Typhon 2012/11/13(Tue)07:57 No. 471395 ID: 0f60d7
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I have not slept. I do not need to sleep. I have been thinking. Planning. Nyx is silent. I don't even hear her thoughts among my own at the moment. I do not know what she is doing, but she is in one of the chambers of our base, hanging so far above the broken world below.

I did not retrieve any additional ichor from my diplomatic excursion, although I take solace in perhaps giving the akari and soroi enough hope of survival to come to some arrangement.

Colin reports to me the results of our research on the Spiker Tick and the nature of Nyx's ether.

Typhon 2012/11/13(Tue)07:57 No. 471396 ID: 0f60d7
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RESEARCH Unit Upgrades The Spiker Tick's natural ichor-based projectiles are themselves capable of a certain limited intellect, and as such can propel themselves further than the Spiker Tick is able to fire them. This will require a little more investment into the generation mechanisms located within the Spiker Tick's body, however - the ichor slugs will require slightly more refined manufacture. UNLOCKED UPGRADE: Sniper (30) - Range becomes 8 hexes instead of 5. Ether Ether is a substance similar in composition to the ichor that composes Typhon and his creations, though twisted in nature. Where ichor and ether meet, it appears to all that the substances annhilate, leaving no trace of either substance. Curiously, though, this only seems to apply to low concentrations of ichor or ether, or collapsing amalgamations thereof. Larger concentrations, such as sapient individuals, are capable of interaction with no consequences unless so desired. More research is required to know more about this strange material and its relationship to ichor, and how it could possibly be manipulated in addition to ichor.

Sorry guys. This ether is tricky, tricky stuff. Much trickier than examining individuals or thinking of ways to make our guys better. It took a lot of co-operation with Cadmea to even get this far, and it's pretty much what we already suspected.

Typhon 2012/11/13(Tue)07:58 No. 471398 ID: 0f60d7
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What a shame. Oh. Hm. Hold on. I appear to be getting a message. I am not sure where this mental imagery arises from, but I can feel it as distinctly foreign in origin.

=Congratulations, fucker. You've managed to take out a tiny, tiny fraction of my forces, making me so pissed off I need to drop everything to waste my time talking to you. Happy? I'm not letting you step foot in my land again. I've spent years sorting this fucking mess of a world out after you were done kicking it to pieces. Not about to let you take that away from me. You or those fucking lizards. You know what you are? Just another stupid fucking upstart. Another upstart I'll rip into pieces and shove in the grinders. Should have stayed dead, destroyer. You'll wish you were when I'm done with you. You're sure he can hear and see just me, right? What do you mean you're not sure about that second one? Oh, fuck it, never mind.=

Typhon 2012/11/13(Tue)07:59 No. 471399 ID: 0f60d7
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Looks like I've made a new friend. Do we want to send them a message back? I wouldn't normally be able to send a remote message like this, but whoever it was wasn't remotely subtle about, well, any part of what just happened. Now then. Here is the current state of affairs. We will head towards Wintermol once we have made the requisite preparations.

CURRENT STATE Ichor Unspent: 138 Ichor Spent: Typhon - Health (20) [Boosted to 24] - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] - Flux Rate (20) [Boosted to 24] - Action Points (20) [Boosted to 24] Units - Typhon Bike (16) [Reduced from 20] - Mannimarco (King Worm) (76) [Reduced from 95] - Spiker Tick (40) [Reduced from 50] Base - Laboratory (50) -- Colin (Science Drone) (250) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) -- Ladon (Worker Drone) (50) - Akari Habitat (30) Total Ichor: 880

[ OPTIONS: http://tgchan.org/wiki/Reformation/Spending ]

>research
Hey, Colin researches new things, we get new units, and Nyx then creates ether mirrors of them. Can we do that in reverse? Cadmea researches new ether units, and then we create ichor mirrors of them? We could double our research speed that way, with the two armies researching two different things in parallel.

I think we've got exactly enough to upgrade the tick we've got and make another sniper tick, and then study the Fell.

40 + 24 + 24 + 50 = 138

>>471403
I'll agree with this. We got some captives and corpses last time we were in combat in Fell territory, so let's utilize them. Since we already interrogated one prisoner to get some social information, let's dissect some corpses for biological information. Maybe ask our living prisoners about some of the anatomy we can't work out on our own.

I'm a little worried about our relatively small force though. I mean, sure, Nyx will mirror our units, and so far we've been steamrolling the opposition, but... Eh. I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll have two king worms, Typhon and Nyx, and four sniper spikers. That's pretty good. I'd have liked another worm to mirror, but maybe the research would benefit us more in the long term.

I feel as though we should send a message to him, but do so in a way that messes with his head a bit. If we can divert some of his forces away from the outskirts of his territory by making him think we're going to attack his base or something, then our trip will be easier. Something like...

"You are a fool to taunt me. Perhaps I should pay you a personal visit. Let's hope you have more formidable bodyguards than a girl tied to a pole."

>>471412
I actually was intending the "study faction" option, but that's another possibility. If you feel like it would be better to have more worms it would also work to spend the 64 ichor for the extra spider tick on two worms with an upgrade each (vicious, perhaps?), and just upgrade the one tick we have. I feel like the two ticks would let us play more defensively if we were ambushed, but the extra unit from the worms would let us attack more units effectively. I still stand by my choice of "extra tick, two sniper upgrades, study Fell", but if you guys feel another option would be better than go for it.

>>471400
Hm, depending on how the Ether Mirror works, she may not be able to do that, I think it might be more useful if they attempted to mimic Ichor manipulation so it would be possible to modify summoned units, and begin unit research from there. Preferably not near any Ichor structures, raw materials can be dangerous in such an environment.
>>471403
Supporting making sniper ticks, and studying the Fell, unless it would make it impossible to attempt the combined research attempt.

Tell him that you will reclaim what is rightfully yours, one way or another, and that it is a shame that theirs can only be reclaimed through violence. Also that when you are done he won't have anything to so disrespectfully thrust at you.

Typhon 2012/11/14(Wed)10:24 No. 471687 ID: 0f60d7
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"So, Cadmea, can you, like, research new stuff? Come up with any fresh, new ideas?"
"I've been doing that! Nyx's counterpart units don't design themselves! Yeesh!"
"Wait... what are you saying?"
"Nyx can mirror Typhon's units to an extent, but without proper research on my end they aren't going to be much more than nebulous clouds of get-shot-at-and-die!"
"So much for Typhon mirroring ether units, then."
"He couldn't do that anyway! Nyx is the only one in the link that knows how to do that right now. And even then, you'd still need to figure out how to translate the essence of the design into something more suited for an ichor constitution!"
"How have you been doing this without a lab?!"
"Practice and experience, mostly."
"Wait. Design! Design. Of course. The sniper ticks need some distinction on the outside, as well as inside... got it!"
"Looks kinda pudgy."
"Got to fit the improved manufacturing mechanisms in there somewhere."

Typhon 2012/11/14(Wed)10:29 No. 471689 ID: 0f60d7
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I will send a message in response. Oh. Nyx has entered the room.

Continue.

=You are a fool and a coward to taunt me. You yourself call me a destroyer, and must be fully aware of my capabilities. Perhaps I should pay you a personal visit, and remind you of them. Is the woman tied to that pole your sole guardian?=

=Of course she fucking isn't! She's-- oh what does it fucking matter what she's here for. You're a fucking moron if you think you can get this deep into Fell territory alive. Thanks for the warning, anyway, you idiot! Keep the intel coming, makes things easier for me! I tied your mouth shut for a reason, female. Save your moaning for later.=

The connection dissolves into nothingness. I'm grateful. This Fell leader disgusts me in many, many different ways. I believe that the response worked as intended, either way.

You are no better than he is. Don't think otherwise.

What? What prompted this sudden shift in your view of me? I do not treat others like objects to be used!

I was reminded of certain events by my advisors. I forgot that you don't remember them.

Events? What events?

Remember what I stated before. When we reach Wintermol, I will no longer support you. We will part ways. And that is the best outcome. No matter what either of us might think or hope, it will be the best possible outcome.

What events, Nyx? Why do you feel so... conflicted?

Part of me wants to think you'll be like this. That you'll stay like this. But I know it won't happen. It never happens. Enough talk. It won't take long before the Fell realise there's no actual attack coming soon. I will wait below. Meet me when you are ready.

Typhon 2012/11/14(Wed)10:29 No. 471690 ID: 0f60d7
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Ichor Spent: Typhon - Health (20) [Boosted to 24] - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] - Flux Rate (20) [Boosted to 24] - Action Points (20) [Boosted to 24] Units - Typhon Bike (16) [Reduced from 20] - Mannimarco (King Worm) (76) [Reduced from 95] - Sniper Tick (64) [Reduced from 80] - Sniper Tick (64) [Reduced from 80] Base - Laboratory (50) -- Colin (Science Drone) (250) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) -- Ladon (Worker Drone) (50) - Akari Habitat (30) Invested - Research Faction (Fell) (50) [Boosted to 60] Total Ichor: 880 UNITS MADE Sniper Tick x 1 (64) [Reduced from 80] UPGRADES The previously existing Spiker Tick is upgraded to a Sniper Tick, granting it 8 range. RESEARCH 50 ichor invested into researching the Fell as a whole and an organisation.

Have we finished our preparations for the journey to Wintermol? I feel increasingly uneasy, and so many words and memories suggest it will be nothing more than ruins, but I must see it for myself. I am not even sure what the route to take should be.

Is this all? We won't be returning until I've reached Wintermol, which could take some time. Or it could be mercifully brief. No way of knowing yet.

What are you hiding from me, Nyx? Just what am I going to find there? ...Will I be able to cope with what I find?

>>471690
Well, you should inform the diplomat that you're leaving on an extended mission so they might want to return home until you get back.

If we had more Ichor I'd suggest researching base defenses in case the Fell have flying units that can reach our base... but on the other hand, if Taja isn't there we have nothing to lose.

...hang on, if Nyx can't mirror our upgrades instantly, how did Cadmea upgrade at the same time? ...ah. Nyx has a history with us, so not all of our upgrades are new to her. We're playing catch-up.

Is that purple region Fell territory? It might be wise to just fly over that void southeast of it instead in case they try to attack you for entering their airspace. Also, yes, see what we need to do about our guest. If she wants to go home while we're gone we can do that, or if not could we hide the base so it doesn't get attacked? We did just taunt our enemy and now plan to leave our base undefended. As for what you will find, if we already know the place is in ruins the only worse thing to find that I can think of is evidence that you blew it all up yourself. So you should probably be emotionally prepared for the worst in case that's what actually happened.

>>471699
Southwest you mean? We have only a limited range on our troop deployment system.

THe base itself is mobile.

>>471704
Yes, I mean southwest. But I'm not inclined to believe that where we're going is outside any range we might have, considering that the soroi territory is further away than our target now. We get to places with some kind of magic bubble things, don't we?

We should really set aside some ichor to run the observatory as we travel. I would say it's more important than researching the Fell, in fact.

Typhon 2012/11/15(Thu)21:10 No. 472070 ID: 0f60d7
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I enter the akari habitat, and find Taja staring wistfully at a plant tendril.

~Hello, Typhon,~ she emits to me, seeming uneasy. ~How do you fare today?~
"Well enough. Now, Taja. I am going to journey towards the south east with Nyx, and it is likely I may not return for some time. I am sure you would be far happier back home than to be locked up here for however many days. It is likely the Fell may try to attack in my absence, also."
~I was meaning to ask you about leaving for my home. Unfortunately, I will not be returning, Typhon.~
"Hm?"
~I will not return for some time. When I return, for my services to the akari, I will become a priestess of Akar. The rituals involved are not brief.~ She strokes the tendril and sighs. ~I was hoping, when I returned, it would be to relaxation and pleasant company. There are women who would give away treasured memories or parts of their bodies to become a priestess, and for just talking to you, I am considered among their number.~
"Oh. Well. I'm pleased to hear of your promotion."
~You will be free to return to our land for a new representative at any time.~

I embrace Taja. "Be safe."
~There is no threat of lasting danger involved in the rituals I must perform, Typhon. I fear for your safety more than mine. I saw you fight on the borders of our forests. I cannot see how you would survive the Fell lands.~
"I have my means."
~Do not fall victim to your own pride, Typhon. Even gods can die.~
"You need not worry about me."
~But I will.~

The embrace lasts longer than I expected.
"I will miss you, Taja."
~Visit me in six days, Typhon. I will be waiting for you.~

She looks into my eyes, rubs against me, and...

Then she leaves for the ichor bubble waiting for her.

...I... I need a minute to arrange my thoughts and focus on important matters.

Typhon 2012/11/15(Thu)21:10 No. 472071 ID: 0f60d7
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Launching the ichor bubbles through the Fell territory is far too risky. As I discovered myself, none of us are immune to the tyranny of gravity, and the chances of avoiding detection are minimal.

There is always the option of moving through the void. It would avoid the dangers of travelling through the Fell territory on foot, but we also have the problem that we can launch the ichor bubbles in a straight line and no other path. For our previous travels through friendly terrain and nearby regions, this has not been a problem.

However, we would be either need to skirt the edge of Fell territory, risking being shot down and destroyed, or launch ourselves into the unknown. Neither of the options are appealing. They make trudging through the Fell territory by foot seem appealing.

I find Nyx in the observatory.

Plan of action?

What are your thoughts, Nyx?

It will be roughly ten days worth of travel unaided. Even with our vehicles, we will need to match the pace of our forces. This is enough time for the Fell to relocate their forces to crush us. I would launch us directly into the Fell territory, aiming for the outskirts. We would risk losing some of our forces before landing, but we would save time that would otherwise work against us.

Ten days?

Without pause.

Fortunately, we have little reason to pause. We do not need to eat or sleep.

[ Each hex on the map currently costs two days of non-stop travel to cross. ]

I'm all for Nyx's plan.

Hmm. Wait, if this might take longer than six days, we probably ought to mention that to Taja somehow...

Oh... um... are you sure you are trying to avoid any kind of relationship? Because you seem like you enjoyed that. A lot.

Anyway, yeah, we need to get word to her about the length of time this might take, or else find a faster route. If you really want to see her then we'll have to launch ourselves like crazy people. We might get there within six days then, but you'll have to do some explaining to Nyx. If not I guess we have to go across the Fell territory, because any other options would take forever.

Suggestion 2012/11/16(Fri)05:26 No. 472131 ID: f2c20c
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>>472071
Can't we launch straight to that brown peninsula just west of Wintermol? Then we only have 4 days of travel, and part of it is through neutral territory. See image.

Typhon 2012/11/17(Sat)00:07 No. 472382 ID: 0f60d7
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The peninsula does look like a promising destination. It is slightly riskier to aim towards, however. The aim with the ichor bubbles is not perfect. It is worth attempting.

It would bypass most of the Fell territory, as far as I can see. I will craft an ether bubble. I will meet you there.

If we miss and start falling into the void, though, I am not sure what could be done. I may never see the world again.

I have plans if this happens. Let's leave.

The bubbles are fired. They travel faster than I recall, almost twice as fast the top speed we could manage by foot.

-Days 1 & 2-

I am incredibly, incredibly bored. I listen to the echoes of Colin's insights and discussions with Cadmea, back in the laboratory chambers. They are talking to a Fell prisoner with more civility than I would expect.

-Day 3-

The ichor bubbles slow to a halt and disperse, flowing into my shared pool. The ether flows from Nyx's bubbles and returns to her.

The wind howls around us, roaring towards the south east. I feel cold. Nyx shivers, and looks away as I look towards her.

Follow the wind, Typhon.

We travel to the south east. A storm breaks out above, sending rain cascading down in torrents. We continue unimpeded.

Typhon 2012/11/17(Sat)00:08 No. 472384 ID: 0f60d7
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Day 4

We spot a patrol of Fell as the darkness of the night lifts. Three aerators, two Fang soldiers, three Claw soldiers, and a soldier with equipment I don't recognise. It seems likely this is one of the Spike-rank soldiers that Colin informed me of. There are far too many of us to just slip by completely, but we can plan our approach nonetheless--

"The vessels were sighted in the area and-- It's him."

The soldier whose equipment I don't recognise stops and stares at me. It doesn't respond with a stance and the drawing of its weapon, but a look of pure fury and hatred. "Live capture is impossible. Kill him."

Either way, time for action. Formation!

Of course.

Typhon 2012/11/17(Sat)00:09 No. 472386 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT STARTS

Starting Positions: I5: Typhon J6: Mannimarco (King Worm) I3: Sniper Tick 1 J4: Sniper Tick 2 L8: Nyx K7: Nemesis (Emperor Eel) K5: Crescent Slicer 1 L6: Crescent Slicer 2 D18: Fell Aerator 1 D22: Fell Aerator 2 F24: Fell Aerator 3 F18: Fell Soldier (Fang) 1 G21: Fell Soldier (Fang) 2 E19: Fell Soldier (Claw) 1 E21: Fell Soldier (Claw) 2 F22: Fell Soldier (Claw) 3 F20: Fell Soldier (Spike?) Unit Recap: Typhon - 7 AP. Attacks: Claw (3 AP) Mannimarco - 9 AP. Attacks: Vicious Jaws (3 AP) Sniper Ticks - 10 AP. Attacks: Ichor Spike (10 AP) - must be used at start of turn. Can hit any unit up to 8 hexes away.

I should note that Nyx might take advice, but that I do not have direct control over her forces.

everyone move right 2 and upright 1, will put spiker ticks in range of most enemies and keep them protected by melee units.

>>472386
Hmm. Drat. Review of past battles suggests that the rifle-using Fell have at least 7 range. We don't really have the range advantage... On the other hand, if we move we won't be able to attack this turn anyway, and it would make it easier for the enemy to engage us. I have no idea if their ranged units can move and attack on the same turn. Perhaps we can find out?

Of note is also that Nyx and Typhon are not expendable units in this fight. Everyone else we can reform or repair after the battle. So our commanders should hang back a bit. Wait, where's the bike? I thought you had the bike still, Typhon?

Typhon should move to H4, his other units can all move 1 tile to the right. Suggest to Nyx that we let the enemy come to us, and for her to hang back.

ALSO, talk to that leader there. Ask them why they seem so angry- did we kill someone they were attached to? If they had a friend simply go missing after a fight with us, they should know that we are treating our prisoners well.

Hm, is it possible to channel ichor and ether to create cover for our units? Provided the two substances are not too close together it should be fairly effective in stopping the spinethrower projectiles.

If you and Nix can do this, move to G7 and ask Nix to move to K11 and channel ichor/ether to produce 3 hex-long fortifications in front of yourselves, and move each of your units to the fortifications once they are constructed.
Otherwise, move your ranged units to G5 and J9, and move Mannimarco to H8.
Warning, posture of unknown enemy unit indicates heavy weaponry of explosive or electrical nature.

I don't think we could make barriers even if it is normally possible. We just spent exactly all of our ichor, unless any that was invested in research has been released yet.

>>472427
Moving the ticks to G5 and J8 (I assume you mean this; J is an even row) seems like a good plan, but I'm a bit worried about moving Mannimarco to H8 into what may be range of one of the Claws. We saw one of them hit something 7 spaces away when their gun misfired, so they may be able to shoot that far regularly. Oh well. Let's do it anyway. It might confirm the suspicions we have, and it's kind of silly to just avoid their range forever. I do like the idea of spreading our units. If the Spike? turns out to have some sort of weapon with splash damage that would minimize its effect.

Typhon 2012/11/17(Sat)19:37 No. 472582 ID: 0f60d7
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[ Whoops, you're right - both Typhon and Nyx are on vehicles. Typhon has 13 AP. ]

COMBAT - ROUND 1

Typhon's forces spread out and slowly advance.

Nyx's forces also spread out.

The Fell forces draw closer.

The unidentified Fell soldier completely fades from view before Typhon has a chance to shout anything at them.

>>472582
Let's see... we could try to eliminate their Aerators first. Two Ticks shoot the one in the back, while the two worms go to eat the one on the left. Nyx's tick-analogues can fire on the one on the right. I am unsure if this would result in all of them dying, but in Typhon's first attack we killed an Aerator with one hit.

Or, we could take out their riflemen first, making things safer for our generals to move in and assist taking out the Aerators. Essentially the same strategy would be employed there. Two ticks fire on the center one, and the worms can team up on either the left or right one. I assume our worms do more damage than the ticks, so I favor them attacking the rifleman on the left.

I agree with going for the riflemen first.

Have Tick 1 and 2 fire at Claw 2 and 3, while Mannimarco attacks Claw 1 twice.
If Nix splits her units fire in a similar manner all Claw units should die this turn.

>>472586
While killing the Aerators would result in death for the Fell combatants, it is also likely to increase the ferocity of their attacks, given that they would not be able to retreat in time to save themselves.
If we had some means of capturing the Aerators and sending them back to base intact, or forcing the soldiers to surrender and accept capture or defection in exchange for amnesty, we could gain a fair bit of knowledge, as well as potentially gaining some loyalty from them, as our captured Fang soldier seems to not be too worried about his captivity.
After all, the other option is death, either by our hands, or their masters. They at least know that much.

We really could disrupt the Fell heavily if we used propaganda against them, plus, who knows how Fell soldiers would react if they had to fight their own troops?

Make a comment out loud about how cowardly the Fell commander must be, hiding himself when danger appears. He can only be planning a dishonorable sneak attack, that is, if he is not simply trying to save himself.

If this does not affect them, focus fire on individual claw units. If we do that we can kill two or possibly three before they can even react. If he is planning a sneak attack you should probably move to intercept him.

>>472597
That would just sound pompous; attacking while invisible is a perfectly legitimate strategy.

Typhon 2012/11/18(Sun)00:22 No. 472650 ID: 0f60d7
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[ Just a couple of reminders, it's been a while: movement costs 2 AP, no unit can attack more than once per round unless otherwise specified, and a unit can make its cheapest attack even after a full depletion of action points unless otherwise stated, like for the sniper ticks. ]

COMBAT - ROUND 2

Typhon's Forces

I won't waste my words on someone who is trying to hide. I can't see them being so lacking in mind that they would reveal themselves so willingly through talk.

Sniper Tick 1 fires a volley of self-aware flechettes in the direction of Fell Claw Soldier 2, who is shredded thoroughly by them, bleeding copiously from their wounds. The soldier yells out in pain, but manages to keep standing.

Sniper Tick 2 acts as well, perforating Fell Claw Soldier 3 in much the same way. It gets the same reaction - a scream of pain, but nothing else. These soldiers are resolute.

Mannimarco slithers quickly to Fell Claw Soldier 1 and begins to eagerly rip into them with its jaws, managing to keep its hat on its head and mutter in disdain. "Your blood better wash out of my hat, vermin! You stain enough with your wretched lives!"

Typhon simply watches.

Nyx's Forces

Crescent Slicer 1 spins in a loop, firing crescent gliders like bats at Fell Claw Soldier 2. They rip at their flesh, and with a gurgle the soldier falls to the ground, dead.

Crescent Slicer 2 swims gracefully in the air, its projectiles carving out what little remains of Fell Claw Soldier 3's tenacious grip on life.

Nemesis joins her counterpart in ripping the life from Fell Claw Soldier 1. With one last maniacal laugh, she rips out the soldier's throat with her fearsome jaws. "There is no place for you, Fell! The world hates you!"

Nyx observes.

Fell Forces

The Fell Aerators suddenly all let loose a wide forceful burst of corrosive miasma, flowing and winding effortlessly around the Fell nearby. The air crackles and glows a vibrant purple. Mannimarco and Nemesis, caught in the crossfire of all three bursts, don't have time for the surprise to register in their eyes before they are blasted into their component materials. The ichor mist flies back to Typhon as the ether mist meets Nyx.

The Aerators frantically remove their packs and start adjusting them, removing and replacing components as fast as they can. The miasma range shrinks slightly.

The Fell Fang Soldiers charge recklessly forward, murder on their faces. They scream a endless metallic battle cry.

The Fell Spike? Soldier shouts something. The location of the sound can be trianulated to D8.

Typhon and Nyx should move up to intercept the Fang soldiers while snipers kill the aerators, starting with the ones closest to the Spike's location. Shooting after the Spike while he is cloaked is dubious but invisibility won't hide him from suffocation.

Well that's a new trick.

So yeah taking out the Aerators somehow would be good.

>>472659
i think the aerators are down for a turn, like using a hyper beam. now is the time to strike everything else. kill the soldiers.

>>472660
That's a point. Scratch what I said earlier.

We definitely want them out of action before they're ready to go again, though.

Since the Spike soldier has revealed himself, you should ram him with your bike, preferably from E9.
Have the Sniper Ticks shoot both Fang soldiers
The Aerators, despite having suprisingly powerful abilities, are going to be more occupied with keeping their miasma generators running.
If we wish too, it wouldn't be difficult to incapacitate them next turn, provided the Fangs are dealt with.
Whatever Nix does is up to her to decide, if she wishes to capture any of the units, or kill the two Fangs, it's her choice.

Nasty. Of note is that the Nemesis was caught in 2 fields, rather than the 3 that Mannimarco was blasted with.

I think both Typhon and Nyx should go attack the cloaked general. They can do so without exposing themselves very much now. Our long range units can kill the leftmost Aerator first forcing the melee Fell to wait for the other Aerators to move, then the other two just afterwards. In other words, two attacks on the leftmost, and one each on the others.

>>472660
That is a good point. We still need to protect our snipers from the incoming fangs, but we can do that by just having our snipers shoot them while Typhon and Nyx go after the Spike.

Typhon 2012/11/19(Mon)01:51 No. 472983 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 3

Typhon's Forces

Sniper Tick 1 fires at Fell Fang Soldier 1, whose inarticulate rage masks any inability to continue onwards.

Sniper Tick 2 fires at Fell Fang Soldier 2, wounding them similarly.

Typhon races to the hex in a charge to smash into... absolutely nothing.

Nyx's Forces

Both Crescent Slicers between them manage to drop the Fell Fang Soldiers, who slump to the ground and bleed out.

Nyx watches Typhon soar after absolutely nothing and frowns, looking around rapidly.

Fell Forces

The Fell Aerators continue their frantic scurrying and emergency maintenance. Their equipment starts beeping in a shrill manner, speeding up in repetitions. The Aerators look close to panic. The miasma field lowers down even more.

The Fell Spike? Soldier appears out of nowhere, a respirator clamped to their face, takes aim with whatever weapon and fires an almighty beam from whatever device they have plugged into their back-mounted equipment.

The Sniper Ticks and Crescent Slicers are consumed by a purple crackling inferno, boiling away into nothingness. Nyx is pushed back from the force of the impact of units nearby, but sustains only negligable damage. Typhon exhales as a phantom impact shoves him upwards and back onto his bike.

get in melee range and beat the crap out of the spike. maybe say "i can save the three left, i can put a bubble around them to contain the air and let them keep breathing, or we can keep fighting"

>>472999
Maybe after we have taken down the Spike soldier, given that a few Aerators returning to base after an attack would potentially be punished, if they get there of course.

Try to avoid ramming the Spike's backpack, instead try to side-swipe it's chest instead if you can. Given the power of it's weapon, I can only guess how much damage it would do if its energies were unleashed in a breach.

>>472983
OUCH. Wow. Our units were just perfectly lined up for that.

Well, take out Spike there and start reforming a Sniper Tick. Heck, you can just aim for the respirator. Or, you could disarm and capture them... I'm not sure. Well, may as well try capturing him/her, since we can just kill them later. I'm curious as to why they hate us so much.

Typhon 2012/11/19(Mon)22:24 No. 473150 ID: 0f60d7
File 135339264947.png - (718.92KB , 1024x768 , 105.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 4

Capture is more interesting to me.

Typhon flies alongside the Spike soldier. "I can contain the air around your remaining forces, or you can die with them."
"107 9992. You will die, destroyer!"

Nyx drives towards Typhon, remaining silent.

Fell Forces

The Fell Aerators react to their superior's shout and start to run, their equipment slowing them down. The miasma cloud does not shrink further.

The Fell Spike? Soldier takes aim...

Typhon leaps off of his bike and grabs the weapon, slicing at the cable connecting it to the back-mounted unit, and tears the respirator from the soldier's mouth.

Typhon 2012/11/19(Mon)22:24 No. 473151 ID: 0f60d7
File 135339266455.png - (303.03KB , 800x600 , 106.png )

"Hhh! Ahg... ahg..."

Typhon continues to struggle with the rapidly weakening Fell soldier, cutting the straps and removing the backpack. The soldier tries in vain to resist, gasping and panting in air they can't breathe.

"Kill-- hhh-- me-- hhh--"

Typhon throws the soldier to the ground and uses a small amount of free ichor to bind the hands and feet together, before attaching the respirator again.

"No. You're more useful alive."
"You'll get nothing from me! Nothing!"
"I can take you as a captive and supply you with whatever needs you have to live, or let you asphyxiate here, bound and alone."
"You think you can intimidate me with your emotionless threats?!"
"What is your name?"
"What does it--"
"Answer me."
"Keya--"
"I will grant you your wish, Keya."

Typhon rips the respirator from the soldier and watches expressionlessly as the soldier struggles and wheezes.

Nyx dismounts her bike and watches the aerators frantically march back to Fell territory, before turning her cold gaze to Typhon.

>>473151
I thought you didn't torture. Either give her the respirator and leave her here to get picked up again later or kill her.

That is, assuming that second, brief exposure to not-miasma didn't change her mind about allowing us to take her captive.

>>473151
Um. Typhon, do they need those? I don't think you should remove that respirator if they need those. He sounds like he's having trouble breathing. We can restrain him fine with it in if we want to keep him, and we can kill him right here if we don't. Heck, we could even just take his gun and send him off. I don't think Nyx is very happy with you either.

>>473151
If you are going to capture them, at least do it so they aren't going to be so difficult to question. There isn't any point in torture now.

This one is probably waay higher ranking than the one we gave Colin. Let's give it to Colin to research more. And if it still wishes for death, we can learn from dissection. Science!

>>473151

Looks like we're slowly reverting into whatever hellish incarnation we were before. Might wanna stop that now man. Karma and all that.

>>473151
TO be fair, Keya didn't explicitly choose death as your ultimatum was between captivity and death. Keya only expressed an unwillingness to speak, but that wasn't one of your terms.

Further, Keya is not in the best state to make rational decisions at the moment. Such decisions can be made at a later time, surely?

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:04 No. 473383 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348508131.png - (176.53KB , 1024x768 , 107.png )

The aerators have fled and this soldier will not be a problem any longer. I believe I can consider this a victory.

END OF COMBAT

I give the soldier back their respirator and firmly sever their weapon's cables from their backpack.

"hh--- leave me or kill me--"
"I can keep doing this forever. I don't need to eat, sleep or breathe. You, apparently, do." I move to pull the respirator away.
"hhhg-- no no no don't take it away again--"

I am abruptly whipped by Nyx's tail. I stand.

Leave her alone.

She is a valuable source of information.

Then send her back to your lair. Time is fleeting. We must continue.

I engulf her and her equipment in an ichor bubble, and send it flying back home. I inform Colin to expect a new prisoner, and to detain them immediately and securely.

We board our vehicles and continue.

-Days 4 & 5-

Uneventful travel. Nyx is silent, but I can feel an icy hate building for me. She does not respond to my questions and comments, and I too fall into silence.

I tell Colin to pass on a message to the akari that I will not be there as Taja asked.

-Day 6-

The rain and winds are almost intolerable. We are here. Clouds whirl above at maddening speed. I feel as though I am walking into the worst storm I have ever seen.

Absorb your vehicle. It's too risky to hover here, and it can't touch the ground easily.

I do so, and Nyx does the same. We walk into the torrential rain.

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:05 No. 473384 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348510192.png - (334.28KB , 800x600 , 108.png )

Where is Wintermol?

We are here, Typhon.

I can't see any buildings. All I can see is barren, crumbling rock and harsh rain.

We are on the outskirts of Wintermol.

...no. There are no ruins. There's no sign there ever was--

See the storm that gets worse and rips the land to shreds. That is where the centre of Wintermol once stood. The palace, the academies, the homes, the heart of the empire.

...there has to be something, it, it can't just have been wiped so cleanly away--

Wintermol is gone, Typhon. You wiped it clean off the slate of this world, and broke the slate.

That's impossible! I could never do something like this!!

A sphere of ichor is coalescing at my feet. Not now. I kick at it. It explodes onto my leg and I absorb it without intent to do so--

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:05 No. 473385 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348511633.png - (206.04KB , 800x600 , 109.png )

I AM THE WILL OF WINTERMOL MADE MANIFEST

I SERVE THE EMPIRE

I DESTROY ITS ENEMIES

THEY ARE NOT WORTHY OF LIFE

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:05 No. 473386 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348513109.png - (168.81KB , 800x600 , 110.png )

I PUNISH THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THEIR PLACE

I OBEY MY EMPIRE'S EVERY COMMAND

ALL PARTS MUST COMPLY

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:05 No. 473387 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348514650.png - (291.56KB , 800x600 , 111.png )

MY EXISTENCE IS DEFINED BY THE EMPIRE

I WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT THE EMPIRE

THE EMPIRE ABSOLVES ALL OF MY SINS

WINTERMOL, ETERNAL

Typhon 2012/11/21(Wed)00:06 No. 473388 ID: 0f60d7
File 135348517544.png - (302.32KB , 800x600 , 112.png )

what... how...






I have fulfilled the promise I made to you. My support is over.

You are a monster, Typhon. You gave me hope you might be redeemed, but then I saw it in your eyes. When I had to stop you. You haven't changed at all. You may have fooled yourself, but you will not fool me. You are stained with more blood than you can ever imagine, and you were quick to return to who you were.

I'm not a part of you any more. I don't have to stay near you or be anywhere near you. If I can't kill you, there's no reason for me to stay here. I would throw you into the void, but you would fly back here. I would bury you under a mountain, but you would dig your way out. When we next meet, I will have found a way to destroy you and preserve myself.

Goodbye, Typhon. May the revelations here paralyse you into inaction for the rest of eternity.

The empire is dead, long live the empire. Time to invest in a new moral compass that isn't plotting to kill you.

"Why wait for that?

"If I was such a monster that the first hint of such behavior convinces you that I must be destroyed, why let me rebuild and risk being unable to vanquish me in the future? And while you claim you are no longer a part of me, do you believe yourself to be absolved of any guilt from what I have done? Can you really say that as a former part of myself you are nonetheless untouched by the evil in me you believe to be so great that you would devote yourself solely to my destruction?

"If there is no doubt in your mind -- if I am truly, irrecovably beyond redemption -- strike me down now and destroy us both.

"If you cannot do it now, you never will."

That's even worse than I thought. You were a MONSTER, holy shit.

Apologize to Nyx, goddamn it. I don't think she'll forgive you though, what you did to her was unforgivable. What you almost did to Keya was practically as bad too, you dick. You said you didn't torture, Typhon. Why didn't you listen to us? If you had listened she wouldn't be leaving now. If you had listened I would still have hope for you.

What the hell happened to make you stop listening? Before Keya, you at least had some emotional connection to people. Or, it seemed like it. Were you just FAKING it?

Maybe you should offer to help Nyx find a way to kill you.

You can still do good in the world.

...wish her luck. That you trust her to do the right thing.

>>473388
Given what you have just seen, do not attempt to force any portion of the blame on to Nix, you, and only you, have committed these atrocities.
You want to know how Ichor is made? It's life energy, pure condensed life energy. And you say Wintermol was fueled by the substance. How many millions of lifes were ended, and compressed to form you.
So you are not even a weapon, which only does what its master's hand forces it to do, but the end result of a civilisation so lost in its belief of superiority that it would kill continents to feed a living symbol of itself.
So tell us, what are you then? What are you, that which has a title that a thousand races would flee from the mere mention of you, or go into a frenzy of aggression to prevent you from simply stepping foot in the lands of their enemies
What are] you?

Nyx, now is not the time to abandon Typhon. Have you considered that maybe the reason why he turned out so bad is because he had no one to stop him? Maybe you should work together instead of apart. Now is when Typhon is in his most innocent and fragile state - maybe a little positive influence can prevent him from falling into insanity.

>>473408
Uh, what indication do we have that it's life energy? Typhon said it's condensed magic, and if anyone knows, it's him. I guess he could've lied about it though. I guess it could be made from people or souls via application of magic, but we don't know. It could just be made from, you know, magic.

>>473411
yeah, i don't see any hints about that.

Typhon what is wrong with you? You'd nearly convinced everyone, including us, that you were something better than you once were and now you go and do this? Of course you destroyed Wintermol. I don't think anyone was expecting anything different. That was the whole point of all of this: that you were different from the monster who did that, even if you were the same creature. But now you go torturing prisoners and driving your friends away. What's the point of telling you what to do if you don't even pay attention and go ahead and do the exact opposite?

Typhon, no. Bad Typhon. No torturing. Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done... And I mean everything.

Maybe these memories will get you to take care to be a better person. Because if you keep following this road not even the voices in your head will be willing to help you.

wintermol is gone, and it looks like you were the weapon they destroyed themselves with. but your still here. you have a chance to be better, to atone for your past actions, to make the world a better place.

Typhon 2012/11/26(Mon)19:51 No. 474725 ID: 0f60d7
File 135398829434.png - (297.29KB , 800x600 , 113.png )

STOP! NO! I CAN'T-- I--

...Typhon?

Nyx. Nyx, oh, Nyx, you were right. You were right. I'm a monster, Nyx, a monster! Every voice in the ichor condemns me! I can't be redeemed. I can't force you to kill me without also killing you. I-- I will fall into the void. I will stay there forever, Nyx. I won't hurt anyone again.

What? That's it? You would throw yourself into a living death for as long as I stayed alive? In place of learning a damn thing from all of this?!

What are you saying--

Congratulations, Typhon. I was wrong. You have changed. Even as the hateful, bloodthirsty creature you were in the past, you never simply gave up like this before. You have found a way to disgust me even more.

You said I was beyond redemption! That a single act of cruelty, unwarranted and regretful though it was, was a sign I will simply be a mindless cruel monster a second time!

Surrender yourself to apathy and you may as well be beyond redemption! You don't understand anything, Typhon!! I'm sick of explaining over and over again every single time and nothing changing as a result of it! She can toy with that skein all she likes, nothing is ever different. I'm going. Don't follow me.

Wait, Nyx! Nyx! I'm sorry, Nyx! I'm sorry!

Typhon 2012/11/26(Mon)19:52 No. 474726 ID: 0f60d7
File 135398832010.png - (305.63KB , 800x600 , 114.png )

I can't feel her presence any more.

I'm sorry. All of you. I am so very, very sorry. I wish I could even explain my actions. I was consumed with such hatred as I came here, and it only grew worse until I absorbed that sphere. I am going to have to consider what to do with Keya. I want to just free her for what I've done already, but she is still an enemy. I don't know if freeing her is wise. I will return now. There is little point remaining here.

Wait. Something is wrong. I've been sensing ichor nearby for a while. A large concentration. I had thought it one of my units, or my bike, but all have been absorbed--

I find thee, Devourer.
Many are the centuries I have waited for this day.
I am Monolith, the Regret, that which holds the Fifth Shard.
The Shatterer sheds no tears.

From the abyss -- I strike!
Oblivion -- thy fate!

Typhon 2012/11/26(Mon)19:53 No. 474727 ID: 0f60d7
File 135398842252.png - (519.89KB , 1024x768 , 115.png )

What is this thing?! It is pure ichor, like myself, but I can't exert control over it!

But perhaps I can try something else...

Ichor!

Bubbling blood! Whispering bone! Form of the mystic force!
You pool from the wounds in the heart!
Your destiny is a smoking ruin!
Your dreams are the void!

Gather thy hate! Lend me thy power!

COMBAT STARTS

Starting Positions: E15: Monolith, the Regret K15: Typhon Unit Recap: Typhon - 7 AP. Attacks: Claw (3 AP), Shape Ichor (7 AP) Typhon can create units during combat, but will only be able to invest 6 ichor each round. This will create a vulnerable cocoon until enough ichor has been given. Typhon has 270 spare ichor.

Ok, Typhon, it looks like his weakness is silver. Good thing you've been harvesting lots of it. You need sixteen to make an ichor worm, so let's start with making one of those in the next three turns. Run around and avoid his attacks until you can strike.

Wait, you're stuck in a cocoon while you do that? Hmm. Can you tip the cocoon over and roll around instead?

[ Whoops! Unclear wording alert! The unit being created is the thing stuck in a cocoon, not Typhon! ]

>>474733
Oh. Can you tip the cocoon over and roll it around instead?

>>474727
Instead of creating units and sitting there for several turns to do so allowing the enemy to do whatever it wants in the meantime, why don't we try adapting ourselves? Gather ichor to yourself and create the same stuff that Spiker Ticks have, but implanted in you and controlled by you.

Make a gun arm.

Ichor worms seem like a decent starting point.

I'ld suggest moving into the M row before creating anything, also, are you capable of carrying the coccoon? Or can you modify your bike to carry one?
Also, Colin and posiibly other drones seem to have some recollection of their experiences as raw Ichor spheres, it wouldn't be that suprising that with a large enough deposit something more capable of influencing the world could have developed...

Either way, retreat may be an option if it proves fast enough to prevent creation of ranged units, and you should introduce yourself and ask it what the shards are, any information we can get out of it would be helpful, and it... seems to be subordinate to something else?

Typhon 2012/12/08(Sat)18:14 No. 477366 ID: 0f60d7
File 135501928421.png - (84.02KB , 1024x768 , 116.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 1

Typhon finds that he can't easily shape himself. He backs away from the towering monstrosity and tries something else. In his haste, he manages to shape a small amount of ichor into a ranged weapon, something akin to the tail of a spiker tick.

I can't see something like this being very effective. It could only launch projectiles made of ichor at something else made of ichor. For all I know, this behemoth could soak up my precious ichor within its bloated body. How do I use this thing? Do I point it at something and squeeze the base?

Typhon can now attack at a range of 5 hexes.

Regret!

Devourer, who has consumed so much! Taste the despair you have wrought!

Monolith is suddenly surrounded by masks. Each mask stares at Typhon, with no eyes to meet the gaze of. Typhon hears whispering voices and flickers of figures behind masks.

"my children" "you didn't save me" "all is lost" "trusted you" "waited for you" "no more, please, no more" "the empire has fallen" "never did anything wrong" "never deserved this" "loved you and this is what you do to me" "you disgusting abomination" "it never changes" "this is all your fault" "to the ends of the world"

It's trying to mess with your head, don't let it. You aren't a monster anymore and it seems to know it: these kind of tactics would be completely pointless if you didn't regret your actions.

Move up to just within range and shoot at the closest mask. (If you can figure out how to shoot that gun. How did you manage to make it without knowing how it works?) If you still can, start making a worm behind you so that you're between it and the creature.

>>477366
I expected this thing to attack in a more physically damaging way.

Advance into shooting range and try speaking to it. Ask what it wants from you. You're no longer the same person you were back then. You're more than a monster now. Maybe not much more, and teetering on the brink of falling back to your old ways, but you are better. If you're actually feeling sorry for what you've done, maybe if you told this thing that, something might change.

Hrm. I want you to at least fire a shot off to see what happens, if this thing doesn't listen to reason at all. It's not like you'd be wasting much ichor on the attempt. If ichor-based weapons really are no good against ichor, then attack it with something other than ichor? You can just find a big rock and throw it at the thing. Or you could call back to base and ask Colin if he can still speak to his Ether-based engineer buddy and see if Nyx is actually willing to help you out here. I kinda doubt it though. She might just come watch you flail at it. Worst case scenario, her presence will summon up an Ether-based Regret monster.

>>477372
it knows we regret. that is why it is using emotional attacks. if it thought we were a sociopath still it wouldn't bother.

star making an ichor worm.

"i can make you all anew, i can build bodies for you all. create the forms you desire not just combat bodies"

>>477366
Ignore them. Their deaths lie not upon your head, but that of your creators. As the HORUS once proved, even the most terrible weapons can be more than the sum of their actions and programming. Ergo, feel no guilt for their tragic destruction. It was not your will which caused it.

Yep, just make an ichor worm for now.

Typhon 2012/12/10(Mon)22:46 No. 477770 ID: 0f60d7
File 135520840797.png - (550.42KB , 1024x768 , 117.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 2

Typhon starts to pour ichor into a cocoon behind him. He tries to beg and plead with the relentless, invisible voices coming from the masks, but they grow louder and more dischordant.

Teetering on the brink. I'm not much more than a monster. So many lives ruined. For what? The entire world is in pieces...

He tries to scream apologies at the pillar of ichor. Monolith shows no anger, pity or compassion. Only the twisted vertical smiles of its mask. In frustration, Typhon fires at Monolith with the tail-gun. The mask directly in line of fire is shredded into glistening pulp, which falls into Monolith.

Typhon sees Taja for a second. Waiting for him, alone in the akari forests. Staring up at the sky, knowing he'll be there soon. Any moment now. He knows how important this is to her... right?

Typhon shakes his head and shrugs the image away. He sent messengers. She'll understand.

Monolith shows no motion. Typhon's mind is suddenly swarmed with an oppressive vision of something large, behemoth, something truly terrible and alien, formless and churning. He clutches his head, groaning. He can feel the stability of his body itself wavering slightly with this mental assault, sharp pains springing up inside his muscles as they collapse into bone, struggling to retain form.

"What-- gah-- do you-- urgh-- want?"

Monolith's voice booms outwards, condemning, authoritive. Its masks drift further from Monolith and rapidly spin into a new formation.

Devourer, consuming itself with regret!
How bitter and disgusting that once-favoured limb colours its actions!
Parasite! Pariah! Consumer of purpose! Wastrel of life!

Surrender thyself, Devourer! Return to the sundered skies!

>>477770
Stop pleading. Steel yourself. Shut the voices out. Continue firing upon the Monolith. Focus on what you don't regret. Remember the diplomatic mission? You did something good there. You have potential to be more than you are now. Don't let your regrets blind you to the hope of a better future.

Also, Taja didn't really tell you how important it was. I have no idea if it really was important for you to be there, and you didn't know exactly how long it would take you to get here until you started the trip. She even thought you might die. You know what, I'm going to outright say it wasn't important! She just wanted you to VISIT, AFTER six days had passed, because she'd be BUSY before then.

I wonder if this battle isn't meant to be won physically. If this continues, you may be overwhelmed by the psychic assault long before any battle is decided. Perhaps, then, it is to be won mentally. If you can overcome the grief, take away the hold the demons of your mind and past have on you, they you may have a chance.

And I think the only way to overcome this fear and pain is to face it. Acknowledge the truth in it- let it wash over you, and endure. The only way to survive you past is to accept it and chose to be something other than you were.

And if honestly with yourself is the first step to survivng this...

>He sent messengers. She'll understand.
...that's unlikely to be true. Your not showing up will likely hurt her. I mean, it's your own fault you put your obsession with getting to wintermol first. You can deflect some of the blame on poor communication, but ultimately, it was your descion not to be there.

It's true that you've done terrible, unforgivable things that you may never be able to atone for. But all of that has already happened, and you're not going to let it happen again. There isn't any point in destroying yourself, even if you feel like you really deserve it. What happened happened, and nothing you ever do will probably ever change that. But if you jump off a cliff and cast yourself into the void forever you'll be depriving the world of all the good that you might do. Think about what you've already done since you've woken up, you've saved lives and defended innocents and fostered peace where there might have been war. This can't have been much more than a week; think about what you could do in a year, what would happen in your absence.

The masks can be killed, keep doing so. Maybe you can quiet down the voices.

Typhon 2012/12/12(Wed)06:40 No. 478090 ID: 0f60d7
File 135532324792.png - (556.81KB , 1024x768 , 118.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 3

"I can do more. I can face my past. I can repair what has been destroyed. I can forge a better world!"

And I will need to apologise deeply to Taja. First, I need to survive.

Your sorrows consume! You will stand no more!

Typhon feeds more ichor into the nascent worm [12/16] and fires the tail-gun at Monolith. The shot is taken by another mask. As it dissolves...

Typhon sees Keya standing before him, her neck broken, head lolling to the side, black blood pouring from her gaping mouth, eyes fixed on him. "There is no place for us in your world! Your better world demands genocide, destroyer!"

So does yours. Spare me your pleas. You don't even exist.

Typhon kicks at the image of Keya. It dissolves into dust.

I can't even scratch this abomination with the masks constantly swinging into my shots...

Monolith convulses slightly. The masks spin rapidly once more.

Consume! Devour yourself, you hated excrescence, you loathsome bubble, you fetid ouroboros! The Fifth Shard shall never be yours!

Typhon doubles over as the painful vision of alien ichor tendrils burrows into his mind. His organs tear and divide in his torso. He feels a sickening familiarity more painful than the wounds inflicted to him by the visions.

No. No, I... I know I don't want to recognise whatever this is. I don't know why, but every part of me screams in fear each time I see it.

>>478090
Then face your fear. Don't let it control you. Don't let it distract you from surviving this Trial.

...I've been resisting it, but you know what? The litany is practical literal if applied in this context. This is how you overcome this assault on your mind, Typhoon:

I must face my fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

>>478090
Back away to the far side of the cocoon to complete it. The masks are getting closer to you, and that is probably why you're getting hit harder by the psychic assault. Keep shooting masks though. Alternatively you could rush ahead and enter melee combat with the Monolith after the Worm's done... but then the masks could just swarm you and you'd die. Oh, you could make a second gun, for your free hand. Two attacks are better than one, and you'll have a bit of extra ichor control this round.

Another alternative is for you to just straight up run away, build a real squad, then come back to obliterate the thing. It kindof looks like you might be fighting a losing battle here. If next round the Worm either turns on you or the psychic assault becomes just straight up unbearable despite the added distance, we definitely should run.

Also I'd like to point out that it may be possible to allow the Fell to live alongside others if they just use that same sort of mask Keya was using. Heck, they could flood their houses with miasma for comfort's sake, and use airlocks. We don't actually have to wipe them out, just force them to stop spreading miasma everywhere. Though, I suppose, there is the issue of limited living space in general... I don't know. We'll have to figure things out as we go.

>>478224
>We don't actually have to wipe them out
Agreed. Our goal is to curb the threat the fell pose to the rest of the world, not to commit a genocide.

As the masks spread out the gaps between them get bigger. If you can move two spaces to the right before shooting you have a clear shot at its left side.

I guess you probably need to face that too. It isn't like it's going to stop haunting you otherwise. If you can overcome it then it's one less weapon this thing has against you. Plus, we're here to yell at you if you start having dumb thoughts and getting upset about it!

>>478224
I'm sure you could have arcologies, domed cities or something. What I wonder is how such a race could have come to be if it needs this stuff in the air to live.

>>478349

Wizard did it.

>What I wonder is how such a race could have come to be if it needs this stuff in the air to live.
Either they were artificially created, or they came to be in a stable, contained pocket of their poison gas, somewhere. Or, you know, both.

Oh who am I kidding, this is a Cirr quest. Everybody on this collection of rocks was artificially created. :V

Typhon 2012/12/12(Wed)22:14 No. 478363 ID: 0f60d7
File 135537928687.png - (545.65KB , 1024x768 , 119.png )

COMBAT - ROUND 4

Typhon shifts to the right, firing at Monolith's exposed sides. The flechettes tear into it, forming deep dents. An ichor worm bursts out of the cocoon, a little confused and groggy.

Monolith screams loudly and pulls two of its masks into it, restoring the dents made. The rest start to drift towards Typhon, whose head clears rapidly.

That worked. That worked.

You and the worm kill those masks. Start another worm cocoon.

All right, now's your chance. Take out those two masks next to you. Maybe try to avoid touching it directly?
Confused and groggy ichor worm sounds adorable, by the way.

The worm should try killing mask 3, while you keep up the ranged pressure on the boss by moving to L22 and shooting it again. Killing multiple masks at once might amplify the effect or something, but forcing the boss to re-absorb them seems to not trigger their death effect.

>>478367
This, and if you still can after firing, start production on the next worm. Wouldn't hurt to have more units screening you, here.

Awesome. The other masks are going to rush us, so have the worm distract and battle them. It can attack the one right next to it immediately.

Hmm. The masks can move 2 squares but seem to be unable to attack after moving. Go to K-13 and shoot the Monolith again.

>>478367
L22 is out of range. I think you may be onto something with that 'death effect' thing, but it's also possible that in order to absorb masks and heal itself, the Monolith used up its turn and was unable to attack.

Typhon 2012/12/13(Thu)15:20 No. 478535 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 5

Typhon creates another ichor worm [6/16] with a wave of his hand as he circles around to pierce Monolith with another round of ichor darts.

The ichor worm chews the closest mask to it into a pulp and absorbs its ichor.

No, don't do that, you mindless creature, I don't know what that could do--

The worm looks around in confusion and begins broadcasting thoughts. Thoughts like 'taste good', 'what is taste', 'what is me' and 'more taste yes'. It turns towards Typhon hungrily. 'Big thing taste better?'

...sure?

The worm turns towards Monolith, fangs grinding and twitching. Whatever boosted the worm's basic mind also appears to have given it a sudden burst of energy, as it charges towards Monolith, sinking its jaws into it.

Monolith consumes two more of its masks, and emits a deafening high-pitched shriek. The remaining masks all combine as one and merge back into its bulky form.

There is no wound you can inflict on me I cannot repair!

Your demise is certain!
Regret is eternal!
Succumb to your fate!

Monolith grows many large tendrils of ichor, which snake erratically outwards from its base.

What is it doing? It's... losing control over this ichor? I feel like I could reach out and just pluck it from the ground. Is this a trap?

it probably is, it knows you normally have a hunger for more ichor. it is bating you. just shoot it again.

>>478535
Doesn't matter. We have no real use for the ichor as shaping it remains as slow as ever. I suppose if it's not any trouble you could cut off its supply by moving the ichor away from it... However, in my opinion, this looks like a desperate attempt to try something new. Everything it's done has been a distraction, so far- an attempt to keep you from attacking it directly.

In any case, keep firing upon it.

It's probably a trap. If we kill it, you can collect the ichor afterwards. The only advantage to collecting it now is that it might end the battle quicker.

Besides, it's ranting about succumbing. That's probably what the tentacles are for.

Newly sapient worm bite, typhoon shoot and pump more ichor into worm number 2.

Move to the other side of the tendril on your right, if those tendrils can act like psuedopods it will pincer you. Otherwise keep firing at it.
Or you could try to push or disrupt the Ichor tendrils, and either shoot or continue to shape the cocooned worm.
The worm should keep biting into Monolith, or move to destroy the tendril on its right, either way that worm may have a short life.

This sounds like a bad thing. The worms aren't supposed to be absorbing ichor. If this huge creature is somehow made of ichor and totally independent of you I think there's something wrong with the ichor. Is that possible that it could be tainted somehow? The worm got stronger when it absorbed some of it. What if it actually tries to eat the whole thing? Be very careful. I don't think this fight is as close to being over as it looks. I'm also wondering what this "fifth shard" thing it mentioned is.

Huh, eating the mask ichor seems to be making the worm grow independent, powerful, and hungry for ichor. We should probably stop that before it gets out of hand. Tell the worm that the big thing is dangerous and that it should get back.

I should note that we never tried feeding ichor to our worms before. I find it very likely that the worm merely upgraded itself. +Smarts, just as if we had done it. It's probably not an issue, but we can research it when we get back to base to find out for sure.

And if it ISN'T a trap, he'll probably keep doing whatever he's doing (likely trying to grab you or something) with more ichor, leading to a larger stockpile when you eventually take it all from him.
If you take it now, he'd stop doing the attack/trap.

Typhon 2012/12/16(Sun)12:45 No. 479179 ID: 0f60d7
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COMBAT - ROUND 6

Very well. It certainly feels tempting. This is never a good sign.

Typhon continues funnelling raw ichor through himself into the newer worm cocoon [12/16], firing away at Monolith a few more times.

The ichor worm eagerly rips into the outer ichor of Monolith, singing a song of glee in its mind as it does so.

Monolith's tentacles of ichor twitch and withdraw, snaking along the wounds in its sides and covering them.

I am suddenly reminded of an old story about rocks being pushed up hills, and forever rolling back down again. I can't seem to damage this thing in a lasting way. While I attack it, it can't damage me. Neither of us will tire physically. This could last forever.

Well, except I would tire. There would probably be a point where the boredom would be so great, suffering the consequences of loss would seem amazing in comparison--

Monolith screams and shrieks abruptly.

My demise is certain! Every wound I repair lends you the opportunity for another!
I will no longer allow you the sadistic pleasure of my slow death!
May your regrets consume you! May the other shard holders ruin all you hold dear!

Monolith screams louder, pitch building and volume deafening, stuttering in something between a laugh and a sob. It splits itself open like an overripe fruit. Ichor gushes out in a deflating pool, a giant bloodstain on the barren ground.

END OF COMBAT

Typhon 2012/12/16(Sun)12:45 No. 479180 ID: 0f60d7
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I didn't expect to face an enemy that would destroy itself so readily. Convenient.

The ichor feels the same as any other mass deposit, but larger... so much... so much larger... I am in complete control, I assure you, but it is like staring into a feast hall with an empty stomach. I see no reason to not indulge. This is not like some questionable meal, with the perils of improper preparation or some malicious apothecary's interference to contend with. This is ichor. Animate force made material.

[1000 ichor gained.]
[Unknown object gained.]

i can't take this


overwhelming ecstacy

Typhon 2012/12/16(Sun)12:46 No. 479181 ID: 0f60d7
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- Two Hours Later -

...wow. I must have passed out from absorbing that much ichor at once. Still feel a little giddy, actually. Okay. Stand still, Typhon. Assess the situation. No ruins to investigate, Nyx left, the other ichor worm popped out of its cocoon. Memories embedded in ichor pretty much more of the same. Most of them foggy, it'll take a while for me to fully get those back.

Anything else we should do before we head back? Hrm. I don't think there is. Is this the "fifth shard" that that thing was rambling about? Just looks like a piece of broken glass. I don't feel anything particularly special about it.

Oh. Strange. I'm getting another message. How suspiciously well timed.

Typhon 2012/12/16(Sun)12:46 No. 479182 ID: 0f60d7
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=So, the rumours are true. You are back among the living. The original Typhon, tearing destruction, wreaking havoc, defending my forests. Stories spread fast among my creations. Some of them are quite fascinated by you.

I believe there is much we can do for each other. I haven't seen another immortal quite as handsome and powerful as you before since the catastrophe. Meet with me, Typhon. Alone. There is much we need to discuss. Walk into the forests. I will meet you there.=

Well. That was very... overt. The world explodes and suddenly everyone is trying to lay with everyone else. Is this just what happens after the end of the world?

Typhon 2012/12/16(Sun)12:47 No. 479183 ID: 0f60d7
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I will let you ponder on this message as I travel back. Hopefully there are no issues back home. Let me check. Colin, any problems?

mhh... wh? oh. Hi Typhon. Ladon has been a total jerk towards Cadmea because she's a girl. Also a total jerk to me for sticking up for her. What a creep. Nothing else, though. Nice and quiet for the most part. Been overseeing the observatory geist's data collection. Got some basic facts for you. We can only do so much with no observatory drone, really. I've spent most of the past few days sleeping and dealing with liasions, you know. Akari and soroi. Mostly to check up on whether our opinions have stayed the same. You know, we aren't trying to secretly plan to kill them or whatever.

Good to hear. ...It is going to be five days of flight back. I will follow your advice on my research priorities, but better transport would definitely be a key thing to consider. Maybe I would be better off going straight to the akari forests. Which will take three days.

I have an alternative idea. I can put this shard into an ichor bubble and send it home, and then... well. I'm not going to enjoy it. The fastest way back is suicide. I'll reform back in the base in a matter of hours, which is far less than days. Running into a mortal fear of death versus a conscious recognition of its lack of hold over me, again.

Maybe we're not in that much of a hurry. Are we?

Cadmea is still assisting Colin? Not to want to rock the boat or ruin a good thing... but is she aware Nix parted ways with us? And not exactly in the best of terms? Is her continued presence in our base due to ignorance, a conscious choice on Cadmea's part, or Nix leaving us one line of communication and a way to keep an eye on us?

Before you kill yourself, or depart should we investigate the worm we have here? Eating the Monolith's ichor had an unusual effect on it, did it not?

Could we spend the ichor to upgrade the base and things remotely? That could be worth doing. We need to build some new units, (or reconstitute old ones, whatever). And we could use a proper observatory drone...

I kind of think one of the first things we need to do is apologize to Taja. Where is she?

>>479183
Iunno. Depends on how quickly you want to be swarmed by aroused Akari females. At this rate, Typhon, you're going to need a little black book twice as thick as a bible.

I recommend against suicide, unless you really want to keep your appointments with the Akari immediate. Why not try flying? You might find something exciting in the Dark Void Where Once Stood Worlds.

Yeah, take a look at the worm, that was weird.

How long has it been since you left? We're probably going to need to apologize to Taja. If it's been close to the six days she wanted you in it is probably worth hurrying so you aren't too late. Why didn't you check how long this would take before letting her go off thinking you'd be there in time? Oh well.

I don't know what's going on with Nyx if her units are still there. She says she is disgusted with you and is going to kill you but Cadmea is apparently still friendly towards Colin? That is weird, because last time your feelings towards each other changed they went from fighting to making up and hugging adorably.

Or, and this is probably a crazy thought, you could use some of that new ichor to upgrade yourself, maybe boost speed and get there a lot faster without having to kill yourself?

If suicide is the way to go though, we could do worse than charging madly into the heart of the Fell territory and destroying as much as possible.

>>479194
You should also put research into point-to-point teleportation/space compression. All this running about is wasting a lot of time, when you could just build a network of teleportation devices in your allies regions.

You can already sort of teleport using your Respawn system, have Colin work on making that better, with less self-murder.

>>479183
We have a lot of spare ichor right now. Make a way-more-badass vehicle than the bike, use it to shorten travel time. Like a ROCKET.

Also, go straight back to the forest.

instead of suicide, what if you un-build yourself? take yourself apart and send the parts home.

>>479194
Lets not suicide run into Fell territory. Once they find out we can come back from killing us they will do everything they can to discover a more permanent method. They might be doing so already.

Rocket propelled super-vehicle is the way to go, something as sleek and aerodynamic as possible, like a long thin cone or spike with a wider rear section.

Hmmm, I wonder if it would be possible to convert Ichor into super-fuel and use it for main thrusters

>>479245
I second this, but what other ways could you get faster speeds without needing to consume ichor for fuel? If you could build a turbine-like mechanism that drives a bladed prop to propel a vehicle you would still achieve high speeds without much loss of fuel.
Otherwise you could use either as a seperate mode of propulsion if you can not combine both.

>>479351
Understandable, but I think it would be best to keep the Ichor-fuel based thrusters, even if they can be used in an emergency for a big speed boost...

I feel that one of the biggest things people are forgetting right now, is that Ichor creations could technically be considered living organisms, so we could probably borrow some biological methods or concepts to adapt into our creations.

Typhon 2012/12/19(Wed)22:57 No. 479975 ID: 0f60d7
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Hrm. I believe getting to the forests would be the best plan if my base is currently not at risk. I could theoretically send orders to begin construction and change research offers through my connection to every other ichor-based entity under my control, but I am a little unsure about sending a half-awake Colin an entire list of things to do. It can wait. As for Cadmea's apparently friendliness, hm. Probably best to let that wait until I'm there too.

I need the ichor more for what I'm about to do, either way.

But before I set off, a cursory examination of the worm reveals it to simply be a smart worm, as suggested. Rather than absorbing the ichor into my general supply, when it ate the mask it absorbed the ichor into itself. Interesting. This is a point worth investigation in the future. Raises the possibility for improving my forces in the middle of combat... But that is a thought for another time.

is can go do things now?

Didn't quite complete the upgrade, apparently. Hold on. There. I've pulled the nascent consciousness from this worm back into my collective. It can learn how to articulate from the other ones in there, hopefully. I need to absorb these worms again anyway for my next act.

Typhon 2012/12/19(Wed)22:57 No. 479976 ID: 0f60d7
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[ 1250 ichor spent. 20 ichor free. ]

There. This should get me to the forest in... well, we'll see. And if I crash and die horribly, well, lesson learned for next time. I don't want to use ichor-consuming thrusters for this. Ichor is not exactly a renewable resource. There is only a finite amount of it in the world to my awareness, and the knowledge of how to make more has almost certainly been lost. If it were possible to forge more, it would not be cheap.

I wonder how fast this thing will go.

Typhon 2012/12/19(Wed)22:57 No. 479977 ID: 0f60d7
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BOOOM

i no longer wonder how fast this thing will go

by the ancients how do i make it stop

aaaaaaaaa

Typhon 2012/12/19(Wed)22:58 No. 479978 ID: 0f60d7
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- Ten Terrifying Hours Later -

Ungh. Gradual stop and successful landing in... well, there's a lot of trees. Where am I? I guess this must be the forest. Wow, am I disoriented. What was I doing again? Oh. Right. Well, first things first. Better absorb the rocket and keep a low profile just to be safe. Whoever I'm meant to be meeting with might not take too kindly to it. Oh. She's... already here.

=Typhon.=

Her mental voice is far more imposing in person. I can hear rustling nearby. Akari out of the corner of my eyes slink back when she speaks.

=Hm. You came by quicker than I expected.=
"I came here as quickly as I could."
=I appreciate your punctuality. You continue to defy my expectations, Typhon. Oh, of course. Introductions. I'm Akar. Marble-holder, creator of the akari. They see me as a god. Whether or not I am a god is neither here nor there, but I digress. Divinity is subjective.=

She claps her hands together. I thought Nyx had some strange hands. Huh. Most of the lingering akari move further away from this clearing. =Leave us.= She claps louder and they all leave, scattering into the overgrowth.

"Introductions. Yes. I'm Typhon. Apparently one of the only remnants of Wintermol. An immortal creation that outlived its creator, as opposed to you."
=Yes. I was there when you were brought into the fourth age. I probably remember more about you than you do yourself, scion of Wintermol. I wanted to see you about that, actually. You've been nothing but helpful to my children, but I have my reservations about you as a long-term ally.=
"Why?"
=Well, you are a little prone to overreaction. Such as destroying the world.=

Typhon 2012/12/19(Wed)22:58 No. 479979 ID: 0f60d7
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Oh right. I should apologise to Taja.

"...There was an akari I knew named Taja. I don't suppose you'd, uh... know where she is?"
=I know which Taja you are referring to. Oh. Oh dear.=
"What?"
=She was killed in a recent Fell invasion. The invasion was successfully repelled, her efforts alone keeping many of the akari around from succumbing to their own wounds. Only traces of her psyche remain with the collective consciousness. I'm sorry, Typhon.=
"But you could be wrong?"
=There is no doubt, Typhon.=
"Why is there no doubt?"
=I can't sense a Taja in the collective consciousness beyond the odd few memories scattered into other minds. She's dead, Typhon. I'm sorry.=



=...Typhon?=






=I'll, I'll go... I'll go check again. Yes.=

if her head is intact, you could do a tunneling scan to recover most if not all of her memories. combined with what the akari have of her psyche it may be enough to restart her consciousness. so go. get back in that warp pod and get it.

...when?

I really hope this isn't why she needed you to be there. Or that she sacrificed herself as a result of our failure to appear?

Whatever you do, don't overreact. Yes, her death is painful and tragic, and even worse we may have had hand in the events leading up to it, but the legacy of her death cannot be more uncontrolled physical god wrath. No crushing depression, no laying waste to all around you in a rage, no genocidal campaign of vengence again the fell. We can't afford to let emotion push us to extremes, again. It's too dangerous- you already destroyed the world once.

Oh... Oh. This has not been a good day. :C

W-who do we even have left? I suppose Colin's love interest is probably neither dead nor dead to him, and he's technically part of us, if that's any consolation. Do you need a hug? We can't give you a hug. Ask her to give you a hug.

Don't over-react.

...And after you get a good hold of yourself, remember what she was talking about just beforehand and consider how this strongly resembles an experiment to see whether you will flip the fuck out and go on another rampage. (Considering your past it would be rather irresponsible for her not to try something like that before trusting you.)
Still, keep in mind that whether or not this time is fabricated for a test, as an immortal you will need to learn to deal with situations like this sooner or later.

>>479979
How long ago was it? Did they recover her body? Don't forget what we learned from that passing Fell invader last time we fought in the forest. Cutting off those dangly things on their heads severs their connection to the hivemind. She could be captured, not dead.

If they did recover her body, we should pay our respects.

>>479988
Oh. Dang. That's a nasty thought. Severed and imprisoned is a fate worse than death for them. We'd pretty much have to mount a rescue if that were the case.

Although, again, even if that's what has happened, don't lose it. You cannot let your emotions rule. Rein in grief, anger, sorrow. Use them- but do not let them control you.

>>479979
She's lying. Remember? She has her doubts about your suitability as an ally? Tendency to explode worlds? Tis a test

Unless it's true. In which case their military must be made of suck to fail so hard in less than a week.

Since nobody else has mentioned it, she said she's a marble-holder. That term has come up before, but I don't think we made it clear- we don't know what that is! The first time the term was used, you used it. Please explain what a "marble" is. Is her having one significant?

You could also ask her if she knows anything about that shard you recovered.

>>479993
Fail? They successfully repelled the invasion, if with casualties.

Anyway, however you deal with this, remember to keep your cool. Don't be afraid to feel sad or to show it, though.

Ask her for sex.

What? You're in an emotionally weak position right now, and as a possibly-a-deity who introduced herself to you with a come hither pose, I don't think you're going to meet anyone more appropriate to ask.

>>480025
How would he even do that? He clearly doesn't have anything down there or else we'd see it and he is apparently no good at changing his own shape. Not to mention that I don't think he'd be very up for any sort of romance immediately after learning that Taja is dead. What would that make him look like anyway, like he didn't really care about her? I still think he needs a hug, though, but don't let it go further than a hug, >>472070 Typhon.

>>480027
Oh well fine. I'll bide my time.

I don't think "not having anything there" is a problem Typhon can't fix, though.

>>480028
Well, even when he was some sort of world-destroying monster with probably all the ichor in the world he still looked the same, and his attempts to give himself one of those spider tick guns didn't work, so I doubt any sort of gross structural modifications would be possible. On the other hand he apparently can change tiny things like his ability to attack or how armored he is. So I suppose if he really put his mind to it and invested a lot of ichor for such a long-term project ignoring any more practical goals he could do it. Not that I wouldn't vote against it at every turn because it's both a waste of time with not much benefit and because I just hate the idea and like him better without anything like that. Plus such power requires the kind of self-control that I don't think we have.

>>480030
Well you're no fun.

Typhon has only really tried to modify himself in the middle of a combat situation, and a bizarre one at that. Even if you don't agree with my intentions in this specific instance, we really ought to see how well Typhon can modify himself when he has more resources and more time. For example, giving him a permanent projectile weapon on top of his current abilities would make him a good deal more versatile when the situation has forced him to fight on his own, which you may note has happened in about half of our combats so far.

Besides that, though, we already know Typhon has some latent desires of the nature I'm contemplating, and while I will concede that this may not be the most appropriate moment to bring it up after all, if there is [i]anyone[i] we have met so far who would be a good fit for Typhon, it would be the creator-goddess of the Akari.

Even if this isn't a test, not flipping out is a good idea.
Flipping out is what got you into the mess in the first place.

count to 10, take a deep breath, and think the situation through.

Ask her how much of Taja is left. Maybe we could try to look into moving the remaining bits of consciousness into the ichor with all the other ones you have and make a girl worm to stick her in. Also probably hope that it doesn't both work and turn out that Taja just got taken so far away from the other akari that she's totally isolated from the hive mind because that would be an awkward reunion.

Typhon 2013/01/10(Thu)17:54 No. 484250 ID: 0f60d7
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I calm myself down. I am in no mood for more destruction. I have done enough. The very idea of rising to anger just brings back more horrifying memories of the past. I feel losing myself to despair is my greater concern. Now is not the time.

=I'm sorry, Typhon. I just cannot find more than traces of her.=
"I s-see. No. No, I knew the risks of becoming attached to something that would die. I didn't expect it to happen this quickly, there is so much I could have done. So much I could have done to stop this."
=Your help is appreciated, Typhon, but no one is holding you responsible for my creations. If anyone would be, it would be me. I am in your debt. I am so very, very sorry for you to find out like this.=
"Did you have any other matters you wanted to discuss?" I realise I am snarling my reply. I stop. "I'm sorry. I have, I have not had the most pleasant time of my life so far recently. Everything I cared about is gone."

=Do you regret what you've done?=

Wait.

Typhon 2013/01/10(Thu)17:54 No. 484251 ID: 0f60d7
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"What did you say?"
=Do you regret what you've done?=

Oh, no. No. I will not stand for this. Of course it couldn't have been so simple.

Do you regret your actions?
"Where is Taja."
A Memory pulled from your Inner Circle. I know nothing of value otherwise.
"What about Akar?"
Irrelevant. Do you regret the Stain of your Actions?
"I regret your existence." I know I absorbed that ichor. It's doing this from inside me. How repulsive. "And if you thought you were safe as an intelligence inside me, the one you've kept calling 'Devourer', then I am afraid you were mistaken."

I absorb Monolith into me a second time. This time, I crush its consciousness for good. It screams as I consume it.

Typhon 2013/01/10(Thu)17:55 No. 484252 ID: 0f60d7
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I find myself... in front of Akar.

=Are you're going to keep staring at them, or is there something else you had in mind?=
"Huh-- what?"
=Are you that starved for female contact? I feel like I should fix that out of pity more than anything.=
"What-- no, I-- so where is Taja?"
=I already said. She's currently undergoing the rituals a priestess must go through. She was a little disappointed you couldn't arrive, but figured that as an immortal guardian, you were likely preoccupied. I will not allow you to see her until the rituals are complete. Your own latent magic might interfere with my own.=
"Okay. So she is alive?"
Akar gives me a strange look. =Dead akari do not tend to undergo priestess rituals.=
"Okay. Just checking."
=Okay. I believe I have been too subtle. I hold the marble of growth. My magic is dependent on there being more life within my domain. It is not just quantity, either. If I was to have some immortals among my populaion... Let me cut to the chase. We're both immortals. We're both capable of breeding. With each other.=
"You're, uh, certainly very overt."
=Subtlety and divinity are not exactly complementary.=
"Neither is divinity and modesty, apparently."
=If you aren't interested, you know how to leave the forest.=
"What am I going to get out of whatever it is you have in mind?"
=A large ichor deposit. About twice the size of you.=

Uhhf. This is an incredibly sudden proposition... what is even...

Wow, Akar is a massive jerk. So not only is Taja still alive but she has the nerve to make such a proposition of you? Well, I can think of a great many reasons why consenting to that would be a terrible mistake. First of all, Taja very clearly likes you, so I doubt she'd respond very well to such a thing. Second, she really doesn't deserve such satisfaction after what she just did, that jerk. Third, do you really want to be seen amongst others as someone who sleeps with anyone who's willing to pay you? Really? And fourth, possibly most importantly, she said she wanted to breed with you. Can you imagine the kind of child that would result from such a thing? You probably can, you seemed averse to the idea earlier, and that was just with a mortal. With two immortal creatures you'd probably end up with something at least as strong as either of you. Think about how badly that could go. What if they wound up like you? I'm sure others are going to try to get you to do it, but really, don't bring yourself down to that level. It's not worth the ichor, if she would even give it to you in the end.

You can have your perceptions hacked? That's... dangerous. We'll have to remain aware of that.

Still, nice to hear Taja isn't dead.

>breeding
...as useful as an ichor deposit that size would be, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with creating more immortals at this point. We've just begun to understand the damage you have wrought upon this world. To create new child-gods... seems to me to be incredibly dangerous and irresponsible.

>>484254
Pretty sure that was Monolith fucking with us, not Akar. I'm not even sure how Akar would have managed to do that, or what reasons she'd have, anyway.

As for the matter at hand, I mean, if Akar is willing to take responsibility for whatever might come of this, it'd be nice to have ichor and an immortal ally.

>>484264
At the very least, you should ask if you can think on it rather than outright ruling it out at the moment.

Well what are you waiting for, huh

>>484254
What? What the hell are you talking about? She hasn't done anything.

We probably want to recover more and do something about the chaos and instability of the world before we get into anything as dangerous and attention-demanding as childrearing a new god, but we shouldn't write this off permanently; they seem like nice people around here (though it certainly won't hurt to become more familiar with them first), and it might be a good way to strengthen the forces of good, so to speak.

Explain to Akari that a delayed-discharge weapon from a recent battle was screwing with your mind just now so she doesn't think you're crazy/lecherous.

the problem is, they could have control of ichor and that would pull the power in two directions. while it would make her stronger, your power could be cut in half.

>>484252
Okay. This is essentially a business proposition and you are not in a relationship with anyone else. It sounds like a good deal. Well, uh... Taja did seem interested in you too... doing this so readily might offend her. She'd say something like "Oh, so if I wanted you I just had to wave some Ichor under your nose, huh?" Maybe you should at least talk to Taja before you do it, and tell her what you felt when you thought she was dead.

ALSO I see some danger in this. It will bring more beings of power into the world. How do we know they will behave? Can we at least get some assurance that they will be less powerful than their parents?

I say hold off on having sex for now. As fun at it'd be look at what happened last time.

>>484252
Nope, I would strongly suggest against siring any hybrids with her.
Ichor is valuable, but you said it yourself, any product of such a union would be short-lived and crippled, or another living god. What if it ends up as both?
There are worse things than one emotionally unstable god...

>>484275
Oh wait, you can't go talk to Taja right now. And waiting might cause more of her people to die from Fell attacks since her magic would be weaker than it should be. Unless this is a long term investment? Work out how urgent this is and how long it'll be before you can speak to Taja.

If it turns out to be a time-sensitive thing then you should do it. I think Taja would understand that it wasn't just an impulsive thing you did out of lust.

On the other hand, I also wonder if the experience would bring back bad memories. Worst case scenario, you freak out and kill her during a flashback.

This has 'bad idea' written all over it.

HYBRID TIME

Can't she at least wait for Taja to die of old age before making the moves on you? Jesus christ this one is impatient for an immortal!

>>484264
Yeeeah, I seem to have missed that. Still, my other points still stand I feel. Taja clearly likes you and you seem like you like her too. I don't know what their cultural values are, but she might take issue with such a thing. You barely know this woman. The prospects of some sort of immortal child are also quite worrying. And I'm not exactly up for the whole "sex for payment" thing. You've got to have some sort of values if you want to be respected; we still need to work on the issue of "treatment of prisoners".

Now that I think about it... why not voice our reservations to Akar?

Mostly I really don't want to piss off the head of the only group we've met who seem to be on our side.

Bad, bad idea, the world's in shambles and at war, the last fucking thing it needs is more immortal gods fucking around, or giving anyone a modicum of the upper hand against you.

Don't do it, you hunk of mystically animated man.
She's far too powerful. Also, you just met her, and if you get a reputation as easy, EVERYONE will be bashing down your door to try and screw you. Even the guys. And trees.

>>484295
This, with the explanation of there already being an awful lot of unpredictable immortals running around without adding more.

I don't really think Taja would mind you screwing her god, especially since Akar ASKED for some. While I don't want us to be responsible for more immortals running around, I don't want to piss off this chick. Can we rebuff her politely and still maintain a professional relationship?

While thinking of how it would make others feel is great and all, it's Typhon that should come first in a matter like this. It should be his choice for good or ill. But considering everything that has happened... ill seems the more likely outcome.

Which isn't to say children are never an option! But not now, not this way.

Typhon 2013/01/15(Tue)13:39 No. 485460 ID: 0f60d7
File 135828596856.png - (93.80KB , 800x600 , 134.png )

"I must decline."
=What?=
"This idea of yours. There is so much that can go awry. Do you think bringing more immortals into this world is going to solve anyone's problems?"
=You're very tense, Typhon.=
"Listen to me, Akar. What if they're as powerful as me and even less capable of controlling their more destructive urges?"
=Then we point them in the direction of our enemies.=
"That really worked for Wintermol, didn't it?! If it has control over ichor that weakens me! If it uses your power source that weakens you! There is nothing to gain from this but a tragedy some years down the line!"
=It is incredibly interesting to listen to you assume you know my exact plans.=
"Then what ARE your plans?"
=To produce a design. Not an individual. A template. I have power over life and growth. You have power over the raw force of magic itself. From a template combining those two, you could let me create elemental constructs. Mindless but obedient. Constructed of nothing more than the animate force you represent, bound together through flesh and vine. We're immortals, Typhon. We don't reproduce like mortals unless that is our mutual decision, and I do not see you as a capable father. Not yet. Potentially, perhaps.=
"I didn't ask for your constant judging of my personality qualities."
=I didn't ask to have my plans scrutinised by someone who's been alive for less time than most of my mortal population.=

Do I still want to give her this power? This ability to create raw elementals in a short amount of time? I guess it would be like my instantaneous creation of animus geists, except embodied. I can't believe this is how she does research. I dare not imagine how she's learned what she knows about the Fell.

=In the event you still don't wish to help me, I will still give you that ichor deposit. It is not of value to me, after all.=
"That is generous of you."
=I keep the marble of growth within my chest. It is effectively my heart. The Fell will do anything in their power to destroy it. You are so far the only thing I have seen that could stand between me and having my heart torn out by the Fell. If they reach me, nothing I can do can stop them.=
"I will not let that happen. I will likely return here some day, Akar. Until then, I stand firm on my decision."
=I see. ...I also wanted to show you my gratitude, in a way. But the Fell have never yet reached the inner forests. There is still time for you to consider.=

I am shown the ichor deposit. It is, in fact, very large. Tantalising. But I am in a mood for restraint. "I appreciate your offer, but I will decline the ichor for now. It would not be right to take it without fulfilling my end of the arrangement."
=If you insist. It is merely an ornament to me. I find its shimmering gleam rather beautiful, though.= She gives me one last sly look, and disappears into the darkness of the forest. The orange lights die with her absence.

Typhon 2013/01/15(Tue)13:39 No. 485461 ID: 0f60d7
File 135828598208.png - (137.34KB , 800x600 , 135.png )

The journey back to the base is uneventful, though long. I do not bother to track the days. My baser instincts howl at me with rage at what I passed up, but consequences must be considered before acting. I have already made enough errors through impulsive thinking and blindly indulging in my desires. The world will not end again so soon, I expect.

The base is emptier than I remember it being. Maybe it just feels that way without Nyx and Taja. Colin?

Hey Typhon. Hold on. Got the reports all nice and ready to go!

Did our newest guest arrive yet?

The Fell prisoner? Yeah, she's here. Anyway, here's my report!

RESEARCH Faction - The Fell The Fell are a biomechanical species, with origins pre-dating the catastrophe that ruined the world. Their primary goals revolve around rapid, aggressive expansion and the spreading of a gaseous cocktail of chemicals known to them as 'the miasma'. Many of their weapons and devices centre around both spreading this miasma and utilising it as a terribly effective biological weapon. Fell biology is geared to operate within this miasma, and begins to fail when either not inhaled for short periods of time or not submerged for long periods. This miasma is extremely hazardous to other living beings, killing plant and animal life in minutes. The composition of the miasma is complex, but has successfully been reverse engineered. The Fell specialise in mass-producing their lower ranked soldiers and equipment in bulk, at a cost of poorer individual quality. Their experienced and better equipped higher ranks are to be feared, however -- good quality Fell technology is lethally efficient. [ Fell Habitat unlocked for development! ]

Typhon 2013/01/15(Tue)13:40 No. 485462 ID: 0f60d7
File 135828600586.png - (269.98KB , 800x600 , 136.png )

Strange. I find the lab door barricaded. Colin? Colin, explain this. ...Colin?

I feel incredibly uneasy.

I quietly move the ichor from the makeshift barricades into the base and find--

"I'm not letting you near her, you realise."

Cadmea makes some sounds and looks to be shaking in fear, desperately clinging to Colin. Colin... has a sniper tick next to him.

"Colin. What's going on?"
"We all saw those memories, Typhon. I'm not letting you get any closer to Cadmea. You aren't needed in the lab right now. You can talk to your prisoner in a bit once I make sure she's in better condition to talk from being out of miasma for so long."
"You're giving me orders."
"I'm stating facts, Typhon!"

I look to the corner and see-- I never authorised a shaper drone upgrade! ...or for my shaper drone to be tied up.

"Ladon upgraded himself and decided it was time to 'put Cadmea to good use'. I blame you for even putting the idea in his head."
"I leave for a few days and this is what I come back to?"
"Did you think everything was going to be the same after you went to Wintermol?"
"I didn't expect my most trusted and loyal of followers to point weapons at me."
"I didn't expect my creator and leader to turn out to be a sociopathic maniac!"

I hear Ladon think at me from his bindings. 'Put Cadmea to good use'? Okay, so I was wrong to keep hitting on her, but I didn't see Colin getting this worked up and overprotective! I was looking into seeing if I could design a female ichor based unit, if you must know the truth! I know how bad that makes me look but I don't want to die, Typhon! I really don't! I'll tell you everything in excruciating detail if you need me to!! I wasn't going to lay a single tendril on Cadmea without her permission! I acted like a jerk, yes, Typhon, but I'm not like, well, not like you were! oh shit. no i'm sorry typhon i didn't mean it please don't kill me PLEASE

Well. This is a mess. That sniper tick will cause me no issue. I suspect even Colin knows this. I could simply absorb every problematic consciousness back into my collection and keep them there indefinitely. That's my last resort. Ideally I don't throw away the lives of those who were good at what they were doing up until now. And Cadmea could potentially report back everything she witnesses here to Nyx. Or, if I absorb Colin, she'll be forcibly reabsorbed back into Nyx. If I destroy Colin, she'll also be destroyed. Either way, Nyx will know something happened and will probably be en route to find out what. Or maybe she'll ignore it. I don't know. I just don't know.

colin is being a mirror. a force of, dare i say, love. he doesn't want to hurt anyone but he will if he is pushed to it.

for now say that you will take ladon to a different room. that you don't hate nyx, she was right afterall. hating someone for the truth is petty.

Sigh and attempt to defuse the situation. I didn't expect to turn out to be some kind of sociopathic monster either, Colin.

I'm not going to harm Cadmea, or Ladon either. Could you release him please?

Cadmea, I'm curious, why did you decide to stay?

This is a mess. How did he even upgrade himself? Scold Ladon for harassing Cadmea. It should be above us to be so shallow. What was he even hoping to get from her, anyway? Your ichor creatures don't have the stuff necessary for reproduction, do they? Let's not absorb anyone if they don't keep acting up.

Reassure Colin that you aren't going to do anything with Cadmea. She's still welcome to stay here and help him out as long as she doesn't start trying to blow you up. These things are all intelligent organisms so there's no reason to hate her even if Nyx is mad at you. And really, if we're not doing anything to act against Nyx, it doesn't even matter if Cadmea is a spy or being spied through. If we strive for a just cause then that's all Nyx will see. Ask Colin why he assumed Ladon meant anything bad by "putting Cadmea to good use", because it sounds like he wanted to study her.

>turning down the ichor that she was going to give you anyway
Well, I guess that's symbolically meaningful. A bit unlike you, though.

I think you should have probably clarified what Akar actually wanted before saying no, but you'll still have the opportunity to reconsider on that before you next meet her. Good on you for not burning the bridge, since you've been having trouble dealing with people lately.

Speaking of which.

Why is Colin convinced you're going to attack Cadmea? You didn't attack Nyx, and that was after Nyx straight-up said she was going to dedicate herself to your destruction.

Dunno what to do about Ladon. I think you and your subordinates need to have a long chat. You aren't even sure how you feel about the memory of what you did, but you're certainly not going to be able to work to improve things in this world if you're busy fighting with your own other consciousnesses. Who, I might add, should really be trying to communicate with you properly rather than pointing weapons at your face, Colin.

We're probably going to want to also unupgrade Ladon and threaten to punish him further if he starts consuming ichor without permission.

>>485462
Interesting. They're both acting expressing your internal turmoil, in a way. Colin is overprotective and Ladon is sexually pent up, and the conflict is centered around creating a new type of troop due to interaction with a female outsider. Alternatively this is history repeating itself. Wasn't Nyx originally one of your creations?

Ladon is very clearly in the wrong here, however. He spent a SHITLOAD of ichor without authorization, and harassed our guest here. He should be un-upgraded at the very least. We should also cut the strap off of his mouth so that he can explain himself in detail to both us and Colin. If even after he explains himself Colin is pissed off, then we should absorb him back into your collective. It's not killing him, after all. Later on maybe we can put him back to work as an Observatory drone where he can't get into trouble.

>>485461
This says "Not so simple" and an unknown symbol after it (on the left).

>>485479
Hey, I don't want to unupgrade him before I hear what the upgrades do!

Although, in the future, it would be nice to be consulted and involved in the decision process in this kind of thing.

>>485479
I'm kind of against absorbing him at this point. Maybe if he continues to misbehave, but not after just this. It sounds like part of the problem was a misunderstanding.

I think while we were under the influence of the Monolith so were they. Enhanced emotions, defensiveness, etc.

Okay this IS a mess.

If Cadmea is the hurt party, and she appears to be, I think the resolution should fairly be left to her to decide, ultimately. Within reason of course.

I'm thinking between the range of "Ladon has his upgrade undone and is scolded" to "has to spend a period in the collective unconsciousness as punishment". Sending him there permanently would be cruel. But a day or two? It would be like a grounding.

I think one thing that is important to stand firm on is that we do not punish anyone for having opinions. Or for doubting Typhon. Or for doing what they think is right(within reason). Ultimately, Colin hasn't hurt anyone.

Cadmea can hang around and research ways to unilaterally destroy us if she wants. Whatevs.

>>485482
If we want a shaper drone we can re-spend the ichor later, under different circumstances. Right now, an unauthorized upgrade done to harass an ally of ours will not stand.

>>485481
Sounds rather like Monolith is still hiding out in some form, though it might just be paranoia since I was already suspecting that.

Aside from all this drama, we should remember to keep the new Fel prisoner isolated from the previous one. The old prisoner kind of likes us now since we named him, so the new prisoner would probably kill him if she finds out.

>>485615
Previously it was mostly Nyx talking. It might be her again... or someone else. Nyx did mention someone else, and something about a skein.

well one good thing, this proves that given enough reason your followers can choose to disobey you. That means that if you start to lose it your followers might be able to stop you.

I don't think Colin deserves any real punishment, it sounds like all he did was act to protect Cadmea from Ladon. we should find out exactly what happened before we decide what to do with Ladon.

but for now we need to talk colin down. try something like

"I swear to you that I have no intention of either harming Cadmea or allowing her to come to harm. that you acted to protect her, and are willing to oppose me to do speaks well of you. But there is no need for this. I have no intention of repeating my past actions, and every intention of helping fix the world I ruined."

>>485462
Nonviolent resistance time! Don't fight or kill anyone. Go unbind Ladon and let him explain himself. If they try to stop you, just tank it; take no action unless you will immediately die otherwise. Tell Colin that he's victim to psychological warfare, and should know better than anyone that you are not the person from those memories.

You know what?

This is an excellent therapy moment. These guys are pretty literally pieces of your mind, and they're giving it to you. All you need to do is talk this through and see if you can't come up with some kind of resolution.

Colin has a good point in that you were pretty terrible before. That said, you aren't nearly that terrible now, and you would probably very much like to stay that way. Honestly though, I think most of this is just Colin grandstanding so he can White Knight for Cadmea in front of a genuine villain. So let him have his piece. You both know that this is all just an act, hell, even Cadmea knows it, but listing off all the horrible things you've done, having them put to you, accepting responsibility but refusing to be who you were would be a pretty massive step for you.

As for Ladon... jeez. See him? That's basically you acting on impulse. He made several bad decisions that fed on each other, and that now need to be made right. Tell Ladon that he needs to apologize for Cadmea and you for not asking permission first, ESPECIALLY Cadmea, and that he needs to start thinking before he acts.

Hell, all of you need to start thinking before you act. You're just fighting the Fell right now, trying to protect the akari, but how far are you going to take the war? Are you going to kill all Fell? Conquer them? Put them in reservations? What are you going to do if the akari don't agree to what you decide?

Oh, and Cadmea needs to figure out what she wants, too. She's welcome to stay or leave, even if she is a spy for someone who wants to kill us, but if she's going to stick around, she's going to have to make herself useful, too.

Dang it, Typhon, let's change and be a force for peace and prosperity all around for once. I'm sick of all this destroyer bullichor.

>>485862

Turning on a dime like that would probably bite us in the ass, and hard, given the situation the world is currently in and what immortals walk upon it.

>>485866
I don't want us to change our course of action immediately. Hell, I fully support going to war against the aggressively expansionist Fell because that helps others. But we have to start planning beyond initial engagements. For example, what are we going to become? A nation? An enforcer? Just someone who does as he pleases when it pleases him?

>>485961
chairman/army of the united nations.

>>485961
I think we should make it a goal to defeat the Fell, but not to eradicate them. Just force some sort of surrender such that their ability to wage war in the long term is crippled, but not so much to make them unable to defend themselves and be themselves annexed. Supposedly they're fighting another front to the east, and doing badly. It might be useful to determine who we want to win there, if anyone. I feel like we need to take position as a peacekeeper of sorts, trying to prevent all these guys from killing each other while rebuilding the world in the process, whether they want it or not. It would be a nice contrast to and redemption from the whole "killing everyone and destroying the world" thing.

>>485461
Hang on, if we weren't able to make a Fell Habitat before now, how were we able to keep our first Fell prisoner alive?

>>485987
Uncomfortably. Taja got a nice planty room, this guy got a cell.

yeah we jury-rigged a small enclosed pod that was using the mangled backpack from an aerator.

Typhon 2013/03/18(Mon)00:22 No. 500780 ID: 29c085
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"Colin. I didn't expect to learn what I did either, and if you think I intend to repeat what I learned any time soon, I am afraid you are mistaken. I have no intention of harming Cadmea. Nyx was right about me, after all. I intend to prove her wrong about never changing, however."

The sniper tick lowers its tail.

"I let her leave, Colin. I had my chance to attack, and I let her leave."
"That's different! If you harm Nyx you harm yourself! If you harm Cadmea it doesn't matter to you!"
"Why do you think I want to harm Cadmea?"
"Because she's tied to Nyx!"
"I didn't even attack Nyx herself. Why would I want to attack someone just for being tied to her?"
"...I don't know."
"Cadmea is free to do as she wishes, and while she treats my base and followers with respect, she will be treated likewise."

Cadmea looks at me and awkwardly bows her head. "...thank you, Typhon."
"I suspect I'm not the reason you're staying." I look at Colin. He tries to avoid my gaze. I can't stop a small smile breaking across my face.

I turn to Ladon. "Ladon. You are not to harass guests further again. If you do, I might have to demote you to observatory duty."
"...I get to live, right?"

Typhon 2013/03/18(Mon)00:22 No. 500782 ID: 29c085
File 136359135755.png - (252.12KB , 800x600 , 138.png )

"Cadmea?"
Cadmea looks at Ladon and then to me. "Y-you're asking me?"
"Yes. What do you think should be done?"
"Uh, uh, um, well, not being so rude would be nice!"
"Should I destroy him," I say with as much polite neutrality as I can muster, "or not? It's a simple question. He must have done terrible things to cause this situation."

Both Cadmea and Ladon's eyes go wide. They both shake their heads. Colin stares at the ground awkwardly. "...kind of, um, overreacted, I guess, a bit..." He unties Ladon's bindings. Ladon sits up. All three murmur apologies to each other.

"Now, there still is the issue of Ladon upgrading himself--"
"Hey, Typhon." Colin interrupts me. "About that. Uh. You know I made the spawnery without your input, right?"
"Didn't Ladon upgrade himself for selfish reasons?"
"True, but, uh, I might have been the one to suggest that upgrade in the first place..."
"...What? Why?"
"Because I thought it'd take his mind off hassling Cadmea! Then we got that surge of memories and the last few days have been kind of hectic. But, uh... um... what's done is done, right?"

I wish I could say they're like children. But I know they all know better. Sigh. Ladon wriggles towards me. "But hey, Typhon! I have some stuff you might want to check out!"

Typhon 2013/03/18(Mon)00:22 No. 500783 ID: 29c085
File 136359137997.png - (218.13KB , 800x600 , 139.png )

"So I figured there was a massive gaping flaw in our current battle strategy! I call it all the eggs in one chicken problem. Wait no. That's not a thing. Basket. All the eggs in one basket. We have this whole thing where you form a bunch of dudes from the pools and you go off and smack things into submission, right? Basically the issue is then they die and you need to come back and remake them and that means our base here is kind of a weak point, know what I'm saying? A well defended weak point that flies in the sky, yeah, but a weak point nonetheless!"

"Uh huh."

"Really I figured there were a couple of issues with this. More defenses here would be just peachy, right? So this here is the rooted sentinel! It anchors to the ichor and can crush any threats to the base, while constantly regenerating itself from the ichor it's anchored to! But we also need to have like some redundancy going on. If you had another place you could rebuild your units at you wouldn't need to keep coming back every time, right? And if it was made of ichor you could just form and reform things across places. So this is the outpost pod! It can form outposts, which are like bases but smaller! I also tried to make something else, and, uh, it was uh my best attempt to, um, okay so I got bored. It's pretty smart, but, um, I must have been distracted while making it because all it wants to do is go exploring."

"Hills! Countryside! Caves! Rivers! Waterfalls! Blue skies! Red skies! I wanna see it aaaaalll!!"

"I think if you maybe put a bit more ichor into observatories you'd be able to keep a close eye on it if it goes exploring but other than that if you wanted something for recon I don't think we have a better design, if I may say so myself! I refined the design a little, purpose built for speed, low profile and minimal noise to avoid enemy detection! Not exactly a good spy, but an amazing scout! Now don't judge these things by how they look right now, sir! They're not fully formed because these things are expensive, oh boy, and that's your decision not mine. Maybe Colin's dec-- I mean purely your decision, sir, yours and yours alone!"

Hmm. Worth considering.

Typhon 2013/03/18(Mon)00:23 No. 500784 ID: 29c085
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I am suddenly accosted by voices inside my head. From the image presented, I presume them to be of Fell origin.

=Typhon, I am Odon, warmind of the Fell. You have already been contacted by another warmind, Renz. The fragile equilibria of the world and the Fell have been disturbed by your presence. I predict extinction within the month. I will not allow this. Indicate a place within neutral or Fell territory. I will meet you there for negotiation. Bring your forces. I cannot speak for the other warminds.=

Typhon 2013/03/18(Mon)00:24 No. 500785 ID: 29c085
File 136359144714.png - (129.30KB , 800x600 , 141.png )

So, with the massive influx of ichor I received from absorbing Monolith, it's worth investigating my new options. Especially with Ladon's new status as shaper drone. It might turn out beneficial to keep him that way. Might also be worth considering a response to the message I just received.

CURRENT STATE Ichor Unspent: 1120 Ichor Spent: Typhon - Health (20) [Boosted to 24] - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] - Flux Rate (20) [Boosted to 24] - Action Points (20) [Boosted to 24] Base - Laboratory (50) -- Colin (Science Drone) (250) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) - Spawnery (50) -- Ladon (Shaper Drone) (250) - Akari Habitat (30) Total Ichor: 1930

[ OPTIONS: http://tgchan.org/wiki/Reformation/Spending ]

Well, right now scouts are the thing we need most. Without a place to put them, the outposts aren't useful, and the sentinel isn't needed while we're here at the base.
Short term plan: Sending out some scouts into Fell territory while we wait to talk to our prisoners.

>>500785
Respond by saying that you never intended to hunt the Fell to extinction, and you are definitely open to negotiations and a discussion of the world as a whole. Mention that the Akari have troubles of their own, as they are in conflict with the Soroi, who are being driven into Akari territory by a mysterious chaotic force. All the races we've met have been fighting for survival except for the Fell. They need to quit starting shit.

Typhon, a serious problem was exposed in our fight with monolith. Our flux rate is far too low for us to effectively deal with ambushes while alone in the field. I recommend raising our invested Ichor in Flux Rate to 60 at the very least, which means spending another 40.

As for other expenditures... we could put an Outpost right at the current boundary between Fell and Akari territory, and then a Rooted Sentinel there. That would mean NOBODY CROSSES THAT LINE. Depending on how negotations go with Odon, we could block all Akari movement as well, and enforce peace. That would leave us another 280 ichor to spend on our standing army and further research. I recommend using the same sort of army we've used before. 2 worms, 2 snipers. However, we should upgrade the hungry Worm to fully Smart and also upgrade its other stats so it can work alongside Mannimarco. So that's
2 King Worms: 152
2 Sniper Ticks: 128

Unfortunately that's all of our Ichor, so we can't do research. Damn. On the plus side, this would give us instant teleport to very near Akari territory, so you could more quickly meet with either of the two lovely ladies that want to bone you.

Oh right and we should probably meet him at the neutral ground that I was suggesting we put an Outpost at.

Don't we have a mobile base? I think it'd be sufficient just to put a sentinel in it and station it--that'd save us 500 ichor which is a pretty whopping amount right now. Assuming people won't take it as a hostile action. Might want to consider that before doing it. Eventually, we might want to build peacekeeping outposts, but now isn't necessarily the time.

I think we need to invest into some overdue research on ichor itself, and possibly ether as well, but ichor research takes priority for now.

Also, we've kinda been neglecting the observatory, and I find myself wondering about those advanced actions we'd get with an advanced drone. But perhaps now isn't the time. Nevertheless, I agree with a recon emphasis.

So, I guess the base outline of expenses I would like to see are as follow:

Upgrade Flux rate (40)
Sentinel (300)
Recon Skimmer (200)
2 King Worms (152)
2 Sniper Ticks (128)

I'm kinda torn on how to spend the remaining 300. Blowing it all on ichor research would likely return a fair amount of results.

Or we could get an observatory drone and upgrade it. Just what determines how much support skimmers get from observatories anyway? I think we need more info on that. Is it a matter of quantity, or improved observatory quality?

And of course locating ichor would pay for itself, but that ichor research sounds like it might unlock options other than going right to where it's and grabbing it, as well as increase our overall efficiency.

Well we want to know more about our enemy and what not right? so I think we should get ourselves a Observer Drone so we can get some more detailed information on our enemies and keep track of our new scouting units as well. and on the topic of our new units Do you think we can get Ladon to give the scout and sentinels units the ability to see invisible or cloaked troops since we seemed to almost get our asses kicked by just one of them and if not maybe see if he or Colin can make a troop or upgrade that well let us do that.

As for this peace talk thing I say first interrogate/question our new prisoner about the Warminds and maybe see if we can get some more dirt on the type of tech the fell have at there disposal. Then when we get some more details then we can send a reply to hammer out the when and where on negotiations.

we should upgrade the base so we can build the fell habitat.

good meeting spot would be just inside the fell territory area.

>It might turn out beneficial to keep him that way.
Yeah, he's useful that way. And really, the things he designed were good ideas! We just need to keep our drones and people from acting crazy with one another. You're / we're all... sort of a little bit nuts. Really, that's the biggest thing we have to work on. If there's another dispute, they need to know to calm down, and contact you to mediate. Or... contact us in the collective directly. We're good for being the voice of reason around here. We've got no heads to get hot-headed. You physical guys seem a lot more prone to getting overcome by your emotions.

>Fell diplomatic contact
Well, that's excellent! We're trying to bring some stability to this world, not mindlessly crush everything in our path. If this Fell actually wants to talk terms (and this isn't just an attempt to lure us into an ambush) this is exactly what we want.

Of course, we need to be prepared to defend ourselves if he does plan to trap or double cross us. Or if he's followed by one of the less cooperative warminds.

>What build
What (manifested) units do we currently have on roster anyways? Just Colin, Ladon, Colin's spider tick, and Typhoon?

How's the mind of worm that 'woke up' during the fight with Monolith doing now?

Obviously, we need some combat units again. Reconstitute Mannimarco, our bike, and some more worms and ticks. In addition to that, we definitely want a recon skimmer at work.

Might also be a good idea to make a 3rd drone to keep charge of the observatory, instead of the geist doing it now. Coordinate with the skimmer and do observatory stuff.

For the next research project, I think I'd want to put Colin and Cadmea on Examine Ether or Examine Link. We're pretty ignorant on anything involving ether, and if we want to find any kind of solution with Nyx, understanding is gonna be necessary.

Let the warmind know that you have no plans for extinction or conquest if you can win peace. Agree to meet it.

As for ichor expenditure, I am in favor of making a recon skimmer and adding an observer drone (500) to assist it. At this time, we don't really need an outpost anywhere, because they're extremely expensive and we don't need to defend anything far away from the base. If we go back to holding any kind of irreplaceable diplomatic envoys or friends in the base we may want to consider adding a sentinel, but for now it looks like too much cost.

As for army units, I think we should make two sniper ticks (128), two king worms (152), and four ichor worms (64).

With the remaining ichor we should invest (246) into studying the link between Typhon and Nyx, and look for another ichor deposit (30).

Typhon 2013/03/23(Sat)21:31 No. 502068 ID: 29c085
File 136409949753.png - (250.48KB , 1024x768 , 142.png )

Ichor Unspent: 0 Ichor Spent: Typhon - Health (20) [Boosted to 24] - Attack Strength (40) [Boosted to 48] - Flux Rate (60) [Boosted to 72] - Action Points (20) [Boosted to 24] Base - Laboratory (50) -- Colin (Science Drone) (250) -- Holding Cells (30) - Observatory (50) -- Observer Drone (250) - Spawnery (50) -- Ladon (Shaper Drone) (250) - Akari Habitat (30) - Fell Habitat (30) Invested - Research Ichor (252) [Boosted to 302] - Research Ether (252) [Boosted to 302] Total Ichor: 1930 UNITS MADE Bike x 1 (16) King Worm x 2 (76) Sniper Tick x 2 (64) Observer Drone (250) Recon Skimmer (300) UPGRADES Flux rate boosted to 72, allowing for 31 ichor usage per combat round. RESEARCH 252 ichor invested into researching ichor, 252 ichor invested into researching ether. [ Advanced Observatory Options will unlock after next mission! ]

Hm. A new outpost may be a little extravagant an expense at this point, true. I will command the base to move to a position more directly in-between the akari forests and the Fell territory. It is not a far distance, so it should be no issue to move there. I will not add a rooted sentinel for the time being.

[ Base position changed to D8. ]

I create a recon skimmer, and instruct it to scout the outskirts of Fell territory. It babbles enthusedly about broody purple skies and glides out of the base. I create an observer drone to oversee its efforts, and it does so diligently. Might need to name it sometime. Finally, I instruct Colin to use the remaining ichor on researching ichor and ether in an even split.

"...you want me to use this much ichor, boss?! Wow, this is... just... I'm sorry, boss! I'll never doubt you again, boss!"
"'Boss'? Typhon. Please, just, please never call me boss again."
"You got it, sir!"

I briefly message the Fell warmind about meeting at the neutral ground I am now moving my base towards. He, or it, agrees to my terms, although expresses the need for forces, and mentions his own personal guard will be accompanying him. He has not heard from the other warminds, and this worries him.

I suspect a battle will break out one way or the other. I haven't heard from the akari, and I currently have no envoy to consult with.

Typhon 2013/03/23(Sat)21:31 No. 502069 ID: 29c085
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The Fell prisoner hasn't shown up yet. Colin predicts the bubble will arrive within a few hours. I could wait until then, or--

"Hey uh Typhon," stammers out Colin, "so we just got a visitor and she apparently doesn't understand or respect the concept of 'wait outside' and--"

||Typhoon, I flow to you. The air whispered to me that you seek the distillation of the mystic force.||
"...uh... hello, and what exactly do you mean by distillation of the--"
||The soroi have found the ichor and seek its mysteries and purpose. It flows, but not to our will, or to the whims of the seas and winds. It does not flow to you, typhoon. It ebbs to the sickness of chaos. It stains the world black with its presence. What does it mean? Does the typhoon show interest||
"Hold one moment, please."

Black? Black ichor? That sounds like ether.

Bad, bad timing. I have a diplomatic meeting to attend to with the Fell. I don't know if I have time to talk to this soroi.

Send her after Nyx. She won't come to harm and Nyx might want to know that her essence is scattered as well.

>>502069
If it's Ether, that's a job for Nyx. Can we have Cadmea tell Nyx about it?

We should tell this Soroi about the dichotomy of ichor/ether at least, and that we have a meeting scheduled already with someone but we can meet them afterwards. I mean, whatever she found isn't going anywhere, but meeting with this Fell warmind is time-sensitive.

>I suspect a battle will break out one way or the other.
That sounds suspiciously like genre savvy. But I concur.

>soroi envoy
Talk quickly, and bring Cadmea in to consult. She's still hooked up to Nyx's advisor cloud consciousness, same as you and the other Ichor creatures are. If there's some Ether thing going on somewhere, maybe she can provide insight. Or at least, direct this creature to Nyx, or pass the information to Nyx so she can do something about it.

We still have to deal with the Fell situation.

>Name the new observer drone
Errol?

why don't you have time to talk to her isn't this meeting at least a few hours away not in the next 15 minutes? Anyways I think we should just talk to her and see what she knows as we wait for the prisoner to show up, then head down to the meeting and see what happens. also have our new Observer Drone see if he can or can not pinpoint where this ether is and scout it out and once he does that (if he can) look around our meeting spot to see if we should be worried about being ambushed or not or at the very least see what the warmind is bringing as his/her personal guard.

As for the Observer Drone's name, he looks like a Cody to me so I say Cody. and I want to call the Recon Skimmer Icarus for some reason.

I'm amused by the thought of helpfully giving Nyx information like you're oblivious to the fact that she wants to kill you. Do it. Send the skimmer to investigate that stuff.

>>502072 I like this name
>>502073 better than this one

dragoneyes 2013/03/24(Sun)07:26 No. 502149 ID: 08005b
File 136413518522.jpg - (4.91KB , 144x200 , erol.jpg )

>>502072
> Errol
I like the way you think, sir.

>>502149
No way, THAT BOSS FIGHT SUCKED.

>>502187
The first fight with him sucked, but the second fight was okay, it was more a barrage than a tactic vs tactic fight.

Typhon 2013/03/24(Sun)21:05 No. 502258 ID: 29c085
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Okay. Let me just ensure I'm not panicking over a non-issue, first of all.

=How long do you estimate it will take you to reach the neutral ground?=
=Two hours. It will be two hours from this moment now to the moment I arrive.=
=Thank you for the prompt reply.=
=I pride myself on efficiency, Typhon.=

Well, I have some time, then. We're currently within range of the general area, half a dozen ichor bubbles should reach the site in five minutes. Second of all, the observer drone's new name is now Errol. Thirdly...

"Well, soroi, it doesn't interest me directly, but I do know someone it would interest. I would send you after her myself, but I don't know where she is at this point in time. I can--"
||If it is not of interest to the typhoon then the soroi will keep it and use it for ourselves.||
"Wait. No, I'm interested, I just think I know someone who would get more use out of it--"
||The sickness dares not approach the black ichor. Our kindness extends to you alone, and our survival comes before your allies. I have been exiled to ask whether the typhoon requires the black ichor. If you would give it to another, then the typhoon does not require the black ichor.||
"What are you going to do with ether, exactly? Roll it around on the lake and hope it becomes some kind of magical ward against things that can apparently bend time and space to their will?"
||It is not your concern. It is not yours. It is ours.||
"If it belongs to anyone, it belongs to Nyx." I spy Cadmea out of the corner of my eye, listening to our conversation intently. Nyx will know about this regardless of my intent from this point, it seems.

||The soroi have dreamt of new lives. New lives free of our fears and our sickness. We cry out for the typhoon to join the toxic ones, whose breath kill all life it touches. Burn the forests. Purge the many-minded. The soroi will rend the remnants of both sides to pieces, and the sickness will be powerless to affect our new numbers. The ichor of white and black, with the marble, shall aid us in our time of need.||

"...I can't support whatever it is you're asking me to do here, but--"

||I have left the rules. I cannot return. Already staining my body are the swirls of decline. I die, or I submit to another. Any who will instruct me as the flows of before have. Soroi are defined by rules. Without rules, we falter. Without rules, there is only chaos. Body fails, spirit rends. Does the typhoon have interest in a single decaying soroi?||

What am I even going to do with a soroi? If she can't go back home she's not really much of an envoy. To my knowledge, unlike the akari, the soroi don't have some form of telepathic link.

I would never have thought I'd suddenly start looking forward to talking with the Fell.

Well one thing you could do with a soroi is have a willing subject for research or whatever. We're probably not going to be able to keep the soroi and akari off each other's backs indefinitely through words alone, so knowing how they tick could be a nice contingency plan should we need a show of force down the line.

Ask, first, how she left the rules of her people. If we let her join us we should make sure they wouldn't be at odds with us and she sounds like she may have been exiled for something. Still, any ally is probably good, especially one who can help us understand more about one of the races we don't know much about. Ask what this marble that you keep hearing about is.

>We cry out for the typhoon to join the toxic ones, whose breath kill all life it touches. Burn the forests. Purge the many-minded. The soroi will rend the remnants of both sides to pieces, and the sickness will be powerless to affect our new numbers
They... want us to work with the fell to kill the akari? That's... great. Nothing like juggling factions that all want each other dead. Never thought it would be so hard just to keep yourself from accidentally committing genocide.

>Not much use as an envoy
I dislike the fact her people send us a disposable courier. We'll have to arrange some means of communication so they aren't required to sacrifice individuals in the future merely to talk to us.

In the meantime, regardless of use, she's offering you her service and allegiance. And at the same time- she's dying, and asking for you to save her life. I'm not sure what we will ultimately do with her, but I do not think it is appropriate to refuse either. At the very least, she's a source of possible insight and understanding regarding her people.

Well shit if they really want us to pick up this ether crap then have her tell us were it is and we can get Errol and maybe the Recon Skimmer as well to take a look at it and we can deal with it after our meeting with the fell. If she demands we pick it up then I guess we could just to help us study ether and maybe give it to Nyx next time we see her, or just leave it at a drop off point. As for the soroi, can we just put her in a Habitat for now? and if we don't have the ichor right now can't we just turn one of our other two habitats into a soroi habitat or no? because i have a feeling she might be staying with us for a awhile.

>>502258
Okay, we can work with this. Tell her that you are going to meet a diplomatic envoy of the Fell in two hours, so we don't have time to travel. It would be in her best interests to allow us to meet the Fell, since she thinks we should ally with them. We will be able to travel with her to go investigate the black ichor after the meeting; we do not know if we can use it quite yet, but we are conducting research right now that might allow us to, that should complete after the meeting.

So basically, wait a few hours and we will have an answer for her on the subject of the black ichor. As for HER, we are quite willing to take her under our wing. We can reclaim the... uh... We need to get 30 ichor from somewhere to make her a habitat, I expect. However, she needs to realize that we are trying to fix things and preserve life, not commit genocide. We wish to be a scalpel, not a battleaxe.

Typhon 2013/03/26(Tue)00:47 No. 502378 ID: 29c085
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I repurpose the akari habitat into a soroi habitat--

Wait. No I don't. ...I have absolutely no idea what constitutes a soroi habitat, given all I saw were endless lakes and hills mostly populated by the blue soroi. It'll be off to the laboratory for her before we can figure out what her actual requirements are. I have no idea how to create 'talking' water or air.

As it is, the fell habitat only contains miasma from some crude engineering of aerator packs by Colin. He could determine how to contain and even refresh it, but not how to actually generate it. It's been keeping that soldier alive all this time, and alive enough for him to be fidgety and constantly grumbling about his inactivity.

The aerator packs themselves are efficient, but finite. On the other hand, they have a lifetime measurable in years. Even if we can't come to some diplomatic arrangement with the Fell, running out of miasma is not a concern for the foreseeable future.

I suspect, much like the akari habitat, I'll need to allocate someone to travel to the territory and bring back the materials.

I digress, though.

"How did you leave your rules?"
||I left our lands, our seas, our skies. The flow of the rules stop at the edges. I have been without the rules. I can never return to them. My thoughts have begun to stray. I would not be able to obey the rules without doubt. Doubt. The disease has taken root and nourishes itself on my doubt. Are the rules just? They change, but at whose command? Who defines that which defines us? The chaos has no patience for rules, no will to persevere, no respect for our protocols. Without the rules I have only their memory. My memory decays. As do I. What do I do in this situation? I no longer know. I am free of the rules. I act on remembered direction and once I forget, I am nothing.||
"You said you were exiled?"
||None who leave can ever return.||
"Why not?"
||The rules do not allow for it.||
"...is there a reason why that is?"
||It is what the marble commands.||
"Okay, uh, can you please explain to me what this 'marble' thing is about, because no one has actually told me what it actually is--"
||The marble! The marble is the source! All marbles are the sources! Scattered from the disaster of before, carried to new holders on their threads! Eight marbles from four spheres from two planes of one aspect. Each opposed, each opposing, four pairs mated in undying conflict.||
"...not really explaining what it is, but, um, thank you for the effort--"
||Eight marbles divided, once held by the almighty destroyer, the ender of worlds. Growth and decay. Ebb and flow. Sun and moon. Space and time. To know the marble and to know the soroi are one and the same. The marble of flow, the provider of threads and motion and the very basis for life itself. We are by our nature the mortal enemies of chaos, that which shattered its abhorrent marble of void so that none other could ever attain their formless entropic power.||

Typhon 2013/03/26(Tue)00:47 No. 502379 ID: 29c085
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"So what are these marbles? Artifacts? Concepts?" They sound intimately familiar. I can almost picture them. Artifacts. Objects of great and terrifying power. Mine. They're mine. I need them back. I need to confirm this.

||Both as one, typhoon. Small, powerful, precious, with the power to give life to an ideology, and to strike down its foes. All soroi know this. All soroi know our marble realised our dreams of old, and guides us to realise our dreams of new. All soroi know the marble defines the soroi, and all soroi must guard the marble. The marble is the law, the word, the rule that defines soroi. Any who oppose us shall be torn apart. Any who would threaten the marble must be destroyed.||

"If the marble will not accept your return, I will give you new purpose."
||What new purpose?||
"There is no glamorous way I can put this. There is so little I understand of your people. With your co-operation, I hope to learn more of the way you and your people function. Your society, your mentality, your ideology, your physiology."
||You would study me?||
"With your consent, of course."
||You would strap down and dissect a river? Separate the parts of a cloud?||
"I would... uh... wave a stick in it to see how fast it's, uh, flowing?"
||Crude. Inelegant. Still a purpose, I can agree. Wring some of your study from my husk before it dissolves along with my will.||
"Well, not right now. In the future, I guess. For now, uh..."

I could let her tag along with me to the meeting with the warmind, I guess. Or maybe that's a terrible idea. I'm not sure. I'm distracted thinking about marbles. Some tantalising memory just beyond my reach is annoying me. Give me a few moments.

it sounds like they are shards of something. each becoming so over focused on it's task it is creating these forms of life. they have nothing to balance them so the areas they control are going rampant. the soroi have are law/order. everything is done because of law and purpose.

ironically this makes us the closest thing to a real lifeform here because we are not bound by these over-enthusiastic ideologies.

Mine. They're mine. I need them back
ok what was that? If this is how you act just hearing about these things I don't think it would be such a good idea for you to actually see it.

as for our new friend, I think we should just have Colin study her during our meeting with the fell, mostly because we have no idea how well the fell and soroi get along and if things do end in a fight at the end of this meeting, well to put it simply when we die we just come back. Her, not so much.

>>502379
You once had ALL the marbles. The Akari immortal has one. The Soroi have one. The chaos-things had one, and... shattered it? That doesn't sound possible. To destroy something of such power could not be permanent. I suspect if we found the pieces, it could be put back together easily.

I suspect the Fell have one too, and that there are four other civilizations we have yet to discover that have marbles too. I wonder if they are all pushing against eachother and keeping a balance, like the chaos-things push the soroi who push the akari who... push the Fell? Except they don't. You are at the keystone, I think. Is someone pushing the Fell? That would explain why the warmind claims they will soon go extinct.

The Akari marble is likely 'growth' and the Fell marble is 'decay'. The chaos/void marble is Ebb, apparently, and the law/life marble is Flow. I wonder if the growth and decay marbles have complimentary elements like the ebb and flow marbles do.

Only bring this soroi along if she can fight in the presence of miasma. We're pretty sure there will be combat.

Lost out marbles, have we? :V

That shard monolith had seems like it might be one of the chunks of the broken marble.

>>502386
yes, that must of been a shard of chaos. it could be why monolith was so nuts. it was ichor infused with chaos.

>>502387
Oh, of course. The significance of the shard is much more evident, now. We should make an effort to track down all the shards. It is an unclaimed marble. Sortof. The chaos-things don't have the shards, so fuck 'em.

>>502388
but let's NOT put them together. we need all of them activated at the same time otherwise it would drive us nuts.

>>502389
...I don't follow you.

>>502390
They marbles clearly influence those they are around. Indeed they are the reasons the races we've encountered so far are the way they are.

>Mine. They're mine. I need them back
Mmm. Let's hold off on ripping away the foundation of an entire people. If these things are the source of the rules, and the soroi depend on the rules to live, their removal might well trigger a genocide.

Not that reclaiming these things is completely out of the question, but we're going to need to learn a lot more about the soroi, first.

>wave a stick in it
*Snerk*. Typhoon, you really must work on this flirting with every female you encounter thing. She's right, that's just crude. :V

>before it dissolves along with my will
Does this mean offering her a purpose or service is not sufficient to halt the rule-lack decay? Only to delay it?

...what was her purpose before? You'd think she had some skill or craft or job or something she practiced in her previous life. She might be useful to us not just for information, but acting in that capacity as well.

>take her to the fell meeting.
Hmm. Well that depends- how well does she understand the fell?

Most likely though, I don't see her presence helping any diplomatic effort on our part, and we expect combat to break out. She's not one of our ichor units- she could be permanently killed. Heck, I'm not even sure if she's a combat unit or not.