things; if he acquiesces, I can extract his from him. Knowing one's own True Name is an advantage, in many ways; your soul is strengthened, your magic made more potent, your will harder to subvert. But it also offers a weakness, and this you can exploit. Knowing his True Name, you will be able to use your magic on him wherever he goes; and if he is made to swear an oath on his True Name, he is compelled to obey."

>"If you choose that path, however, you will not gain the tremendous advantage of his power for your own; and if you are not careful with the wording of the oath you make him give, he may think of a way around it."

>"Choose wisely, and be wary; he may yet have some trick he will choose to gamble on, if you press him too hard in the wrong direction.
>>
No. 215707 ID: 38738e

>>215695
It's already getting crowded inside that head. Personally I vote True Name oath. Do we have time really think about a no-loophole oath though?
>>
No. 215717 ID: 4ae7b5

>>215695
True Oath seems safer, we do not want to risk him tainting our power and drive with his own.
>>
No. 215721 ID: b9bd4f

>>215695
I say we convince him to become our willing servant. After all, he would be much better off as OUR servant than that the unwilling pawn of a Deathlord. As a part of us, he will be free of his fate as a death hero. He should only need fear being bound against his will if he chooses to betray us.
>>
No. 215723 ID: 49a137

>>215695
True name oath, I think. That bleedback sounds kind of nasty.

He should swear:
-First, never to do us harm of any kind
-Second, never act to our detriment
-Third, keep our secrets always
-Fourth, be honest and open with us always
-Fifth, aid us should we request it

I think that covers everything, without turning him into a total mind slave. It leaves him with basically no obligations should we just wander off right now, but ensures that we should be able to trust him should we choose to remain in his company. Do you guys think I missed anything?
>>
No. 215724 ID: 40cb26

>>215695
Taking his soul sounds great because of the obedience, but his power is nothing we should want a part of. If it were possible I'd rather take his soul and rip his dark magics from him, damn the loss of power.

The True Name oath is a nobler path, but although we are safe from corruption there is the danger of him subverting it. If we had more power and knowledge this would be a safer option, as it is now the "using your magic on him" boon largely goes to waste except to Stop him if he runs or turns on us.

...I'm still for killing and eating him, to be honest. But between the two I say let's take the True Name option. But we do it carefully.

Also, can we take his soul without binding it to us? Just keep it sealed away as a kind of insurance? That gives us a leverage he can't weasel out of, and if we have to take it into us later we'll probably be stronger and less prone to it's corruption. Best of both worlds, I think.
>>
No. 215726 ID: 2eac65

We should have saved that final blow for when he already seemed to be unsure of himself. But I think we can play off this.

"So you were just trying to help and protect me, and only lied about your intentions to spare my feelings. I am not convinced. If you had intended to keep a poor, naive, helpless little girl safe from the big, bad monsters she doesn't know about, a warning would have worked better than drugs and beatings. You could at least have tried it first. I'd have taken it as a show of good faith - a statement that I didn't have to hide from you, because you already knew and weren't going to try anything sinister because of it - like, say, beating me unconscious and dragging me back in chains."

"But that was all for my own good, wasn't it? Because I just couldn't survive on my own? I'm not as stupid as you claim. I know full well to be cautious about revealing my true nature - which, by the way, is why I didn't tell you. I don't doubt that there are dangerous monsters in this world who could do horrible things to me that I couldn't even imagine, and from the looks of things, my chances of survival seem much higher if I go alone than if I let you put me back in... What did you call it? 'Controlled conditions', I think."

"You certainly know how to make a tempting offer, and if only you knew when, you might have had me. But after what else you did, it would take something truly extraordinary to get me to trust you."

Whatever that "something extraordinary" is, he should be easier to convince if we start with that.
>>
No. 215727 ID: 40cb26

>>215723
>-First, never to do us harm of any kind
>-Second, never act to our detriment
These leave out harm by negligence, inaction or omission. He could conveniently forget to mention a trap he finds, and do us harm that way. "Honest and open" is pretty weak wording as well.
>>
No. 215728 ID: 49a137

>>215727
I was trying to avoid too strong a wording, which might compel him to spend all his time ceaselessly striving to make us safe in all ways or otherwise basically hijack his life with the compulsion to constantly serve. Your point is well made, however; if you've got a better wording I'd likely support it over mine.
>>
No. 215730 ID: 2eac65

>>215723
I'd do it more like this:

>-First, never to do us harm of any kind
That would be "Do not harm or imprison any part of us in any way, against our will." Which is important if we need surgery or something like that. It also covers things like mind-rape, which we know he's capable of.

Actually, I'll make that a separate one just to be safe: "Do not to magically alter our mind against our will."

>-Third, keep our secrets always
"Always" is a risky way of putting it. I'd say "Do not reveal any secret we wish to keep." That is much less likely to result in him killing and brainwashing innocent people (and even us) who overhear the wrong things. He's already done this at least once.

>-Fourth, be honest and open with us always
That could conflict with keeping our secrets if we talk with him in front of other people. Perhaps "Do not attempt to deceive us, lie to us, or hide information from us." would be more workable.

One more: "If you think of some way of hurting or acting against us while keeping to the letter of our agreements, don't". That should cover anything we've missed.
>>
No. 215734 ID: 0b2a05

Learn the true name of his soul and his other facets as well. AFTER that convince him to become your servant.
>>
No. 215740 ID: 6834bc

Saulanna: Just eating his soul would be easiest.
Luna gave you a command, and that command was to kick ass in her name.
There is no ass-kicking more ultimate than eating someone's soul and gaining all their abilities and whatever relevant information they held.

Plus the guy's a douche, I mean, really.
>>
No. 215743 ID: 701a19

>>215695
Wordblood, can we spend TW to swap his soul for Gevin? Specifically, so that Gevin gets the body and exaltation?
>>
No. 215744 ID: 3a289a

>>215695
Solicit the oath. We can always eat him later if we need to, but he would generally have greater potential usefulness as a free agent.
>>
No. 215754 ID: a594b9

How about we lay out all his options, and see what he thinks about them?

I'm tempted to just work with him. He doesn't seem to actually be EVIL. Just a bit of a dick. Power hungry and selfish. However, we should find out his True Name to ensure we have power over him.
>>
No. 215755 ID: d86f54

Hehehehe. Saulanna was an adventurer! Of the sneaky-clever treasure-coveting kind too. Guess her exaltation was spot on.

Hmm. So Peregrin just did what he thought would be right, for himself to gain the upper hand, in his situation. He claims to be a rogue Death Hero (from the dominion of the Dragon's Shadow), and doesn't have much of a power base beyond this SHADOWY LAND. That's interesting.

His story about regretting killing the librarian shows some humanity, and personality. Apparently he likes intelligent people (note how he called his ghostly minions plebeians, a derogatory term along the lines of 'of average intellect').

"...You -appear- to be truthful, and you say you want to help me, but understand that I can't trust you as things are. I could end you, eat your soul... however, you'll be glad to hear that an alternative comes to mind.

Have you heard of True Names? Let me find yours, and you shall swear on it not to deceive me, by intent, omission or proxy, and to not betray, endanger or harm me, or anyone under my protection. It's a better offer than any other thing I am of a mind to do, and likely far better than you deserve... so if you really want to help me, here's your chance to prove it."
>>
No. 215763 ID: 7e18da

[spoilers]reminds me of Eragon[/spoilers]
>>
No. 215774 ID: c6d5c5

>"... I was a stage magician. Conjuring, sleight of hand. I wanted to learn real magic. I studied Rituals, and had my try at Sorcery and Necromancy. I won't bore you with the details, but a demon took umbrage with my questions one day, and almost killed me. Instead, the Hero's Soul came to me, and I was returned to life, and given the power I wanted."

this seems like a ruse. it could be true if he were a solar, but then again, there are 2 suns in the sky.

>"You face a wonderful opportunity, but not one that is without potential consequence. If you can persuade this man to give you his soul, you will have a valuable and utterly loyal servant; aside that, however, what is his will become yours. You will have access to all of his power. His magic."

id say no, even tho i wanted saulanna to ALSO learn of all types of magic. also irreversible soul damage sounds bad.

its still possible they are destined soulmates.

>"I will tell you this, however. It is part of my nature to know and to learn the True Names for things; if he acquiesces, I can extract his from him. Knowing one's own True Name is an advantage, in many ways; your soul is strengthened, your magic made more potent, your will harder to subvert. But it also offers a weakness, and this you can exploit. Knowing his True Name, you will be able to use your magic on him wherever he goes; and if he is made to swear an oath on his True Name, he is compelled to obey."

i liek this. considering he STILL have morals, we can do this somewhat easy.

however we should warn him that to make a power word we need souls anyway.

also, gevin and unnamed ghost extra, what are your opiniuns on this?
>>
No. 215775 ID: 81b252

>>215774
>unnamed ghost extra
You mean the one we ate?
>>
No. 215776 ID: c6d5c5

>>215775
the one that almost backstabbed us is very eaten, but we managed to capture one that was holding a sword and shield.

i dont think we ate that one. yet.
>>
No. 215777 ID: 81b252

>>215776
Lets eat him, and give his ghost sword/shield to Gevin. He could make use of them.
>>
No. 215778 ID: c6d5c5

>>215777
what? no, this isnt fucking pacman or something like it.

the guy was already scared to "re-death" and gevin knows shit of sword/shield fighting. lets just harass him a bit and see if we can make him either a loyal servant (without mangling his soul) or if we can command him from peregrin.

oooh i got one, ask peregrin if he was trolling with the trick cards.
>>
No. 215822 ID: 8bdb6a

(Okay, I changed my mind)

He's too valuable and too dangerous. He's a devious, highly intelligent opponent who with decades of experience, who will weasel out of any oath you try to bind him to, unless it is so mild as to provide no actual benefit. You're in a bind. You can't afford to be so generous.

Proceed with the soul-hollowing plan. Any bleedover is likely to be mild, and if it goes against good sense, your RIDICULOUS SAVVY will help. Even then, the connection will be less than the one you have with Wordblood, yet you're still firmly in control. Peregrin will remain separate, mostly. It'll be an influence, but not a hostile one, since he'll become utterly subservient. You'll also gain the full benefit of his power and his expertise, which would be incredibly, incredibly valuable right now. You don't really know anything about your surroundings, and don't have enough information to even decide what to do next.
Tell him he's right. You don't have the means to protect yourself or construct an agenda, but that the solution is at the tip of your sword.

Give him a brief speech along the lines presented here: >>215353

What you have to lose is mild compared to what you have to gain.
>>
No. 215824 ID: e973f4

>>215822
I support this.
>>
No. 215836 ID: 5f20de

>>215824

I don't. Frankly, I don't see why he's all -that- dangerous any longer. Sure, he's a clever, sneaky wicked foo' and all that, but if he's telling the truth, he has no support base, bar the ghosts who ran off screaming. No-one he could go to beyond himself, or other renegade Death Hero cliques. Which means he's beat and in front of us ON HIS OWN.

Frankly, intelligent as he seems to be, he may have realized he is at the stage where further lies fail and the truth will hurt less. We have titanic powers he didn't think we have, showing him he wasn't the only one with aces up his sleeve, and he knows he's screwed anyway. I also trust in Saulanna's high Acuity to give us at least the barest of hints if he's still trying to deceive us.

Furthermore, if the True Name thing works out, we can verify any parts of his story simply by clever follow-up questioning, AND eliminate him as a threat, if not altogether as a manipulator. But considering the level of dedication he's gone to to 'seed' Saulanna with Wordblood simply in order to learn TITANIC MAJICKS himself, I believe he would be interested in putting himself in ANY position where he can work with us/help us and earn that knowledge. Not that we SHOULD give anything to him without serious consideration on our part, and genuine shows of faith on his part.

The important thing is that whatever happens, happens on our terms and that Saulanna gets the freedom of movement she needs to be a Lunar and a titanic babe.

On that note, Saulanna should add "restrict me" to things he's not allowed to do, in the True Name swearing process. Letting us go can 'endanger' us, so he could justify himself that way and try to kidnap us/chain us up again.

And hey, if he refuses the True Name deal, that should be some indication as to whether or not he's lying through his teeth at us.

>>215777

I advice against eating the last ghost dude if we don't HAVE to, and we don't now. If this encounter ends in something positive, we might as well just release him.

Um... Gevin, what do you think of all this? We're still definitely going to look for Ruive, and this fellow might be able to help, or at least know of ghosts around here who could share knowledge with us.
>>
No. 215840 ID: 2eac65

>>215822
I agree that his influence over us should be manageable. Most of his character traits - caution, curiosity, and such - aren't too objectionable. He kills and brainwashes people when it suits his purposes, but that doesn't seem to be out of malice as much as a shortage of empathy; Wordblood is the same way, and we've had no trouble managing his suggestions.

Still, it's risky to make such an offer without knowing his personality very well. This might work:

"There are two ways you can make us trust you."

"First, you could swear an oath on your True Name. That would ensure that you would do me no harm, and allow me to converse with you safely. Then, you could teach me about the world, as you have promised, and I could teach you what I know about my magic, until it came time for me to leave."

"But... there is another option. One that would serve both of our purposes quite well. Make your soul a part of ourself."

"You wouldn't just be emulating a new Titan. You'd be a part of one. I could share all of my magic with you, even the parts I could never teach you. And as I explore the world, learn and grow, I can share it all with you."

(If he seems to be considering it, but unsure...)

"What do you plan to do, then? There are things you can't learn hiding in a small, out-of-the-way plot of land like this (subtext: hoping a big fish doesn't swallow your small pond whole). But I can go anywhere. I can reach places you could never lay eyes on, uncover secrets of the world you'd never find on your own. And everything I learn will be yours as well."
>>
No. 215841 ID: 5f20de

>>215840

I don't agree to directly promising to teach him our magics. That's something he should have to prove himself for.
>>
No. 215842 ID: dda21a

>I don't. Frankly, I don't see why he's all -that- dangerous any longer.

any exalt can raise hell from nothing. if he finds another titan fragment he can make another primordial, as a abyssal corruptor he actualy CAN raise hell against us, even if as constructs of bone and dust against us.

for instance, he has what seems to be a heartstone, wich is from the manse we saw. with that he could empower a bonestrider, wich is about twice the size of saulanna, along with actual armor and a lot of spare strength.

>Frankly, intelligent as he seems to be, he may have realized he is at the stage where further lies fail and the truth will hurt less.

he is still a idiotic bastard that would corrupt anything to fit his needs. i.e. he cares to his minions but isnt afraid of setting them against a soul eating monstruosity, he wants his research to be done but would fuck up souls to do that.

i am against mangling his soul because this will not only give a very horrible message to everyone as it would also potentially hurt a ally that would work with us, for us and by us because we are pratically as evil as each other, but not by much.

and with this, we can keep the primordial business a secret.
>>
No. 215843 ID: dda21a

>>215841
if we use the true naming thing, we can prevent him from unlawfuly using any PW we give him.

we also have to accept the fact that we need souls/titan fragment to make any PW. we can promisse all we want, but what we can actualy do is little. for now.
>>
No. 215845 ID: 5f20de

>>215842

We still don't know his motives for doing all of this.

If he could empower himself with the titan fragment, why didn't he? And the manse stone is something I've suggested we remove from him once or twice already. Why haven't we? And more to the point, why hasn't he used it to get out of the bind he is in already if he could?

Either he's so clever that he's letting us have the upper hand so we can speak candidly, or draw us in, or he's unable to use it in the manner you describe.
>>
No. 215846 ID: 672901

i'm gonna say oath.
>>
No. 215848 ID: dda21a

>>215845
>If he could empower himself with the titan fragment, why didn't he?
i mean, he can still grab another soul and do it to someone he can more easily control. the titan creation process seems to require a blank state soul anyway.

he does not seem to be oriented to crafting, or his backfired spell has drained more motes/life of him that what it looks like.
>>
No. 215854 ID: 2eac65

>>215841
That's a good point. We should phrase it as "You might convince me to teach you what I know about my magic. I'm not promising anything, mind you."

Before we make our offer to him, we could ask if he has any ideas on how to prove himself trustworthy. As in, "It would take something extraordinary to make me trust you. Anything come to mind?"

After we consider his answer, or if he doesn't come up with anything decent, then we can give him those two choices. And if he won't go through with the soul-binding, let him know that it's still an option if he ever changes his mind.

(If we're not doing so already, this would be a good time to block the sensory information to our head-ghosts. The results of this are best kept secret.)
>>
No. 215975 ID: d14bbc

silly things to chit chat in order to get a better view of him:

we got some talk with luna. how bad primordials are? cuz she was fine with us.

what is the iluminated?

also your thugs were harassing us before anything else. we ate one out of accident and self defense, while we were so confused and shocked that we send that weird message to the remaining thugs instead of eating them.

we did not revealed uselves to you because you began harassing us. we had quite a shock once we noticed the strength of your command for us to leave our hiding place. by then, i was convinced we should not stick together for too long.

do you have a clue if saulanna was famous before you happening to her, or maybe how criminally known saulanna was?

coming to think of it, do you even know saulanna's former name?
>>
No. 216022 ID: d3b8ba
File 128115588376.png - (45.22KB , 600x600 , qna3.png )
216022

>block information to head-ghosts

>"I took the liberty of doing so some time ago. Hopefully they will attribute the deprivation to me, rather than being suspicious of you, my lady. Although the newest visitor seems a little too gripped with mad terror to think so critically. He has stopped squirming, however."

Hm.

Saulanna takes a moment to remove Peregrin's brooch. He keeps his attention fastened on her, however.

>"What is the "illuminated"?"
"The Cult of the Illuminated. They have a religious reverence for the Chosen of the Sun, and so, an enmity for their enemies. They wouldn't be too friendly to you, either; they think Moon Heroes should be faithful little hounds for their sunlit masters, aside the whole... Titan angle."

>"What can you tell me about my life?"
"Not a lot. I don't get many visitors from the land of the living, you see; just ghosts who don't want to live in the Deep Dark. You were the typical scavenger-archeologist, I think, solving the riddles of ancient ruins for personal profit, with a healthy mix of the higher-class burglar for when the lost cities of the Golden Age have inexplicably made themselves scarce."

>"What would you do, in my place?"
"Ah... well. I'd probably kill me and eat what I wanted out of me, but if you did plan to do that I think I would rather offer my soul in one piece, as to become your akuma. Though I am... not too keen on that, either. I don't know if you're capable of it, though I have clearly underestimated your capabilities. Do the souls make you stronger that quickly, or - ah. Off topic, there, sorry."

"I don't know how to make you trust me. Perhaps you could simply credit me with enough intellect to not think I consider myself capable of controlling a growing Titan? Particularly one I wanted to teach me? I'd do better to simply make myself useful to you. A place of refuge, certain resources at your disposal, easier access to souls, and... expertise? I don't know how being human and titanic is going to affect you over time, and you might be glad of someone who's studied the concept. Only the Heroes of Hell would know more than me on that, and you wouldn't want to talk to them."

Saulanna decides to reveal the option of the Name Oath. Peregrin's eyes still show concern, but for a moment there is a flicker of interest.

>"Knowing his own True Name does benefit him to a considerable degree, so it isn't completely one-sided."

He pauses a moment, then speaks.

"That's certainly the most attractive option thus far. If I may go a little further, however? If you yourself would promise to teach me the new Titanic Magics you uncover, I would pledge my full, active and passive support to you. Within the reasonable bounds of still being able to sleep and eat and so forth, of course. Perhaps it would be simpler to say that I would kneel to you, as a vassal, with the typical responsibilities and understandings of such a position enforced by oath. I really do have a lot I can offer."
>>
No. 216026 ID: f4e4f9

>>216022
Eh, lets go for it. All things considered, in Peregrin becoming our vassal, we would by extension have a measure of control over these shadowlands.
>>
No. 216027 ID: a594b9

>>216022
That agreement is vague enough to be very hard to squirm out of. I think perhaps we should do it. He would be a powerful ally.
>>
No. 216028 ID: 620bfb

The True Name option gets my vote. The details are up to people less tired to think about, or possibly me in about nine hours.
>>
No. 216040 ID: 8bdb6a

>If you yourself would promise to teach me the new Titanic Magics you uncover
I don't know what this means. Like, giving him a lot of Words of Power and stuff, or just letting him study it? If it's the latter, that's not so bad.
>>216027
>That agreement is vague enough to be very hard to squirm out of.
Doesn't being vague make it easier to squirm out of? He can quibble over what 'typical responsibilities' means all day.
He's a trickster! He's going to make himself seem empathetic and trustworthy, and make the best offer for him seem incredibly appealing to us, even if it isn't actually very good when it comes time to enforce it. We just can't trust him.

I vote we make him an Akuma. He fucked with our mind, so we get to fuck with his. He deserves no more, and it's a lot better than dying. It's also the only way we can trust him further than we can spit.
>>
No. 216042 ID: e973f4

>>216040
He's got it coming. :v
>>
No. 216043 ID: a594b9

>>216040
The 'full support, active and passive' part would be very hard to squirm out of, I think.
>>
No. 216044 ID: f4e4f9

>>216043
It's also a nightmarish and monstrous condition. You get a not-inconsiderable amount of power and access to your patron.

Your mind also dies, as I recall. Really no more than a flesh puppet. I'm all for ensuring he can't betray us, but making him an Akuma is a few steps beyond horrible.
>>
No. 216045 ID: f4e4f9

>>216040
It's actually a bit worse. Worse then dying, less so than having your soul destroyed, I think was the ratio.
>>
No. 216046 ID: 49a137

>>216022
Use our spectacularly impressive SAVVY, moon boosted to be even better, to come up with a specific wording which leaves Peregrin with very little wiggle room. God knows we're not getting very far with it in the discussion thread. Make sure it's set up so that he has to adhere in spirit to the concept as well as words.

Then get his name and have him swear to servitude. We can always eat him later.

Promise that we will make sure he learns something of Titanic magic, and that as our knowledge of it expands so will his. It might not expand as far as ours, of course. But we can't always get just what we want.
>>
No. 216047 ID: 8bdb6a

>>216044
Maybe our method's a bit different, or maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the description in the questdis thread didn't seem nearly so bad.
>>216045
Dying means you lose your memories and personality anyway.
>>
No. 216071 ID: 2eac65

We might be able to get him to go through with the soul-binding, if we explain the extra details Wordblood explained to us: his will won't entirely disperse, like it would with a whole Titan; his own personality and desires will still exist and have some influence. Also, that he'll be able to gain titan magic much more easily, even things he wouldn't be able to gain otherwise (this is how it works, isn't it?). But it's still his choice to go through with it or not.

If he still opts to swear an oath to us, we'll want one more specific than "become my vassal". Preferably, something like this:

Do not take any action to harm or imprison us, or those we place under our protection, against our will.
Do not attempt to deceive or hide information we would value from us, through lies, omission, misleading phrasing, or any other means.
Do not reveal any secret we wish to keep.
Aid us in our goals if we request your aid.
If you think of a way of going against our wishes while keeping to the letter of our agreements, don't.

I think that covers everything. And it's significantly less demanding than the version he proposed.
>>
No. 216073 ID: 5f20de

>Service/Vassaldom

Interesting. If being our vassal means we can simply command him to be truthful, not harm/restrict us, support us, etc., and he'll be obligated to obey these commands with all the strength of the True Name Oath, then we should go for it. It'd allow us to make corrections, clarifications as we like, without having to make him swear Oath after Oath.

Two things grate about this deal, though:

1. Him taking his payment for vassaldom in return for being taught all our titanic MAJICK KNOWLEDGE. Wouldn't titanic magic theoretically be able to override a True Name oath, even? Some things we might end up being hesitant in sharing. It's a bit unreasonable to acquiesce to sharing ALL our titanic knowledge.

2. Whether or not we'll end up having any other obligations to him in turn. Granted, since we're not swearing on OUR true name, we could just break with those obligations, but that means his own oath is broken and he'd be free to do as he likes. Word the oath in such a way that we can't inadvertently break it.

As such, we should dig a little deeper on the details of this state of vassaldom, his motivations for wanting to learn Titanic MAJICKS and what he wants to use them for.

Also, what does he mean by "certain resources"? Anything we might desire that he can get his hands on, or something more specific?

I -know- what he means by 'souls' and I'm not sure I like it, but we CAN ask him to lay off on that and accept we have moral complications with it. Sure, here we have someone who can attract and provide us with a regular supply of ghosts to convert into TW, but... no. Let's not swing that way.
>>
No. 216246 ID: 49a137

>>216073
>Him taking his payment for vassaldom in return for being taught all our titanic MAJICK KNOWLEDGE
Considering that we're otherwise going to kill him or eat his soul, I daresay he's not going to refuse our promise to teach him only "some" of our titan-style magics. We don't have to promise to share everything with him, and indeed it would be a poor idea to do so.
>>
No. 216263 ID: 40cb26

We need him bound in such a way that if we simply command it he gives us his soul, as per the other option. It would be far more difficult to turn on us in a way where we couldn't do that. We don't want to, and he doesn't want us to, but it is just that much more insurance for us. Better a servant than a unwilled slave.

Also, let's be sure to learn our own True Name before giving him his. I just want us to be as strong as possible right away, no matter what else happens. As long as our head ghosts can't hear, and it doesn't distract us much. If it will be a bother we can do it right after.
>>
No. 216349 ID: 93ebff

How's this sound for a complete cutoff suggestion?

Make him swear the following:
To not interfere with your actions
To not harm you directly or indirectly
To not follow, scry on, or otherwise track you
Stop research into titanic magic
To apply these restrictions on his followers as well as himself, past, present, and future
Advise allies and hired persons to leave you alone
Obey the spirit of these vows as well as the literal

I don't want anything to do with this slippery snake more than neccisary.
Revisions? Refinements? Rebuttals?
>>
No. 216393 ID: 2eac65

>>216071
Expanding on my previous suggestion:
>We might be able to get him to go through with the soul-binding, if we explain the extra details Wordblood explained to us
If he expresses disbelief at this, point out that if we had reason to deceive him, we'd have no reason to offer him a choice.

If he wonders why we'd be willing to go through with it, this is the answer:
"It's obvious that I take issue with many of the things you've done, but that has more to do with who you aren't than with who you are. You seem to be focused mainly on gathering knowledge, which is something I can agree with." (which implies that, if he goes through with the soul-binding deal, his goals will still be achieved)

But if he doesn't seem interested, don't press the issue.

>>216349
We're trying to make an agreement with him, not completely cut our ties with him.

We really just need a clause about answering our questions honestly, without any attempt to mislead us. Then we can ask him if he can think of anything we missed.
>>
No. 216464 ID: d14bbc

lets have sum mindfuck!

ask him what power word he would like that ISNT "stop".

also we ARE interested in his soul INTACT for the same reasons the primordials wanted their heroes with their wills intact. you can never have enought failsafes.

also we are giving him only 1 PW. maybe we can consider rewarding him with more if things get even more awesome.
>>
No. 216477 ID: 2f0797

>>216393
WHY do you want to KEEP ties with someone that has poisoned us, bludgeoned us, stabbed us, and erased our very being? That's not counting the stuff he's done that we can't remember. You WANT to come BACK to this person?

...suddenly, battered housewife syndrome makes a lot more sense.
>>
No. 216510 ID: 2eac65

>>216477
Because we can make use of him and possibly change him for the better. Better that than killing him or leaving him to his own devices.

And to enjoy the feeling of being in control.
>>
No. 216898 ID: 27828f
File 128141855991.png - (44.75KB , 600x600 , saulannaponder1.png )
216898

The last traces of conflict uncurl through Saulanna's mind. What if he can outsmart her still? Find holes in any oath? Doesn't he deserve worse? Couldn't she have more? She is understandably hesitant over this enormous decision. But...
>>
No. 216899 ID: 27828f
File 128141861997.png - (45.96KB , 600x600 , saulannaponder2.png )
216899

... No, her mind is made up. She does not want to have his soul; not yet, at least. She cannot let him go free, and she does not wish to kill him. But she can still bind him as her ally. She will make him take the oath.

>"Touch him, my lady. I need physical contact."
>>
No. 216901 ID: 27828f
File 128141868032.png - (48.30KB , 600x600 , findthename.png )
216901

Saulanna places a hand on Peregrin's head. She feels Wordblood's magic flow through her, reaching into her body and through to the man that kneels before her. She feels the power coil around her; like a hand atop her grip, like a steady arm around her body. Blood and moonlight. Red and blue. Together. Words come to her lips unbidden.

>"Do you want to know your name?"

Peregrin nods.

>"You are Shadow In The Wings."
>>
No. 216903 ID: 27828f
File 128141877766.png - (37.66KB , 600x600 , giveyourword.png )
216903

>"I will teach you a fair portion of my titanic power. For this, you will serve me.
>You will serve faithfully, wisely, and well, as best as you can do.
>You will not deceive me, nor allow me to be deceived;
>You will not go against my will, nor what my will would be.
>Any command I give, you will obey; save that I would gain by it.
>My goals will be yours; my allies, yours; my secrets, yours.
>This is the bargain I offer you."

>"If you wish it so, than swear it, on your name."
>>
No. 216904 ID: 27828f
File 128141883433.png - (20.20KB , 700x700 , chap1end.png )
216904

"I so swear."
>>
No. 216908 ID: 27828f
File 128141961828.png - (43.60KB , 700x700 , SaulannaEnd.png )
216908

The touch of Luna settles.
Saulanna gains a point of Agility!
She gains a new Moon Ability: Scent of Victory

- Saulanna made an ally.
- She accepted a Quest.
- Wordblood was awakened!
- Saulanna gained Wordblood's respect.
- She tasted the power of the Titans.
- She uncovered her history.
- She gained a sworn servant!

Souls Eaten: 2/11

See you next time!
>>
No. 216909 ID: e973f4

MAYBE YOU CAN BREAK UP THE THREAD INTO SMALLER CHUNKS NEXT TIME.

:B
>>
No. 216912 ID: c4c313

What's that Typo? I can't hear you all the way across this huge thread!
>>
No. 216915 ID: 620bfb

Hey, if you can make a chapter last 1600 posts without people hating it then more power to ya.
>>
No. 216920 ID: f4e4f9

That is such an epic ending to this chapter. Bravo.

Looking forward to the next installment.
>>
No. 216923 ID: ed90ef

^What the wise one said.
>>
No. 216925 ID: e32cb3

Well, I had my druthers, but I respect Saulanna's decision and consider him a part of Team Rockblossom.

Did Mommy Luna catch that oath? She may have exalted us because she already knew about Wordblood and wanted that on her side.
>>
No. 216926 ID: 40cb26

>Souls Eaten: 2/11
So is that... good? I think we should have snacked on a few more of those mooks. Ah well, I'm sure there's enough dark souls out there that deserve to be snacked on.

And to add a little to our score report:

COMPETENCIES LIST

Advanced Evasion
Advanced Intimidation
Advanced Knifework
Advanced Streetsmarts

Average Athleticism
Average Clubbing
Average Concealment
Average Deathlore
Average Infiltration
Average Natural Attack
Average Repair
Average Smoothtalking
Average Swordplay
Average Theft

Standard Environmancy

Basic Bow & Arrow
Basic Command
Basic Economics
Basic History
Basic Horseriding
Basic Logistics
Basic Metaphysics
Basic Outdoorsyness
Basic Sleuthing
Basic Shooting
Basic Tactics
Basic Woodwork
Basic Worldliness
>>
No. 216929 ID: a7a85a

Needs more posts.

But seriously, wonderful quest. Of all the quests I've run around in I can comfortably say Wordblood is my favorite character of all questingdom.
>>
No. 216935 ID: 3a289a

>>216926
And I don't think we ever did get an answer on whether clubbing was hitting people with clubs or hitting up clubs.
>>
No. 216945 ID: d86f54

This quest? F'ing grand, a joy to explore and participate. Congratulations on this chapter, Jukashi.

>>216909

To be fair, most of the thread is us discussing, suggesting, arguing and theory-crafting. Counting the pictures, there're 'only' some 180-ish of them, and somewhat less in actual updates.
>>
No. 216951 ID: a7a85a

>To be fair, most of the thread is us discussing, suggesting, arguing and theory-crafting. Counting the pictures, there's 'only' some 180-ish of them, and somewhat less in actual updates.

Sir, I oppose this view point!

Just as planned.
>>
No. 216987 ID: d14bbc
File 12814452967.jpg - (28.34KB , 587x248 , imokwthis.jpg )
216987

i seem to be missing my slowclap.gif

meanwhile, have mfw the quest finnaly ended.
>>
No. 217067 ID: 3a289a

>>216987
The quest didn't end. It's just the first chapter.
>>
No. 217209 ID: adf48e

potato, tomato...
>>
No. 217296 ID: 2eac65

>>88565
>>216908
Did our ponytail grow five times larger in one day? I think we need to trim that thing down before it eats our head.
>>
No. 217300 ID: f4e4f9

Hush you, it looks great.

I think it's just her maturing. Its about as long as it is in Warform normally, which may include it's a side effect of using it so much so rapidly.

Or its an update to the style, which has gotten better as the quest has gone on.
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No. 217306 ID: 67c611
File 128152783523.jpg - (50.78KB , 500x300 , Raziel.jpg )
217306

We could have doubled the stat gains if we ate more souls. Shame on you all for not doing so.

We need to be more like this guy. Consider him our role model.
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No. 217388 ID: 3a289a

>>217296
It's part of becoming a Lunar. As we synchronize with our more animalistic warform, we become hairier. This is true on all parts of the body, but when we're clothed, it's only really visible on the head
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