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We can't not for the glitch.
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May 4, 2021 09:04
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 05:36 |
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I’m going to break the trend and go with dare the lady - Silver Mind needs to get off its butt and remember both Paprika’s last name and the passphrase or this meeting is going to end messily, and I’m not above poking it with a stick until that happens.
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May 4, 2021 09:25
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I went for the glitch choice because it involves singing, not because its the glitch. If one of the others were the glitch, I still would have gone for singing. We should sing them a ballad of how we punked the MC&D stuffynecked agent three times over if we get a chance, they may get a laugh out of our misadventures.
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May 4, 2021 12:52
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Randalor posted:I went for the glitch choice because it involves singing, not because its the glitch. If one of the others were the glitch, I still would have gone for singing. We should sing them a ballad of how we punked the MC&D stuffynecked agent three times over if we get a chance, they may get a laugh out of our misadventures.
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May 4, 2021 15:56
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VOTING CLOSED - Is It Possible To Sing A Fire? Singalong Station [![ER_INVALID]] - 16 Gun God Grind [DX] - 3 Dare The Lady [!ESP] - 10 LOADING...  ...LOADING
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May 4, 2021 17:36
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Black August posted:LOADING...
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May 4, 2021 20:24
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This is thankfully mitigated by the fact that most fights we get into or heck, plan to get into, would be duels, "proof of worth" and ambushes, exactly none of which would reasonably cause out assailant to use this.
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May 4, 2021 21:21
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This game is heavily influenced by ADOM and other classic roguelikes. In those it's pretty much expected that you'll get a giant list of immunities and intrinsics if you want to clear the game, so I imagine here will be no different.
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May 4, 2021 21:38
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 You look around. There's one machine in the shape of a white pyramid, with an eye you step into and 'see' through while using a false gun. Then there is a cards game of some kind, a rainbow gambling station. But then the last one... it's like a more fancy version of the setup back at the apartment. Curved yellow booth covered in musical notes, speakers and microphones. You slip inside and find yourself under a containment of mirrors and screens, angled to create the illusion of an enormous dark auditorium. You sip your drink and find the music selection screen. You uh... don't... well does it matter? No idea what any of these songs are. You find a randomize button, and mash it. It cycles and decides between six songs. [PRAYER]-[BELIEVIN']-[CAROLINE]-[SUNLIGHT]-[DANCING]-[INTERNATIONALE] The song starts to play and- you laugh. You have no idea what the timing will be or how to sing this! Not without a first listen, which you do, sitting as an audience of one while enjoying your drink and burger. Once the song finishes, you select it again, and THEN give it a shot. (![ER_INVALID]) 11 - [2]+[3]+[2] = 7 - Success! The Dark posted:
You keep singing anyways though, strong and clear. Two figures push through a curtain of vines that weren't there before, coming into the entertainment lounge to find you finishing your drink and the song, with a smile at Bloodshop. He returns the look, but his companion doesn't seem pleased. She's one of those plant people too! But she's fully visible, unlike Red was. She's stocky, with the bark skin, pine needle hair, hateful wine eyes behind sharp spectacles. Top hat like Bloodshop, of scorched purple velour. Velvet suitcoat of garnet, entertainer's dress shirt, pinstripe pants with seen-some-poo poo boots. Presumed Fire Joker, especially with the heavy hunting rifle strapped to her back. She waits with a serious pose for your song to end, approaching when you climb out. Her voice is deep. You're thankful for your inability to be affected; the depth of her voice carries a criticality to it that immediately crawls into the brain and looks to snap your over the knee with relentless put downs and insults. "You're singer? Make yourself this simpleton-obvious often? I'm down here wasting care because Bloodshop asked, so how about about I give you one chance to convince me why I shouldn't have you chased off into the woods?" Woah! Someone is not happy with you. You slick your hair and try to think of something to say, moving to sit on a bar stool with a crossed leg and leaned head. The offense slides off; you need to deal with this star. You exhale and rebound off the gravity of the Dark, building the confidence momentum needed to drive the Silver Mind to shine. (!PSI ESP a) 11 - [2]+[1]+[4] = 7 - Success! ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] The Silver Mind posted:Fire Joker... Backup Liaison to the Sunburners. Mean mean mean. The only dryad of the Island to escape without having been kissed by radiance. It gave her a complex, left her no patience for the ignorant. She's a facilitator and organizer, sleepless from hypervigilance. She’s extremely good at keeping track of situations and people. She's also extremely good at mass destruction - her knowledge of Sun-curses alone makes her a kill-or-be-killed challenge. She's a bully and good at it, but her cruelty does have a line, and she just realized she's crossing it. The dryad stink-eyes you top to bottom. "You stupid? You have nothing to sss-" Her look catches and lingers on your face, and then higher, at your exposed head. She looks at you a few times, and then turns to pull Bloodshop away and share some quiet and fierce words. They seem to come to an understanding; the dryad comes back with a more host-like cordiality as she speaks. "Singer. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I hadn't been informed of your condition. I was wrong to call you stupid. Let me get you a drink." Complete change in demeanor! Your condition? You pap your head when she isn't looking. But in the state of superstardom, no feeling comes but an easy relief at getting better treatment. Bloodshop goes behind the bar and messes around making some cocktails, while Fire Joker seats herself with a professionalism only the part-plant can muster.  Bloodshop (!Humours) 14 - [3]+[2]+[1] = 6 - Success! Two glasses go down, each with something red as midnight and scented with spice. You go to drink it, but then get smart and raise your glass. Fire Joker toasts with you, taken off guard by your behavior as she keeps glancing at your head. "Singer. Bloodshop tells me you're passing through in travel, and you could use a place to stay the night. You helped one of ours and... huh. This yours?" That's when you get her. The plate with the burgers is there in her view now, and she's all over the plate. "These marks... that's ichor. The burn consistency and irregularity, meaning it was painted on in the corporeal and not in the celestial... a nice design too." Here it is - you motion, and with your most careful tones, tell her that it's a gift you brought, along with the burgers. Fire Joker's inner colors soften when she hears your voice's trouble. The Silver Mind reflects a critical moment of opening which you spotlight-steal your way right into. "Ahhhhh, wow, I haven't felt this wrong about initial impressions in a long time. Very smart, singer. You're capable for your condition. I admire it." The drink is really good. Bloodshop is no slouch. [HP Maxed!] HP: [ 21 / 21 ] Fire Joker gets more comfortable, shifting to a color that the Silver Mind tells you is rare for her these days. "Singer, I have to say I like you a lot already. I like an artist, I like a suit and a smile, yours is;" she looks at Bloodshop and comments "-nothing like a Fae at all. Not glassy-FAKE like they are." Bloodshop nods, maybe a little smug about having been right to set this up. Fire Joker ends her drink quickly, and says "If you need a place to spend the night, then you're going to get it. Absolutely. If you respect the rules of our house I'll let you stay as much as you need." She coughs and adjusts her hat. You see it in the silver reflection before it comes- she wants to ask something. But this is the moment where you can step in and make a choice of speech, the Silver Mind showing you the different refractions of reactions.You just have to think fast, and act. What does a superstar do?
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May 5, 2021 03:03
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I think we should let Fire Joker ask, then mention Paprika Blue after. Maybe not a great idea to show our palm, though, Paradise is a touchy subject for all the Backup.
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May 5, 2021 03:23
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Yeah. We came here for Paprika's stuff, no need to "flaunt" the key to paradise. And I won't lie, part of me is hoping that we can get into Paradise and "engage" Dancer there so all her backup is summoned there. The schism happened because they couldn't get back in, right?
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May 5, 2021 03:27
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Randalor posted:Yeah. We came here for Paprika's stuff, no need to "flaunt" the key to paradise. And I won't lie, part of me is hoping that we can get into Paradise and "engage" Dancer there so all her backup is summoned there. The schism happened because they couldn't get back in, right?
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May 5, 2021 03:30
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Randalor posted:Yeah. We came here for Paprika's stuff, no need to "flaunt" the key to paradise. And I won't lie, part of me is hoping that we can get into Paradise and "engage" Dancer there so all her backup is summoned there. The schism happened because they couldn't get back in, right? IIRC there is a group still inside Paradise who have drifted in Dancer's absence, but the larger schism was more over "some of the Backup want to die, and Dancer absolutely 100% refuses to let them". I think it might be better to press on Paprika's request directly instead of waiting; Fire Joker's as friendly as they're going to get now, and they'll be less likely to ask potentially dangerous questions (like what we did to gain Paprika's trust) if they're mentally still waiting to make their own request.
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May 5, 2021 03:40
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Nick Buntline posted:I think it might be better to press on Paprika's request directly instead of waiting; Fire Joker's as friendly as they're going to get now, and they'll be less likely to ask potentially dangerous questions (like what we did to gain Paprika's trust) if they're mentally still waiting to make their own request. Then again, it could be a "You scratch my back, I scratch yours" situation, where we hear Fire Joker's request, and ask for Paprika's stuff in exchange. Even if there's bad blood between the residents of the apartments and Paprika, it's more of an exchange of services for items than rolling the dice and hoping Paprika left on good terms.
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May 5, 2021 04:26
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You know, I think I've been too narrow in my read of Dancer's problem. Meeting more Backup makes me think it's more about the pressure to perform and the way celebrity culture is often a psychological meatgrinder, coupled with a genuine love of creation and performance. Drug culture certainly plays a part in that, but just a part.
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May 5, 2021 18:30
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existing fracture, wide enough to accommodate the wedge, which breaks the foundation Let Fire Joker ask first before talking about Paprika. [17/5/1/1]  Fire Joker's hat goes back on. Through the SIlver Mind, you can FEEL how fast her neurons are sparking with thought, intimidating in their speed. You hold your tongue, and she speaks first. "I DO need to warn you first, and ask a favor." She adjusts herself and grimaces, but you wave your hand with an easy nod. This pleases the dryad, who keeps talking with authority. "I'm only asking because you're not going to sleep safely otherwise, us included. We have an overgrowth problem. Bloodshop tells me you and Shatty got hung up on some vines? Yeah, that's the problem. We have an issue with a growth-promoter we need to haul out of the southwest basement. I know it's a lot to ask of a stranger with your condition, but if you're willing to help out, I don't mind handing you the keys to a room of your own. Would that interest you?" You consult the Silver Mind briefly. The Silver Mind posted:You're going into clear and present danger. You don't need the gift to tell you that. But alliance is what you want, isn't it? A safehouse wouldn't be bad either. Take advantage of your starshone heart. Ok. In that case, you think the smart move here is to spring the Paprika facts later, once you understand the dynamics better. You have a condition she says, right? Sure. You know how that makes you feel? ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] Good to use it for a social edge. With the genuine motions of self-conscious behavior, you touch your scar and duck a smile with a yes for interest, getting off the stool with the drink finished. The dryad notices your gesture and gets down after you. (!PSI ESP a) 11 - [6]+[1]+[4] = 11 - Success. The Silver Mind posted:You can't help the state you're in. So I'll hold them. The colors of your emotions before the starshine loses them to the rainbow. They'll be safe alongside the sleeping fungus. I can guide you by her mind's colors of burning needles; pity, concern, psychosis from sleep deprivation, desperation, admiration, the showman's sleaze of a bad sell, guilt, relief, anticipation, fear of reliving, loneliness, boredom. ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] "Great. Singer, if you're comfortable by it, I'll have Bloodshop take you down below to where we'll go while I get everyone else rallied up. I'm glad you're vouched. It's been hard for all our crew." Gratitude. You nod and tell her you'll try your best to earn your keep. You... rub your fingers across your fist. (!Tyranny: Influence With The Strong) 17 - [2]+[3]+[3] = 8 - Success. You compliment Fire Joker on her suit, then say that finding people who appreciate singing and can hold their own out here is a reassuring find. The Liaison relaxes and cleans her glasses. "Let's get this done so I can host a vigil-down party. I see you can take care of yourself, so just do what's told and we'll have this over with by nightfall." No shaking hands, which you know Fire Joker appreciates. She cares for a hot zone, and there didn't need to be any new little visitors to come or go. Bloodshop take you outside, quiet and beaming until you're on the sidewalk of the very spot you first hid at. "Burgersong you got some magic. Haven't seen her in that good a mood in way many months." He starts to adjust and clean up his cheap costume and props, only getting so far. "I'm sorry sincere for the nozone violation earlier. I got the blood movements, so I get too hand-grabby before I think to ask. I'm glad you got chill now." ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] You shrug and nod. It's fine. It's been a hard time for everyone. He pops his plastic fangs back in and smiles, all ready. "...I feel responsible, singer. I made the call to let Fire Joker know, now you're in this. I'm straight on blood; we're going somewhere sketch. Sad bad old place. Just listen in the close and you'll be FINE, but we really need to have a buddy system going. I don't like this being the idea Fire Joker got for you, but I know if you help us through this, you'll be tight, and that's a big deal around here." You're reassured. Another daring day of danger, then some more good food and a safe place to sleep? Completely fine with you. You ask the cultist about how this will go down. "Buddy system most likely. Not sure who is coming, but it should be about everyone save Shattyshot. He needs the sleep. If I had to guess who you were going to be paired with, I'I'I'I'i' for sure." ░ ░ ░ ░ posted:□□□□Got the feeling. Is it? Layers below. You've got the wedge, and then the counterwedges. All it needs is ample power and force. I guess you could make one out of it, theoretically. Didn't she say she had literal tons of it to use? Wonderful gift idea. The locksmith, right? Yeah. Less than a week, easily.
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May 6, 2021 05:04
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not gonna lie, absolutely fell for the broken images vote speculation: 2nd option looks like might be "Duelist"? the only time I recall that title coming up was the Ratling Sovereign from the auction. they might actually be a good pick for basement exploration (assuming dragging someone in from the Dreamlands doesn't just start breaking time/space even worse).
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May 6, 2021 05:53
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Black August posted:existing fracture, wide enough to accommodate the wedge, which breaks the foundation
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May 6, 2021 09:47
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I admit it, I wussed out and chose Fire Joker as the safe option. I'm more worried about anyone other than Fire Joker trying to off the grower rather than evict them (which technically is what both Fire Joker and Dancer asked for, if growth-promoter means a type of Backup and not just slang for "something that makes plants grow fast").
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May 6, 2021 13:01
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Randalor posted:I admit it, I wussed out and chose Fire Joker as the safe option. I'm more worried about anyone other than Fire Joker trying to off the grower rather than evict them (which technically is what both Fire Joker and Dancer asked for, if growth-promoter means a type of Backup and not just slang for "something that makes plants grow fast"). On the other hand, can you imagine the potential mess if our Invincibility wears off and we're suddenly no longer the suave communicator Fire Joker was impressed with?
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May 6, 2021 13:43
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Eh, they (probavly) knew we were hyped up on starpills right now, and if the Tyrant and silver mind can work together once we come down, then we can probably hold on to some respect.
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May 6, 2021 14:52
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I just really like Merkja and that looks like a vote for Merkja, so.... No meta gaming here.
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May 6, 2021 15:30
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I just got a flock of chickens irl. I'm thinking we should have definitely gone chicken beastmaster instead cause wow these guys are like a flock of tiny velociraptors.
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May 6, 2021 20:58
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Do you remember? quote:On the same night that the Miner was having a party with the cults, you were having a party with Aitvaras and a few colonists, from among the few who hadn't gone to Megalith. The Squire was there, of course. That had been an awkward but necessary invite, given your previous behavior. You've never seen him act so quiet with a genuine courtly humility. Hijgan is there too, since she's catering. Wash was deep in psychic conversation with some guests, including the Thief, who loved the chance to mingle and spy among the new social landscape. T́h̢e̵ p͜a̵r̴ty ̴is̢ ̸g̸oin̴g to be great. It's an echo of the one that came before it, and herald to the one to come after it, in the days leading to Paradise. Bring the summer in, see the season out. You're down in the tunnelgreens, and you're sitting against a stone wall under a shaft of absent light. You're bound in vines, tiny sharp lacing lines, pulled off with a gentle twist of your wired body. Down. Down they said, where something promotes growth. How far down? Layers. You can't worry about the wrong right now. You're invincible. ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] You're with̕͜ ̵̢ ̵̷ ̵̷ ͡͏͜ ̡̕ ͡͞ ҉̛ ̧͞ ̷̷ ͜͞ ҉̧͡ ͜ ̡͘͡ ͝ ̷̷ I͟ron now. She's across from you, in her fine yellow-white surcoat and finery, worn by travel and trial. She moves her iron arm, waving vines away in steady motions. Tired old hyena. Deimos' words of hate echo on her back. The Iron Saint looks at you, and pushes herself up.  Here, here, here to see you down, long gravity's curve past the distant hills. In the humidity of the water-clear tunnelgreens, there's no questioning why she's here. Just the endless effort of vines to embrace tired life down into the weave. The Saint leans and picks you out of the plants, helping you to stand tall. You lock eyes. The Silver Mind catches something off of her color, the unmistakable purity of gray. "It's a wonder, what you're the shadow of. Come gain call iron, holy resonance. We're descending. I want to ask, what do you think to win with a careful cultivation of kindness, when you're going to burn it wildfire with a single murder? Is that weight bearable?" You walk with the Saint. You think it over from inside the rainbow, while you follow Fire Joker's directions through the complicated descent of the collapsed garden complex. You're all to meet where it borders on the underground forest, source of the promoter and the most dangerous place in the already-dangerous complex. You tell her that you think it is worth it, knowing you can learn as much as possible about the Lord before you slay them. It's clear you need wisdom. If you can win it through this deception of favors, then that's victory. The Saint nods, one ear raised attentive to every sound hidden beyond the melody of flowing water and writhing leaves. "Pleasing. Plausible. The intellect of a murderous intent." That's all she has to say on it. The main complex is a lovely danger to behold. A great underground gardenglass spiral, sculpted with waterways and solar lights. The former is overflow, the latter gone irregular dim. From where you both step out of the tunnels, you can see the ways down to where you'll have to open the vaults. You can smell the vanilla strong in the air. The Saint inhales it deeply. "I can lead us directly to it."  Before you can follow your nose, something interrupts you with a tiny car-horn beep, followed by a string of mechanical gurgles and warm vibrationals. Looking down, you find your leg being harassed by a robot! It's dog-sized, made from a pitch black metal, covered with angular vents and yellow lights. It appears to move using some kind of anti-gravity system, barely hovering over the floor. Small little hoses, scrub brushes, and sprays work underneath it, leaving the ground surreptitiously clean in passing. Looks nice... it's not doing anything useful down in this hellpit. Merkja is about to take off, so you have to make up your mind.
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May 7, 2021 17:21
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The dog roomba is definitely worthwhile. The Blue Book posted:"...Joy bonus. A SMALL one, but one that adds up, and all it takes is the patience to pick it up and carry it back to the Hideout. Kwiat loves to sit on top of it as it cleans and..." For insight about Merkja, I picked her history with MC&D, since I'm pretty sure we're going to end up fighting them at some point and Merkja would probably make a natural ally if we appeal to her the right way.
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May 7, 2021 18:20
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Also what's this talk about murder? No murdering allowed on this run, within reason.
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May 7, 2021 20:48
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I mean, I'm pretty cool with the idea of murdering Deimos. (And anyone who tries to murder us first and who isn't Backup.)
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May 7, 2021 20:59
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Counterpoint: We keep humiliating Deimos forever. I like this idea a lot, personally.
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May 7, 2021 21:00
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deimos doesnt get to die. he's our buddy.
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May 8, 2021 00:05
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VOTING -- -! ͡ ̕҉ ͢ ́͡҉ What happened to her daughters? What is her history with MC&D? What is her ̕ ̕ ͘͜ ̶҉ ҉ ̸̕͜ ̶̕͠ ̧̕ ̸̷ ̸ ͏ ̸͝ ̵? Finagle. Find. Figure. Forget. 
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May 8, 2021 00:40
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Hodgepodge posted:deimos doesnt get to die. he's our buddy. He gets to die after we finish playing with our food.
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May 8, 2021 00:40
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 ̸͟ ̸͟͞ ̧͢ ̸͟ ̸͟͞ ̧͢ posted:Three glasses in, and you're ready when he brings it up. He has one wing around you, the other making a loose shield against others nearby. You're already leaning down, picking up the huge sleek-design robot. It's a heavy little poo poo, but you manage to cross-strap it onto your back while you side-sling your pack, allowing its little cleany legs to wiggle like a bug. Merkja looks back before she descends, and sees you reseating your weight to be able to climb down. The moment is liminal, and you both follow patterns you're not questioning the improbability of. The old Hyaenidae picks you up in her iron arm, carrying you and cargo down ladders and past grasping curtains of green. You hold on in the lost of thought, understanding for a second that there's some challenge of reality happening, but unable to feel any panic in the idea. A storm of emotions become a fraction of the starlit rainbow's palette. You hop down out of Ironfist once you come to the climbable bottom, where the grass grows so thick is nearly comes up over your waist. Bioluminant moss, solar bulbs, and translucent spores cast everything in a visible minimum. The apartments or gardens left are so overgrown they're choked in darkness, each doorway a warning. The Saint rests her arm and smells around. The vanilla was stronger, a warm and cloying scent. "Recall they read no matter what, when we pass through the hospice, do not turn the lights off." Her tone is as much self-reminder as it is for you. quote:
You're dizzy. It's a novel sensation, to have your body act dizzy without actually feeling it. You hold onto the Saint's iron arm, your third eye flared open terror-wide, processing obscenity while you're safe inside the starlit drift. Merkja walks with the dream-logic's confidence, certain of what's happening. "See it there."  A door, with far too many barriers and locks. A sign, with the drawing of a little palm tree with arms and eyes waving. It warns with painted colors, 'SLEEPY SISTERS! DO NOT TURN OFF FEEDING LIGHTS!' Merkja touches it with Ironfist, testing the age of the paint. You lean near the door and take in the scent; warm clean metal, wet dirt, and vanilla. She stretches, slowly snapping her iron bones into place, warming up for the necessity of her nature. You do the same, knowing that although you're invincible, you could still tear a too-tense muscle. "They're down inside. The Liaison will know what to do. I'll be near. Go." You help her force the entry open, down through a stairwell that connects into the incomplete layer. Overgrown and treacherous, but made safe by the advance of the Backup waiting for you. You're shivering with the weight of sensations being taken away by the unfeeling invincible, able to smile your thrill at seeing everyone unharmed save for the minor of vinewounds. Fire Joker, Bloodshop, Midnight Slack, Pax Pills, the Thunder King, and , and , and Wow! That's what acting like a Superstar gets you. A whole crew. You step in while Fire Joker tells you and crew straight. "It's through a weave of dark spots. Overgrowth chokes. There's a lot of bulbs. I found the case- it's on the far side border under a lit hill near the drain gates. That sound clear? She dropped it down there during the last stay. So we get it back, before it works its nuclear magic so well the entire Rivergreen has sleepy-sister roots in it. I just need to think about how this is going to go down. I have Liaison liability." Superstardom affords you an idea of possibilities.
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May 8, 2021 01:30
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We should accompany Fire Joker. Sounds like we’re going to be destroying something of Burner’s so she needs to be there as Liaison, and we need to be there as well to earn our keep. But there’s probably a reason the whole group isn’t going, and I suspect the PE check will be to notice that. (Might well be due to friendly fire - Fire Joker does like area of effect attacks - but as long as she’s not actually trying to kill us I’d expect the solar shroud to hold up.)
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May 8, 2021 01:51
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Somebody to burn things with somebody who can cover for them and not get burned. Sounds like a plan.
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May 8, 2021 02:00
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Vquote:quote:quote:quote:҉ You raise your hand. You want to earn your stay here; you'll go with the dryad to get the package. Fire Joker doesn't seem to like the idea, going by her grimace, but she keeps looking at that scar on your head, losing whatever rejection she had ready. "If... mm. Ok. I'm not risking crew, so come on." You know that she's saying yes because if something happens to you, it doesn't affect her. That's real. Your death wouldn't matter. Even with that truth ringing in your skull, you still follow her in descent down the ladder. The other Backup are impressed with your courage, even with Starshine taken into consideration, as they gather up around the descent hatch.You smile and wave, to Bloodshop and Midnight Slack, to Pax Pills, the Thundering King, and ͝ ̶ ͘ ̨ ̕ ̀ an ̸ ͜ ͝ ́ ͢ ̧ ́ ̀ ̛ ͡ ͘ ̷ ͢ d, and The Silver Mind posted:Do you hear that?  You're rubbing your hand the second you touch bottom, the minute-descent complete. There was going to be an entire containment sub-basement for them. It'd be safe and sound, for the afflicted and the cults alike. It was spearheaded by the Sunburners and Backup during the months of first stay, and the initial sublevels of the dryad cultists was wishbuilt in full. But there wasn't enough power left to finish the underground before the call to Megalith came. Then it just became a victim of procrastination. No need to complete it, really. Uncomfortable to be around it. So it could be left there and ignored, until... everything that happened recently. The underground forest is huge, rolling with mud hills dense in moss and dark foliage. Immense clusters of midnight tropic flora mingles with rivergreenery. Carpets of the curling little vines. Pools of crystal water gathered from a half-finished autosprinkler system. Columns of light brought down from stone grates high above, precarious in their carvings and fit to cause collapse if they're breached. There's the occasional outpost of a solar lamplight, and even evidence of a mirror system to bring down more Sun. You see a skeleton of the complex visible among the overgrowth, parts of gemglass rooms and halls buried in luminant green. Merkja leans on a wall around a corner while Fire Joker speaks in a hushed tone. "Just follow me. If I need you, I'll tell you what to do. Avoid the dark spaces and bulbs as best as possible. We're heading northeast and looking for a ritual case." She waits a second, fiddling with her hat. "You're able to take care of yourself, so don't stress." She appreciates the company. Merkja lurks directly behind you, wary while you follow Fire Joker's business-like stealthwalk into the killing humidity. The Saint leans down to murmur. "They've brought unholies with them. Exquisite poisons of the soul. Ending them is the mercy. But maybe your gravity is simply that strong? That capable of bending probability? They read, that at the end of time, few forces of creation still exist. There is gravity, that lonely ultimate. There is iron! One of the final victims of entropy. Think on the finality of your force, shadow." ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] You're smiling. The Iron Saint has her hand on your back, and you can't feel what that means. quote:̸̢ ̸ ̵ ҉ ̧͞ ͡ ̴͟ ̡ ͘ ̶ ̨̀҉ ̢͟ ̵͝ ̷́ ͘͏́ ̨̀͡ ͡ ̴͞ ͟͜ ͏ ̷͡ ̧ ̧̨͘ ͏̨ ̷̧͘ ̕͢͜ ̨͝ ͝͡ ́҉ ̵̛́ ̢͜͡ ̧̀͟ Neither can Merkja. Only that the liminal state is wide and lensing. Following compulsions that make more sense than any sensation of unreality they come from. You rub your hand again, and you know it's thinking about a shape it can make. But you wouldn't mean it. Nor could you, inside the safety of the rainbow road. Her last words before quiet are less damning. "Whatever happens, it is reassurance, that gravity and iron will both be there at the last." Fire Joker looks back and sees you climbing the mossywet hill. The dryad has her rifle unslung, so you take your sword out. She informs you "I got one shot. If it happens, make sure you let me take it." The vista is lovely. Such a sleepy secret place, the thrilling feeling of suffocating on vanilla, regularly washed away by fresh air cleaving down from the lightvents above. The water is impossibly clean, supersuited for drink. The bot on your back goes wild in demand to be set down and start scrubbing the dirt, but you ignore it with a strong stance and steady pace. Log posted:The Liaison sticks mostly to the roads between islands of full light, doing her best to avoid the darkest patches where the wet jungle clusters grow. One such island is a solar light, right at the curve between two clusters. You stop to rest at it while the cultist gets her bearings. You're enchanted by the smell of vanilla... your eyes and psychic sense track it at last to its source. (DX: Quickstep!) 11 - [2]+[6]+[3] = 11 - Success.  [Too long waiting for the loading to finish hitching. How did it skip from the apartments all the way down into the Underground Forest? That's bad news. Choosing to go down there was never a good play. But there- already down there, Fire Joker in good standing, Merkja an ally- but then it happens. One of the most common events down in the UF. A solar light breaks... with @ directly next to a flowering D. That's a split-second one-turn chance and decision. The dodge attempt was the hardest to pass, but has the most important reward- silent avoidance of the searching roots. The check passes!] [...] [But it's a lie. For one, the SCREAM doesn't play. That horrible sudden scream that meant death had come and the scythe was about to murder a soul. But no scream. No gray screen. It just keeps going after a clear of the prompt. A few steps are taken towards Fire Joker's orange d and Merkja's white g, the violet D fading back into the flower icon. One screen away from the dangerous prize... when the game hangs, again.] [It's getting worse. The instability is peaking.] Merkja quietly has her hand on your back as you escape death and walk up the final hill. The last rays of light are here. The Sun is leaving; but not before the package is contained. Those final rays are vital for survival. One more night of growth promotion would surely send the flora towards the critical mass of bloodlusting mobility. The Iron Saint sits and listens, under a curtain of green. Fire Joker scouts and points absently, telling you "It's down there. I can see it. Tucked in among a whole idiocy of bulbs. Oh... I'll need to be surgical. Singer?" She lies down with her top hat off, cleaning her glasses and rifle. She fixes the wine of her eyes dead on you, and speaks with the stilted blunt of plantkind. "So, I was going to get you killed. Not now, but at first. I didn't get your vetting. But it was- the shawl. The Sunburner-make you have. I thought, figured assassination, so I played it cool. But I figured it'd have happened by now, you'd be able to down me while starry no problem, so I think for sure... you have disability. You got that shawl from somewhere, you didn't know. Right?" She looks at you with sympathy and for agreement. ★INVINCIBILITY★: [ ★ ] [ ★ ] [ ★ ] What? "See? You're amazing for your condition. I promise you've got a room of your own if we can win this throw." quote:First the wedges create fracture, and then comes compression. She stands up, and Merkja comes aware. Inside the weight of the coming Sunset, you can feel your choices kaleidoscope through the refraction of the Silver Mind. You think as fast as you can, like the dryad does, while you look down into the lit depression of moss... and so many blossoms. Enormous violetdark blossoms. Peaceful in the light, agitated in the dark. Little time left before they'd all be out of the setting Sun's sight. There, down next to three blossoms... the enormously bulky carrying case, with the Sigil of the God bright on its side.  So, you think, and then, you act.
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May 9, 2021 03:24
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I was going to vote for the Superstar choice, but... come on, Triple Tech!
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May 9, 2021 03:52
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I was wondering what the player was thinking about during all of this. Glad to have their verification that things are as messed up from the meta perspective as it is from the protag's!
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May 9, 2021 04:08
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The HP loss to the Darkness check doesn’t matter, since it’s less than our maximum of 21 and we’re still invincible. And Merkja is heavily hinting that gravity can do the job here. And intuitively, gravity should be able to lift the nuke gently. And it’s keyed off our WL of 19, while all the other options are dicier. And we know that death is a real possibility here - 9 lives won’t protect us if we drop to -105, and a nuke going off could do that. Darkness is the option that lets us survive this.
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May 9, 2021 05:42
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If we're going off of proper nuke logic, tossing the nuke full-force with our Gravity may not be enough to set it off anyway. They're designed with multiple components that only arm the nuke when it senses it's falling, going at a certain speed etc. The most dangerous part for us would be cracking the casing and exposing ourselves to the radioactive materials inside it. Now, this is another world so the logic could be slightly different. But given the other hints I voted for gravity anyway. I can resist the shiny button after all!
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May 9, 2021 15:22
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 05:36 |
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Clench your raised fist, and call on gravity. [!Darkness Check] [-20 HP] - 12 Ask Merkja to go down and get the package. [!Tyranny Check] - 0 Walk down, eyes close, third open, and trust to the Silver Mind. [!ESP Check] [Superstar!] - 6 Allow Fire Joker to deal with it, providing revolver covering fire. [PE Check] - 1 Influence Fire Joker's dangerous fire-curses so they burn down the forest. [WL Check] [Murderous Intent] - 0 Blow your Invincibility on getting in and out as fast as possible. [DX Check] - 0 Risk a Triple Tech. [??? Check x3] - 11 LOADING...  ...LOADING
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May 9, 2021 15:29
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