Rolled 35

Eat, shower, then play Arcadia.

She's our room-mate, not our little sister. She wants to date an abusive fuckwad, that's her business.

>>29032196
Also, welcome back OP. Glad to have you.

>>29032196
>>You’re starving. Screw this drama and get some food.

>>29032196
>Try to find Mike
Over food, if possible.

>>29032366
We're nosy. And maybe if we see what we boyfriend's like we'll figure out how to get one.

File: 1387774608328.jpg-(125 KB, 720x1239, 1381658919365.jpg)

125 KB JPG

>>29032366
>>29032580

Since you're not planning on being social, there's no reason to waste money on eating out when there are perfectly good, or mostly good, leftovers in the fridge. When you get back to your room, Emily's got her glasses clamped on and is talking to someone; probably Mike. If she hears you come in, she doesn't acknowledge you. She seems to be having an argument.

You shower, and you can't help scanning the room for more of those bugs as you do so. To your relief, the bathroom remains bug-free.

Emily's eating when you get back, and she gives you a look that's half apologetic, and half irritated. "Sorry I yelled."

"Okay." You shrug. Not much to do but wait for relations to thaw.

You plug your glasses in and sit down on your bed to play Arcadia.

An instant of vertigo later, you find yourself once again in warm, fragrant surroundings. Time has passed here, but not as much as in the real world; the sun is dipping towards the horizon, but it's still daylight. Large clouds are lit up in shades of pink and orange near the horizon. You're up to your knees in the stream, and the water's even colder than before. You have your Walking Staff in one hand your Mirror in the other, and are wearing nothing but your game-issued immovable bra and panties.

Oh yeah, fuck. Where are your clothes? You look about in panic, wondering if they've been washed away, but someone has placed them on the bank, and folded the neatly. They're dry. The rest of your belongings, your belt and the daggers, are still there also.

You wade over and put on your clothes.

>Check out that round statue on the other side of the stream.
>Go somewhere else.
>Check character sheet.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29032738
>Investigate statue.

>>29032738
>Investigate statue
And after we've done that
>freeform exploration. At least that's what this game looks like it was designed for.

>>29032775
You hop across the stream on the stones and stand before the statue. It's about as half as high as you are, and so weathered that it's little more than a cylinder with a crude, smiling face on top.

It's the first thing here that's looked happy to see you, that's for certain.

>Touch the statue.
>Use ability. (You have three: Preach, Foresight, and Pray. Preach seems to damage enemies. Foresight allows you to see possible very near futures and you have yet to try Pray.)
>Leave the statue alone.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29032738
>>Check out that round statue on the other side of the stream.

>>29032908

Pray.

>>29032908
>Touch rocky statue

>>29032908
Foresight: What happens if we touch the statue?

>>29032908
I'm feeling
>Pray
Yeah, let's do that.

>>29032908
>>29032966
Good idea. Changing vote from touch >>29032945 to Foresight.

>>29032966
Agreed

>>29032966
>>29033116
>>29033069

FORESIGHT. For an instant you see yourself, turning away, standing still and reaching out to touch the statue. When you do the latter, you see the statue start to rise out of the ground; what you're looking at is only a head. A disproportionately small head on a large, stone humanoid body. That is all foresight allows you to see.

>Touch statue.
>Use ability.
>Leave the statue and go somewhere else.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29033202
Try: >Pray

>>29033202
Hmm...

Get back, stay in staff range.

Poke it.

>>29033202
>>Leave the statue and go somewhere else.
Wander around.

>Use ability.
Time to see what our last ability can do.

>>29033293
thats Use Pray by the way.

>>29033231
>>29033293

Agreed.

Gotta Praise!

>>29033231
>>29033293
You hold your staff in the crook of your arm and slam your hands together in front of your face. You feel a moment of uncomfortable scrutiny, and a ripple of instability washes over you, starting from your feet and ending at your fingertips. It's as if your very body was being combed through with an impossibly fine comb.

Your skin glows, and then you see the power earth itself through the statue. You're thrown backwards, landing on your arse with a thump as the full statue practically erupts from the ground. Every crack in the stone is alight with glowing energy.

"Ahhh." The smiling face doesn't move, and the voice seems to be emanating somewhere from in the statue's huge chest. "I am energized! Thank you, classvariable."

With a grinding of stone, it bows, still glowing. Then it extends one huge hand towards you.

>Let it do what it's gonna do.
>Get out of the way.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29033396
Climb into its hand.

"You're welcome. Why were you out of energy?"

>>29033396

Let it do.

>>29033396
Let it do what it do.

>>29033396
lazy programmer is lazy, shouldn't be spitting up variables like that dawg, even if our class isn't supposed to be in the game yet I mean ever

>>29033435
>>29033452

Hey an NPC! About time. It delicately touches the top of your head, and a small rain of energy showers down upon you. You hear a strange chime. That sounds like a level up to you.

"I return the favour," the statue says, and straightens up again. It looks at its hands, flexing them thoughtfully. "My energy was expended."

>Take out your mirror and check your character sheet.
>Ask the statue what it does.
>Ask what happened to its energy.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29033531
>Ask statue what it do
Then:
>Check Character sheet.

>>29033531
>>Ask the statue what it does.
>>Ask what happened to its energy.

may i just say~yay~ for this quest's return

>>29033550
>>29033591

"So, what do you do, anyway?" you ask, getting to your feet and brushing any dirt and grass off your clothes.

"I am the Sweetmeadow Slave. I build a bridge." The statue replies.

That was a little more specific than you expected. You glance at the stream.

"It doesn't really need a bridge. You can practically step across."

"Not here, at the edge."

"What happened to your energy?"

"I was defeated and driven into the ground by Prophet."

You check your character sheet. As you'd hoped, you've got some options to level up. You also notice your SP has been replenished.

You have 10/10 HP and 12/12 SP. You also notice, although you cannot purchase them yet, some new abilities on the list: Testify (Prophet), Eye of God (Seer) and Ascend (Avatar.) It looks like you'll be able to access all three class abilities in the future.

You've got one point to spend:

>Buy HP
>Buy SP
>Improve Staff Skill
>Improve Ability
>Save the point to buy a new ability later when you have more.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29033724

>Save point.

>>29033724
>>Save the point to buy a new ability later when you have more.

>>29033771
>>29033757
This.

>>29033757
>>29033771
>>29033786

You put the mirror away without spending any points. You can consider it later. The Sweetmeadow Slave's joints are still glowing gently, but it doesn't seem to be in any hurry.

>Ask for a quest.
>Ask for directions.
>Ask about the edge.
>Ask about Prophet.
>Goodbye.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29033836
Can we hack it into a minion/follower?

>>29033836>Ask about the edge

>>29033836
>>Ask for a quest.

>>29033859
You consider trying to hack it, but you'd prefer to play rather than break the game - more than you already have, that is. It's starting to dawn on you that your multiple abilities, all on a separate cooldown, are giving you quite an edge as it is. You can probably hide your class from other players, but a hacked slave might draw unwanted mod attention. You tell yourself you'll only hack things that are bullshit, like locked classes.

>>29033918
"What edge do you mean?"

"There are many edges here. The one I build across is that way." It points in the direction of the city and the setting sun, which for convenience you're going to think of as west.

>>29033975
"Do you have any quests? Do you want me to beat up ten crabbyapples for you?"

"Only if you wish to. Life is the Journey. The World is the Puzzle. You are a classvariable, and you do as you desire in your Quest for Arcadia." Some of this sounds a bit familiar. "I build. You can help, if you wish."

>"Lead on, I'll take a look at this edge at least."
>Ask about Prophet.
>Thank you and goodbye.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29034087
>>"Lead on, I'll take a look at this edge at least."

>>29034087

Ask about Prophet.

It's connected to one of our class abilities, right?

And what is a "classvariable"? Placeholder name for our bugged class?

>>29034110

The Sweetmeadow Slave extends its hand, palm up, towards you, and you leap onto it, run up its arm and stand on it's broad shoulder, one hand resting on its head. From this height, you can see the city again, which had disappeared behind the rise of a hill when you'd gone down to the stream. The Sweetmeadow Slave plods towards it, and you gaze at its distant spires and minarets, strung with banners and lights, your eyes narrowed against the setting sun.

You can see stormclouds to the south, and as you gaze at them, you realise it is not just lightning and sunlight that illuminates them, but there are hundreds of tiny lights burning in the cloud, like windows in a huge airship. Lightning stabs down towards the horizon, and you see sheets of rain, but it's too far away to hear thunder, and the air is sweet and still.

>>29034125
"So who's Prophet and why did they take your energy?" you ask, as you sway with statue's steps.

"Prophet defeated me in battle, and sent me to sleep in the ground again."

"Why?"

"She did not wish me to build. I build, and sleep, at the whims of Prophets and classvariables like yourself." This doesn't seem to bother it.

You plod up the hill, and soon join the dirt road you spied earlier. You're not on it for long, however, when it simply ends, with a huge chasm. Half a mile across at least, and the city is on the other side. The chasm stretches off in both directions; if you'd taken a look over the top of the hill you'd first logged in on, you would have nearly fallen into it.

Below is only white mist. Ahead of you, stretching out towards the city, is an arch of broken debris, rocks and splintered planks of wood, like a bridge had been dynamited a split second ago.

The Sweetmeadow Slave bends down so you can descend to the ground.

>"I don't think I can help you with this."
>"I can help you with this."
>"Did Prophet destroy the bridge?"
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29034347
>>"Did Prophet destroy the bridge?"

>"I can help you with this."
I'll help with anything that needs smaller hands. Direct me as you will.

>>29034394
"Did Prophet destroy the bridge?"

"I don't know. It's possible. When I was driven underground, the bridge was still intact, but I expected I would need to build it again once I awoke."

>>29034475
"Thank you. I am energized. Until I must build by hand again, all you need to do is follow." So saying, it stretches one foot over the edge of the chasm, and bits of rock and wood start coagulating, joining together and forming an unbroken platform, as energy streams out of the statue. When it puts its foot down, the planks beneath it are solid. It steps forward again. It doesn't last long. It's walked about twenty feet when the light in it dies. Now it starts collecting bits of raw material by hand, nudging them into place like a jigsaw puzzle.

It's pretty easy, all you have to do is pluck them out of the air and press them into place. It is, however, clearly going to take at least all night.

>"Well, I might leave you to it."
>Use ability.
>It's soothing; keep at it by hand.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29034643
>>It's soothing; keep at it by hand.

>Use ability.
Pray again. That should give it more energy.

>>29034643
>Pray

>>29034683
>>29034687

You clap your hands and PRAY and once again, you light up like you're radioactive. Rather than earthing through the statue, however, it is your own power that pulls the pieces out of the air, and the bridge gains another twenty feet in a few moments with a great cracking and crunching. You're faster than the statue was, but achieve just as much.

You can't do that again just yet, and you go back to it by hand.

After some time, you stand up to straighten your back, and you see a familiar silhouette in the sky, like an upside down pyramid. With the glow of the sunset at your back rather than the sun in your eyes, you get a better look at it, as it approaches from the south. It is both a lot faster and a lot smaller than you expected; only a couple of feet in length and diameter, and something is sitting on the top.

>Wait attentively.
>Warn the statue.
>Run back to solid ground and abandon the statue.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29034871
>>Warn the statue.

>>29034871
>Warn the statue.
First boss battle maybe? Hopefully the NPC is going to help.

>>29034871
>Warn that stone fuck

File: 1387781970653.jpg-(1.38 MB, 1648x2362, 1387485811815.jpg)

1.38 MB JPG

>>29034883
>>29034915

"Hey, look out! Someone's coming," you say, watching the object approach.

The Sweetmeadow Slave doesn't seem too bothered. It keeps patiently building its bridge. "We must wait and see what they do," it says with a philosophical air.

You don't have to wait long. That thing can really move. Soon you see that it is a square of grass, with some earth clinging to it, and kneeling on it is a young blonde woman grey eyes and long pointed ears. She's wearing a dark, slightly frilly dress and carrying an elaborate staff.

She hovers on her square of earth a bit above and to the side of the edge of the bridge. The statue doesn't look up.

"I see you've made some progress," she says.

>"Thanks for drying my clothes for me."
>"Are you Prophet?"
>"What do you want?"
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29035055
Thank her

>>29035055
>"Thanks for drying my clothes for me."

>>29035055
>>"Are you Prophet?"

Prophet is a class name I believe.

>>29035107
>>29035110
"Thanks for drying my clothes for me."

She smiles at you, "No problem. I guessed someone would be back for them eventually. You leave behind everything you're not carrying, you know."

"Are you Prophet?" you ask.

"I'm a Prophet, and I am probably the Prophet you're asking about, yes. You can call me Lily, though. Who are you?"

>Ash
>classvariable
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29035200

Time to decide on our in game name I guess


>Write in.
Liandra.

>>29035200
You're an NPC, right?

>>29035200
>Ash

>>29035232
Seconding

>>29035224
Don't really like the idea of naming ourself Ash. So since no one else has said anything Liandra is good enough.

>>29035379
It does fit though since we're chocolate.

>>29035232
"Are you an NPC?"

She laughs. "You wish. Or maybe you don't. There are a lot tougher things out here than crabbyapples. A lot tougher things than me, too."

"I'm Liandra." It's the first name that comes to mind, and you realise the game hasn't actually asked you to specify one at any time.

"Hi, Liandra. Welcome to the game."

She sighs, "I figured you'd be back, and I figured you'd poke the statue." She looks at the bridge so far. "I didn't think you'd be quite that industrious though. Look, I'm sorry about this, but I'm going to put that thing back in its hole. It's nothing to do with you, really. You should just enjoy the show. Maybe from solid ground."

>"Hang on, what do you have against this bridge? Can't we talk about this?"
>"You're going through me first!" Prepare to defend yourself.
>"Okay, fine." Get back to solid ground and watch.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29035418
Ash is a more fitting name for our avatar than our 'actual' character. Who nicknames an Ashley "Ash"?

>>29035446
"Well sure, whatever you want to do is your business. I was just kind of hoping to go to that city across the chasm."

>>29035446
Don't say anything. Just use preach on her.

>>29035501
+1

>>29035446
>Use foresight to see what would happen if we attacked her.

>>29035501
>>29035541

She looks a bit relieved that you didn't try to argue. "I can understand that, it looks really nice and you have to go where you have to go. But if this bridge is built anyone can use it, not just you. There are other ways across, don't worry. There always are."

"You don't mind me crossing, but you don't want anyone else to?"

She shakes her head, trying to think of a way to explain. "The World is the Puzzle - if we go round solving too much of it, they shake up the pieces again and we're all back to square one. That's all. You have to guard your knowledge."

>"Fine, I'll find another way around. Do what you want."
>"No, I'm not letting you do this."
>"Well, let me help. I could use the exp."
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29035689
"You can demolish it once I'm across."

>Write in.
Any advice for a new player you care to share? I'll help you out with the Sweetmeadow Slave in return.

>>29035689
"Cool, okay. Uh will you help me get across then? After the novelty of these graphics and sensory stimuli, I'm finding it hard to see the appeal of the game."

did you abandon thread OP?

>>29035705
"By itself it's going to take a day and a half, but what's more likely is that other people will come and help, and then it gets a lot more complicated than flattening one statue."

>>29035741
"Well, uh," she looks around. "Okay. There are really three ways to play the game. You can wander around killing stuff and picking up pieces of Arcadia and trying to figure it out yourself. You can help pull down the bridges and try and work it out with a few people." She rolls her eyes, "Or you can sing Kumbayah, build bridges and hold hands and assume this is a game which everyone's a winner."

>>29035759
"Cool, okay. Uh will you help me get across then? After the novelty of these graphics and sensory stimuli, I'm finding it hard to see the appeal of the game."

"If you're really desperate to get there, I don't see the harm." She smiles, "Wait until you find your first piece of Arcadia. It's like, you've never seen anything so real in your life. You don't want to use it up; some people don't, they just hoard it. They tend to die though, cause other people want their pieces."

>"Okay, fair enough." Attack the statue.
>Let her attack the statue first.
>Change your mind, attack her.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29036037
No, just losing a battle with captcha.

You know I bet the entire point of the game is to build these bridges. The cooperative route is almost always the answer.

>Write in.
Let her go first then whack her over the head once she is involved in battle. I want to see this bridge built!

>>29036051
Guys.

Guys, listen.

Listen guys.

This-

No, guys, listen.

This Prophet.

Guys.

Guys, this Prophet.

She's going to-

Just listen.

She's going to gank us and take our shit.

AdmiralAkhbar.jpg

>>29036051
>Let her attack the statue

So... is there a level restriction on one of those flying things you're riding?
Also, how's dying handled in Arcadia? Do I just respawn where I first logged in?

>>29036138
Oh gosh, she'll take our dirks.

>>29036051
>>Change your mind, attack her.

>>29036133
>>29036239
Ya, she's probably offguard now that we've been so passive towards her. Let's flog her when she turns her back and steal her flying thing.

>>29036185
And the broken piece of mirror we got that we don't know what it does yet.

Hmm, weird item that is a SHARD that we got off somebody KILLING PLAYERS to STEAL THEIR SHIT.

I wonder where we've heard that before?

"Wait until you find your first piece of Arcadia. It's like, you've never seen anything so real in your life. You don't want to use it up; some people don't, they just hoard it. They tend to die though, cause other people want their pieces."

OH WAIT!

>>29036133
>>29036239
>>29036280

"Okay, all yours," you say, and take a step back.

The statue clearly has been paying attention because it turns with one fluid movement and tries to swat you over the side of the bridge. Lily leaps off her flying lawn and is swinging her staff at the statue's head, but she's a split-second behind.

Dodge roll 1d100 DC 45

Rolled 46

>>29036335

Rolled 98

>>29036335

Rolled 67

>>29036335
Dodge!

>>29036349
welp, we just crit failed, due to our ally not being able to read minds. Time to fall.

Sorry OP but it's getting late so I can't stick around.
I hope your quest picks up some more players. I really like the atmosphere you have going and am curious where you're going to take the story. It'd be a bummer if you dropped it from lack of popularity.

Consider getting a twitter for the threads for people to keep up when you run. Have a good Christmas and thanks for running Arcadian.

>>29036349
You barely have time to breathe, let alone move, and the Sweetmeadow Slave catches you with the flat of its palm, and you go sailing off the edge of the bridge. It fucking hurts, too. That took a few HP off, you suspect.

"Liandra!" Lily calls in alarm and you see the square of lawn trying to catch you up as you fall.

Make a grab for it. DC 45

Rolled 32

>>29036387

Rolled 83

>>29036387

Rolled 62

>>29036387
Grab!

Huh, now I feel slightly bad about our inevitable betrayal.

>>29036433
It's not too late to reconsider! We'll add our first name to the contacts list! (assuming we have one)

>>29036368
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed.

>>29036392
Your hand catches on the edge of the lawn, and you dig your fingers into clods of earth, gritting your teeth. Luckily, the low gravity works in your favour and once you have a grip you're able to haul yourself up onto the lawn with one arm.

You don't think you have control of this thing, but it's heading back to the edge of the bridge anyway. Lily and the Sweetmeadow Slave are locked in combat. She leaps and ducks and smacks her staff against its arms and head, and seems to be leading it back towards solid ground, backing off all the time.

Lily opens her mouth and your ears curl as you recognise the familiar PREACH syllables; sounds a lot louder than yours. The statue shudders at the sound, and Lily leaps in and presses the advantage to knock a few more chips off it.

You ride the lawn back to the bridge.

>Attack the statue.
>Attack Lily.
>Just try to get to solid ground.
>Check character sheet.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 7

>>29036488
Think I missed a few things:

If "The world is the puzzle," then isn't putting the world together - e.g., the bridge - part of the game? Seems like it's about making the world as you see it fit to be, sort of a cross between Gnostic enlightenment, solipsism, and nihilism/ubermensch. If that's the case, then the Sweetmeadow Slave would be like a daeva (if I'm using the right term), and Lilly is actively trying to impose her will on us, making us lose our capacity to "win" this game.

Fuck it, attack Lily.

Rolled 59

>>29036488
>>Just try to get to solid ground.

>>29036528
>>29036517
Okay guys, I think we have a problem in that we're down to two players. At this rate I'll be rolling a d2 resolve everything which isn't much fun for anyone.

I definitely started this thread a bit late, so I apologize for that. I might call it here; it's getting pretty late anyway. Thank you all for playing, I'll aim be back after Christmas.

Have a good one.

Sorry Im still around, was just browing elsewhere for a minute.

>>29036517
anyway I support attacking Lily

>>29036579
Yeah, what >>29036589 said. Didn't notice it updated.

>>29036602
>>29036609
So we're back up to four? Okay! Onwards.

So far one vote for solid ground, two votes to attack Lily.

DC 35 to hit Lily with your staff.

Rolled 81

>>29036517
pity this didn't count.

>>29036657
rolling

Rolled 52

>>29036657

Rolled 43

>>29036657
Naw, Preach.

FUS ROH DAH!

>>29036675
It did.

Damn, didn't make it.

Rolled 21

>>29036657
Rolling to mess up adorably so that Lily will forgive us.

I wonder if our actions will give the statue the ability to get a solid blow in.

>>29036675
>>29036683


You leap off the lawn and land on solid ground; your range is pretty small, as you remember from the fight against the crabbyapples, and you have to run in to get Lily in range.

She doesn't react, focusing on the Sweetmeadow Slave. You swing your staff, but she's ducking and weaving and she doesn't even seem to notice you're were aiming at her rather than the statue.

PREACH gets her attention.

Her face contorts in pain, and you see blood trickle from her ears. "The fffffuck?" she hisses, momentarily stunned. The statue seems unworried that you might be collateral damage as it winds up another fistful of stone in your and Lily's direction.

>Dodge back (DC 65)
>Attack Lily while she's stunned (DC 70)
>Use Ability (Preach is on cooldown)
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 21

>>29036775
>Attack Lily while she's stunned (DC 70)

Rolled 53

>>29036775
>>Attack Lily while she's stunned (DC 70)

Rolled 71

>>29036775
>>Write in.
Rolling to save Lily cause I am a kind-hearted player. Blame previous actions on noobishness.

Rolled 62

>>29036775
>>Dodge back (DC 65)

>>29036775
"Just tell me this: You were going to rob me, weren't you."

Buff Lily. We can play this off like we were trying to hit the statue and missed.

>>29036775
attack!

>>29036792
>>29036786
Won't work, Preach is a targetted skill.

>>29036786
will this roll still count for attack?

>>29036822
No, this is a roll under system.

>>29036784
>>29036785
>>29036802

You swing your staff at her and catch her on the side, and she stumbles forward. And then the shadow's fists land on you both.

WHAM!

Everything now has a deep red tinge. You experience the strange sensation of being both awash with pain and yet dislocated enough from it to move properly.

Lily's looking pretty terrible too, and she takes two steps forward and hurls herself off the edge, sinking to her knees as her patch of lawn catches her and floats her out over the chasm.

The statue looms over you. "Sorry. Confusing."

"You're going to be very sorry indeed," Lily mutters.

>Check character sheet.
>Run.
>Hide behind statue.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>Use ability.
Pray!

(And hope it in battle ability will heal us.)

>>29036860
*STATUE, not shadow. Jesus Christ. Once this combat ends I think I need to stop.

>>29036860
"Tell me this, Slave: Is the point of this game to make the world in your own design? Is that what 'The world is the puzzle' means?"

Keep it distracted. Let Lily get away. Don't know why, honestly, but I think for now having a construct of the game on our side is more valuable than another PC.

>>29036860
Try to swat her off with our staff.

>>29036892
She's out of range for that, if you want to vote for something else.

>>29036871
>>29036860
seconded. just so we have a little consensus.

>>29036892
>Pray

Rolled 57

>>29036860
>>Hide behind statue.

I wonder what her reaction will be when she sees us using 3 different skills (probably an advance class) yet asking noob questions...

>>29036951
Well these games are all about Pay-To-Win so she'll probably think we did that.

>>29036871
>>29036912

You slam your hands together and PRAY, not entirely sure what will happen. This time, when you feel the power running through you, it concentrates in your left arm.

And that arm swells and lengthens and suckers erupt along it like so many mouths, and you reach out across the chasm and wrap your hideous new limb around Lily's waist and yank her off her lawn.

You're pulled forward as all her weight lands on your arm and she falls. You're dragged forward onto your knees, and then the statue puts its hand on your back preventing you from falling further.

You don't know how much longer this limb is going to last, but you suspect not long. You can feel Lily twitching and gurgling on the other end of it; it doesn't sound like she can breathe to talk or use abilities.

>Drop her.
>Pull her up.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29036975
>>Drop her.

"Sorry, but I can't have you destroying this bridge."

Rolled 76

>>29036975
Pull her up. Have the statue hold her.

"If I let you live... you're going to follow me and help me win this game on my terms."

>Write in.
Toss her up so Stoney can swat her like the fly she is. Warn him of your plan.

>>29037005
Voting this. Let's not just off somebody with experience this early in the game, but we need a way to keep her under our thumb.

>>29036975
>>Pull her up.
If nothing else but for the loot.

>>29036975
>Pull her up.
Time for her to die. Sweet, sweet loot.

Pity no one liked my write in. Would have been a nice finisher.

>>29037056
Loot! Dat staff in pic

>>29037037
>>29037038
Time for loot.

>>29037005
>>29037017

"Don't hurt her, just hold her," you say wearily, and haul her up. As soon as she's level with the ground the statue wraps its hand around her and picks her up. Your arm returns to normal and you can stand.

"If I let you live... you're going to follow me and help me win this game on my terms."

The statue's squeezing her pretty tightly, but she draws breath to speak.

"What the hell are you talking about? You don't even know what this game is. Go around acting like meat and that's how you'll end up."

>"I think you're playing it wrong. The bridges should stay up."
>"I just want your gear."
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>Write in.
"Squish her"

>>29032196
>Comp Sci Major and very intelligent
>Alienware

Wow, this is an alternate universe, right?

>>29036975
>Pull her up

Loot for the loot gods

So I am guessing we are the type that sing Kumbayah, build bridges and hold hands and assume this is a game which everyone's a winner (for us to ninja their shiny loot). The AI in this game is amazing!

>>29037087
>>"I just want your gear."

Then >>29037090

>>29037105
Except we also kill anyone who gets in our way.

>>29037087
"...meat? I heard that term before, explain further..."

>>29037087
"I've just got a feeling, okay? The bridges need to stay up. The world's kind of empty, have you noticed that? I know they're going to add shit as time progresses, but it's like the NPC's are actively constructing the world as we experience it... like maybe our perceptions shape it. Look, just... go with me on this, all right? I'm sorry I hurt you, but I panicked."

We really need to go onto gamefaqs or something.

>>29037087
>>Write in.
"Do you die if you are killed like in all scifi works?"

>>29037090
Eh, works for me.

>>29033459
>even if our class isn't supposed to be in the game yet
of course it's supposed to be in the game. It's the counterpart to Meat class, that you can only unlock by being inquisitive and smart enough.

Meat class on the other hand is an overpowered pos class immediately available to most. The kind of thing most powergamers would immediately opt to play.

Anyone choosing one of the core classes simply experiences the game as a common or garden virtual world.

We really are a proper murderhobo

>>29037087
Ur wrong

Then wait for me to get killed or get killed now by my friend

>>29037145
What's overpowered about meat? Judging from the guy we fought they don't even have powers.

>>29037124
Seconding this, but only because it's the only path that gives us any insight into actually playing this motherfucker.

>>29037124
Thirded

>>29037158
Meat probably gives you stat boosts at the cost of your RL physical health or something, giving Meat a huge buff initially at a very real cost. Or something.

>>29037087
"Meat you say? I don't even know what that means."

Can someone explain to me why we started attacking her? It seems as if we could have started rebuilding things as soon as we were alone again, but instead we fight?

>>29037170
I think people were suspicious of some of the wording or sarcasm in her brief explanation and panicked.

>>29037170
basically she came in when we were in the middle of a quest and said 'nope'

She is entirely against the rebuilding prospect. The instant we revived the statue she was here.

>>29037170
Because she wanted to destroy the bridge and attack our golem friend.

>>29037170
Statue dude healed us and is our first friendly encounter, so went to bro tier.

Then this lady came up with nice gear and while condescendingly friendly, had a hostile intent to our newfound friend.

>>29037158
The thing about Meat is it's a counterpart to Soul: It lets a player experience the game in the same way as Ash, so you're not just triggering abilities, you actually feel like you're in the world, which gives you a huge advantage over a normal player... for a price.

>>29037220
So we're astrally projecting into this world, then?

>>29037220
Is this base off something and so that is where you are getting your info from?

I'm going with the questions first. You're not letting her go.

>>29037117
"...meat? I heard that term before, explain further..."

"You mean you've met one? I saw the gear you left behind, remember? Meat's what happens to players when they die. They can keep playing, but they're little more than monsters."

>>29037124
>>29037159
>>29037166
"I've just got a feeling, okay? The bridges need to stay up. The world's kind of empty, have you noticed that? I know they're going to add shit as time progresses, but it's like the NPC's are actively constructing the world as we experience it... like maybe our perceptions shape it. Look, just... go with me on this, all right? I'm sorry I hurt you, but I panicked."

She actually looks really upset, and she squirms in the statue's grasp. She tries to speak to you in a sibilant whisper, rather than a normal tone. You get the impression she doesn't want the statue to hear. "Can we please not talk about this? It's just a game."

"We do shape this world, of course we do. With the bridges and everything. If you want to build bridges, that's fine. But I wouldn't have hurt you. Only meat goes around killing other players like that. They've got nothing to lose. You have so much."

She frowns and shakes her head. "What...class are you anyway?"

>I'm asking questions.
>That doesn't matter.
>I hacked into the game and got the fourth starting class.
>Avatar, of course.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29037236
>>Write in.
"Well, have fun being meat I suppose."

Then kill her.

>>29037236
>>I hacked into the game and got the fourth starting class.
Duh! Everyone does that!

>>29037236
"So I'm right. At least partially. Slave, set her down gently please."

Telling her we hacked is a bad idea.
>Write in.
Something called Liberated Soul. It popped up about how I was a lucky player and had been selected randomly.

>>29037236
I don't know, I just started playing and chose randomly at the start.

4 completely different votes. oi vey.

Alright gonna say combine these two. If PKers are really that frowned upon lets not do that.
>>29037272
>>29037254

>>29037272
Seconding.

>>29037291
But it wouldn't really be PKing if an NPC did it.

>>29037304
With how real the game is and the fact that the NPC actually de-aggroed us I doubt it.

>>29037232
it's not info, it's a guess.

But supposition is better than ignorance, right. Can always adjust theories after the fact to reflect new evidence.

The whole game "exists" as a normal MMO, but Meat and Soul operate as a kind of "overgame" using the basic MMO as a backdrop.

>>29037323
Might be nice to tell us it's a theory before hand.

You guys seriously think we can leave this loose end after what just went down?

Kill her.

>>29037340
Am I OP?

Then nothing I say is fact. I'd have thought that was pretty obvious.

>>29037254
"Well, yeah, I suppose. You argue pretty forcefully. Thank you," she says when the statue releases her. She looks warily at the statue, but it doesn't move. She takes a mirror out of her belt pouch and peers at it.

"Ouch! Curbstomped by a complete newbie." She raises an eyebrow, "To be fair, I didn't know you weren't on my side. And you don't look in great shape yourself."

>>29037272
"Uh, a Liberated Soul. I got a little pop-up telling me I was randomly selected to play it."

Her eyebrows go up and she grins. "Seriously? You got the mysterious fourth class? You have no idea how much everyone speculates about that." She smooths down her hair. "I don't feel so bad about being beaten now. What's it like? Get any new abilities?

>"Nope, just all of the other class abilities. At least so far."
>"Not as far as I know."
>"It feels a bit overpowered."
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29037353
>>"Not as far as I know."

>>29037352
I thought I missed something the OP said in the first thread or something.

>>29037353
"For now, looks like a gestalt of the three starter classes. My stats are pretty basic, I think, except I've got a pretty even balance of health and soul. I can't tell if it's overpowered or not, to be honest with you."

>>29037371
Fair enough. I'll try and at least spoiler tag any further speculation.

>>29037353
>>"Nope, just all of the other class abilities. At least so far."
Probably all skill and no stats.

>>29037397
"What do you mean 'meat has nothing to lose'"?

>>29037372
"I suspect the class is intended to be a nasty surprise for anybody trying to prey on newbies."

>>29037353
>>Write in.
"I'm not sure, is there any guide to this game? A wiki of some sort?"

>>29037403
>>29037372
"Huh, no wonder I underestimated you. Most people start off with one ability and once they've used it, that's it for a while.

>>29037409
"What do you mean 'meat has nothing to lose?"

"They can't fall any further. We can lose abilities, levels, gear, pieces of Arcadia, the lot. They don't even get a mirror. They can collect money and ordinary weapons, but that's about it."
>>29037414
"Is there any guide to this game? A wiki of some sort?"

"No one I knows managed to find one in English. Not yet, anyway."

She takes a deep breath and clasps her hands in front of her. "There's something I want to say. The best part of this game for me is exploring and getting from one amazing looking place to another, and I realise I was kind of ruining that for you. I got caught up in the philosophy of bridges. I never wanted to ruin your fun. I'm sorry."

"Prophet?" the Sweetmeadow Slave speaks.

"Yeah, go back to your bridge. I really don't feel like trying to stop you anymore."

"Thank you." She flinches as it pats her on the head. She doesn't get a shower of energy out of it though.

The Sweetmeadow Slave starts to walk off.

And this has gone way over time. Thanks for playing everyone. I'll be back probably after Christmas, so have a good one.

>>29037470
Just don't abandon us, OP.

Please, and Merry Christmas.

I'm sorry too. Getting attacked right after character creation made me think PKing was common and when you said you were here to stop that guy. Well I didn't want to die either.

>>29037470
Alright, see you later OP, thanks for running.

>>29037484
Yersh, this is a cool world. Totally want to explore more.

This is neat. You guys are too soft though, should've killed her. We would've gotten mad XP.

>>29037516
It's not like killing someone in a videogame, though.

Ending someone here is distinctly unpleasant.

>>29037545
>implying we should care

Murderhobo or go home, baby

File: 1387793785188.jpg-(24 KB, 640x368, peopledie[1].jpg)

24 KB JPG

>>29037568
People don't like doing unpleasant things.

>>29037575
We seemed to take murdering that guy by the tree pretty well.

>>29037585
He jumped us and we just reacted. That was HOW we found out it was unpleasant.

Think of the blood we had to clean off. Yeah, I'm all for not needing to take another immediate bath.

>>29037470
Of course, I arrive just as everything ends. I look forward to the post Christmas threads.