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 Children of the Thyme (v.1.0), is never the end is never
Adria
 Posted: Jul 23 2023, 01:25 AM
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Northern Wilds - Diplomacy

Debbie immediately takes note of the click from one of the grey iti. Though she couldn't understand it at all, she knew it was a response to Skylar. She, again, speaks through the radio.

DEBBIE: So that one's capable of talking... not well, but it's something...
DEBBIE: Still, it's probably a sign of intelligence.
DEBBIE: The others... don't seem nearly as intelligent. And are hard to control.
DEBBIE: I-I hope that projectile didn't hurt too much...
DEBBIE: If things start getting too rough, let me know, I'll see if I can find you an out.


Debbie thinks for a moment. Skylar probably relays the translated word back to her.

DEBBIE: Um...
DEBBIE: After affirming that, yes, these are gifts, tell them you brought them because they looked hungry. Or... something along those lines.
DEBBIE: Though, make sure you keep the rest of us out of the discussions for now.
DEBBIE: Other than that, you could ask what made them form a group like that?
DEBBIE: It may seem a bit... forward... but I'm not entirely certain where to go other than there.

DEBBIE: Also, your accent... is likely fine. I don't think that iti is used to speaking either.


---
Some time later...

Eventually, Debbie does return to base camp. Significantly more exhausted than she has any right to be, she serves herself some soup. It's not a very big portion, barely enough to keep herself fed. She sits down.

DEBBIE: ...

She looks the campfire up and down with a thousand-meter stare, as if she's not actually looking at the fire. She quickly catches herself doing it and shakes her head.

DEBBIE: A-ah!
DEBBIE: S-sorry, there's... a-a lot to think about...
DEBBIE: I-it's... not every day y-you get thrust into a, um, s-survival situation right after dying, a-after all...
DEBBIE: . . .


She seems conflicted on where to stay for the night. More solitude in the tent, or more community in one of the other shelters...

...She eventually does conclude that she should stay close to the others. They'll likely appreciate the extra help in getting settled. The majority of the party settles in the igloo, so that's where Debbie heads after everything's all said and done.

She does take note of some going elsewhere. Eroa by the fire, Blacklight, Des, and Lentinula keeping watch, and a... concerning behavior from Sakura, leaving for the treeline.

...Debbie groans and slowly shakes her head. She really, really doesn't want to have to speak with Sakura, period. But... she might have to at some point, if nobody else does.

For now, though, Debbie enters the igloo, helps get everyone else settled, takes one of the less comfortable spots, and slowly drifts off to sleep.

Goodness knows she'll need all the rest she can get.

...

The Reanimated Gorged hops on top of a structurally sound part of the igloo and keeps watch as a sentry. Though it'll probably only last until morning... when it will disintegrate like it's Yggcrawler buddy.

--------------------
"...I will aid them. No matter the cost to myself."
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King_Fuffy
 Posted: Jul 23 2023, 11:17 AM
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SUPER KEANE MCZUPP WONDER 2: PIKMIN 4

Keane and Sakura Cook a Fish
As Sakura trudges back into the clearing, having just finished creating a super fucked-up hot pocket made of beaver meat, she’s a little surprised at the cozy atmosphere of the campsite. Indeed, the energy in the air would be downright pleasant- y'know, if the party wasn't stranded in the cold, unforgiving wilderness. They had the gall to enjoy themselves in this gorilla’d up situation! What was wrong with these peasants?

KEANE: Princess! Over here!

Oh. She nearly forgot about her ‘servant’. Keane waggles a fish at her goofily- a half-filleted one, by the looks of it- before patting the log next to him, as if expecting her to… come over and sit. Oh, gods. Did… did he want her to eat that? There was still an eye dangling from it, too! Though she might be destitute, she still has standards, damn it. But still. Maybe she could get something to eat.

SAKURA: Oh, hey. Keane.
SAKURA: Look at you. With a half-disemboweled fish.
KEANE: (...It’s not done yet-)
SAKURA: Truly, you are the servant every princess strives for.


Morphing a nearby tree into a crude chair, Sakura takes a seat next to Keane. She plops down the Essential Game Mechanic in the snow beside her, the device landing with a gentle splash of powder. Once seated, only then does the fatigue she’s accumulated today hit her all at once, a psychic sledgehammer to the core. She leans back in her seat, the shoddy construction threatening to give way at any moment. With quick, precise swipes of his claws, Keane continues fileting the fish.

SAKURA: So.
SAKURA: Any signs of like… evac, or help, or anything that might boost my spirits?
SAKURA: I wasn’t made to partake in more than one combat encounter a day. If we meet anything else… well, good luck to you guys.
SAKURA: Guess I’ll die, then.

KEANE: …Nothing yet that I could tell.
KEANE: I mean, if help was coming, I think Dr. Chi would have announced it.
KEANE: And don’t worry! If anything else attacks us, I can step in.
KEANE: I mean, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve had to really fight anything, but it’s fiiiine! Fighting that WARE guy was, like, two weeks of daily combat training, minimum.
KEANE: Therefore, I’m up to speed! This is how math works.


Keane pauses his fish disembowelment to flex his somewhat diminished musculature, as if it hasn’t been roughly a year since the fall of the Sphere. Sakura is impressed. Not at his muscles, but at his boldness to flex with a twig frame such as his.

SAKURA: Wow, look at you. So strong. So skilled.
SAKURA: So strong, I bet you won’t randomly collapse when a certain princess is about to get arrested by the cops.


Keane winces, deflating. Sakura almost feels bad. Almost.

KEANE: …Oh. Right. I… forgot about that.
KEANE: …It's… it's been a trying few days. Or weeks. One of those units.


He pokes at the fish, almost fully cleaned of fish guts and ready to roast.

KEANE: …I wish I knew what that was about, honestly.
KEANE: It'd make this a lot easier, if I could go “Ohh, that happened because there was a purple space parasite in my eye socket chewing on my brain!” Or whatever.
KEANE: But, I don't know why it happened. And that's not an excuse.
KEANE: I’m really, truly sorry about that. I hope it won't impact my ability to serve you in the future.

SAKURA: H-Haha, yeah. Eye parasites? That’d be ridiculous…
SAKURA: …Keane, you’re making my eye hole itch.


Sakura shudders, but the discomfort passes momentarily. With a single finger, she paps her eyepatch in its dead center.

SAKURA: But… I guess it’s fine.
SAKURA: When you’re down to one loyal servant, you can’t afford to be picky.
SAKURA: Besides. You’re at least in, say, the upper 10% of servants.
SAKURA: That’s a pretty good honor, I’d say. Were I in possession of any money, I’d give you a raise. Assuming of course, that I even paid you in the first place.


Keane grins, cheerful as ever.

KEANE: …Thank you, Princess.
KEANE: Oh, just about done here… one moment…


Keane turns away with the fish. There's a very, very soft crk sound, and after a few moments, Keane turns back around, tightly gripping a long, thin, metal stick with the fish-meat speared on it. He holds it over the flame, rotating it slightly to even out the heat.

KEANE: …speaking of your eye.
KEANE: Does it hurt…? Is there anything I can do to, uh, help with it?

SAKURA: H-Hurt? No, it’s… fine, really.
SAKURA: B-Besides, there’s nothing you can do to fix it.
SAKURA: It was… b-burned out.
SAKURA: So unless you have some incredibly rare materials on hand to do that “resurrection” thing the Spherebreakers could dodo, I’m gorilla out of luck.


Keane grimaces. Sakura fidgets.

KEANE: …Yikes.
KEANE: …I-if it's not too… traumatizing, to remember… How’d it happen?

SAKURA: Oh, y’know.
SAKURA: You’re having a perfectly good day after getting banished from Seatopolis. Sure, the woods aren’t exactly accommodating, but you’re… surviving, barely.
SAKURA: And sure, you’ve maybe committed a few petty crimes to get by, but it’s nothing serious. People need to eat, right?
SAKURA: And maybe, just maybe, you get caught in the act of stealing a pie- okay, maybe a few pies- and the people aren’t exactly happy.
SAKURA: And then you learn that your father just so happened to have sent many of the people in that village to their deaths in fighting the Iti and Spherebreakers.
SAKURA: A-And… t-then…
SAKURA: M-Must I spell the rest out?
SAKURA: I think they wanted to kill me, but… I was lucky enough to escape with just a burnt-out eye.

KEANE: …Oh.
KEANE: …My condolences.
KEANE: …It won't happen again. I promise you that. Not on my watch.

SAKURA: It better not. I only have one eye left.
KEANE: …I'm well aware of that, Princess. I can count.
KEANE: …
KEANE: …Oh, here's a thought!
KEANE: That Ilex guy is an engineer of some kind, right? Robots, an’ junk?
KEANE: Maybe we can get him to make you a new eye, or something?
KEANE: Iunno. …I'm not a robot person. He could take a look?

SAKURA: N-NO!


…Word, that was loud. She’s likely disrupted the good vibes of the campsite with an outburst like that. Slowly but surely though, the chatter around the site returns. Sakura blushes gently, pale green flooding her cheeks. Keane stares at her, forgetting to turn the kebab- but it seems the kebab has continued to turn anyway. Strange.

SAKURA: A-Ah, sorry.
SAKURA: I-It’s just… it’s hideous to look at.
SAKURA: I’d… rather not show anyone. Besides, I’m… used to having my eye like this.
SAKURA: A-And like, you heard the gossip, right? Acacia went totally bonkers because she got a bionic eye. W-What if that like, happens to me, r-right?
SAKURA: I think it’s for the best if we just… don’t change anything.

KEANE: …Well, alright. Your body, your choice, and all that.
KEANE: …Damn shame, though. Cybernetics are coming back in style.
KEANE: If you had a cybernetic eye, I know a few girls back home who would climb you like a tree.

SAKURA: hot
SAKURA: A-Are they now?
SAKURA: Well… maybe I’ll consider it.
SAKURA: Later, though. Once we leave this snowy goddamn hellscape and… kill god, or whatever it is we’re here to do.


Sakura’s stomach rumbles.

SAKURA: Ugh, [icolor=#000000]gorilla.
SAKURA: Got a second fish, or perhaps something more palatable?[/color]
KEANE: …This fish was for you, actually.
SAKURA: …Really?
SAKURA: You’re much too kind, my loyal servant.
SAKURA: Again. I’d give you a raise, were I not broke. But perhaps for now, I could regale you with a fish of my own?
SAKURA: I’ve become… an acceptable cook, with my time in exile.
SAKURA: The one benefit of stealing half a dozen pies and a cookbook.

KEANE: …Sure! Why not.


Keane quickly plates the now-perfectly-roasted fish, offering it to Sakura. As she takes the first bite, the flavor… cascades across her tongue delightfully. It's a bit bland, but still more or less 136% better than the grass she dug up beneath the snow just a few hours ago.

SAKURA: My. You actually have quite the talent for this, don’t you?
SAKURA: I’m quite impressed.


Keane sits up a bit straighter, clearly trying to stay modest.

KEANE: Oh, it's nothin’. Just picked it up somewhere, is all.
KEANE: …I'm glad you like it, Princess. It's a pleasure to serve.

After that neat little interlude, Keane hums, shuffling through his pack. Doesn't seem to have much in the way of food, just a few changes of clothes, a box of guitar picks, and a blanket.

KEANE: Hm. I was gonna offer some of my spare clothes to y'all if anyone wanted pajamas, but... it occurs to me that the clothes you do have are probably better for insulation and whatnot.
KEANE: Option's there, I guess?
KEANE: Oh! And if anyone's particularly susceptible to the chill, I can help with that too. My, uh... skin?
KEANE: Carapace? Shell? ...I don't know what it's called. I flunked geology in high school.
KEANE: My skin gives off heat. Not too much heat, admittedly, but it's something. So, like, if anyone's particularly prone to the cold, I could sleep by you?
KEANE: ...Not sure how cold it's gonna be, never slept in an igloo before. I suppose I still might not, depending.
KEANE: First come, first serve, though! There's only one me. :P


Keane waits. If no one takes him up on his offer, he takes whatever spots are remaining.


Skylar

skylar and his buddies

SKYLAR:


Meanwhile In Paigeland...

PAIGE: ._.

--------------------
Carcinizing into God. All things become me eventually. Meta bullshit found contagious. Chuck E Cheese is an arcade not a restaurant. FANCY SANTAS!

GO DESTROY THE GODMODDER!

Face down a malevolent tyrant and cement yourself as part of vamprobabilitant history in DTG: Wizardry in Shellestokar!
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pionoplayer
 Posted: Jul 26 2023, 11:59 PM
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Weaver of Fates
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During the main meeting at the campfire, Bass makes a statement he thinks might be racist.

LENTINULA: N-no offense taken.
LENTINULA: I'm-I'm not the same kind of fairy as them and even if I were...
LENTINULA: Left to their own devices most kinds of fairy colonies get... "petty".
LENTINULA: I. Don't have the patience for those kinds of status politics. It's like having a society where everyone you meet is an insufferable noble.


towards the end of it...

LENTINULA: W-we've got a... pretty good adventuring party here if nothing else.
LENTINULA: Though uh. That means things are... probably going to be eventful.
LENTINULA: Very eventful.
LENTINULA: b-but we can. Probably handle it!

--------------------
Once upon a time there was a story...
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engie
 Posted: Jul 27 2023, 12:49 PM
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Ancestor
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The Wreckage

Blacklight demorphs back to normal state, then inspects his craftwork.

"...Amateurish, but it shall suffice considering current deficits."

Then, he turns his attention to other going-ons. He only takes a small amount of soup, since it's not really something he needs as badly as some of the other party members. It's just nice to have. The discussion has him considering some things...

"I can get by without rest. Besides, somebody needs to keep watch. The fae folk might investigate once they're aware of our presence, not to mention the odds of feral or newhive Iti coming after us."

A pause.

"Mind you, I can't watch every location at once, and I'm not too sold on my ability to get there in time if something happens further away from me. Who else can volunteer for guard duty?"

Maybe more here. It depends if anyone approaches.

--------------------
"Their story has concluded for now. Currently, you follow mine."
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Sky High
 Posted: Jul 28 2023, 03:07 PM
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QM of 1KU
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[this is a placeholder post]

[Doc unequips one el'ite spike and equips one Elemental Runes tuned to Poison]

--------------------
Have you ever heard the tale of Godmodding?
They say that a Godmodder is a master of a universe, able to bend its laws to their whims.
They say that Godmodders are cursed to forever create their own opposition... adventurers, who crawl from the woodwork of the world to oppose the Godmodder.
But they say that there are no more Godmodders.
Unfortunately for them...

I'm still here.
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Urus
 Posted: Jul 28 2023, 03:12 PM
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Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?
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Soup time.

QUOTE (engie @ Jul 27 2023, 11:49 AM)
"Mind you, I can't watch every location at once, and I'm not too sold on my ability to get there in time if something happens further away from me. Who else can volunteer for guard duty?"


DES: I gotta sleep at some point, but at the least I can take a shift on watch. Maybe more, let's find out...
72: Living Plague
52: Reckless Revenge
37: Thorn Patch
11: Flare


They snap, and thorn patches spring up around the igloo.

DES: Eh, better than nothing. Dunno how long it'll last, but should make things safer for at least part of the night.

...and then the thorns fade away within a minute. Des bwaahs.

DES: heck.
DES: Guess I'll just have to keep watch the normal way.


Des will sleep in the igloo, waking up at some point during the night to go on watch.
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Irecreeper
 Posted: Jul 28 2023, 03:29 PM
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Source of the Problem
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Having just returned to camp (and having just devoured a fish with all the grace of a fell beast), Sakura figures that it's time to rest. While she was no stranger to sleeping under the open stars at this point, sleeping in such frigid circumstances was certainly... new and interesting. Would a bed of snow be relaxing, or would it just leave her damp and depressed? And how about sleeping in an igloo? Surely, a construction made of snow would melt and collapse upon her, right?

Horrific. All horrid options. There was no choice. She would have to perform the Very Normal Sleep Technique. Sakura, silent as the grave, walks into the tree line. A tree is morphed, its tree innards becoming... tree outards. She steps into the tree, and seals herself inside. Nobody could reach her there. Nobody could see her there. Nobody could hear it-

--------------------
Link to Thymium Document: Click Here!
Link to Thymium Discord: Click Here!
ruin a
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Sparked
 Posted: Jul 28 2023, 04:34 PM
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Vent simply decides to go to sleep in the igloo. At the bare minimum, keeping his coat on should protect him from the cold. He can only hope it doesn't get ruined too badly sleeping on the floor.

Eroa elects to sleep near the fire instead. Being a bit more world savvy, she pulls out a Sage Robe from the inventory to use as a makeshift pillow. With a wave of her hand, the traditionally pink accents of her Magisuit turn a warm orange, indicating some form of self heating, before deciding to finally rest. Do goddesses need rest? Possibly not, but from the self-satisfied look of Eroa, they sure like it.

--------------------
You are already dead.

Starlight Document: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NZl...dit?usp=sharing
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Dedomeni
 Posted: Jul 28 2023, 07:50 PM
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bang / bang / burn
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<ROUND 18>

The stars begin to shine over the night sky, the temperature dropping even lower as the party huddles around the campfire.

Pardon claims an igloo spot. Pardon zzz indeed.


Debbie advises Skylar on how better to conduct Iti diplomacy. Whether Skylar actually takes this advice into account, we will never know, since it did not appear in the Posts this round.

Debbie also grabs a spot in the igloo to sleep. Her reanimated Gorged will watch over the igloo… for some time, before dissolving into a pile of fluidsand. Luckily, there’s other people to take watch afterward.


Keane and Sakura cook a fish.

Oh, and Keane offers to share body heat during the night. No one seems to take him up on this offer.


Lentinula expresses her confidence in the party. Bass nods approvingly.

BASS: heck yeah
BASS: we got this
BASS: gonna destroy the
BASS: tower
BASS: the bad guys definitely have a big tower we can storm im calling it now



Blacklight takes watch. Perhaps his frightening appearance will scare off any would-be nighttime ambushers.


Doc swaps a trinket. His poison resistance swaps, while his spell damage goes… significantly down, actually, since I can’t figure out where a lot of it was coming from. Let me know if you do know and I’ll fix it.


Des also takes watch. They attempt to set up some thorn patches to guard the camp.

Unfortunately, thorn patches operate on combat time, and combat doesn’t last very long in real time (ignoring the time dilation involved with long talk no jutsu speeches). Des bwaah’s as the patches dissolve, and is forced to take watch manually. Like a shmuck.


Sakura sleeps inside a tree, like a completely normal person. No one will hear her scream.


Vent decides to sleep in the igloo. He uses his coat as a makeshift blanket, shielding him from the cold. Well-constructed igloos are actually quite good at insulation, but the environment does mean the air is still quite chilly.

Eroa, meanwhile, sleeps near the fire. The fire that is bound to go out unless regularly tended to, but luckily Blacklight has that part covered.


As the stars shine over Sussui’s dark sky, the party makes their beds in various shelters. Keeping watch are a motley crew of individuals and constructs, taking shifts while the night stretches on.

The watch passes tensely, but mostly uneventfully. Every noise in the darkness is a potential threat, but none materialize. At some point, the watch party catches a Grey Seeker skittering in the nearby bushes, which is easily turned back out. After many hours of darkness, however, orange light wells on the horizon as the sun once again begins to rise.


Chi shuffles out from the tent, looking rather disheveled.

CHI: …Morning.
CHI: As I said last night, we’ll be moving out shortly.
CHI: Anything you can’t carry, you’ll have to leave behind.
CHI: Make sure to eat well. I don’t know exactly where we are, but I know it’s going to be a trek.


Slinging a few bags over her shoulder, she begins heading to the north.

CHI: I’ll begin scouting out the trail. Please make sure everyone is awake and ready to go.

The mountain trail is now available for exploration!

--------------------
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Adria
 Posted: Aug 3 2023, 09:45 PM
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Sunbreak

The night was mostly uneventful, thankfully. Debbie slept as though she were dead throughout, but the rest was much appreciated after that crazy evening.

Her eyes flutter open as the sight of sunlight breaks through the igloo. She sits up-

DEBBIE: Uf...

-oh, yeah, uncomfortable sleeping spots aren't exactly stellar for back pain. Or cramping. There was probably a better spot available, but better her take the uncomfortable spot than someone else... at least, in her mind.

Eventually, Debbie fully stands up after a couple stretches and heads outside.

...Yep, still here. Still here, ship crashed, not even a day after being vaporized for the first time ever, still in the cold tundra (and finally starting to shiver)... for a moment, she starts muttering to herself under her breath, frowning.

DEBBIE: It... i-it all feels like a nightmare...
DEBBIE: Life... so, so fragile...
DEBBIE: And the... the existence of that... "Spawn Point"...
DEBBIE: ...Ugh, no, focus, focus on the now, Debbie, focus.

DEBBIE: ...Damn it all...


Fortunately (or unfortunately), Debbie's stomach growls. She winces. Right. She had a very small portion of the food compared to everyone else last night. Better get some food before heading out.

After getting a bite to eat from whatever's left of the food, and a chat with Sakura with some very interesting findings, Debbie heads out for the mountains.

There, she finds Chi. And a sheer cliff. Okay, not a great start. She notes a path to the east... but would walking around be faster than climbing up? Perhaps not. So much snow...

DEBBIE: ...Move aside.

Once everyone's moved away, the ground near (AR24) begins to rumble. In just a moment, a rock spire juts out vertically next to the cliff edge, plenty of rubble around the place. Uh... that doesn't help?

Luckily, that's not the entire plan. She calls out to another as an "X" marks itself on the side of the pillar, near the base.

DEBBIE: R-8, would you be so kind?

Ah. It's a target. A target that will cause the pillar to fall over the cliff and make a ramp. Welp, if they need to double back for some reason...

--------------------
"...I will aid them. No matter the cost to myself."
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King_Fuffy
 Posted: Aug 5 2023, 03:03 PM
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Harbinger of the Crabpocalypse
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Technically Last Night

QUOTE (Dedomeni @ Jul 20 2023, 11:09 PM)
Keane introduces himself. And sits. :keanesit:

Meanwhile, Skylar attempts the aforementioned Grey Iti diplomacy. It clicks at the assembled Iti in a strange accent, offering them blue mac and cheese as gifts. The Seekers ignore Skylar’s words entirely, instead immediately leaping for the food hungrily. The Gorged leans downward to swipe at the Seekers in order to nab some food for itself, possibly ruining Skylar’s balance, while the Rainga, for some reason, shoots a rocky projectile at the food, where it ricochets directly into Skylar’s faceplate.

The fire-aspected Swirl, meanwhile, merely hovers there for a moment… before a raspy click emerges from somewhere within its crystals, as if from someone incredibly unused to speaking.

SWIRL: gift-s?


Skylar teeters violently as the Gorged leans down and the Rainga thunks a rock into its faceplate, steadying itself by burying its Knife Forelegs in the snow for stability. It hesitates a moment, before continuing its clicking.

SKYLAR: (...YES, GIFTS)
SKYLAR: (WE ARE. FRIENDLY.)
SKYLAR: (WILL RETURN TOMORROW)
SKYLAR: (WITH MORE FOOD)



A new day dawns...

...Quite literally, actually.

In the morning chill at the crack of dawn, the vamprobabilitant is the first to stir. She yawns quietly, running a hand through her messy, tangled hair, before gathering her things and slipping out of the igloo, careful not to disturb anyone else's slumber.

As the party begins to awaken, they exit their tents and are assuaged with the smell of... uh, I guess grilled fish and some of the rations? It's not like it was ever really explained what rations the party has. Regardless, Keane has prepared normal amounts of grilled fish and rations, for a quickish breakfast! She has her hair tied up in a high ponytail, and busies herself with preparing some skewers.

KEANE: Good morning!~
KEANE: Woke up early, so I thought I'd get started on breakfast.
KEANE: It's a big day today! Gotta have proper nutrition, and what-not.


Hmmm, is there something different about her...? Maybe it's just me. Regardless, she seems blissfully unaware of the weird looks she might be getting, or of the glowing purple eyes watching her from the trees, the ones that disappear when they notice you staring.


Meanwhile In Paigeland...

...After most of the others have already woken up, a relatively loud BRRRRING BRRRRING emanates from Skylar, in the Igloo. Paige groans audibly, whapping Skylar on its faceplate to turn off the alarm and turning facedown to block out the light.

PAIGE: five more minuuuuuuuutes (╥﹏╥)


Keane! Again!

After breakfast is finished, Keane catches up with Chi, Debbie, and Sakura in Switchback One, leaving a trail of hoofprints in the snow behind her.

KEANE: Good morning, Dr. Chi! G'morning, miss Debbie! Good morning, Princess!
KEANE: Looks like a good day for a hike, doesn't it?
KEANE: Comparatively, anyway. Was pretty blizzard-y around here a few weeks ago. Or was it months?
KEANE: ...Maybe I'll play some songs while we hike. Keep morale up, y'know. Anyone got any suggestions?


Keane then crosses the ramp bridge, hiking through AT24.

BBcode holder box

SKYLAR:

--------------------
Carcinizing into God. All things become me eventually. Meta bullshit found contagious. Chuck E Cheese is an arcade not a restaurant. FANCY SANTAS!

GO DESTROY THE GODMODDER!

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Paradoxdragonpaci
 Posted: Aug 6 2023, 08:49 AM
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Pardon awakes and enters automatic robo-butler mode as he gathers the remains of dinner, adds twenty different herbs and spices that are all a variation of grass derivatives onto his meal and fuels up.

He then actually wakes up after eating and heads off to Switchback One to ponder the AS32 opening from a distance
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Irecreeper
 Posted: Aug 6 2023, 09:57 PM
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An Awakening
Cocooned in shadow, Sakura staggers awake from her slumber. How many nights had she spent just like this, curled up inside of a tree? She would never get used to the all-encompassing gloom, sapping away at her very vitality. How she longed for the gentle gemglow of her room, the plush pillows- everything! With no encouragement to stay in "bed", the princess allowed her one good eye to flutter open.

With a wave of the arm, the tree was unzipped. Unceremoniously, the princess fell from the hollow, gentle sunlight washing over her. The infant sun cast its glow upon her shriveled form, relieving her from the long dark. She slowly rose, the morning dew shimmering illustriously as it dripped from the foliage, refracting prismatic light.

Or at least, that's how it should've been.

Instead, the tree shattered. Splinters and shards spilled upon the snow, Sakura joining them in a broken heap. Stumbling up from her rude awakening, the princess was greeted by a darkness more vicious, more consuming than the pitch black that had enveloped her within the comparatively peaceful hollow. Her every breath created a mist in the frigid winter air, though she could not see it.

Desperately, Sakura felt around for a branch. Locking hands with it, she pulled it up from the snow. For a random twig, it certainly was sticky. Channeling her magic through her palms, electric sparks scarred the surface of the wood, and soon it erupted into a blaze. Though the light her makeshift torch provided was but a flickering candle, at least she could see. And these woods... they were not the woods she took shelter in. The trees were withered, not a single leaf upon their snapped branches.

...Sap dripped down her fingers. What Sakura held in her hand was not a simple torch, but a severed wooden arm. Blood-red sap stained her fingertips. Gasping, she dropped the "torch", the gentle flame immediately perishing in the uncaring snowbank. Once again, she had returned to shadow.

A scream echoed through the dark. A male Chairian, their voice distorted as if passed through a garbled radio. A flash of purest light punctuated the evaporation of a humanoid form, their limbs falling into the snow in the dying traces of the glow. White eyes pierced the resurgent darkness, their holy glow etching themselves into Sakura's vision.

WHITE EYES: Oh? Now this is most interesting.
WHITE EYES: To think, you would strive for the same ideals as him.
WHITE EYES: You really are Spark's daughter, through and true.
WHITE EYES: But it matters not. Like the others, you shall be excised.


Without time for another thought, Sakura bolted off into the darkness, away from the piercing glare of the white eyes. Crashing into nearly invisible branches as she fled, Sakura's own sap joins the canvas of the night. Undeterred in the slightest, the pale glare of the hunter followed after her, the same branches that tore into Sakura's body being sliced apart by the hunter's blade.

In the midst of her blind sprint, Sakura's stride was converted into a brutal fall as a wooden tendril ensnared her leg, causing her to bash her head into the uncaring earth. Her vision blurred, and the world spun around her as she tried desperately to get back onto her feet. One foot planted itself firmly on the ground, the other planted itself cast roughly six meters off in front of her, spiraling uselessly into the snow.

And soon, her other limbs followed. With rapid, precision cuts, Sakura was torn asunder. Her arms fell into the snow, followed by her remaining leg. Her torso splattered upon the soggy grass, soon accompanied by her head. And yet, she still lived, vividly feeling the pain of bisection.

WHITE EYES: That would be all of you.
WHITE EYES: Seven sinners, eradicated.
WHITE EYES: The bodies must be burned. I can't risk anything.
WHITE EYES: Still, it would be arrogant of me to not practice proper safety. The woods mustn't burn simply because they held a few sinners.


The white eyes faded from view, tracing back their trail of carnage. Though she expected at any moment for the hunter to turn around and finish her off, luck seemed to be on her side for once. The pain faded from Sakura's body, as she felt wooden tendrils extending from what used to be her neck. They entangled her torso, her severed arms, her cast off legs, and pulled them together. Wood bubbled as her body was forcibly stitched back together.

Silently and desperately, Sakura took off into the night. Much as she detested it, she could see just fine now. She could always see just fine in the dark. She just had to-

She just had to wake up.


The fire was quiet, the food had cooled down, yet Debbie sat at the campsite, quickly eating another, larger, serving of soup. She really should have eaten more food last night, but hindsight is 20/20, after all. There's rustling from the woods. Carrying the stench of death and decay with her, Sakura steps out from the trees and into the campsite. Her gait is like that of the recently un-deceased, heavy bags underneath her eyes.

SAKURA: g’ub mornin’

…Were those words? It is unclear who they were directed at. Debbie suddenly perks up, instantly recognizing the voice. She turns to face the fallen princess, confused.

DEBBIE: Good... morning?-

Then the stench hit her. Debbie blinks, eyes widening soon after. Concern was immediately apparent on her face.

DEBBIE: ...Is everything alright, Sakura?

Still more or less undead, Sakura barely raises an eyebrow to Debbie.

SAKURA: e-everythin’ is guuud, i don’t understaaand w-what der is to be cuncerned ‘bout…
SAKURA: …hold f-for just…


Arcs of electricity jump between Sakura’s fingers. Before Debbie can do anything, Sakura jams her makeshift taser into her own thigh, immediately spasming. Debbie flinches at the act as Sakura stumbles forward, nearly teetering over before just barely catching her balance in what can be likened to a child stumbling around in ice skates.

SAKURA: …Oh. It’s you.
SAKURA: Everything… E-Everything is fine! Why would things not be fine?
SAKURA: Just… had a bit of a rough sleep, is all.


Debbie sighs, and stands up. She stares directly into Sakura’s singular eye. It twitches ever so slightly.

DEBBIE: ...That’s understandable.
DEBBIE: Yesterday was... stressful for a lot of us.
DEBBIE: As such, I would like to apologize for my behavior towards you yesterday.
DEBBIE: Stress... kinda ended up taking over, and I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time.
DEBBIE: A bit shameful, really...

SAKURA: …Huh?
SAKURA: Right, you were a bit of a total gorilla yesterday…
SAKURA: It’s… fine. At least you have the decorum to apologize.


The princess sighs, sitting down next to Debbie, who in turn sits back down. Sakura glances back at the woods which she lurked out of. Her single eye widens for a fleeting moment, before her gaze immediately snaps back forward, staring at nothingness. Then, she notices it. A simple, somewhat plain crown, resting on Debbie’s noggin. Immediately, Sakura sputters on her letters, doing her best to formulate words from them.

SAKURA: I-I… suppose your transgressions can be forgiven.
SAKURA: R-Royalty like ourselves must stick together, yes?.


Debbie falls silent for a moment. She glances toward the nearby Spawn Point, then back at Sakura, the latter of which is sweating sap-based bullets.

DEBBIE: Hm...
DEBBIE: It is good practice to stick with your fellows.
DEBBIE: While yes, it includes royalty...
DEBBIE: It also includes those we serve. Civilians, our band of survivors, that sort of thing.
DEBBIE: So by extension, we royals should indeed stick together.

SAKURA: I mean… I guess you’re not wrong.
SAKURA: Working with these types… it really can’t be avoided at the moment.
SAKURA: With such a horrifically planned venture out into unexplored territory like this, I doubt we’ll be seeing reinforcements for quite some time.
SAKURA: So, peasants and princesses must mingle together.


Taking mental note of what Sakura just said and begrudgingly accepting that Sakura won’t change course easily, Debbie notes the miscategorization of “princess” attributed to her. She doesn’t react in any overt way, other than a correction.

DEBBIE: ...It will do for now, yes.
DEBBIE: Small correction, however: I lead my land of Sapphire Skyline as a queen.

SAKURA: A-A… queen?
SAKURA: What’s the queen of the Sapphire Somewhere doing on a gorillahole like Sussui?
SAKURA: You could totally be like, napping right now! Sending your loyal armies to resolve whatever sort of weird interest you have in this hell.
SAKURA: …You uh, do have loyal armies, right? Or at least a bodyguard or ten?
SAKURA: I can’t help but notice your entourage is lacking, just a little.


Debbie scratches her chin, absentmindedly looking up at the sky above.

DEBBIE: Simply put, I wanted to strengthen relations with LOCAA after the Sphere Incident.
DEBBIE: As you no doubt know, LOCAA has a... rocky relationship with outsiders like my kind, to say the least.
DEBBIE: I figured the best way to strengthen those relations would be to participate in this expedition in some way.
DEBBIE: As you said, I could have sent someone in my stead...
DEBBIE: But I don’t exactly... roll that way? So I went myself to prove we’re serious about becoming an ally.
DEBBIE: ...O-of course, I didn’t expect to get vaporized on the way...
DEBBIE: I-I assume that’s what happened to me, anyway.

SAKURA: That’ll be a political situation and a half, won’t it?
DEBBIE: If I don’t turn up in some way, yes.
DEBBIE: ...Of course, there’s no method of contacting those back in the capital that we’re... m-mostly fine.
DEBBIE: My comms device was burned up because of course it did, Skylar and Paige have no signal, I don’t know enough about the wildlife here to attach a message to any flying creatures, those Harpies are no good, they’d just get shot down or try to kill everyone or something, and I’m not even sure if we’ll have any luck where we’re going either.

SAKURA: Ah, so your people will try to contact you, assume you’re dead, and declare war on us? Nice.


Debbie sighs, leveling her head with Sakura’s.

DEBBIE: ...Under my rule, that wouldn’t happen.
DEBBIE: I’m not sure I could say the same for whoever ends up taking my place...
DEBBIE: Fortunately, I do know of a former Spherebreaker who would likely try to find us before then.

SAKURA: You knew some of these freaks?
SAKURA: I got to meet like… a shadowy robotic edgelord, some gorilla named Adria who seemed to despise my very existence (and foolishly thought she could outdrink me), Keane, and… a surprising number of literal children?
SAKURA: Isn’t employing children to fight screwed up? Surely they must enjoy themselves before adult gorilla eats up their time. And kills them.


Debbie nods in agreement, knowing exactly who she’s talking about.

DEBBIE: Agreed. A child fighting means there’s something really, really horrible going on.
DEBBIE: Like the Malice incident, which forced three children to flee from the possessed aunt of one of those children, or likely face their demise.
DEBBIE: ...All three of which ended up with the Spherebreakers, with the aunt eventually caught by them and stripped of whatever was possessing her.

SAKURA: Well, someone knows an awful lot about the children.
SAKURA: Better not have been your kids you sent off to fight.


Debbie’s right eye twitches.

DEBBIE: I didn’t even know it was a thing until reports came in after the Sphere Incident!
DEBBIE: They left on their own, ended up stuck here on Sussui, and were taken in by the Spherebreakers.
DEBBIE: And, of course, Stasis City hadn’t said a word about it...

SAKURA: Maybe like, the resident ruler is covering it up.
SAKURA: Wait, no. That’s you. Far as I can tell, you probably didn’t lead like my father did.
SAKURA: God. What a gorilla.
SAKURA: He’d never come out to the front lines like this, unless he really had no choice.
SAKURA: …or if he got sufficiently cheesed off.


Debbie takes a brief moment to process what Sakura just said. As if a lightbulb went off in her head, her expression brightens slightly and she slowly nods.

DEBBIE: I... heard nothing good about your father.
DEBBIE: My condolences for having to deal with him for so long.

SAKURA: It’s… fine.
SAKURA: …is what I’d say, were I goddamn crazy.
SAKURA: I just… really can’t believe it. Like, he wasn’t a horrific father, at least to me. ‘Course, I never really cared about him either, but to think he’d go and do…


Sakura vaguely gestures to everything in the area.

SAKURA: …that, it’s just…
SAKURA: He… had enough, didn’t he? A cushy job, a life of luxury all lined out for him, people who would fall at his knees and do whatever the gorilla he asked.
SAKURA: What could inspire someone to d-do… all of that?
SAKURA: People say that he was crazy. Mental disorders caused as a result of the End War. Some people think his ambitions were too great.
SAKURA: And some p-people have the absolute gall to blame m-me for all of this!
SAKURA: Uuuuuugh.


Sakura leans far back against her seat, stretching and groaning. Unfortunately, she’s sitting on a log, so she ends up rolling down backwards and nearly plopping into the snow. Debbie manages to catch Sakura’s back with her soft arm, pushing Sakura back upright.

DEBBIE: Whoa, c-careful!

She retracts her arm.

DEBBIE: Hmmm...
DEBBIE: It’s hard to truly say what your father’s motivations were.
DEBBIE: Or if he had a mental disorder of some sort.
DEBBIE: But we do know that... well... he did it.
DEBBIE: If I were to hazard a guess, though...
DEBBIE: Perhaps, it wasn’t enough for him at all.
DEBBIE: Drunk off power, he threw the responsibility that comes with it entirely out the window.
DEBBIE: Perhaps, he wanted... everything.
DEBBIE: Not just “enough for a life of luxury”, but everything.


She peers out to the horizon ahead for just a moment, then turns back to Sakura.

DEBBIE: But anyway.
DEBBIE: I know that none of it is your fault.
DEBBIE: The populace can be... fickle. Believe me, very much so.
DEBBIE: I think so long as you keep your father’s heinous actions in mind - where he went - and understand how he got there, you’ll differentiate yourself from him.
DEBBIE: Perhaps not immediately... but eventually at least.

SAKURA: W-What do you mean, “differentiate yourself from him?” A-Am I really him, in your eyes?
SAKURA: …That’s what I am. That’s what everyone says, what everyone assumes.
SAKURA: I wonder why they say that.
SAKURA: Do they want me to go mad, to throw everything away, to try and kill everyone?
SAKURA: Do they so desperately want to be proven right, that his entire lineage is one disaster after another?


Debbie shakes her head.

DEBBIE: I meant in the eyes of the populace. Most of them aren’t exactly... prone to critical thinking? Yeah.
DEBBIE: But, to me?
DEBBIE: Even though I never met Spark, and thank goodness for that, I can tell you, and your path, are far different from his.
DEBBIE: Call it... a queen’s intuition, I suppose.
DEBBIE: I apologize for the lack of clarity on that.

SAKURA: How… how would you know that?
SAKURA: H-How would you know t-that I’m really different?
SAKURA: What if… they are right?
SAKURA: I know they’re right.


Sakura clutches at her eyepatch. In a single, fluid motion, she sits herself up, and begins to trudge her way forward through the campsite.

SAKURA: I-I just… don’t want to believe it.

Debbie watches Sakura walk away, figuring it might be best to leave her alone for now. She sighs.

DEBBIE: ...Poor girl...

Once Sakura is far enough away from her, Debbie sits herself up as well... and heads into the direction, into the woods, where she saw Sakura originally coming from. That smell of rot had her... very concerned. Immediately, the scent hits her like a sledgehammer to the chest. Following her writhing nose, Debbie traces a few careful steps through the snow.

Not far from the campsite was a single tree, rotted from the inside out. Something had burst from here moments earlier, leaving a slurry of goo-like splinters across the otherwise pristine snow. The rot had spread to the roots of this once proud tree, and even now the branches were withering and breaking right before Debbie’s eyes.

Perhaps for the first time since she respawned, Debbie was shook. Almost in a frenzy, she pulls out her clipboard, turns to a new page, and hastily begins scribbling down the rotten tree, knowing full well who burst from it minutes ago.

And, perhaps, against her better judgment, she encases one of the splinters in a dense layer of Fluidsand and rock and places it in her pocket. After that... she just... stares at the tree, nose on fire.

DEBBIE: ...W-what the peck...
DEBBIE: What’s... r-really going on?...


....After another moment of staring at the tree, and deciding she had enough of the rot stink, Debbie leaves the area to reconvene with the others.


Through idle chatter, Sakura learns that there's a mountain pass to explore. Through the Mountains Trailhead she walks, until she reaches the region known as "Switchback One".

SAKURA: ...Morning, Chi.
SAKURA: Please tell me you have some good news today.
SAKURA: And... why the hell are we heading this way? Shouldn't we fall back to civilization and assemble a proper army to deal with whatever's out here?
SAKURA: You're not seriously going to make us scale an entire goddamned moujntan, right?


someone's grouchy this morning, i wonder why

--------------------
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Link to Thymium Discord: Click Here!
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Sparked
 Posted: Aug 11 2023, 04:06 AM
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Vent slowly opens his eyes, recollecting everything he had experienced the day before. A new world, death, and rebirth. A slight but sudden shame washed through him. He’d been so held back by that experience that he had completely neglected his duty as an artist. Not a single page had been filled in his sketchbook since he had stepped foot in Sussui.

Vent sighs, as he gets up, sketchbook clutched in his arms, and gets out to face the new day.

VENT: A new day…
VENT: …I’m going to be here for a while, aren’t I.
VENT: At the very least, I’ll have some time to properly make something out of this place.


Eroa, in the meantime, awakens from her rest near the campfire and stretches quite a bit, emanating a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

EROA: Nnn, another day.
EROA: Well then, time to make some progress here, I suppose?
EROA: I wonder what kinds of foes we will meet today…


Eroa grabs her equipment, ready to press on.

--------------------
You are already dead.

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engie
 Posted: Aug 11 2023, 01:47 PM
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Night passes.


The Wreckage

Blacklight is conspicuously absent for the first few minutes of everyone else getting up, but after a while, he makes his return to the campfire. He looks a little bit worse for wear than usual, but considering how he normally looks, one would be forgiven for not noticing.

He sits back where he was sitting at the start of the night, staring at the fire contemplatively. Hard to really tell what he's thinking when he's not saying anything. Once he straightens up his posture, he finally speaks.

"I hope as many of you as possible got a proper rest. Who knows what we'll have to fight or scavenge for next."

--------------------
"Their story has concluded for now. Currently, you follow mine."
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Dedomeni
 Posted: Aug 11 2023, 06:08 PM
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<ROUND 19>

Debbie wakes up and gets some food. The soup has gone cold at this point, but it’ll do.

She then ventures north, summoning a greatspire around (AR24), and asks R-8 if he can do something about the conspicuous X on it. R-8 grins, lining up his firework launcher.

R-8733: You got it, boss!
R-8733: Three, two, one… BOOM.


A rocket streaks out of R-8’s launcher, hitting the X square in its center. The explosion rocks the spire, expelling bits of dirt and rock in all directions, but the bulk of it maintains intact as it topples forward, forming a ramp up the slope. Time-saver acquired.


Last night… Skylar assures the Grey Iti they will return in the morrow. With more food. The Swirl seems… confused?

SWIRL: m-more g-gifts?
SWIRL: …why give?


Meanwhile, Keane, who is exactly the same as she was yesterday, cooks some fish. After that, she heads north, hiking across Debbie and R-8’s new bridge to (AT24). She finds yet more mountain, with a lone sapsqueal hanging around near the second switchback’s turn point. The tree cover is still fairly dense at this elevation, but it only lessens as far up as Keane can see.


Pardon awakens. He gets some food, then goes to ponder (AS32) from afar.

It looks like someone has evened out the ground here, placing logs along the way to create a section up the mountainside that’s easier to traverse. The snow has buried almost all traces of the path, but it should still serve. Although Debbie’s bridge will also do, until it too is buried in the next snowstorm.


> [S] Sakura: Wake up.

After that perfectly normal and cool dream followed by an equally normal and cool conversation with Debbie, Sakura heads north to greet Chi in her customary manner: grumpily. Chi stares at Sakura.

CHI: …Fall back?
CHI: And you’re under the impression that such a trip would be any easier?
CHI: We’re miles out from civilization in any direction. Amora is likely the closest major settlement.
CHI: Not only that, but they could well be in danger already. We don’t have time to trek back south for reinforcements.


She presses onwards, crossing Debbie’s bridge. Thus rebuffed, Sakura, at the OOC behest of her creator, ventures west through (AR14) to investigate the area. She finds an exceptionally rocky stretch of terrain, with nary a plant in sight. Though trying to scale the mountain from this side would probably involve getting impaled, there is a cave opening nearby… And some sort of distant sound from within. It’s muddled and hard to make out, though…


Vent awakens. As does Eroa.

No more commentary on that from me.


Blacklight also awakens. Or, rather, returns from… wherever he was. He expresses his hope that the party got a good rest. Hopefully, indeed.


The exploration continues.

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Sparked
 Posted: Aug 14 2023, 02:49 AM
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Eroa and Vent journey together to Switchback Two. While journeying, Vent spots in the corner of his eye a boar-like creature. Intriguing, indeed. A creature that is a parallel to a boar, or a pig in his own home.
A great subject, then! Carrying his pencil and sketchbook, Vent carefully approaches the Sapsqueal, walking towards it slowly in order to cause as little chance to startle the creature as possible.

VENT: H-h-hey there, l-lil guy.
VENT: Stay s-still for me, alright?


Vent opens his sketchbook with great care and starts to hastily draw the outlines of this familiar yet foreign beast.

--------------------
You are already dead.

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pionoplayer
 Posted: Aug 16 2023, 12:26 AM
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Lentinula scouts ahead, flying over past the rocky walls of the switchbacks to see what's beyond the second one.

--------------------
Once upon a time there was a story...
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Adria
 Posted: Aug 16 2023, 04:18 PM
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asplore

Debbie floats up towards Switchback Two. Annoying rock wall number two. Still, nothing a rock pillar can't fix, right...?

Debbie channels her magic through the ground again... but nothing happens.

DEBBIE: ...?

Confused, she tries again. Again, nothing happens.

DEBBIE: Odd...

She looks down at her feet... to the sight of that familiar purple thyme mist.

DEBBIE: Oh. Right. I-I forgot about that.
DEBBIE: These thymefields apparently don't like it when you try and solve the same type of problem the same way.
DEBBIE: ...Plan B.


Debbie approaches the cliff face. Noticing how loose the rocks are, it would be stupid to try and climb them.

But what if they weren't? What about an all natural ladder?

Debbie floats back slightly and channels her energy again. Suddenly, the loose rocks at (BA24 - BB24) start falling down the cliffside along with a healthy dose of Fluidsand. Once all the loose rocks are out of the picture, Debbie sandblasts the area with a heap of Fluidsand until it's relatively smooth.

Finally, parts of the surface erupt with rock and Fluidsand, forming some holes in the surface, enough to fit a hand into them. Conveniently, they're close enough to each other to form a solid climbing surface.

Debbie dusts herself off.

DEBBIE: That should do it. Onward we go.

Debbie climbs up first to make sure what she just made was safe, then heads further along the trail.

--------------------
"...I will aid them. No matter the cost to myself."
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Sky High
 Posted: Aug 16 2023, 08:16 PM
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Slightly earlier in the day...

As the sun rises, Doc turns his attention from his rudimentary workshop.

Doc: Oh... The time has passed quicker than I expected.

Doc turns his attention to his bundle. With all the filters he's been handing out, it's become a bit smaller. But it's still rather rudimentary. Thinking for a moment, Doc plucks a branch from a nearby tree then, opening a vial, dips the branch into it. The viscous fluid within comes out on the branch. Doc coats some of the portions of the bundle with it, causing the slightly frayed edges to stick together a little better. This, combined with the reduced volume of the bundle, allows Doc to grab the bundle with a single hand.

Doc: There. That ought to keep the bundle from spilling over.
Doc: Onwards, then. Lots of people to talk to.


The Rotted Tree

As Doc wanders the snowy landscape, his attention is suddenly grabbed by a tree that looks... well, out of place. The tree is rotten and decaying, with even healthy parts of the tree breaking off as the rotten parts continue to fall to pieces. Doc stares at the tree for what feels like eons,

Doc: I really hope that's not my fault.

Then, with a surge of intention, Doc approaches the tree, preparing a handful of vials. He pulls out a newly-made spyglass and examines the tree up and down. After a few minutes, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Doc: Thank goodness. Whatever this is, it wasn't my miasma that caused it.
Doc: Still... For a tree to rot like this is bizarre. It seems as though the rot set in quickly, and consumed the tree in no time at all.


After carefully dusting his hand with a white powder, Doc breaks off one of the healthy branches, turning it over in his gloved hand.

Doc: Bone-dry. No stored water, no sap of any sort.
Doc: Where did all that fluid go...?
Doc: This doesn't seem like something that an arboreal blight would be capable of.
Doc: And yet... This doesn't seem like the behavior of natural fauna either.
Doc: I know what the Fell Beasts are capable of, and this doesn't match it.


Doc drops the branch and pokes at the rotted part of the tree.

Doc: Perhaps the actions of a passing Iti?
Doc: It seems to fit more than the other possibilities, but it's still speculation.


Doc procures a silky cloth from one of his vials and cleans off his powdered hand with it. He then places the rag gently on the ground, clean side up, and pokes it into the dirt. A few seconds later, it bursts into flame and quickly goes out.

Doc: Whatever the case, I can't say I'm not concerned.
Doc: Many among our number are Chairians. The biology may be similar enough to be cause for concern.
Doc: I'll have to keep an eye out for something like this happening again.
Doc: But for now, I'll make sure that if this is a blight, it won't spread from this tree.


Doc spends a few minutes pulling out various vials and coating the tree with them. Some expand into foams, others into vapors, until the tree is vaguely glistening with various chemicals. Doc, satisfied with his work, continues on his way.

A Conversation Between Doctors

As Doc approaches the switchbacks, he notices Chi hiking north on the other side of the bridge.

Doc: Oh, Chi! I was wondering if I could have a word?

Chi turns back, bracing herself against a rock on the sloped ground.

CHI: Ah, Doc, was it?
CHI: Of course. What did you want to discuss?


Doc gets closer, carefully maneuvering the bundle he’s carrying so that he’s able to carry it in one hand.

Doc: Well, I have a few things I’d be interested in discussing, but everything in its time.
Doc: My main topic of discussion is that I have a gift for you, if you’re inclined to accept.

CHI: A gift?

Her eyebrows lift in curiosity. Doc pauses on the slope and gets down on his knees, carefully securing the bundle and rummaging around inside. He pulls out one of the small filter devices and presents it to Chi in a cupped hand.

Doc: I’ve been trying to make sure everyone on the team has the chance to get one.
Doc: This is a special filter of my own design. It keeps out all foreign contaminants and aerosols, and as a happy side effect it makes your breath minty fresh.
Doc: This one should be tuned for Chairian physiology, but I’m admittedly not yet an expert in that field.
Doc: If it gets hard to breathe, that’s not intentional. It’s easy to remove if that happens.


Chi takes the filter.

CHI: Thank you. I’ll be sure to… give it a look?
CHI: How, exactly, is one meant to wear this?

Doc: …Oh! Right. Just press it to your face. Over your nose and mouth.
Doc: And to take it off, just pull a little.
Doc: You’ll need to give it just a second to release.


The Chairian doctor blinks.

CHI: Have you tested this on Chairian physiology yet?
Doc: I gave one to the Lady Yedoensis and one to the Honorable Lepidodendron.
Doc: They both tolerated it well with the tuning I did. At least in theory, you should also have no problems.

CHI: In theory and in practice are very different things, doctor.
CHI: Still, I suppose you don’t exactly have the resources for controlled clinical trials out here…
CHI: Fine. Let’s give it a shot.


Chi hesitantly presses the filter to her face. There’s a brief hiss of steam as it adjusts, settling into position on her face.

Doc: How does it feel?
CHI: …Hardly like anything at all.
Doc: Good! That means it’s working about how it should.

Chi lifts the filter back off her face.

CHI: Would it be accurate of me to assume you’ve been creating these in order to ensure our safety from… your own condition?
Doc: Unfortunately, yes.
Doc: As my goal is to prevent the outbreak of my miasma, I’ve already instilled a high number of failsafes.
Doc: The miasma can only escape in its raw form by being exhaled from my lungs, although it can escape in lesser, non-infectious forms other ways.
Doc: Not much to be done about that, but it’s useful for repelling enemies and it has minimal effect on allies. Provided you’re up with your immunizations, anyways.
Doc: My exhalations are carefully filtered by my mask.
Doc: Besides that, I’m also under the effects of a tincture that pacifies the miasma as it enters my lungs. That slows it down further.


Doc turns his head to the side and gestures to the dent on the end of his mask.

Doc: My mask is incredibly hard to remove for anyone but me.
Doc: Unfortunately, the impact from our fall managed it. Some of the others may be able to attest to the fact that I was spewing the miasma from my mouth.
Doc: I was able to contain it with another one of my concoctions. Another layer of failsafes.
Doc: But I only have so many layers. And my reliance on myself for all of them constitutes a single point of failure.


Doc turns back and picks up the bundle again.

Doc: Hence, the filters. They don’t have to be worn all the time, but if I begin spilling over again, they’ll keep you safe from the miasma.
CHI: Thank you. I appreciate that.
CHI: I’m not familiar with your miasma, but perhaps together, we could devise a more permanent solution?
CHI: Some of my former associates in the last Thymefield outbreak managed to devise a biological agent capable of destroying an unkillable being.
CHI: While the field may suppress our most powerful tools, it also rewards working within its limitations. And your miasma might be weakened enough by it to be vulnerable.
CHI: …Not now, though. Once we reach civilization, it’s worth considering, I think.

Doc: ...I don’t want to get my hopes up too much.
Doc: But I’m always open to any new opportunity to purge this horrid miasma once and for all.


Chi turns back to the slope she was just climbing.

CHI: Right, well… If there’s anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.
Doc: I think that’s all I have for now.
Doc: I’m off, then. More of these to deliver, you know.


--------------------
Have you ever heard the tale of Godmodding?
They say that a Godmodder is a master of a universe, able to bend its laws to their whims.
They say that Godmodders are cursed to forever create their own opposition... adventurers, who crawl from the woodwork of the world to oppose the Godmodder.
But they say that there are no more Godmodders.
Unfortunately for them...

I'm still here.
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