Typhon 2012/08/15(Wed)19:06 No. 443637 ID: e890e7
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The soroi leads me to-- oh. This certainly is an impressive sight. The site of the negotiations appears to be a ceremonial dais, with a sphere hovering far above. I imagine enclosed buildings fly against the free movement the soroi value so much. The dais is constructed from flowing water, and glowing liquid flowing a lot more sluggishly. Even the very skies change their colours as I approach. ...Are these other creatures here also soroi?

~Typhon! These creatures do not understand compassion! They do not understand love! They deny us the lands we need to sustain our people as we fight for our very survival against the constant onslaught of the Fell! We are pushed further and further back by their unending armies, and these creatures try to drown us with their refusal--~

>>That is enough, akari Soja,<< hisses the fire-coloured creature. It speaks in a whispering voice, crackling like lit firewood. >>We have nowhere we may flow. To obey you is to need to cull ourselves. We are bound by our rules, and our rules are bound by us. They do not permit such abhorrent slaughter of our own. Would you kill your own kind in volume if we demanded it? I do not think you would.<<

~We do not need to worry about killing our own people,~ snarls the wavering mental voice of the akari. ~The Fell are becoming very efficient at it.~

>>The troubles of your people are great. We will not harm ourselves for your benefit. We face our own nightmares. Ours is an enemy that cannot be seen, and is the deadlier for it.<<

The fire-coloured creature turns towards me.

>>You are not welcome here for much longer, typhoon. I apologise. Your blood draws them nearer. Speak your words, and leave. There is much we regret about this necessity.<<
||It is true,|| speaks the green creature in a soft, chiming voice. ||We are sorry.||

>>443635
Our blood, huh? Perhaps we could use that. An ichor beacon to distract their enemy?

Personally I haven't seen any evidence that they cannot take up the same space. They seem to make water passageways at will; can't they just live up above while the Akari live below?

If that's not feasible, it sounds like they both need help. Why not cooperate? Or switch places? The Fell might not find the Soroi to be as easy an opponent, and the Akari might fare better against whatever the unseen foe is.

So, the Fell are pushing back the akari territory. This is making them try to expand into soroi territory to sustain themselves after losing much needed land. The soroi however need to expand themselves, possibly in part because of another unseen foe, and possibly just because of their rate of population growth requiring more lands themselves. This foe that the soroi mentioned, who are they? Are they taking land belonging to the soroi as well? If the border tensions are because of pressure on both of the groups by attacking armies, you could potentially assist in holding off assault on both. You are literally a one-man army, and are already ready to help the akari. However, if the soroi are only exerting pressure due to population growth, this is more difficult to solve. It does look like their society's rules are geared towards maximal population growth. I mean, that one right there is even pregnant. What is on their other borders? Is there any unclaimed land in the world?

Just to be clear, are they talking about a literal attacker that is invisible, or some kind of curse or mental effect?

>I wouldn't mind a single day without the crowd of voices lingering in my head judging my every action.
That's understandable. We'll try to offer more advice, and less judgement. Although, when you ask a silly question, you're bringing it on yourself.

Gaaah, too many speech symbols.

If our time here is brief, I will be blunt. It does not appear either side wishes to be enemies- you have been driven to conflict by outside forces. Removing these outside forces seems the obvious solution.

The fell have already made themselves my enemy. I have fought them, and I have won. I would gladly aid the akari repel their aggression. I would gladly aid the soroi against their foe as well to prevent this needless war. Especially if it seeks out my blood, and makes itself my enemy.

yes ask if perhaps they could try and fight eachother's enemies, then they could expand away from eachother instead of towards.

If we offered to take the fight to the fell, we could take the pressure off the akari, and thus they'd no longer need help from the soroi. Keep this option in mind as you negotiate, Typhon.

the root cause seems to be that both the Akari and the Soroi have either barely enough or not quite enough land to sustain there populations due to incursions by hostile powers. a point worth mentioning is that if they go to war all it will really accomplish would be opening another front for both the Sorori and the Akari, leeching vitally important resources from there current struggles.

a better strategy may be an agreement of mutual assistance. if the Sorori and the Akari combine there tech bases its possible they could both gain an advantage against there foes. failing that we could offer to help hold the line for the Akari as they divert resources to help the Soroi, who would then help the Akari in turn once there foe had been contained or neutralized.

>>443767
This. If you fight each other, you will both lose. If you assist each other, you will gain new strategic options to surprise your respective enemies with, which could turn the tide of your wars.

Typhon 2012/08/23(Thu)15:54 No. 446641 ID: 0f60d7
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"Why can't you coexist? I've seen waterways in the sky, and surely you can have trees and forests and lakes and rivers all in the same place. Why is this separation so desired?"

There is a tense silence as both the soroi and the akari look anywhere except each other, then to me, then back to each other.

~There is are fundamental differences in our world views. We are incompatible.~
>>There is reason for our differences. We cannot coexist.<<
~Akar would not allow it.~
>>We could never permit it.<<

"Why?"

>>Akari cannot flow as soroi. They anchor themselves to each other so a single death brings untold devastation to so many of them. We keep ourselves free of attachments.<<
~The soroi, among other things, throw their own children to the mercy of the environment and care nothing about their safety. It is disgustingly callous behaviour. None of us can condone it.~

"Would you even need to interact?"

>>Our rivers cannot stay in the sky forever. They drift from the lakes to the clouds as the rules maintain.<<
~We would not allow the soroi waters to cover our forests in such amount. Their water is not just water, Typhon. There would be changes we would not be willing to accept.~

"If you could co-operate, you would be able to surprise your foes. The Fell do not expect any form of attack by the soroi. I do not even know if the Fell know the soroi exist. And as for the enemy of the soroi, well, actually, is it a physical enemy we're talking about?"

>>It is an enemy that reveals itself when its intent is to do harm. It is not soroi. Please do not ask further questions. Wanting to know more of them is invitation.<<
~We know only the nature of the soroi's enemy, Typhon,~ says Soja, concerned. ~We have been too afraid to ask further.~ She looks at the water she stands in. ~The soroi suffer more than we do.~

"I have fought the akari's enemy and emerged victorious. I see no reason why I could not do the same for the soroi's enemy. If I assist both of your kinds, would it ease the tensions between your peoples? Is there nothing you value more than the destruction of the other? To become the very things you struggle against? To fight and claim territory from others, killing masses of the innocent in the process? Can there be nothing more to the relationship between the soroi and akari but a tragedy of violence? You are both sapient species. There has to be another way."

By the Ancients, you're a melodramatic one sometimes. Still, I can't believe you're doing this well, Typhon. You're certainly defying my expectations. Oh. Right. Yes, I'm Nyx. Don't start swinging your head looking around for me, I'm with your underlings watching the whole affair from the skies, doing my best to keep us a little hidden. I didn't want to interrupt things unless you screwed it up, and you can't believe how much I thought you were going to screw things up. Congratulations.

...couldn't you wait until after I'd finished mediating? It's extremely jarring to have you cut into my head like this out of nowhere.

The akari and soroi look helplessly at me, fidgeting and generally looking uncomfortable.

~I know you are people, soroi. There are things that you do that horrify me. I'm not speaking for all akari any more. I find your emotionless adherence to your rules above all else terrifying. I can't see the heart in it. But you don't act heartless. I don't understand it.~ Soja tilts her head down. ~I wish I could understand it. War is not going to help us understand each other.~

The green soroi walks up to Soja, rubbing at her eyes. ||There is more to us than our rules suggest, akari. There is so much more. I see your kind and I see what we want to be but what we never can be. You share your thoughts among each other freely, in harmony, in unity, but we can never have that. Our past before the marble stains us all. We need the rules to keep together, to act together, to defend ourselves.|| She holds her stomach. ||We don't throw our young away. We release them into the care of all of us. Our rules say we must care for all soroi that need care, but our hearts say we will. Young, old, sick and injured, we are there for each other.||

The fire soroi and Soja look to each other. >>Can one really defend all?<<
~I do not doubt that Typhon can help, but his forces are not vast enough to defend either of our kin. Apologies, Typhon. I will return to our forests. There is much that needs to be discussed.~
>>The flows will spread the words spoken here to other soroi. They shall know we seek to help and be helped by akari greater than to kill or be killed.<<

I... did I help this happen? Did I actually change something for the better in this broken world? I feel a great sense of relief and warmth. The akari begin to leave as a small cluster of soroi follows them with curious expressions. The two diplomat soroi accompany them.

Typhon 2012/08/23(Thu)15:55 No. 446643 ID: 0f60d7
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I can't help but wonder on what the nature of the soroi's enemy is. Or what sort of enemy they have that the akari were also advising me not to ask. Maybe it is an illness. The akari come across to me as sensitive to a fault. It would make sense to me that they would consider asking such questions further to be impolite at best and terrible at worst.

=Oh it's not so bad! It's not really a disease, Typhon, it's more like a cure! A cure for a disease they love so much!=

Typhon? What's going on? Do you feel cold too--...

Nyx? Mannimarco?

Colin?

...Ladon?

The world slows to a stop. What is going on--

=Cheating! Cheating! You broke the rules! No outside contact allowed in the pool! How do you not even know the rules?! The pool is filled with them! All dumb rules! Ehehehehe! Want to words at me? I bet you want to words at me. Do you want to words at me now or after the fight? You know we're gonna fight. Just you and me. One on one. No tags, no funny stuff. Wait. No. All of the funny stuff. More of it. Where's it gonna be? Here? No I don't like it the water's too wet. It needs to be less wet. You look funny. Where did you get that fin? That's new. Are you a shark this time? That's great! Maybe I'll be a shark too this time!=

"Okay, I don't know who or what you are, or what you're doing here, or what level of threat you present, but could you just--"

=SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! Aw. That's what I wanted to hear! What happened to freakout Typhon? You cut me into little pieces and ate them and then I had to burst out of you but I'm back and he's mad as hell and he's not going to take it any more! Want to dance? I dance with knives! Claws all flying around the place like bits of a broken god marble! Let's dance, Typhon! Let's dance until the night that never ends!=

Typhon 2012/08/23(Thu)15:56 No. 446645 ID: 0f60d7
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The air is thick and cold. Time holds no meaning. All outside contact prevented.

COMBAT STARTS

Starting Positions: I15: Typhon G15: Unknown Entity Unit Recap Typhon - 7 AP. Attacks: Claw (3 AP).

So... pointless annoying thing wants to fight us. Let's not give it the satisfaction and just dance away, and insist on talking to it rationally until it gets bored and goes away.

Good thing we spent some Ichor to upgrade you, eh?

Go on, attack it. See what happens.

Taste the rainbow. I bet it tastes awesome.

I take it this guy doesn't realize that, while whatever happened didn't kill you, it didn't exactly leave you in one piece. Although it seems he really wants to fight, and I mean, what do you have to lose? This guy acts like more of an old sparring partner than an adversary. Make it clear that you're pretty confused about this, but I see no reason that you shouldn't oblige. Go out and get him!

I wonder, no time means no delay for forming things away from your base. Defy him... form Mannimarco despite his communication block.

Also from his natterings he might be an enemy you destroyed for Wintermol. The breaking of the world remade him somehow... and he might be made of Ichor as well. It would explain his fluid form.

Oh I have a better idea. Rip him to shreds, then arrange the shreds by color. You can make a bunch of little hims then that are all perfectly rational!

Summons wouldn't actually be against his terms anyway, as they are part of us to begin with.

>>446667
The reference to "freakout Typhon" sounds like Discord here was someone we killed during our world breaking demigod tantrum.

I have the worst feeling that Mr. Skittles is going to kick our ass.

>>446737
Yeah, that sounds right about him. And you know what? I think we should apologize to him. Maybe that'll throw him in a loop.

creatures without knowledge would not be contacting outside, but pulling creations from within. they are you ans you are they.

Typhon 2012/08/29(Wed)14:38 No. 449285 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 0

Time feels as though it has slowed to a crawl. I attempt to form ichor, but the timelessness of my surroundings separates me from all other aspects of my being. I can't even feel the links between myself and the ichor I know I control. Only my own body, with its emulation of mortal sensations and rhythms. I can feel my heartbeat. I can feel it quicken as I realise how alone I am right now.

"Who are you?!"
=Nothing and nobody! Isn't it grand?=
"Whatever I have done to you in the past, I apologise! I have done a great many things I cannot remember, but I want to work to repair the damage I have done to this world and to so many others!"
=Nope!=
"What?"
=Bored now. Fight!=

Typhon lunges at the gibbering chaotic form before him. He carves strange, rubbery tendrils of iridescence out of something that feels questionably real. It is as though he is fighting a dream or a memory.

The figure returns the sentiment, hacking and laughing in a wheezing, diseased breath. Tendrils whip out of its unreal body and slice through Typhon's limbs and face. They pass through with no resistance. The bitter coldness takes Typhon's strength with it.

=Boring! Back and forth blows are no fun.=

The entity is consumed by the air around it. It is regurgitated elsewhere in the frozen landscape.

=Have fun!=

The world around Typhon disgorges six vaguely shaped things, all rippling and pulsating in sickening ways.

Something formed of ichor fades into vision. Typhon senses it, but it feels unusual. Foreign. Alien. It does not respond to his subconscious efforts to pull it towards him.

Huh, that's interesting. Head down and to the left to get out of the ring, and then attack the nearby blob 5. There's a lot of them, so they probably can be taken out more easily to not distract you in combat.

>>449286
This.

Try talking to the new Ichor thing. See if it responds. It's not time stopped, right?

Eh, walk toward the thing. Stab the closest blob after doing so.

move towards it, strike 4 at the end of the move.

Typhon 2012/08/30(Thu)13:53 No. 449678 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 0

Typhon slashes at ??? 4 as he walks towards the new arrival. It boils away into nothing.

The ichor figure continues to hold one arm behind its back, and keeps raised a single finger in front of its face. The only eye visible on it remains closed. "Is victory so certain?"

I see no mouth on this creature, and its words are clear and cold like ice. I try to respond but I find my mind blank. What is it rambling about? Why can nothing in this blasted, ruined world make sense for more than a minute?!

The dancing figure laughs and cartwheels in a sickeningly broken fashion. It falls flat onto the ground in front of it, before rising onto its feet as if on strings.

??? 1 moves towards Typhon, hovering and bobbing up and down in front of him.

??? 2 moves towards the other ichor entity on the field, rippling and swaying.

??? 3 moves towards Typhon, threatening to tear itself apart with its wild violent motions.

??? 5 lets out a shriek like metal scraping against metal and flees from Typhon.

??? 6 floats aimlessly in a straight line towards the north east.

Nothing is certain but such as he cannot end me. May I ask your name?

Go kill 2. I'm not sure why it's going towards that corrupted ichor creature but we're probably better safe than sorry.

get between the figure and 2, attack 2. then see if you can interact with the figure

For the hell of it, try to collect ichor from one, and shape it.

Typhon 2012/08/31(Fri)14:51 No. 450132 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 0

"Nothing is certain, but this one cannot end me. May I ask your name?"
"If you must address me, find your own name for me. I have no name I can give you."

One straight answer. That's all I want. One straight answer from someone. I miss Taja and Colin. They weren't as cryptic as everyone else I've encountered so far.

I try to collect ichor from one of the weird shapes, and to my surprise the thing responds as though I have pulled at part of it. It feels incredibly... slippery, I suppose. I can't keep hold of it for long without it collapsing back in on itself.

I would not want to collect it, anyway. I feel trying to absorb something as shapeless as these entities is as dangerous as trying to absorb anything made of the ether Nyx is made of. Ether may be harmful, but it is not contagious. I don't know the same about whatever these things are made of.

Typhon races towards ??? 2 and ends its existence with a casual poke.

The nameless figure holds its pose, not even flinching as Typhon runs in its direction. Its head turns towards Typhon.

The dancing figure runs in a circle.

??? 1 flies off to the east, gently bouncing off of Typhon and coming to a stop.

??? 3 moves as fast as it can away from Typhon.

??? 5 escapes the battlefield. It bursts into colours and dissolves into nothingness as it leaves the presence of the creature that summoned it.

??? 6 flees Typhon while making odd bubbling noises.

These things are starting to feel pathetic.

I'm a little worried about how easy this is. It seems like a trap. These enemies aren't putting up a fight. Kill the one next to you, I guess, but keep your guard up.

I name you Kali then.

What do you know of this being that has trapped me here?

don't try to hold it, shape it into a sear and launch it at the main creature. very quickly

Why not ask it the obvious question?

If you are made of ichor, why do I not know you? Why can I not feel you you?

Stop attacking the little things and go hit that big thing.

Hm, they aren't attacking you...
Try to shape the portions you can influence so they support and/or make the creature more stable, maybe even give it a something better to talk with.
Otherwise, ask "Kali" if this usually happens and advance towards Discord.

I feel like this is one of those "I am messing with your mind and now you are attacking your friends" thing. Can you try and match the things up to people that were around you when this started?

name the nameless feature "Discord" and the dancing figure "Disharmony"

address Kali/Discord: "Might you be the fragment of me that i do not want to remember? I am missing much of myself, are you part of me that i have forgotten?"

They die when they leave the battlefield too? Stop them from leaving! Try to keep ahold of one long enough so that you can calm it down enough to pet it.

>>450614
That is a good point, especially when you consider the ones making noises. Fortunately there are more blobs around than there were people at the meeting, so if he is doing that trick some of them are still normal illusions (like the one that vanished when we poked it).

Typhon 2012/09/20(Thu)21:43 No. 456392 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 0

"I name you Kali."
"It matters little to me. It is for your own convenience."

I can't shape these entities. It is like trying to build with dry sand. They fall out of my grasp and act as though nothing happened. Then, as one, they boil away into nothing. The dancer shrieks, laughs, and falls forward, crumbling into dust.

END OF COMBAT

The timeless air around me shimmers and bleeds into flowing water. The soroi previously around me have kept their distance, eyes and heads darting around in alarm. I look to my feet. Whatever tricks may have been played on my mind, I see no bodies before me.

||They flee! The demons flee from the typhoon!||
>>Do not feel so safe! They withdraw for now. They may return greater in number!<<

Nyx?

Did you just go to a strange place with no time and swirling multicoloured blobs that moved in a circle around you too?

I... I assume so. I didn't see you there. The shapes I saw tried to run away from me or approach me, though.

That doesn't sound right. They moved in circles for me. And started speaking nonsense words. And one of them said something about reunion. I felt like they were a diseased part of me, Typhon. One I couldn't quite--

--grab. One that felt like it should and shouldn't be the same thing as you, correct? I felt that too.

Typhon 2012/09/20(Thu)21:43 No. 456393 ID: 0f60d7
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Typhon... why are there two of you?

Two of me? Wait. The figure made of ichor is still here. The soroi pay it no attention. Why aren't they paying it any attention?

"Who are you?"
"Did you not name me Kali?"
"You didn't answer my question. Let me rephrase. What are you?"

Kali raises its hand and extends a single finger upwards.

"...Again, what are you? Are you a part of me? Why are you made of ichor?"

I am met with a brief silence. "Do you know what I am?"
"No. I'm... I just asked you that. Why would I ask you that if I knew?!"
"So it is clear that you do not know who I am, nor what I am."
"Yes, Kali, this is exactly the situation. I wouldn't be asking you questions I knew the answers to. I have more important matters to attend to than idle, pointless conversation."

Kali lowers its hand and places it behind its back. "When you know who I am, and what I am, you will know who I am, and what I am. If you do not know who I am, or what I am, then you shall not know who I am, or what I am, until you do. This is how the fifth age unfolds."

"Fifth age? What is--

--- 2012/09/20(Thu)21:45 No. 456395 ID: 0f60d7
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There are no shining empires anymore. Too late. Again, too late. So strange to see the same thing twice. It has been a long time. Far too long. Nothing remains. Not a part of you any more. To the ends of the world.

Typhon 2012/09/20(Thu)21:45 No. 456396 ID: 0f60d7
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--this 'fifth age' you're talking about and... what..."

Kali is gone.

I just... for a fleeting moment I saw, I felt, I knew something so very large and overwhelming. Images. Sounds. Moments flashed before my eyes. The holes in my memories are gone, but the memories are still so vague and out of focus.

))Typhoon?((

I fall to my knees, shaking. No. I feel like I learned something terrible. Something so terrible I can't ever recall it. Something that would destroy me if I ever knew it. Worse than knowing I spent my life a sycophantic slave, a slave to an empire I knew saw me as a weapon and nothing more. Somehow, even worse than knowing that.

Wintermol.

I have to see Wintermol.

Nothing else matters.

Wintermol's gone, bro.

Yeah Kali was saying find out for yourself. Go to the site where Wintermol used to be.