Good evening. May I ask for your names?

>>17446362
Excellent, I've caught this thread for once.

>>17446362
"You appear to have me at a disadvantage, you would be?"

>>17446362
"IT CAN'T BE!"
"YOU CAN'T TALK!"
"YOUR VOICE ACTOR IS DEAAAAAAAAAAAD"

...I should have realized that Philemon existed here, considering that the Persona 4 kids were here. And that the Velvet Room locale existed.

Though I am confused why we are in the Velvet Room, instead of Philemon's chosen.

>>17446362
Guys this is the Velvet Room from Shin Megami Tensei and the Persona series.

"Hello Igor. I must say I'm surprised to be here. We of the Command Crew don't have Personas as you know."

>>17446392
>>17446412

"Ah... etiquette. My name is Igor. This is my assistant, Margaret. The both of us... Well, you know the sort of link we have with those youths, don't you? Or maybe you do not?"

The ugly man gestures over the table, causing rows of cards to appear.

"This place lies between mind and matter... dreams and reality..." the ugly man says. "Normally it is only used to... advise and guide those bound by contracts. Such as the youths you found in Tokyo. In this case, however, I have been told to make an exception. My master has instructed me to grant you... aid of a certain sort. Options you may choose... or decline at your leisure."

>>17446424
"Igor can never die! Only the actors who play him!"

>>17446456

>Also! Setting the mood!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh3FgVv24-0&feature=related

>>17446456
"Then Philemon has decided to take a more active role concerning our mutual acquaintance. What is the price of what you offer?"

http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Velvet_Room
http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Igor
http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Philemon

http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Nyarlathotep
...
Nyarlathotep. Mountains of Madness. We _really_ should have seen this coming. Damn op, you're good.

>>17446453
"Normally you would not be here. However, the Velvet Room's... unique nature allows it to..." a hint of a smile tugs at Igor's cheek before slowly pulling into a huge grin. "...worm its way through the barriers of mist around this place. Of all the means we had of contacting you, this was the most... expedient, you might say. Even if a slight breach of protocol."

"Though we normally are content to stay within our own borders, the Ebon Night's interference is causing difficulties for us," Margaret turning to you. "He is like his brothers in that way."

"Trampling the laboratories of others for the sake of his own experiment, such an affront cannot be tolerated," Igor says, clucking his tongue. "What little aid we can offer is at your disposal."

Margaret coughs lightly.

"Ah yes, the options..." Igor says, spreading out the cards on the table.

>>17446556

While hes at it, see if he can do a divination for us. Those done by him always have some critical clue within.

>>17446456
"Fascinating, let us hear what you options you wish to lay before us."

>>17446556
"Ms Margaret, would you, by chance, know if others of Ebon Night's ilk have also gone wandering into other people's homes?"

This is what Ebon Night gets for stealing other people's toys, I suppose.
We should probably inquire as to... argh, my brain is going all bendy wondering if we need to Philemon and crew to their world, or if they've been copied, or how the heck to respond to answers to either of those thoughts.

>>17446577
"I can ask the cards for help for free, or... strain myself for a favor. A small one."

>>17446513
Igor grins. "The price depends on what you take. Some of this is free. You'll be paying for it by removing that ebon thorn from my master's paw. You may ask for other assistance, and we will tell you the price for each... item."

>>17446541
"Many names. Many masks. Heheheeee... Many masks indeed."

Margaret coughs again.

"Ah yes, the options, of course," Igor says, flipping over one of the cards. It is the World card.

"You have three souls bound to us by contract traveling with you now. For no cost, we will happily send them back to their homes. Either now, or when this world is... free, you might say?" Igor says, his hand moving to another card and turning it.

>>17446707

Somehow I was under the impression that the entire P4 crew was here. Was thinking it strange that only Chie, Yuu and Hanamura were speaking.

I wonder what happened to the others.

>>17446737
May not have been taken, like how only Guts was taken and his companions were left behind.

>>17446707

Three souls bound to Nylar, eh?

So that means that either paradox clones still carry all the baggage that their originals did, or these kids are the genuine article.

>>17446674
Margaret nods. "The Ebon Night is the only one who... left. There is another that survived, but he is being dealt with," she smiles, slightly. "By one of our own, in fact."

Igor turns a second card to reveal the Tower.

"Ah, but you have also picked up another. A man on whom ruin hangs dearly, and who can bring ruin to others. We can trace the webwork of fate that led him to this point and use it to return him as well... Or we can twist it a bit to allow him to stay on with you. Until your mission, your true mission is over. My master may allow you to borrow the contract bound for the same duration, in fact. You will yet face... hm. A dull mockery of a reflection... well, still dangerous all the same."

Margaret looks from the card to you. "You will have to choose when the Night has passed. The Branded Man, the children of the World, or neither. To take more than one would invite... complications."

>>17446707
Do you think it is safe to take them now, considering Ebon's influence? We'd like them returned healthy and sound.

>>17446782
"If they are missing from their proper place, we must see them returned there."

>>17446782

Could you elaborate on what you mean by "complications"?

>>17446782

Hmmm... Guts or P4 crew?

My vote's for Brotag and Co. Yuu's Arcana is a great Joker to play.

>>17446782
Okay, so we can only get Guts or the Persona kids.

Guys is a great melee and anti-demon Hero. With his revenge taken on Griffith, he may be a little more stable. But the lines of fate around him are twisted.

The kids have their Personae. Powerful healing and offense, we can have them armored up to be safe and have their Personae do the fighting.

>>17446782
>>17446841
Darn, I was rather hoping they were doubled..

"What of Gondegal? His spirit has found itself drawn to the Branded Man."

Hi OP.
We made an argue about requisitions thread!
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17429885
We argued about requisitions a lot. :)

>>17446856
>>17446873
If they are missing from their canons, we can't have any of them, nor borrow them. Even if short term disruption is smoothed over by a god, we can't risk getting them killed or worse when they need to be returned.

>>17446873
>>17446912

Agreed. It's just a question of whether it's safer to delay returning Guts or the Persona cast to their canons.


>>17446782


Are there any more aid or advice that you can freely give? We will likely need any aid that can be offered if we confront Ebon Night.

>>17446798
"We can manage it."

>>17446850
"We can twist and untwist the threads of fate here and there so that you have help without much of an impact on the path they must walk," Margaret states. "But twist too much, and all that will be undone."

>>17446841
"That much is assured. Only the timing is up to you."

Igor flips another card, this one is the High Priestess.

"For the price of a favor... perhaps one of you would like to form a contract? One of your agents?"

>>17446944
Sounds fair. May we ask what favor it would be before we accept or decline?

Strategically, should we even take either of the choices?
They are both Protagonists that are in the middle of their stories. Regulations say to get them home.
But they could be useful in our upcoming battles.

>>17446960
They are useful, but can we chance them dying.

I don't think we can. If we let either Guts or the kids die, we've broke their entire canon.

>>17446944

>VP-99 with a Persona.

NO ONE WILL SEE IT COMING

>>17446971
Aye, we just can't risk it.

>>17446881
Gondegal on the other hand.. wonder what we could do with him, separated from Guts of course.

>>17447006
Borrow a Gigai from the TSAB and put him in it?

>>17446881
"Gondegal no longer is bound to a fate. If you think he will be useful... Well, you'd have to ask him," Igor says, rubbing his hands.

>>17446938
"Perhaps. What would you ask?"

>>17446955
"Yes. By forming this contract, the receipt of our services will be agreeing to act as our eyes and ears. Not hand, mind you. But all they experience while they use our gifts will be written in the books of our library."

Igor sits back. "If you take neither the children nor swordsman, that is fine. As I said, as a courtesy, we will handle their return."

>>17446944
How do these contracts work?

Asking both him and us, I'm wiki'ing as fast as I can, but if someone could break it down, that would be helpful.

They act as his eyes and ears? That could be bad, we don't wan't to give away meta secrets.

>>17447024
Maybe. Maybe they'll accept ethers as payment.

I concede we can't take either of the two protagonists. The question the becomes to return them now or later. Now might give Ebon Night the opening he wants to escape.

>>17447032
It's a fair bargain. They're meta-beings already.

The only question would be who to give it to.
Spike? Darius? Elain? Us?

>>17447082

The commander on the field is a particularly bad idea, me thinks.

And giving Darius a Persona suddenly brings up images of him mixing up his gun and shooting himself in the head with a bolt pistol.

>>17447032
Hum.

Well.. it seems that Powers on the scale of Philemon and the Dark Powers are already Meta aware to some extent, so we wouldn't be breaking anything there, and Philemon an observer-type, not an interfering sort.

"Who can see this library?"

>>17447082
I'm against it, they may be aware of the meta, but that doesn't mean they know much about it.

The fact that they want to see and hear what we see and hear implies to me that they are interested in either learning more about the meta or more about us.

>>17447081
True, we might wait until after Ebon Night's (hopeful) defeat.

>>17446362

>>17446944
How many people would be able to make this trade?
A group of 6 TG soldiers using Personas would be worth the info leak.

>>17447111
"The library is only for master Philemon," Margaret nods. "To help him in his experiment of humanity's transcendence."

>>17447082

Hold on there. Being indebted to any sort of higher planar being is a bad thing. Especially one that is connected to a potentially Lovecraftian entity. At the very least, we should see exactly *what* this favor is.

>>17447032

>More Free Stuff

Ebon Night is, as far as we know, a huge extraplanar entity that will require divine intervention or other like powers to effect. Is there any way that we can force him to act by the rules of our universe so our equipment can better affect him?

>>17447149
"Only one," Igor states. "And some are better suited than others."

>>17447144
Yeah... yeah...

>>17447172

The favour is a recording of whatever they see and do.

>>17447185

"Then who among our ranks would be a suitable candidate?"

>>17447185
Would said person only have his persona awakened, or would he gain the power of the wild card?

Also, who would be the most suitable, if you're willing to reveal that to us.

>>17447114
I have to agree with this guy. As tempting as it is to have our TG soldiers become TG Persona Users, giving another being access to the mind of a TG operative and possibly compromising TG operational security, and another Meta entity finding the coordinates to MetaEarth, sounds like a quick way to find ourselves in front of a court martial if we're lucky, and at the wrong end of TG Black Ops if we're not.

>>17447195
Well, Data, Douglas, Cheryl, and Spike have already confronted things resembling their Shadows at this point, so that would make them tempting suggestions.
On Cheryl though.. well I don't know, I suppose hints regarding her role here would something to ask about.

>>17447172
Igor's eyes seem to shine with delight at the question.
"There is... and you've already found it."

Igor picks up the Tower card. "You only need to puzzle out the means to make his world fall down around him. Learn which keystone to pull to make him spill from his throne." Igor twists his hand and the card vanishes. "Use the right trick to make him vanish."

>>17447195
>>17447208
"We are willing to grant the Wild Card, yes. As for suitability... Those who have either experienced much strife and hardship and remained true to themselves... those with a powerful connection to the spirit realms... those with an innate ability to connect with others. A person with any of these would be suitable."

>>17447262
Probably best to stick with folks from other canons, for coordinate reasons.
I won't reject the offer out of hand, after all 'Philemon is a guide formed out of its best impulses and desires for growth and hope' and 'serves as a neutral observer and he watches as things unfold.' One of the few beings of this sort I would actually trust with a deal like this.

>>17447286

Huh. Spike, Cheryl and Star-Lord are the candidates that immediately come to mind.

Cheryl?

Fearless, XCOM psy training with persona wildcard is a fearsome combo.

>>17447158
>"The library is only for master Philemon," Margaret nods. "To help him in his experiment of humanity's transcendence."
Hm. So long as it's only for Philemon.

First: We can't keep Guts or the P4 kids. If they die in our service, their canon is screwed. And if we can't let them die, then we can't let them fight.

I'm worried that returning the P4 kids, or Guts, to their home canons right now might let the Ebon Night escape; ask Igor if we can keep the P4 kids or Guts at least until the Ebon Night is evicted from this place, whereupon we return both.

Now, Igor can ask of us a "Favor" if we take his help by twisting the strings of fate. He'd ask another "Favor" to grant someone the ability to use Personas. I'm very wary of owing favors to higher beings.
But if anyone can, it should of course be Cheryl.

Let's see. I'm not familiar with Tarot readings myself, but the fact that the Tower's right-side up means we're pretty screwed. (Tower = bad shit happens)
The High Priestess might refer to us learning hidden knowledge (most likely).
I'll wait for the full reading before I interpret it.

>>17447262

Also seconding this.

If these guys want to see through the eyes of a TG-connected member, then that means that they want to know more about the meta and how they can exploit it, or otherwise how to better confound us and make us unable to affect them.

I'd say that this part of the bargain is a bad idea.

>>17447286
>Those who have either experienced much strife and hardship and remained true to themselves... those with a powerful connection to the spirit realms... those with an innate ability to connect with others. A person with any of these would be suitable.
With that, I have to re: >>17447283
Cheryl in particular is looking more likely.

I'd say Spike gets a Persona, Guts and the Kids go home, or at least sit in the velvet room until we're done.

>>17447032
OP, in the Tarot reading, are any of the cards upside-down?
>>17447337
You're right. Asking a favor here will likely get our asses court-martialed, with one exception:

Silent Hill is native to this world. We confirmed that with Mouse verifying that Silent Hill is not fictional.
That means: We must leave Cheryl and Douglas here.
Cheryl seems a very likely candidate for receiving the ability to use a Persona.
Hmm...

>>17447337
It seems more like they know more about the Meta than we do at the moment. Hell, they can locate Guts' canon and smooth over his lack of presence there to avoid serious disruption and know he has to be returned because he is required there. This is exactly the sort of force we want to be on good terms with.

We just don't want to involve anyone from MetaEarth, 'cause hey, we are paranoid and we're ok with that.

>>17447420
Cheryl and Douglas are done in the canon here though, the events of their game passed months before this shit went down. We were already angling to recruit them. Either way, we're leading Cheryl down the rabbit hole because she's our best bet against Ebon Night, she's been altered already, and it seems Philemon is offering one more way to tap into her potential.

>>17447349
>>17447283
Sadly, we should cross Data off that list. He's deep into research and knowledge we might want to hand over.

>>17447386
We'd still be moving people around in the Meta, and who knows what a Contracted person might see, that their conscious mind wouldn't retain but their subconscious would feed to Philemon.
Such as Meta navigation coordinates, TG operational protocol, where our forces are arrayed and the locations of our bases in this sector.

And this assumes that Philemon's library is completely secure. What if it's breached by another Dark Power or a Chaos God? Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but in the future during another Crossover.
Crossovers happen naturally, as well as being forced by certain powers.

This is too big of a risk for us to take.

>>17447386
And considering Philemon is a god who's trying to SAVE humanity and let them advance, I'm leaning towards him not harming us, considering we're one of the only things able to fix everything.

>>17447374
Nope.

>>17447332
The favor is only if you want to keep Guts or the kids, which at this stage it looks like you do not.

"There is one thing you should know," Igor says, flipping over another card, this one The Devil. "In your travels you may meet one calling himself Nyarlathotep... in secret. You should know that though he steals the mask and mimics the power, he never was the being he thinks he is."

>>17447374
>>17447467

The only reason why they would even mention a contract is if they have something BIG to gain in exchange for something that they can give to anyone if they were so inclined.

While these guys are helping us out right now, it doesn't mean that they'll always be on our side. If we come into future conflict with them, they'll have a sizeable advantage right off the bat. Not to mention that they'd never give us a weapon that we could use against them to great effect.

I say nay on the contract.

>>17447461
Do we want to consider any of our other heroes as well?

Be interesting to see what Lyla or Elaine might do.

..I wonder if they could offer a Contract to Gondegal. That would be an unusual way for him to affect the material world again.

>>17447479
We're not a Save Humanity organisation.
We're a Save Canon organisation.
Let's suppose someone goes to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and ensures the world's nuclear stockpile can't fire.
What do we do?
We go down there, we glass the planet.
We encounter the world of, say, Drowtales - and some HFY activists are trying to destroy it.
We stop the HFY activists.
Someone tries to organise the human military in Avatar's Pandora, so the humans win? We have to help the Pandorans.

It's a tough job, but it's our job.

Damn, I wanted to keep the Brotagonist and co. Still, it can't be helped. We could always recruit them from the postgame later, I suppose.

still, if it means compromising a canon, that it's not worth it.

>
Igor's eyes seem to shine with delight at the question.
"There is... and you've already found it."

Igor picks up the Tower card. "You only need to puzzle out the means to make his world fall down around him. Learn which keystone to pull to make him spill from his throne." Igor twists his hand and the card vanishes. "Use the right trick to make him vanish."

>"There is one thing you should know," Igor says, flipping over another card, this one The Devil. "In your travels you may meet one calling himself Nyarlathotep... in secret. You should know that though he steals the mask and mimics the power, he never was the being he thinks he is."

We should definitely figure out what Igor means here. The fact he picked for the tower is probably significant. Also, anybody know much about tarot? what does our reading indicate?

>>17447555
The tower means something will come tumbling down.
The devil means ". Too much restraint can hold you back and keep you from achieving important things."

>>17447555
The way he talks about it, he may be reffering to the pillar we found.

So, we're looking at least at Douglas, Cheryl, and Spike. Particularly Cheryl.

Data, Star-Lord, and Darius are out because they get fairly involved in the operational end of our activities that we'd like to keep to ourselves.

Tosh is tempting, though I'm concerned about whatever personal demons he has, so leaning against him.

White Mages are an interesting idea. If nothing else than for the built-in bodyguard potential, and as mystic healers they tend to fit the connections to spirits and others category.

>>17447555
The easy interpretation is that he's referring to the World Pillar. Manipulate its lines of energy, which encircle the world, in the correct fashion, and we can render him powerless or destroy him.

>>17447487
Ah, so it's not a 3 card reading.
Wonder exactly how many cards are in the reading. Thus far it's World, Tower, High Priestess, Devil.

World: Represents harmony, fulfilment, what people fight for. Also represents the world.
Tower: Represents an omen of disaster. Represents pride preceding a fall. Represents pride and arrogance.
High Priestess: Represents hidden knowledge, magic, mystery. Also represents a woman.
Devil: Impulsive, base desires. The desire to do selfish things and be a slave to your instincts. Is NOT referencing a trickster. That's the Magician.

Wait...would Igor be willing to recruit another hero for us, as a reward for defeating Ebon Night? That might be worth considering.

>>17447584
Pillar or Cheryl or both.

>>17447581
>The devil means ". Too much restraint can hold you back and keep you from achieving important things."
Indeed, we need to work out a Contract, it is likely very important to our success here.

>>17447603
That would be in exchange for a Favor. Dangerous territory there.

The Tower and the Devil are both considered pretty bad when right-side-up. Though the Tower could represent the Mists and thus the Canon disruption...

I'd say the Devil is a future encounter we're likely to have with something pretending to be of Lovecraftian levels by the way he's talking. Nyarlathotep is a.. trickster(?).. IIRC. I could be utterly off-base there. Lovecraft isn't my knowledge base.

Ask him if we have an answer to the whole "how to destroy the influence in the World Pillar without killing the whole world in the process" thing. Once we get rid of that, Ebon Night will have to come out to face us in order to salvage any of it's own plans...

>>17447585
There is considerable resistance to the idea of allowing anyone to Contract.

We've laid out why such a plan is bad.

>>17447609
I still disagree strongly that the contract is a good idea.

>>17447555
I know a bit, but I can't say anything until I know the pattern the cards are laid out. It would also be of interest if they're inverted or not.

>>17447620
I think our plan is 'use world pillar to fight Ebon Night', we're just translating how exactly to do that still.

>>17447555
>We should definitely figure out what Igor means here. The fact he picked for the tower is probably significant. Also, anybody know much about tarot? what does our reading indicate?
Tower represents Ebon Night.
Tower represents the FUCK out of Ebon Night.
Can't represent the World Pillar, though the keystone he talks about might be the World pillar.
As for The Devil:
>Sometimes interpreted as a symbol of imbalance, showing that both excess and abstinence are unhealthy, and that moderation should be applied to life.
It's noted, but I can't interpret it alone until the reading is complete. Thus far none of the cards shown represent the Transpace Guard (we're quite clearly The Fool), so whoever this applies to, it's not us.

The Devil is NOT a trickster card. that's The Magician.

>>17447620
"You already have that answer. Give it time."

>>17447609
Or it could mean that believing that we'll be safe from the repurcussions of signing a Contract will lead to our downfall.
There's many downsides, and the advantage is not worth it.

>>17447622
>>17447632
Considerable support for it as well.
In fact it is probably vital for our success along with the information provided in exchange.
We've agreed to leave most information sensitive people out, but we're gonna need to put someone forward.
Right now there is a big blinking in everything that has been said to put Cheryl forward at the very least.

>>17447667
You seem to forgotten the point of this contract, that is the price for Information.
Getting a very useful Persona ability out of it is secondary bonus.

>>17447688
Why must it be vital?

The information may well be useful, but we could have likely resolved this ourselves.
The information could be being used as a way of getting us to agree to a contract.
If a persona user turns out to be needed, we have the kids.

>>17447650
OP, can you clarify the pattern of the cards?

Also, what price does Igor want for just recruiting a hero? Just out of interest.

>>17447710
We aren't using the kids for anything if we can help it.

>>17447663
Looks like we already have that knowledge here, possibly in Cheryl or Data or Egon or the Markings.
>"In your travels you may meet one calling himself Nyarlathotep... in secret. You should know that though he steals the mask and mimics the power, he never was the being he thinks he is."
So, who thinks he's the representation of Man's destructive potential? Ebon Night is performing experiments but we're unsure of its motives beyond "Ravenloft World Tour".
>>17447688
I honestly think it's a bad idea.
>>17447716
Indeed. Need pattern of the card(s) (if any), including where The Tower was before Igor made it vanish.

>>17447688
>In fact it is probably vital for our success along with the information provided in exchange.
What information?
There is no information being exchanged. It is a purely one-way transaction going towards Philemon.

Your conjecture that we will require a Persona Contract-holder is pure conjecture.

f5

>>17447738
>rereads
Perhaps I misread at some point.

"Igor, could you make sure we are clear on the terms of this Contract?"

The pattern of the cards is in a straight row.

>>17447788
"Yes. By forming this contract, the receipt of our services will be agreeing to act as our eyes and ears. Not hand, mind you. But all they experience while they use our gifts will be written in the books of our library."


The deal is we get a permanent persona user, they can see and hear what that person can.

>>17447738
Okay. Worst case scenario:
We get a Contract Holder.
Information on the Meta goes to Philemon's Library.
Ahriman (who we met at Rivendell) and Trazyn raid the library for knowledge.
Ahriman goes back to one of the big Warhammer 40k blobs, prepares for us coming.

Then in an unrelated incident, Shodan uploads herself to the Orz consciousness, and Holtz runs out of booze.

>>17447799
Were they dealt from right to left, or from left to right, from Igor's perspective? Or perhaps in some other pattern?

>>17447788
"Who binds himself to the contract will be able to wield the powers of their true self at the cost of allowing my master to read all their experiences while they hold that power."

>>17447813
Left to right.

I just had an Idea.

Would it possible for Igor t give us the Persona kids after Brotagonist leaves Inaba? That way, we don't have to worry ourselves over canon-buggery.

I'm guessing it'll cost more, but it's worth a thought.

Part of me thinks we're being a little too overcautious, at least with the possibility of this 'favour'. But I could be completely wrong, and it's up to the rest of you.

>> "In your travels you may meet one calling himself Nyarlathotep... in secret. You should know that though he steals the mask and mimics the power, he never was the being he thinks he is."

HINT GUYS:

Demonbane

>>17447808
That's not 40k, Ahriman is not from a Meta-aware faction, he just pushed open the hole that the shipper made.
The blobs are New Chaos, reflections of 40k's Chaos, birthed into the Meta.

>>17447808

Or Philemon uses it as a bargaining chip with other entities that it uses with its contracts.

An inside man in TG would be something very valuable to other meta-aware organizations, I'd bet.

>>17447818
I still think we should give it to Spike. It'd put him on more of an even playing field as opposed to a lucky as hell guy with a gun.

>>17447808
L-l-look at you, *camper*. A *s-s-silly* *cow* of *juice* and bone, *w-worry* and sweating as you *fall* through my universe. H-how can you hope to *dance with* a perfect, immortal *Extremely*?

>>17447806
So would you be using this logic to deny bringing along any of the Persona cast?

>>17447863
No, you don't give your "Makes him twice as powerful" artefact to your weakest dude, you give it to your strongest dude!
If we're giving it to anyone at all. I think it's a bad idea, as stated earlier.
>>17447872
Hmm. The Persona cast have already seen some of what we do, haven't they? Better to not let them see any further.

I really don't see what the problem is.
Philemon is good-ish, but mostly neutral. He doesn't really do things, and I'm not sure if his library even has a physical location.

>>17447829
which, if any, are inverted?

also, Igor never answered my query on if it would possible to receive a hero in exchange for another favour? Do we only get one choice?

This is a long shot, but,

Give the persona ability to one of the TG officers?

>>17447818
That means that we would essentially have a spy for Philemon, sucking in all of the information that they are exposed to.
Canon and Meta technologies, locations of not just Canons but also facilities which exist in the Meta that we visit.
This is a serious security risk.

>>17447845
When we have been incautious, we have gotten people killed. Gaunt back in the Mulder Building, the first SCP team back on the Shadowrun world. We nearly lost an Auror when someone had the bright idea of magicing an FEV-Ooze contagion into the wizard's hands, and would have definitely lost him if cooler heads hadn't prevailed against the idiots calling for the wizard to be put down.

So, in short, yes, you're probably wrong.

>>17447914
Why the fuck would we do that if we're worried about Philemon getting our information?

I hold with Douglas, Cheryl, and Spike, or at least asking them, it would be their decision, ultimately.
I also suggest asking for volunteers from the White Mages.

>>17447818
"If the person so choose, could they willingly end the Contract?"

>>17447897
This man makes a good point. Philo's highly unlikely to give this info to Void Engineers or NewChaos.

>>17447863
The whole problem with a Contracted person is the fact they would be a gigantic security leak. Some of you don't seem to get what Igor is flat-out saying. Allow me to paraphrase.

"You get a Persona User in exchange for a way for us to learn ALL YOUR SECRETS."

This is such a breach of Canon I'm surprised a firefight over this hasn't erupted in this dreamscape. The *only* way this could possibly work is if we give it to someone and stick them in the most heavily shielded and warded room we have under constant guard until we need to use them as a weapon. Then they get hauled out, sent down to the battlefield, wipe shit out, and get sent back into captivity in chains and blindfolds.

NONE of the people we have would ever agree to this set of precautions, nor should they. Anyone who insists on us getting someone to Contract is an idiot, and I'm calling them out on it.

>>17447897
Just because he's Good/Neutral, doesn't mean that he won't fuck us over if it's in his interests.
Maybe he'll give us the courtesy to let us know when he does that, maybe he won't.

>>17447947
Why the fuck are you treating Philemon like he's Satan?
Have you even read his entry?

>>17447932
>Philo's highly unlikely to give this info to Void Engineers or NewChaos.
Oh really? When it means the difference between getting them to leave without interfering his experiment, versus being forced to use up valuable research materials (Persona users) in order to fight them off?

>>17447960
What conceivable reason would he have to fuck us over? If he has our information than that means he also knows the necessity of our actions, namely how fucking us over can destabilize all of existence.
And given that he's mostly neutral with a side of good, I doubt he'd be into that.
You're being paranoid.

>>17447829
4 card spread.
Left to right.
World, Tower, High Priestess, Devil.
Question asked:
"Wtf going on with the world and the pillar and the ebon night mate"
Question asked:
"How do we win?"

Can't read it as a timeline, since the timeline goes World (harmony) - Tower (shit happens) - High priestess (knowledge gained) - Devil (impulsiveness).
This world was never in harmony given that it's Silent Fucking Hill, and the Transpace Guard doesn't fall to impulsiveness.
Unless it refers to the timeline of the entire sector as a whole:
First it was good, then it got STOB'd, then we learned about the STOB, then Chaos up in this motherfucker.
It's missing the 5th card, which is "We kick Chaos in the cunt", AKA Chariot, so that's not the correct reading.

The YHWH reading isn't correct because the cards were dealt left to right.

The Fire - Earth - Air - Water reading? Makes no bloody sense here.

So, that makes our cards in the middle Focus cards, and the cards on the outside modifiers.

>>17447919
Hell man, even the cards are telling us we are being over-cautious.
Pick low clearance people that wouldn't be involved in depth with our operations that fit the profile. Douglas, Cheryl, and Spike are perfect candidates, and, I suppose, some White Mages aren't bad, we don't really tell them anything other than 'go here heal this' in the grand scheme of things. Then we don't involve those people in sensitive information.

Why is everyone assuming Philemon is MWAHAHAHA evil?

I mean, really? We have no evidence of this. He's pretty much anti-Nyarhlotep, which is a pretty sensible position IMO, and mainly focused on settling the debate on the nature of man. He has no reason to give our info away.

>>17448005
>What conceivable reason would he have to fuck us over?
>What conceivable reason would he have to fuck us over?
>He's good
>Our job includes doing evil

Hmm.

>>17447966
Because even powerful Canon entities that have some Meta-awareness and capability can be corrupted and influenced.
A Contract like what Igor is proposing will get us a disciplinary hearing at the very least, for endorsing such a security breach.

>>17447914
I'd rather that we broker for Masaki + Cybuster to land in our custody than to have Philemon learn things about TG and the Meta that he isn't supposed to know.

>>17447983
Neither one of those forces seem like they would be the one to honor that bargain, which is also something Philemon would be aware of.
Plus I'm pretty sure he's opposed to both of them on philosophical grounds.

At the end of the day we are members of the transpace guard.

Revealing our secrets to a third party is not something we can do.
Hell, this is the kind of decision that command would have to be involved in due to the massive security risk it represents.

The potential benefits do not outweigh the risks in giving our secrets to a third party.

>>17447947
Seconded

>>17448018
yes, but by dicking us over, he'd have to give the info to NewChaos or whoever, who would do way more evil with it. We may be dickbags, but we're nowhere near that level. Not to mention, we focus on making sure events occur without external influence, just like him. We think along very similar lines.

>>17447947
Frankly we aren't even suggesting restriction like that. You are going a little bit WAY TOO FAR.
And you can't call it contamination when you are talking with a meta-aware entity that knows more than you, and can smooth out disruptions.

>>17448018
Then we fucking give the Persona User a fucking vacation.

>>17448075
We don't know that he knows more about the meta than us. Nowhere has that been stated.
He claims he can send Guts back, that could merely be due to the fact that this world and his crossed over.

>>17448035
I'm pretty sure Philemon knows a hell of a lot more than we do, so I don't think that's an issue.

>>17447902
None are inverted.

>>17447928
"Yes, but they would lose the power granted, and we would retain any experiences accumulated to that point, though the link would be severed from then on."

>>17448011
>Hell man, even the cards are telling us we are being over-cautious.
Here's what I'm getting from the Cards.

First card: The World.
Represents a World in harmony and what we're trying to get.
Second card: The Tower.
Represents pride coming before a fall. Represents doom and disaster. Obviously symbolises the Ebon Night the way Igor removed it while talking about removing the Ebon Night.
Third card: The High Priestess
It's a card about gaining knowledge, about mystery, about magic, about learning the unknown. That's what we're doing here.
Fourth card: Devil
About following your destructive base instincts, the connection with Nyarlothep from the Persona verse was made obvious by Igor.

So. Devil means: Whatever Nyarly clone we face in the future.
High priestess means: We gain knowledge here.
Tower means: Ebon Night
World means: Most likely it references this world, but it may also reference the Meta.

>>17448035
Not the guy who usually says this (if there is only one person doing this), but...

If a google search doesn't tell me what the fuck is that person and what are their capabilities, the proposed person is way too obscure.

Also, THIS IS THE QUEST THREAD, NOT THE PLANNING THREAD. Post what you want to requisite there, not here.

On the matter of the Contract, I'm against it purely because it is almost certain that people will argue for hours and hours on who to give it to, and I want the quest to actually conclude this world this thread. Unless I am missing something (or if Igor/Margaret wants to tell us something else), we're done here.

>>17448107
That's what we thought about Ahriman, and we turned out to be pretty wrong on that.
Nowhere in the wiki entries for Philemon does it suggest that he has the capability to cross to other worlds.
His ability to return Guts and the Persona kids to their home Canons could simply be the result of him being powerful and their Canons having cross over with this Canon, giving him a bridge to them.

>>17447947
>"You get a Persona User in exchange for a way for us to learn ALL YOUR SECRETS."

slightly melodramatic, much? Philomons' interest is in human nature, not matters of science. If we pick somebody near the pointy end, there won't be much operational data to go on, at least techwise.

Ask Igor, 'would the information gained from this contract be guaranteed to remain out of the hands of those who would destroy us?'

Here's our speech to potential volunteers.
"You've been offered an opportunity to have a Persona, the files provided will give an idea of what that is.
However, the price of it involves the seemingly benevolent meta-aware god known as Philemon to record all that you see and feel. See the attached files for more on Philemon.
If you choose to be involved with this you will understandable be excluded from all sensitive areas of TG operation and most of our planning. Some members of the command staff will distrust and avoid you as a result. Weight this carefully in your decisions."

>>17448141
>>google search

FIRST RESULT ON GOOGLE.

http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Philemon

Given that there is both strong resistance against the contract, surely it would be better to mainain the status quo and not accept it?

We don't gain anything but we don't risk losing anything either.

And we also get on with the quest.

>>17448119
Here's how I'm reading it:
Devil alone and separate since it doesn't mesh with any of the others. Nothing in this world has followed its base instincts and urges; even the zombies were being controlled.

Thus we've got World - Tower - Priestess spread, left to right.
Tower at the center - the Ebon night - is the focus point.
Priestess is our knowledge here, and modifies the Ebon night.
World represents this world. Also modifies the Ebon night.

Right. What he just told us was:
... By studying the knowledge we obtain here ...
... We will find a way to use this world's power ...
... To make the Ebon Night go fuck itself.

>Igor picks up the Tower card. "You only need to puzzle out the means to make his world fall down around him. Learn which keystone to pull to make him spill from his throne." Igor twists his hand and the card vanishes. "Use the right trick to make him vanish."
...
In other words, Tarot reading mimics what Igor says.

>>17448172
Also point out they can willingly end this contract at any time.

I think enough discussion has been done.
Let's vote.
Yes: You vote to have the Contract.
No: Reject the offer of the Contract.

Myself, I'm voting No, because being paranoid and not allowing Canon and even other Meta-aware factions to learn more about us is part of our job.

>>17448230
No

>>17448207
And with that: Our current "Learn what we can, Max out the Cheryl, then put the Cheryl in the pillar" plan is most likely on the right track.

When we wake up, I'd like to ask the Farseers whether the "Learn what we can, Max out the Cheryl, then put the Cheryl in the pillar" plan is the narrow road to this world's salvation.
>>17448230
No is my first choice.
And if Yes, only with Cheryl. Not a /tg/ officer. That shit's full retard.

>>17448230
yes

>>17448158
"It would be in the master's hands. So long as you do not give him a reason to... engage hostilities, he is willing to keep it confidential," Igor says, leaning back as he flips over one last card, Wheel of Fortune. "Our time grows short and you have much to do. When the time is right, before you leave this place, we will meet again. We will require a final answer then. Farewell."

Margaret nods toward you. "Until our paths cross again, may your fortune be good."

The command crew all awakes at once, wherever they may have fallen asleep.

Beginning of Day 6.

>>17448230
Yes.

Also, Igor never got back to use on getting the persona 4 kids for us postgame, which would make our canon problems so much easier.

>>17448230
Yes.

>>Masaki Andou

http://superrobotwars.wikia.com/wiki/Masaki_Andoh

The guy has a thing for getting lost, with one occasion of him getting lost so hard he crossed canons (Another Century's Episode:R). Of course, that incident was referenced again in another game.

IMPORTANT QUESTION TO IGOR:

Do we have to accept or refuse the contract *now*? If we decided that we wanted a Persona-user in TG's ranks that are not the three current ones that are currently under our watch, could we contact you guys again at a later date to make a contract?

>>17448230
As long as we don't have the guy with it dance around in a pile of schematics and coordinates, we're fine.
Yes

>>17448230
Strong No

>>17448248
>Igor says, leaning back as he flips over one last card, Wheel of Fortune.
>< Traditional 5 card spread ahoy.

>>17448249
Sorry, missed that. "A possibility... Perhaps."

>>17448248
>"It would be in the master's hands. So long as you do not give him a reason to... engage hostilities, he is willing to keep it confidential," Igor says, leaning back as he flips over one last card, Wheel of Fortune. "Our time grows short and you have much to do. When the time is right, before you leave this place, we will meet again. We will require a final answer then. Farewell."

Well, seeing as I don't think we're planning to go out and punch Philemon in the dick for no reason, I'm going to say yes.

Yes. Just make sure the person getting it is a soldier who isn't getting exposed to all our data.

>>17448248
>Dawn of Day 6
Status reports from the Observer and VP-99. See if the shoggoth in the room with the basalt hatch has made any moves or reacted to our soldiers moving around.

Have the Observer take a closer scan of those life-readings, see if there's a match with anything in ANON's database.

Progress report from Dr. Spengler and Mr. Data.

>>17448277
It has just been implied that he is willing to use that information against us if he deems it neccessary.
Why is this even a discussion?
We are not authorised to make this kind of deal.
Our secrets are ours alone.

>>17448230
Yes

>>17448230
It's a stupid idea, I vote no

>>17448295
Which psychic connections like this, he can probably use the Persona user as a beacon to find out where he's going.
He won't need to see coordinates, he'll just feel them through the connection and write them down.

>>17448230
No. I've already stated my reasons.

Now, let's get on to less Canon-breaching issues and get that translation and finalize whatever we need to. Consult the Farseers about the skeins and what their current state means. Get everyone loaded up, have Cheryl on combat standby with her eye lasers, and let's go get this world done with.

We have other stuff to do elsewhere, and this world's been a pain in our ass for too long.

>>17448272

sweet, we should definitely keep this in mind.

>>17448261
This guy makes a good point. Pretty sure any persona user we choose (spike, cheryl or anyone else) is not going to be briefed on our tech's operation short of 'this end toward enemy'.

I've already voted, so don't count this post in the 'yes' column.

>>17448307
Basically, This.

>>17448230
Yes.

>>17448337
>where he's going
can't he pretty much go anywhere anyway? I mean, ebon night found this world on his own.

And what does Wheel of Fortune mean in Tarot?

>>17448351
It doesn't matter if they are not normally around it, everything they see and hear is recorded.

Even seeing sensitive data in passing, they don't even need to know that they've seen it, could have dire consequences.
There is far too much potential for a security breach to waste on gaining some wibbly powers.

Especially as we are likely to have a large number of recruitment options offered at the end of this.

>>17448379
I was referring to Philemon, and how he will know where we have gone, where our HQ is located, and anything that the Persona user happens to see or overhear, regardless of whether they can understand it.

>>17448272
One other thing farther up that probably got missed in the arguing was a question of whether the Contract can be ended later.

>>17448230
>>17448237
>>17448243
>>17448265
>>17448324
>>17448341
No

>>17448245
>>17448249
>>17448254
>>17448261
>>17448277
>>17448295
>>17448310
>>17448364
Yes

>>17448379
>A symbol of fate and varying luck, fortunes, and opportunities, and the cycle of life. What goes up will go down, what goes down will go up. Easy Come, Easy Go.

NOW this makes more sense as a Far past - recent past - present - soon future - far future reading.
And in doing so, it reads:
In the past, everything was good.
THEN THE EBON NIGHT MADE EVERYONE DIE.
Then the Transpace Guard learned how to kick him in the cunt.
And then there was Nyarlothep!
And after a long time, everything became up to the dice rolls.

I would very much have preferred the final card to be The Chariot, which means "Transpace Guard wins". I suppose we can't have everything.

>>17448410
>>17448111
"Yes, but they would lose the power granted, and we would retain any experiences accumulated to that point, though the link would be severed from then on."

Already answered.

>>17448410
Nope.
>>17448111
>"Yes, but they would lose the power granted, and we would retain any experiences accumulated to that point, though the link would be severed from then on."

>>17448384
My guess is that we're going to have the requisition bonuses we would have gotten cut and our requisition level reduced once Holtz, or worse, his superiors, find out about the Persona user.

>>17448410
no, we got it confirmed the persona user can end the contract at any time, but will lose the persona powers (obviously).

>>17448384
Again, you seem to be almost deliberately ignorant about what kind of being Philemon is.

rolled 30 = 30

>>17448416
>And after a long time, everything became up to the dice rolls.
Dice.
On a scale of 1 to 100
How much does the transpace guard Win?

rolled 2, 8, 85, 87, 34 = 216

>>17448435
I see!
And on a scale of 1 to 100, how much do the following entities win:
Ebon Night
New Chaos
TSAB
The G-man
S.U.E.s everywhere

>>17448430
damn, we really could use that link to Holtz right about now.

Let's move on, shall we?

>>17448419
Ah, then I just missed the answer in the arguing.
In that case, at the very least for the upcoming battle we should test out the offer, then decide whether to keep it before we leave.

>>17448452
Now this, I like.

Comparitively, we're not that bad off.

rolled 27, 36 = 63

>>17448477
Forgot to ask for Nyarlothep and Philemon.

>>17448435
>>17448452
those rolls arguably OK for the meta, as long as you don't mind the TSAB running everything.

MUST TRY HARDER,

>>17448430
Well he certainly will not like it.

>>17448432
An inscrutable being with motives and goals that are beyond human comprehension?
It doesn't matter if he's the purest embodiement of good to have ever existed.
It has been outright stated that he would use the information against us if he deemed it necessary, and we don't know what he would count towards deeming it necessary. And seeing as we are willing to commit evil acts to protect the meta, we may well do things that he deems as sufficient to warrant such a response.

You seem to be ignoring the potential risks that accepting this entails and how by not accepting we don't lose anything that we currently have.

The best move here is not to accept, as whilst we can't gain anything, we won't lose anything either.

>>17448432
Indeed, I want to keep at least one around just so that we have a link to Philemon, that's the sort of contact and friend of a stable multiverse that we need as an ally with the stuff going down around here.

Still waiting on OP for answers to the following:
>>17448300

We need those translations.

rolled 65 = 65

>>17448435
>>17448452
>>17448499
So:
Ebon night and New Chaos get slaughtered
Philemon beats Nyarlothep, narrowly.
Transpace Guard does okay against the S.U.E.s but ultimately has to fall back.
TSAB Wins
G-Man Wins harder

Now, the most important question of them all:
How much Booze does Holtz acquire?

>>17448502
You aren't another of those rar-blarg-kill-everyone types are you? 'Cause we ain't cool with that.

>>17448452
That's... uh.. huh.

>>17448300
The shoggoth has not moved.

The Observer cannot tell what is in two of the sealed chambers without opening them, but the remaining chambers appear to have shoggoths that have been altered in some way.

Egon and Data estimate it will take about 2 days to completely decipher the data left around the labs. A basic report will be available before then, they're not sure how long that will take, though. Report on the book is incoming.

>>17448416
Looks like the ayes have it. You can hammer out the details before the final contact.

>>17448502

>It has been outright stated that he would use the information against us if he deemed it necessary, and we don't know what he would count towards deeming it necessary. And seeing as we are willing to commit evil acts to protect the meta, we may well do things that he deems as sufficient to warrant such a response.

He's Neutral, tending towards Good. I doubt he's going to be flinging our info across the multiverse at the slightest provocation, especially as we're pretty big on allowing self-determination of the canons. If we actively started try to control them, like the SUEs of the TSAB, then yeah, he'd have a problem. He's not Lawful Stupid.

now an we PLEASE MOVE ON ALREADY?! We can argue about this later.

>>17448548
No, I'm the guy who tries to get information before we rush into things.
I suggested the seer council which appears to have served us well for one, and I have been trying to get us a recon/intel hero as well.

>>17448555
>Egon and Data estimate it will take about 2 days to completely decipher the data left around the labs
This is with all of our scientists working on this project, right?

>The Observer cannot tell what is in two of the sealed chambers without opening them, but the remaining chambers appear to have shoggoths that have been altered in some way.
I believe that we should, after preparing precautions such as setting up bolter turrets, force field emitters, and arraying our forces to create a killzone, open these two unknown chambers, one at a time.

>>17448555
Once we have the translations and Cheryl and the other psi-types (except Char) are done meditating/training/mind-tai-bo we'll see if the altered shoggoths are responsive to commands.

Should we breach the other shoggoth-containing chambers while we wait and record what we find there to add to the translation queue?

I vote nay on the contract and try to get something else out of it instead.

>>17448606
I'd save the unknowns until the translations come in. I'd like to see the contents of the others cataloged as we did with the open chamber.

>>17448607
>>altered shoggoths

What fits the description?

Let's see... Invaders from Shin Getter Robo, and The Thing, also Shuma-Gorath.

>>17448516
Shit, yeah. I forgot G-Man said we'd need allies.

>>17448555
Can Cheryl attempt to commune with it? Igor said to take our time, so let's get as much intel as is possible before we get to messing with the world pillar.

Re: the contract: may I suggest trying to get post-game persona 4 kids instead of making one of our people a user? Think of it as combining the freebie with the favour. And yes, I know it's premature to talk about it *now*, but I'm in a different timezone, so I want to get my suggestion the record I case I miss the actual negotiating. phase.

Now, back to Antarctica, and let's stay focused.

>>17448607
>Should we breach the other shoggoth-containing chambers while we wait
No.
I think we should check the others, after taking proper precautions. They may contain an Old One, or maybe even a Great Race of Yith time-traveler who wasn't able to escape back to his real body.

>>17448548
He does not appear to be a kill everything type.

>>17448555
Put the Contact in Cheryl, she's likely the one with the least knowledge. Keep her as in the dark as is faesable, and occasionally ask Cheryl to talk to Igor for us.

We need to find a way to look into the chambers and see how the Shoggothim have been altered. It's likely this is a Shoggoth holding lab and the shoggoths here are at least relatively tame.
I suggest waiting for the Basic Report.
prepping the Cheryl.
Asking the Farseers how tangled the Skeins are.
Sending BLU, the Observer, the Droid, the MI and the Prawns out on scouting missions to see if there's anything else around the complex.
Having any dropships currently present in Antarctica see if they can return to orbit or not. If they can't, have them derp around Antarctica looking for reality distortions or the remains of Peabody's expedition.
No combat in the elder lab until we have the basic reports.
UNIT and SCPs guard the World Pillar.

I'd like to get the X-com Psi vets, Tosh, Char, the Farseers, Aurors, Psions, KI Silencers and Cheryl in on a "Let's put Psi in Cheryl" training seminar.
As for the rest of our forces?
When Cleanup's done in Japan, we should get everyone in the Overlord ready to drop.
It might even be worth sending Darius, Star-Lord, Lyla (+ warm weather gear) and whichever KIs can fit in our smallest dropship down at the moment.

>>17448641
>Shit, yeah. I forgot G-Man said we'd need allies.
Exactly.

As for Cheryl, the Farseers have her doing some extra training with them. We volunteered the rest of our psi people to join in.

"We've completed analysis and translation of the book we found in the Silent Hill Cathedral. It appears to be a tome detailing the research of a circle of sages into the nature of a being called 'The Red Death.' They believed it was one of many beings called 'Dark Powers'. A substantial portion of the book is specific to the Red Death and can be ignored, but there were several references to his 'brother', the Ebon Night, and the nature of the Dark Powers in general. Much of it was speculation, but we've learned that the Red Death was a being that personified an aspect of existence. It would stand to reason that the Ebon Night is the same. The Ebon Night's role in Ravenloft appears to have been that of selecting and capturing those to be imprisoned. A sort of hunter, if you will. Most passage make careful note of his pleasure in capturing those to be delivered into what amounts to endless torture."

"From certain passages in the book, we've managed to deduce that the Dark Powers created and maintained Ravenloft with a careful union of their powers. We believe that without the aid of his dark brethren, the Ebon Night must be using an external device or tapping an external power to fuel his transformation of this world."

>>17448667
Am I the only one getting a new-chaos vibe from this?

>>17448667
" So hes a big bad guy that needs to get zapped, right?"

"Exuivocally, yes"

"Why didnt you just say so?"

>Cant unhear 80's cartoon voices

>>17448667
He's using the stone to change the world! That's why it's connected to everything!

>>17448555
>Looks like the ayes have it. You can hammer out the details before the final contact.
It goes in Cheryl
>>17448667
So, Ebon Night is in the world pillar, or in Nyarlothep, or in Silent Hill.

>a being that personified an aspect of existence
Red Death: The inevitability of death.
> It would stand to reason that the Ebon Night is the same.
Fear and/or Psychological trauma.

It's not necessarily true that the World Pillar is native to this canon. If it's not native to this canon, then the Ebon Night is using Silent Hill's otherworld to fuel itself.

>>17448691
If he's using the World Pillar...then the reality distortion at its heart could be Ebon Night itself.

>>17448667
The World Pillar. I gotcha. His power is dragging people in, so the actual changes being wrought are being worked through the World Pillar brought in with its connection to the world.

>>17448691
This still leaves us with the question of "How do we sever the link without destroying everything here?"

Maybe once Cheryl gets on-site she can look into it and see what's up. Be prepared for zerg rush or SUDDEN BOSS FIGHT. This is probably Ebon Night's last ditch here, so let's be ready for all possibilities.

>>17448667
>Most passage make careful note of his pleasure in capturing those to be delivered into what amounts to endless torture.
>It would stand to reason that the Ebon Night is the same.
Ebon Night is Pain and Torture.
Wonder how he'd get along with the elemental personification of Happiness depicted.

>>17448706
>>17448704
Not necessarily _in_ it, so much as using it.

>>17448722
Cheryl will likely need to have the original sample of Aglaophotis.

1. Cheryl forces Ebon Night to manifest.
2. Cheryl and other Psions (Psion team and X-COM Psi-Vets, maybe Abjurer and Auror support) weaken Ebon Night.
3. Cheryl finishes off Ebon Night with the Aglaophotis.

>>17448736
After all this is said and done, this personification of hope might just appear before us.

Wait a second. Cheryl is our apparent canon native. In addition to the massive security breach then hot-housing her power, now we want her to be a Persona User? Are we meant to be eliminating SUEs or creating them?

>>17448722
Right. So plan:
Clean up Japan
Basic translation of the notes
Get all the troops in the Overlord.
Drop the Overlord
Break down the doors
Catalogue the shoggoths
Map the complex
Translate everything
Send down Cheryl
Put Cheryl in the pillar.

Are we clear on the plan?

>>17448722
We'll have to wait on the translation of the Elder data on the Pillar.

So the question comes down to, what are we doing in the meantime?

>>17448747
I like this plan. Take some of the weaker stuff too if we have it, just in case. Could help weaken it so the real thing can kill it.

>>17448767
Hence why I think we should try and get Igor to combine the offer of contract with his offer of a freebie by getting the Persona 4 kids postgame. that way we get persona users without causing canon fuckery.

>>17448767
Her role in her canon is over.
Thus, we loot her like the Orkz loot vehicles.

>>17448770
Making more traps and more defenses.
Cleaing up Japan.
Psi research team with Cheryl and all the psi users.
And of course translating stuff.

OP, what's the capacity of a remaining Relentless dropship and/or shuttle?
How far along are we into cleaning up after ourselves in Japan?
How's Cheryl coming along?

>>17448770
>>17448769
In the meantime we need to see if we can get the engineers of the Relentless and the Storm, who aren't working on repairs to the Indefatigable or assisting in clean-up, to manufacture Toxiguns and as much Aglaophotis-A as we can manufacture.
It's weak, but it's better than nothing.

>>17448769
Not quite.
We're preparing to send down most things, but the main part of the plain involves the psychics mindmelding with the Pillar or something to face Ebon Night.
We won't be alble to say much more about the process until the research is done.

>>17448767
Her canon is done, and she's the key to facing Ebon Night. She manipulates reality manipulators.

>>17448667
"There's more. One of the chapters accounts a very obscure confrontation between a Power we believe to be the Ebon Night, and some form of sun deity. The Ebon Night was defeated and greatly weakened by this god, who embodied nobility, light, and valor. The sages believed this indicated that as a metaphysical being, Dark Powers are vulnerable to attacks... or perhaps attackers that best embody their antithesis."

"Another chapter has accounts of two successful escapes from Ravenloft, those of Lord Soth and Vecna. While interesting most of it is irrelevant... save one thing. Both account have passages that seem to indicate metaphysical mechanisms of the Dark Power's artificial world being hijacked by other beings of power."

>>17448797
>Thus, we loot her like the Orkz loot vehicles.
Your truth amuses me, anon.

>>17448838
>metaphysical mechanisms of the Dark Power's artificial world being hijacked by other beings of power
>>17448825
>She manipulates reality manipulators.

Well alrighty then.

>>17448838
From when we were discussing how to get supplies to survivors in Riverside
>>17448838
>The Ebon Night was defeated and greatly weakened by this god, who embodied nobility, light, and valor.
So. That'd be Knights Inductor, White Mages, and Char.

>metaphysical mechanisms of the Dark Power's artificial world being hijacked by other beings of power.
Yes we know. Put Cheryl in the pillar.

>>17448838
We'll need to have the Aurors check Guts to see if Gondegal is still within him, and if he'd be willing to help out. Especially if the Aurors can improve on that spirit-amplification spell.

>>17448797
Japan operations are complete as of this afternoon, when the Defiant lifts off and limps into orbit. The vast majority of its systems are offline, but it's got propulsion and it's got life support. Remaining repairs can be handled in orbit.

Cheryl has completed all the training the X-COM vets can give her and has moved onto Eldar mentoring.

As for dropships, you have the Overlord and the Al'kesh. The Leopard is in Antarctica if I recall correctly, along with one of the smaller shuttles.

>>17448838
>>sun diety
>>Pelor
>>SUN
>>SUN
>>SUN!!!
>>We don't have Daitarn 3 and Cybuster, welp.

>>17448885
Ask the Farseers to include the Psions and the X-COM Psi-Veterans in the mentoring as well. While Cheryl is the linchpin of our operation, that's no reason for us to not include support.

Get any engineers not helping with the repairs to the Indefatigable to fabricate Toxiguns and Aglaophotis-A. Use the Al'Kesh to steal supplies if we have to.

>>17448910
>>17448885
In addition:
Have the Aurors check Guts to see if Gondegal is still within him, and if he'd be willing to help out. Especially if the Aurors can improve on that spirit-amplification spell.

Have the Antarctica Team move the three remaining Bolter Turrets from Caverns 2, 3, and 4 to defend the tertiary research facility.

>>17448892
>embodiment of valor
>valor
>VALOR
>we don't have [hero name here], welp
This argument is utterly flawless. I'm going to use it for all my hero nominations!

>>17448885
Al'Kesh team:
Cheryl
Farseers
Tosh
X-com Psi Vets
Char*
*Optional

Al'kesh team stays in orbit and works on Cheryl's mind lasers, until Cheryl can mind laser.

Research team:
Aurors
Scientists
Egon
Data
A.N.O.N.

Research team stays in orbit and researches.

Overlord team:
Every well-trained and experienced ground troop (i.e. not /tg/ Soldiers, not undead hunters)
Overlord team goes down now* and helps set up defenses and clear the complex.
*If cold weather gear is unavailable, they go down when it's ready.

Note: The P4 kids and Guts should stay in orbit since we don't want them to become dead.

>>17448941
Heather's Bum team:
Douglas
Heather's Bum sits around.

>>17448931
Might as well set up more defenses at the research facility and pillar now that Miniboss Shoggoth is dead.

>>17448931
Your ground teams begin to move the turrets as the Aurors confirm that Gondegal is still following Guts around.

All right team.
Q1:
Do we send Guts and the P4 kids down to battle the Ebon Night, or not?
Q2:
Do we involve Char in the psionics plan, or use him only for defense of Space and/or the Overlord?

>>17448975
Okay, let's have the Aurors see if they can speak with Gondegal, ask him if he's willing to help.
Also ask them if that spell they used last time to empower Gondegal can be further refined in our timeframe of 2 days.

>>17448941
I'm against sending almost everyone down, tunnel fighting cuts down on the advantage of numbers, and most won't be of help.

I'm more for loading up:
Cheryl, Spike, Douglas, psions, psi-vets, KI, and White Mages. Work on cold weather gear them first.

Have the rest on standby in case something they can drop on shows up. Work of cold weather gear for them second.

Have the VF-25s go down too. Just in case.

>>17448990
Add in Tosh, Darius and Lyla and I agree with you.

240 posts in.
60 posts until Autosage.
2 threads tonight y/n?

>>17448985
Q1: Keep Guts and the Persona kids in orbit. We can't chance their deaths because of the Canon problems that can occur.

Q2. I don't think we should bring Char down to Antarctica, because of his belief in Humanity needing to leave the Earth might cause a resonance cascade with the World Pillar.

>>17448990
I was including Darius and Lyla with the KI and White Mages.
I did forget to say Tosh again though, he's in with the psi-team.

>>17448975
>Gondegal is still following Guts around
dang, we're going to have to get him to part ways with Guts, otherwise he might (read:will) contaminate the Bezerk canon if he follows him home.

>>17448885
How's Heather doing... sanity-wise? I mean given that we're reawakening her enormous psychic potential, I sure how we're also making sure she can deal with that power in a stable manner.

>>17449022
>>17449003
>>17448990
Ok, then at least that is settled.

>>17449021
Also agreed.

If Char asks it is because we want him in his Mobile Suit in case the shoggoths join together to form a super-robot he'll have to fight.

>>17449018
Y
>>17449021
bring them down to help if we abso-friggin-lotely need backup, otherwise hell no.

>>17448990
VF-25's can't fit in the caverns.

>>17449018
Yes. But I'll be hanging onto this one as long as I can.

>>17448988
"You wish my aid against the author of the evil that has plagued me and mine for centuries now? Of course you shall have it. My sword, incorporeal it may be, is at your service."

>>17449042
No.

I don't think we should bring Char down to Antarctica, because of his belief in Humanity needing to leave the Earth might cause a resonance cascade with the World Pillar.

>>17448990
Don't forget to send down all available nanny-bags, just in case.

>>17449045
"Thank you, Gondegal."
Ask the Aurors if they believe that they can anchor Gondegal to either another person, or to an object, so that he can go down to Antarctica with the Psi-Team.

>>17449039
It's difficult to tell without a specialist. She seems to be a little withdrawn lately, but that might be because you're more or less expecting her to fight a god and win or everything she's even known is condemned to a misty version of hell.

You don't think she's going to go crazy and start murdering your dudes though.

>>17449045
Sweet. Is Gondegal still stuck to Guts, or can we get Gondegal into Darius?
>Equations opMeta
Op. Captcha demands that you post some Equations.

>>17448975
Well, have them communicate with him and ask if he would like to join our quest. Guts will be sent back to his own world without you, but we would be honored if you would join our efforts.

>>17449066
The Aurors believe that with Griffith/Vlad slain, Gondegal actually no longer requires to be anchored to Guts. He can separate himself with no outside intervention needed.

>>17449081
Neat. Well, Gondegal's gonna fight then!

>>17449081
>Gondegal actually no longer requires to be anchored to Guts.
Even better.
It appears that until then, most of our combat crews will just need to rest up and get ready.

Oh, what about that Knight with the Voiceless Spear? Has he gotten his voice back? Has he or anyone else been able to figure out what the Voiceless Spear does once its been charged?

>>17449101
Good point, we've forgotten to check on that.

>>17449101
Not yet, your research teams have been a bit busy. He has his voice back, though.

>>17449101
> Has he or anyone else been able to figure out what the Voiceless Spear does once its been charged?
It probably speaks.
Do you think the Voiceless Spear would work on a loudspeaker or the like? Obviously stabbing the speaker would ruin it, but would it further charge the Voiceless Spear?

>>17449128
I figure that if the Spear works on non-organics, we can just link Cleverbot up to a Text to Speech program and stab it repeatedly. Though this may unseal ancient horrible evils such as the elemental lord of Silence, so is probably not a good idea.

>>17449167
>elemental lord
You mean, Masaki Andou bursts forth in the Cybuster, accidentally pulled in by the summons?

>>17449187
That's actually a good thing. Now we'd have something that can fight Greater Chaos Daemons on an even level.

>>17448667


Not get sidetracked again, but ask ANON if there is precedence of a similar deal being struck in the past with any other Philemon like entities. Hell, do we even have the authority to make that call without approval given we have no way of contacting the base? We have been given a lot of leeway in the past provided we get the job done. Hell, we led the freaking Ortz to our home base and didn't get immediately thrown in the brigg, which was probably JUST as reckless and dangerous...

>>17449114
Is the spear still glittery?

But more importantly, >>17449229
Has the Transpace Guard ever made such deals in the past, and have they blown up in our faces?

>>17449229
Just think. We go back to base to report that we won this world, there's a New Chaos warship fighting some Orz howitzers in orbit, and Holtz pops up on our screen with a "Hello, *extremely*!"

>>17449229
This sort of deal is unprecedented as far as ANON can tell. However, there have been limited exchanges of information in the past for favors like these.

The cold-weather gear is distributed and the bulk of your forces descend to Antarctica in the Overlord.

During early evening, your scientists report that they have managed to deduce that the lab complex was split into several sections dealing with different aspects of the pillar. So far, these sections appear to be research into general theory behind the pillar, applications of the pillar on Elder Thing technology, and research on the pillar itself, its function and possible uses.

It also seems that something was removed from the pillar site and secured in one of the lab sealed vaults.

Besides producing/stealing the cold weather gear for everyone, manufacturing the toxiguns and Aglaophotis-A darts, and staying on-guard at the tertiary research facility in Antarctica, having the Aurors attempt to refine their ghost empowerment spell, I don't think we have anything left until we get a basic report, and maybe a translation on those etchings from the basalt hatch.

>>17449300
It would be too much to hope that the doors are labeled at all, or the translation indicates which went where, right?

Any word on engineering progress in producing toxiguns and Aglaophotis-A?

Also, guys, I vote that we set up a defensive ring, use shield emitters to keep anything that comes out quarantined, and see what's behind door number 1, and see what kind of lifeform it is.

>>17449300
How many of the sections have we found so far? Only one?
That means MORE BOSS SHOGGOTHS!
That means that we need to send Team Overlord down, search the area, kill off the Boss Shoggoths, and look into the other labs.

Keep traps up on the approaches to the World Pillar; we'll need to use them later, no doubt.

>>17449067
Hm. We might want to address that issue, like have psyche evaluations for our troops and what not. Just to make sure no one goes crazy at an inopportune time.

>>17449256

Oh god damn it. Don't even joke about shit like that. It is well within the realm of possibilities. Hell, I can see it now.

>You arrive back at the base and notice something is off...
>Roll 1
>...And now Holtz is an Ortz and Choas warships are closing in on every possible vector.
>Roll 1
>And all the booze you looted to appease Holtz is now turned into water due to a /tg/ recruit dicking around with the transporters as part of a magic trick gone horribly, horribly wrong. There is no hope left for man...

>>17449331
I don't want to see even ONE of our troops going JAJAJAJA AHEUAHEUAHEAHAHEUE at a time like this.

>>17449331
I swear to god, if somebody suggests Deanna Troi for the job...

Still, you raise a good point.

rolled 21, 15 = 36

>>17449339
Don't worry! If we roll 2d100, we'll never get two 1s. In fact, I bet both numbers will be above 50. :)

>>17449374
Yeah not her. I mean most of these guys have seen the people they've fought with die horribly, even if they were trained to cope on some level, that still should be addressed.
...I can't really think of anyone who would fit the bill though.

>>17449300
Where are each of these Lab Complex sections?
We need to send down the troops and find them! Then Scan them! Then Translate them!

>>17449339
Don't forget the angry Lich driving the Executor.

>>17449300
Alright then, let's get cracking on those chambers.
Any indications of which held the item?

Assuming not, I'd say we leave the kiting path setup much as before, in case we need to pull back and fight something.

Still say we open the shoggoth chambers first, then the unknowns.

>>17449395
They are parts of this complex. You already have them secured.

>>17449329
Unfortunately, without facilties on the Storm, your manufacturing assets were mainly the Indefatigable's replicators. Your crews can piece together only two Toxiguns and some ammunition, and that's primarily using the prototype-manufacturing facilities in the lab.

You cannot tell which of the doors has the thing taken from the pillar, no. Thanks to the Observer though, you know that only 2 of the sealed vaults have something other than shoggoths in them, though.

>>17449397
not any more. Our new friend said he's taken care of.

We'll have to worry about Ebon Night sitting in our Executor saying "Did you think it was that easy?"

>>17449394
The Brotaganist of Persona 4 is actually pretty good at helping people deal with their issues, despite having no formal training. He might be a good stopgap. And we could theoretically get him from Igor after we wrap up Ebon Night (ideally postgame, for obvious reasons)

>>17449394
An NPC in the World of Warcraft can create a green circle on the ground that restores sanity over time.
We don't need the NPC, just the green circle.
Then everyone spends a minute standing in it and nobody has any sanity problems any more!
Alternatively, we get a medical officer, and prescribe Sanity-increasing medication. Nobody has any sanity problems any more!
Or, we make a "Puzzle" involving putting a Gear onto its Axle, to raise the sanity of anyone solving it to full. Nobody has any sanity problems any more!

>>17449408
Open door #2 first. Door #2 is always the good one. Door #1 has tigers.

>>17449408
Is it possible to reach the sealed doors without going through Shoggoth Room?

>>17449409
>We'll have to worry about Ebon Night sitting in our Executor saying "Did you think it was that easy?"

'You know, for a second there, I kinda did.'

>>17449408
I once again move to have force field emitters set up around one of the doors to contain whatever is inside.
Have the Prawns and the Mobile Infantry set up in a semi-circle behind the shield emitters.
Once ready, open the door to see what's behind it.

>>17449428
>An NPC in the World of Warcraft can create a green circle on the ground that restores sanity over time.
Reality emitters spoil that fun.
>We don't need the NPC, just the green circle.
You mean reverse-engineering WoW magic? What's next, Whisp-Cannons?

>>17449434
The shoggoth making like a room is in the room with the basalt hatch and the etchings.

The doors with living beings in suspension behind them are in a different section of the facility and don't require going through the shoggoth room.

If it did, then we would have already interacted with the shoggoth by now.

>>17449458
Great. Let's get opening sealed doors.
Oh, before we do that, we should move at least one of the bolter turrets indoors there.
Have the Overlord team arrived on the ground yet? If so, only send BLU Team, Darius, the MIs, the Prawns, and Lyla forward to break down doors. The less people we send, the less likely we are to lose them all.
If the Overlord tema hasn't arrived, MIs and Prawns and the BLUs that are on the ground can move up.
Let's open the non-shoggoth doors, and be ready to record and research the hell out of whatever we find there.

>>17449439
>Wisp-cannon
>WC3 wisps self-destruct and damage the MP of any enemy unit around it
>MFW we have an anti-mage cannon.

>>17449437
Specifically, one of the doors that doesn't contain a shoggoth.

>>17449439
>What's next, Whisp-Cannons?
No, we find a way to give everyone a 5 minute enrage timer, and have them spar for 4 minutes and 55 seconds before any major battle.

"He wears the mask and... but he is not the being he claims he is."

This makes me wonder: How does the REAL Nyarlathotep stand, powerlevel wise?

Here's my train of thought.

The Meta can be considered "outside" of the canons.
Nyarlathotep is an "outer god."
He and his ilk are gods of the meta
reality is said to be the dream of Azathoth
Azathoth is the true lord of the meta, mad though he is, and his dreams are the little gems of existence we call canons.

All idle thought and it's up to OP, but I thought it might be an interesting event if the real Black Pharaoh got sick of his imposter, now that he's been exposed to the meta.

rolled 17 = 17

You have Soldier open one of the doors without Shoggoths inside...

>>17449543
>Enrage
Fucking broken, wouldn't function even if we turned the reality emitters off.

>>17449590
fuck
Well, Soldier's respawning

>>17449584
>Azathoth is the true lord of the meta, mad though he is, and his dreams are the little gems of existence we call canons.
That would only hold true for his trunk of Canons.
Azathoth, powerful in the Meta he may be, is still just a manifestation of the dark matter that is Reality's imagination seeping into the Meta.

rolled 28, 51, 35, 100, 62, 9, 13, 93, 9, 26 = 426

>>17449590
Offering my prayers to Nobylan and Mitenun.

>>17449590
>15
Well, at least we prepared appropriately first.

We got those shield emitters up, right?

Ok, who stuck an 'Eat Me' sign on the Soldier's helmet?

>>17449623
All right, I used up lots of the shit rolls and 2 of the good ones. We should be okay now.

>>17449584
Demonbane version of Nyarlathotep, anyone?

>>17449608
Did OP already rule on that? 'cause I was thinking that the canons were Azathoth's imagination seeping into the meta.

>>17449669
That's how the setting is set up, and OP is using the setting, just putting us before the formation of the Institute.

And we just hit Autosage. It's all downhill from here!

>>17449590

>Cthululu leaps out and devours him whole.
>all units roll for SAN loss

>>17449669
Nah, before /tg/ quest even began it was already clarified that the Meta and all of it's Canons are nothing but the collective dreams of Reality, given shape in the realm of the Meta, and where they are brought into focus through pen and paper or other media is when a Canon forms.

So, um...new thread?

>>17449754
Nope. That's up to the OP.

This is /tg/, where threads take days to die. We are fine.

>>17449782

So, our plan is to make Cheryl into a Persona User. To kill the personification of Pain and Torment. Am I right?

>>17449818
Only if the Farseers agree that it won't mess up their mentoring or training of Cheryl.
And she accepts.
This needs to be a completely voluntary contract.

A single bump. OP should make a new thread.

>>17449818
>personification of Pain and Torment
Chzo?
http://www.fullyramblomatic.com/features/expedition.htm

>>17449703
>>17449685
Gotcha. Forgot that this was a pre-built setting.

Polite sage to avoid thread death.

>>17449861
Thank you, Mod.

>>17449861
How nifty, a mod has come to roost within a quest thread!

But no, we are fine. We've had this happen several times before in the quests history where we go up to 500 posts and FINALLY make a new thread.
Even if he forgets too, it's all archived, so no loss.

>>17449435
And that is why I should have mentioned Black Barrel to you all much, much earlier in this quest.

I thought we had more time. I am so very, very sorry.

>has ducatiti
Captcha I told you not to tell anyone about that!

Sorry, got called away at a bad time. New thread in progress.

>>17449920
link?

>>17449919
take it to our requisitions thread in >>17429885

>>17450144