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961754 No. 961754 ID: f56a2b

Previously: https://questden.org/kusaba/questarch/res/960086.html

This quest contains scenes of graphic violence.
------------------------
Fear and pain are illusions.
Death is a choice.
...
Sacred it is, to fulfill the pact.
A sin it will be, to fail to act.
...
Freedom through bondage, in the greater whole trust,
for I am a worthless part, and mine soul hath rust.
...
All is ones master, save for one's self,
one's self is a lie, a figment of mind,
one's mind is like clay, fit to be shaped
shaped by ones master, who for one is all.
...
The only truth is in one's Word.
I have given my word that I will not desert.
To allow myself to fail is desertion.
I will not allow myself to fail, that is truth.
...
...
...
When command is not explicit, command will be implicit.
When command is obeyed, duty will remain.
When all duty is fulfilled, from all but reflection thou shalt abstain.
209 posts omitted. Last 50 shown. Expand all images
>>
No. 971836 ID: d63ea8

Ah... I believe I might understand it. It is communicating through your Earth, that is why your Air and Water have not been touched. The spirits seem linked to the land, and as you brush up against them and breathe them in they are able to use your own impulses to reflect their thoughts.

As for what to ask:

What are the shadows that snake themselves between the trees? They seem unnatural. Is there a way to banish them?
>>
No. 972188 ID: f56a2b
File 159469952633.png - (580.56KB , 800x600 , 073.png )
972188

By the gods, this thing...

It is communicating through your Earth, that is why your Air has not been touched.
---------
Interesting... it was communicating to you through your breath.

Exception 24. Mutually incompatible theses detected; communication synthesized.


:BRIDGE: Ah... Interesting, I believe I might understand it. It was communicating to you through your breath and Earth. That is why your Air and Water have not been harmed. The spirits seem linked to the land, and as you brush up against them and breathe them in they are able to use your own impulses to reflect their thoughts.

As for what to ask:
-We should ask about the environs. What is wrong with the forest? And that prisoner...
-You might also ask what we are, though you may not get the right answer.
-You could ask for more information about the elements. These concepts are new to all of us.
-What are the shadows that snake themselves between the trees? They seem unnatural. Is there a way to banish them?


I trust your insight, and I'll do my best to get answers... for both of us.

"Dryad... I seek a lot of answers from your Prince, and I only intend respect for his domain."

:dryad: "He knows this."

"Well, then... What has happened to this forest, to make it so dark and wicked?"

The three-headed monster basks in the ambiance before replying:

:dryad: "The Prince thinks your question is silly and that you do not understand the forest."

"Well, isn't it supposed to be more... I don't know, like this grove?"

He sways in the breeze.

:dryad: "Your perspective is more clear now. Yes, you have not seen the Deepest Hunger in such greatness before. Nature is not supposed to be anything but itself. This is simply the way the land is."

"Looks like the Prince doesn't let it into his yard."

:dryad: "The Prince's 'yard' is part of him, and the Deepest Hunger does not saturate his nature."

"Is... the prince made up of the grass, and this tree?"

:dryad: "The plants belong to the prince as truly as anything can belong, especially the ancient tree, but they are not his vessel. He does not know of a way to relate this relationship to your life as a Man."
>>
No. 972189 ID: f56a2b
File 159469955172.png - (170.51KB , 800x600 , 074.png )
972189

"There's something I must know, about some voices I've been hearing in my head. I think they might be spirits..."

:dryad: "Spirits?"

He closes his eyes and stands still for a moment.

:dryad: "Not spirits of the land."

"Well, that doesn't tell me much."

:dryad: "They could be spirits who have made themselves belong to the Gods, or spirits from the Astral Sea. He cannot know without bringing you into his bosom, and he does not know you well enough to permit that."

"Oh, come on now. Let me be more specific then. It... there are three of them. One of them is named Gokmar, and sounds just like a person. Another one, I tried to... seek? its name, but it just slipped out of my mind. The last one, it sounds like many voices but it speaks like one, if that makes sense... but the names are just nonsense like 'ab43f6' when I try to think about them."

The dryad contemplates this.

When he comes back to reality, his posture shifts, and there is a tension in the air.

:dryad: "He wishes to make it clear that he will not allow you, ever, to commune with him. It is not an offense you have committed, it is the nature of the 'many voices' you describe. He believes it likely they are not of this world."

"Not... of this world?"

:dryad: "Not of the natural world. Perhaps they belong to the Gods fully now, or they are of the uncreated. He regards them as a threat, and wishes you well on your struggle against them. Of the other voices, he says that their spirits must not be truly present, or he would be able to sense them."

"Huh. They don't seem like a threat. Rather, I think I might not survive without their guidance."

:dryad: "He thinks this may perhaps be true, but that little good comes of another's Water in your own mindstream."

"Right."
>>
No. 972191 ID: f56a2b
File 159469957382.png - (353.18KB , 800x600 , 075.png )
972191

The elements... If anyone should be able to tell me about them, it's someone who can use my own elements against me.

"I want to ask... about Earth, Fire, Air, and Water."

:dryad: "The prince... is reluctant to discuss such things with you. He does not know you well enough."

"Let me explain myself to the Prince, then."

I give him a brief summary of everything strange that has happened to me recently, making sure to note my experiences with this newfound knowledge and how it has come to me all of a sudden.

:dryad: "You have said... much. He has listened, intently."

"And?"

:dryad: "Perhaps... perhaps, a deal may be struck. A favor done for him, in exchange for information."

"I'm listening."

:dryad: "The shadows that wind between trees are natural for land steeped in the Deepest Hunger. The bone ward and imprisoned man covered in runes are not. He does not feel particularly invested in your quest to seek your kin out, but he finds it very distasteful that... one who would consort with arcane powers, would make their fetid home in his domain."

"Let me guess, he wants me to kill the witch?"

:dryad: "He wants you to seal their spirit away that they may not commune with the Astral Sea whatsoever."

"Wow! He's asking a lot!"

:dryad: "It may not require physical confrontation, all that has to happen is they have to be made to eat a token of the Prince's hegemony, so that he can neutralize them."

"I'll consider it, but how do I know you are not bluffing?"

:dryad: "You should think before you speak. A Prince like him does not bluff; his wisdom is great. He will help you understand these recent events, but if you wish to truly know more, you must fulfill his task."
>>
No. 972193 ID: f56a2b
File 159469965324.png - (427.86KB , 800x600 , 076.png )
972193

The fundamentals were laid out, for me to understand everything else.

It was hard to swallow, but I get the feeling the Prince is dead serious.

My spirit, the Dryad told me, is comprised of four elements primarily, with two others he was reluctant to go into, Hunger and Song. They have a lot in common with the physical things they're named after, in terms of how I might expect them to behave.

Water is the medium that my spirit and my mind use together... every thought that passes through my head, every notion I've ever had, every time I've coordinated my muscles to complete a movement, it was done through my Water. That's as far as it goes for a normal spirit. If my water "dries up", I might get dizzy, my thoughts might run together, or I may even find myself unable to control my movements with any degree of coordination. Without it, I might as well be a vegetable. I could not even act on my senses without my mind. It seems, just as well, that anything which acts on my water and bolsters it, expands my consciousness and allows me to sense things I could not percieve before... and the more I perceive my own waters, the more the flow is bolstered.

Fire is the will of my spirit. Every thing I have ever wanted to do, my will was behind it. When my fire "dims", I feel tired, and I might have no desire to struggle or endure hardship. Without fire, I would just lie down and wait for death. Nothing would matter if I did not have the will to pursue it. On the other hand, as I found with that Skadi, an excess of Fire leads to zeal which cannot be abated, even to the point of recklessness...

Earth is the foundation, the bond between my spirit and my vessel. When I go without rest, or food, or I am poisoned, my earth is "worn down". My muscles will ache, my pains will not go away, and I may find my flesh unable to follow my will. Without earth, I would collapse and rot. There is no vessel without my health. What, if anything, could result from an imbalance rather than a lack of Earth, I do not know...

Air is the stuff which is shared between spirits. If my Earth is a solid foundation that defines my vessel, my Air is how I define myself to those around me, and how they show themselves to me in turn. If I did not share my air with others, and them with me, they would be as meaningless and soulless shapes to my eyes. There would be no difference between a person and a beast, or a beast and a carcass, without the Air we share. For all of its benefits in sharing common empathy, it is also vulnerable to the influence of other's Air, especially when the other spirit is more powerful.
>>
No. 972194 ID: f56a2b
File 159469969399.png - (218.21KB , 800x600 , 077.png )
972194

"What about the dark spirits that I see floating through the trees?"

:dryad: "They are as much a part of the land as you, or the grass or trees. The only difference is that their hunger may well never be slaked."

"Is there some way to banish them?"

:dryad: "No. They are from this world, and have nowhere else to go."

"How... can they always be hungry?"

:dryad: "If you would understand the Deepest Hunger or the Highest Song as well as you know your own Water, you must fulfil the Prince's wishes."

Well, I guess that's that.
>>
No. 972195 ID: f56a2b
File 159469971844.png - (348.50KB , 800x600 , 078.png )
972195

"Where else in the woods can I go from here? Any landmarks? Have you seen any Orcs who look like warriors?"

:dryad: "Where can you go from here? Back the way you came: this pocket of land is apart from the rest of the world. As for landmarks, the forest has changed so much through the ages, and the Prince is so deeply insulated and protected from the lie of Time, that he believes his advice will not aid you."

"The... the Lie?"

:dryad: "Yes, lie." Before I even ask, he reminds me: "The Prince will share much with you, but you must bring him a gift, first. The Witch must be neutralized. If you would return to us a victor, simply let your Air proclaim it and any trail in these woods can become a path to His domain."

He hands me a small branch, with berries growing off of it.

:dryad: "Simply force them to eat from this branch, before their spirit leaves the body, and the pact is fulfilled."
>>
No. 972196 ID: f56a2b
File 159469975638.png - (144.14KB , 800x600 , 079.png )
972196

:dryad: "As for the warriors you seek... Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik need not trouble your thoughts. They have found peace and purpose."

Client agency falters. Request surrogate submit direction.
>>
No. 972198 ID: b1b4f3

>>972193
(Interesting... our symbol carries all these elemental symbols in it. Even Hunger and Song. A six-pointed star surrounding the symbol for the red star... maybe we are a bridge from the Red Star to the soul of the inscribed? Perhaps arcanists do not use the Red Star often because using it too much draws attention.)

>>972196
Peace and purpose... oh wait a fucking minute, did the Dryad fuse with their corpses? Its head is three heads. Do those faces look familiar to you?

Ask how they died. That is an important detail if you are to decide if you actually help the Prince or not. You should at least get some kind of personal item from each of them so that you have some proof of their fates.
Lastly, what about the Red Star? Does it represent a sapient being, or just... a source of energy?
>>
No. 972199 ID: d63ea8

Ah. So it seems that they dryad has claimed those three warriors. I wondered why such as it required a head, let alone three.

I do not trust this dryad, nor their prince, but if that imprisoned figure was was the witch's doing, then I trust them less.

Take the branch, you have made no oath, so it should not bind you to their course of action.

But, you have been tasked with bringing the dead to rest. When you return you will require that what remains Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik are returned to you and your people.
>>
No. 972282 ID: f56a2b
File 159478399356.png - (427.90KB , 800x600 , 080.png )
972282

:BRIDGE: Peace and purpose... oh wait a fucking minute, did the Dryad fuse with their corpses? Its head is three heads. Do the faces look familiar to you?

Ask how they died. That is an important detail if you are to decide if you actually help the Prince or not. You should at least get some kind of personal item from each of them so you have some proof of their fates. Lastly, what about the Red Star? Does it represent a sapient being, or just... a source of energy?


:gehennitesoul: Yes, boy, ask after the Red Star; we all have an interest in how it's involved.

"I have a few more questions."

:dryad: "You may ask them."

"First of all, do you know anything about a Red Star...? It's some kind of arcane thing, but I don't know much about it."

:dryad: "The Prince occludes himself from the arcane, so as to limit his vulnerability; he has little expertise in this subject."

Wow, what a disappointment.

:dryad: "Perhaps he does have some advice... if you did not know, the stars themselves are all astral spirits, each one a force in its own, big or small. You should avoid them; they are not benevolent."

"That makes sense..." I study its face as it speaks. It's a mess, but I think it may well be those warriors. What I thought was bits of moss or leaves trapped underneath the winding vines on its heads in fact look like orcish skin...

"I must know, what has become of Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik?"

:dryad: "They have entered into the Prince's service... of their own will. They are not dead, they have adopted a new form."

:BRIDGE: Ah. So it seems that they dryad has claimed those three warriors. I wondered why such as it required a head, let alone three.

I do not trust this dryad, nor their prince, but if that imprisoned figure was was the witch's doing, then I trust them less.

Take the branch, you have made no oath, so it should not bind you to their course of action.

But, you have been tasked with bringing the dead to rest. When you return you will require that what remains Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik are returned to you and your people.


"Do you have any of their personal effects? I will have to ask for them to be returned, to bring back as proof of their fate."

:dryad: "The Prince will consider your request more gravely if you succeed in his task. Until such comes to pass, he will not consider granting this to you."

"Alright then... give me that branch." You're right, I haven't made an oath. I'm not going to give this up-jumped "Prince" an excuse.

For all I know, the Witch has it coming, having imprisoned someone like that. Then again, who knows for sure... I can't say I like being given the run-around. One way or another, I'm not giving up on these warriors.

Anything else, or do I head out now?
>>
No. 972287 ID: b1b4f3

>>972282
The Dryad says "they" took a new form. If they weren't dead, wouldn't it be "we"? I think it's lying about them serving of their own free will. Or if it's telling the truth, they didn't know exactly what they signed up for.
I guess we're going to go pay the witch a visit. Don't mess with the prisoner or the totem on the way there, and hide the branch.
>>
No. 972291 ID: d63ea8

Many would decide that anything is preferable to death. Those individuals are wrong. While your kin may have joined 'of their own will,' I would guess that there was some level of coercion.

I feel that the ones you called Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik no longer exist, even if their remains are still 'alive.'

This will need to be dealt with but likely at a later time.

Let us see this witch.

The Red Star seems to be anathema to the Prince.
Quietly keep that in mind.
>>
No. 972542 ID: f56a2b
File 159499474609.png - (82.23KB , 800x600 , 081.png )
972542

:BRIDGE: The Dryad says "they took a new form. If they weren't dead, wouldn't it be "we"?

Maybe it's just a way of speaking, or it-- uh, they, think they're someone else now...

:BRIDGE: Many would decide that anything is preferable to death. Those individuals are wrong. I think it's lying about them serving of their own will. Or if it's telling the truth, I would guess that there was some level of coercion while your kin may have joined 'of their own will.'

That's... ...

:BRIDGE: I feel that the ones you called Fulnsson, Orrun, and Osrik no longer exist, even if their remains are still 'alive.'

This will need to be dealt with but likely at a later time.

Let us see this witch.


Yes, I think we'll pay her a visit...

:BRIDGE: The Red Star seems to be anathema to the Prince.
Quietly keep that in mind.


...but it might not go like the prince is expecting.

---------------------

Well, here we are. I look at it from a distance, it doesn't seem to move. I step closer, it gets more and more agitated, as usual.

"..."

Still has nothing to say. I feel a little indecisive here, maybe it's just fear of the unknown but the way it reacts when I walk near it... I don't know. What should I do?

:gehennitesoul: Just shoot the wastrel and move on. It's not like it will watch your back for you.

Suggestions offered in good faith only, please.

:gehennitesoul: Good faith is a joke-- wait, you can still hear me? hmm...
You should take the idea of good faith more seriously, and give him advice as seriously as you would want him to give for you.
Shut up, you.


I didn't say anything?

:gehennitesoul: ...very interesting.

Alright, this one is mad. Some help from the more lucid spirits?
>>
No. 972566 ID: b1b4f3

Well we know the totem isn't protecting the area. Abjuration (Rejection) of Air would mean something like preventing correct perception between people in the area.
Destroy the totem, see if that affects your perception of the person in the cage.
>>
No. 972568 ID: f56a2b

Ahh shit I totally missed something, that reminds me: the area to the left of the totem is still swarming with dark spirits.
>>
No. 972569 ID: b1b4f3

...or maybe that's what the totem is doing. It's preventing the spirits from eating the prisoner, by rendering him invisible? In that case, busting the totem would be bad.
Any thoughts from the others, now that we know more about how the elements work?
>>
No. 972584 ID: d63ea8

I would hesitate on breaking anything we can't easily mend, we could very well make our situation worse rather than better.

Instead, I'd say that we take a moment to think on these agitated feelings. Can you discern what is causing them?

Is there an aura to this place?
A particular feeling in the atmosphere?

Ah! There is something else!

Look off to the right of the cage, there seems to be a more hidden path.

That might warrant a closer look.

As for the witch, we need to engage them on our own terms. If we can study them from a distance we should be able to make the most informed choice.
>>
No. 972693 ID: f56a2b
File 159512458698.png - (201.40KB , 800x600 , 082.png )
972693

:BRIDGE: Well we know... Abjuration of Air would mean something like preventing correct perception between people in the area. It's preventing the spirits from eating the prisoner, by rendering him invisible? In that case, busting the totem will be bad.
Any thoughts from the others, now that we know more about how the elements work?


:gehennitesoul: A curious interpretation. Presuming this new information about the elements is correct...

:gokmarsoul: It sure makes sense to me! If air is empathy between spirits, then abjuring it would mean spirits can't sense each other! These ghosts don't have eyes, so they can probably only detect by feeling Air!

:gehennitesoul: Boy, this is beyond you. Just stay quiet while we figure this out.

It makes sense to me, too. Your "suggestions" haven't gotten me very far, nameless spirit.

:gokmarsoul: Thank you.

:gehennitesoul: Blow smoke up each other all you want, but I know what I'm talking about. The spirits aren't just not eating him, they're completely avoiding the area. It's probably just using magic to force anything too incorporeal, or having around as much substance as air, away.
>>
No. 972694 ID: f56a2b
File 159512461231.png - (283.99KB , 800x600 , 083.png )
972694

:bridge: I would hesitate on breaking anything we can't easily mend, we could very well make our situation worse rather than better. Instead, I'd say that we take a moment to think on these agitated feelings. Can you discern what is causing them? Is there an aura to this place? A particular feeling in the atmosphere?

Hmm... I'll think... and I'll take a deep breath...

...Hunger, only hunger. Either I can't reach it, or it can't reach me.

:gokmarsoul: Ahh, looks like a tally for me.

:gehennitesoul: Do not listen to these idiots. The wretch may have no real spirit to commune with.
>>
No. 972695 ID: f56a2b
File 159512463764.png - (66.68KB , 800x600 , 084.png )
972695

:BRIDGE: Ah! There is something else! Look off to the right of the cage, there seems to be a more hidden path. That might warrant a closer look. As for the witch, we need to engage them on our own terms. If we can study them from a distance we should be able to make the most informed choice.

Hidden path eh? Doesn't look too special... wait, I can barely make it out, but it could well be another bone totem! I creep up carefully... huh, my Air can't sense anything now-

Wretch: mmm---MMMIII

Shit, it's loud! I back off.

Wretch: M---...

Well, that got it started. What the--!

Client unprepared. Request immediate direction.
>>
No. 972698 ID: b1b4f3

I think the nameless spirit has the correct interpretation. The hungry wisps are being forced away, so the totem is a ward against them. I'm guessing the a deeper meaning of Air would be something like "insubstantial mind", which fits.

Point your weapon at the wretch again, tell it to speak words. Kill it if it starts screaming again.

...there's more markings on the wretch, on its back. At this point I think it's there as both a prisoner and a watchdog. It just set off an alarm which means the witch knows you're here. Killing it was probably the correct choice...
See if you can rotate the cage to see its other markings, or step around the wretch to the side it's not guarding.
>>
No. 972734 ID: d63ea8

I don't think a threat is needed, just inform it to be quiet with its words and you will try to listen.

Again with that eye. I wonder...

Can We approach it?
Does it see Us?

Also, there seems to be more icons upon its back, can you identify them, nameless spirit?

Be alert to your surroundings, we cannot let this witch sneak up on us.
>>
No. 972917 ID: f56a2b
File 159531614420.png - (9.64KB , 800x600 , 085.png )
972917

:BRIDGE: Point your weapon at the wretch again, tell it to speak words. I don't think a threat is needed, just inform it to be quiet with its words and you will try to listen.

Again with that eye. I wonder...

Can We approach it?

Query: "Can <BRIDGE> approach it?" <BRIDGE> can not arbitrate movement or host change.
Does it see Us?
No scrying detected.

Also, there seems to be more icons upon its back, can you identify them, nameless spirit?

:gehennitesoul: Alright lets see... What looks like a chain on its hip, some kind of spiral design on the back of its head? I don't know... on its back, behind it's heart, that's a failsafe. That rune is used to make killing a disobedient thrall easy...
>>
No. 972918 ID: f56a2b
File 159531617077.png - (152.12KB , 800x600 , 086.png )
972918

"Do not shout! Just speak quietly, and I will hear you out."

Wretch: "I- c-c-can't--..."

:BRIDGE: At this point I think it's there as both a prisoner and a watchdog. It just set off an alarm which means the witch knows you're here. Killing it was probably the correct choice... See if you can ... step around the wretch to the side it's not guarding.

Be alert to your surroundings, we cannot let this witch sneak up on us.


For the love of-- I thought I WAS away from the side it was guarding, when it started screaming!

Okay, okay, I can't get caught off guard...
>>
No. 972919 ID: f56a2b
File 159531618876.png - (320.42KB , 800x600 , 087.png )
972919

Invocation detected in vicinity. Report: Divination.

I'm not seeing any movement from the witch's house...

Wait, maybe they'll come from behind?! No, no movement there either...

What the--! Something just touched me! No, something just went into my Water!

Scrying detected. Report: Client Truename disclosed.

:gehennitesoul: Look with your new sixth sense, you dolt!

:gokmarsoul: Don't panic, stay calm!

I don't understand, what's going on?
>>
No. 972921 ID: f56a2b
File 159531621049.png - (46.40KB , 800x600 , 088.png )
972921

"Sithal, seek the one known as Haradsson! Hylcate, bind his soul to the laws of your magic! Mortra! Extinguish this trespasser's life, the one who knows himself as Haradsson!"


Spirits, if you can hear me, do all that you can. Do not let this young warrior die...
>>
No. 972922 ID: b1b4f3

It came from your left. Go that way. Number one priority is to locate the witch, shove berries down her throat then kill her.
Also, don't move a step forwards. Swarm of hungry spirits there. Might be worth breaking whatever's down the hidden path though...

Gehennite, explain the sixth sense for this uneducated soul.

(good thing it's not actually possible for this guy to die, since we're being told this story from his older self... aren't we?)
>>
No. 972931 ID: d63ea8

The witch is the highest priority target. Defeat her and the thralls should cease their attack.

You have fought such aggressive thoughts before.

Focus on finding the witch.

>>972918
There!
I see the faintest edge of a figure.
Strike with your spear.
>>
No. 972988 ID: f56a2b
File 159547687465.png - (202.55KB , 800x600 , 089.png )
972988

:BRIDGE: There! I see the faintest edge of a figure. Strike with your spear.

I look, but I don't see any figure! It's just the cage and the first bone ward to my left, and another bone ward further down the side-path!

:BRIDGE: Gehennite, explain the sixth sense for this uneducated soul.

:gehennitesoul: Damn it all, your sense of "water"! Or "air"! You have an edge on this magic, you HAVE to use it!

:BRIDGE: The witch is the highest priority target. Defeat her and the thralls should cease their attack.

Attack?! Where?! I don't see them! Sithal, Hylcate... where are they?

:BRIDGE: You have fought such aggressive thoughts before.

I know, but those were-- it wasn't coming from a-

<Sithal>: <?root>truename = Haradsson; condition fulfilled, invoke Hylcate

NO!
>>
No. 972989 ID: f56a2b
File 159547689717.png - (68.86KB , 800x600 , 090.png )
972989

:BRIDGE: Focus on finding the witch.

I can't hesitate! That light down the road might be a window, but I don't know what other chance I have! I start running at it!

---------------

Hylcate: Your *soul* is *mine*, Haradsson.

NO! I'm almost there, Gods damn you, witch!
>>
No. 972991 ID: b1b4f3

I think the sixth sense thing was from you holding your breath. If you can find Hylcate that way and then throw your spear to kill them, that's the immediate threat down.

Can we block this incoming spell?
>>
No. 973017 ID: d63ea8

Hylcate is accessing your Fire by reaching through your Water. Most likely this Sithal (the figure in the cage) is acting as a relay for this magic.

Focus on breaking line of sight with Sithal, duck off the road and behind a tree if you have to.

Then Think about where Hylcate might be, the light seems too obvious, and we may very well run into this Mortra.
>>
No. 973039 ID: f56a2b
File 159555696094.png - (77.10KB , 800x600 , 091.png )
973039

:BRIDGE: Can we block this incoming spell?

:gehennitesoul: ...no. He can't invoke or evoke, doesn't know how to counterspell anyhow, and he has no protection or training. I guess his number is up. I was looking forward to this, in a way. You disgusting, vile, decadent...

:gokmarsoul: There has to be something, anything we can do!

:gehennitesoul: Life's a bitch, and then you die. This witch had his truename the moment they wanted it, what hope can he have?

Shut up, you useless fuck!

:BRIDGE: I think the sixth sense thing was from you holding your breath. If you can find Hylcate that way and the throw your spear to kill them, that's the immediate threat down.

Fuck, holding my breath while running...?! I have to try!

Hylcate is... is... nowhere! They're everywhere! I can't tell the difference, it's some kind of magic! It's like you, if you weren't just voices and were messing my head up directly!

:gehennitesoul: Yes, the witch cast a spell on you. You're not going to chuck a spear at an overspirit and make it go away.

FUCK YOU!

:gehennitesoul: The only advice I can give you, is that the die is cast. Either the witch is going to fumble some crucial element of the spell and you'll miraculously survive for a few moments before they correct it, or it'll go off without a hitch and you'll probably die instantly. Either way, you have nothing to lose, relatively speaking.

AAAAAARGH!

:BRIDGE: Hylcate is accessing your Fire by reaching through your Water. Most likely this Sithal (the figure in the cage) is acting as a relay for this magic.

Focus on breaking line of sight with Sithal, duck off the road and behind a tree if you have to.

Then Think about where Hylcate might be, the light seems too obvious, and we may very well run into this Mortra.


:gehennitesoul: Fire..? My understanding is the magic is travelling to his heart. After all, it is where the soul resides. Or so they tell me. Sithal is a spirit, an overspirit in fact, not a physical being. Actually, once the magic started running in this barbarian's system, there was no avoiding the spell. You're right about the wretch being a relay, though... quite a clever sentry! Make some poor thing scream at the sight of an intruder, take a quick scry and zap whatever you see out of place.. we're dealing with a professional-- Er, we were dealt with by a professional.
>>
No. 973040 ID: f56a2b
File 159555698099.png - (10.27KB , 800x600 , 092.png )
973040

:gehennitesoul: Now, you might be thinking, "overspirit"? How does that work? To put it bluntly, there are big fish, and little fish in the astral sea. The little fish don't really matter. The big fish are things like the Red Star, and Tiphet, and Sithal. And Hylcate. Actually, scratch that, there are big fish-

"*HUFF HUFF HUFF HUFF*"

:gehennitesoul: Hush now. As I was saying-

:gokmarsoul: YOU CAN'T STOP NOW! GO GO GO!

:gehennitesoul: Oh for... lets tune them out for a moment. YOU CAN'T IGNORE THEM!

Like I was saying, there are big fish, and then bigger fish. Think "Red Star" big. That's the biggest one in the astral sea they even know of, and I do mean "know of." There may well be beings so powerful and beyond us of unlimited power who, on a whim, do not touch our little world.

Mortra is only a short second to the Red Star, I think, not many are skilled or powerful enough to invoke her on a whim... I can't believe I didn't recognize her seal! That pierced circle on the back of the wretch's chest must be hers. She has power over life and death.

Sithal, I've heard it used pretty much every time a mage tries to cast something at someone else. I guess it doesn't take unless this middle-man signs off on it.

Hylcate, is... a binder. I guess the chain marking should have been obvious. She forces your soul to accept the whims of magic, instead of leaving it up to you whether or not you let the magic change you. Sithal and Hylcate together are like a... needle. Whatever goes with them is the thread.

Mortra is in there with them, probably coming in dead (heh) last. If the barbarian was out of his league before, he's up a river without a paddle now. I must confess, I have never seen death magic this direct before, targeting such a healthy specimen... It's going to be a thrill. You CANNOT be this callous!

In case you're wondering, after the molestation that was that Dryad and his Prince's elemental ambiance nonsense, I'm just happy to not feel any feedback from the magic involved here.

>>
No. 973041 ID: f56a2b
File 159555699179.png - (3.01KB , 800x600 , 093.png )
973041

Oh gods, please, protect me...

It is time, Haradsson; I AM COME.


I can't move.




No, time won't move.



No, it's just... slow. I feel my foot falling, but it hasn't touched the ground yet.


Am I dead? Am I dying?
<BRIDGE> does not possess divination privileges, Client.

Who... what are you?
Exception 0. I am not allowed to parse the first question. The Red Star is what I am.

Where am I now?
<BRIDGE> does not possess divination privileges, Client.

I'm not asking the bridge, I'm asking you.
I must observe the law in Heaven. I can not tell you many things of my own will.



What...?

Client agency falters. Request surrogate submit direction.
>>
No. 973042 ID: b1b4f3

Alright, let me rephrase my previous suggestion: can THE BRIDGE block the spell? Can the Red Star protect its client?
>>
No. 973046 ID: b1b4f3

I have two other ideas that could work but no idea how to actually do them:
1, Block off your soul so that the death magic has nothing to target.
2, You as the client (rather than us, the surrogate) could invoke the power of the Red Star to protect yourself.

If you have time you can ask the Bridge for options, if it can suggest ones we haven't thought of. Honestly, this is out of our league as well.
>>
No. 973047 ID: d63ea8

Alright, so these symbols and spirits are inherently link in terms of their power and manifestation, but that is not the pressing concern for right now.

The main concern is this spirit Mortra. Most likely it will strike at your Earth, and you will be not be able to endure it. What we only hope to do is avoid the strike. You need to sever it's influence and reclaim your will.

Focus:

Expel all the Air from your form, don't let Mortra's air mix with yours.

Next rekindle and stoke your Fire, break Hylcate's grasp on your soul.

Live.
>>
No. 973291 ID: f56a2b
File 159582466486.png - (306.19KB , 800x600 , 094.png )
973291

b1b4f3: Alright, let me rephrase my previous suggestion: can THE BRIDGE block the spell? Can the Red Star protect its client?

<BRIDGE> has no privileges. I am invoked to provide limited divination for <BRIDGE>, and any spirit that wishes may commune with Client through my divination. I can only fulfil the purpose I have been invoked for.

So... you haven't been invoked to protect me.

If I had been invoked to protect you, I would fulfill that purpose.

-----------------------

b1b4f3: I have two other ideas that could work but no idea how to actually do them:
1, Block off your soul so that the death magic has nothing to target.
2, You as the client (rather than us, the surrogate) could invoke the power of the Red Star to protect yourself.

If you have time you can ask the Bridge for options, if it can suggest ones we haven't thought of. Honestly, this is out of our league as well.


Well? Can't I invoke you now, Red Star?

If your soul was linked to mine, Haradsson, that would be permissible. We do not share that covenant.

I'm your goddamned CLIENT! What's that word even worth if you won't help me?!

You are <BRIDGE>'s Client. I am only invoked to provide limited divination.

Well... well shit, wait, can I block off my soul? Is there anything you can tell me that can help? ANYTHING?

I can not provide divination to you without invocation.

-----------------------

I guess this is it. It's only me, alone, in the end who is fighting back. Notwithstanding the excellent advice so far, I don't have much to work with...

There's just two things I've been wondering, now that these spirits keep announcing what it is that they do. Bridge, who threw your spell at my soul to guide me?

<BRIDGE>-f56a2b: Error! Exception. Report: Client may not request identity or the directions of the Magician who invoked <BRIDGE>'s spirits!

No identity or directions... Bridge, what do you do?

Client may not request identity or the directions of the M-

Bridge, what conditions do you follow?

Explicit conditions for <?bridge> are as follows:
01 "Sithal" to <?root>
02 if <?root> = "Gokmar of Relsh" go to 04
03 go to 01
04 <?root> to "Red Star"
05 "Red Star" to "Cognus"
06 "Cognus" to <?checkifrememberingthepast>
07 if <?checkifrememberingthepast> = no, go to 04
08 "Sithal" to <?newclient>
09 <?newclient> to "Blue Star"
10 any to "Client"
11 "Client" to <?update>
12 go to 04

Warning, Blue Star is an undefined and unrecognized token.
Please correct this before initializing!


Well, that was pointless. Just more nonsense and jumbled words and numbers.

d63ea8: Alright, so these symbols and spirits are inherently link in terms of their power and manifestation, but that is not the pressing concern for right now.

The main concern is this spirit Mortra. Most likely it will strike at your Earth, and you will be not be able to endure it. What we only hope to do is avoid the strike. You need to sever it's influence and reclaim your will.

>>
No. 973292 ID: f56a2b
File 159582468179.png - (122.53KB , 800x600 , 095.png )
973292

d63ea8: Focus:

Expel all the Air from your form, don't let Mortra's air mix with yours.

Next rekindle and stoke your Fire, break Hylcate's grasp on your soul.

Live.


Simple as, huh? I have to give it a shot.

My Air, I try hard to expel it... I exhale hard to match my spiritual action. I feel no dread. I feel no fear. There is only me.

My Fire, I can't control like my water, or my air... but, no, that WON'T stop me! These spirits may have infiltrated my soul, and this spirit may have its grasp on my life already... but I. WILL. LIVE! Yes, I feel it, my ! I put one foot in front of the other, and I march on! First I will survive this deathblow, then we will see how this so called "witch" handles a blade from the wrong end!

My water, will flow. Unimpeded. I will LIVE. That is my will, and my only conscious aim! It will NOT be IGNORED!

My water... and my Fire... together? YES, TOGETHER! THIS, IS STRENGTH! THIS, IS POWER! My will, and my mind together... Mortra won't mix with my air, alright. She will have to go through my mind, and my will, first.

It's so clear. My mind. My will. My very ability to communicate... they can not be usurped. I will not allow it. This magic would kill me?

STRIKE, AT MY EARTH?

I NEED ONLY JOIN IT WITH THE REST IN WHOLE, AND YOU WILL BE DENIED! AND I WILL BE INVUL-

>>
No. 973293 ID: f56a2b
File 159582469901.png - (5.95KB , 800x600 , 096.png )
973293

Error, Exception occurred in [11], "Haradsson" is undefined and unrecognized; soul matching truename not found. Reverting to previous client, "Gokmar of Relsh"...
>>
No. 973294 ID: f56a2b
File 159582471181.png - (18.98KB , 800x600 , 097.png )
973294

Huh- wait, where am I..-- Banabjorn, he's gone! Where is everyone--

OH GODS, WHAT IS THAT THING?!

---BE NOT AFRAID.--- You are having a bad dream. ---YOU WILL AWAKE, FROM THIS WORLD OUTSIDE OF OUR DESIGN, TO REALITY.--- An arcane spirit? Your interference is not necessary. ---IN OUR NAME, EXORCISE YOURSELF, ARCANE SPIRIT.---

<BRIDGE> will be abjured, immediately.
>>
No. 973295 ID: f56a2b
File 159582472679.png - (7.74KB , 800x600 , 098.png )
973295

"AAAAAHH! Where am I?!"

It... it was another one of those strange dreams? Oh Gods, why...

Blue Star: Epilogue
End?
>>
No. 973296 ID: f56a2b
File 159582475265.png - (100.79KB , 800x600 , 099.png )
973296

...
>>
No. 973297 ID: b1b4f3

Well is it over or not?!
>>
No. 973301 ID: f56a2b

>>973297
Yeah, it's over. I was planning on continuing with another quick update, but I'm coming around to the idea that it warrants its own thread instead... and it's a lot of writing to do, still. Haradsson, or what's left of him, is by no means finished.
>>
No. 973304 ID: f56a2b

I just remembered, I said I would write a recap to tie some things up and explain the narrative (which gets a little out of hand) so here it is.

The story so far (spoilered):

Following the events of the first, short Blue Star thread, the two heroes leave their assailant in the sand, nearly hacked to bits and pieces. Ignore the 4th wall breaking April Fools segment where they kill him by shooting him with silver coins, it is not canon.

The assailant is left to his own devices; and being totally unable to follow his orders his mind starts to wander as he reflects on his past life. As he reflects, he alludes often to his memories being of a past life, and himself belonging to the afterlife.

His reflections start off in a sort of character creation prompt, but properly they start with him leaving his home town to wander the world in search of religious truth. At this point, everything is taking place in the past, in his memories.

His name is revealed to be Gokmar, of Relsh, when he introduces himself to a wounded man of the cloth. This mention of his name from his past life triggers a memory of his afterling, a memory of mystic training in Gehenna. We'll call this future-tense version of Gokmar the Gehennite from now on, and Gokmar will refer only to this young twenty-something self from when he was alive.

The mystic training is completed when the Gehennite abandons his true name, giving him a certain invulnerability to the magic used in his training. He then resumes his recollection of past events in Gokmar's life. Gokmar and the priest, Albunis, make it to town where they part ways.

Gokmar heads to a tavern, where he has a conversation and realises that there are heathen Orcs in town who do not follow the nearby Human religion that is becoming more and more influential as time goes on. The keep is occupied, and the church is then occupied by a second group of heathens.

He makes tracks to get to the church, where after a little quibbling he manages to get in. When he walks through the front door, however, he is magically stopped from entering the vestibule because of a thaumaturgical miracle that makes him not care about what's inside the church proper. This causes the Gehennite to have another flash-forward to his future occupation as a killer, with a snapshot of the battle which we saw the aftermath of in the first Blue Star.

The sanctuary is switched off, and he enters. He assesses the situation, meets a few people, and sits down to talk with a large, dark green orc by the name of Banabjorn. Somehow, all of the sudden, when he sits down to remember the past with this orc, the narrative experiences a sudden jarring shift to that of Haradsson (who is, in actuality, the past self of Banabjorn.)

Haradsson is caught in an illusionary forest of cold, when he decides to make himself a fire. It is not explained how exactly he makes it, it just comes to, and he starts to hear voices influencing him to come closer to the fire and keep his stomach empty.

After drinking a magic potion that expands his consciousness (and is tied to the magical element of Water, but we'll get into that later) he starts to become more aware that something is trying to influence him to enter the fire. Finally, after some red herrings, his consciousness is so expanded that he breaks through the illusion and comes face to face with the Skadi, a monster that feeds off of fools it tricks into walking into it so it can drain their lifeforce.

In a snap decision, Haradsson throws his other magic potion, which enrages the subject and uses up their Fire element, into the monster. The monster ends up becoming furious, but loses his mind control abilities. He isn't a mobile monster, so he just wastes all his energy trying to swipe at Haradsson from afar, and when he comes down from his high he is easily dispatched. For a moment, Haradsson feels a temptation to violently and savagely slaughter the monster (an influence of the Deepest Hunger, a metaphysical element related to fire, water, earth, air, etc.) but overcomes his urges.

Haradsson loots some belongings, and explains more about his quest to find some lost warriors from his tribe, who went on an expedition to clear these evil woods of their monsters and evil and so on.

The magic potion that expands his consciousness begins to do more and more work on him beyond just helping him break out of a magic illusion. He starts to question the suggestors directly as to why they are talking to him and what they intend. Gokmar, in italic type and the Gehennite, in bold type also begin to commentate on events with struckthrough text representing that while the suggestors can hear their thoughts, Haradsson can't hear either of the two Gokmars himself. The early Gokmar cannot hear what the Gehennite says or thinks, which is important. Otherwise, it would cause a time paradox, and alter the events which cause the Gehennite to even exist, which is Gokmar's poor life decisions leading to a hellish afterlife in Gehenna.

Haradsson pals around a bit, studies some items he has found, meets a mimic and gets stabbed in the arm, and discovers a bit more about the elements. He basically comes to find out that:
"Water" lets him sense magic, especially when it's affecting him,
"Fire" has something to do with willpower, and having none of it is basically just depression,
"Air" is a literal magic sense of the atmosphere in a place, whether things are creepy or calm, good or bad, etc.
and "Earth" is tied to your physical health, and that poison would hurt it.

He travels some more, and comes to a fork in the road with a skinny orc in a cage and a blair-witch looking totem on the left, and a path to a clearing on the right. He ends up going to the clearing first, where the Prince of the sacred grove starts manipulating the four elements to keep him from approaching. It uses "Air" to discern his motives, and sends his Dryad, a servant made from the remains of three of Haradsson's missing warriors, to talk to him.

Now that Haradsson has entered this grove, and his "Water" has been jostled around even more by the nature magics, his consciousness is expanded to the point where he can directly hear Gokmar and the Gehennite speaking to him... and Gokmar can hear the Gehennite, his future self, directly as well. Very dubious. Haradsson and the Dryad have a conversation and Haradsson gets an offer: he'll get even more information if he can off the witch that lives down the other side of the fork in the road.

Haradsson heads over to the witch's place, where he figures out that the bone totem is some kind of air purifying, spirit warding thing that keeps the local dark ghosts and spirits from entering the part of the woods around the witch's place. He talks to the figure in the cage some, but gets no response. The Gehennite explains the wretch has a paralysis spell on it so it cant move. The Gehennite starts hearing his conscience speaking to him, which nobody else but the suggestors can hear.

Things take a turn for the worse when Haradsson crosses an invisible line while inspecting a nearby totem, and the wretch in the cage's magic tattoos start activating. The first is a scrying spell that targets Haradsson, followed by a spell that first homes in on him, then makes him susceptible to magic, then tries to instantly kill him by ripping his soul out of his body.

Haradsson charges hard towards the witch's cottage to take them out, but things don't go very well, and Haradsson is just about on his last leg. When the death magic starts to sink in, and he feels his soul getting separated from his body, it expands his consciousness so far that he can have a conversation with the Red Star, the most powerful overspirit involved in magic, and an important part of the "BRIDGE", a magic spell that is an "Orb of Infinite Psyche" for the quest, and has been the basis for basically all suggestions in this thread.

The Red Star is not very helpful. At all. It is bound by rules upon rules and isn't even there to help Haradsson. He uses his newfound awareness to try and ask the BRIDGE directly for help, but the thing is nigh useless. He manages to get it to print out its conditions for how the spell functions, though, which reveals something along these lines:

The spell scans its first target to see if it's Gokmar, and if it is then it waits for him to try and remember the past. When he does that, it takes the perspective that Gokmar is remembering and sends it to the "Blue Star" which apparently does not work according to the BRIDGE spirit itself. None the less, Haradsson is tired of the bullshit noises and sounds and decides to finish things.

He goes with a plan to pump his elements up so much that the magic can't kill him. He finds out that combining his fire, air, and water together all at once makes him especially strong willed and spirited, but before he can combine with earth the death magic successfully removes his soul instantly.

This causes the BRIDGE to fuck up, because now there's no more Haradsson in the world. So, it has an exception, and rolls back to the last person it was following, Gokmar...

Gokmar, last we saw him in person, was talking to Banabjorn. Banabjorn is the future that Haradsson turns into. They have the same soul

Haradsson's soul is fucking gone. He is as dead as a doornail. This means that Banabjorn never was, and nothing that Banabjorn was ever involved in goes the same way.

Gokmar, thus, comes back from this trip down memory lane to see that the church is empty, and before he knows it he is basically nearly wiped from existence by some kind of Angel. The Angel turns right on the <BRIDGE> as well, and orders it to cancel itself out, which it apparently has to do, so it immediately gets dispelled, which also kicks the Gehennite out of these memories too.

Gokmar wakes up in his bed at night, having had an absolutely insane dream, and the timeline is fixed and safe again.

Haradsson is dead. He's not coming back out of the afterlife like it's not a thing.

Now, just because the driver got shot doesn't mean the car is dead too. Haradsson's Air, Fire, and Water are still mixed together, and trying to reach his Earth. To be continued in another thread.

>>
No. 973306 ID: b1b4f3

>>973304
If he's not dead then why did we get kicked out and told off by whatever's in charge of fixing paradoxes?
>>
No. 973319 ID: f56a2b

>>973306
Haradsson's soul, the divine fragment of himself that separates him from other beings and gives him his name and lets him connect to astral spirits and the Gods alike, is gone. This has a butterfly effect on all future events. Haradsson's four elements, however, are so intertwined now because of your efforts that they can hold together even without his soul in there directing him. That is what I mean by "what is left of him".
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