@ -ZEN- [Hell End]

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > @ -ZEN- [Hell End]

«‹›136 »

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

Plausibly, death here would put the little shade out of Smiercia's reach. I wouldn't advise testing that.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 08:17

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 16, 2024 21:22

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

Somehow, I don't think she would be too upset by the Tyrant dying a slow, painful death being crushed under tons of rock and magma, crying like a baby all the while. I dunno why, but somehow I get the feeling she doesn't like the Tyrant and would probably take great joy in that death.

# ? Dec 21, 2023 12:47

taiyoko: Jan 10, 2008

Archive updated, realized part 8 had gotten way too long and unwieldy, so it's been split, just as a warning to anyone who's been reading it that way.

# ? Dec 22, 2023 05:51

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

I blink. She said it so casually.

Nefrit frowns with concern at me. She looks so much worse now, wine-stunk with the approach of death. Haggard with haunting. But not Galen; I look at him and every day his skin is one degree warmer, his hair is starting to grow back, the red is softening in his eyes. Oh, Errant no longer; you Knight Golconda. He leans under his umbrella and stays quiet as he studies me, my cutlet sandwich left to the towel while I look off towards the beach. The Singer is waiting for me to make sense of my sudden withdraw. I decide to answer, because when I look at her watery eyes full of suicide, I think of Blue and my heart rings like a bell.

The Dark posted:

I never had one.
But, during the war, I held a secret belief.
I thought for sure that those children that had none,
Would be sent an angel from Heaven to be their mother.

Nefrit and Galen sit back as I wrench my hand into the beach towel, tearing it with tears furious in disbelief. I'm laughing, grinding my wounded hand into the sand, finger gone, clenching it into a fist that can't quite mean it anymore. I can't bear to tell them. I can't. I hate it. I hate that it came true. You said you didn't know, Śmiercią! You said even you didn't know if it could be true, but now I do! I look with a smile bittered with sweet to where she stands in the crowd, her back to us. But I see it clear; her holy mythological. Beautiful with pyrite. Crowned with softlight. As true as the hue of her halo under the split of the Sun! I demand it of the Continent Killer again; her? Nefrit nods in her growing worry, my blood staining fabric and sand as I wrench myself to wounded standing, my voice refusing to let me scream out; but it's true. It's TRUE. Every fist raised to an empty Heaven was a lie; she stands inside it! Waiting for me! Unable to see me from inside Hell! The waters are flooding again, and she's turning to me. I can see her eyes-

# ? Dec 27, 2023 04:53

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

[What happened?]

[Did it actually do something?]

[There was no escape. Healing was pointless. The only thing left to do was to was study every single frame in agonizing detail, everything to memory, every overcome explored. None were possible. Something had glitched, gone terribly wrong trying to attack a hostile Burner who didn't actually seem to exist, and the terrain corrupted to softlock in the presence of garbage-data hostile entities. But then the memory kicked in. Alt-F8 mashed. If only to advance the frames of the coming end. Nothing seemed to come of it, but then a layer went blank, and revealed combat log data that was obscured underneath.]

[It took an hour to agonize the scraps together. One of the glitched entities did something... positive? The screen went wild, half-working effects of dark magenta waves alternating with golds and blacks in the palettes. The music tab showed a track playing, but no sound. Then? Loading. Still loading. Agony slow, frozen screen. Nothing coherent visible in the colored chaos save for the black @, and one of the entities, who has resolved into a gold @.]

Blue Book Scraps posted:

* class reference of 'ALLHOLYKN'
* Use of a power, 'Herald'
* Use of a power, 'Hope'
* Random-ref dialogue fragments? "Why am I doin' this?" "It doesn't feel right." "Yeah, I'm sure."
* More irregular line-overflow catches of 'The mushrooms spore!' (x9999) despite inactive mushrooms.
* Map broken, visible fragments of bright beach tiles in OOB areas.
* Effect-dialogues? "EMPEROR HEAVEN BLESS AND CURSE" "EMPEROR HELL BLESS AND CURSE" "LORD OF LORDS BLESS AND CURSE" (?!)

[Still loading, staring at the dialogue fragment: "It doesn't feel right."]
[Nothing left to do but wait, with the Blue Book a cold comfort.]

# ? Dec 27, 2023 05:43

Captain Foo: May 11, 2004; we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

voted items.

both for the general information they can share as well as possibly pointing us in the direction of something extremely useful down the line

perhaps we have an esoteric item or three

# ? Dec 27, 2023 06:21

Dr_Gee: Apr 26, 2008

Tyranny obs. But literally any are gonna be dope

# ? Dec 27, 2023 07:38

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

VOTING CLOSED - Lumes looked at the empty spot at her dinner table. It wasn't right.

The wretched threat of Jandoubi's Ultramutants. - 3
The slayings begged of the Third Lord's final lair. - 8
The more vile arts afforded a Tyrant. - 10
The better esoteric items found over the years. - 14

LOADING.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

# ? Dec 28, 2023 05:16

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

Ah, yes, lobcorp employee safety manual.

# ? Dec 28, 2023 08:56

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

[There's been a lot of weird finds over the years. Some fixed, some random, some unique. All of them interesting, even if their use was limited or ill-documented.]

The Blue Book posted:

[One of the better-compiled pages was by onerunner 'Four Lunches', with a lot of fragments and deep-dive collects from over the long decades.]

Friday Pants
Instead of being a standard Armor or Relic, the Friday Pants could be freely worn by just by using them. The shiny brown-purple pants boasted some of the extremely rare and desirable Friday Magics, quintupling a number of different luck parameters. The downside was a minor luck penalty when worn on any day but a Friday, as well as an obnoxious food-spacing schedule, since the pants could refuse to be worn by 'not quit fitting' from not keeping satiation at a narrow range.

Pizza Phone
A large novelty pizza-themed phone. A very rare item won from a number of MC&D events; simply getting it increases Joy. It just has to be installed onto any viable wall, after which it immediately works. As long as the character has even one measure of currency, the phone can be used as easy as interacting with it. It opens a small cutscene dialogue where you're asked what you want to order, which is scaled on what valid currency you have. You order the pizza(s), and then it's delivered within a time window of anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Both in-game and real-life minutes. A 'MaChDrone' delivers it, makes change, and then demands a tip. You don't have to tip, but not doing so three times in a row means that you'll have to do a mini-boss fight with the drone to get the pizza. Pizzas can have a staggering array of effects and benefits, and there's even an option for a Pizza For Chickens that fully fills Kwiat. It can even be dismounted from the wall, carried to any location, and re-mounted to order out a pizza on the go. The only cost is some small resources and a length of time, which is achievable even inside of Megaliths. There's been cases of a lot of themed novelty pizzas along those lines, with Megalith, cult, Lord, and individual-Backup specials; one of the best documented was an adamant-expensive "Jenny's Friday", a six-cheese pizza with green mushrooms, starfruit, and edible gold, which conferred a staggering day worth of pure invincibility after it was consumed.

Hochomasamune
Weird-behaving item found in a doomed onerun (too many broken events led to a softlock). It's an adamant knife - but it's not usable as a weapon, or even throwable. It works just by sitting in the inventory, since it's a chef's knife. The item description was written down for being strange: 'Aunty Hijgan says this knife asks I promise to only use it for cooking'. This explains what it did: having it in the inventory made every single action and event relating to cooking and food go extraordinarily well. The knife itself was found just sitting in the fields of the Holy Land at the start of the run.

Cape Invert
Apparently coded to be an incredibly low drop chance from anything tagged as Fae. It's a simple colorless cape that acts as if it's always being worn; it can only be interacted with by being used, which flips the cape around. This also has the effect of swapping the current hair and eye color of the character. It can also be used on any living thing with a hair and eye color, simply by using the cape on them which does a 'face sweep' and inverts them.

Merit Award
One of the most powerful rare finds in the game. It can only be found by completing a quest that has someone who must be returned and spoken to in order to finish it. When doing so, there is a chance that after they finish their usual dialogue, they will also suddenly continue to talk with a special music cue and color-flash on the screen. The NPC being spoken to, regardless of their usual dialogue, will show the dialogue "You also fulfilled my secret wish that (X)! You'll be rewarded!" - this immediately gives the character a unique extra Relic slot dedicated solely to the Merit Award. The 'fulfilled my secret wish' part is the whole trick of getting this item: each time you accept a quest from someone that needs it turned in to them, a secret random parameter is added to the main goal. If by sheer chance this parameter is fulfilled, then the Merit Award is given. The parameters can be a host of many, such as not alerting any enemies from the start of the quest to the end, or killing the target with a specific technique or weapon or element, or even something like not completing the quest for one real-time month. All the same, it's the most welcome surprise of chance. It has a simple power; it allows the character to equip anything, regardless of restrictions placed on its use, including Minimum Strength thresholds for weapons! In the case of too-heavy items, encumbrance will be set to max without actually going into Overburdened, allowing Moloch Armor on a ST 6 noodle. Its description tells it as a baroque medal in the style of a miniature terrarium.

Dragondraw
Everyone knows about Thunderdraw and its upgrades. But only a single onerunner got the Dragondraw. It was described as a huge sheathe made of all four kinds of dragonscale, big enough to house any sword placed into it. Doing so would lock the sword in, and enable the use of a unique super-tech based on the sword. Interestingly, the more fragile the blade, the more powerful the tech it could unleash, since the Dragondraw's drawback was that every use demanded the sword check against its chance to break immediately. Unbreakable swords could still be used, and many proved useful, but their techniques were reportedly anemic compared to the meganukes breakable swords had. Some notables techniques of swords found were the Sword of Sharpness ('Razorswallow' Which hit every enemy, ignored all DR, and upped the sword's usual multiplier to x3); Swordivarius ('Tangerine Symphony' Made critical hits both extremely frequent and stacking, enough that three turn's worth was enough to take out Moulder); Quickblade ('Quicksilver' Had the crazy effect of Speed either doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling every turn); and Gasher ('Meatgrind' A hell of an effect that straight up did 999 damage and autobroke the sword).

Inventory!
The ridiculously hard-to-get Relic of the Paradise Backup, Slots Mahoney. It's both a Relic and a soft debug menu, but normally it can only be used by Slots' more responsible AI. In character hands however, it does exactly what it does for Slots- it opens access to the inventory of every single entity on the current map. Only one item can be taken a turn instead of stacks, but it's still 100% functional and has no limits. The real trick is the necessity of wishproofed attempts at trick-swiping it off of her, since it has a 0% drop rate on her death.

Cistron Mk VII
Found twice so far. It doesn't have a description, and can only be used. Doing so begins a unique mini-cutscene, where it slides up into view. It's some kind of ultra-tech pocket communicator, but it's on full lockdown with only two buttons usable. There's a name scratched out on the bottom. Every time it's looked at like this, there's a chance it will start to ring, and the screen will display the message 'ADMINISTRATOR SIL WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT. DO YOU ACCEPT?' with a Y / N possible, selected by the two working buttons. Connecting does nothing, however, since there's never any response to any dialogue inputted.

Extreme Sigil
Very very rarely given to the character by the drunk old witch in the boat intro. Can also be dropped, with the same rarity, by the Agent of Water. Its description reads 'Sigil of the Final Prince. Looks like some kind of red pocket coin, worn smooth and with no clear markings left. But still blesses those who break limits.' It's never been observed to have any noticeable effects, but some onerunners swear that acting risky was more rewarding with the Sigil in their inventory.

Red Ribbon Regalia
The 'utter toolshed stupid' armor of Alma, the #1 Backup. It's modest. Simple. Quiet. It's just her dress, which are 777 star-ribbons that weave at user command. Very humble with a DR of 7, while also dividing all elemental damage by 7, and finally modifying every type of Luck to allow 7 rerolls per use. The downside is wearing it is a slow FP drain, since fighting to move against the mass of star-ribbon motions is tiring when not directly focusing on making them weave.

Megalith Gauntlet
A unique item that only happens if the Rebecca storyline is a part of the onerun's seed. She will always drop it if she uses it during a fight against her, though this does close off a small number of other drops she has. It will always be in a state of completion equal to the number of Megaliths felled, and can be completed at your own leisure, provided your build has the WL and general power spread needed to master it. It's never seen completion, but every Megalith's power has been seen at least once. What's unusual is that the description has an error, mentioning that there's 16 slots, instead of 4. Empowering the gauntlet is simple: just equip it, move onto the ruins of a Megalith, and use the search command. When equipped, all of its powers will be added under the tech menu. It goes without saying that the one brief example of a Paradise Megalith-powered gauntlet was more than enough to prove it was the vast superior of the mighty four.

Deepcooler
One of those items that's just a completely random chance find when doing a search on things like dumpsters, house cabinets, and vehicle trunks. It's easy to tell apart from others based on the light weight and dark red color. The Deepcooler does exactly what it says and more: anything stored inside one of its three compartments will not and cannot decay, going into immediate stasis. This makes it profoundly desirable for corpse-hunting, allowing for all fickle meats to be taken to a safe cooking area without losing any potency of effect. This also applies to severed limbs, that can then easily survive re-attachment!

Dragon Heartstring Lute
Appeared in the fields of the Holy Lands. Simple description: "When played, summons the Kaiser." When used, it was played. A music track loaded but never got to play, since the game immediately crashed right after a small gold-colored kobold tile appeared.

The Year's Supply
Seen, but never used exactly. One MC&D event saw a prize giveaway, with the first-place prize being 'A Year's Supply', a gold holograph decal that could be affixed onto any item that was an 'unopened package' of something consumable, which would then transform and become a magic with a literal year's worth of said consumable inside. Sadly, it wasn't won, and couldn't be applied to an elixir. Instead, 2nd place was won, and the character got one that was already affixed to something: A Year's Supply of a bland cereal, which did at least cure food problems. Occasional attempts to wish for one have so far always returned the generic 'sorry not in this seed' message.

The Panic Ball
Another prize-type item that can be won through MC&D events, or found in Janbdoubi. It's a small black metal box with a disco-ball-button on it. It can only be used when Anxiety is 90% or higher, and doing so will immediately teleport the character up to a mile or so away from the threat. The issue is that once teleported, the ball on the box will shine with a blinding glitter-light for a long period of time as it resets, which will immediately alert anyone in the new area. The one upside is that Gods of Thunder, Backup, and many kinds of Fae will be rendered stunned by their adoration of the ball's light.

Gift Ribbon
Insidious Relic. When equipped, it goes around the neck, and will gift the character Immunity to Status Effects, a ridiculously powerful ability. However, the Gift Ribbon can never, ever be taken off again, or else it immediately decapitates the character and kills them. The problem is that there's no warning, which means one forgetful slip of the finger, or one bad enemy roll that steals the Gift Ribbon, and the onerun is immediately over.

Colourshroud
Only ever seen once, when sold by Napp in one of his special token-deals. It's not a Relic but an Armor piece, with 1 DR and a single ability: Copy. When worn, the character can use Copy and perfectly replicate any one ability of any entity on the current map. While this is powerful, it's also slow and can end up extremely costly if a power is copied that wasn't meant to be used by the character. The description reads it as being the remains of an incredibly dense colored shroud, now ragged and thinned with time, with a name tag on the inside that reads 'Adlai Stevenson'.

Everburning Torch
Strange item, in that it hardly has any downsides for how good it is. It's a plain iron-brazier style torch that ignites with basic-level fire. The fire cannot be extinguished by any natural source, and even powers that turn it off can't stop it from re-ignition. It's unbreakable (and can be wielded as an effective improvised weapon), has low weight, and is vastly more effective than a lighter for a portable source of fire. Strangely, it's not found in Burner's Lands; it can only be found in the Ashen Tower ruins controlled by Kaigen, as a very rare drop from the limited number of fire-type ogres who garrison there.

Jijcloujun
An Item of Interest in the Dark Series that generated during a Dreamlands raid on one of Dark's vaults. Described as a grotesque and sap-sopped fruit of orange-gold, with a crunchy crystalline interior, cultivated by 'Daevas' with 'the blood of the Black Throne'. Eating it was the end of the onerun, but not because of immediate death; all control was lost of the character as they acted on their own, and began an immediate terminal corruption spiral. The corruptions were unique and surreal however, not like any other seen during usual play. It amounted to them turning into a building-sized engine of mass death, with over three days of unstoppable rampage before Śmiercią appeared and ended it with a single scythe-stroke.

# ? Dec 30, 2023 17:31

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

quote:

Colourshroud
Only ever seen once, when sold by Napp in one of his special token-deals. It's not a Relic but an Armor piece, with 1 DR and a single ability: Copy. When worn, the character can use Copy and perfectly replicate any one ability of any entity on the current map. While this is powerful, it's also slow and can end up extremely costly if a power is copied that wasn't meant to be used by the character. The description reads it as being the remains of an incredibly dense colored shroud, now ragged and thinned with time, with a name tag on the inside that reads 'Adlai Stevenson'.

I don't know whether to applaud or boo this reference. Well played, good storyteller, now hang your head in shame.

# ? Dec 31, 2023 00:24

taiyoko: Jan 10, 2008

What would happen if we were to invert Doubler? Logic would say that he'd half everything instead of doubling... maybe easier to kill and less likely for us to die?

# ? Dec 31, 2023 00:29

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

Didn't you read the item description? It's fur and eye colors would swap. Now, the question is if that applies to all the copies.

# ? Dec 31, 2023 00:34

taiyoko: Jan 10, 2008

I mean, it doesn't say if anyone's ever tried it on Doubler, it's entirely possible that it has a secret ability to nerf Doubler. Given its rarity, it's possible nobody's even had the chance to try it on him.

Also, BA, I'm amazed by your ability to come up with the absolutely ridiculous number of items available in this game.

# ? Dec 31, 2023 01:35

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

quote:

Extreme Sigil
Very very rarely given to the character by the drunk old witch in the boat intro. Can also be dropped, with the same rarity, by the Agent of Water. Its description reads 'Sigil of the Final Prince. Looks like some kind of red pocket coin, worn smooth and with no clear markings left. But still blesses those who break limits.' It's never been observed to have any noticeable effects, but some onerunners swear that acting risky was more rewarding with the Sigil in their inventory.

Hey frankie.

# ? Dec 31, 2023 04:08

Princey: Mar 22, 2013

Enjoying the Final Fantasy references too with the Ribbon and the Merit Award.

# ? Dec 31, 2023 23:58

Twobirds: Oct 17, 2000; The only talking mouse in all of Britannia.

Also a... Dr McNinja reference?

# ? Jan 1, 2024 14:49

Captain Foo: May 11, 2004; we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

That�s a lot of neat items

# ? Jan 2, 2024 05:15

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

I wake from a dream in death, and the world is ending in fire instead of water.
The walls ahead of me collapse into a gigantic rubble-slide of obsidian; it's... enough to make a path past the hellmagma and to stable ground.
I claw for life, the evil attentions of the other shades gone, wrenching over the hill in my ruined state.

[LD] (ST - Exhausted Desperate Climb) 30(/2)(-5) [4]+[3]+[1] = 8 - Success [By 2].

I get over the pile, gasping from the fumes, sliding down the other side on the Eye. As soon as I get to the bottom my fears are both realized and abated; the tunnel behind me collapses fully, but it cuts off the hunting gold magma, leaving me safe. Just two more seconds slower and I'd have kissed the scythe. I watch as the world starts to fade out, knowing that Burner is getting away; but I glimpse the gold shade at the far end of the tunnel, as it looks back to me one more time. I cough with bloodied exhaustion, passing out as my will finally gives under the sheer weight. But my brain steals it, as the black washes in, neurons greedy to let it soak to my soul and heart with its revelation-

The Dark posted:

I have a Mother.
My Mother is an angel.

-blink and I miss it. I'm awake from blackout, looking at a ragged robe worn like a cape. ...Red? She- she's carrying me on her oilstained shield. I croak out for my Counselor, and she spins around to kneel upon hearing me. It is Red! Hero Red. In shorts and sword, like the legends foretold. I ramble in my delirious state and whine my happiness at seeing her. She's dragged me to the end of the tunnel, just in time before perish. For a second I panic, thinking I need to apologize to Red for when I acted badly and destroyed Bleeder's theater, but then my senses reassert themselves as she slides me up over an obsidian hill. I see it.

Megalith.

OST: Megalith Fire

Red is careful when she pulls me up to stand. I lean on her shoulder, numb, vaguely understanding that I was dead. I was. I look at my missing finger and chunk of hand, the wound already cauterized from the magma. I'm dead. But- the angel saved me. She hid me from the scythe. I want to say so much to Red, but there's no time as she helps me down to the shore of the great water-cooled magma flow, a vast beach of obsidian night. I shake my head and make sense of what's about to happen. I'm... inside the mountain enclosure at the heart of Burner's Land. Under the great dense cloud of every particle that falls into its draw, before it's fed back to the Land as material anew to everburn. There, see? Over the waters blue, clean and pure-true. Waiting for us two. A little lovely island... fractal reimage of what I stand in, rung by lowest carved mountains, hiding an inner sanctum entry to skyway. But over it over it towering towering towering: mighty of almighty MASSIVE is the MEGALITH of a LORD. Look at it, serene upon the everbreeze current of ash and Sun. Of the fires that will make all undone. What is there to say? What can I do but weep as I hold onto Red, my shame forgotten as I behold it gleaming God-awful holy in the Heaven-crown sky? I believe. I raise a fist. I scream, and Red falls to her knees to hold me tight on the woundcarry shield. I fight weakness and stand to pull her up with a snarl of my intent, reaching, making her raise her fist as well.

Oh, my Counselor. You've seen me kill. Now see me slay. To victory.
I start to laugh and suddenly gag and cough up bile, smiling at her copper mask with snot and tears and spit.
The thing is, I tell her, giggling, if I can choke down a spider snack... what's so bad about having to cut up some vegetables next?
It's the funniest thing in the world, and there isn't time for me to be like this, but my Counselor is patient and wipes my face and helps me stand.
She hugs me, and I know she needs me to be brave now, so I stand to attention in my mostly-purple suit, delirium hot and goldblade black slung ready by my side.

The dryad goes to pull down her hood, but she hesitates and redresses, hood-cloaked with her heroic sword and shield at the ready. She takes me down to the shores of saddest obsidian; their razorwept crystal edges are slaked no blood from our ankles, as she walks the secret routes of hidden smooth steps. Blue, what are you up to? What did you do? I wish Red could tell all, but her mute keeps so much from us. It's okay. There will be time. There as been miracle! There is an angel, and Red found me because of her. Soon, the ex-Sunburner reveals what we need to do: beautiful little solar-sail skiffs hidden in a cove, carved of wrought gemwoods that smooth over the waters like ice. The waters... I ask Red. May I? She nods, eager, leaning over to do so herself. I dunk my head in and drink deepest, tearing back out with a gasp of more laughed shock and surprise. I smile at Red with water pouring down my face and soppy hair; holy poo poo! The waters taste... what can you call that flavor? I hesitate to drink more, trying to understand the first sup. My head feels so clean and cooled and refreshed. My belly feels great! Like drinking fresh water after months of impurity. Red comes up with water pouring out from around her mask, her body language equally refreshed. I quickly scour my empty soup bottle, and get some of the water for later.

Megalith Fears posted:

Impossible with allpure are the waters under the Solar Megalith. The grand and terrible filters of the mountain annihilate every impurity while blessing with every dryad's wishmight and solar light. The result is not just water, but Essential Water: the very essence and idea of the liquid, primordial and divine with sapphire. You'll never drink water this pure-slaking. You'll never feel so cleaned and cooled by a dip. If you drank only this, you'd probably live three times as long. But it's going to foul, isn't it? Megalith will fall. Purity of purity will perish. Just one more sip... and one for the road.

[Got 'Solar Waters']
[Sheet Fully Updated]

The skiff sails softly. I drift my hand in the superior waters, knowing a deep bed of clean obsidian waits beneath, feeding with mineral strength. The trip is peaceful, and I stare at the strange sky above. The mountain ring is enclosed by the dome of the ash clouds, swirling fast and dark. But at the heart of the terrible dome is a great light, a direct rent to the unseen sky beyond the clouds. For some reason... noonlight is pouring down. What time is it? Does it matter, within the embrace of Megalith? Megalith. Megalith! Holy awful with death for me, skying above with the intent of the 5th Lord's nuclear catastrophe! Look at it. Deceptive with bright. So unlike Bleeder's exterior of organic soul-fortress. No, Burner; I see you. Gentle. Fanning with grand solar wings of black glass and pyrite voltaic. There above all in the hidden undercloud, heart and crown, drifting serene to catch every pour of photon upon its spanning wings open. But I can see your sinister, Burner! I see the cruel black metals, the hidden laboratories, the murdering garden of titan palms that festoon your labyrinth mass! But my Counselor is going to FIB ON YOU, BURNER. SHE WILL POINT, AND I WILL RUN THROUGH WHAT HER FINGER STABS TOWARDS. I know you've retreated to wait up in there, Burner. I know, because look- LOOK! We come to the smallest inner island now, the cradle beneath the sky-sworn superstructure. Red will show me. Where the solar skiff lands, where to easily stair-walk the sculpted mountain slopes, then down the soft powdery ring hills, then over verdant grass as tall as my neck. It's so lovely with darkness, lit only by the sky-rent and the Megalith's shower of light. The light; I don't even realize it when Red has walked me onto yet another beach, this one the final stop before a grand lake of dark water, right beneath the Megalith's glory. I stare up with my sword ready, and hold Red's hand as she walks me into the waters. I hesitate, but then realize; despite the immense size of the lake, the waters are no deeper than our shins. The wade to the center is slow, my wounds making me weary. But it's fine; my intent is simply too great. I feel good. Relaxed, even. Red is with me. She's with me, and she's going to keep me safe. I'm going to keep HER safe. Then, when Burner is End: we can go find Blue. Me, and you...

Hm? Oh. Red is tugging my sleeve. What's that? We're here. Dead center. But what is she pointing at? ...the Eye! Burner's relic weapon. I hold it up and offer it to my Counselor, and she takes it. She holds it aloft while looking towards to the Megalith-eclipsed sky, and I watch my gravitysight define a trillion photons of gentle radiance weave down like a great cable of light. Red grabs my hand, and she uses the Eye to ride the bright root. She's taking me. To the final of my walk.

HP: [ -60 / 30 ]
FP: [ 10 / 15.▒ ]
TYRANNY: [ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][50%]
^{[Red Is With Me: Disquiet abates...]}

To the conquest of Solar Megalith.
But where do we end up?

Black August fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Feb 16, 2024

# ? Jan 9, 2024 07:53

habituallyred: Feb 6, 2015

Plants haven't always been our friend, but I voted Botany anyway. We really do need at least a little bit of time to recover before any final confrontation.

# ? Jan 9, 2024 09:26

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

So, so many funky updates in that sheet.
Forgiver sigh?
Apprentice?
Lionheart is now Hyenaheart?
Bleeder's E seems to be getting..brighter?

Also, most every item description is different, ame but different wording it seems.
huh.
the shield is DEAD?

# ? Jan 9, 2024 11:56

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

Things got a bit soaked with Holy it seems. And the Forgiver Sign is Known now.

# ? Jan 9, 2024 20:38

Bloody Pom: Jun 5, 2011

Voted for Physics. We are gravity after all, what better way to make our intent known than by putting the weaker forces in their place?

# ? Jan 9, 2024 21:32

Stoner Sloth: Apr 2, 2019

Bloody Pom posted:

Voted for Physics. We are gravity after all, what better way to make our intent known than by putting the weaker forces in their place?

But gravity is the weakest force (by a lot)

# ? Jan 9, 2024 22:17

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

I went with art. Singing is an art. Art hasn't hurt us (yet).

# ? Jan 9, 2024 22:48

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

VOTING CLOSED - Super Summer Camp!

The weaponized wonders of Destruction. - 1
The endless minutiae of Physics. - 5
The heartbreaking solar strings of Art. - 14
The gargantuan gardens of Botany. - 4
The end of it all at the Zenith. - 2

LOADING...

...LOADING

Regallion posted:

the shield is DEAD?

That's actually been a part of its description since it was first obtained.

# ? Jan 10, 2024 05:12

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

OST: Solar Megalith

I'm lost with my head to her shoulder as we ascend. The solar airs roar past with bathwater warmth, the world a wonder like a light under a vast blanket of night. I allow myself to do something I hate, and I freely cry. It's quiet and relieved, and nobody has to know but Red. Everything hurts and the world is a swimming blur, but I can't stand to let go of the holy that is knowing my Counselor is with me on this finale of walk. I smile in secret- Summer Camp! It never ended, did it? Did the Spider weave a web of trials for us across the whole of the wake and dream, Mr. West? I still have your bullet from your desk. It's fine. Overcoming Burner, the Nuclear, the sheer living hell of physics ready to annihilate me without the protections of Absolutely Safe nectars; Red is here to make it possible . My heart is warm with something strange over its emerald now, like gold lining its countless cracks. I flashback in ascent, recalling the graffiti of a hyena laughing with something hidden. Before I can remember more, I feel us suddenly turn hard. Red is throwing us with the roots! But immediately I trust her, because duh; she's an ex-Sunburner, of course she knows the best ways to sneak into her own place of worship. So I ride the waves of my gravitysight, still overwhelming most of my senses, the Silver Mind now utterly silent under the weight of my dark. We arc clean and gently, to a huge open air window right beneath the terrifying grand palm gardens that threaten beneath the Megalith's shining zenith.

My trust is fulfilled. We land, caught by the hand of a grand bush of black leaves and golden blossoms. We twist and tumble into its depths, Red holding me tight before we finally suspend mid-air, tangled. I can't help but giggle. My agonized exhaustion seems to lift further as I quickly snap my blade out, cutting us loose. We wrangle down to the rainbow-black soils, their loamed scents making my head spin. Red touches in, sending pollens in a dance as she crumples to shake off the stress of the sneak-in ascent. I wait patient while I dangle in the dark branches. Inside the Megalith, it... feels nice. It's so dim and warm and gentle, like being an insect within a grand solar terrarium. So I scuttle across the ground, worming through the leaves with silent serpentine. Red listens for a second, and then she gestures to me to follow. I weave my black edge to carve us to release, my arm gently stayed right before I drop us out. The ex-Sunburner pauses and leans, popping her head out to peek. Then, with no word, she simply drops and pulls me out with her. We tumble and crash to grass, wafts of glowing pollens sent to the warm current airs. I stifle a cough and spin up ready... but Red just puts a hand on my back. My heart pounds in my wounded chest, but I grip with the unholy whole of my intent and remain calm for her. The room we're in! I shiver as the cold leaves me entirely. It's like a grand dark auditorium. Fields of softest grass and flowering bushes, every flower bleeding a gentle of glowing pollens that whirl about the blackness. It all spirals inward to the massive room's heart; a stone stage with solar strings, each as tall as the giant chamber and stretched out in grand waves of silken sunlights. While the sheer lovely of the room almost makes me forget the weight of my crown, its weight returns sharply when I see the many Sunburners who walk its soft darkness. Some of them... they walk along the stage in orbit, and their witherburn hands reach out with gentle-pattern plucks. The strings! They spill light as they vibrate, and solar harmonies soothe me like a hot bath. I almost collapse with fresh tears, gritting as I hold Red's hand and lean on my sword.

She- she's so calm and confident. The wandering Sunburners can clearly see us! But my Counselor simply helps me on the long mute walk to the stage, as countless faces masked blank turn and stare. They begin to gather, all save the ones who play the solar harmonies abandoning their prayers to start slowly walking towards us. My stomach drops gradually- it's all so calm, how they walk like stray meteors drawn to fatal landing. But still Red shows no worry, as our feet clamber onto the warm stone steps, and we rise to stand under the harp-string curtains. The light that pours down from above! I sweep my shroud over me in full, Red guiding me through the agony of concentrated sunlight. My gravitysight, it... it's softening, the trillion-stream of photons wrapping all in an aura of shine. Red stops us when we reach the center, and I hold my blade out in defense as we become surrounded by the Sunburners. But they don't cross the line of the strings; they stay just outside in the dark, walking slow circle as they look in, every one of them now plucking at the warming chords. I don't understand. Why are they not attacking? But then I feel it, rippling somewhere far beneath my crown, inside the unlit infinite of the Silver Mind. They're speaking, in their own way. Red, turning slowly to look at each one in turn. She shifts, rustles, moves her head so slightly. Every motion like a tree in the most subtle wind. A thousand words spoken with blossom and nectar-scent. A grove of roots burned and blasted, still interlinked. What are they saying, Red? Why do they not kill us? No, instead, I can almost taste the weeping of bitter roots; many of the Sunburners collapse with hands stretched out with pleading, others pull off their masks with an arm still hiding their face so they can beat it against the ground, others still grab onto the shining strings and bleed their hands on their sharpness while they shake them to discord. All of them; their body language pained, desperate, confused, afeared, begging. Red, turning slowly, one hand holding my own, the other clutching that oil-scarred shield. Then, she lets go of me, and raises her hand. They all stop. They all look to her. Red takes my wounded hand, gently, her masked gaze on me. She opens it and looks at the scar that Blue put there. She touches it, feeling the soft-gem texture. Then she raises my hand, and allows the sunlight to shine on the scar, casting its glitter for all to see.

The Sunburners all step back. Almost instantly, their postures turn to prayed defeat. They fall to their knees and avert their gaze, hands raised. Red keeps my hand to the light, and not a single cultist dares to approach. Instead, they reach for the strings and pull them simultaneously. Harmony. Under us, the platform raises a pillar to send us to ascent. My Counselor holds me tight as we go, and right as the room vanishes into darkness under us, we catch sight of four figures approaching from the four corners of the grand room; the Matriarchs are still in pursuit, slow and untroubled now that we're cornered in the lair of their Lord. Surely they know Burner's slay is coming? That they cannot stop my blade? I look to Heaven. We ascend up, surrounded by pure stone grown with the cultivation of the Sunburner's art, living masterpieces of leaf and blossom. Their beauty carries us upward to the next level, where we come out safely into the almighty garden of the 5th Lord. So close- even Red's fellow cultists know I'm here for slay that their hands cannot stay! But we're not at the top yet, where I KNOW Burner waits. I'm grateful; landing here instead of in the solar hall below saved us from dropping right into the evils of this immense garden. I marvel at the gigantic palm trees, swaying hot in the immense breeze of the flying superstructure. But they're just the awful sentinels of the rest of the garden, which stretches in every direction we can see. So many strange flora, species I don't recognize by the score, all growing serene and eternal under the allbright of the Megalith's sunny zenith. But I know better, and Red's careful motions tells me I know truth: this is a garden with as many nightmares as wonders. The ex-cultist is quick to scramble away from the pillar that bore us up, now going back down to presumably collect the Matriarchs. We have time. At least we didn't crash-land in the garden; we'd be in deep poo poo judging by Red's nerves.

The dryad measures the wind and seemingly her memory, before she looks about and goes to choose one of the many garden-paths before us.
We both pray it's the best way.

# ? Jan 22, 2024 09:24

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

VOTING CLOSED - All That's To Come Under The Sun

The glutted thick-dirt path through the gemskin calabashes. - 3
The noisome gild-gravel path into the shadewalk blossoms. - 7
The soaking water-pooled path across the palmleaf hedges. - 12

LOADING...

...LOADING

# ? Jan 22, 2024 19:30

Marluxia: May 8, 2008

Huh, have we heard of Melinda before?

# ? Jan 22, 2024 20:46

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

If we meet her and she starts calling us "Tarnished" and talking about reforging the Elden Ring, I hope we have the option of just Nope-ing out.

# ? Jan 22, 2024 21:13

habituallyred: Feb 6, 2015

Marluxia posted:

Huh, have we heard of Melinda before?

Context suggests that was Burner's name before the Island.

# ? Jan 23, 2024 22:12

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

https://i.imgur.com/hc5vgS3.mp4
Rienne was quietly relieved that Cass, Vincent, and Gaziel hadn't taken the brunt of the Shadow's attack. Vincent had sent the wounded to preserving cryo, now being carried by the three ogres and the powerful troll. Jevica was already trying to walk it off, but Rienne's direct stern command had her relenting to a carry. Burner was insistent on hurrying them along, not explaining herself clearly in the haste; she only said that it was imperative they reach the Megalith's zenith in time. The wounded had to be taken along with no safe place to leave them. But they found time to rest, hunkered in an arsenal opened by the 5th Lord, where she set to work on fixing the broken Moloch Buster. Just long enough to stabilize everyone, their wounded forms now warming on heated obsidian circuit-floors. Cayver Cauvay was still distracted, pacing as he kept looking off in strange directions, his eyes following something. Levity noticed and nearly said something, but then she felt it. She said the name out loud, her neurons tickling uncomfortably. "Sandor?" Rienne looked at her curiously, but then she felt it too with her rudimentary psychic sense. "Wait, is that him? Is he trying to contact us?"

The Emperor of Hell sat and relaxed, focusing. As was her right, she could see every band of the entire psychic wavelength, and there was no mistaking it; this color was the Silver Mind washing past their brains. But it didn't feel right at all, distinctly different from how Sandor used it. Honestly, it didn't feel like it was being used at all, and was instead being dragged along like a massive sheet over the sky, pulled by some immense force of will. Still it sparkled in her thoughts, the dim infinite reflections crashing against her mental fortress. She startled with a "Woauh?" when she felt something else tagging along inside the silver chaos; a tiny galaxy of rainbow black! Fungus! The Queen of all Witches stood up and knocked on her ear, her psychadelic supersenses revving up as she pushed through the cloud to think right at the cluster. She laughed, causing Rienne to look at her expectantly. But she just kneeled under Burner's work table, and quietly watched the fungus flash and roil. She's never seen such a concentration of pure psilo! They were practically bleeding it like a sponge. But for some reason, they were intentionally withholding its megadose from the mind it was squatting in.

Burner slammed the back end of the weapon closed, and its sudden puft of nuclear vapors broke the psychic connection. But it clicked in place for Levity's mind at the same time, and she came back out with a thoughtful look. "I'm pretty sure the Shadow is still alive. For some reason, it has Sandor's psychic ability along with a bunch of magic mushrooms." Lumes was still being unusually quiet, but she looked up and listened to what the witch was saying. "It feels like it's heading up like we are. Burner, will that thing be safe to use to kill it you think?" The 5th Lord picked up the evil weapon, and looked mutely at Levity. All she did was smile. Levity nodded back, and they all gathered to hurry back to ascent. Running into the Matriarchs again was going to be rough after what the Shadow did to them, but Burner had insisted she would see them to the end safely. The Wanderers still weren't 100% clear on what Burner was going to do, but Gandiva expressed a comfortable faith, so they marched confident. Still, there was anxiety. They were already worn to their lasts. They had to keep the wounded safe to see them back Home. Lumes couldn't withstand another life-save stress on her holy heart. If the Shadow decided to attack Burner with the same ferocity...

Cayver Cauvay was the last to leave the room. He leaned on the doorway and shook, his eyes drawn up, mouth fierce with clenched teeth. He made a Sign and prayed his overwhelm; the Holiest Knight had made her choice, when there had been no protections of destiny. She made a promise, of which she was now Herald. All he could do was bear witness, as all approached the wall of night.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:05

Captain Foo: May 11, 2004; we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

Oh boy

# ? Jan 24, 2024 18:29

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

"As long as it’s from a gun, the question can be answered."

# ? Jan 24, 2024 18:43

Black August: Sep 28, 2003

OST: Under Ash

HP: [ -60 / 30 ]
FP: [ 15 / 15.▒ ]
TYRANNY: [ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][50%]

RED'S HP: [ 1 / 50 ]
RED'S FP: [ 30 / 99 ]
RED'S ANXIETY: [ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][50%]

Red hesitates. She's looking at the most rough path of the three, a menace of dense palm leaves draped over small crawlways of rough stone and waters. She pulls me to it, and we dive through carefully as not to make it obvious to our pursuers that we tore into them. I can already feel the pillar rising back up with the stalking Matriarchs. We weave low and deep, my memories blurring with gravity's weight, dragging me into flashback. Days of trench and brush, sewer and wilds. Weaving in and out of every hidden vein we could find to ever shake pursuit. I flashforward, my mind again at Camp. These special activities that only a Champ could hope to overcome. At first I assume we're in the clear, taking the most hidden path, slow as it is. Soft leaves brushing over my back and head, the baptism of a thousand soft hands washing my crown. My hands and knees seeking where the rock is smooth, my Empire-braided muscles forcing car-fractured bones to crawl tirelessly. I get lost in the rhythm, captivated by the storming silence of the Megalith, the patter of water trickles now deafening. I only realize something is wrong when Red grabs my hand while I absently crawl towards a massive chasm before me. I gasp and grab on to the dryad, making sense of what just happened.

Everything... expanded out. Deep, deep in a vast towering ravine. Sheer cliffs of black sharp slate. Roaring waterfalls the size of skyscrapers. Gargantuan blossoms of palm leaves, vast carpets in canopy down the stonesides. I can barely see the bottom, pitch black with a glittering blue line of impossibly distant waters of untold purity. How did this happen? I look around and Red holds me as I do, and I'm grateful, since vertigo crushes my throat with a swift chop. Wait... hold on! I steady myself and spit, nodding at Red; I know this. Fractals! I suddenly realize just how meticulously stable and carefully designed the fractal convenience store is, while I relax and allow my hyper-attuned gravity vision to define the precise shape of the supermass. Yeah; it's a lot like the convenience store, but there's no safety rails to rely on. One wrong turn and you'll be lost forever in ever deeper deeper and deeper ravines. Or just slip and fall forever to the unspeakable purification at its glittering bottom. I swallow. Red is leading us around the very edge of the blossom-shaped garden trap, gently rolling us to cleanly clip out the other end. But we have to be very careful. One wrong drop or slide like I almost did, and we'll be days down in seconds with no easy ascent on the slippery sharp stones.

Red grabs onto a palm leaf, and mask-stares it vicious.

(Red's WL - Lord Demands Of Megalith) 18 [5]+[4]+[1] = 10 - Success [By 8].

I sit in a strange peace, soaking drenched with the warm waters. I can still smell ash... the dryad suddenly rises and then clasps me with beg and demand to lead. What, why? I thought she was forcing open the way, but- oh wait.

Sensibles posted:

ME = Perception 13 + Gravity Sight + Psychics + Fractal Experience
RED = Perception 8 - Focusing On Megalith-Coercion - No Psychics - Never Did Like Fractals

I see. Got it. Watch. We walk to slay. I lead the way.

(PE - I'm Really Nervous But Don't Tell Her) 13 [4]+[3]+[4] = 11 - Success [By 2].

It's exhaustion, and one mistake could mean End - but I start a hard carve down along the stone, allowing the rock of my blade to make quiet marks at steady degrees, all while Red keeps turning the 8 degrees necessary to slowly slope-rotate us safely around the edge of the fractal freefall. God, what a lovely slow forever that'd be. A mindless feed of warm mineral waters, slate salts, and palm greens. I fight down the nonsense hope of escape from walk, and remember that my Counselor is expecting my best of me now. I remember too that I need to mend, before we ascend, so with shooting knees I bend. Red agrees, signalling that we're out of the worst and near exit. I fall over onto a softer drape of soaking palms, exhaling with pain while I start to bubble my lungs. My eyes flicker around the infinite aqua-green dark. I think back to my first waking, when I walked against Deimos. Remember. The sap. Come on...

In Dark Of Heart posted:

The parasite flutters and curls, still warming itself safely around the remnant seed of the Ruby Injection. It's still adjusting to the intensity of molten gold blood, and the recent terrifying heart-stopper of a blood sacrifice. But now the mitochondria are singing, remembering a biological moment in time that they pray to recreate. The everchanging heart-creature waits with the same hope, to relieve the aches.

(Bubbleblood II) 10(+3) [2]+[3]+[2] = 7 - Success [By 6]!
^{Healed For: 2d+6 HP = 14 HP!}

(Bubbleblood II) 10(+3) [1]+[5]+[3] = 9 - Success [By 4]!
^{Healed For: 2d+4 HP = 12 HP!}

HP: [ -34 / 30 ]
FP: [ 11 / 15.▒ ]
TYRANNY: [ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][50%]

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, the parasite most of all. It does its own assessment check of the stresses it's under, reading the hormones of its host. It really didn't help being right next to a Lord. Muscles are still torn up, but are in much more blooded shape now. Stomach is all kinds of unhappy... but under lock and key of tyrannical intent. The Silver Mind is silent, seemingly playing dead, alongside the mushrooms doing the same. Intellect is compromised from the massive amount of hormonal overdoses thanks to so much physical pain, emotional whiplash, and intense chemical abuse. Central Nervous is doing the delicate dance between hyperattuned sharp and pain-wreck sloppy. Either way, blessed relief for the moment, even if the body is barely holding up. The adrenaline is sickening; coffee is a pale spit-fleck echo of this widest awake, of this Ready To Kill. They loved it. The Tyrant cast such horrifying waves of destruction with their hate, and it was the worst drug yet. Jezebel had been nothing like this as a host. He- wait, who? The parasite realizes it got it right, but then the heart begins to engine. Lost in the dead of this tyrannical-red.

I crawl back along and motion for Red to lead the way. This is more than enough for now. I have other methods to fall on. The dryad adjusts her drenched heroic garb, shouldering sword with shield. Still with the belt of a beginner. Maybe it didn't afford her any real protection now, but I still feel proud my Counselor trusted me and wore the ensemble I adorned her with. It will instill just that little bit of doubt in their motions, and will show the world that she was brave enough to abandon grand Cult for the best team around- Black Crows! ...I feel sick with how bad I wish I had the photo. Oh, I'm going to Hurt them for that. So so badly. So horribly soon. But no sleep until slay. Until the dead of this fire's-final day. Red leads me out at last from the palmleaf darkness. I seize up for a moment, but Red takes my hand and leads me. It's... some little sanctuary in the middle of the vast murdering gardens. A dipping bowl with kneedeep of waters, floating with little lilys and palmy pads. There are gorgeous black opal standing stones, each one with a mirror-shine surface of perfect angle and polish. Each stone bears a small etching tool, some star-forged tip, able to finecarve the surface. We walk by, and the ashen light reveals their intense holographic shine, entire murals carved into them that change and outstretch and reveal with the different angles. Images of an Island, visages of a flame. Earth and stone, nuclear and fire, a geysering volcanic meltdown into the catastrophe of flood and earthquake. They call it a Dragon's Feast: earth, fire, wind, water, all in catastrophe union. I stumble and feel Red catch me as I get too lost in the infinite dark rainbow story, my eyes watering as I stare at the gemscar of my palm. We pass before I die to another solar snare, now on a loving path of very thin pale stones that make a terrible sound when we step upon them. Huh... something in my sorcery is screaming fear, but I don't understand anything but the word 'slade'. Red knows this is the way though, and the pale white slimstones make an evil melody as we clack upon them. Flowers are growing between the stones and in surround in a little flower field, and I realize Red is carefully dancing us a path on the vile stones to avoid all contact with the tiny orange flowers. I stop thinking about it and follow along, and something in my crown feels mighty dancing over these evil stones. Red pauses and allows me to catch my breath, while she points at something on the incredible zenith of the Megalith- a lift! But Red keeps pointing with the fire-killing sword, carefully motioning. I see. The lift is installed into the outer fans, which actually have small areas on the edges. So not the massive solar engine itself, but above it at the tippy-top... I feel vertigo, but then I feel gravity, and I nod. Right.

We both see her at the same time. Red freezes; I nearly topple over going for my gun. On the slim stone steps ahead, walking steadily and light towards us, was Solar Flare. Her photon cannon, Moloch Buster's solar cousin, raised with her arm out from under her ash-white shroud. She's been charging it for a good while now, silent and violent, and I know that she knows my weaknesses, and that she isn't going to make the same mistake twice. She's making it clear; it's not really about the improbability of hitting me. She's going to blast right through Red and let it pierce me as chance allows. I scream. I shove Red down and pray, sword and shield in the way.

(Eye of the Sun - Reflect Noonbuster's Light) 11 [2]+[2]+[3] = 7 - Success!

I smile with the wicked of one who knows they'll overcome. I time it perfectly. I keep Red kneeled, leaning on her as I angle the shield, looking to see if it's catching the glint of the solar arm-cannon's charge. Dead on! And with a second to spare to slam my eyes shut, as deathlight beams prism-brilliant with a crystal sound right for us, a piercing thin as hair and radiant with murderous rays. I don't even try to sense the shape of what happens, focused entirely on keeping the Lordly shield at the perfect angle. It happens quickly; there's a sudden crackling blast, and the light dissipates. There's a familiar smell, the one made when the Solar Flare teleports... but it's intense this time, and there's no sign of her having been here save for a circular bulb-flash patch of dead flowers and superheated slade. No time. I help Red up and steady her. We gotta go.

TYRANNY: [ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][ X ][60%]

She can move fastest of the Matriarchs, which means we managed to get our headstart. Surviving her kill attempt means we're clear to go as fast as possible to get ahead of the other three. Hopscotch for our lives. We get to the other end of the vast flowering fields, and it's relief to be plodding on sodden soils as we gather under the tremendity of the Megalth's shining crown. The great solar fans... the mighty solar heart, a power plant holding a small star's worth inside. But as we dance out of sopping tropic plants and onto pure polish obsidian black, I look about and see our line past that all and to the crow's nest peak; set into the flat black curved wall is a tiny glass elevator lift. Red runs up to it like she's running late, punching the button to go up at a remarkable number of clicks per second. I look behind, but see no sign of the Matriarchs yet. I try to call upon the Silver Mind, but I still find its utterly dark, filled only with the sloshing midnight of my intent. I feel my throat grow perturbed, but I immediately forget when the doors ring and slide open, glass hands offering sanctum. I touch my missing finger and shiver. I simply sit down on the heated glass floors, spread out while I inhale the ash-free airs. It's dark, save for the single soft light above.

Red lies down next to me. She exhales and stares at the ceiling with me. I guess we have a while in ascent. Here we go. There's sure to be war with the Matriarchs alongside Burner. Five utterly unbeatable foes. But Red. Red. She evens the odds. She's why I know that I have a Mother, waiting for me. My eyes blur and I think I see an old ogre weeping something, but then I snap awake and sit up nervous with the coming deathwin. Red seems antsy too... and she tugs at my backpack. The light shines shadows of warm all over us, and I shift to find a bright patch, allowing the ex-Sunburner to take my stuff and start rooting through it. Her deft hands seeking distraction, seeking to assure. I lie on my side with weak and watch, seeing her tinker. Of course she's allowed to see my things. But, what is she doing exactly?

My Counselor stares at me, and sets to work.

# ? Jan 31, 2024 07:31

pumpinglemma: Apr 28, 2009; DD: Fondly regard abomination.

I picked enhancing an ability mostly because I want to see Red teaching us something as Counsellor. One last :3:

for the road.

# ? Jan 31, 2024 10:13

Dr_Gee: Apr 26, 2008

Enhancement? Enhancement!!!

# ? Jan 31, 2024 12:48

Marluxia: May 8, 2008

I can't not vote for raw strength come on. I'm still committed to getting that top rank.

# ? Jan 31, 2024 14:58

taiyoko: Jan 10, 2008

I find it interesting that it seems that Bleeder's name was Jezebel, because i associate that as a feminine name. He seemed to give off some serious dysmorphia vibes when his suit was removed, but i wasn't sure if it was just because of changes due to becoming a vampire, or because he's trans and doesn't want anyone seeing that he's afab.

Of course, this being a completely different world, feminine/masculine names may not be a thing.

# ? Jan 31, 2024 17:31

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 16, 2024 21:22

mystery bug: Oct 9, 2021

as a fellow cranky trans dude, Bleeder is absolutely trans as hell. his specific flavour of body horror has transmasculine vibes. (i may just be projecting.) this story has a lot of gender in it

# ? Jan 31, 2024 18:10

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > @ -ZEN- [Hell End]

«‹›136 »