<ROUND FIFTEEN>
Mr Krabs decides to not have impulse control, and instantly buys the Warchair, replacing his Salty Searapier for it, and his Strobe Beam for the Goddess's Servant. He then tosses the Salty Searapier to Chloe. She gives the oddly-shaped blade a look-over, and gives it a few practice swings.

CHLOE: Huh. This actually feels pretty nice.
CHLOE: I'll keep it on me. Just in case.

She hands him his old sword, adding the Thymecursed Sword to the inventory.

CHLOE: Keep it safe, alright?
CHLOE: Even if it's kinda useless, I still like my blade.

Mr. Krabs then goes to the west, then immediately realizes that he wanted to go east, so he does that. As he enters, the swarm of drones surrounding her suddenly snap to face towards him, weapons primed and ready. She tilts her head at her drones in confusion, before turning with them.

???: Oh! Somebody's here!
???: Hiya!

She gives him a happy wave, her arm sailing high above her head. She's definitely not from here, if the drones didn't tip anyone off; she's dressed in a long-sleeved blue sweater, where one of the arms has completely fallen off, exposing one of her shoulders. She's also wearing some short black skirt that doesn't cover the front side of her body, along with equally dark shorts. She lifts her blue-screened sunglasses to get a proper look at Mr. Krabs.

...That's when he sees her eyes- they're both piercingly red, practically glowing with energy. And within them, is the insignia that some of you would be all to familiar with. Two pointed brackets, facing outwards from a zero. A simple symbol, yet one that inspires dread and fear.

[big]<0> GIVE IN[/big]

Mr. Krabs then threatens her. She plops her glasses back into their proper position, and shrugs.

???: Fight? I mean, I don't see why we need to.
???: I'm not really sure why you'd want to fight, either...
???: Oh! Maybe we could help each other!
???: I'm Nia! Nia Khioneas!
NIA: I'm looking for... well, what Xavi called a "warp signature!" He said it shared the exact same properties as his portal, and he got concerned.
NIA: Any ideas where I might find the thingy?

She stands there, idling and swaying, as if he didn't just threaten her with a battle. Emerald then asks Chloe if she can see the inventory.

CHLOE: Nope. Is there like... a button for that? Or do I need to like, reach behind me and just sorta believe that I can access the inventory?
CHLOE: Or is it some sort of weird descendant power?
CHLOE: And... please do wash my scarf! Hopefully, it didn't stain too badly...

She gives her scarf a look. The blood is completely dry.

CHLOE: ...It's actually probably unwashable. Still, if you can get it out, that'd be nice.

JOE then decides to spend 30 credits on Luninous Crystals, then combines those with 2 Thyme Matter, 1 Iron, 2 Wire Scraps, 1 Sturdy Vine, 1 blob of Green Sap, and 2 Incendiary Scraps to improve his Mana Squarelet and his Sage Robes, increasing JOE's SP Capacity by 50 SP each, for a sum of 100 extra SP! His Deal with the Dome also now instantly grants 25 SP upon entering a battle. He also tries asking Chloe if he can go and leech her Trion... and of course, she refuses.

CHLOE: S-Seriously!?
CHLOE: I can't understand you guys! Some of you are sweethearts, and some of you want to conscript me and suck out my bodily fluids for your own purposes.
CHLOE: W-We've only just met, for gods sake!

JOE then decides to prepare an ambush on the Assassin, while his Idra go and harvest a bit of Iron and Vines. The repeated usage of Idra appears to be having diminishing returns, as they only mine 5 Iron out of the vein, and snag 2 vines. DCCCV then combines a Splintercast, a random bow, and a piece of Refined Food together to create the Refined Recurve! The upgrade misses out on the Retreat point. Berg then offers to decorate some trees for some splinter spiders, for some gold. The spiders look at him, and click aimlessly. They're not entirely sure what to make of him, but they're offended anyway. They spoop him away from the tree.

Berg then opts to equip his Amulet of the Mender. The Man then climbs up a tree and takes a look around. While he did pick the tallest tree in the area, the canopy is preventing him from seeing much anywhere else. In the distance however, he can make out the Citadel... and not too far behind it, the Sphere. It also seems like that the treeline is growing continually thinner. Maybe there'll be a way out of this forest soon? Moniker then sprints into position to ambush the rebels as well, joining JOE. The Author then discusses things with the Chairians.

TAEDA: There is a safer place; near the citadel.
TAEDA: Lady Acacia controls the frontline there. She's had success with the Iti that have come her way; she's even killed some of the bigger, more horrid ones.
TAEDA: I'm just... not sure if she'd be enthused about our failure to fight off anything.
TAEDA: S-She's scary when s-she's mad...

When he brings up reviving the Splinter Spiders, Taeda nods. One scan later, (Codex updated!) the Splinter Spiders are restored back to health, and Auth rakes in even more Karma.

TAEDA: A-Alright!
TAEDA: If we're attacked on the way home, we might have a chance now.
TAEDA: I-I, um...

She slowly trods over to the Cart, and pulls out a small chest. She plants it down in front of the Author, her cheeks glowing a pale green...

TAEDA: P-Please take this!
TAEDA: It's not much, but it's a few things we've scavenged during our time at this outpost.
TAEDA: M-Maybe you'll find a usage for it?

It doesn't instantly enter the inventory, as maybe some of you will want to refuse it. Who knows? The Author then asks about the Stage to the southeast.

TAEDA: A-Ah... the Stage.
TAEDA: We've had a few reports of an Iti there. A huge one, too!
TAEDA: It seems to be passive enough... but it seems to spawn Iti at regular intervals.
TAEDA: We were considering moving out to neutralize it... but, well...

...She trails off. She then wishes him the best of luck with whatever it is he's come here to do, before heading over to the cart, beginning an inspection process. He then heads over to meet with the girl to the East, also known as Nia.

NIA: Ah! More people!
NIA: Um, wait! Are you by chance, a... "Descendant"?
NIA: That's what Xavi called them. I'm not sure why he cares, or who they really are...
NIA: Aaaaaanyway, I don't know why everyone insists on fighting!
NIA: I mean sure, I don't really mind cutting down those weird lil' purple monster things, but fighting other people's really, really different!
NIA: ...Hold on, gotta make a call.

She waves her hand downwards, with a single finger pointing out. A screen materializes in front of her, and she taps a few buttons. The screen then smoothly rotates to near her ear. It appears that her phone's still trying to hook up. Maybe it'd be worth stopping the call. Unless, of course, you're not worried about this.

Toast then decides to vault a shark, and attempt to raise her gear to the third tier. She fuses 100 Credits worth of Frigid Crystals, and... realizes that the inventory is fresh out of Incendiary Bits, so she takes 8 Gunpowder and 4 Refined Wood to replace it. She then tosses 5 Titanium Ingots on it, creating the Crystalline Mantle! It seems like the GM won't allow too many T3 items before the zone is finished, so... don't expect to get that many! Toast also rotates skills, and then casts some Illusions into the nearby battle in the Hidden Grove. She then slinks away elsewhere. Destiny then talks with Taeda.

TAEDA: I-I understand!
TAEDA: I-If we called backup, that'd only result in unneeded losses...
TAEDA: A-And if Acacia decided to personally deal with you... several unneeded losses for all of you, too. It'd be best for us to just silently leave...

She then sets a resistance for her skull, and upgrades his Lifegem to grant it Crisis Regen, using 2 Soulblossoms, 3 Iron, and a blob of Green Sap (freshly harvested). Hat Kid then realizes that she doesn't have a name. Chloe pats her on the head.

CHLOE: I guess you're not really one to talk then, are you?
CHLOE: That's alright. I don't NEED to know your name.

She then watches as Hat Kid knits a scarf, using one of Chloe's apparently infinite scarfs, 2 Wire Scraps (10 Credits), an Iron Ingot, a Luminous Crystal (10 Credits), and a Titanium Ingot. This creates a Spiked Scarf. It appears that it'll only grant an additional 10% Pierce if the wearer moves 3 or more tiles, though. Boshi then returns to Chloe, who then notes that it's fine if they go. He then leaves to stand close to the River Crossing. You know, just in case.

Verdana then explains a few things to Chloe. She sighs.

CHLOE: A-Are you sure he'll just forget?
CHLOE: I mean, assaults on one's honor aren't exactly something one would forget...

Verdana then talks about the presence of the Iti and Chairians.

CHLOE: So, we have Purple Zerg, and Tree People?
CHLOE: ...That's surprisingly simpler than I thought it'd be. C-Could I perhaps see some Chairians? They sound... cool.

Elsewhere, EN confirms that she won't hurt Taeda or the others. She sighs with relief, before telling EN something about the "floaty hand guy".

TAEDA: T-That person?
TAEDA: He... he was definitely from outside of the field, a-and yet, his w-weapons... they worked! We tried to down him, but his shielding was really tough, too!
TAEDA: A-And then... there was a lady with him... a-and we looked into her eyes...
TAEDA: W-W-We couldn't move- there was something terrifying about them! Our leader tried to stand up to him, but t-then... he was crushed.
TAEDA: I-I couldn't save him. He was persuaded to leave by the lady... b-but the damage was done by that point. We didn't even have the guts to chase them, o-or do anything...
TAEDA: Those eyes... t-they're terrifying. Cruel, and devoid of life or emotion.
TAEDA: They weren't hers. I think we all agreed on one thing that night.

...She then tries to say something about the escape route, but her words are incomprehensible. She sits down on the grass, and curls up into a ball. Meanwhile, Comet tapes together a CPU (60 Credits) and 2 Iron Ingots together, upgrading her goggles to the Smart Goggles! Brutishace then improves his skills, and tries to cure Destiny, but it appears that they're fully healed just by virtue of being outside of battle. Teag then uses Skeletal Toss on the Rifler, flinging him into the Assassin. They're both staggered, and he takes a step back and prepares for combat! Suddenly, everyone else decides to follow up on their ambush!

REBEL FIREBOMBER: WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST STAB HIM
REBEL ASSASSIN: HEY HOW WAS I MEANT TO KNOW THERE WAS LIKE SIX OF THEM
REBEL FIREBOMBER: ...Wait. Aren't you secretly three people?
REBEL ASSASSIN: I mean, not really. There are three of us standing on this one tile, though.

More Rebel Assassins unfold out of the single tile of Rebel Assassin. Truly, they are masters of camouflage and disguise. Must come as part of the "Circus Knife Tricks" package.

...What was happening again? Oh yeah.

STRIFE!

The Voice then decides to piece together some nice upgrades for Chloe, combining 2 Titanium and 1 Iron to create a Reinforced Tactical Vest, and then a Titanium Ingot and a blob of Green Sap to create a Blade Headband! He also gathers 2 spare Sap in the process. He hands them to Chloe.

CHLOE: Oh? Is this for me?
CHLOE: I mean, I still don't plan on fighting... but more protection never hurts!
CHLOE: ...I'm being a bit of a dreamer right now, but I'd totally love some light leather armor or something if we could ever get down to making that. The cool, sorta medieval stuff.

Suddenly, Nobu decides that she's had enough of existing, and replaces herself with Monika. Will this cause shenanigans? Almost certainly. Will something be angered by her presence? Probably. Maybe she can get a quick scare out of Chloe or something. To wrap up these posts, Terry decides to scan some spiders, updating already existent information. Neat!

...Nia addresses the crowd that's formed at her zone.

NIA: Oh, while I'm waiting for this call...
NIA: I've been told to ask weird-looking people if they know anybody called "Ire" or not.
NIA: I've also been told to nudge and prod you for what you know about him, and what your intentions are and such.
NIA: It's crazy, right? Xavi's a weirdo sometimes...

<HIDDEN GROVE, TURN ONE>
There's a couple of threats here, but nothing you can't handle. The Assassins do have high DGE though... so be sure to do something about that, if you can! They're also likely your biggest threat, too. Be sure to wipe them out!

Originally posted on 2017-12-24 19:16:00

Emerald lightly slaps JOE from across the map? Eh, whatever "No, bad JOE." Emerald then pulls out another Bloodied Scarf, and uses some trademark Descendant Magic to simply... remove the blood. Tada? He hands it to Chloe "Here you go"

Emerald then reaches into the inventory "Don't panic please" He then pulls out the Iti Seeker and grabs it, dragging it around a nearby corner out of Chloe's sight and promptly forcefeeding it the Stick, for the final corpse required to upgrade the stick.
Sitick
Same stats
Weapon Passive: Itillogical Upgrades. When this weapon scores the finishing blow on an enemy, it may gain some of the traits of that enemy, based on what Ire decides

Originally posted on 2017-12-24 20:58:00

A recorded message on a trion speaker starts playing. simultaneously, 26 other trion speakers disappear.
"You know, it shouldn't be all that surprising."
"Even among ONLY humans of my world, from Only the same culture as me, there's a ton of variance."
"There is the following species frequency in this group:
Yoshi: 1. chibi humanoid: 1. vampire thing: 1. humanlike cyborg with some possibly-human parts: 1. Humans: 8? (4 of these could be other things), space goddesses: 1. probably undead necromancers: 1. TriangleHeadAnime-HatingGuys: 1. Orks: 1. Robots: 2. Frost giants: 1. Mountain goat & weed hybrids: 1. Female copys of Oda Nubunaga, the samurai who was legendary for avoiding death: 1. Mirror-like-clock-beings: 1. beings conjured via hallucinations: 1. probably-A-robot-or-magic-construct: 1. Hologram projectors: 1. Crabs from sponge bob: 1.
so thats about 8 humans, and 17 non-humans at least."
"there is little reason to expect non-humans to think like you, as different evolutionary conditions lead to different minds."
"...Granted, I am human, but still!"
"Also, I think of myself as acting more like a businessman. I offer deals whenever I believe doing so will be mutually benificial. I believed such in this case. I have no problems whatsoever with you declining it, you where free to do so and did."
"The one thing I don't really like is that the way you're talking about this implied you find my actions disgusting, which is not something I want to be perceived as, but ah well."
"Ta-ta. and no, I'm not planning to bring this up later. or respond to most attempts to bring it up in the future."
Border's Engineer Department discuss many things. the conclusion is something like this:
most expeditions only have earth-like materials, giving border more resources but no New resources. mine has already returned Thyme Goop, which shows promise, and the head engineer says that I listed off an absurd amount of stuff that seemed worth looking into. they conclude that, given my personality, as long as they pay fairly, I'll probably let them have whatever they want, and won't object to anything they do that benefits me compared to their null action. (they're right about that.)
Then, a com message appears for them:
"Yo it looks like the effectiveness of your idra has fallen. I think its because of the weird ""thymefield"" thing around the place. maybe try being funnier with your chosen troops? one of our scouts made a joke as he slapped someone on the back and proceeded to hit them with approximately 23x more force then they intended (they where both using trion bodys so the guy who got slapped is fine.)."
The engineers are confused for a bit and are somewhat stunned, but in the end, the order is given.
Send in the OffBrand "ROBOTS" trion soldiers.
The rest of the stuff will be put in next post, but for now, the "ROBOTS" trion soldiers check if the Fortified Cavern (Inside) has a decent amount of sunlight that streams into it. if so, they start lugging dirt to it; if not, they start cutting down trees.
EDIT: Wow, the thing I'm referring to here is so unknown and unpopular that I can't find any mention of it on the internet and I've been looking for 10 minutes.
EDIT2: Hidden grove action:
JOE moves to I12, before casting Terraform, temporarily replacing trion with MP.... Or Something.... whatever. using Escudo, a barricade is created on H9. He proceeds to whip out a laptop, utilizing a trigger known as "Switchbox". H13, I13 and J13 all turn into Boost Seals (Read: Power Wells.). hopefully my allies will use them well.

Originally posted on 2017-12-24 23:13:00

Eventaully, DCCCV gets out of his funk. He stands up, takes off his lucky belt and switches it out for a Lifegem for the time being. He also puts his two skillpoints into RES, and moves on over to the River Crossing, just before Nia puts her sunglasses back on.

Oh, shoot.

For a split-second, he freezes before walking next to Mr. Krabs, as if nothing happened.

Nia's here.

He waves back. "Hello, Nia!" he says.

Can he see me?

"I don't know about any warp signatures. What do you mean?"

Does he remember?

"I may have created one when I came here."

Don't show any sign of weakness.

"I would love to work with you."

Be very careful.

"I'm sure we can figure things out."

At least now you know what to do next.

He smiles.

Originally posted on 2017-12-25 03:19:00

Author closes his eyes as Nia answers his questions. Before he asks them.

uA: Warp signature? I think I might know what might have been the thing making it. It’s long gone if I’m right, I wouldn’t know how to get it back.

Auth takes a position indicating thought.

uA: And Descendancy? I do not hold that position, as far as my knowledge goes. Those who have fought in Godmodding Wars... as I remember. I am not of their ranks, I never have.[/b]

Auth looks to Nia, ensuring that her reaction is not one of complete instability. Then, he sighs to her next comment to him.

[b]uA: Miss Khioneas, I just stated that a combat encounter is the last thing I want. If only because I fret over my own safety, as it is likely I would lose to a mere Seeker in a fair fight.[/b]

Auth sighs, but nods, as Nia makes a call. Then, Auth has several arm spasms as a large blast of ink forms a figure next to him.

[b]uA: Oh, a Spectre! It seems I am not as limited as I thought...[/b]

Auth sends the Spectre back to the Camp, where it immediately falls over the chest presented to him by Taeda.

[b]uA: Oops. Er, infinite thanks, Miss Taeda. I-er, normally, in dire straights for you such as those you find yourself in, I would decline such a thing, and say that you need them more than I do, and that you would likely be able to put it to better use than myself, my allies would likely be upset at the declination of a gift that would benefit us all, and it is a gift, ergo I humbly and graciously accept it. Thank you. We also intend to destroy that massive Iti at the stage. Thank you for your information.[/b]

Then he has a revelation. That lady that froze Taeda and her cohort...

[b]uA: Taeda, did you get the names of those who last attacked you? I have reason to believe that one of them is... nearby. Just to the west, so you may want to wait before you go.

Originally posted on 2017-12-25 03:46:00

Just a quick notice; please refrain from making placeholders before updates are finished! It's fine if they have something in them, like crafting or some roleplay or something... but tossing in your placeholders just to ensure you can act first is scummy, and kinda annoying.

Originally posted on 2017-12-26 20:23:00

@Irecreeper Sorry. I thought that was accepted, since others were doing it. Won't happen again.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 02:25:00

Toast's second illusion moves to H12 and shouts in the direction of the other, such that the rebels can hear.

"Clone one! Move towards those two and initiate self-destruct sequence!"

The first illusion nods, and makes a show of moving to I7. Watching from the shadows, Toast lowers the stability of the first illusion, giving it a glitchy appearance. If this illusion is attacked any further, she will further reduce the stability of it.

The second illusion now points into the woods to the north-west of the map.

"Clone two! Flank from behind, and take out the Rifler! We're not trying to kill them here!"

Although nothing happens, the illusion nods its head as if all is going to plan. It now turns back towards the spawn entrance, where Toast emerges.

"Clone three! Cover me while I prepare this!"

Toast nods her head, and moves to J11 in a way similar to that of the first illusion. She casts Terraform, causing the following changes:
- J12 and H12 become Fortified. G10 becomes a Mana Vent.
If I am meant to have 5 tiles rather than 3, then the following also happens:
- G11 becomes a Forest tile, and I11 becomes a Dark Forest tile.

Either way, she also gains 2 Metamagic and 10 SP. Additionally, she will only have 1 Intellect left in her Mana Well.

Once these orders have been fulfilled, the second illusion looks satisfied, and begins acting as if charging up a laser beam, with the whole 'gathering energy in your palm' thing.

"I don't know who you guys are, but you better have a good reason for setting up a bomb back there!" the second illusion shouts at them.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 06:41:00

Mr. Krabs abruptly reappears back where Chloe is upon the mention of wanting to see Chairians.

"Oh! You want to see the woodfolk? I can give ye the grand tour!"

Mr. Krabs gently grabs Chloe by her hand. He proceeds to travel to the Forest Checkpoint, standing a very respectable distance away-this is mostly because, of cousre, his presence plus Chloe's could scare the pants off of Chairians, and we don't want to see what's under there.

"These folk are the woodfolk! Or the Chairians. There may or may not be table-based lifeforms to complement them, but I don't even."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move back to the Ashen Swirl with Chloe. It may occur to you that Mr. Krabs isn't actually walking anywhere, just kinda poofing into existence at a desired point. "These particular creatures, swarming directly in front of that delicious gold vein, are Splinter Spiders. Or Spider Splinters. Something that would be incredibly rude to put into an abbreviated form, despite no relationship whatsoever to a certain former branch of german military."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into the interior of the Sphere with Chloe, fueled only by the power of memes, to see WARE having make-believe teatime with wooden horses, at a respectable distance. "This is an entity formerly known as Irecreeper, then Chaoscreeper, then Irecreeper again, and now 'WARE' after ingesting incredibly potent spices stolen directly from Waluigi's tea set. He is currently attempting to live out his never-fulfilled pseudo-childhood fantasy of having a tea party with real people! Why? Probably because he ingested tea-related spices."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into Zone 4 of Chaos's mindscape in the past with Chloe, when the Chaos Butterfly is devouring Ette's puppet body. "This is the Choas Butterfly, the reason why we're fighting, currently in the process of devouring a puppet housing the soul of a ripoff of Ruby Rose. He tried to murder you as a memory and suggested multiple ways to do so. Please, do not ask how I am aware of this, as this is a gag."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into the cheesy heart of Charon with Chloe. where aliens conspire to keep a golden wynaut eternally imprisoned for his crimes of ninja trolling despite having a 0% success rate at actually keeping him in there. "This is the elusive society of Charonites, not to be confused with Chairians, attempting to imprison their utmost hated foe for crimes against Charon-native lifeforms, their culture, and for attempting to possess a hill. Said lifeform is also apparently the keeper of the Earth Crystal of the first Final Fantasy game, Lich."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into his own restaurant with Chloe, while another version of him is terrifed up in the rafters of his own resturant with squidward due to an Anchovy flood. "This is my resturant, flooded by Anchovies hungry for my signature Krabby Patties. If you have any madness from the revelation, I have a complementary puke bag."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into the realm of Coca Cola Polar Bears with Chloe, an area of reality inhabited by an ultra-advanced society of polar bears made of coca cola. "This is the realm of coca cola polar bears. If you attempt to 'drink' any of them, they will all murder you, then display your flayed corpse as a work of art."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly to a toilet with Chloe in a gender-neutral bathroom. "This is a toilet in a gender neutral bathroom."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly into a corrupt Mayor's office with Chloe. "This is the Mayor's office. He is only known as the Mayor, and his excessive taxes and booze hoarding have caused an illogical underground city to descend into even more chaos than usual due to an equally incompetent resistance attmepting to murder him. As of the time of writing, however, the actual city part of the city is nonexistent, and all who get as far as the city park will somehow return to the resistance base."

Mr. Krabs proceeds to move directly to the River Crossing with Chloe. "This is Nia, who's eyes are currently symbols of absolute death, entropy and the surest sign that the world is about to end, and are ranked multiversally as the third-most horrific eyes in existence, behind the Chaos Butterfly who's symbol is the reason why her eyes are thus, and a terrorist-slash-raging alcaholic jokester. Oh, and you may also know her. That concludes the tour. You may want to ask her about how she got those eyes, or where Xavier is, as she came with him and he's been brought up at least once by both you and her."

"Also she may try to murder us due to rampantly bad programming in the Irecreeper currently installed in her. I can't say to understand how this all works."

Mr. Krabs pulls out something suspiciously like a script and studies it for just enough time for the fight to start, because let's face facts, a fight is gonna start and it's gonna be our first boss fight because Ire likes making friends fight each other.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 07:02:00

Comet changes her trait to:

Stabilize
Gain Evasive(x) per MOV used above 2. Gain Focused(x) per MOV not used below 3.
Modifiers:
Readjusts if MOV changes.
+1 to x per 5 SPC
Can gain any basic buff instead at x-1 at 15 SPC. (Exceptions: Enchant, Swift)

Comet has nothing to say, but I'd rather not have to go hunting for her colour.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 07:10:00

Teag, acting after Toast, goes to j12.
I'll take "Combat Stats" for 500, please.
>This thing doesn't work.
What is "high DGE"?
He then shoots whichever Assassin has the most health (and otherwise is closest).

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 07:19:00

"Zog me! That one git turned into three gits!" Irongutta pauses for a moment and does some math on his fingers. "Guess that means three times the clobberin'!"

Irongutta moves into the forested tile at G9 and uses Overpowering Smash on Assassin 2! This attack will be boosted by Unstoppable Force.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 07:49:00

Terry buys the Santa Hat from the drone, equips it, specs off 2 skillpoints from HP, and puts one skillpoint in DEF and SPC each. Yes, he knows that it's already a few days after Christmas.

He also switches out Hailstorm for Seiken (Light-element Aerobeam), and loots the Present.
----
Terry is taken along for Mr. Krabs' tour. As he sees the replay of Ette being devoured by <0>, he stands still in horror and war flashbacks. Then they immediately subside as his guts are immediately busted by the rest of the tour.
----
very_fast_terry_rolling_at_incredibly_hihg_speed_into_the_river_crossing.mp4

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 08:00:00

I run out of the battle, curl up in the alcove of a tree, and perform my week-long hibernation cycle. I need to take them occasionally. Don't want to take up a battle slot while I'm out!

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 16:39:00

Boshi and Hat Kid watch on as Nia speaks. While Boshi was relatively unfazed by anything other than Nia's eyes and thought nothing deeper of them, Hat Kid saw Nia's eyes and started quaking in fear. And it wasn't just from the sheer scariness of the form (or eyes, in this case) like Queen Vanessa; rather, it was from a hazy dream. A dream she absolutely knew was real, what from part of it leading to Chloe's hiding place.

The image in her eyes she recalled all too well.

She recalls hearing one of the dream's inhabitants calling it The Chaos Butterfly.

You could see the desire to help Nia out, but she has absolutely no idea how.
...
She decides to tell Boshi. Nobody can really hear her aside from Boshi; she's whispering too quietly.
"(...Hm?)"
...
"(...)"
...
"(...Alright, got it.)"
"(Honestly, I have no idea either... we should wait until an opportunity to do so shows itself. We'll figure it out eventually.)"
They remain where they are, waiting for the inevitable battle to start. If it ends up starting, they both rush in.

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 17:08:00

The Man goes to the river crossing and just sorta sneaks past Nia. In plain sight. With absolutely no cover whatsoever. There's no way this is gonna work, right?

Originally posted on 2017-12-27 18:15:00

The Voice decides to further upgrade his Circuit-Bound Stick, and grabs a Goddess's Servant, two Refined Wood, two Thyme Matter, two Circuit Boards, and buys two Wire Bits for 10 total credits.

The Stick gets completely stripped, for now -- the core separated from the wood, and each kind of relegated off to its own workspace.

The core of thyme-metal gets quickly melted down as the Voice strips down the Goddess's Servant, keeping the attendant drone intact for now. The computing components within the pistol get linked into the two circuit boards, using the wire bits as connectors. The Voice makes sure to arrange it in a long and thin shape so it'll easily fit into a reconstructed stick. Meanwhile, the Voice adds more Thyme Matter and some of the metal from the shell of the Goddess's Servant to the liquid thyme-metal, increasing its organic qualities and adding adaptability to its repertoire. Part of the newly adaptable thyme-metal gets cast into a shell and interface for the entire drone control device, and quickly flows over the entire thing, bonding to it. The integrated device is then placed into a rod-mold and coated with the rest of the metal, making the core of the new weapon. The quasi-living nature of the thyme-metal and its interface with the drone control system should mean the Voice can control the drone purely with his mind. Much easier than any purely physical control method.

The core is taken care of, and now the shell has to be made. The refined wood will, quite obviously, be useful here. The original shell gets promptly ground up for sawdust and soaked to reuse the black dye, while the Refined Wood is promptly carved into two fitted shell-halves that then have their outsides painted with the same black dye that was used on the original Circuit-Bound Stick. The remaining sawdust from the original wood is mixed with the Thyme Matter leftover from the creation of the core, and the resulting woodsy sludge is laboriously brushed over the inside of the shell. The core is quickly fitted into one half of the shell, and the second half is quickly plunked onto the top and pressed to combine. The Voice holds his breath for a second, before the barely-noticeable seam between the two halves of the shell seals over completely and becomes nonexistent. A bit more tension remains in the air, but that dissipates as faint lines of purple metal appear on the black outer shell of the rod, thickening and becoming Tron-like circuit lines. The symbiosis went off without a hitch, it seems.

The Voice picks up the reborn stick and focuses, before the drone springs to life, flying a circle around his head. On the note of the drone, maybe it can stand to be rebuilt a little to match the Voice's aesthetic a little better... eh, maybe later. For now, the Voice just kind of basks in his new capabilities.

Circuit-Bound Stick upgraded to Circuit-Laced Stick!
Now with remote-controlled drone companion!
(1-1) Crushing, Range 1, Retreat 1, Counter 2, Hit 10.
Stat changes: +4 INT, +4 SPC, +1 MOV.
WEAPON SKILL: Transfer Drone. Passively grants +3 SHP and +1 DMG to an ally, or yourself. You may use this weapon skill to pass this buff to another ally within Range 1-4 of the currently-buffed target. Free action. (Base: +3 SHP and +1 DMG. +1 SHP per 4 INT, +1 DMG per 8 INT.)

The Voice then takes a skillpoint from SPC and a skillpoint from MMP and swaps them over to RES, then takes a skillpoint from MMP and swaps it over to INT.

Originally posted on 2017-12-28 05:21:00

"...Hmm. Something's wrong."

Calibri pauses for a few seconds, then walks off into the Fortified Cavern. Moments later, he walks down from the Ancient Ruins, passing by whoever's still hanging around there and somehow going off into a tile that isn't even rendered, before strolling from the River Crossing to the Forest Checkpoint. That is not how locations should work in the slightest, but there you go. He then realizes there's something going on at the River Crossing, immediately turning to head back there... and freezing the moment he notices the presence of Nia.

"..."

An Eye of Judgement briefly flickers in the air behind him as if he seriously wants to blast something with it, but then immediately disappears again as Calibri lets out a very brief pain sound, one hand moving up to cover his eyes. He says something... just almost imperceptible. But it could still be made out by those close by him.

[small][small]"Bad memory. Not my memory. Symbol. Threat. Can't fight. Too weak. Must fight..."[/small][/small]

...He actually sounds really worried. That memory he mentioned can't possibly be a good one.

Also, uh. +2 to Calibri RES, -1 to Calibri SKI, +1 to Calibri AGI. Weapon change: Rapier -> Goddess's Servant.
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Verdana shrugs. He's apparently focused on conversation enough that he'll follow Chloe if she moves, but too distracted to really care what's going on around him. Mostly.

"He'll forget. I know Calibri well, and let me tell you... he'll have other things on his mind! No time to worry about what someone said when there's something else to think about or do! The trick is to give him something else to think about or do."

Then, the question about meeting Chairians. There's a pause.

"You'll probably get an opportunity to meet a Chairian. They're pretty common. Hopefully you'll meet a friendly one first! There's probably friendly ones somewhere around here."

He would keep talking, but it's entirely likely by this point that Calibri's been given bad memories and Thymefield backlash. Priority when that happens is to ensure Calibri's doing okay, try to help him back up and all that. Returning to conversation comes second, unless prompted enough to make that come first instead.
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"Hm... ah... well... guess we've got a problem on our hands to deal with later, uh..."

EN can't really do the logic thing for very long. Poor wee Taeda's curled up into a ball of scaredness or something like that. She just ends up crouching down after a while if Taeda's still a scaredball, awkwardly making air gestures for a moment while deciding what to do, then eventually trying for a half-hug. Basically, putting one arm around someone and not putting the other arm around. Is that a half-hug? I dunno. Sure ain't any other term for it I can think of. Whatever, she's doing her best to comfort the poor Chairian, even with the conflicting ideas of trying a comfort hug and trying to give her space. Is that half-hug an example of the golden mean fallacy? Might be. Hope not.

"Er, maybe best not to think about... uh... Sure, things ain't been perfect, but hey. Yer fine now. Y'all're gonna be fine. Ah'm sure of it. While y'all're here, I'll make sure of it, too. So, uh, don't worry... erm. Be honest with me for a bit if y'all could be so kind, is anything that I've said so far even remotely helping? Feel like I'm kinda getting a bit rambly."

+2 to EN RES.

Originally posted on 2017-12-28 14:23:00

Brutishace takes advantage of the recent lull to organize himself and his gear.

He takes a Zen Ribbon from the group inventory and equips it, finding it more advantageous than his Ring of Magic.

Originally posted on 2017-12-28 21:41:00

Zedros attempts to open and loot the present, and then heads over to the River Crossing see what the commotion is. However, he takes the southern entrance and is immediately met by an inconveniently placed pillar of ice. Seeing as a fight has almost definitely already begun to break out, Zed decides that having an alternate spawnpoint might help, so he casts Hidden Flame on the pillars until they melt.

Originally posted on 2017-12-28 23:50:00