As the beam cuts through the space where Kalis stands, they burn for only a moment, before bursting into sparkling multicolored light.

At the spawn point, the same pattern plays in reverse, and Kalis reforms.

KALIS: Scripted cutscene death. Figures.
KALIS: Guess the airship had to crash one way or another.
KALIS: Wonder what kind of doomsday weapon was responsible for-

They stop as they see Chi and the body in front of her.

KALIS: Oh.
KALIS: Right. It's that kind of story.

Unsure what to say, they simply wait quietly while the rest of the party respawns.

They do consider trying to animate Fallen to heal Sakura, but it looks like Pardon's got that covered.

And they do take the time to adjust their build a little. If this kind of thing is scripted... they don't want to lose any battles they can avoid losing.

Kalis removes Full Stop to Life, gaining 5 KP. They spend 3 KP on Helixical Blessing in its place, then invest the other 2 KP in MHP. They also drop the El-Ite Spike and pick up the Manabloom. (This loss of 1 INT decreases the damage on Siege Spire to 60-64 and the damage on Aerobeam to... still 13-19.)

Well then.

Robin, suddenly uneased, abruptly flings itself off the side of the airship alongside the rest of the Iti, managing a spectacular leap to the nearest sky island. "Hey, wha-"

---

Maria abruptly awakens. No dreaming, no sensations, nothing to imply a loss of consciousness at any point-just a sudden feeling of lying face down on the dirt of Sussui when before she was... Elsewhere. Where was she? This wasn't where she was nor what she was doing a moment ago. She hears the crackle of flames near to her-better not get roasted! She pulls her head up and opens her eyes.

"W-whoa. Uh. What happened?" Maria says, completely confused-for exactly the time it took for her to gaze over the lumps of suspiciously-airship wreckage shaped flaming piles and come to the conclusion herself. "... Oh. Wow!"

Maria dusts herself off and resumes standing away from the respawn portal. She must've been completely obliterated in a go-which meant she didn't have any memory of being in horrid agony from the annihilation. "... Wow, that has been the most painless respawning has ever been. We must have been obliterated instantly!" Maria says, not addressing anyone and thinking that this observation is both news, universal, and also not potentially sensitive. "... But how'd we come back? I know there's a system at the Echo Collective and I know me and Venia have something going on independent of that, but the Thymefield should've short-circuited both of those... Maybe it's just a Thymefield thing. But that doesn't make any sense, does it... Well, I guess the Thymefield never made any sense to begin with, we're alive and that's what matters! Or, well... More of us are alive than what we would have been otherwise, which would've been zero..."

"... I'm talking to myself again. I really have to stop that." Maria says, surveying the nearby landscape.

---

After scoping out the general area, Maria spies Sakura being attended to… Which implied that she was still alive somehow! ”Oh, hi again Sakura! Did you actually survive that?” Maria says, walking over at once. Sakura, still in a sizeable amount of pain, glares at her new assailant. ”Ah, it’s you.” The disgraced princess immediately loosens up. ”Finally. Nice to chat with someone with at least a hint of class in their cells. And… yeah. Not dead.”

”Class? I thought this was a point build system!” Maria says. ”But anyways-since you survived that without respawning, uh, can you tell me what actually hit us? I literally didn’t see, I was distracted by Robin-the little cutie-throwing themselves overboard… Which might be because they did see, now that I think about it.”

Sakura pauses. What did hit them, exactly? Did she see anything on the way down? Actually, she’s pretty sure she got a decent look at the thing that lit her ablaze. Mostly because it also half-blinded her. ”I think… it might’ve been a huge sort of arrow? Or maybe a laser. Whatever the hell it was, it was bright. Pierced the ship, lit me on fire...” Sakura sighs. ”Does it really matter though? Knowing what it was won’t un-kill the ship. I’m more concerned about the little things in life. Like not freezing to death, or dying of internal trauma.”

”A giant laser-arrow thingamabober?” Maria says to herself, rubbing her cheek with her finger. ”... I guess it must be some kind of crazy superweapon! It’d have to have been made here if what I remember about the last Thymefield still holds up, and just from a description it doesn’t sound very magical either… So that’s at least two major enemies we’ve made in the Fae Courts and this new Iti Hivemind, *plus* somebody has a big gun and doesn’t like us, which could be one of the preceding two but probably isn’t. And all our supplies probably got roasted too. All because we came in on an airship! Wow, I am never flying on one again! I wonder if it was insured… I wonder if airship insurance is a thing, maybe there’s a market for airship insurance that hasn’t been touched yet… Hey chat-wait, no, not streaming, silly me!” Maria says, not quite paying attention to anything as she rambles.

”What the hell is a ‘chat’?” Wait, no. That’s not the important thing. ”So… what the hell do we do now? There’s no civilization or even proper grub for kilometers in each direction, the snow will probably bury us if it picks up, and also I’m surrounded by idiots.” Sakura pauses for a brief moment. ”Not you, by the way. I’m talking about everyone else.”

Maria bites her lower lip, sliding it up and down against her teeth for a few seconds. She’ll just talk about the faux pass so obvious even she could see it later. ”I’unno! If all else fails we can use respawn exploits! Like killing ourselves and cannibalizing our corpses!” Maria says. ”W-Wait, seriously? T-That’s just… aren’t you at least slightly proper? You’re royalty, right? Act like it, please. Plus, I’m ninety percent sure that a Chairian corpse would give a human like you horrific indigestion.” Maria shakes her head. ”I am royalty, so anything I do is royal, right? Everyone else has to do all the acting and pretending, not me! But I guess you do have a point there… Huh?”

Maria glares at the clearing’s edge, where a nine-foot figure hovers in the shadows. ”Wait a minute! Who’s that in the treeline?” She says, pointing dramatically with her left arm. ”We have a stalker!... A sasquatch stalker! Evil sasquatch stalker!! So cute! We’re eating good tonight!” Maria declares, morphing her left arm into a death-twister of bone, teeth, nail and hunger as she charges directly at the menace. Sakura does naught but stare in horror. Maria was royalty, right?

The figure, observing from afar, blinks once before it realizes what is comparatively a very tiny apex predator is barreling toward it at full speed, and tries to back up. Unfortunately, thanks to a stroke of bad luck, they just trip backwards over a root, fall on their back, and are thus vanquished nigh-instantly, half of their sandwich falling to the ground. Maria immediately rushes up to attack the figure in its moment of weakness, trips on the same root, and slams directly into the figure’s chest face-first, eliciting a slightly hoarse “oof”.

“Nevermind,” thinks Sakura. Maria is mentally shunted over from her list of respected individuals, onto the “idiots” list. Though it pains her to do so, Sakura forces herself up onto her feet, and trudges on over to investigate the pretzel knot of two people. “Maria, you alright? And did you secure us lunch?”

”Lunch secured!” Maria shouts, cheerful as ever, as she pulls herself off of the mystery sasquatch stalker and uses her tendril-arm to grab them by the head, dragging them closer to better light. The prey is examined by the more prim of the two princesses. ”Ew. Kinda scrawny. Not much meat on that thing.”

“...I am not a lunch.” Keane McZupp weakly protests.

Sakura is right. He kinda looks like shit. For one, his crystalline skin has turned ever-so-slightly translucent from malnourishment, making the view of the bubbly alcoholic blood inside slightly easier to see- or it would be if there wasn’t an enormous, jagged gash in Keane’s chest, which is oozing a little more alcohol from Maria’s impact. ”Yeaaaah. I say we put this thing out of its misery, then find like, a Sapsqueal or something.”

“...please don’t do that.” says Keane, who clearly doesn’t have the energy to sound more than slightly annoyed.

”OK!” Maria immediately heaves herself off of Keane (who she doesn’t know the name of). ”They’re in such bad shape that I figure we can at least try to heal them, then eat them! Intact organs are better!” She says, wiping off some of Keane’s ooze from her forehead. ”... Oh oh oh! Or we can keep them as the team mascot now that Robin is gone!” ”You sure you want this to represent us? I mean… I guess we’re doing pretty awful. It’d fit.”

Keane blinks, energy roused a little. “...Princess? Is that you?” Oh no, he’s simping already. Helix save us all. Sakura turns to Maria. ”...Yeah, he can live. He actually knows how to some some goddamn respect.” Though… this guy. He seems kinda familiar. ”Hey, uh… do I know you from somewhere?”

“...What?” Keane frowns. “It’s me, Princess! Your most loyal bodyguard.” The gears in Sakura’s core whirr. Oh yeah. It’s that guy! ”Keane?” Ah, that’s right. Her loyal servant. The guy that got her arrested. Sakura promptly slaps Keane once, right across the cheek. Keane bwaahs silently. ”W-What the hell a-are you doing h-here? W-Were you stalking m-me?” Keane blinks. “What?? No! Probably? Hopefully not?” ”T-Then why are you here!? And why are you bleeding all over my c-clothes?” Out of disgust, Sakura places her palm on Keane’s injury. A pulse of mending energy courses through Keane’s wounds.

As the energy flows, new crystal growing across Keane’s chest, Keane blinks as new color returns to his skin. It’s not much, but he looks a bit healthier than he did before as he sits up, still a little wobbly. “...Mmf.” he grunts softly, before staring at the two princesses once more. …Is something different about his eyes? It’s hard to tell before he blinks and the flicker is gone.

”’Mmf’ isn’t a word!” Maria says, not entirely sure what to make of that weird flicker in Keane’s eye and thus completely ignoring it. ”I like everyone, but if you cannot answer, I will spank you!” Keane holds his hands up in tentative self-defense. “Ha ha ha WOAH, don’t like that. Phrasing. Please. What am I answering again?” he asks, having already forgotten the question. “Y-You… already forgot? Then let me ask again. Why are you here? Did you stow away on the airship? If so, why didn’t you like, stop us from getting gorillaing perforated?” Keane blinks, already confused. “Uh, I was looking for you, there was an airship, wait, you got perforated?” Belatedly, he adds “...Nice eyepatch, by the way.”

”U-Um, thanks?” stutters Sakura. ”So you didn’t know about the airship, but you… looked all the way out here? In the middle of the goddamn uninhabited wastes? What the gorilla???” The gears in Sakura’s head promptly stop working. Things simply do not make sense.

“In my defense, I'm not from here,” offers Keane. “...Also I asked people where you were? But mostly they just called me mean names and beat me up.” Wow, most of these excuses suck. “...And my phone is… somewhere, so it's not like I could pull up a map.”

Inexplicably, Skylar perks up from a good distance away. It turns around and shakes its head “no”, making the universal “don’t go there” throat-slashing gesture at the princesses. Sakura stares at the sentient pot. She’s not sure what it’s implying, but okay. “B-But… wait, that doesn’t explain anything! H-How did you end up IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMNED TUNDRA? W-Why would I, a princess, hang out here? N-Nevermind that I currently am at the moment!”

“Princess, I have no idea.” Keane says seriously. ”I mean. For you, that checks out.” Keane raises a finger to protest, before immediately putting it down. “...Fair enough. Why are you here?” Sakura shrugs. ”Free food. Guess there won’t be much of that with the airship gone now...”

”Also we’re investigating a new Thymefield and a new Iti Hivemind that cropped up in the north, and responding to a distress signal from the closest town,” Maria pipes up. ”And I was intending to film it for profit but the cameras might be on the fritz… Silly EN Curse! I’m not even anywhere near an Earthlike and my stuff still breaks! Anyways you’ll be helping as the team mascot, right?!”

Keane stares at her. “That’s a lot of words. Uhh, sure! Why not.”

”Hooray! Kenae joins the team! Festive jingle!” Maria shouts. ”Everyone else is over there so we can introduce you and then, well, get going!” Sakura sighs. ”Uh, welcome back. I guess. And… probably go see Chi about your horrific gash? If you keep bleeding everywhere, I will accelerate your rate of bloodloss.” Keane nods. “...That’s a good idea, actually. Uh, getting this patched up all the way, not accelerating my rate of bloodloss.” He squints at Sakura’s dress, stained with blood. “...That's gonna be tough to get out in the wash later,” he mumbles, mostly to himself. ”Whatever. My dress has been long, long ruined, way before you bled on it. It’s just extra hideous now. It’s also never been stained… blue.”

Keane stands, adjusting the strap that carries his guitar before bowing as much as possible without splashing more blood everywhere. “Regardless, as your bodyguard, it's my duty to ensure the best level of care possible.” …Did his eyes flash again? “It’s a pleasure to serve, Princess.” Sakura meanwhile, has completely missed the plothook of Keane’s eyes. ”...Good to have you back.” ”Hooray!”

(thank you to Irecreeper and King_Fuffy for the RP.)

AUTH: Your tea has too much dust in it. Still. Surely someone has complained to you about this before? Or am I the only one you break out the tea kit for? Knight to e6.

BOATMAN: Others are unlikely to stay. Your own visit is something of a surprise. At least, its duration. Your blood runs thick with cider, as does hers. What compels you to stay? Queen to e7. Check.

ALICIA: Damn Thymefield. If I had even a sliver of my time magic I could've saved it! I feel so... powerless without being able to do any of it.
AUTH: It's the circumstances we were training for, no? And even if you could use your magic, what would you do? Fall through the forest and get impaled like Sakura? Surely, you'd agree, this is a much nicer interim. Rook to e7. Mate in five.

BOATMAN: Alas. Perhaps I will... dust the teacups once in a while. On the chance you return, for more than a moment. I concede.

ALICIA: As... pleasant as your little boat on the river is, I'd much rather return to the land of the living. Are we good to go?
BOATMAN: It is not my place to say, only yours. You will know in yourself if it is time. To go back, or to go on.

A light shines down the river. Neither towards the near nor far shore. Pulsing, almost like speaking, but no words come through.

AUTH: I think that's our cue.
ALICIA: Finally. I was starting to get antsy about our chances.
AUTH: I don't think Genoa would let anything quite so severe happen to us, do you? Let's get out of here. Be sure to set the board again, Boatman. We may be back.

---

Auth and Alicia appear seated near the rubble, apparently unharmed. To the outside, they disappeared from the ship as the laser hit, so it's unclear if they just managed to escape, or if something else had happened.

ALICIA: We're baaaaack~!!

Alicia looks around, as Auth looks wistfully at the ship.

AUTH: I wonder how the Disestablishmentarianism is doing. Such a shame... the vessel we all worked on reduced to useless wreckage.

He shakes his head as Alicia looks around. There's plenty of things her brother isn't saying... although there's an audible twinge of nostalgia and regret as he sees the rubble. Alicia doesn't really know anyone... even when she showed up before, it was only for the final battle. That means that there's new people to meet. For the both of them.

ALICIA: Dunno anybody, huh? Let's change that, c'mon.
AUTH: Are you sure it's not just that you're planning to rely on my reputation for a free in with the party? Or is it, perhaps, you worry about your own awkwardness.
ALICIA: Noooo! Slanderer! Would I do that? Even if that was what I was doing, you don't know anyone here either. It wouldn't get me anything.

Auth turns, bores into his sister with his eyes, then turns to the rest of the wreckage and corpses, and sighs.

AUTH: We... should see what the condition of the other passengers is.

The pair stand up, and start trying to find someone in the new party to speak with.

One of the chunks of burning wreckage flares up. A minute later, Des steps around into view, grimacing, twirling their dice between their fingers.
DES: Guess this isn't a game anymore.
DES: Our ship's in pieces, our comms are down, our intel's clearly worthless, and something's using us like pawns.
DES: Wonderful. Everything is wonderful.

Their special could use a few changes:
Fill Con: multiply by x2 or x3?
SP Required: now 75 SP per spell
SP Cap: 400?
King of Swords (Reversed): now "You may also use your Basic Attack and/or Weapon Skill, each costing the same SP as a spell."
Memory of a Mantle: now "If you pay half cost for a spell, an ally may cast it instead, using their MP, stats, and action."

<ROUND 8>

Debbie respecs! The respec is processed.

She also starts digging through the wreckage with Bass. The two manage to find Doc, and absolutely no one else. Bass attempts to extend a hand to Doc, but is promptly shooed away.

BASS: uh
BASS: you sure?
BASS: well whatever you say
BASS: im not one to come between a man and his crushing pile of rubble

Doc promptly punches through the rubble like in a bad zombie movie, forcing Debbie and Bass to scatter until his mask is reattached. Doc does not seem like a very helpful medical doctor. Unless your ailment is being alive.

---

Paige is nerfed. Also, a strange figure emerges from the woods. Who could this figure be? Possibly the fabled PHUF-E.

---

Eroa updates her build. :eroaflirt: :eroawink:

---

The JOE-like deiform entity manifests at (V16). It does not appear on the map, because no one can sense its presence.

No one but me.

---

Sakura begins to explore! She heads rightward (geographically north, mapwise east) from (W13). She finds herself in a quiet grove, with a dense layer of trees and bushes obscuring her vision. Four signs hang off of a nearby tree…

She also gets nerfed. :sakurabwaah:

---

Pardon also respecs. Respec acquired.

---

Basil asks Bass how this whole “respawning” thing worked back during the Sphere crisis. Bass scratches his chin.

BASS: whats up
BASS: youre the iti biologist lady right?
BASS: sounds, uh. sticky.
BASS: right
BASS: respawns
BASS: you know no one ever really explained it to me
BASS: but as far as i could tell people just, stopped being dead after a few minutes
BASS: if they were part of the “battle party” or whatever, which was defined by being a cool spherebreaker
BASS: not sure what the qualification is this time
BASS: but its not completely foolproof
BASS: or at least the people who did know what they were doing still seemed to think so
BASS: if we all gorillaing die hard enough in a hella dramatic way we might not revive
BASS: the judge decides were not cool enough anymore and revokes our immortality licenses
BASS: and then someone else has to save the world i guess

Meanwhile, Harmony is real. They introduce themselves to the group. Chi’s attention is drawn back to the present.

CHI: Oh, you’re alright!
CHI: I’m sorry, I didn’t think to…
CHI: Right. Everyone, this is Harmony. As they’ve already said.
CHI: They were found in the care of a Rose Cult sect, and are here for medical assistance.
CHI: If any of you Outsiders need surgery… Well, they certainly have more experience with… flesh… than I do.

Chi lowers her voice, speaking directly to Lepidodendron this time while handing them a small switch.

CHI: (If they cause any… trouble… just activate this.)
CHI: (It should harmlessly sedate them.)
CHI: (They’ve been perfectly reasonable while in my company so far, but their previous handlers said they could be… unstable.)

Is Lepidodendron the most trustworthy person to have this power? Time will tell.

---

Blacklight advances to (W23). His travels take him to a burnt-out firepit and its former user.

---

Lepidodendron kills some unconscious Grey Iti, and repurposes their corpses. They also respec. Welcome to the respec gang.

---

Kalis also respecs. Respec gang grows ever larger.

---

Des is buffed. :desripped:

---

No battles this update. Or next update, probably. Who knows how long it will be? Regardless, you’re alive, and you’ve got places you can explore. Unfortunately, while the storm abated while you were… dead, the temperature is still distinctly unpleasant, and nightfall isn’t far away. For the sake of those in the party that aren’t immune to the cold, it might be wise to get your situation in order before resuming the march to Amora.

Not that I’ll stop you if you manage to convince Chi otherwise.

whoops forgot to post this

Shards of charred plastic, melted iron screws, and porcelain shards scatter from the sky as Rhiannon is obliterated by the blast. A faint puff of black mist scatters from the doll's original location and dissipates into the air.

A good distance away, a ceramic sphere lands on the ground. It rolls for a distance, stopping as it hits the trunk of a particularly large tree. A small figure composed of black mist coalesces from a crack in its side.

---

A little while after, a particular fairy flies overhead and sees a familiar doll lost in the woods. She's cloaked in the same black mist from earlier, only it's covering much of the lower half of her body. She quickly flies down towards her.

LENTINULA: Oh!
LENTINULA: You're... Rhiannon right?
LENTINULA: Are you hurt or anything? How did you get down from the ship in one piece?
Rhiannon: Mm? Uh, well, that's technically not my whole body!
Rhiannon: I just have to slowly wait for the rest of me to regenerate. Which... will take quite a while.
Rhiannon: T-to be fair, I'm not exactly, um...

The mist recedes, and Rhiannon is now very clearly floating, her legs not yet having reformed.
Rhiannon: ...whole quite yet.
Also, her left arm is distinctly damaged, now simple ink-stained flesh surrounding a metal axle, with porcelain slowly... materializing around it.
Rhiannon: A-anyway, I was getting a little worried that I must have landed somewhere far from the rest of the party. C-could you bring me to them, um...

Lentinula blinks for a moment.

LENTINULA: Oh uh
LENTINULA: Would healing help speed this up?
LENTINULA: The spawn point is that way, not too far.
LENTINULA: Once your legs are back it'll take you only a minute of walking.

Rhiannon: O-oh, don't worry, I-I can float.
Rhiannon nods, beginning to drift in the direction indicated. Her body is carried along by the mist, bobbing up and down as if she were actually walking.
Rhiannon: The mist is part of me too, after all!
Rhiannon: A-and, uh, I don't think I need much help with the whole regeneration thing. I'll be back up and running in half an hour or so. I think.
Rhiannon:. T-though...

Rhiannon sighs. Lentinula floats over to catch up with her.

Rhiannon: D-do you mind accompanying me to the... um... spawn point, you said?
LENTINULA: O-oh, not at all!
LENTINULA: I'll need to go back to searching for others once we get there though.
Rhiannon: Of course! You're... Lentinula, right? I think I remember you from... earlier... I have very good hearing.
Rhiannon: Y-yes. Um...
Rhiannon: I-I wasn't expecting, um, someone smaller than me on this trip! N-no offense meant, of course! After all, I'm just a cute little cursed doll, I-I'm used to being smaller than everyone else, so...

Lentinula looks over at Rhiannon as they float through the woods.

LENTINULA: Yeah, that's me.
LENTINULA: And it's fine. There aren't many people our size that go out on full adventures, huh?
LENTINULA: Th-though uh. I guess you're still three times my height, hehe...
Rhiannon: Only twice if you don't count my missing legs.
Rhiannon: ...
Rhiannon: A-ah, sorry, that was weird!
LENTINULA: H-hey that's-

Rhiannon covers her face with her hands in embarrassment, only to whack herself in the forehead with the metal frame of her damaged left arm. Lentinula startles and pivots in the air.

Rhiannon: G-gah!
LENTINULA: Oh my!
LENTINULA: Are you okay?!

The doll shakes her head, before starting to "walk" again, a little slower this time. Lentinula lingers in the air for a moment, worried, before catching up again.

Rhiannon: ... No, no, it's fine, I don't really feel pain just from that. I-I was just surprised is all.
LENTINULA: S-still!
LENTINULA: ...
LENTINULA: I-if...
LENTINULA: If your legs regenerate they still count I think.
LENTINULA: If you measure by temporary injuries that's kinda like including someone's shoes or hat in their height, isn't it?
Rhiannon: T-true, I guess.
Rhiannon: I-I hope the mist isn't too offputting. I... I know a lot of people find me creepy.
Rhiannon: I am a cursed doll, after all, t-though I'm the one in control of the curse, not the one who's been cursed.
Rhiannon: But don't worry, you're not going to be affected just by being around me, I promise!

Lentinula looks over at Rhiannon.

LENTINULA: You've gone through a lot over this, haven't you?
LENTINULA: I promise it's fine. I'm a lot more worried about...
LENTINULA: Multiple of the others, actually, than I am about you.
LENTINULA: I'm used to "creepy" though, there's all kinds of people back home and you get used to 'different' pretty quickly.
LENTINULA: One of my supervisors was a huge talking tarantula for a while!

Rhiannon: R-right, that sounds... probably creepier than me, actually. Ehehe...

It's at this point that the two reach the clearing. Lentinula stops in front of Rhiannon for a moment.

LENTINULA: Hey. I don't think you'll have as much trouble with this here as you have before but...
LENTINULA: If you have trouble with getting the others to talk to you, let me know okay?
LENTINULA: I'm happy to chat if you need it!
Rhiannon: Alright!

And with that, Lentinula launches back up into the sky to continue looking for straggling survivors.

The Northern Wilds

High above the wreckage, a singed parka very slowly dances across the sky. Minutes pass as it slowly descends, carried along by the wind, before it finally lands among the wreckage, near the respawn point. A short moment later, a familiar-looking swarm of nanobots begin to congregate, slowly forming a Chairian-shaped silhouette before retreating. Ilex has (finally) respawned.

Ilex: Ow...
Ilex: So that's what it feels like to die. Can't say I'll be trying that again.

Pardon follows Sakura after his round trip of conversations, including briefly stopping by Ilex and Rhiannon to ask whether they are ok into the Quiet Grove.

He examines the text for a moment...

Pardon: "It's always dark", "The quiet shade", "Across old bark", "In the ancient glade"

Oh it's one of these fragments poems-esque things that makes weird sense no matter where you place them.

He than glances over at the metal chest and looks at the strange purple rock with fascination.

Assuming the validity of the following trait:

then the Nascent JOE has that trait, these Stats, Perks, Spells, and Equipment:
HP: 6.
MP: 6.
STR: 4.
AGI: 8.
INT: 6.
SKI: 1.
DEF: 4.
RES: 6.
SPC: 0.
Perk: Agonizer.
Perk: Protowell Seeker.
Perk: Preparedness (Warp Powder)
Spell: Illusory Trap.
Spell: Thorn Patch.
Spell: Nature Power (Range 3-5 Splash 1 Shallow Water, Range 1-6 Laser Forest,
Weapon: Either a custom weapon (the Crystalline Claw from Thymium- I believe it's within the correct tier range) or the Stick.
Hat: Herbalism Helm (reskinned Knight's Tophat, Crushing, Crushing, Fire.)
Armor: Plotter's Plate (reskinned Tactical Vest, Crushing, piercing.)
Trinkets: Manabloom, Bark Essence (reskinned Wooden buckler)

and if possible, a Special which produces resources in some way. Some possible examples include:

If none of those specials are possible, then for the moment the special slot is filled by the hopefully-unobjectionable:
Guardian Illusions (same fill conditions as specials above)
Summon 2 Illusory Traps in range 1-2, with damage as if you had cast the spell with the double illusion modifier. For the rest of the round, all your Illusory Traps bodyguard allies in range 1. (Scaling increases Trap number(slowly), spawn range(more quickly), and maybe bodyguard duration or trap damage.)


Here's a link to a sheet containing as much as I could do on my own, hopefully formatted correctly:
link

NORTHERN WILDS

Some time later, Debbie and Pardon had unearthed a bone pile's worth of bones. Debbie gathers all the bones dredged up into a bone pile.

DEBBIE: Lepi! We've found some bones!

/more?

...

Debbie breathes a sigh of relief. It looks like most of the party is going to be okay. The torn Yggcrawler exoskeleton continues to bother her, though...

DEBBIE: ...Hm...

She walks over to the spot where she emerged. Using the same tricks as before, she brings up the entire rest of the exoskeleton, beheaded. After a brief moment of consideration...

DEBBIE: U-ugh... the first one had to be you, hm?
DEBBIE: Certainly an... i-interesting body plan. Though, long legs aren't unheard of in our native herbivores, either...
DEBBIE: Nor are large exoskeletal creatures, nor creatures with bladelike forelimbs.
DEBBIE: Never all three at once, however... very peculiar...
DEBBIE: And this one appears to be a juvenile, too... poor thing, must have gotten left behind...

DEBBIE: ...

She stares at the exoskeleton for a good, long while. She sighs...

DEBBIE: I-I'm... going to regret this, aren't I...

The foreign queen closes her eyes, the winter winds providing a calming backdrop, perfect to focus with. Then, she performs dance-like movements with her legs, trails of air magic following her feet.

The ground around the exoskeleton bubbles, then starts... flowing into the exoskeleton, like a jet of water flowing up and into a closed container. It fills the exoskeleton with Fluidsand... it cracks, breaks, and snaps at the joints, akin to the expansion caused by the freezing of water... it's being packed solid around the exoskeleton, to limited effect.

One could see Debbie lightly wincing at the sound of said joints ripping apart...

Soon enough, however, the joints are filled back in, not with bone or keratin or wood, but Fluidsand. The flowy kind. And, shortly after that, the exoskeleton stands upright, staggering as if it were a newborn. But, really, it was just Debbie doing this... probably very strenuous thing for the first time.

Debbie, maintaining focus, without opening her eyes, floats up and places the torn off skull where the head should be. As Fluidsand picks it up, packs into it, hardens, and then loins with the rest, only then does Debbie open her eyes.

She lands, quiet for a moment.

DEBBIE: ...D-does this look right...?

It seems she's not the most familiar with Yggcrawlers, but to the average Chairian, it... certainly looks the part. Tall, imposing stature, bladed forelimbs... the only thing that's not Yggcrawler was Debbie's attempt at mimicking it with Fluidsand and rock.

DEBBIE: W-well, this... should, um. P-provide some e-extra muscle... er, n-no, wait, it doesn't have- ahhh f-forget it

Debbie flops down on her butt. Clearly this whole thing took a lot of energy... and not the MP kind. At least the fossil is self-sustaining, it seems...

DEBBIE: Haaahh... t-tired...

...

During her break, Eroa approaches. See Sparked's post for how that turned out.

After that, Debbie pays a visit to Lentinula. See Piono's post for how that turned out.

...

Once everyone parts ways, Debbie starts heading south. She starts contemplating on something...

DEBBIE: ...If Ms. Wolfe were here, she'd know how to best approach this situation...

...Sadly, unlike with Keane... Hannah is nowhere in sight. Does she even come this far north regularly? ...Not that she'd know where everyone was right now...

...

For now, though, Debbie and her newly-raised Yggcrawler Fren:tm: head south of (N29), hoping to find some form of shelter from the long cold...

If not... well... she might have to help make one.

...

anyway she's also joined by paige, hi paige.

After fully expecting to be alone, company was unexpected. Still, no complaints from Debbie. She smiles as she looks at Paige.

DEBBIE: O-oh, hello there!

Though, out of everyone in the party, she didn't expect an iti with a cellphone to be someone who'd immediately address her as royalty. As a result, Debbie gets a bit flustered.

DEBBIE: O-oh, please, you don't need to speak to me so formally!
DEBBIE: I'm quite content with less formal talk.
DEBBIE: Please, just call me Debbie.

Then, the subject of the long dead comes up.

DEBBIE: Yep, I like studying them. There's much to learn from them, but I'm reasonably certain the details would be too boring for you, Paige.
DEBBIE: I-I mean, unless you want me to ramble on for an hour...
DEBBIE: But, basically, I just think they're neat.

DEBBIE: I... suppose you're more inclined towards the recently deceased?

Despite the fact she obviously understands what Paige eats, she doesn't really seem all that bothered by her diet.

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

After that conversation, Eroa decides to head to (G13), attempting to salvage a piece of the hull there.

Skylar

/todo: basil RP

SKYLAR: THEY CALL ME [the eeper]

---

Paige

Feeling better, Paige wanders north, glancing around before striking up a conversation with Debbie.

PAIGE: Oh, um, hello?
PAIGE: I... oh, you're royalty, right, uh.

Paige curtseys sloppily. She probably wouldn't make it in a royal court... but we're not in a royal court, so who cares?

PAIGE: I'm Paige. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness! (^-^)
PAIGE: Sooo... you like... fossils? Dead things?
PAIGE: ...I-I'm sorry, is that rude? I don't mean to offend!

QUOTE (Adria @ Apr 29 2023, 03:31 AM)

anyway she's also joined by paige, hi paige. After fully expecting to be alone, company was unexpected. Still, no complaints from Debbie. She smiles as she looks at Paige. DEBBIE: O-oh, hello there! Though, out of everyone in the party, she didn't expect an iti with a cellphone to be someone who'd immediately address her as royalty. As a result, Debbie gets a bit flustered. DEBBIE: O-oh, please, you don't need to speak to me so formally! DEBBIE: I'm quite content with less formal talk. DEBBIE: Please, just call me Debbie. Then, the subject of the long dead comes up. DEBBIE: Yep, I like studying them. There's much to learn from them, but I'm reasonably certain the details would be too boring for you, Paige. DEBBIE: I-I mean, unless you want me to ramble on for an hour... DEBBIE: But, basically, I just think they're neat. DEBBIE: I... suppose you're more inclined towards the recently deceased? Despite the fact she obviously understands what Paige eats, she doesn't really seem all that bothered by her diet.

PAIGE: Oh, alright! ^-^
PAIGE: It's nice to meet you, Miss Debbie!

The subject then shifts to her diet. Paige scratches the back of her head sheepishly.

PAIGE: Eheheh... I suppose you... could say that.
PAIGE: My expertise mostly tends toward, like... digital stuff?
PAIGE: Not that there's much of that here... Chairians don't seem to be very technology-inclined.
PAIGE: Skylar says there are places where the internet is a LOT bigger and more complicated than in the Sky Labs. I can't even begin to think of how cool that must be...

---

Pardon

QUOTE (Paradoxdragonpaci @ Apr 19 2023, 02:22 AM)

He than confronts Skylar and Paige: Pardon: Hey, are you two alright?? You seemed to... Pardon gestures at Paige's...vampirism?? Questionable goth-edginess?? And Skylar's being unconverted from being a pin.

Skylar looks up.

SKYLAR: HM?
SKYLAR: OH YEAH
SKYLAR: THAT IS NORMAL; DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF WITH IT TOO MUCH

---

The McZupp is McUpp

Following his chat with Maria and his Lady Sakura, Keane approaches Chi.

KEANE: Excuse me, Miss Chi, was it?
KEANE: I don't mean to interrupt, but I was told to report to you for medical treatment. For, y'know... He gestures to his still-bleeding wound.
KEANE: ...If you're busy, I can wait. Again, sorry for interrupting, I'm sure you have a lot of work to do.

Lepidodendron listens to Harmony introduce themselves and their skills. Before they have a chance to properly respond, though, Chi speaks up, introducing Harmony to the group. Lepidodendron is handed.. a switch! They squint suspiciously at it, whispering to Chi.

LEPIDODENDRON: Rose Cult, Rose Cult...
LEPIDODENDRON: Do I, er, keep this under wraps- keep it a secret?

They carefully slide the switch into one of their pockets. Their coat seems to have a lot of them.

LEPIDODENDRON: I'll keep my eyes out- peeled, eyes peeled for anything troubling.
LEPIDODENDRON: Unstable like, you know, personality, rude and all, or unstable as in... Grr, stab stab.
LEPIDODENDRON: I guess that's a silly question, but you know, I'd probably consider someone like her-

Lepidodendron gestures to Sakura.

LEPIDODENDRON: Unstable, in my mind. And I guess you could call the gambler.. Des! Des, unstable, what with all that rolling they were doing. Not in a, uh, derogatory way. Just, unstable as in they're inconsistent.
LEPIDODENDRON: Multiple meanings of the word, there. And I guess you could call our ship unstable, the way it fell apart. Though the ship's not really a person- wasn't really a person, and I don't imagine Harmony will be exploding like it did, so that's probably not what you meant, er..
LEPIDODENDRON: I guess my sharp- my point, I mean, is really, what should I be looking out for?
LEPIDODENDRON: I've been told I'm not a great judge of character.

:chistare: :lepbook:

---

After that awkward pause to compare Harmony to a exploding airship and not-exploding princess, Lepidodendron turns to Harmony, adjusting their drawing with the info Harmony gave them as they speak.

LEPIDODENDRON: Harmony... That's a good name! I'll remember it.
LEPIDODENDRON: Well, I try to remember most names, even if they're bad.
LEPIDODENDRON: But still! Good name. Rolls off the tongue. Har.. mo.. nee.
LEPIDODENDRON: Lizard tree.. I don't think I'm a lizard. Haven't really checked, but, I'm not really sure what I'd look for.
LEPIDODENDRON: I'll keep you updated on that front..

They nod, scribbling down Harmony's drawing advice.


LEPIDODENDRON: Chi says you were als- erm, you were with the Rose Cult. Held by them, or part of them..? Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to.
LEPIDODENDRON: Don't want to create assumptions. Make assumptions, I mean. But, well..

They squint up at Harmony, who is a good bit taller then them, even with their boots and hat.

LEPIDODENDRON: You do stick out a bit. And I've never heard of someone with your skills, let alone such a unique.. build? No, that's not the right word. What would be the right word..

They flip through their book.

LEPIDODENDRON: I've never met someone with, well, four arms. I guess that would be the right word. Or the right two words. Hah.
LEPIDODENDRON: Did you get the extras to replace the burnt one, or..

---

Debbie!

LEPIDODENDRON: Hey, don't worry about the er.. skull. It's a easy mistake to make. I think.
LEPIDODENDRON: I mean, I haven't done it before, but it's a unusual situation, and- well, look, point is, I don't think anyone is judging you for your.... skull.. decorum? Yeah.

Debbie brings up.. more bones. Lepidodendron's eyes light up at the sight of the skeletal remains- especially as Debbie begins to unearth a small army of them.

LEPIDODENDRON: Sparks and fire, I wouldn't have thought that you could find that all that... cleanly? Smoothly? Easily! Easily, is the word.
LEPIDODENDRON: Well, I mean, you did tell me on the boat, but it's another to see it in person..

They lean down to inspect the arrangement of Yggcrawler bones.

LEPIDODENDRON: Oh, these are good condition, too! Probably from being under all the snow, preserves them well, or something, I'm not really sure on the.. logics? The science, not really sure on the science there.

Lepidodendron examines the bones from each angle and side with a enthusiasm unseen a few moments before- excited by the Fossil Find despite the generally grim nature of their surroundings.

---

Lentinula is sorta fluttering aimlessly around the crash site, trying to think when...

And RP with Adria happens!

On her way southwards, Debbie spots Lentinula doing her thing, and approaches. The reanimated Yggcrawler trails behind.

DEBBIE: Um... hi. Are you doing okay?
DEBBIE: A-are you at all shaken from... w-well, whatever shot us?

Lentinula looks up at Debbie, then flutters upwards to a more comfortable conversation height.

LENTINULA: P-probably not as much as I should be.
LENTINULA: I'm bit more worried about WHY honestly...
LENTINULA: A-and how...
LENTINULA: And the uh. The respawn point. Which might be a little strange but.

Lentinula falls silent. Debbie exhales. Yep, she knew that feeling all too well.

DEBBIE: I... I-I wish I had answers, too.
DEBBIE: Those fae... a-and the purple Iti...
DEBBIE: It’s... it’s all deeply concerning...

She glances back towards the respawn point.

DEBBIE: A-and yet, I have no answers...
LENTINULA: I do, for the respawn point at least. I just don't like the answer very much.
LENTINULA: I wish I could've at least made it to C-cika before this all kicked up...

Debbie, though confused and curious as to what the fairy could be implying, opts to not comment. Instead, she raises her arm to allow Lentinula to rest on it.

DEBBIE: I understand...
DEBBIE: E-everything’s going to be turbulent for the next couple days. It’s... it’s okay to be scared.
DEBBIE: I-it’s a normal part of being a person. It means we’re still alive.
DEBBIE: A-and I’m sure many of us feel the same.
DEBBIE: And... I-I’m always happy to lend an ear.

Lentinula flutters up but doesn't rest on the arm.

LENTINULA: Th-thank you.
LENTINULA: Do you mind if I sit on your shoulder instead though?
LENTINULA: I think that'll be a bit easier than having to hold your arm up the entire time.
DEBBIE: O-oh, of course!

Lentinula settles on Debbie's shoulder, apparently even lighter than her small frame suggests, and sighs.

LENTINULA: I'm m-mostly worried because this was meant to be one of my first big missions without a superior to check back with?
LENTINULA: I mean, Cika is technically my senior but they're not like... My "superior officer" if that makes sense?
LENTINULA: But everything is... Already falling apart a bit.
LENTINULA: And having a safety net is... Better then not I guess?
LENTINULA: But spawn points don't suddenly pop up like this unless...
LENTINULA: Unless something big is going to happen, if that makes sense?
LENTINULA: It's a narrative mechanics thing, so I don't know exactly how it works but...
LENTINULA: The metaphor used is generally "you're a designated main character", which... Gets it across pretty well probably.

Debbie falls silent. “Narrative Mechanics”? Wasn’t something like that what Hannah’s mother was so torn up about? Interesting...

DEBBIE: “Designated main character”...
DEBBIE: That’s... mm.
DEBBIE: G-going to take some getting used to...
DEBBIE: Not exactly t-thrilling to think about...

She glances to where the chairian assistant’s body once was.

LENTINULA: Y-yeah...
LENTINULA: I mean.
LENTINULA: Better to have a spawn point than not I guess.
LENTINULA: E-even if... most of the people at risk don't.

Debbie still doesn’t like it, but all that leaves her mouth on the matter is a sigh.

DEBBIE: A-anyway, I don’t think I caught your name.
DEBBIE: ...N-nor have I introduced myself, for that matter, um.
LENTINULA: A-ah, right!
LENTINULA: Something like half of the people on the ship heard each other's introductions I-I'd almost forgotten not everyone did...
LENTINULA: I'm Lentinula! It's nice to meet you. You're Debbie, the representative from Neo Nedilia, right?

The power of knowing people. Even so, Debbie’s a little surprised at how accurate Lentinula was.

DEBBIE: Y-yes, that’s me. The Queen of Sapphire Skyline, specifically.
DEBBIE: Y-you... might’ve already overheard the spiel, though.
LENTINULA: Part of it, y-yeah.
LENTINULA: I'm... One of the liaisons from the Echo Collective for this mission.
LENTINULA: Not really anyone special. It's nice to meet you though, your majesty.
LENTINULA: I. I already said that huh.
LENTINULA: S-sorry, still-still a bit anxious.
LENTINULA: It feels like there's important people from half the local multiversal realms here...

Debbie smiles. It’s a soft, comforting smile.

DEBBIE: It’s my pleasure to meet you too, Lentinula!
DEBBIE: T-though, please don’t feel pressured to be formal around me.
DEBBIE: As far as I’m concerned, w-we’re all equals out here. Or, well, anywhere else for that matter.
DEBBIE: ...I-I do wish some of the others appreciated the fact we’re all in the same boat...
DEBBIE: ...S-so to speak.

Lentinula giggles a bit.

LENTINULA: I guess the ship has sailed on that joke anyways.
LENTINULA: Th-thank you Debbie.
LENTINULA: I'm... still getting used to being in this group.
LENTINULA: But it's... not actually too bad overall. I think we'll be able to work okay as a team probably.
DEBBIE: Yeah, I think so too!

Debbie, once more, looks southwards. There’s still places to be.

DEBBIE: I’m... hoping I can find some semblance of shelter down south.
DEBBIE: If I do, or find anything else of interest, I’ll let everyone know.
DEBBIE: I... assume you also have things to do?
LENTINULA: More of the same, looking around to see what we can use to last the night.

Lentinula hops off of Debbie's shoulder and floats around to wave at Debbie.

LENTINULA: We'll see each other again soon probably. Good luck out there!
DEBBIE: Same to you! Good luck!

Debbie turns south and waves goodbye to Lentinula as she marches on. The reanimated Yggcrawler trails behind her.


---actual action---

While looking around, Lentinula notices the dead corpse to the southeast, and quickly flies back to Chi.
LENTINULA: U-um, since you're the team leader and all, I have a question.
LENTINULA: Should I pick up any more bodies we find along the way?
LENTINULA: Like probably a local who froze to death before we got here?
LENTINULA: I think maybe people would like to have bodies recovered but also like... don't know if that's okay to just do out here?

Sakura trudges through the awfully thick snow, finding herself in a surprisingly peaceful grove. A more sensible individual would feel something similar to tranquility. Sakura however, feels nothing but contempt for a place like this. Some hustle and bustle would be a godsend out here in the wilds. Instead, she's alone. Okay, maybe she had a party of individuals behind her, but other than that, she was alone. With a sigh, she-

holy HELL is that a box???

SAKURA: Hot damn. There's actually something out here?
SAKURA: Let's see...

Sakura dashes through the snow, leaving a trail of discordant footprints. In mere moments, she's at the locked box. A lockbox? Yeah, that checks out. She examines the container. What she does depends on the condition of the box:

- Does the box look like it's been here a long time, and has been abandoned? If so, open the box.
- Does the box look like it's been disturbed recently, whether it's been moved around in the snow? If so, open the box.
- Does the box look like it fell from the airship, and probably belongs to Chi or some other individual on the ship? If so, open the box anyway, it's yours now.

Point is, Sakura opens the box. She breaks a twig off a nearby tree, shapes it down with arbormancy into a refined rod roughly the size of the keyhole / other potential openings, like the gears on a "number lock". She then jams this rod directly into the works of the lock, causing the whole mass of wood to slither into the inner workings. Once the wooden rod has been mushed into the lock body, she snaps her fingers. At that moment, the lock will (hopefully) shatter open, a condensed mass of wood violently uncondensing itself and shattering the lock body.

At least, that's the hope, anyway! Should she have completely obliterated the lock, Sakura will pop the box open. Maybe she'll even take what's inside. At the same time though, Sakura remains completely oblivious to the presence of the odd rock™ in the area. Some things in life are just more important. Like lootboxes.

Zone 1 - the Northern Wilds

Blacklight crouches by the firepit, inspecting the design for a moment, then spares a glance at the former user.

"Seems like you met with a rather unfortunate fate. I suppose you won't need those anymore, so if you don't mind..."

He relinquishes the dead guy of those hiking poles, pockets them somewhere within his own body, checks the firepit again in case it's somehow possible to take it with him, then wanders back to the Landfall area. Reasonably confident that others are handling exploring in the other directions, he walks over to see what Chi is doing, observing the tents in silence for a while, then commenting.

"From my observations, the way further north is difficult to path through. Lot of cold, bit mountainous, not to mention there's no telling what lurks out of sight... How much cold weather traversal gear do we have at our disposal, collectively speaking?"

Des digs through the wreckage.
DES: Where is it? Should be around here somewh—
DES: Dammit. Just my luck.
They find what they're looking for: a brown cloak. Or at least, what remains of it. The whole "being on fire" thing did a number on it. Des sighs and picks it up.

---

QUOTE (FlamingFlapjacks @ May 2 2023, 09:50 AM)

LEPIDODENDRON: Unstable, in my mind. And I guess you could call the gambler.. Des! Des, unstable, what with all that rolling they were doing. Not in a, uh, derogatory way. Just, unstable as in they're inconsistent.

Des overhears their name mentioned, and steps closer.
DES: Unstable, eh? Not wrong. Funnily enough, it seems like this Thymefield's making me a little more consistent than usual, though.
DES: It's a weird feeling. Like the only ways my magic can manifest here are within 76 strictly-defined forms.

They absentmindedly toss their dice in the air and catch them.
DES: I should probably learn how magic works around here, since I guess I'm stuck with the same spells as everyone else for now.
DES: Hard to play without knowing the rules.

<ROUND 9>

Not-Yet-JOE tries to appear mechanically once more.

This is still a bit of a mess, so here’s some tips to try to get your character in shape for me to actually implement:
Nascent Dance is the best trait here in terms of implementability. Please implement this in your character sheet for easier copy-pasting!
The Crystalline Claw is… kind of annoyingly complicated. I can start you with the Stick if you want, meme weapon that it is, or you could try to cut it down to a simpler version (with fewer upgrade choices, but make those choices a bit stronger?).
Crafting fuel items aren’t really a thing anymore. Or, well, they are, but only for shenanigans, and I’d rather not mechanically tie them to battles in this way. Nor would I want a credit-farming special. If you want just a pure terraforming or slashing damage special without the resource components, that’s fine, but pick one.

---

Debbie and her reanimated Yggcrawler head south! Or, rather, down. Why doesn’t down correspond to south? Why did I do this?

While there, she happens upon a frozen pond, and a pair of wooly mollusks drinking from a hole in the ice. The pond seems to be fed from a stream heading downhill from the direction of the nearby mountains.

---

Eroa begins salvaging the remains of the ship. She obtains several pieces of burnt wood. What will she do with them?

---

Keane asks Chi for some medical attention. Chi blinks in surprise at the tall newcomer.

CHI: Oh, hello!
CHI: Are you a friend of… wait.
CHI: You’re Keane! The one who showed up out of nowhere on the final day of the Sphere Crisis.
CHI: The one who tried to help Ms. Yedoensis with her petty crime spree.

Chi sighs and begins to bandage up Keane’s wound.

CHI: I suppose if you came to help the Spherebreakers defeat WARE, you can’t be all bad.
CHI: Still… I-I’m not going to tolerate any reckless actions of that kind here! Understood?

---

Lepidodendron asks Chi what exactly qualifies as “unstable.” Chi begins to look a bit nervous about this whole “giving Lepidodendron responsibilities” thing, but begins to whisper back.

CHI: Oh, well… the main thing to look out for, I suppose, is violence.
CHI: I mean, violence towards anyone who isn’t trying to kill us.
CHI: Or… unwanted surgical operations. That would also be unpleasant.
CHI: I… confess I don’t know exactly what set their behavior off previously.
CHI: If it makes you feel any better, I also have a copy of that switch.
CHI: I just thought it might be helpful for you, since you seem to be spending time with them, and you have some shared background…
CHI: Hopefully, it won’t be a problem!

---

Lentinula questions if she should pick up the recently discovered corpse. Chi’s expression turns somber.

CHI: I… suppose so, yes.
CHI: We can ask around for their relatives in Amora, if they… have any.
CHI: First… we should make sure we don’t end up the same way.

---

Sakura uses arbormancy to bust open The Box. She does not check if it belongs to Chi. Rude.

Inside, nestled on a soft cushion, she finds two items. First is a small device made out of an unfamiliar black metal, shaped like a handgun. It reminds her very distinctly of the scanners used by the Chairian military. Next to it is a slab of the same black metal, featureless and drab…

Until Sakura’s fingers graze against the surface. At that same instant, glowing white symbols dance across the slab’s surface – some in English Chairian, others in wholly unfamiliar scripts. The sudden shifting characters are dizzying, but they do seem to respond to Sakura’s touch in some way. As she does so, the scanner-like device glows softly… Perhaps the two are linked.

(The two are linked.)

---

Blacklight interrogates Chi about the supply of cold-weather gear. He notices that she is, in fact, wearing a winter coat. As are Bass and R-8. Who knows about the rest of you.

CHI: Well, I think most of us brought appropriate outfits.
CHI: As for anything else… It all went up in flames with the rest of the ship, I fear.
CHI: We’ll need food, water, a place to sleep… tools for hiking, if your assessment of the terrain is accurate…
CHI: At least we aren’t short on heat sources.

She laughs nervously, staring at the still-burning wreckage. The smile does not last.

---

Remiel is dead. Press F to pay respects.

(Not actually. I think.)

---

The exploration continues. And now, you have a spiffy new scanner. Probably. Hopefully it’s not actually just a gun.

Northern Wilds - Past

Lepidodendron examines the fossil haul! Seems like they're in good condition, preserved thanks to the snow. Debbie nods. After Lepidodendron takes a look at the Yggcrawler exoskeleton, she lays her hand on it.

DEBBIE: I'll take these ones. I want to try something with them.
DEBBIE: You can use the rest.
DEBBIE: As much as I regret having to use fossils this way... it's necessary for our survival.

DEBBIE: ...A-anyway, I'll do the thing I wanted to do, then I'm headed east.
DEBBIE: Let me know if you need anything else, okay?

She then heads off, and does the things noted in the previous turn.

Northern Wilds - Present

And now we return to the present.

Debbie finds a Pond! And some Mollusks. She's fascinated by the find, despite the area being pretty void of anything but snow, water, and trees. She scribbles down some things in her clipboard.

DEBBIE: Oh neat!
DEBBIE: What fascinating creatures... shelled, but also woolly? I'd think they'd have blubber up here in the cold instead of fur...
DEBBIE: ...We might need to kill them for food later, though. A shame, I'd like to watch them do their thing from afar...

She finishes writing, lowers her clipboard, and returns the feather back to her ear.

DEBBIE: At... least we know where to find food and water. There's... probably fish in that pond? Or we could hunt these creatures as they come by, failing that.
DEBBIE: Now, shelter...

Debbie floats around the pond, heading down to (I44). The reanimated Yggcrawler follows, though instead walks over the ice. Might as well test to see how sturdy the stuff is before someone important walks on it.

Meanwhile, Paige continues the chat! Debbie thinks for a moment. The Internet, huh...

DEBBIE: Mm, we have something like it back home as well.
DEBBIE: While I'm not much of an... I suppose, "Internet-goer" myself, I understand its power in daily life.
DEBBIE: I believe some of the Stasis City higher-ups were talking about potential data transfer between Nedilia and the Echo Collective.
DEBBIE: The difference between Stasis City and the immense Echo Collective...
DEBBIE: I suppose it'd almost be like going from having very limited internet in the Sky Labs to the expansive internet of Stasis City.
DEBBIE: I-it's likely about as overwhelming, too.
DEBBIE: That being, very.

...She sighs and looks around for a moment.

DEBBIE: There's... likely not much of a signal out here, is there?

Skylar

/still todo: basil RP

Skylar, perking up, skitters over to the Quiet Grove.

SKYLAR: EXCUSE ME
SKYLAR: MAY I SEE THAT

It grabs the Cool and New Scanner™ and immediately scans Sakura with it. Why? I dunno, for the lolz? Whatever the case, it observes the tablet(?) to see what happens. This is probably just a normal scanner but it will be funny RP don't @ me.

Whatever the result, Skylar then skitters over to the odd rock and examines it. Maybe it's a puzzle.

---

Paige

QUOTE (Adria @ May 9 2023, 02:52 AM)

Debbie thinks for a moment. The Internet, huh... DEBBIE: Mm, we have something like it back home as well. DEBBIE: While I'm not much of an... I suppose, "Internet-goer" myself, I understand its power in daily life. DEBBIE: I believe some of the Stasis City higher-ups were talking about potential data transfer between Nedilia and the Echo Collective. DEBBIE: The difference between Stasis City and the immense Echo Collective... DEBBIE: I suppose it'd almost be like going from having very limited internet in the Sky Labs to the expansive internet of Stasis City. DEBBIE: I-it's likely about as overwhelming, too. DEBBIE: That being, very. ...She sighs and looks around for a moment. DEBBIE: There's... likely not much of a signal out here, is there?

Paige nearly chokes on air.

PAIGE: W-wait, the Echo Collective is, like, a real place??? OaO
PAIGE: I-I thought it was, like, some kind of... made-up, t-thing! A place where the Wi-Fi flows like water...
PAIGE: ...It sounded kind of unrealistic when Skylar was talking about it... l-like something it'd make up to make me feel better...

Paige, still conflicted, waves her hand around in the air. It might take Debbie a second to realize she's actually trying to get cell signal, given that the cell phone is embedded snugly in the divot in Paige's palm.

PAIGE: ...Damn. No bars. :(

there is no internet :paigebwaah:

---

The McZupp is McUpp

Keane nods, even as he's being scolded for being an ACCOMPLICE to PETTY CRIME.

KEANE: Eheh... yep, it's me. Daniethyst Keanezite McZupp Colon Capital P.
KEANE: ...Don't worry, I hear you loud and clear! No shenanigans of that kind from me. Hopefully.

Keane surreptitiously glances over at the Quiet Grove, checking to make sure Sakura is distracted.

KEANE: ...Look, I'll cut to the chase.
KEANE: With the way... uh... whatever you're doing... seems to have gone, I doubt that Sakura is going to behave for long.
KEANE: You seem to have your hands pretty full already. I'll do my best to wrangle her, alright? Keep her out of trouble and whatnot. Scout's honor.