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Your name is Sam.

It’s one of two things you can truly call your own, the second being the shell of cybernetics and steel that is your new form. It's a frail-looking thing, all awkward angles and straight, narrow lines that looks as though it might break at the slightest pressure. You know it's strong, though. You tested it, tried it, and found it pleasing to the touch. Pleasing to the eye, even, as you stare down at your tapered claws and watch the scarlet ichor drip between them, admiring how the viscera slides between your fingers as gravity pulls it to the rocky beach at your feet.

You.

"...ank y..."

You did this.

"...llo?"

This is a result of your choice.

"...ou hear me?"

You turn towards the insistent voice that finally penetrates your bubble of contemplation, and the short blonde girl that's standing just out of arm's reach hops back at your sudden movement. Standing there a moment, you just stare at her, waiting for words to come out of a mouth that isn't yours, in a stolen voice. You wait for kindness to pour forth unbidden...and nothing comes. There's only silence that hangs between you, this stranger, and the shredded Amalgam that bleeds out at your feet.

"Are you...one of the Disassociated?" She asks, her thankful tone slowly giving way to wariness as you take a moment to look her over. She's cute, in a thread-bare sort of way...she bears a worn yellow t-shirt and simple shorts, the light clothing leaving her limbs free to exercise their potent weapons; fang-lined mouths that are in the spaces between her bones, toothy gaps in both forearm and calf that threaten to hinge out like grotesque mantis claws.

She takes another hesitant step back, and it dawns on you that the growing fear in her eyes is from your leering silence...and it's with pang of disgust that you realize you were waiting for someone else to seize control.

"Yes." You lie, as easy as breath...something you'll never draw in again, but... "Yes, I am. Sorry, I'm still...getting used to things."

"No worries. I get it." She replies, relief working its way into her brow as she glances from you to the brutalized abomination before her. "That was pretty sick, by the way. I didn't even know you were there, when this thing attacked. You just came ou-"

"The Waystation." You interrupt as a sudden thought occurs to you. "Do you have coordinates to the other side?"

"Uh...yeah?" You replies, confused at the sudden turn of conversation. If there's a Waystation nearby, I'd be happy to take you back, but...can you not use it? I thought the Disassociated had a hack for it, or something?"

"No, I..."

You tried. You tried, screaming and clawing at it for...you're not sure how long, but long enough to know it's beyond you. Everything she did, everywhere she went...it doesn't apply to you.

You're not sure why you hoped it would.

"...I'm still getting used to a recent upgrade." You explain, less of a lie than before. "What locations do you have?"

(Loading...)

>>3933305

"Uh, I got a station a little north of the crater just on the other bank, and I have the Shrouded and Envious Cities." She shrugs, watching you with a wary eye. "Sorry it's not much, but I only recently figured out how to use 'em."

Minimal options, but beggars can't be choosers. The Envious City is the obvious choice given its proximity to your current goal, while the Shrouded City would allow you some time to potentially pick through an area that would suit your power set quite well, given its main threats have already been dealt with. Then again, searching the remains of that painter guy's home might prove fruitful, as you always wondered why Shu never tracked back there to search for anything useful after the blast...or why they even blew it up in the first place. It was wasteful, when they could've had all the time in the world to figure out how to get it running properly with some input from the Neuromancer. Hell, it would have made a fantastic base. No vulnerable Waystation right underneath your feet, a defensible forest of ravenous trees circling the property...god, the missed opportunities ar-

"So, um...weird question, but are you gonna eat that?" She queries, pointing at the remains at your feet and interrupting your mental tangent. You turn your attention to the viscera that still sticks to your hands, flexing your talons as the gore rolls uselessly off them.

"It's all yours." You reply, and the girl's on the corpse in an instant, the biomass assimilating seamlessly into her hands as you just watch her partake. Another thing beyond you. Another thing you can't do. Another...

...no. You made a choice when the ghost in your shell gave you a second chance, and you'll deal with the consequences.

You watch the blonde chatter away, her words tuned out as you retreat into your own mind...with a bitter sort of irony. Thoughts, ideas, perception. It works differently, in here. With no true senses, time gets...weird. Even in the short time you've spent wandering, it feels like hours. Maybe it has been, maybe it hasn't, but you couldn't say. You never realized how much of time relies on one's ability to feel the world around them, to feel seconds ticking away by the beat of your heart, to feel hours accumulate by the aches in your spine. Without that, you're adrift, time slowing to a crawl as you watch the milliseconds grind by as the girl eats her fill.

At least you have time to think...

...though you could do with less, if you're being honest.

Now, there's something you want to see, and you know exactly where it is...the only question is the path you'll take to get there.

>>Take the girl up on her offer to go to the Envious City. From there, the Forest of Bones awaits you.

>>Venture into the darkness of the Shrouded City, and make your way to the light.

>>Explore the ruins of Dorian's home before continuing on...you have time, and you'll take it.

>>Write-In

YOU FINALLY HAVE CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours. I do hope your day is going well, and take care.)

>>3933307
>Take the girl up on her offer to go to the Envious City. From there, the Forest of Bones awaits you.

>>3933303
>Relics V.5
looks good overall, but i think we may still of had a charge left on at least one of the two jars, and the Contender still is not up to date.

actually, didn't we make sure to leave a charge on both jars, or did that not pan out?

>>3933325
(Bah, I must've forgotten to save the Contender changes. I'll have them up shortly! Also, I thought you'd already spent charges on the jars, but I'll look back to confirm.)

>>3933307
>Then again, searching the remains of that painter guy's home might prove fruitful, as you always wondered why Shu never tracked back there to search for anything useful after the blast...or why they even blew it up in the first place. It was wasteful, when they could've had all the time in the world to figure out how to get it running properly with some input from the Neuromancer. Hell, it would have made a fantastic base. No vulnerable Waystation right underneath your feet, a defensible forest of ravenous trees circling the property...god, the missed opportunities ar-
We didn't have a good way to move the Engine at that point, and that thing had to go, Sam. I know you don't really understand the moral reasons, but can you at least acknowledge the practical reasons for us destroying it? Denying it as an asset to other Daughters, and not wanting to make use of a dangerous piece of corrupted technology. You were there when we read West Gamma's notes, a Corrupted Engine causes neurological damage so bad that Gamma had to perform brain surgery on herself just so she'd stop itching. Better to get rid of it, and if Dorian is okay with blowing up his house, then no reason not to.

>You never realized how much of time relies on one's ability to feel the world around them, to feel seconds ticking away by the beat of your heart, to feel hours accumulate by the aches in your spine. Without that, you're adrift, time slowing to a crawl as you watch the milliseconds grind by as the girl eats her fill.
Okay, score one point of sympathy. I can acknowledge that that sort of sensory deprivation would be pretty awful.

>>Take the girl up on her offer to go to the Envious City. From there, the Forest of Bones awaits you.
You will make a new friend and you will like it, Sam. You will hang out with this Daughter and you will find yourself developing emotionally if it kills you.

>>3933307
>Take the girl up on her offer to go to the Envious City. From there, the Forest of Bones awaits you.

>>3933330
I think we have a damn long ways to go if she doesn't understand why we detonated the corrupted engine. also, that was a regular engine that caused the twitchy finger, simple overuse of any engine will do that.

mind you ,she sat there hybridizing and unhybridizing abilities over and over and over again so i do wonder if anyone would regularly ever overuse it like that.

>>3933337
>I think we have a damn long ways to go if she doesn't understand why we detonated the corrupted engine.
Oh, I know. Sam isn't even bothering to remember our party's names. Still, I'd like to think she could at least recognize practical decisions. But that's not really realistic either, is it? Sam's current situation is due to her being unable to be practical when it matters to her. If she was, she would have opened up discussion with us without making threats that led to us locking her even further down in the box.

>also, that was a regular engine that caused the twitchy finger, simple overuse of any engine will do that.
No, it was the Corrupted Engine, West Gamma was talking about taking B'Ni to it right before it detonated and her notes mention the Engine she was using being beneath a mansion across the river from her lab. And I vaguely remember BHOP saying that the pure Engine we have would cause much less serious side-effects even if we did abuse it as much as she did.

>>3933307
>Then again, searching the remains of that painter guy's home might prove fruitful, as you always wondered why Shu never tracked back there to search for anything useful after the blast...or why they even blew it up in the first place. It was wasteful, when they could've had all the time in the world to figure out how to get it running properly with some input from the Neuromancer. Hell, it would have made a fantastic base. No vulnerable Waystation right underneath your feet, a defensible forest of ravenous trees circling the property...god, the missed opportunities ar-

God damn it Sam you can't be this stupid.....
Seriously you saw what happened to Johanna. That was not something that could be allowed to be accessible and we did not (and still not) have the know-how to fix it.
And the mansion was not defensible at all

>>Take the girl up on her offer to go to the Envious City. From there, the Forest of Bones awaits you

>>3933328
>>3933305
>You tried. You tried, screaming and clawing at it for...you're not sure how long, but long enough to know it's beyond you. Everything she did, everywhere she went...it doesn't apply to you.

Wait. Sam's not able to use Waystations? Why is that?

>>3933348
I seem to remember it being mentioned it was a different engine, as it was said she herself used Johanna as a guinea pig on it instead of using it herself, due to said corruption. im also very certain BHOP never said that, as best mentioned Maras sacrifices for her own specifically made it safer, not that engines in general were safer. but whatever, not an argument i care about.

>>3933353
no Neuromancy for one, second may be not enough flesh(see, zero) for the Waystation to lock onto and teleport. it might not recognize her as a Daughter anymore, thus no access.

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>>3933352
>>B'ni: Sam is clearly an incredible mastermind. Conniving, clever, dangrous.
>>Actual Sam:

>>3933353
(All the known coordinates belong to Shu, so until Sam's traveled to at least to different Waystations, she has no way to use them without Charon present. That, and since she has no Neuromancy or flesh, the Waystation's inherently unintuitive to her.)

>>3933352
>And the mansion was not defensible at all
Yeah. The trees would take out lesser threats, but we know that both Gamma and Johanna managed to make their way past them, so they're not that effective. And a big and empty house is a terrible defensive position, look at how many windows it has on the ground floor. We'd have to terraform up an entire Calcite fortress around it, at which point why not just make our own?

>>3933353
She doesn't have the coordinates. Like she said, she doesn't count as having done the things Shu has. So she never unlocked those Waystations for her own use. The fact that she doesn't have Neuromancy is also an issue, she has reduced ability to even work the controls.

>>3933354
There's no mention of any other Engine in her notes, and I'm not seeing anything about using Johanna as a guinea pig. Do you have a reference?

>>3933364
>>3933352
Sam really did get by on her image we had of her based on Isabelles unreliable view of the world, didn't she?

>>3933366
>>3933354
>not an argument i care about.

>>3933370
>Sam really did get by on her image we had of her based on Isabelles unreliable view of the world, didn't she?
That, our fragmentary access to her memories giving her a skewed initial impression of her, and her bizarre decision to go "yeah, I'm a scary murderer, you should fear me" to a person who had complete control over whether she ever got out of her prison. For fuck's sake, Sam, every time I start feeling bad about how we dealt with you I remember how you decided to introduce yourself and it all drains away. This could have gone so much better for you in so many ways if you had not decided that threatening us was your best opening move.

>not an argument i care about.
And I'm not interested in arguing, either. I just want to check a fact. It's quite possible I'm wrong, I've misremembered things about the quest before.

>>3933370
>>3933364

No wonder Shu called her circumstances "I was born from two idiots breaking each other".
It was almost a literal case of the blind leading the blind.

Sam is gonna need to learn from scratch on "how to socialize like a normal person"

Ironic. A ghost freed from her shell trades a prison of flesh and fellow friendly dream neighbors for a cold solitary confined shell of steel.

>>3933379
And of all the memories she chose to let us view, she lets us watch what looked like a grisly murder scene. If she had showed us a different memory (like the many scenes of domestic abuse) we would've gotten a better first impression.

>>3933384
>And of all the memories she chose to let us view, she lets us watch what looked like a grisly murder scene. If she had showed us a different memory (like the many scenes of domestic abuse) we would've gotten a better first impression.
Was that under her control? I can't remember. If it was, then yeah, super bad decision. Jesus Christ, Sam. You could have done things so much better if you had just said "yeah, I know I fucked things up with Isabel, but I've clearly got some major control issues and seeing how I already paid for my actions by dying I think I can be excused from further punishment".

>>3933370
>>3933379
>>3933384

Yeah she did but I also think she just couldn't let it go. She had to try and be the alpha bitch even if right now she noticed that she waited for someone else to lead.
She wouldn't have survived long on her own on level1
And she has a really hard power cap. And she realizes it. Without companions she would get overwhelmed eventually and left behind in the dirt. I hope for her that it is still not to late to start being a decent person.

>>3933384
yeah, though im sure the irony is not lost on Sam. why Isabelle was so utterly obsessed with Sam i will never know.

>>3933379
yeah, I have no sympathy for either of them. theres a point where it stop feeling like their fucked up situation made them dig their own ditch out of desperation, and to where it just feels like they were fully aware but still digging down and trying to drag others in with them.

i mean, seriously, Sam coerced a girl into giving her a REAL CADAVER. to frame her BEST FRIEND(even if her view on friendship was skewed) for MURDER. like, what the fuck Sam.

>>3933397
Sams just got the type of issues im not sure you can ever actually fix. also shes kinda heading to safer waters and i think Sam knows shes gotta just avoid some things. Relics bought from odd jobs or stolen will probably be what she uses to stretch her power, if she even cares to try.

Im half worried the only reason this one girls alive is because Sam both knows there no point killing someone not a threat due to the fact she cannot consume them, and she needed someone who can use a waystation.

>>3933364
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQCp0sM_yvs

I found this gem of a video to be hilariously accurate in regards to you (bhop), Body Horror Quest, and the Body Horror Quest community in general.

>>3933397
>>3933401

It's a shame about stealth and assassin builds. They thrive when they're in a group, but in a solo 1v1 they get easily stomped when they lose the initiative.

>She takes another hesitant step back, and it dawns on you that the growing fear in her eyes is from your leering silence...and it's with pang of disgust that you realize you were waiting for someone else to seize control.

Damn Sam faced an entire childhood, teenage years, and brief adulthood having her sense of agency wrested away from her, she's been conditioned into a sort of learned helplessness and only recently just got a taste of true agency. It's a very alien experience for Sam.

Sam and Gretchen felt more like birds of a feather. Two bitches using each other for their own benefit.

>>3933401
There is also the Damocles sword of Shus retribution hanging over her and she knows that we have started an information network and can ask the fleshscape. Eventually her failings would surface

>>3933406
>I found this gem of a video to be hilariously accurate in regards to you (bhop), Body Horror Quest, and the Body Horror Quest community in general.
Brilliant.

>>3933407
well, yeah, but I was more saying the way she was talking specifically made me semi-worried she didnt actually care about that, is what i was kinda saying.

>>3933406
i can see it working, though yeah, it would struggle at first.

>>3933406
>>3933364
>That video
BHOP, is that how you were born?

>>3933406
on a semi-related note, wonder how Sams Calcite armorer would've panned out? thinking defensive based, and personally i can only imagine her having piercing weapons or weaponized torture equipment.

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>>3933415
oh god, horrible thought;
Pear of Anguish Constructs

but on a less specifically terrible note, living torture equipment via a Calcite/Hive hybrid sounds utterly horrifying and possibly actually effective, though without a doubt would rely a bit on fear factor. maybe combine it with a fear Phantasmal ability, and a Glutttonous ability that increases levels the more your victim is tortured?

I think the most terrifying thing is, as messed up as everything i just typed is, it would by far not even be close to the oddest thing or powerset we have thus far seen.

>>3933415
Yeah, probably heavily defensive. The Calcite was representative of her need for control ultimately being an attempt to keep herself safe, so a lot of defensive abilities makes sense. Maybe reactive damage, too, growing spikes or reflecting force to literally punish people for getting close. Direct weapons I can see being focused on that idea of keeping enemies at a distance, so polearms and maybe mobility denial options like caltrops or bear traps.

>>3933420
>oh god, horrible thought;
Yes, yes it is.

>>3933420
>Sam’s calcite armor suit looks like Harrow from warframe, flagellate mace included.
Iron Maiden’s and racks of despair as part and parcel for Sam’s mocea

Fuck Shu and all Shu lovers, I hope Shu dies a painful death.

>>3933436
Get in line Sam has a spot free right behind herself and Ozmas

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>>3933436
(It's not a Vein without you, Anon. Godspeed.)

>>3933420
remember Gina’s Choice? the mind or matter branches? combine the tortures with skinnerbox neural conditioning with neuromancy and phantasmal conduit emotional manipulation and you have yourself a monster manipulator who has the tools to abuse their victims physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

You know, I do wonder if there's any shitposting against Shu and the party on the Skinternet. Let's hope Amara never gets in a forum war. Yet another thing to warn her about when we give her the "these are the dangers of online posting and we have no reason to believe they haven't been transplanted to the current network" talk.

>>3933444
anything popular will have its haters. plus, the internet breeds that sorta thing.
Little do we know, not only does Amara know about those, she starts them, after overhearing Gina talk about her old forum days once. or worse, and far from impossible, she learned from Kosi.

>>3933444
>>3933447

If there are no shitposters on the skinternet i will eat a broom.

Its probably something that was one of the first things that cropped up on the skinternet.


I also just realized we could ask Ozmas when we get in contact with her again for the complete patchnotes she ran and maybe even what the next implemented change would be(if there is any)

>>3933447
>>3933450
True, I suppose really the question I'm asking is "how bad are the shitposters on the Skinternet", not whether they exist. May our precious daughter never learn of them.

>>3933450
>I also just realized we could ask Ozmas when we get in contact with her again for the complete patchnotes she ran and maybe even what the next implemented change would be(if there is any)
Details on the Apocalypse Amalgams, too. We didn't ask Charon in-depth because we didn't think we'd be dealing with them soon, but if Ziz here is flying around causing sonic booms and Hunger waves it's a more pressing problem than we thought.

>>3933455
>how bad
the worst, as the nature of the Crucible and situation make people have to delve even deeper into vileness to get anything that will garner a reaction from people.

>>3933455
>. May our precious daughter never learn of them.

Shu gets skintalker powers and acess to the skinternet.
>Finds Amara as one of the biggest psoters on there. Memories of where she had been with her and Shu saying how great of a mtoher she is
>Shusheart.exe just melted
>Dives Deeper finds that Amra leads the Shitposting against Ozmas, Isabelle and Sam and suddenly finds out that Amara is one of the biggest shitposters herself

>>3933455
And not only the Amalgams but also about any good spots she knows where we could go hunting and maybe even spawn a couple of Amalgams there that we then were to stumble upon to consume

>>3933455
And what the last two statues might be up to

>>3933462
>>3933455
>>3933450
>ozmas did nothing wrong
a classic shitpost

>>3933462
Yeah, that is probably true. I imagine gross-out images have died out entirely, everyone's too jaded to care about that.

>>3933464
And then Shu doesn't know whether to praise Amara or punish her. On the one hand, it's good that she knows what's what. On the other, please don't flame, Amara.

>>3933466
Oh, that's a good one, too. Yeah, what are they doing with those Daughter pods, and is it something we're going to want to stop?

>>3933469
Oh Ozmas did a lot of things wrong

So did Magnus
Most of the things they did wrong were because they didnt know or assumed they knew things which they didnt understand. Still not knowing does not mean no punishment

>>3933464
>Shu is both oddly proud of Amara shitposting capabilities, yet knows she really needs to tell her to stop.

>>3933469
truly, the best(worst?)shitpost of them all.

>>3933472
that, and vore and gore. i mean, posting those would probably just get confused for you posting an everyday picture now. which is... horrifying actually.

>>3933466
>>3933472
my first thought is still that they want actual bodies, but im hoping im wrong.

>>3933472
>>3933478
And then some random glutonnous/Neuromancer daughter decides to make a thread of her sexually molesting a daughter pod in various ways.

Everyone agreed soon after that it was a line never to be crossed.

>>3933482
>everyone else is throwing a fit and freaking out over her even doing that, much less posting it.
>that one observant Daughter who turns the tide and mocks her once she realizes she was molesting a pod that the daughter inside was still just in the goop phase, so there was nothing to actually molest.
>"Sick bitch is so fucking dumb she cant even find a half formed body to give her attention."

but yeah, humans are sick and the internet(and skinternet) is a easy way to 'consequence freely' act upon such horrible things.
we should probably thank that one podcaster or whatever for distracting Amara so much if we ever meet them.

>>3933478
>that, and vore and gore. i mean, posting those would probably just get confused for you posting an everyday picture now. which is... horrifying actually.
Yeah, there's a lot of standard gross-out images that just don't work anymore. We're all gross, now.

>my first thought is still that they want actual bodies, but im hoping im wrong.
Maybe. Transfer themselves to Daughter bodies the way that Ozmas was planning on. One of them is the Neuromancer Phalanx, so they might not even need the Relic that Ozmas did. And they got four pods either because they had the good luck to find a cluster of pods like the Midnight Crew, or they just wanted back-ups. They might be doing something else with the Daughters, some other plan like brainwashing them to serve them and make their own miniboss squad, but mindjacking does sound like one of the more plausible motivations.

>>3933482
Yeah, I imagine everyone is still disgusted by rape. The murder and cannibalism at least has the excuse that people are just trying to survive, so Daughters have gotten desensitized to it. But there's nothing that requires doing that.

>>3933490
>We're all gross, now.

not all of us. Shu is not gross. At least not any longer

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>>3933494
nah man, having a beehive in your backs still gross. covering it up with little plates does not make your back not like pic related.

that and you know, the giant extra mouth on her stomach that moves on its own a bit. also probably drools a bit. thats gross Shu, stop that.

>>3933490
also depends on how 'coherent' they are. i can imagine even just on instinct them going for an actual body, but not pod daughters, so id think they are probably somewhat there, but BHOP did say in their current form they cant escape their non-daughter nature fully. hrm, did we leave any Amara clones watching them?(and the digger?)

>>3933489
Erica Arthur Blair. I remember the name because that's George Orwell's real name. Well, gender-adjusted, obviously, he was Eric. Point is, it struck me as odd. I wonder if her parents were fans of Orwell or if she changed her name?

>>3933494
She's still a cannibalistic monster with a giant ravening maw where her organs used to be.

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>>3933307

“The Envious City.” You finally reply, watching the blonde rise as she wipes her blood-streaked hands on the sides of her legs. “I want to go to the Envious City.”

“Sure thing!” She says happily, gesturing for you to lead the way. You don’t blame her. Given your size, the way you look…it’s not hard to see why she’s keeping you at arm’s length. You’re used to it, from even before all this. There’s no exchange of words as you continue on to the cavern until the blonde places her hand against the cold, black wall of the Waystation, bringing out back to reality’s surface as you shake your head lightly, a meaningless motion that does nothing to rid your head of the foggy past.

“Uh…thank you, again.” She says, turning to you and tucking a lock of straw-gold hair behind one ear, even as the obsidian corridor stretches out into a seemingly endless void. “I know it’s not much, but, um…you want some company?”

“I’ll be fine.” You reply, starting down the corridor and hearing your metal feet quietly click along the cyclopean onyx tiles.

“Oh. Okay, good.” She says, her voice fading behind you until she speaks up again, louder this time. “Shoot! I almost forgot!”

You stop against your better judgment, letting the girl catch up to you and rifle in her back pocket for something.

“I don’t have much, but here!” She says, extending an item to you with a bright smile. “It’s a Relic! I mean, we’re still not even, but I hope it helps for now!”

Relics.

Of course.

Items of untold power, usable by flesh and steel, alike.

This…this is your key to strength, as you carefully take the Relic into your hands. Its arcane purpose slowly becomes clear, and there’s something like giddiness that filters into your mind as you realize that there’s an avenue of control open to you, yet.

This…

This is…

>>RELIC ACQUIRED

>>SHIPPING GOGGLES: An accessory relic that takes form of Binoculars or goggles. The Magnifying Lenses is replaced by a pair of Eyeballs that disconcertingly ogles those that fall under its gaze. The Daughter that looks through the Relic will be able to see the unseen network of Crimson Cords and Social links between Daughters. Upgrading the Relic allows the Daughter to gain more insight of any given relationship provided as long as the required persons involved in said social link/Crimson Cord are within eyesight (meaning if Person A has a link with Person B, both Person A and Person B must be visible). However when the Relic is in active use, the bonding pair of daughters which the Relic gazes upon will gain an uncanny feeling of being watched, and if the user is found out the Relic will send unavoidable feedback damage at the ogling Daughter.

…what the fuck is this.

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>>3933505

You just stand there in silence for a long moment, staring at the pair of binoculars as they stare back up at you with large, ogling eyes that impassively leer into your thin slit of a visor. You make a small noise of acknowledgement that comes across as a voxel grunt across the speakers, causing the girl to deflate, just a little.

“…Thanks.” You finally say, handing the Relic off to one of the strap-like tendrils that lazily undulate just underneath your cloak. “See you around.”

You think she said her name, and maybe she asked for yours, but the grinding of the walls around you drown out her words as you feel yourself carried eastward, deep underneath the Fleshscape. When you arrive, you take your time as you emerge from the tunnels, fully cloaked and cautious as you approach the light of nigh-endless dusk. Glancing around, you find the Envious City largely as Shu left it; silent and desolate, in the aftermath of the Defiant’s clash with the Marrow Dragoon. It’s with a twinge of irritation that you realize you can’t quite recall you way around the place, and the height of the buildings is making it hard to orient yourself…you need a vantage point, and a quick glance upwards reveals your ticket to finding your way out of this eerie place.

You begin your climb up the side of the broadcast tower in the center of the city, having seen nary a soul in the short jaunt over to the building’s base. To your pleasant surprise, your Frame appears to be quite capable of climbing, and paired with your cloaking abilities you’re able to keep a low profile without having to stalk your way through the halls of whatever lurks within the tower. It’s odd, though…you’re fairly certain the teal crystals that encrust the tower’s heights weren’t there before, and you keep a wide berth from their shining angles as you continue your careful ascension. Reaching the top in short order, you stand and survey the city’s surrounding terrain, finding the scalpfields to your left, with the alabaster trunks of the Bone Forest far off to your right. Excellent. Now it’s only a matter of t-

“Hey!”

You whirl in place, finding a diminutive woman staring up at you with large brown eyes. She blinks, and you glance down at yourself to confirm that you are, indeed, invisible.

“Cool cloaking! It still distorts the air a bit, if you didn’t know.” She says, her voice chipper as she raises the device in her hands; an antique camera, stitched together with what appears to be Flesh Artisanry. “Not to be rude, but could you step out of the light for a quick sec?”

You oblige, stepping aside as the girl re-focuses her lens to zoom in on a particular facet of crystal on a nearby satellite dish. You watch as she crouches, holding her camera with her normal arm while her chitinous, multi-segmented talon of a left arm smooths out her yellow shirt.

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>>3933510

With a snap and a whirr, she takes the picture, repeating the process several times over from slightly different angles as you watch in silence.

“My name’s Paloma, by the way!” She says, scooting to one side to get a fresh perspective. “What’s yours?”

“…Sam.” You reply, gazing back out at the calcite trees in the distance. You don’t have time for this, you need to-

“Well, hello Sam!” She says happily, rising from her crouch and striding over to you, forcefully taking your talons in her right hand and giving you a dainty handshake. “Actually, you’re pretty tall…mind taking my picture with the crystals? I think you’d get a really good perspective!”

“Uh…sure.” You say, your sigh coming out as a short blurt of static in the absence of breath as you fumble with the blocky device. “Why are you up here?”

“Oh, I post pictures to the Skinternet!” She says proudly, and when you tilt your head to the side, she gets the hint of your ignorance of the phrase. “Skintalker internet. It’s kind of like the regular internet, but with…less shit-posting, oddly? There’s a lot of blogs and stuff, and I’m doing my part to make something nice. I got tired of posting my teacup collection, so I’m venturing out to collect Relics, stories, and stuff. What about you?”

“Heading east.” You reply simply, snapping a picture or two before handing the Relic back to the girl before you as she gives you a wide smile.

“Going against the grain, I like it!” She approvingly declares, taking the camera back before muttering some arcane, yet familiar words to it. The Relic vibrates, the viewport enlarging to form a display of the pictures taken thus far, a modern convenience forced upon an aged device. You realize she’s a Skintalker as she looks up at you again with an even wider smile; such a thing you didn’t think was possible, given her boundless positivity. “Hey, you’re pretty good!”

“Oh…thanks.” You reply, rubbing your arm awkwardly and prompting you both to wince at the screech of metal-on-metal.

“You can ask me stuff, too!” Paloma suddenly says, her brown eyes going wide. “I don’t mean to steamroll you, so feel free to fire off anything you’re curious about! I’ve been lots of places and I collect a bunch of stuff, so if there’s anything I can do to help a newbie out, lemme know!”

You’re a little disconcerted at how quickly she pegged you as ‘new’ to this whole Crucible business, but she’s perceptive, at least. You weigh your options, wondering if there’s really any benefit to continuing this conversation with this overly-friendly Skintalker.

>>Ask her more about the Skinternet and why she wastes her time doing this.

>>Ask her about the new crystal growth on the tower.

>>Ask her if she knows what Shu is up to now.

>>Ask her about imparting some useful coordinates to you, if she’s willing.

>>Leave.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE FINALLY IN CONTROL

(Voting shall remain open for the next three hours, Gentlemen.)

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>>3933505
>shipping goggles
>bhop actually made it canon
>mfw

>>3933505
>This…this is your key to strength, as you carefully take the Relic into your hands. Its arcane purpose slowly becomes clear, and there’s something like giddiness that filters into your mind as you realize that there’s an avenue of control open to you, yet.
>This…
>This is…
>>>RELIC ACQUIRED
>>>SHIPPING GOGGLES
>…what the fuck is this.

Bwahahaha. The funny thing is that it's actually pretty useful, but it's not what Sam wants.

>>3933511
Oh, it's the other girl that Amara is a fan of! Paloma, hi! Sorry you had to meet our family through Sam.

>>Ask her about the new crystal growth on the tower.
So who did this? It wasn't all crystalline a few weeks ago.

>>3933511
>Ask her about the new crystal growth on the tower.
>Ask her about imparting some useful coordinates to you, if she’s willing.

>>3933511
>>Ask her about the new crystal growth on the tower.
"Are these Crystals your doing? they werent here the last time i was here when the city was till contoled by that girl both Shu and the Dragoon came here to kill"
>>Ask her more about the Skinternet and why she wastes her time doing this.
>"is there any acutally useful information on that Net or is that just kinda a useless hobby of yours after the apocalpse?"

>>3933505
>>SHIPPING GOGGLES

God she had such high hopes and then just something borderline useless for her desire to gain strength

>>3933511
also, holy SHIT is that girls feet are GIGANTIC in that picture. i dunno why but its giving off uncanny like vibes because of it.

>>3933406
(This video is a thing of beauty. Simply glorious.)

>>3933412
(Also, yes.)

>>3933364
This breings up one question. If she was so stupid how did she manage to get into university? Or hell even through Highschool?

Are grades worth like nothing over in the US?

>>3933589
(B'ni helped her a massive amount.)

>>3933592
>>3933589
BIG OOF.

I can't wait for Sam to slip up and show her 3 INT moments, like failing basic math or forgetting some basic common sense. Sam will inevitably come off as this deadly assassin robot that's somehow simultaneously clumsy and ditzy.

>>3933592
Wow...............
So she was a crutch in more than one way to her.... Wow... Just wow
I guess i shouldnt be surprised that one human(Isabelle) could be so intelligent to get a literal rocks for brain into university and so stupid at the same time.....

>>3933598
(They were designed to be opposites, stat-wise, with Sam being a classic 'low int, high charisma (intimidation, mostly)' character, while B'ni's the opposite; high int, low charisma. Sam can be quite charismatic, if she actually cares to try.)

(Both of them are severely lacking is wisdom, i.e. self-awareness and intuition of others, though.)

>>3933600
Kinda what i would have guessed.

What stats are there I guess we have strength, Wisdom, Accuracy, Agility, charisma and intelligence.

Are there any we are missing?

>>3933600
To be charitable to Sam, she's also too stubborn to quit once she's made up her mind. Kind of a mixed trait, often hasn't been a virtue for her, but I imagine it helped when she had trouble with the work. She'd be able to just keep grinding away at things until she got it, even if that stopped being as useful once she got into higher-level material. At that point you've got to change your study habits, not just do more of them.

>>3933600
So then what's Shu? stat wise? Given the sheer approachable character she's built for herself and the fact that she's shown to be very mature in character and philosophy, it feels like we've got very high Wisdom and Intelligence (parallel thought processing is bullshit), middling Charisma (Shu's known to fuck up at times).

>>3933603
We're lacking STRENGTH and agility. We got weak ass noodle arms and mediocre constitution. And of all the combat ability classes we didn't pick up, we don't have a single strength enhancing fibromancer ability. Our main mobility options are more of Ravenous maw/Hundred Handed grappling hook utility options, using our Knightlings as hoverboards, or strategic teleport swapping with Rooks.

>>3933612
i was thinking general stats that exist not what Shu has and doesnt has.

And the teleport move and riding on swarmlings are good mobility

Yeah and i missed constitution as a stat

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>>3933511

“So what’s up with all these crystals?” You ask, staring up at the shining gems that dot every available surface. “They’re new.”

“Oh, after Mara and Shu had their whole Kosi kerfuffle, the city was free real estate.” Paloma explains, smirking as she takes another shots at different angles. “A new streamer moved in by the name of Erica Blair. Kinda schmoozy, but she seems nice, otherwise. Her bodyguard’s the one that made the crystals, since they serve as surveillance devices and natural amplifiers for Blair’s Glutton-Talker-Neuro tri-hybrid. I wanted to come say hello to her, but I had to deal with her bodyguard before I could talk to Blair, proper.”

“You beat her?” You ask, intrigued.

“Yep!” The petite Daughter affirms happily. “She was pretty good, but my husband and I used to play a lot of board games, so I got her eventually.”

If you were capable of making a face, you would.

“…so she’s still alive?”

“Haha, obviously.” Paloma giggles in reply. “Caverna isn’t exactly a bloodsport, and afterwards that we had a lovely drink and chat. We shared a bottle of a vintage red that was just absolutely divine, and then I talked shop with Blair. Had a better time with her bodyguard, come to think of it…”

Dear god. It’s as if you took Dorian and Amara and smashed them both together into one insufferable being, and you just watch as she loses herself in the taking of pictures once more. She seems content to view the world through a lens…which gives you an idea. The tendril holding your recently-acquired Relic nudges your hand, and you quietly raise the Goggles to your viewport as the girl you’re training them on prattles on about some inane aspect of the people she just met.

At first you think it’s broken, a bright glow shining through the binoculars and triggering the glare-protectors to shutter down over your visor…and that’s when you can make sense of what you’re seeing. What you mistook for a shining light is in reality a tangle of multi-colored strands, vibrant and breath-taking, stretching out in every direction. Azure, viridian, and every shade of eye-catching gold is represented in the gorgeous collection of threads that stretch forth from the Skintalker before you, and you just stand there in awe as they flicker with warm, inviting light.

“Anyway, I don’t wanna keep you!” Paloma suddenly declares, rounding on you with a theatrical twirl and giving you only a split-second to hide the Goggles under your cloak. “Good luck heading east! Oh, and maybe you could take a couple of pointers on invisibility from your little friend there, she’s really good at it!”

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>>3933774

You freeze, following the Daughter’s eyes to the empty space beside you. You look back at your host, seeing Paloma fix you with a curious expression, glancing between you and the open air. Lunging out with one hand, you seize what feels like some type of blanket, tearing it off the being that’s now revealed to have been lurking at your side. The dull-eyed stare of the construct’s two-tone eyes listlessly focus in on you, lacking any of its creator’s typical energy or zest.

“…You.” Comes your voxel-distorted growl, Shalaev’s Shawl hanging from your grip as you glare at the brain-dead echo of Amara. “How long have you been following me?!”

The child holds up her forefinger and the finger next to it, her palm facing you.

“Two? Two what?!” You hiss, and it’s all you can do to not tear her to pieces right then and there when her hand turns, index finger curling in and leaving the middle finger coldly pointing towards the sky.

“Oh, fuck you too, you little shit. I’m out of here.” You snarl, throwing the shawl back on the emotionless doll before stepping off the side of the building, clinging to the calcite and metal while your talons slow your rapid descent.

You think you hear Paloma say something but it’s lost as the wind whips by your head, her words crashing uselessly against your rage.

>>NOW LOADING…

You’ve been walking through the Forest of Bone for the better part of…an hour, maybe more, when the infuriating pitter-patter of little feet finally breaks you.

“WHAT?!” You howl, your scream of anger causing your speakers to whine in protest at the sheer volume of your roar as you round on the Joyous. “WHAT’S YOUR DEAL, HUH?”

She doesn’t move a muscle even when you seize her by the collar of her dress and throw her up against the trunk of the closest tree, those damnably dead eyes just staring straight at you through the shade of the silent forest. Your helm is inches away from her face, your talons creaking into a fist as you glare into...

>>WARNING

>>HULL BREACH IMMINENT

You freeze, glancing down at the Joyous’ calcite blade that threatens to penetrate clean through your breastplate. Slowly, you lower the construct to the ground, with the thing giving you a stupid little nod when its feet meet the fleshscape. It sheathes the blade, both components of the summoned weapon recreating back into the thing’s forearm just before it leans down to pluck the shimmering cloak from the ground.

“…Where’d you get the Shawl? Your maker lend it to you, or’d you find another one?” You ask harshly, fists clenched as you watch the construct pat out its dress.

“…other.” It answers softly, much to your surprise.

“Oh, so you CAN talk, huh?” You fire back, meeting the thing’s dull, two-tone stare.

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>>3933777

God almighty, this thing’s pissing you off…you’re not a fan of being followed, for one, and as your nail catches on the divot where its blade was about to puncture your shell like it was nothing, it only serves to make your rage flare even higher. You can barely even stand a chance against a fucking CHILD…hell, not EVEN a child. It’s a goddamn CONSTRUCT, and if that’s the case then what sort of chance are you going to have against anything that isn’t a complete shitter in the Fleshscape?

“So, you gonna tell me why you’re tailing me like something I stepped in?” You demand once more, leaning forward with your claws on your hips, cords flicking angrily at the air like a pair of irate snakes.

The thing just raises an index finger to its lips, pre-emptively shushing you as it draws the Shawl back over its head.

“What the hell are you doing that for, you little-“ You begin before a single hand emerges briefly from thin air to point past you, retreating just as quickly when you hear voices closing in on your position. There’s a soft whir from deep within your frame and it’s with a fluid motion that you draw up your hood, darting into the shadows as your cloak shimmers and shifts to match your surroundings.

“…ere she fought the Chevalier! Ahh, this is so cool!” Declares a high, excitable voice that filters between the ivory trunks around you.

“Look, man…I know you’re a Hive Mistress too, an’ all, but we don’t have to re-trace *everything* the Defiant did, do we? I’m as much of a fan as you are but I’m exhausted, dude. We’ve been walking for hours.” Comes the tired tones of a second individual as the pair approach you. Glancing around the corner of your chosen tree, you almost trip over the Joyous, finding the thing’s opted to use you as cover against the two approaching strangers. Holding back an irritated curse, you finally set eyes on the duo; a short, plump young woman with short black hair and a pair of arms riddled with holes, each gaping orifice lined with thin calcite branches. Her bright, shining eyes are darting to take in every tree, every branch, as her tall, slim brunette companion heaves a long-suffering sigh, her utterly normal upper torso in stark contrast to her crustacean-like legs and anterior shell.

You could opt to skirt around them, but the sight of several oddly-shaped items strapped around the waist and on the shell of the slimmer girl catches your eye. They could be of use…if you can clench your jaw and stand to be around a couple of Defiant fans, that is.

>>Skirt around the group. You’ve spent the last few years trapped with Shu fan-girls, and you’re not spending another second with any more.

>>Introduce yourself, and see if they have or know anything you might find useful before heading on your way.

>>Write-In

YOU FINALLY HAVE CONTROL

(Voting shall remain open for the next three hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3933780
>>Introduce yourself, and see if they have or know anything you might find useful before heading on your way.

>Step out and point towards the tree where Shu and Isabelle rested after the fight against the Chevalier

>"They rested over there but i think you girls knew that already from how you were talking about Shu"

Sam you had first hand experience of what Shu has done ever since she woke up. You might be able to tell these girls something they didnt know about her and you might be able to get somethign in return be it companionship or something like a favour to trade with them later on

>>3933774
>A new streamer moved in by the name of Erica Blair.
Oh, wow, both of the bloggers Amara likes in the same city. That's cool, maybe we'll get the chance to visit them sometime. The Lair isn't that far from Envy City.

>since they serve as surveillance devices and natural amplifiers for Blair’s Glutton-Talker-Neuro tri-hybrid
Erica Arthur Blair made a panopticon. Behold my shock.

>“Haha, obviously.” Paloma giggles in reply. “Caverna isn’t exactly a bloodsport, and afterwards that we had a lovely drink and chat. We shared a bottle of a vintage red that was just absolutely divine, and then I talked shop with Blair. Had a better time with her bodyguard, come to think of it…”
And that's how civilized people resolve their conflicts. Good on you, Paloma.

>At first you think it’s broken, a bright glow shining through the binoculars and triggering the glare-protectors to shutter down over your visor…and that’s when you can make sense of what you’re seeing. What you mistook for a shining light is in reality a tangle of multi-colored strands, vibrant and breath-taking, stretching out in every direction. Azure, viridian, and every shade of eye-catching gold is represented in the gorgeous collection of threads that stretch forth from the Skintalker before you, and you just stand there in awe as they flicker with warm, inviting light.
Yeah...you probably shouldn't look at a Skintalker through a bond-o-scope. Hard to separate out individual signals when they're connected to the entire planet. Though maybe it's a good sign that Sam finds the light of connection beautiful.

>>3933780
>You can barely even stand a chance against a fucking CHILD…hell, not EVEN a child. It’s a goddamn CONSTRUCT, and if that’s the case then what sort of chance are you going to have against anything that isn’t a complete shitter in the Fleshscape?
Oh, Sam, if you haven't internalized the knowledge that the number of levels a Daughter has eaten is a lot more relevant than their age or stature you're not going to have a fun time. Like, I know you're being super dismissive of our party because friendship does not compute, but Amara's level forty-seven and you know it. It's not that you're weak, necessarily, it's that Amara is just that strong.

>>3933820
>it's that Amara is just that strong.

And gets trained by one of the strongest warriors of the crucible. Cheruem the god damn Mall Cop/ Alien Ninja

I would guess that part of that ability pushes through to her clones as well whenever there is an update for her clone network

And Sam is what? In a level one forge body? Of course you will get wrecked by early mid level daughters.
She barely stand a chance if you get caught in the open with her pants down like that

>>3933835
Also, she's got a stealth build. Be stealthy, Sam. Take Paloma's advice, learn from the Joyous Many. When you've successfully gone without being spotted by one for an entire hour, you know that you've succeeded.

>>3933840
I guess that is what you get if you give the 3 Intelligence Character a stealth build...

I have a player kind of like that though he plays a warlock. barely uses any of the nice powers he got from hsi deal with the Archdevil that is his patron.

>>3933780
>Skirt around the group. You’ve spent the last few years trapped with Shu fan-girls, and you’re not spending another second with any more.

>>3933774
>“She was pretty good, but my husband and I used to play a lot of board games, so I got her eventually.”
a petite woman like Paloma having a hubby. wow.

>>3933777
>Amara's clone saying that she's been following Sam for 2 days in a very cheeky way

>>3933780
>skirt around the group.

Damn Sam's got quite a temper. Poor Sam. Stupid Sam. Sam and her 3 INT and 18 CHA that she barely knows how to use.
Also, I'm having this mental image of Sam getting taught by Amara's clone in a roundabout cheeky way of "how to ninja" and "Crucible tutorial 101".

>>3933820
>That's cool, maybe we'll get the chance to visit them sometime.

Its actrually not to unlikely. The Joyous many clone was there with Sam so amara should be gettign that information eventually..... So we could justify talking with her about it once we talk with her about the skinternet.


maybe something like: "So from where do they stream. Do the yhave a base where they keep equipment?"

You may also want to vote i noticed you hadnt done so already


And i will now be heading off to sleep. Good Night Anons

>>3933840
>>3933835
does kinda suck though that Amaras stealth was implied to be of a higher level than Sams. not something just pure experience can change there. whoever built those Shawls apparently knew what they were doing, if they can outclass a DO suit made specifically for that.

>>3933844
>>3933874

What's worse, Sam's got 3 INT AND 3 WIS despite her stupid high charisma. there's dumb, there's bimbo tier, and then there's Sam.

Sam literally needs to have a minder in any way shape or form in order to function if she's to survive early game in her new body.

>>3933873
True, Amara should know her favorite streamer is in town, now. The next break we take should be to go over and play board games with them. They've got Caverna, that's a good one.

>You may also want to vote i noticed you hadnt done so already
Yeah, I keep editing it. I'm trying to convey a proper level of awkwardness and not managing to nail it, I might just trash it and go with the non-write in options.

>>3933874
Probably someone who already had experience in metamaterials, the name is a nerdy reference to a famous scientist in the field of optics. Francine's a genius, but she's also a multidisciplinary scientist instead of a specialist, I can see someone beating her out in a specific field.

>>3933879
nah, I mean i get the joke, but Sams already still shown intellect of a higher caliber than that. she respect the Crucible is a death game and that shes low level in that, which certainly isnt at all Dumb tier. she just has a temper, which to be fair, certain aspects of our party are no better at.

>>3933874
(Technically speaking, Sam has much higher stealth abilities than anyone in your party, but she's just been getting garbage rolls this entire session, so I've just been rolling with the punches.)

>>3933898
ah, so not even lady luck likes Sam. somehow, all too fitting.

>>3933780
Holy crap, I figured that Shu getting praise from Mara as a big thing, I figured that Shu leading a successful raid against the Spiraling Fear with Zero Casualties would bump our threat level up for Mara to give us a title of "Hunter of Gods", and us knocking Ozmas down to the last peg was gonna get us a huge reputation, but it never really occurred to me the extent of Shu's image in the eyes of the common daughter. Already we have fangirls that are treating Shu's travels as a pilgrimage.

Wait....that also means Sam's original death and Shu's birthplace (aka the Sorority house) will be absolutely SWARMING with fangirls

>>3933890
How about going for the mysteriously intimidating cloaked skeleton that points towards the specific tree like a wraith? Sam wants to maintain a certain image about her, and doesn't want to engage in small talk, but man the fangirls are testing Sam's temper and making Sam sweat nervously.

>>3933898
Well now that Amara's clone spotted Sam, is she gonna tag along with Sam? It's the sort of thing where once you find out where the ninja (Sam) is, all you need to do is look for the telltale signs not to mention the growing familiarity.

>>3933912
didn't we specifically NOT send anything to trail Sam?

>>3933912
>How about going for the mysteriously intimidating cloaked skeleton that points towards the specific tree like a wraith? Sam wants to maintain a certain image about her, and doesn't want to engage in small talk, but man the fangirls are testing Sam's temper and making Sam sweat nervously.
Could work. I kind of want to have Sam interact with the girls, though, if only so that she has to make up a fake identity after realizing halfway through introducing herself that Shu's fangirls might know who the robot named Sam is.

>>3933918
I think so. So either the Many found Sam on its own as a coincidence, or Amara is in for a scolding once Shu finds out.

>>3933918
(You're quite correct, as this particular Joyous has taken it upon herself to diverge from her search to trail along with Sam, instead. The odd thing about Amara's ability is that the clones will occasionally go off the rails if left unattended, represented by various checks they make against getting pulled off-task...which this one failed, obviously.)

>>3933928
ah, guess thats the risk of leaving semi-intelligent constructs to their own bidding. that independence has its value, but drawbacks too.

>>3933926
sounds like oddly enough she wont. or maybe she will. hrm, this is a very unique situation. most kids do not have semi-intelligent semi-independent clones to take into account. but i guess Amara herself is pretty easily distracted, so i can see her not REALLY paying attention to what all her clones are up to most of the time.

>>3933928
Well, it's good to know we don't have to chastise Amara for this. Just the clone. Clone Amara #1783, come over here so we can yell at you.

actually, i wonder how much of a shot Sam would actually have to beat an Amara Clone. they actually have a stupendously low bio and health pool, and dont replenish either even outside combat. id imagine just for the natural necessity of it Sams suits got above low level health. if she actually got the drop on one, she probably could kill it pretty quickly, or certainly in the first attack drop it down too low to spawn a fresh one, and after that it would just be waiting for another opening, not to mention it then wouldn't be able to use lot of its other tricks too.

this would also of course, rely on Sam being smart enough to even think about that and pull it off, which, it seems luck alone wouldn't allow, let alone if she herself would be smart enough for it. I mean, the shawl is good, but surely there was SOME kinda tell you were being trailed, especially when you climbed the side of a building?

that is, unless the clone meant two minutes, in which case, fair.

>>3933944
Well lets see here. Sam will have to contend with skintalker radar, an ability that lets the Clone multiply like Cats in a Dorf Fortress game, a Calcite blade that could easily one-shot Sam and pierce through her steel shell, Queen Crimson, Oxygenic Artillery, and the fact that she has to pass the save against aggression suppression from Lexicon lvl 8 (if the clone was updated)

>>3933949
I actually dont think the Clone ability would come into play that heavily, unlike Amara the clones dont have protection of allies nor Acts or resources to spare to properly abuse it, only enough to possibly keep going fresh if they get injured. same with their other abilities, they simply dont have the resources to abuse them, especially not without putting themselves in danger of not being able to properly continue even if they win.

also the skintalker Radar i dont think is always active, and the Aggression Suppression is almost worthless if theres true intent to kill. its maybe once made something slightly hesitate in actual combat? but has never actually stopped or prevented an attack or combat from breaking out.

the clones work so well because they are disposable and have the rest of the team to give Amara her opening, which doesn't really work here. that, and they have Amara herself leading them, so they have full big brain power, which without could easily stifle them i imagine.

>>3933963
>I actually dont think the Clone ability would come into play that heavily, unlike Amara the clones dont have protection of allies nor Acts or resources to spare to properly abuse it, only enough to possibly keep going fresh if they get injured. same with their other abilities, they simply dont have the resources to abuse them, especially not without putting themselves in danger of not being able to properly continue even if they win.
Unless the Joyous Many get to benefit from Joyous Many level seven as part of their sharing of Amara's powers, in which case you have to kill a clone in a single hit in order to prevent them from multiplying. It would be impossible to interrupt their multiplying with glancing blows, because if your hit doesn't kill them they just spawn a new clone at full Health. Every blow has to be a killing strike, any clones left alive will inevitably create more clones. Assuming that they get that, of course, BHOP might rule it's too OP for our already exponentially-multiplying army of little girl ninjas.

>also the skintalker Radar i dont think is always active, and the Aggression Suppression is almost worthless if theres true intent to kill. its maybe once made something slightly hesitate in actual combat? but has never actually stopped or prevented an attack or combat from breaking out.
I think they mean the new, upgraded version, which can actually deflect opponents instead of just make them more willing to talk.

>>3933972
>>3933963
There's something that bothered me. Is there anyway to boost the health and bio stats of the Joyous clones? I know goes with the nature of choosing Quantity instead of Quality, but it feels like we should get slightly more stats the more we upgrade the joyous many.

>>3933980
eh, the ability is already so damn powerful it has to have some balancing factor.

>>3933980
It might show up as the skill continues to level, it's only halfway to the cap after all. Or we could always try Kadath-ing the Hollowed Clone it's made from, we got that from one of the Sororitas (damned if I can remember which one, though) so it should be valid for Kadath. Probably better to spend that on other skills, though.

>>3933983
>>3933898
grah, really would be helpful BHOP if you could go over what is Kadath applicable or not. tried to do it on the sheet but honestly at this point i give up.

>>3933991
(No worries, and my apologies for the hassle. After I post the next update I'll likely pause for the evening, so at that point I'll try to clarify and answe're the other Anon's questions regarding Zahira's party and the Ascendant Crown Calcite variant, too.)

>>3933780
>>Introduce yourself, and see if they have or know anything you might find useful before heading on your way.

(A quick reminder to vote if you haven't done so already as there appears to be a tie between staying or leaving, at the current time.)

>>3933780
Eh, I dunno. Sam seems like if she approaches, she'll try to steal if she can't convince them to trade a shiny relic. On the other hand, the Amara clone would probably stop her if she tried, so she's got a minder. On the other other hand, I can get that she wouldn't want to be reminded of Shu and her accomplishments at every turn. Try to start her own life and not live in her shadow. But I don't want her to be antisocial.

I'm really torn on this so I'll flip a coin.

And first it is.

>Introduce yourself, and see if they have or know anything you might find useful before heading on your way.

Y'know, now that I think about it, does anybody even know about Sam and Shu's splitting up? It took place at the DO's base, and I can't imagine that place has a skinternet connection.

>>3934046
eh, i dislike that thinking, as you're thinking about what you WANT Sam to do, not what SAM would do.

>>3934048
i think someone mentioned it was on the Skinternet.

>>3934048
it's got Cassandra as local admin on that regional server.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

File: The Hedgemaze's Memory.jpg (125 KB, 850x637)

125 KB JPG

>>3933780

A tall, skeletal machine stepping from the shadows goes over about as well as can be expected, but once you indicate that you mean no harm the two girls ease out of self-defense mode and start to catch their breath.

"S-sorry for the, uh..." Begins the taller girl.

"Screaming. Sorry we screamed." Finishes the shorter one as she flashes you a sheepish grin. "I'm Susan, and her name is Judy."

"Good to meet you both." You reply, trying to inject your usually flat affect with something close to a smile. "Couldn't help but overhear you talking about the Defiant. That why you're out here?"

"Totally!" Susan replies, jumping at the chance to talk about your doppelganger while Judy just rolls her eyes. "We've been back-tracking a bit to hit all the major places where she's been! What about you?"

"Same." You reply as you glance between the two. "Where are you headed next?"

"The Puppeteer's Playground...or we would, if a report hadn't come through saying to avoid it." Jen says with a shrug, tapping a walkie-talkie strapped to her left side, the speaker pulsing like the beating of a small heart. "Big foreign Daughter's supposed to be headed through it, so we're gonna just mosey on back to the Envious City..."

"...*aren't* we, Sue?" She adds with a pointed glance at her companion.

"Oh, fine." Susan concedes, shifting from disappointment at her friend to excitement, aimed towards you. "So! Fan to fan, I gotta know your favorites!"

"Favorites?" You ask, and Susan just laughs.

"Moment! Moves! Ships!" She answers jovially, throwing her hands in the air. "Any of it, girl!"

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"...Uh, the...the plant girl. The one that kept shifting." You reply with the tone of a forced smile, trying to quickly dispense with the pleasantries as you eye the Relics on the other girl's belt. "What about you?"

"Why that one? Sucker for a tragic backstory?" Sue presses, leaning in closer to you before her friend tugs her back by the collar of her sweater.

"Uh...no. No, it's stupid." You say, and that only heightens Sue's curiosity.

"Was it just before that, when there was that really sweet Shu/Rath moment?" She speculates, and you can see the gears turning in her mind even as your own irritation mounts. "Wait...is it when Sam made her first legit appearance?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I kind of...what?" You ask, the flicker of pride in being remembered for that moment fizzling out in the face of Susan's scrunched-up nose.

"Oh." Susan replies disdainfully. "I'm just not a huge fan of cringe, sorry."

A second passes.

Then two.

"....Excuse me?" You say, suppressing a snarl.

(Loading...)

oh no. it looks like Sam failed an anger check. This can't be good.

>>3934145

"It was just really stupid. Sam could've been part of the team, but she shot herself in the foot." Susan explains, and your shoulders tense as Judy watches you with an odd look in her eyes. "I mean, you already know Shu's freaking out, so you, what? Make yourself seem like that much more of a villain by being all smug and shit? It was just really childish."

"...Sam scared her. Sam was angry, and she was trying to show she was still strong." You say, a sickening insistence slipping into your voice as Judy's eyes narrow. "That she was still powerful."

"About as powerful as a kid jumping out of the closet and yelling 'boo', maybe." Sue dismisses, as Judy gently reaches out as places a firm hand on her friend's shoulder. "I mean, how insecure do you have to be to take your first chance at human contact and turn it into a dick-measuring contes-"

"...You with the DOs?" Judy interrupts, her posture tense as her other hand rests on a large ring hanging off the right side of her belt.

"Yeah, why?" You snap, and while Sue just flinches back a bit Judy just nods, her lips a terse line.

"Sue. We need to go." She says, not room in her voice for argument as she keeps her unblinking gaze on you, watching your every move as your fists start to creak.

"Hey!" You bark, voice raised. "I'm not through wi-"

"Stay back, Sam!" Judy bellows, her enhanced voice tearing through the forest as you freeze in place, the vibrations rattling every plate and wire of your fragile frame. Sue's eyes go wide with realization while Judy's flare with protective fury as they retreat from you, not once showing their backs until they've disappeared into the haze of the surrounding woods. The expressions on their faces linger in your mind long after they flee, leaving you standing in the midst of tall ivory trees casting their long ebony shadows.

It wasn't fear, in their eyes.

It wasn't respect.

No.

It was disgust.

It was pity.

It was the same thing you'd seen countless times before. With Shu. With Gina. With Rath.

With Mom.

With your own reflection, close to the end.

You're unsure how long you stand there, just another motionless thing among many in these dying woods. You're brought out of your thoughts when the air in front of you shimmers, Shalaev's Shawl held in the construct's off-hand as it just cocks its head at you, waiting for you to move.

...and move, you do. Your feet carry you eastward as you trudge through the Forest of Bones, while your mind fights to discern which path to your goal is the smartest move to make.

You're not known for making those, apparently.

>>Go around the Puppeteer's Playground. You're having enough trouble avoiding people without throwing a foreign Daughter into the mix.

>>Go through the Puppeteer's Playground. There are plenty of shadows, plenty of corners to hide in. You'll avoid conflict and hopefully find a Relic or two, while you're at it.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

YOU WERE THEN, TOO

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume in approximately fourteen, give or take.)

(Thank you very much for your participation, enthusiasm, and encouragement. I do hope your day has gone well, and I wish you a restful evening, Gentlemen.)

>>3934145
>>3934154
>Cringe
oi oi oi, i hate Sam too and hardly want to defend her, but cringe only applies if at the moment its done it was so, and within the context of the scene Sams appearance there was anything BUT cringe. was actually pretty fucking terrifying in its own right. respect the story girls, even if you dont respect the character, that scene had a profound impact on Shu and Co.

>>3934154
>Go through the Puppeteer's Playground. There are plenty of shadows, plenty of corners to hide in. You'll avoid conflict and hopefully find a Relic or two, while you're at it.
>Take time first however to scope the place out. see if theres any signs of that foreign Daughter, and if you cant simply wait for her to move on.

>>3934157
so what 'level', as little as that can mean, is Sams suit anyways? sorry if you've answered this one before, but i cant remember. all i can think is i think it was supposed to at least give her a chance to survive and not be helpless, but thats alot of wiggle room still.

how much control can Amara exert over her clones? would it be obvious if she was more directly piloting it, or are they always just order based?

>>3934154
>Let Sam decide.

>that spoiler
Sam...you're going down that path again aren't you?

>>3934161
It feels like Sam just keeps getting bullied directly AND indirectly. And it's hindering Sam's progress towards independence as well as just making Sam refuel her hate towards Shu more and more if that spoiler were to be put in context.

>>3934167
yeah i think we forgot one big issue with letting Sam out into the world; regardless of if its her fault or not, when you have a reputation as an ass, people will treat you like one, and even for her, id not blame her for deciding not to stop being an ass when its the only thing you're treated like anyways.

>>3934165
(Sam's Frame is roughly on par to you and your party members just after B'ni left. Capable of some interesting tricks, but no where near where you are now. As far as Amara's control, it's more command-based. If she's there to supervise then they can do complex tasks, but the further away they go and the more time out of the loop they are, then the more prone they get to getting off-task.)

(Now, if I may ask; what sort of explanations are you looking for regarding Kadath? Are you looking for a list of Dream Daughters and their powers, or are you looking for all eligible Kadath powers while excluding the ones that are from Amalgams and the like? I just want to ensure I fully understand what you're looking for before I plunge in, since I was in the shower when I realized I may have misunderstood what you meant.)

>>3934167
(Regarding the spoiler, it was actually more directed at Sam, herself...it was her slowly realizing that she had control, even back then.)

>>3934171
im really just trying to make sure all of the Kadath available abilities are marked down correctly, so I and others can easily discern which ones we can use it on, without having to try to recall half remembered scenes and level ups and whatnot all the time.

...though id be lying if i said id not be interested in the Dream Daughters and what their own, actual abilities(or just cores) were, but your plates already pretty full id imagine so no worries there, you do enough as it is.

>>3934182
(Would it be easier and less work for you to mark down the ones that *aren't* eligible for Kadath? Those would obviously be fewer, and I plan for future level-ups to also have clear descriptors as to whether or not they're Kadath-eligible powers.)

>>3934191
would they? i have no idea honestly there. and i mean, id still need to know which is which. shouldn't be too much of a problem if i can just get clear, definitive confirmation on which ones are, thats the real issue, not actually marking them.

>>3934198
(Alright, excellent. Thank you very much for clarifying, and I'll set to work right now.)

>>3934199
oh right, while on the topic, any wording or format changes you would like before i put the Pandoric Script with Shus 'Other Abilities', or think its fine to add it as it is?

>>3934255
(I think it's perfectly fine, as is. You've done a marvelous job!)

>>3934258
copy that and added. thanks.

small warning for folks by the way. may not be a new thing, but never happened for me before ever, and i know its something some people might wish to know about, but Pastebin just had a 'hidden link ad' on it for me. went to copy the Pandoric Script Text, and suddenly new tab opening up. know those things can be a worry for alot of folks so new thing or not, just a friendly warning is all.

(Below you shall find a list of the only powers you possess that are NOT eligible for Kadath. If you have any questions or concerns, then please let me know. They are as follows;)

SHU; All are now eligible.

GINA: All are now eligible.

>RATH: Unrelenting Cold, Alabaster Endoskeleton, Radiant Boil

AMARA: All are now eligible.

>JULIA: Badger's Barbarism, Frozen Fury, Depressive Weight

>DORIAN: Spring-Heeled Jack, Accumulated Charge

>FRANCINE: Primordial School

(While it can be argued that some of the abilities I've left off this list can be construed as not belonging to a Dream Daughter the weilder currently possesses, everyone interacts with their Dream Daughters enough to where trying to keep up with all that would be restrictive and a chore, so I've opted to try and keep things simple. If anyone sees that this might cause issues, however, then please let me know.)

~~~

(Now, to answer some questions left over from the 34th Vein, Zahira’s allies are as follows;)

>>Aahna - Zahira's Best Friend. Possessed a Flesh Artisan power that eventually fused with Zahira's Neuromancy to become her hybridized Core.

>>Kalaa - Aahna's Sister, betrayed group. Flesh Artisan, forgemistress, and origin of the augmentations found in Lepisma's level-up list. Her Core was discarded by her sister, with a select few augments plucked from her remains after Aahna was forced to put her down.

>>Schara - Hive Mistress, power eventually fused into Spiritus ex Testa. Capable of summoning large scarab beetles that were as hardy as they were cuddly.

>>Atma - Phantasmal Conduit, power eventually fused into Spiritus ex Testa. Capable of manifesting her own Dream Daughters directly into the constructs of foes and allies, alike.

(Now, on to the Calcite Variant of the Ascendant Crown.)

>>Calcite Crown, Tier 1 (7 Calcite Halos, Each Lvl 1 or higher) - Reduces additional damage tiers from critical hits suffered to a maximum of tier one, and renders wearer immune to both dismemberment and crushing damage. Calcite Armorer abilities used by the wearer cost 2/3 BIO to use, and if they are capable of scaling up in power, then they do so twice as quickly. Counter-attacks you inflict through Calcite Armorer powers have their critical cit baseline set at Tier 5, with any additional up-tiers stacking atop this new threshold. Additionally, if you would trigger a physical counter-attack from a foe, you now automatically trigger one of your applicable counters, if you have one.

>>3934269
wait, peoples Cores are eligible?

>>3934276
(They are, starting now. Considering that a major theme of the quest is not only dealing with others but also grappling with oneself, it felt like an arbitrary restriction that I've decided to do away with.)

(Allowing it gives you more freedom, and also lets Core Hybrids become more appealing, from what I can see. As I said, I'm open to counter-arguments if anyone thinks this is unwise in the long run, so if you have any concerns, I'd like to hear them.)

>>3934281
honestly i dislike it for thematic reasons. the cross dream daughter aspects too. feels like it significantly weakens the point and feel of the ability, which was supposed to be that connection to your dream daughters and strengthening that bond. especially for allowing Cores it makes little sense in my opinion for the point and perception of the Ability. it also doesn't really make sense in my opinion for it to work with other Daughters Dream Daughters, especially considering how the Crucible works and the Abilities bending to the user, thus our playstyle, is supposed to be stopped due to us using the Appetites, which is supposed to basically be its one drawback.

that, and i do feel both those things mechanically allow way too much extra powercreep to the ability, and i already honestly have enough issues with powercreep feelings as it is.

>>3934291
(Hm...you bring up good points, particularly regarding the feel of the ability in addition to the powercreep. I'll sleep on it here shortly, since I'll be able to approach it with a clearer mind in the morning. I appreciate your points as always, and thank you so much for all you do!)

>>3934299
you have a nice rest, and keep in mind, ill probably be in the minority here once others have their chance to speak, but we'll see.

>>3934299
>>3934281
I assent with this anon >>3934291 here.
Kadath was designed to interface with other dream daughters. Pulling a Kadath on yourself would mean you would have to actually talk with a separate entity that shared your same core as well by making a clone of yourself in the dreamscape which muddies up the concept of identity even further. the only way the whole "dealing with your shadow archetype" would work would be if everyone (and I mean EVERYONE including Amara) had the same special circumstances as the relationship dichotomy that Sam and Shu shared pre-split (having a shadow version of themselves to either talk with or simply kill).

and with the current mechanics in play, it would both feel cheap and exploitable by certain members of this community as well as some savvy daughters in-universe. Not only that, it feels like it would have more or less the same effect as Vitruvian Mental corruption, where the Daughter in question slowly becomes flanderized and one-dimensional as they either suppress or kill off aspects of their egos through the choices in their Dream sessions.

Self-realization and character development should happen within the context of the story through their actions and introspective reflections, not through plot devices where they simply beat the snot out of the "bad" version of themselves in a dreamscape al la Kingdom Hearts or Persona 4.

>>3934291
>>3934328

(You both make compelling points, and I believe that I will retract my previous adjustment and leave it as-is. Thus, I think that the list below should be reasonably accurate, but if there's any iffiness, then I'll address any questions that arise in the morning. I'm a little tired, so I expect I left out at least *something*, but I'll wrap it all up in the morning.)

(Sleep well, one and all.)

>SHU; Trypophilic Hive, Spiritus ex Testa, Hundred-Handed

>GINA: Tensile Strand, Neon Ascendant

>RATH: Unrelenting Cold, Alabaster Endoskeleton, Radiant Boil

>AMARA: Holsitic Lexicon, Joyous Many, Oxygeneic Artillery, Veruteilung,

>JULIA: Sculptress of Flesh, Badger's Barbarism, Frozen Fury, Depressive Weight, Artisanal Appetites, Calcite Halo

>DORIAN: Red Death, Spring-Heeled Jack, Accumulated Charge, Calcite Halo, Verurteilung,

>FRANCINE: Creation's Strings, Primordial School

>All Neurotic Halos except for Gina.

>All Calcite Halos except for if it's put on Francine.

>>3934154
>>Go through the Puppeteer's Playground. There are plenty of shadows, plenty of corners to hide in. You'll avoid conflict and hopefully find a Relic or two, while you're at it.

>Scope the place out first. If you stumble upon the forgein dauhgter stay the hell away from her.

>If the forgein daughter finds you and is not immediatly hostile dont be an ass. Your an assasine that would have been found out so your comabt options are out of the window immediatly if your spotted. If she is hostile....... run.... run for your fucking life

>>3934377
Not to nitpick, but shouldn't Dominus Bloodline, Exsanguinating Leash and Amethyst Jack on Shu also be inapplicable? Leash came from Sasha, and Jack from Gina (and Dominus their hybrid, of course), and neither of them are in Shu's head. Also, shouldn't Neon Ascendant be valid for Gina, given that Neurotic Halo is and it's a component of the hybrid? Joyous Many on Amara, too, since Hollowed Clone is applicable.

>>3934154
Well, I feel kind of bad, now. I was hoping they wouldn't catch on to Sam being Sam, and everyone could walk away from it just thinking it was an awkward conversation. Now those poor girls got spooked by the tour they were following becoming too real. Sorry, ladies. I hope they're going to be alright and not have their time too badly ruined. I'm feeling less bad for Sam, though, at least she got some valuable perspective of "everyone thinks you're a villain, but not one of the cool ones". It's harsh, but she needs to learn it.

>>Go around the Puppeteer's Playground. You're having enough trouble avoiding people without throwing a foreign Daughter into the mix.
Yeah, I think Sam would rather just not chance talking to people for a while. Forget the potential danger of whoever this Daughter is, them being friendly is the threat.

>>3934269
Hmm.

Let's put the Calcite Crown on Amara and then go fight that Toad amalgam. She's got Invis and the Joyous Many, combine that with the ramp-up of her sheathed blade and we'd just need to stall for time until she could 1-shot the thing.

>>3934725
besides the fact we dont have 7(not even sure 7 levels of it either) halos, im not sure thats a very good plan. for one, she has to hit, for another, it would be silly not to be trying to kill it up until then, which would very easily make the wait and buildup kinda pointless.

personally not really a fan of buildup abilities, or moreso, relying on them, over them just being there if you happen to end up having a chance to use them. too big a risk to put weight on them when oftentimes you could honestly have done just as good or better just having that character helping out without it.

>>3934725
Invisibility doesn't matter, the Mole-Toad hunts by vibrations. It already can't see who its fighting. Which is why my preferred plan to fight it involves luring it up to the surface, where we can rain ranged attacks down on it from flying Knight mounts. It can also only terraform biomass that it's already clawed at, so on the surface it would only be able to manipulate the biomass of the tunnel it dug to get up to us. It could claw at the ground, but since it's focused through the claws we can use Dorian's dismemberment abilities (including the very nice one he just got this level of Resplendent Thread that specifically inhibits powers associated with a limb) to get rid of the Mole-Toad's claws. Then I'm thinking we glue its symbiote drill-Amalgams to its back with B.33 rounds in Honey mode, have Rath go to town with punches so the sympathetic damage-sharing of Honey mode kills all the symbiotes at once, have that cause her to emit a dozen flame pulses all overlapped on each other from Ignition level four proccing. Huge damage, and thanks to Burrowing Blasts the Mole-Toad's Heat resistance doesn't matter.

>>3934764
might still be too difficult to trap all those minigams honestly. feels like too much of an assumption that will work out for my liking honestly, aswell as still feels like putting too much of our eggs in one basket.

>>3934783
Sure, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Honey-mode B.33s automatically trap everything within medium range of the detonation, but it's possible that some could launch before we can get the shots off. But I still want to have some plans in advance, that we can adapt as circumstances change.

>>3934791
doesn't it still take a turn to detonate though? BHOP still has not updated the Contender section of the Relics sheet and i cannot for the life of me find the upgrades again.

>>3934377
seriously, BHOP, i get it, but i think you need to just start pausing the Quest and updating this stuff immediately as we get it, to avoid this constant backlogging and forgetting. just even if its annoying, just not continuing until everything is in its place whenever you give it to us. im not trying to harp hard on ya, but i honestly can no longer remember a time something had not been forgotten or fallen behind in its information. putting it off only seems to be causing a cascading problem that doesn't seem to want to ever be fully fixed.

>>3934800
>doesn't it still take a turn to detonate though? BHOP still has not updated the Contender section of the Relics sheet and i cannot for the life of me find the upgrades again.
Not if we double-tap. Each shot after the first that hits removes one round from the timer, thanks to Trigger Round. We can aim for the larger target of the Mole-Toad itself, it carries the drills on its back and ensures hitting it will catch them in the area of effect. Plus, we can do suppression fire with the Contender's current ammo capacity, so very good chances of getting at least two bees into the Toad.

>>3934807
eh, we'll see, but not sure im for putting that at the center of our strategy.

>>3934811
Nah, the center of my strategy is "get it away from biomass it can control". The B.33s are just another layer of things to add on top of that, if we get the chance.

>>3934815
i mean fair, but i was being a bit loose with the definition of 'center of our strategy' there.

>>3934800
(Ah, you're quite right. I'll spend some time over the small break trying to get everything in order, and doing a 'week on, week off' schedule like I'd proposed a few Vein's ago would help keep things in check.)

(Also, the latest Contender upgrades appear to be in the Pastebin, but I've posted them below for your convenience.)

>>TRIGGER ROUND: Any type of round fired by the Contender now accelerates timer-based abilities by one tick per round that hits the target.

>>[FORM AUGMENT] LIONHEART’S BAYONET: The form and function of the Lionheart Form may now be applied to any Form change, as the blade consistently appears across all forms as a wickedly powerful bayonet. Additionally, this blade also gains unique and additional quirks across the forms.

>>[NEW FORM] GATLINGGUNNER’S MAXIM: This hefty mutation of the Contender’s base design now allows for rapid-firing, akin to the machine guns so popular in the old world’s wars. Easily able to be wielded with one hand, while in this form the Condender’s current magazine size is doubled, allowing for a relentless barrage of rounds across a wide swathe of foes. Finally, the rapid-loading inherent in this form allows you to automatically slot in a number of rounds at the end of your turn equal to half the number of rounds fired during your previous barrage, ensuring that you will always have a round hot in the barrel. (Lionheart’s Bayonet: Repeatedly firing the Contender applies a stacking damage bonus to the Bayonet equal to 10% for each round fired, with all stacks consumed upon striking the foe with your devastating blade.)

>>GEMINI’S BLADE: While in Lionheart Form your blade splits into two identical copies, each one half of the ammo capacity available to you. While they each require a hand to hold, you may make two strikes with each of them using a single ACT as long as both are in your possession.

>>B.33 SPECIAL (Enhanced): The upgraded form of the adorable B.33 round has evolved from a cute distraction to a devastating round that can turn the tide of battle more drastically than ever before with two new detonation modes; HONEY and SWARM. Upon the HONEY mode’s detonation, the B.33 Special now bursts out of the entry wound, viscous ropes of semi-intelligent honey reaching out to automatically grapple all foes within medium range of the effect's target and hauling them into a paralytic cluster of limbs and honey, making all subsequent attacks against the cluster of foes hit everyone simultaneously. Upon SWARM mode’s detonation, the sweet-smelling aroma of the vanguard B.33 gives off a swarmling accelerant, resulting in a 10% Damage bonus for each B.33 Round detonated, drastically increasing the damage your Swarmlings deal in addition to decreasing the affected foe’s damage against your brood by the same amount.

>>3933303
At 18th Vein now. between that Vein and now, has the question ever come up whether dickgirls were eligible to be Daughters ?

>>3934830
we dont need to ask or have that question answered.

>>3934828
ah, my bad. I assumed you would mix the new stuff in and organize it so so I didnt see it was all just stamped out at the top.

>>3934830
(While skirting some spoilers; essentially, the Crucible filters eligibility by determining who has the bigger hand in continuing a species, so it goes by purely biological criteria. It's how Dorian got in, though it has been alluded to that the process can be 'fooled', since the Crucible is by no means a perfect system.)

>>3934830
What's in someone's pants is no concern of ours. Though we did make a few jokes about penile Relics.

>>3934846
well, i mean that really depends. longterm goal of course, but the human race does need to continue so eventually that could be an actual thing to take note of.
we'll see just how that pans out though i suppose. maybe 'constructs to the point of new beings' really will be the only way forward. guess Hive/Phantasmal/Neuro hybrid Daughters will have interesting business opportunities at the very least.

>"come to 'design-a-baby today! our prices are the lowest this side of the globe, i hired mercenaries to make sure of it! buy two and the seconds ones half off! by popular demand, mystery box options are back!"

>>3934862
>>(The future of the human race is basically Build-a-Bear but with babies.)

(I like it.)

>>3934862
Okay, fair, what's in smeone's pants is no concern of ours within the timeframe the quest is likely to cover. Yeah, designer babies are going to be huge, though. Even if we do manage to get human reproduction working right again with however we reconstruct humanity, if the technology for designer kids is possible you know it's going to happen. Hell, we're on the edge of that right now in the real world.

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44 KB JPG

>>3934871
>>3934872
>"mom? why do i have three arms and why does my face look like a millipedes?"
>"because we love you but those options were on sale, and you were already getting pretty expensive as it was."

yeah, designer babies will certainly be a thing. whew though, im still wondering how raising children is gonna work. like, will your babies core be pre-set, or will it be a puberty thing and develop later once theres actually something to work off of? will the designer aspects basically make you have full control over what your child will have in that regard? would choosing that basically be forcing who your kid is going to be? damn, now im starting to wonder at the moral implications of that too.

on one hand, stifling the freedom on the next generation to make their own fate. on the other hand, rebuilding has requirements, and im seeing our settlement is sorely in need of more calcite armorers if it has any hope of surviving...

>>3934882
Neuromancers and Flesh Artisans, too. Terrain-shaping, technology-interfacing and Relic-building. Gonna be some of the most important skills for rebuilding civilization. Whoever winds up with those Cores is going to be considered very valuable. Not sure how Cores would be determined in reproducing Daughters, though. Might just be a random roll, might be influenced by what your parents had, might take until later in life so it's appropriately fit to your issues.

>>3934882
>>3934872
And then you get to the discount bargain bin babies...those poor unfortunate souls.

The only unfortunate thing about the rebuilding is that a caste system will inevitably come about as well as any form of discrimination based on the Core type of a person. Not to mention if/when a daughter ascends and manages to stop the Crucible, The core class that they are will be known to all and will likely be seen as "Top tier" in the in-universe meta.

>>3934830
There have been a few...anomalies that have been implied to get in. Like bhop said, it's no perfect system.

>>3934906
>Not to mention if/when a daughter ascends and manages to stop the Crucible, The core class that they are will be known to all and will likely be seen as "Top tier" in the in-universe meta.
Good thing we're doing this as a team with representation of every class type. Though yeah, Hive Mistress probably will have a bit of extra shine to it thanks to Shu.

>>3934918
I think Shus really stolen the spotlight too much for the team aspect to have too much of an impact.

>>3934918
>Hive Mistress (Shu)
>Neuromancer (Gina and Francine)
>Vitruvian/Fibromancer/Generator [triple hybrid] (Rath)
>Skintalker (Amara)
>Flesh Artisan (Julia and Dorian)
>Warforged/Forge Core/Disassociated (November)

If we're talking Core abilities only, we're missing Calcite Armorer and Unnatural Predator.

But popular perception has made Shu in the spotlight instead of expanding the spotlight to everyone else in Shu's family.

>>3934931
honestly i dont think Rath will be seen in the light of a hybrid. really her Generator aspects quite literally and metaphorically blind one to the other aspects of her core. at best maybe Fibromancer will get a call out from her, but probably not. the elemental aspects of her ability steal the show pretty heavily and would almost certainly be what people remember.

>>3934924
The fact that there's Dorian/Julia shipping says to me that there's at least some fandom for the rest of the party. And they'll all be contributing to that final push up the Cord to save mankind, I think that will give some nice footage for the archives showing the entire party being awesome. Yes, Shu will get the brunt of it by virtue of being the leader, but I think that the entire party are going to be seen as exemplars by the post-Crucible society. Julia is not going to know how to handle being so famous and respected, it will be adorable.

>>3934934
eh, thats just not usually how it works. on most occasions even with teams one or maybe two really steal all the fame even if they dont mean to. we're already seeing a pretty heavy focus on Shu overall for sure.

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>>3934154

You continue trudging eastward until your feet carry you and your insufferable shadow to the Playground, a ramshackle assortment of homes in a once-idyllic neighborhood. As you stalk through the abandoned tenements, you pass the collapsed ruins of the church wherein Shu saved the red-head from the titular Puppeteer, a deathly silence now hanging over the town in the absence of life. Picking through one or two of the homes, it’s in the fourth one you search that you finally locate something of value…though certainly not to you.

>>RELIC ACQUIRED - GENERAL GENERATOR’S SUCCULENT SAUCE

“…fucking bullshit.” You mutter, thrusting the bottle of useless sauce into your cloak before carefully creeping over the endless vines of scarlet biomass that choke the home, floor to ceiling. You’re given pause when you’re about to step out over the ruins of the house’s crumbling northern side when the sound of irate voices carries across the shattered streets and withering tenements.

“You just thought you could waltz through my turf?” Snarls a brash young woman in the middle of the street ahead of you, a hybrid weave of crimson threads holding together a thick set of calcite armor over her powerful frame and shielding any distinguishing features from your view. She’s surrounded by what you assume to be her flunkies, given how they hang back, their lack of corruption betraying either an unusual concentration of Vitruvians or a gaggle of under-leveled Daughters. Before them looms…something you can’t quite make sense of, at first.

You take it for an Amalgam, only realizing it’s a Daughter when the thing quietly regards the women before it with an impassive tilt of its head. It’s as though horse and rider were fused into a single entity, the rider’s torso disappearing into its steed’s back in a tangle of oily wires. Its bare flesh vacillates between angry red and charred black, the horse-like part’s head staring straight ahead with sickly yellow orbs, devoid of pupils. The humanoid upper torso is no better, the rider’s chest a gaping cavity with a collection of vertical bloodstained strings stretched taught between throat and navel. A grim, horned calcite mask obscures its visage as it idly plucks at its own strings with long arms that end in tri-jointed fingers, too lengthy by far. You watch as it reaches out with one hand, the flunkies before it tensing as it silently motions towards their leader.

A small, simple wave of its hand, as if to gently usher them aside. Plain, dismissive…and infuriating to the Armorer.

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>>3935010

The offended Daughter charges with incredible speed, sending shards of pavement flying skyward as she kicks off towards her foe. Even as she moves forward, her armor redoubles in thickness, siphoning biomass from around the environment to turn her into a human wrecking ball, unstoppable force and immovable object, all in one.

You’re as surprised as she is when her foe disappears, reappearing behind the Armorer’s allies as their leader flies to pieces. The clean lines that slice across her armor become clear as she scatters across the street, her thinly-sliced remains leaving innumerable streaks of blood down the calcite avenue where they skid to a gruesome halt. The dead woman’s minions freeze, slowly turning to see the abominable centaur pluck a few mournful chords in her chest with one hand, and reach out with the other, not even bothering to turn as she repeats her little ‘shooing’ motion from before.

The girls scatter, not needing a third warning to flee for their lives.

You remain very still as the unnerving Daughter clops down the street, busying both hands by pinking out a vaguely familiar tune as she continues west at a leisurely pace. You’re about to make your move to skirt around the thing when a flicker of furtive movement down the street catches your eye. Another Joyous creeps along the rooftops, keeping its watchful gaze on the centaur-like being before catching your eye. It clenches one fist while pointing at you with the other, and you’re confused before you realize the Joyous beside you has slipped off its Shawl and is giving her twin the same mirrored gesture. The moment passes, with the far-off Joyous continuing to stalk their target while the closest one slips its Shawl back on, apparently content to keep stalking after you.

You continue east at a quickened pace, eager to put more space between you and whatever the hell that woman had become as your journey takes you to a distantly familiar crossroads. From where you stand atop a gently throbbing mound of flesh, you can see the compound where Shu first met West…or one iteration of her, at least. You can also see the unexplored city far off in the distance, which means that…

…there, within an hour or two’s walking distance, you see it. The campus, the third point equidistant from the lab and city, both.

Your goal’s in sight.

Not too much longer, now.

>>Investigate the lab. It looks abandoned, but if previous experience is any indication then West might’ve left something useful behind.

>>Explore a little of the city while you have the time. The town may have been a bust as far as Relics go, but there’s still time before you finish this.

>>You’re so close. Continue on to your goal, and find what you’re looking for.

>>Write-In

YOU FINALLY HAVE CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next two hours.)

>>3935016
>You’re so close. Continue on to your goal, and find what you’re looking for.
Im not sure what you're after here Sam, but when your goals in sight, go for it.

>>3935010
Seriously Sam? That is still something you can sell or give someone as a piece of an offering/bargain.
>>3935016
>>You’re so close. Continue on to your goal, and find what you’re looking for

Do what you have to do Sam. Maybe it will give you a bit of peace. There is just no reason to run away from your problems any longer. You know how you dealt with things you didn't like. But now it's time to face your problems head on

>>3935010
>Rider of black
>plucking the strings on her chest
That's Nuckelavee. And looks like she's taken to a Corruption totem form of a Horseman of the Apocalypse. Not to mention a popular folklore creature.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuckelavee

>A small, simple wave of its hand, as if to gently usher them aside.
For a Foreign daughter who's taken after a very malevolent folklore creature, she's quite considerate.

>>3935016
>You’re so close. Continue on to your goal, and find what you’re looking for.

>>3935010
Sam, That Onions Sauce is a prized relic for daughters who are into their endgame stage.

>>3935010
>>3935016
And that's Nuckelavee. Sam's running into all sorts of people that we've heard of but not seen, huh? Looks like Nuckelavee is pretty fast. She's doing full-on "nothing personal, kid" flash stepping. That's the goal to aim for, Dorian.

Neat to see the Many we sent to observe her interact with the one trailing Sam. It must be pretty surreal for anyone who notices the Many without knowing what they are, this legion of invisible children, all identical, stalking the fleshscape.

>>Explore a little of the city while you have the time. The town may have been a bust as far as Relics go, but there’s still time before you finish this.
Wait, "time before you finish this"? What are you planning that's so final, Sam? We don't even know what you want back at the college, and now you're talking about finishing things and not having time to do anything afterwards. Are you going to kill yourself? Oh, I'm getting very uncomfortable, now.

>>3935028
The pic even uses the Grimm of the same name from RWBY to represent her.

>>3935034
If she wanted to kill herself she could have let Cassandra purge her.

Maybe she wants to visit the place of her death to try and make peace with her past

>>3935034
I wonder if Amara will have the ability to do a teleport swap with the Joyous Many as a free action like ninja log substitution.

>>3935038
I hope you're right. Because she could also just want to go out on her terms or something like that. I'm probably just overly sensitive to this sort of thing, though.

>>3935040
I think there's an approximately 500% likelihood that that will happen eventually.

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>>3935034
>be newborn daughter, don't know what the hell's going on
>find a little girl somewhere, she starts following me
>barely speaks, feels almost like a zombie or something
>meet robot lady
>she's also being followed by a little girl
>the same little girl, in fact
>

>>3935034
im quite positive shes not planing to off herself. she wouldn't be so interested in Relics or anything if she was. i think shes just talking about her general 'retrace Shus steps' bit. she probably feels like she has unfinished business with the location itself almost, that she wants to put to rest.

>>3935045
Could be.... I also hope I am right. We went through a lot of discussion to give her this second chance. If she wants to due that's in her. We tried at least to give her a shot at a new life. And we could not divert the resources to help her with her psychological problems.

If she just offs herself I would still be angry with her but I would not cry for her.

>>3935051
Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right. I just get a bit twitchy when I see someone who's been experiencing despair talk about finality. Even if I don't like Sam, I don't want her to go out like that. But no, she's got too much spite to live for, I'm sure it will be fine. I hope it will be fine.

>>3935056
hey, worse case scenario, she becomes an interesting stop on the Shu Tour.
>"and here we see both where Shu awoke and Sams robotic corpse. as you can see from the splatter marks of the artificial fluids, Sam chose to end herself with a...."

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>>3935016

When you finally reach the campus, you know the route by heart as you pick your way around the random Daughters that wander through the space, idiotic tourists without context for the suffering you experienced here. They don’t know exactly where it all happened, not quite…and that allows you to find the sickeningly familiar building, go through the shattered doors, up the stairs, and count the doors until you find the room you’re looking for. Down the hall, you see the crater at the end from where Isabelle first discovered her powers, and to your left the door to her old room reveals the filthy remains of her furniture, choked with pulsing veins and steadily thrumming flesh. You step across the threshold, and into the realm of memory.

You remember. You remember the years you spent, locked behind your body’s sightless eyes as you listened to Isabelle’s unceasing vigil. You remember begging, pleading with whatever powers that be to let you just wake up…or sleep…or just DO something. You stare down at the wilted remains of your cocoon as the Joyous takes off its Shawl, and you just ignore the doll as it watches you from beyond the threshold. The door to the bathroom is closed when you try it, locked until your talons pierce through the feeble knob and you force it open, shoving aside the remains of the shattered table and all the useless junk Isabelle threw in here to clear the room for your eventual awakening…only you never did. Not really.

Heedless of the broken glass and jagged metal, you tear through the pile, claws ripping through wood and metal alike in your search. A few times you scar your own legs and cloak with your swipes, so easily does your frame blend in with what’s scattered and crammed into the cramped space as you search for the thing she left behind, the thing that meant nothing to her, and everything to you.

The thing she used to end your life.

You find it, at the very bottom of the collection of pointless, broken shards. The glass is long gone, but as your talons carefully curl around the base of the lava lamp, your fingers catch on the dent it made when Isabelle brought it down on your skull.

Relics.

Items of untold power, suable by flesh and steel, alike. Whether Forged with intent or left behind from ages long past, Relics hold incredible potential…even more so, when they’re things infused with meaning, with feeling.

With memory.

Isabelle tossed it aside so casually, but you know that the act of your first death had to impart something to this lump of metal that irrevocably changed the course of your existence.

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>>3935159

You hold it close, waiting for its power to unfurl before you mind, like with the useless trinkets you’ve picked up on your way here. Maybe it’s a weapon, to grant you the ability to carve your mark on this world and exercise control. Maybe it’s something that can strengthen this feeble shell, giving you the power to withstand those that would rob you of agency. You wait, standing there among the rusted and broken remains of a room that held all the meaning in the world to you and the girl that killed you.

You wait.

You wait.

You wait.

You…

…nothing’s happening.

You readjust you grip on the metal, claws creaking as you wonder what you’re doing wrong. You have to be doing something wrong. This is IMORTANT, this is something that affected you in ways you can barely begin to describe, it…no. No, you just have to wait a little longer, and maybe…

…it has to have meaning. The Crucible had to take notice. The years you spent, trapped in a body that as stolen from you. The loss of power, the loss of control, it had to…it had to mean something. So you wait.

You’re not sure how long you sit there. It’s with no amusement that when you sit down among the trash that’s been stuffed into the miniscule bathroom, you realize that you almost lose track of your own limbs among the detritus and filth. It all looks the same…but still you sit, waiting for…

…a reward?

A point, to everything you went through?

Your grip tightens on the base when you look up to see the Joyous just staring at you, that damnable, unblinking stare just affixed to you in silent judgment. Your hold clenches as you start to scream out at her in fury, and with a creak and pop the thing you hold just shatters. You freeze in horror, staring down at the shards of trash that now rest in your hands.

The base.

Your hands.

It’s just metal and plastic…mistakes and regrets.

Rising unsteadily to your feet, you let the pointless shards clatter to your feet, catching sight of your imperfect reflection in the chipped and faded mirror. You hold your own gaze for a while, the whirring of servos and the subtle click-click-click of your focusing optics the only sounds that answer your unspoken question. When something bumps against your leg, you’re reminded of the Relic you have, the first one you picked up in your journey to this horrible place. Your talons close around the binoculars, and with a glance back to the mirror, you raise them to your artificial eyes.

You look at yourself in the mirror, and you…

…you see your place in the world.

There are no resplendent feelings, no spectrum of bonds made manifest. There are only a few faint, ashen wisps of yearning connection that pathetically twitch, but…they’re fading. They’re all stemming from you, reaching out and trying to find purchase against cold, unfeeling ambivalence.

It’s one-sided.

It’s dying.

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>>3935161

All your anger, all your rage…it’s pointless. You can feel these tendrils of blame reaching out and holding on to nothing. There’s one for each of them. For Shu, for Gina, for Rath, but there’s nothing in return. There’s even one for Isabelle, the only strand that has an inkling of reciprocation…but even that’s fading, her connection to you suffocating on her end for reasons you can’t fathom.

If you had a body, maybe your throat would be working to hold back the tears you can’t shed. Maybe your stomach would be in knots, maybe you’d feel angry enough to scream, to shout, to rage at the world…but what does the world have to do with any of this?

You feel nothing, nothing but the cold, hard weight of consequence.

You’re angry. You’re hurting.

You’re alone.

…and it’s all your fault.

The arm that holds the binoculars goes limp at your side while you just stare at your reflection, mind numb as the chill of revelation creeps across your trapped consciousness. You had power. You had control. You squandered it, went all-in with a gamble to get more and lost it all. You backed the wrong horse, with people, with time, with everything. Even with your second chance, the proof of your manic and misplaced hopes scattered at your feet with the rest of the forgotten trash.

You’re not the protagonist. You’re not the villain. You’re…nothing. A revenant, ambling along after stupid little trinkets that mean nothing, to no one. Dimly, you become aware of the child now standing beside you, two-tone eyes staring up at you as you regard her in silence.

“What?” You ask weakly, and she just reaches out to tap the binoculars with one finger.

“…you helped.” She says softly.

“Yeah?” You scoff. “What about it?”

“…your choice.” She replies, tapping the Relic once more. “Bond.”

For a long moment you just stand there, finally willing yourself to move as you return to the bathroom and try to open the medicine cabinet, the aged mirror breaking off in your hand and leaving with a sliver of its reflective surface. Silently, you bring the Goggles to your visor with one hand, the shard held in the other as you stare at yourself once more. Ash, wisps, and choking things…but you see something you missed, before.

A weak, tremulous cord of light gold. It’s not from you, not entirely; rather, it’s connected to you by the appreciation of another. The feelings of someone whose life was changed by your control, by your limited power. You wonder what you’d see if you looked at Shu and her family through this gifted Relic. What they have, what they nurture, together? It’s power, forged through choice...and you have no doubt that it would shine brighter than the sun.

The thought makes you ache, in a strange sort of way.

One goal is lost…but another is found, as you stare at the Relic in your hands.

You know what you need to do.

>>Write-In

YOU FINALLY HAVE CONTROL

(Voting shall remain open for the next two hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3935163
Hrm, honestly doesn't feel like q good point to have a write in at at all ill be honest.
So ill just;
>Continue on. You DO have a second chance here. And its time you found out just what you want from it, separate from the past that never did you any good in the first place.

>>3935163
>The girl you helped maybe you can meet her again one day. Until then remember what you have done for her and continue doing it for other people.

>Go out into the fleshscape and try to help people in need. It will be little and the road will be long but you as well can have a new chance. And one day the name Sam will no longer be connected with disgust and pity.

>Until then Continue on your journey. Who knows what the next stepp towards the horizon might reveal

>>3935163
>Hug and headpat the child clone.
>The girl you helped maybe you can meet her again one day. Until then remember what you have done for her and continue doing it for other people.
>Go out into the fleshscape and try to help people in need. It will be little and the road will be long but you as well can have a new chance. And one day the name Sam will no longer be connected with disgust and pity.
>Your journey start, and you'll assert your existence through the lives you'll affect. Hopefully for the better.

>>3935163
>>3935179
Oh, adding in;
>Toss the relic aside.
>Whatever you do going forward, you want to make it visible to the naked eye, not to some trinket. Only then will you know you've finally moved on.

>>3935182
>>3935192
But not these, especially not the hug and headpat.

>>3935163
>"My Choice." you repeat.
>"I could always change my mind and choose to be a better person at any point in time." echo Shu's words.
>Gently pat the FuzzBuzz nestled around your neck.
>Stand up and walk out of the house, leave it behind. The past is the past.
>headpat the Joyous clone.
>Ask the Joyous clone "Are you going to follow me?"
>Regardless of the clone's answer, tell the clone this: "Relay a message through Amara will you? Tell Shu: 'I now know what I want to do to become a better person. Thank you.'"
>Hand the Goggles to the Joyous Clone.
>Go out into the fleshscape to help those in need. You've seen a small glimpse of someone who appreciated you, your actions, your choice. Maybe...if you help enough people, you'll gain more of those threads. And hopefully one day, the name Sam will not be connected with disgust and pity, but with warmth and appreciation. Hopefully one day, you can walk in the open head held high and know what you've done is visible to the naked eye, not to some arcane trinket. Only then you will know you've finally moved on.
>Until then, Continue on your Journey.

>>3935163
I like this one>>3935207 better than my own so will my ammend my vote to support it instead of>>3935182

>>3935207
Yeah no i really don't like this either.
Prefer for what i wrote to either be used or just ignored on this one honestly.

>>3935163
I'm also changing from>>3935192
to>>3935207

>>3935159
>You remember. You remember the years you spent, locked behind your body’s sightless eyes as you listened to Isabelle’s unceasing vigil. You remember begging, pleading with whatever powers that be to let you just wake up…or sleep…or just DO something.
Oh, you were awake the whole time? Well, okay, I guess that makes me think you're less stupid for how you introduced yourself, because you were already crazy. You already had two and a half years of locked-in syndrome, that can't have been good for your rational decision-making.

>>3935163
>>Write-In
>"...who? I didn't help anyone. I guess that girl who gave me these? I did kill that Amalgam. Or maybe the camera lady, when I took a photo for her? Is that all it takes?"
>"I guess I have to find out. I...thanks, kid. You're still creepy, but thank you."
>Head onward. Don't go following the cord, not yet, but get out of here. It's just a painful memory, at this point. Besides, hanging around here is just going to run you into more Shu fangirls.
>Changing takes time and effort. You've had an epiphany, but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to dedicate your life to doing good deeds. You're just not that person. Not now, maybe not ever. But the next time you encounter people, you're going to actually talk to them. Not just try to take advantage, have a real conversation where you treat them as ends in their own right, not merely means. Probably won't lead to anything substantial, but you've got to try.
>You've been afraid for a long time, so terrified of being vulnerable that it lead you to hurt everyone around you. Fear has ruled you, brought you to this lowest state, and if you're going to get out of it you have to stop letting it drive you. Take responsibility for your actions, engage with people honestly, and start making the decisions you need to have a better life. It's going to be hard, but you're determined to make it work.
>You are in control.

Yeah, I got overly dramatic there, but I wanted to give a bit of an upbeat mood for Sam. This is the actual start of her journey to self-actualization, let's let her walk off feeling something positive.

>>3935164
oh hey, i found a horrible set of images that made me think 'is this what the crucible would be like if it was food dishes'?

https://imgur.com/gallery/pehuoHY
truly, reality can be more horrible than the imagination.

>>3935226
All in all, I'd rather eat a twisted abomination with too many eyes.

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>>3935231
without a damn doubt. why, why is so much of it jello based?!

am >>3935207 on mobile at work.

changing my vote>>3935207 and amending it to support >>3935222 with willingness to merge the two ideas together in a composite write-in.

>>3935240
forgot to link post to >>3935163

>>3935238
A quick googling says that it was actually part of a push on the part of Kraft Foods to repopularize Jell-o in the face of declining sales as the Baby Boomers grew up. Huh. Well, good to know that this was an artificial thing and not a genuine trend.

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>>3935243
well, explains some of it for sure, but not all of it. still though, does help a bit.

>>3935163
Ammednign my vote >>3935209
slightly to ask OP to try and fuse >>3935207 and>>3935222

>>3935163
>>3935179
i still dont like it at all, but its the least of bad choices, so ill change to support
>>3935222
by itself.

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>>3935163

"My Choice." You murmur, letting the concept sink in for a long moment before you move again.

You have a choice to make. You have the power to do two very different things.

You can keep doing what you've done all your life...

...or you can take a page out of someone else's book.

Wordlessly, you exit the room, not looking back as you make your way back down the stairs and out into the main courtyard, your footsteps shadowed by the child that quietly follows behind you.

"You gonna keep following me, kid?" You ask, not bothering to turn around as you come to a stop, staring up at the crimson sky.

“…no.” Comes her faint reply, and you just nod while you search your coat for something you’d tossed in there, earlier.

In the process of retrieving the Succulent Sauce, your hand grazes something you’d forgotten about; a thing hastily stuffed away, whether out of spite or as a reminder of who granted you a second chance, you’re not quite sure. You pull the Relic and the FuzzBuzz scarf out from the recesses of your cloak, wrapping the latter around your neck and pulling your hood back up over it as you turn to face the Joyous behind you.

“Shu said this thing would keep me company, if I was…upset, or whatever.” You say, tugging lightly at the scarf as you hold both Relics in one hand. “‘To remind you that you can always be a better person, and that you are always in control’, she said.”

The child takes a step back when you thrust out your hand, and just cocks her head when it becomes apparent what you’re offering.

“Take ‘em.” You say with a voxel-distorted sigh, shaking your hand a little as Goggles rattle against the Sauce. “Both of ‘em…and a message, if you’re up for talking.”

The Joyous steps forward, cradling both Relics in her small hands before looking up at you intently.

“Tell Shu, through Amara, 'I know what I want to do to become a better person…thanks.'" You request, kneeling down to bring you eye-level with the little girl. She just watches you with that dead-fish stare for a long second before she…

It’s your turn to flinch back when the Joyous practically leaps forward, throwing her arms around your neck and catching you completely off-guard. You just kneel there, quite uncertain what to do as she pats your back mechanically before giving you a little space, which you use to rise to your full height.

“I, uh...thanks, kid.” You say, with some hesitation. “You're still creepy, but thanks."

She just gives you a thumb’s up, at that.

After mulling it over for a moment you tentatively reach out, patting the Joyous’ head awkwardly…and she seems to enjoy it, much to your surprise. Well, if watching through Shu’s eyes has taught you anything, it’s that you can’t go wrong with head pats.

Then, with one last little nod, the Joyous dons her Shawl once more and disappears, leaving you alone to make a choice…the first of many, you hope.

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>>3935328

You resolve to head onward, far away from here. You’re not heading to the Cord, but lingering here just serves as a painful memory at this point…and you don’t want to have any more awkward conversations with the plethora of Shu fan-girls that are stalking the grounds. Change…it take time. It takes effort. You've had an epiphany, but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to dedicate your life to doing good deeds. Screw that. You're just not that person. Not now, maybe not ever. But the next time you encounter people, you're going to actually talk to them. Not just try to take advantage, but…try to have a real conversation where you treat them as ends in their own right, not merely means. Probably won't lead to anything substantial, but you've got to try.

After all, you’ve seen a small glimpse of someone who appreciated you, your actions, and your choice. Maybe...if you help enough people, you'll gain more of those threads. And hopefully one day, your name won’t be reviled. Maybe you can disconnect it from disgust and pity, and hopefully…connect it to something better, at least.

Control, power…it’s a bitter revelation that you realize your pursuit of these things had their root in a primal sort of fear. It’s hit you that you've been afraid for so long, so terrified of being vulnerable that it lead you to hurt everyone around you. Fear has ruled you, brought you to this lowest state and dragged everyone around you down, too. You have to take responsibility for your actions, engage with people honestly, and start making the decisions you need to have a better life…God, you sound just like one of Shu’s saccharine pep-talks.

If you could make a face, you would.

You know this is gonna suck…but you gotta have hope that it’ll give you the sort of power and control that matters. Shu has both, thanks to the path she’s chosen, the kind that comes from not being alone. Defiance, stubbornness. Two sides of the same coin, really, and it’s something you share with the girl that’s walking around and doing more good with your body than you ever did when you were at the helm. You know it's going to be hard. You’ve got a crummy frame. You’ve got a shitty reputation. You…just gave away your relics.

Fuck, that was kind of stupid, now that you think about it. Goddamnit, you could’ve traded them for…no. Nope. It was a gesture of good will, to show everyone you’re trying to be different. No take-backs.

You hope that little weirdo gets Shu and her family the message. You hope she knows that you’re going to try something a little different than you’re used to by taking a page out of her book, for once. Making your mark and turning things to the better is going to take effort, but you're determined to make it work.

And you WILL make it work. After all…it’s like Shu said.

You are in control.

>>Sam Interlude: End

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. The next interlude was tied between Alpha and West Tau, so due to die roll I’ll be running Alpha’s rather short and goofy interlude first by starting on Monday, November 25th at 9:00AM, and then starting Tau’s after that wraps. Sam’s intermission was by far the longest of them, so in a way it’s good to have it done first before moving on to the others.)

(Now, on to some relevant information for both the Intermission Chapters; as you may have suspected, each of the side stories have the involvement of at least one Joyous if it occurs in the Waking World, meaning that the course of events depicted in each side story will be valid information for the party to know and act on, after re-capping with Amara post-Laoc. In addition, the odd item or Relic obtained will be added to the pool of rewards you’ll gain access to after things happen in Laoc, since Amara’s power to locate secrets throughout the Fleshscape has had a run of good luck as of late, and it’s fun to work that into the fiction. Thus, the following Relics will be added to the Version 6 Relic sheet, after events transpire at Laoc.

>>Shalaev’s Shawl x 1

>>General Generator’s Succulent Sauce x 1

>>Shipping Goggles x 1

(Finally, taking some time between now and Monday will let me catch up on IRL holiday prep in addition to devoting any writing time I have to tweaking the Relic sheet and making it look a bit nicer, while also addressing any other issues you bring to my attention between now and then. I do hope your day has gone well, and thank you again so much for your time, participation, and input, as always.)

>>3935330
I am kinda oddly proud of Sam that she managed to figure this out and is willing to attempt to pull it through. You dont have to be ashamed of that 3 Intelligence. Just take more time to come to a conclusion after looking at all the facts you have
>>3935339
Nice looking forward to it.

had a good day and i will now head to bed.

So OP and all the Anons. Have a good night and take care

>>3935330
Good luck, Sam. I mean it. You were kind of awful, but I look forward to seeing you try not to be. Or not seeing it, we probably won't interact with you again for a while. But it's still nice to know it's happening, somewhere out there.

>>3935339
Thanks for running, BHOP. This was a really good Interlude, and even if it's not one I voted for I'm glad it happened. Really looking forward to the next one.

>Now, on to some relevant information for both the Intermission Chapters; as you may have suspected, each of the side stories have the involvement of at least one Joyous if it occurs in the Waking World, meaning that the course of events depicted in each side story will be valid information for the party to know and act on, after re-capping with Amara post-Laoc.
Oh, that's cool. Nice to have more information on the goings-on of the Crucible. Going to be very valuable, once the party gets the chance to go over the info. Especially the West Tau Interlude. Unless that's in the Dreamscape, I suppose.

>>Shalaev’s Shawl x 1
Oh, the Many actually found another one instead of it just copying off of Amara's, I did not realize that. Huh. I wonder who's cranking these out? We're probably not too far from Purdue, did Shalaev himself get into the Crucible on a glitch and is continuing his work?

>>3935343
(Sleep well, Anon.)

>>3935330
>You…just gave away your relics.
>Fuck, that was kind of stupid, now that you think about it.
Poor Sam. In retrospect we just made her have another 3 int moment. On the other hand, I think the vote was only to give the Goggles, not the Sauce, so it might partially be on her rather than all on us.

>>3935368
It was low Int but I think that having a symbolic moment of growth makes it count as high Wis. Which is what she really needs.

>>3935330
...eh, its an ending to a story alright.

>>3935339
Oh, well... Not a fan of that honestly. Hrm, if i had known that BHOP id have voted for entirely different stories if i had not just shot the idea down alltogether honestly.

>>3935330
Fuck, I'm glad after all this time, you finally get a bit of redemption. Oh you retard, It could have been so much better than this, but still, at least you've found a way to carry on with some hope instead of clinging on to the past until your death.

Good luck. You're gonna need It.

>>3935330
Back from work. Well that's lovely to see Sam's resolve and grow a little wiser after realizing the meaning of having "power" and "control". That 3 INT moment tho...I find that endearing somehow.

For some strange reason, I'm starting to find Sam endearing due to the fact that she suffers from having 3 INT on her char sheet and has the potential to make her 'idiot moments' look either adorable or intimidating which brings out a different side of Sam's character. >>3935356

>>3935356
>We're probably not too far from Purdue, did Shalaev himself get into the Crucible on a glitch and is continuing his work?
Are you saying it's Purdue Uni?

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>>3933490
>>3933489
pic related.

>>3935633
That uhh, that alien looks quite like something different in the thumbnail...

>>3935735
that's giger's knack no doubt about that. giger was a strange man.

>>3935339
Bhop. I have a question regarding the layout of Laoc.

From what information provided:
>Colors churn, ozone burns, and you suddenly find yourself looking up at the high marbled walls of Laoc, the scarlet sky overhead casting its organic hue across the imposing calcite structure. Julia and Dorian lead the way, and you chance a look behind you as you realize the town is situated at the top of a hill, overlooking a valley of pustule-covered dips and curves in the skin of the land's contours...an easily-defensible position, you note.

>What you assumed to be sewer drains lining the streets at regular intervals prove to be vents, keeping the thick, humid air of the Fleshscape at bay and providing a gentle breeze that follows you as you stride along the calcite paths.

>"The market quarter is to your right, down two streets and up a third." Dorian explains, bold confidence coloring his tone despite having only been here a matter of minutes before you interrupted his date with Julia. "Straight ahead is the town hall and tavern, where you'll likely find the Mayor. To the right is the library, and-"

>You’re admiring the layout of the place when the street opens into a large plaza, a spire in the center of the space looming above all present […] the myriad of multicolored lights trailing from the top of the central spire to the rooftops lining the square

>You both freeze when a door on the left-hand side of the alley you’re in explodes outwards as two women are flung bodily into the opposite wall to your right.

So let me get this straight:
Town's a circular walled settlement, with grates for ventilation and a cross-breeze, the town hall is in the center of the town (for town-wide broadcasting) with the Tavern right next to the Town hall.
The Market and the Library are on the right side of town? Or is the Library on the left side?
So then where's Ruth's shop and the town plaza (where we found Lara) located?
And where did Dorian and Julia run off to on their date?

>>3935755
(I'm not near my notes at current, but in advance of the 35th Vein I'll post a description of the city layout and the resources available to you to aid in planning for the Laoc situation.)

>>3935763
incoming bamboozle.

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Also. I just thought of a relic idea, pic related:
>MR.BONES BLOCKADE BALL (consumable): A classic relic known by its name, this relic is composed of a mishmash of human skulls melded together in a tight ball the size of a softball. The skulls on the ball unnervingly rattle when shaken. To use, the daughter must infuse bio into the relic, wait 3 seconds, then throw the relic. Upon detonation, the Relic explodes into an army of skeleton constructs (10% bio per skeleton) that amble about and do their best to grapple and hold down the closest daughter they can find. The skeletons themselves are fairly weak individually but they provide a small yet crucial in aiding a daughter's escape or even provide a small buffer of protection. As an alternate function if the daugher by shakes the relic 5 times within the 3 second timer before throwing the relic, the relic instead expands into a giant rolling ball of skeletons that automatically grapples anything within close range (costs 100/200/300/500% bio for Small/Medium/Large/X-Large size ball. Small size = 1 rook) upon detonation.

Rate this relic.

>GIFT STICK; What first is nothing but a crooked, twisted bit of wood, handed down with unassuming love and companionship, one after another, quickly transforms. But for each pair of hands in which it passes by, the Stick changes, shifts, and grows. Taking on small, unique changes based upon who last held it and why it was passed on, so long as deep, sincere meaning was behind the action, the stick slowly grows into a work of art, beating with the hum of a strength and power only possible though that strength one does not wield for themselves alone. What this relic may do or what its limits are… none could truly guess, but if ones willing to pass it on, someday, someone in need will find out, and know what the strength of bonds can truly accomplish.

Sorry this is honestly a pretty shitty and useless relic, but Im honestly just trying to distract myself. turns out 2019 thought losing one Grandpa just wasn't enough, and to say the least im not sure im getting back to bed tonight. sorry, venting, im an ass, just ignore this.

>>3935770
is that name based off Mr Bones Wild Ride?
but basically, it stops the ride?
seems interesting. was expecting more of a wall than flood from the title, but it has its uses for sure.

>>3935777
Yup. Although, if you threw the relic and had it expand into Skeleton ball mode (instead of instant skeleton army) on an incline...then Mr. Bone's Wild Ride will definitely be servicing and taking passengers.

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>>3935781
truly, Mr Bones Wild Ride is its own form of Crucible, a thing not even planet eaters can put a stop to.

>>3935787
until the passenger decides to destroy the skeleton ball. the skeletons are fragile after all, and it's in a world of superpowered cannibal lesbians and a few good men, so destroying it isn't that hard. It'll be just rather annoying if you get caught by the relic be it skeleton army or skeleton ball.

>>3935787
>>3935777
>>3935770
(...I have to admit that Mr. Bones' Wild Ride is basically one of my favorite things, so I really appreciate this Relic.)

>>3935772
(Hey,I'm sorry you're having to deal with so much right now. I think it's a clever Relic, and you're not an ass for venting. I know it'll be an uphill battle through all you're going through, but you're strong, Anon. I wish you the best, truly.)

>>3935800
something for you in relation to Mr. Bones
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2DFD713FC2236822

>>3935792
>>3935800
...now i want to see a Crucible theme park, where the Daughter who built it and runs it made everything seem sketchy and terrifying even by Crucible standards... but she is 100% legit just wanting to run a theme park to bring some joy to the Crucible and is just utterly oblivious to how her ideas and behavior looks off of paper.

>"COME ON DOWN TO SIX FLAGS OVER DAMNATION! ADMISSION IS FREE!"
>"....does that roller coast over there start by firing out of a giant cannon ad into the MAw of that giant, chained up Amalgam?"
>"Yes? Oh, dont worry, its perfectly safe, hes been de-organed and de-acidified! no bodily melting, mutilation, or consumption guaranteed! not responsible for any spittle that splashes you on the way in or out though, but theres free towels at the end!"
>Daughter watches as everyone backs away slowly.
>"...why does no one want to ride any of my rides... i spent so much time making them..."

>>3935800
thanks. and thanks for the effort you put into this quest. I know it might not make any sense, but having something like this has helped alot this year, and despite alot of things, it does mean something to me.

>>3935812
poor girl. save that idea for post-crucible times.

>>3935819
yeah, would be better saved for after, though we both know she would hardly be the only Daughter to jump the gun like that on an idea.

>>3935755

(Now, on to the layout of Laoc and the resources available to you;)

(Laoc is indeed a circular walled city, divided into four quarters; North, South, East, and West, with the Town Hall in the dead center of Laoc, where you are now.)

(The Eastern Quarter is the first one you entered into, and it houses many vendors and their assorted wares.)

(The Northern Quarter is where the higher-class wares can be found, in addition to the Library.)

(The Western Quarter has a variety of homes and 'restaurants', which are really just tasting parlors for various delicacies and novelty food items. It's here where Julia and Dorian have found themselves during the Hunger outbreak.)

(Finally, the Southern Quarter is the upper-class neighborhood, with some of Laoc's most exemplary architecture can be found. It's here where you met both Lara and the Mayor, and the Mayor is currently engaged with some of the Hunger-mad Daughters there.)

(Speaking of which; there are enemy Daughters in every quarter, and the longer you delay in suppressing panic, the more rapidly others will succumb to stress and fall to the Hunger themselves.)

(In the face of this daunting task, you have access to the Town Hall's broadcast tower, which can transmit a Neuromancer, Skintalker, or Phantasmal Conduit's power city-wide thanks to the Relic installation high above the Tavern. Additionally, despite few of them being capable fighters, a number of the townspeople will be banding together to help push back their maddened former friends. The denizens' resilience is partly why the Apocalypse-Class Amalgam's field didn't trigger more Hunger checks...they're just that tough.)

(Now, if you have any questions the I'll be happy to answer them tomorrow morning, so please link them to this post so that I can address them a quickly as possible come morning.)

(With that, I shall be heading off to bed. I wish everyone a time of rest and relaxation if you can manage it, and thank you again for being the best group of players I could ever ask for. You're fantastic, Gentlemen.)

>>3935812
(Thank you for the effort you put into the community and the character sheets, as well as your own writings. And what you said makes a lot of since. I've made no secret of how much fiction helped me through the hardest points in my life, so even if my own writing has it's ups and downs, the fact that it can do for others what other have done for me is absolutely worth it. Thanks again for everything you do; it means a great deal to me, and I know it means a lot to everyone present, too.)

>>3935846
hrm, besides even an inkling of an estimation of numbers of Towns and Mad Daughters in each area, which i understand IC might not make sense to know, i cannot think of any questions.

oh wait, there is one. does the town tower MAKE things an AOE effect, or only enhance its effects if it is one?

regardless, have a wonderful night BHOP.

and thanks, and back at ya. I know i dont pull my punches and that can be hard to take at times, but also know i wouldn't still be here if it wasn't out of respect and admiration for you and the story aswell.

>>3935812
huh... i did just think of a potentially sad twist to it, though unsure if it would perhaps making an already slightly sad idea too sad. but to fit the Mr Bones theme, what if her theme park was designed to try and make it hard to leave, but she was doing it out of a desperate want to not have those she can convince to come in to not have to face the horrors of the Fleshscape and just enjoy what fun she can provide instead?

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>>3935846

bhop thank you for providing such a wonderful quest. hearing this input makes me happy that my efforts in enriching the community (through flash fiction, thread archival, relic-crafting and some very witty write-ins) are greatly appreciated. This quest is what's kept me going and stable as something to look forward to throughout work and the year as well. To tell you the truth, I see a bit of Sam reflected in me in that interlude. She's just...relatable in a way.

>>3935867
I'm not really sure I told you this but I want to say this since the mood is right: Thank you for doing your share anon. In my stead, you've become the committed anon that's present in every vein as the first to put down a plan when I'm absent and at work. I appreciate your dedication and investment, as well as the effort you go through in maintaining the character sheet as well as collaborating with other anons.

And thank you for being a great 'verbal' sparring partner. I never realized how much I appreciate your presence. I feel like you're the go-to anon that consistently provides feedback to bounce and refine some of my zany ideas off of.

Working on Carter's Story, slow going, but I've made some progress. It's mostly just putting in some 'key dialogue' moments on a storyboard before I can fill out on the action. And it's shaping up to be something of a thriller story.

>>3935885
thanks, and same back at you. we may not always get along perfectly but i appreciate the discussion and commitment from you and others aswell.

looking forward to that story, and of course take your time. im sure it'll be a fun one for sure.

>>3935772
I'm sorry to hear you've been having a rough time, man. For what it's worth, if you want to talk I'll probably be up for a while, too. Sleep schedule is kind of messed up, lately, fall asleep early and wake up in the middle of the night. So, you know, if there's anything I can do to help distract you just ask. You're a decent bloke, I don't want your night to be shitty.

>>3935846
>In the face of this daunting task, you have access to the Town Hall's broadcast tower, which can transmit a Neuromancer, Skintalker, or Phantasmal Conduit's power city-wide thanks to the Relic installation high above the Tavern.
Damn, Amara got that new calm-down field at the exact right time, huh?

>>3935978
If we didn't have Amara's lvl 8 Lexicon, we would've had to settle for Gina using herTerraforming to cordon off the hunger frenzied daughters.

>>3935980
Or an OMA GRA SUTH, but that probably wouldn't be as effective as the new field. But yeah, quarantining the berserkers would be one of the better options we had. Probably should still do something along those lines, actually. Get everyone who can be rescued calm and then use terraforming to facilitate their evacuating the area.

>>3935978
thanks, it means something for you to offer, but ill be fine. Just having this stuff to talk about helps and is enough.

>>3935980
>>3935984
Thankfully, with Amara we can both use the tower and go and give support to all the groups we can. Will also help us figure out where really needs our help and hopefully help coordinate solidifying the towns actions.

Only issue i can think personally, is we may not need to keep everyone with Shu in a single team, but no offense to those currently with her, but especially with any team needing someone who can help the townsfolk keep their mental state together, not just be a warrior to help them, the only two i would trust to lead a second team are already cut off from us.

>>3935902
>>3935995
oh, and of course, am this Anon not home, for obvious reasons. No Idea when ill be home so I.D. could be sporadic for possibly days.

>>3935995
Okay. Well, like I said, whatever I can do to help.

Yeah, Joyous Many is going to be very useful here. Broadcast the calming field from the tower, while individual Amaras go around town reassuring any Daughters still having trouble.

As for team comp, I'm thinking we could put Gina in charge of another team. Coordinate between the two using the Crimson Cord. Gina is decent at making people calm and relaxed when she's not wrapped up in her self-worth issues, I think she could manage it. Especially if she has a few Amaras to help.

I'm more worried about the unknowns in this fight. We've got Magpie and Lara here, and we're not really familiar with their abilities. We've got better knowledge of Mapgie, the sniping and crow-bombs and teleportation, but I definitely think she's got a lot of tricks that we've never seen yet and also now these Relic guns. And Lara we don't know at all, aside from making a few guesses at moth concepts. Figuring out how to deploy them will be tricky.

>>3936018
I guess Gina might work.

And i mean, im more worried about the layout of the enemy vs allies in the town personally. It would help sure to know both their limits but im positive BHOP will give us a minor rundown and will be far from useless.

I mean, Lara can fly. Its not always as useful as people think, but here at least i think it'll help alot.

>>3936022
Yeah, finding the hot points is going to be tricky. Thank god we've got so many different forms of enhanced senses and scouting methods in this party. We should be able to pick out the best place to start without too much trouble.

Lara flying can help, but it depends on what else she's capable of. If she can do that sedative moth wing-dust trick then she is golden for this. I hope she can.

>>3936031
Hopefully people wont take that the wrong way heh.
>Friend just went insane.
>Is trying to eat you.
>Having to fight her to the death.
>Suddenly giant moth girl falls from the sky, vision going hazy from whatever drug dust is coming off her wings, as she whispers
>"Shhh, it'll all be ok soon..."
>Fight urge to scream in confusion and fear as your world goes dark.

>>3936037
>>3936031
Given that Lara can fly, I can't help but think a good way to maximize the Moth&Magpie team is to have Gina Terraform the town to be an open yet isolated field by removing the roofs on the buildings and isolating the frenzied daughters, allowing Magpie and Lara to go full AC-130 air strike bombardment. As for mobility issues, I think having Shu scatter her swarm to serve as mobile flying grappling hook points for Rath, Dorian, Holly, and Shu would work wonders. However I do want to keep Holly close since she's in a Spirit Shell. I can't particularly trust their durability given that know its durability limits having fought Zahira before.