>>43259976

“Naturally, I’d never allow that to happen.” She quickly regains her composure and her eyes burn with hatred. “I’ve come too far to succumb to those cursed beings now.” The Empress turns and heads back camp. “The preparations are all complete. You and your apprentice will be assisting me.”

You stop dead in your tracks, but immediately continue following. “How?” You manage to ask without The Empress detecting anything amiss.

~

The Empress sits calmly in a clearing far removed from the army’s camp. Her orbs of violet energy lock into the frame of a square pyramid surrounding her. You and Izu stand off to the side of the frame with the useless body at your feet.

“Looks like we’re about to kill her.” Izu comments quietly.

Soon enough.

“Don’t let the barrier fall.” You remind him one last time before picking up the useless body and joining with The Empress.

She tranquilly watches as you take your place behind her. “This shouldn’t take but a moment. And we’ll be heading out immediately after we finish the binding, Sophia.”

You turn to Izu and he immediate invokes his flames to create the large shaped barrier around you and The Empress.

The plan is for The Empress to establish a hook inside the being’s mind, where upon you’ll immediately and violently force it into its new prison. The work being easy on your part, however, upon the new binding a vast amount of energy will be emitted from both Ip’Suran and The Empress.

Meaning that you’ll be hardly more than an arm’s length from that blast, completely relying on Izu to protect you with another barrier.

He gives a brilliant smile and confident thumbs-up as you look back to him.

[2/3]

>>43260024

You shake your head and return to task at hand.

“It’s time to begin.” The Empress states simply as you watch her establish the link between her and the ancient being.

There are a number of reasons for wanting this to succeed and a number for wanting this to fail. Tampering with this ritual in any way could have devastating consequences, yet, perhaps if done in the right way, the benefits could be well worth it. The only question is, how?

>Continue with the ritual as The Empress had planned.

>Write in.

>>43260054
Two things try to set up Izu's barrier to siphon the energy which is raw into us and possibly himself.

Second, leave a tiny flaw in the primary sealing that will have Ip eat her continuously, and set a second seal that will eject him back to his own body should he attain control. Make the second seal be activated on a command roll also, one only we and possibly Izu would know.

>>43260054
>Try and work in a subtle backdoor that the Empress won't notice, that will let us dissolve the binding later. If possible disguise it as an unintentional flaw.

>>43260156
For your second point, I will allow the opportunity for one but not the other. Mainly because it would be too conspicuous to attempt too much.

>>43260054
>>43260156
>>43260210
Not that guy but I say link our fragment to the main being so we can incite it to corrupt her remotely.

Hello and welcome back to another thread! As it happens, it's been one year exactly since I started QM'ing. That doesn't really mean much, but here's to hopefully another year!

>>43260156
>>43260167
>>43260290
A little bit to add on the ritual.

>Writing~

>>43260403
Happy QM anniversary!

>>43260429
Thank you very much!

>>43260403

This kind of opportunity isn’t going to come up again, so you will seize what you can of it. The Empress is no fool, so you’ll have to be subtle and use something that won’t stand out in the slightest, and the silenced being lingering in the depths of your own mind gives you just the right idea.

Ip’Suran’s aura pulses irately as the link is established between it and The Empress.

“You’ll be going a little mission for me.” You inform the being in your own mind, knowing full well that it doesn’t have a choice in the matter.

It begins to quake in defiance, but your will quickly quashes any resistance.

Time to begin.

You immediately tag the fragment of the being deep into Ip’Suran and move to drive its main existence into The Empress’s own mind. The useless body convulses rapidly and begins to melt away before your own eyes. You sense Ip’Suran trying to escape out into the world, but you thoroughly goad it along the established link.

“You must absolutely hate us.” You laugh and mock it as it responds with pulses of aura growing in intensity. Blood streams from your nose, but it’s far too late for it now. Once the being crosses into the threshold of The Empress’s mind you fall back from the sudden eruption of energy.

[1/2]

>>43261344

The world around you is composed of nothing but blinding light and audible sound of air crushing underneath intense pressure. Given that you’re not writhing in agony, you know that Izu’s doing well to maintain his barrier.

The fallout eventually clears, and as you look up you can see that the larger exterior barrier is riddled with huge cracks and chips, but the one protecting you is flawlessly intact.

The Empress lies on the battered ground, seemingly defenseless, before almost instantly sitting up and blinking in the world around her as if she had parted from it for a long time.

In a single moment, the barriers fade way along with energy framing it, and Izu rushes over to inspect your condition. After becoming absolutely certain that you don’t need healing, he moves to The Empress.

“Your hair’s messed up.” He informs her.

She looks at him as if not fully understanding his words before chuckling and rising to her feet. “You both did well and now we have everything we need.” She fixes her hair. “Inform the army it’s time to proceed to the core.”

You bow and suddenly feel the hidden connection to Ip'Suran pulse with activity. The Empress doesn’t appear to notice, but it’s already waiting your command.

>Begin slow corruption.

>Hold off.

>Write in.

~

>>43261402
Do it in short bursts not continuously where she can notice.

>>43261402

>Begin slow corruption.
Gotta start now so she thinks it's normal.

>>43261426
That's literally the exact opposite of what we should do to remain undetected.

>>43261402
>Begin slow corruption.

>>43261484
>>43261555
The slow burn.

>Writing~

What I wonder now is if we should leave the slow corruption on when we head over to Kyrean. That amount of time would deal a great deal of damage, but without us observing things could go VERY badly for us.

>>43261779
Ideally were not going to be fighting the army so maybe a few days unsupervised, shouldn't be too bad

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>>43261619

With a simple nod and another bow, you turn to carry out her while giving one of your own.

“Start off slow and establish your roots out of sight.”

Izu catches up to you, and together you return back to the camp to prepare for the final push into The Maw.

~

The soldiers march ahead with unprecedented solemnity as the long dark tunnel finally opens up to the large and vacant former city. The receding of the flesh has slanted and twisted the towering buildings into bizarre and seemingly impossible angle that loom over you as you progress further and further.

Small groups of inhabitants of The Maw lookout from far in the distance and high above on top of the buildings. Their numbers are far too few to bother with breaking formation, but more than a number of soldiers wish to be rid of their statue like gazes.

The crunching of the army’s footfalls ricochet throughout the city like angry bees and give the illusion of life in the long dead city.

“Imagine that…” Justina whispers to you from your side. “The millions of idiots just going about their boring lives and then suddenly they find out that their world has been completely lost.” She licks her lips. “The chaos must have been absolutely crazy. The perfect place for gathering materials, don’t you think?”

Your gaze lingers on the towering monuments of humanity’s past, and you firmly remember, those aren’t your monuments anymore.

A messenger rushes to your construct. “Councilmember Virgil has gone missing commander.”

[1/2]

>>43262665

“We’ve come across nothing since the last we saw him that could’ve taken him by force.” Justina comments aloud. “Looks like he finally chickened out.” She leans back.

You sincerely doubt it with the news you recently gained about him. You begin to wonder if there’s anyone on the council who’s actually who they claim they are.
Word quickly spreads throughout the army about Virgil’s disappearance.

“What luck…”

“He was hardly powerful enough for his position.”

“The boy would make a much better leader.”

“That’s not that stupid of an idea, actually.”

You turn back and all the soldiers instantaneously fall silent. You take off for The Empress’s construct to inform her of the news.

“I’ve been aware of Virgil’s alliances for quite some time.” She answers. “I long since had the individual he was reporting to replaced, and he’s essentially been receiving my orders for just as long.”

You’d laugh if this was hardly the time.

“But that does leave a problem with the chain of command.” The Empress pauses before continuing. “I had plans of putting your apprentice into that position, since he’s proven himself more than capable.” She turns to you with earnest eyes. “I know you’d very likely want him close by for the upcoming battle, but it might be best that he stays far away from where you and I intend to go. Despite whatever his wishes may be, I suggest leaving him with the army.”

You try to reach out to Izu for his thoughts, but he’s thoroughly silent on the matter, which is honestly annoying, because he's usually vocal when you give him the opportunity. But for whatever reason, it seems that he's leaving this decision firmly in your own hands.

>Bring him with you.

>Leave him with the army.

>Write in.

>>43262731
>Leave him with the army.
But teach him how to open that jump rift like we can so he can escape if need be, or take the army out of here and for his own.

>>43262731
>Leave him with the army.

>>43262731
>Leave him with the army.
We have the mindlink, we want him to be far away when pulling those corruption strings, and he needs to build up a name for himself.

>>43262760
You don't exactly have the time for that, nor do you know if it's possible given how close you are to the core.

>>43262731
>Bring him with you.
It's dangerous to go alone, take a clone.

>>43262869
We've got an unsettling blood golem. Not going to say we'll be FINE, but....we have our tools.

>>43262760
>>43262782
>>43262793
"Stay with the violent hordes of blood thirsty soldiers."

>Writing~

>>43262956
Hey, a bit more and they'll be HIS violent hordes of bloodthirsty soldiers!

>>43262956
That actually very much like and respect you because you've saved their asses time and again.

>>43262968
This too

>>43262956
Well when you put it like that.....

>>43262956

As strange as it is, Izu and the soldiers are quite fond of each other. Add that to the fact that those soldiers are adamantly opposed to incurring your wrath, and you’re certain that they’ll do their best to protect the boy, and probably vice versa. However that means that you’ll have to more carefully watch over yourself.

“It is the safer option.” You nod your consent and The Empress beckons for you to take a seat across from her.

“It’s settled then. You and I will proceed into the core to finally kill off that mutant…” She turns her gaze back to the marching army. “The rest of them will hold position to make sure we aren’t swarmed during our own battle.”

The Empress settles further into her seat as if deeply pondering the events to come. “I’ll be heading in first, meaning that The Dreamer will turn the majority of its attention and energy toward me, as well as that other creature.”

An incomplete plan, but you’re assuming that’s where you come in.

She continues. “The being bound inside my mind will receive the bulk of The Dreamer’s onslaught, leaving me capable of physically dealing with F…the other monster.” Her eyes focus on you. “Your task is to subdue and bind The Dreamer, while it’s distracted, if you can call it that.” She shakes her head sadly before continuing. “I wish I could tell you what it will say to you and show is entirely false, but that’s not the case.” Her eyes gain even more edge. “It sometimes offers true gifts, but other times it will bestow upon you a curse in disguise. It deeply enjoys toying with minds on a grand scale. You must deny your desires if you’re to bind it.”

[1/2]

>>43264197

She continues. “Even if you’re successful, it will only be temporary given its strength, but it will be long enough for us together to then kill of the other wretched creature.”

Luckily that plan allows you to remain firmly out of sight of The Broodmother until the very end, upon which, you won’t allow her to utter any dangerous words.

A massive surge of activity around you pulls the both of you away from your conversation. An enormous amount enemy soldiers press in from the outskirts of the city directly toward you.

“It’s already begun.” The Empress states simply as she teleports away for a brief moment and then returns.

Your army immediately begins to pull into a tight defensive position.

“Let’s not make them wait long.” The Empress says before turning toward the core.

Without another she teleports to the mountain of flesh blocking off the entrance of the core and flares through it with a solid tower of pure energy.

You hastily fly over to find the massive void beckoning you and her. She descends into the absolute blackness first and a few moments later, you follow.

The empty darkness is no longer warm, no longer comforting, as you push further and further down. The thousands of encapsulated orbs shake angrily as you descend, and grow huge around you. Air finally whips past your wings as you carefully and silently land into the enclosure of dark flesh.


[2/3]

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>>43264220

Not a single other stands in the true core with you, but you hear faint sounds of far off impacts and crashes. You begin to wonder if somehow you split off from the true path.

“Hello, child!” An expansive and emphatic voice calls out from behind you.

A single ethereal figure beckons to you as if it were a long unseen favorite relative. The light around it's thin frame twists and warps into countless hazy scenes of mothers embracing their own children, pairs of individuals warmly leading each other by the hand, and lovers embracing each other.

You step forward unwillingly.

“That’s it, that’s it. You’re a curious child aren’t you? Come and I’ll share with you some of my knowledge.” It says as if fades from view.

You step forward again, but your body doesn't seem to be following its voice, but rather going somewhere else. You need to get it to speak again if you're ever to truly reach it, and maybe learn from it before you bind it away.


>Write in.

>>43264280
Look around for the Usurper

>>43264280
Resist stepping any further ask what it can offer but don't accept

>>43264280
>>43264492
this

>>43264410
>>43264492
>>43264514
Looking and questioning.

>Writing

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>>43264539

You refuse to budge a single step. The faintest glimmers of violet light appear in your vision but then disappear so quickly that you’re not sure if you had only imagined them.

You call out into the emptiness. “What kinds of knowledge do you have that I don’t?” You ask, curiously.

Your eyes search through the empty room for any other signs of The Empress.

“Plenty, plenty!” It responds enthusiastically. “But first…”

The bleak room of dark flesh warps around you until you’re staring into a vast expanse of wondrous sky. The stars flicker so energetically that you wonder just how far they truly are. A sprawling lake stretches far in front of you, water warmly lapping at your legs, and the light of the setting sun is the most magnificent that you’ve ever seen.

“You like it, don’t you?” It’s voice brimming with happiness. “This place really exists, and I can tell you exactly where to find it.” It pauses. “Beautiful, isn’t it?’

You merely nod.

It continues. “I’ve seen all the Pyromancers and Occultists that have existed since the beginning and I can tell you any of their secrets. I’ve watched your host since she was a mere clumsy and shy child and I can tell you anything you wish to know about her. I could even tell you what surprise your child companion has planned for you. All you need to do is come closer! Every step you take is one step closer to what you truly want.”

You still hesitate to move.

“Just a single step then I’ll give you a piece of knowledge, and more will be waiting for each step you take!” It assures you.

If you could just take a few steps, not only could you get part of what you want, but you’d be that much closer to binding it. You just have to be careful not to go too far of course.

>Take a single step.

>Stay where you are.

>Write in.

>>43265149
>Take a single step.
We gotta get closer to kick his ass

hope our ass doesn't get kicked

>>43265149
>Stay where you are.
NO.

>>43265149
>Stay where you are.
Stall, probe its weaknesses while it tries to lure us.

Pretend to lift our foot a couple of times without moving forward.

>>43265393
>>43265444
Not moving.

>Writing.

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>>43265465

Still can’t find where he is…

You raise your foot as if to take a step, but then plant it firmly back down upon where it started.

A very slight sigh of annoyance is let out, more like a breath to the untrained ear, far to your left

“Not too tempting.” You reply with boredom injected into your voice.

It lets out a gentle laugh. “You are a careful one. The clever ones usually are.” It claps once loudly. “Then I will have to put everything on the table.”

Your surroundings shift once again and you find yourself staring over a beautiful city with graceful structures rising high into the scenic skies. The multitudes of inhabitants of this city are but ants from where you stand.

“You play a very careful role.” It whispers as you look over the magnificent expanse. “So many masks that you need to wear and keep track of, so many threads of lies that need to kept seamless, so many words that need to be measured, considered, and reconsidered. You must be so tired, so exhausted of it all.”

You remain silent.

“All of it, for what?” It asks boldly. “A mere chance of gaining what you want? A slim opportunity? I offer you all of this!” Its voice stretches far off into the distance. “You’d be an all knowing god. Everyone and everything in existence would abide by your will for all of time. Nothing would be denied to you.”

“An illusion?” You ask.

“No!” It responds immediately. “You’d never become aware of the true nature of that reality, and every precious sensation, every profound thought, every single mote of dust will be even more vivid and real than the world you come from. It will be so much more than you could ever hope for here in this dying world plagued with suffering. Your world would become the illusion, the mere shadow of this world!”

It calms. “All you need do now is take a single step, and everything will be yours.”

>Write in.

>>43266233
>"That's even less tempting than your last offer. I don't want a world you could pull the plug on at any time."

>>43266233
This has a chance of being legit. Shit, got to think

>>43266233
Laugh, laugh long and hard. You're a fool if you think this is appealing. I'm not one to run from my problems, not anymore.

>>43266314
>>43266412
No, thanks.

>Writing~

>>43266233
weak b8 m8

>>43266490

You turn to the point where you heard it sigh. “Do you have anything better to off-?” You begin to ask with a wide smile.

The painted world tears from sight, and once again you find yourself in the empty core of The Maw.

The Dreamer suddenly grapples you from your side and shakes you violently. “None of this is going to end well for you girl. I’ll be watching when your time finally does come, and when you’re laid empty against the realities of the world, begging for help, begging for release. I’ll be the one laughing then.”

You stare deep into the void of it face. “Regardless of who or what you may be, I don’t like being interrupted.”

A multitude of new sensations almost overwhelm you as bind that fragment of The Dreamer deep within your own mind.

Its true body collapses to the dark ground, temporarily overpowered by your own will and The Empress’s control of Ip’Suran.

You find yourself standing far off to the side of the ensuing carnage of the battle between The Empress and The Broodmother.

And it wanted you to walk forward…

[1/2]

>>43267426

A sea of massive bone spikes erupt every practically every spot in front of you, filling your field of view with sickly white. The Empress swiftly dodges with a series of teleports carefully observing and then going everywhere the spurs aren’t.

The Broodmother responds by bursting the spurs into a barrage of shrapnel filling the air and cutting off all means of easy escape. A pulse of Ip’Suran’s aura clears a path in front of The Empress, upon which she surges toward The Broodmother with a violet fist of full of energy.

A tower of flesh erupts and viciously crashes into her. It moves to mash into nothingness against the opposite wall, but in an instant is compacted into a thin and incredibly dense rod of meat, which begins to drop to the ground before The Empress deftly sends it ramming into The Broodmother torso with stunning force. The assault is callously and immediately followed with a concentrated blast of Ip’Suran’s aura, followed by an immediately flash of all-consuming violet energy.

The Broodmother’s chest bursts open and melts to liquid under the sheer onslaught, severing her body, bu she slowly regenerates her shape from the surrounding flesh.

The Empress suddenly notices that you’re no longer occupied with The Dreamer. “If you’re able to fight, that would certainly make killing this monster much quicker.”

The Broodmother still writhes on the ground recovering.

>Carefully attack while remaining out of sight.

>Completely go in for the quick kill.

>Write in.

>>43267474
Take proper care of the Dreamer's true body. Seal it such that even if Ip'Suran stops oppressing it, he can't get up.

>>43267474
>Completely go in for the quick kill.

>>43267507
>>43267518
>>43267573
Going to wait for a tie-breaker on this one, if not, well then I might just wrap it up.

>>43267518
>>43267474
backing

>>43267699
>Carefully attack while remaining out of sight.

>>43267518
>>43267740
A little bit extra for The Dreamer.

>>43267764
>>43267766
Going with both~

>>43267795
The original careful attack voter deleted his in favor of suppressing the Dreamer, so feel free to drop that part.

>>43267834
Back to a little extra for The Dreamer!
You could make me look quite the fool if someone deleted the right post now.

>>43267941

Quick you guys, delete these!
>>43267518
>>43267740

>>43267975
The real villain.

>>43267941
You certainly don’t temporary nature of the seal currently on The Dreamer to break at this inopportune moment, and The Empress is more than capable of controlling the fight, so you rush to the collapsed body of The Dreamer.

You quickly force a seal upon The Dreamer’s mind to keep it from rouses for the time being. Suddenly and much to your furious surprise, the seal shatters in defiance. Its limp body mocks your shortcomings.

Another seal fueled with a cold fury replaces the former, and you can feel it already straining under the pressure of breaking again. Your sheer will not be beaten in this endeavor fills and takes tangible shape as a visible red seal surrounding its thin torso and binding its mind back with unrelenting control.

A strange time to be learning something, but it did promise to give you knowledge after all.

“I win.” You whisper deviously to its face and then rise to join The Empress to finish The Broodmother for good.

A profound look of sheer disappointment stares down upon you as you lift your head. You stare back into the The Broodmother’s soft eyes. Those portals are stuck with abject sorrow as she finally realizes what you’ve become.

~

>>43268411
Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for tonight. I want to thank everyone that made it out to play on this 1st year anniversary! As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them in the thread, and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and I hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>43268474
How disappointed was the Broodmother? We get a sealing level up? The Usurper pissed? The Usurper feeling anything yet?

>>43268474
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

how disappointed is the broodmother/10?

>>43268474
Were you expecting the doubletap writein?

>>43268527
You did get a decent upgrade to sealing. The Usurper doesn't know/feel anything about this because The Broodmother has yet to say anything.
>>43268533
You're very welcome!
Imagine a die hard Cubs fan who is also a huge Back to The Future 2 fan this year, and you got it. But, joking aside, very, very disappointed.

>>43268578
If you're referring to going back to seal The Dreamer again, it crossed my mind as a possibility, but I wasn't expecting it to show up as a write-in.

>>43268655
Damn that's disappointed. I feel even worse than when we murdered all those people.

>>43268724
Lol which time?

>>43268751
When we wiped out that town? One of our first missions for the Usurper I think.

Though yeah I guess there have been more times where we murdered. We're not very nice.

>>43268793
Right, when we killed all those families. Yeah, we're not very nice at all.

Okay, I'll be stepping out for the night. Until next time!

Thanks for running!