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You shrug. “Well, you got me. You may not be my most powerful spirit, Tryd, but all of the heavy hitters in my arsenal are terrible conversationalists.”

“Watch you don't tell the rock lady that. I think she'd be miffed.”

The two of you climb together out of the Moon Gardens, slowly ascending the path back toward sunlight once more. Tryd scratches at his scalp, shedding flakes of charcoal onto your shoulder.

“I don't know, kid. Being cooped up in a hunk of scorched wood for weeks at a time is growing old. A walk out and about every so often wouldn't hurt.”

“You can clearly let yourself out whenever you so see fit,” you point out. “No one's stopping you from manifesting whenever you like.”

He's quiet at that for a time. As you reach the doors to the surface, you hear him mutter, “You and your master are very different people, Osyki.”

(cont.)

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More time has passed than you might have expected. The sun hangs low in the sky overhead, steadily plummeting toward the horizon. The silver-limbed trees cast lengthy shadows, branches like gnarled claws questing for something just out of reach. You see Pruisa sitting on a bench nearby, posture perfectly straight. Her eyes are closed, but she's clearly not asleep. When the guards snap to attention, you see her eyelids flutter open.

“Your belongings, sir,” the gate guard says, handing you a box of your effects. He's shaking like a leaf as he hands you Magni's spear. You can't help but raise an eyebrow.

-Mortals-

The word comes like a sigh carried on the breeze. The unmistakable screech of metal on metal accompanies it as it flees from your mind as quickly as it came.

“Totemist,” Pruisa says. She dusts herself off as she rises from the bench, banishing unseen dust from her finely pressed skirt. “Corporal Rime has lodgings prepared for you.”

> Thank you, Pruisa.
> I'd like to see another district first, actually. (Which?)
> There's somebody in the Gardens you ought to know about, Lance Corporal.
> Write-in

---

You are Osyki, journeyman Totemist and first line of defense for your village against the rabid Behemoths wandering the land. Your master, the previous Totemist, fell in a battle against a terrible Behemoth, leaving the duty of defending your settlement to you. The long-awaited missive from the nation to the southwest has finally arrived. You have arrived in Eluneia to make a case for your village after a harrowing journey through the mists.

[[Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem

Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log: http://pastebin.com/VsJpEUx3

Ask: ask.fm/DiarcaEXE

Wiki in progess: http://totemistquest.pbworks.com

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

>>42278228
> Thank you, Pruisa.
Fuck yeah, Totemist Quest. I wasn't expecting this until tomorrow.

>>42278228
> Thank you, Pruisa.

>>42278228
>Thank you, Pruisa.

>>42278228
>> Thank you, Pruisa.
Woo Totemist Quest!

>>42278228
A day early and everything. I thought I was going to miss this tomorrow.

>>42278228
> Thank you, Pruisa.

>>42278228
> Thank you, Pruisa.
Congratulate the gate guard for not going insane. The spirit bound in the spear is a -feisty- one.

>>42278228
>> Thank you, Pruisa.
totemist quest, fuck yea

You could do with a place to rest your eyes, both physical and spiritual. As you cinch your weapons back into their usual resting places, you nod your assent. “Thank you, Pruisa,” you tell her. “That would be most welcome.”

She bows low, stiff at the waist. When she straightens up, she turns on her heel and leads you back toward the gate to the Garrison's district. “How did you enjoy the Gardens?” she asks.

You consider carefully how to answer that. You wouldn't exactly say that you enjoyed yourself, but...

“It was fascinating,” you tell her. “Primal and untamed in every sense. Even the walls were alive. I thought I might have been lost down there forever.”

She nods. “One of those.”

You shoot the back of her head a puzzled look. “I don't follow.”

Despite the risk of crashing into an unsuspecting noble, she turns to look at you over her shoulder. You're surprised at the faint spark of amusement you detect in her features. A subtle upward quirk at the corner of her mouth. A tiny crinkle in the corners of her eyes. Is Aria Nymph highlighting these things for you, or are you just getting better at reading people? “The Garden shows itself differently to all who enter it. I'm not surprised it took on a wild appearance for you.”

“I think I'll take that as a compliment,” you tell her.

“Take it as you will,” she replies. In a flash, her tone is back to crisp professionalism. “The Corporal has made room for you in a small townhome just outside the Ring of Iron. The space is yours to use as you will.”

(cont.)

>>42278699
“Most appreciated.” A townhome? You glance at the size of the stone dwellings you pass. What qualifies as small to these people? Most of the shabby buildings around here are still double the size of your workshop.

Your questions is answered as you pass through the second portcullis, entering the first district of town you came in through. Pruisa veers right, opening the gate to a two-story cottage just outside the Garrison district's walls. You think you can see a hint of a small yard in the back.

“This is it?” you ask, surprised.

“I know it's not much, but it's what we could do on such short notice,” she says with a shrug.

> It'll do.
> It's perfect.
> Care to come inside for a cup of tea, Lance Corporal?
> Write-in

>>42278719
> It's perfect.
> Care to come inside for a cup of tea, Lance Corporal?

>>42278719
>It's perfect.
Time to test out big snake or are we keeping that sort of thing on the down low while we are here?

>>42278719
>> Write-in
I'll survive.

>>42278719
>>42278731
That works.

>>42278719
>> It's perfect.
>> Care to come inside for a cup of tea, Lance Corporal?

>>42278719
> It's perfect.

>>42278767
We just met the woman. You already want to use our big snake on her?

>>42278767
Keep it on the down low let's investigate the town an why marisol is considered a criminal because of where she was born

>>42278789
No the other big snake. the one with the hood.

>>42278719
> It's perfect.

>>42278719
> Care to come inside for a cup of tea, Lance Corporal?

>>42278805
I don't really want to talk about whether Osyki's been circumcised. Kind of creepy that you're thinking about it, man.

>>42278865
I don't know when I have to deal with americans man. The fact that you get circumcised at all is creepy to me. I was just talking about a cobra and continuing a dick joke.

>>42278191
HE LIVES!

>>42278719
> It's perfect.
> Write In:

How long should I expect my visit to last? A place like this seems to imply that negotiations will take some time.

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You can't help but smile. “It's perfect, Pruisa.” A lovely little cottage, replete with hanging moss growing from between some of the stones. It's almost picturesque. “Please thank the Corporal for me when you return to the Garrison. Am I expected by anyone at any point this evening?”

She shakes her head, braids rippling to and fro. “No, sir. You've the evening to yourself tonight. Please feel free to wander the districts as you please. Although,” she says casting a dubious eye at your armor, “you may wish to dress down a touch if you don't want to draw a crowd.”

You glance down at your radiant crystal breastplate. A fair point.

“We'll send someone tomorrow in the morn to escort you to the Lordship estate.”

“Understood, Corporal. Would you care to join me inside for a cup of tea before you go?”

You see one of her eyebrows rise a fraction of an inch. “Thank you, Totemist, but I have other duties I must attend to. Perhaps another time.”

“Of course. Have a pleasant evening, Pruisa.”

“And you, sir.”

With another mechanical bow, she excuses herself. Braids bouncing behind her, she makes her way up the path toward the Garrison district.

You turn your attention to the cottage. Your home, for the time being.

> Get settled in. A nap, maybe some food.
> Find a space to use as a temporary workshop. It's been too long since you experimented.
> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.
> Head out on the town. (Change first?)
> Write-in

>>42279374

Dropped my trip.

>>42279374
>> Find a space to use as a temporary workshop. It's been too long since you experimented.
>> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.
Contact Boand, make space and experiment, rest

>>42279374
>> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.
>> Head out on the town. (Change first?)
No changeing

I don't want to lose the buffs our equipment gives us

>>42279374
> Write-in
Unbind Cordia, see how she's recovering.

>>42279374
> Find a space to use as a temporary workshop. It's been too long since you experimented.
> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.

>>42279425
This, let's talk to best girl

>>42279374
>> Find a space to use as a temporary workshop. It's been too long since you experimented.
> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.

>>42279374
> Head out on the town. (Change first?)

Drop the gloves, armor, and bow. The rest of our outfit shouldn't cause too much trouble.

Start by getting a better look at the city from a high vantage point.

>>42279374
Seconding >>42279425

>>42279425
Might as well, I figure it doesn't hurt to let the spirits capable of communication do so when we're not busy, though Thane and the Drake aren't into talking most of the time.

>>42279374
I forget, did we ever check to see if the Basilisk Wyrm spirit is sapient?

>>42279600
No. We haven't contacted its spirit.

>>42279374
>> Find a space to use as a temporary workshop. It's been too long since you experimented.
>> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.

>>42279374
>> Find a place to rest and contact Boand.
>> Head out on the town. (Change first?)

Would like to add: Get food in town and see what weird shit they eat here.

>>42279481
>Implying Saeri isn't best girl.

>>42279684
I feel bad for the healer girl whose name I actually forgot. None of the players seem to care about her anymore.

>>42279684
wait was she the healer girl or the girl from the underground stone city thing

>>42279780
After checking the pastebin, her name is Elana.

>>42279780
I like the healer girl

>>42279780
I like her...I just didn't remember her name until just now.

>>42279804
thank you.

>>42279780
I like her!

>>42279800
The girl from Pointsmar. The second one.

>>42279684
Siperco is best.

>>42279780
I care about her. She just hasn't been relevant to the plot lately. Osyki's been spending a lot of time away from Grisoch, so he hasn't had many chances to spend time with her. Combine that with the hiatus and there hasn't been much reason to think of her right now. I'm sure once we get back home we'll be interacting with her plenty again.

>>42279780
She's the girl next door, when literally every other woman who Osyki encounters seems to ooze mystique, power and ephemeral charm. It's to be expected, through no fault of her own, that she gets overtaken fairly quickly.

I liked Saeri.

>>42279898
I haven't read the archives in a while but I think I remember we didn't spend much time with her even when we were at home recently

>>42279908
Shes the potential ubermage

>>42279908
doesnt she have eyes that can see the magic quantum strings binding the universe together or something.

>>42279924
And when that plot thread gets expanded on, she might well leap back to the head of the pack.

>>42279964
I love me some plot

>>42279872
...Welp back into the archives I go. wish me luck and a speedy return.

[[Sorry. Had to make myself some food!]]

You pass through the gate, stepping into the cottage proper. The interior is homey; the narrow entryway has a place to hang your coat (you wonder idly if that would offend Thane), and it branches into a staircase off to the right. You follow the entryway straight instead, and find yourself in a cozy kitchen. A hearth sits on the near wall, with a decently stocked cupboard and a set of sharp knives featuring into the collection. There's a comfortable chair next to the cold hearth, and it's there that you choose to rest first and foremost. You lay your weapons down on the table. Settling into the chair isn't as comfortable as it could be, still clad in your full protective raiment, but you don't want to spend the time to undo all of your bindings just yet.

Aria Nymph comes away from your face in a haze of cerulean mists. You wipe your face clean of the sheen of water that it leaves behind. Clutching Boand's pearl in your right hand and your mask in your left, you concentrate.

-Boand- you think. -Can you hear me?-

-Loud and clear.- comes the cheerful reply. -I've been getting bits and pieces of your conversations here in the pool. Already making friends, I see.-

-Thanks to you, I think.- you respond. -What's going on at home?-

-Since you left? Not a lot. Quinn and Terra are here gathering blossom pods for something.-

-Send them my hello,- you think with a smile. You can see a brief glimpse of Terra with an armful of brilliant crimson blossoms, grinning like a maniac.

-How is Eluneia?- she asks.

-It's...-

> Interesting. I think they may be hiding something from me.
> Amazing. Everything is so regal here.
> Okay. I'd like to be home better, though.
> Write-in

>>42280071
> Interesting. I think they may be hiding something from me.

>>42280071
> Write-in
"Too soon to say. It's certainly impressive, but I haven't gotten a feel for the people yet. We'll see."

>>42280071
> Interesting. I think they may be hiding something from me.

>>42280071
>> Interesting. I think they may be hiding something from me.

>>42280071
> Interesting. I think they may be hiding something from me.
>I haven't had a chance to speak to the people, though, so we'll see how that pans out

>>42280071
>> Amazing. Everything is so regal here.
>>Its definitely seeming to be too good to be true though.

Theirs no way this city can be an almost Utopian moon paradise of a city without having some sort of dark dealings going on.

>>42280071
> Amazing. Everything is so regal here.
> And huge, everything about it is really damn big.

>>42280071
We should probably ask her what she knows about gods, moon ones in particular.

>>42280157
after the underground traveling steampunk supercity, i think we're done being impressed with big stuff cuz its big until we meet the Sigil equivalent of this world

>>42280071
Backing this:
>>42280097

-...Interesting,- you settle on. -Everything here is exaggerated. Larger than life. The buildings, the people, even their faith. The streets are near paved with silver, and the ladies and lords dress in fine silks and leathers the likes of which I have never seen.- You pause. -It seems too good to be true, which means—

-Which means it almost certainly is,- Boand complete for you. -You said the same thing about Pointsmar.-

-I did not. Pointsmar had some very obvious flaws and inconsistencies on the surface level.- You catch a flash of Boand's curling smile in your mind. 'Surface level'. Hah. -If anything, my suspicions were mostly put to rest, rather than the other way around. At any rate, it's to soon to make any solid value judgments. I'll meet with their lords tomorrow, and by then I should have a better picture of this land as a whole.-

-Mmm. Have fun mingling with the populace,- she says teasingly. -Be careful you don't end up the foreign accessory on some noble girl's arm.-

-I'll keep an eye out.- you respond dryly.

The sound of Boand's tinkling laughter fades as you relax your grip on the pearl. The afternoon is yours now. How will you spend it?

> Focus on your bindings. You'll need your best equipment tomorrow.
> Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.
> Head out immediately.
> Get some rest. You've had a rough day.
> Write-in

>>42280371
> Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.
See how cordia is doing

>>42280371
>Get some rest. You've had a rough day.

>>42280371
>> Focus on your bindings. You'll need your best equipment tomorrow.

>>42280371
>> Get some rest. You've had a rough day.

>>42280371
>Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.
Maybe put boss cobra on our shirt and hope its more subdued than the worm armour.

>>42280371
>Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.
Try and find a combination that maximizes utility while minimizing looking dangerous.

>>42280371
> Focus on your bindings. You'll need your best equipment tomorrow.

>>42280371
> Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.

>>42280371
>> Focus on your bindings. You'll need your best equipment tomorrow.

>>42280371
> Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.

So what are the odds of us actually meeting this moon goddess?

And what are the odds of her being new best girl?

>>42280498
Middling
Low

>>42280371
>> Experiment for a time, then head out on the town.

For the moment, you'll work on your bindings. You have a few Foci which have seen relatively little attention, and one that has yet to be bound at all. You chant the litany that undoes the spiritual ties of your equipment, and immediately feel a few dozen pounds lighter as your Foci come apart one by one from the articles you wear. You line them up on the table at one end of the room, shrug off your cloak (it's a little warm when a shadow spirit isn't inside it) and consider your options.

Boand's pearl seems to produce bindings of a decidedly social persuasion, but Celestial bindings wear you out inordinately quickly. You've yet to try your Emperor Cobra horn focus, and both the Eternal Maw and the Basilisk Cryst are fairly new additions to your ensemble. You have quite a collection to choose from, all things considered.

You turn the Sealed Earth Sphere over when you pull it from your hand-mirror, inspecting it for damage. Aside from a few light scuffs, the wear seems to be mostly superficial. The runes are, perhaps, a little dimmer than usual.

“Cordia, are you alright?”

The sphere hums gently in response. She fails to manifest, but the pulse sends a sensation of comfort through your fingers. She's not alright, but she will be.

Good enough for now.

> EXPERIMENT TIME.

> Please cast your vote for one focus and one anchor.
> Osyki has time for THREE TO FOUR new bindings before he heads out on the town.

>>42280649
Emperor Cobra and bow. I want to see it for comparison's sake with our other giant snake bows.

>>42280649
Emperor Cobra Horn
Amulet

>>42280649
Cobra in your armour. Also the mask.

>>42280649
Eternal Maw
Armour

>>42280649
>Boand's pearl+necklace
>Emperor Cobra+sword

Anyone have that spreadsheet with all our known foci combinations thus far?

>>42280649
Eternal maw mirror
I wanna get some new items to put spirits in while we're here.

>>42280725
It's really outdated. I think the pastebin has the most up to date list. The formatting is shit though.

>>42280649
Eternal Maw in our Cloak.

Basilisk Cryst in Gloves if we have time.

>>42280725
http://zamubafoo.github.io/

Though it's out of date, doesn't have anything from the Moth and later.

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>>42280649
>Boand's pearl seems to produce bindings of a decidedly social persuasion

>Boand + bow

>>42280649
Boand and shirt
Moth and Pants
Cobra and Boots
Basilisk and Cloak

>>42280737
I once made a list. Even included descriptions of the items when available. Then my computer died and took the document with it. Makes me sad.

>>42280874
If you still got the harddrive you could get it back

You pluck the Emperor Cobra's horn from the table. It feels solid in your grasp, weightier than it has any right to be. You've not had a chance to experiment with this one yet. Between your immediate departure into the mists and the tribulations you faced therein, you simply haven't had the time. But now...

It's always a difficult choice, choosing a vessel for the first new binding. With little idea of what effects are common to each Focus, it's always a little akin to juggling lit torches. Still, you feel your amulet would be a safe first choice. You wind the protective charm's cord around the pointed antlers, chanting the sacred words to bind them together.

When the light fades, the wooden charm and horn have gone. In their place is a heavy pednant, set with an almost luminous reptilian eye in place of a gem. The horn has warped into a decorative ivory frame for the glittering, gem-like eyeball. The simple leather cord of your necklace is replaced by a thin, snake-skin patterned loop.

> [Binding Discovered: Despot Delusion. Wearing this gem confers a sense of gravity to the bearer's person, making them difficult to ignore. Fixing the eye's gaze on an individual makes weak-willed mortals deeply uncomfortable, and makes it difficult for them to deliberately tell a lie.]

It feels even heavier around your neck, but you can feel a sense of almost regal authority while it hangs on your chest. Remembering the way you slew the Emperor Cobra sends a pang of... regret, perhaps, into your heart. It was a lopsided battle from the start.

Still, to the victor...

(cont.)

>>42280899
Yeah nah it's not there, I'll probably try again at some point though.

> [Binding Discovered: Mandate of Earth. A straight, thin blade with an ivory handle and guard. The blade is blunt, but the tip of the sword is unfathomably sharp. Blows delivered with the blunted blade are disproportionately weighty.]

You send one of the chairs flying across the room with an unwitting swing of the Cobra's sword. Though not as large or flashy as some of your other weapons, there is something to be said for the power to send a man hurtling across the room.

> One more round of votes.
> Current Frontrunners:

> Eternal Maw
> Boand's Pearl
> Basilisk Cryst

> Armor
> Cloak
> Write-in

>>42281320
> Eternal Maw
>Mirror

>>42281309
>>42281320
And people said he wouldn't give us anything cool.

>>42281320
>Boand
>Cloak
That amulet could be pretty useful I think, though we need to figure out the right time to use it.

>>42281320
> Boand's Pearl
> Cloak

>>42281320
> Eternal Maw
> Cloak

>>42281320
>Eternal Maw
>Cloak

>>42281320
>Boand's Peral
>Cloak

>>42281320
> Boand's Pearl
> Cloak

>>42281320
> Eternal Maw
>Any

>>42281320
>any
>cloak

>>42281320
>Eternal Maw
>Cloak

After righting the chair (only a few scratches to the varnish, thankfully) and replacing the Emperor's Crown on the table, you pore over your next selection. You pluck the Eternal Maw from the table with your left hand, and hold the Whirlpool Pearl in your right. Though the two gems are nearly equal in size, their palletes and auras could not be further apart. The Maw is a barely-contained vortex of seething emptiness, red and black in equal parts, though you suspect the black is only your brain's simple way of processing the sheer void that lurks within the seemingly fragile sphere of spiritual presence. Boand's pearl, on the otherhand, is a lustrous blue-white jewel. The nacre is shot through with veins of softly glowing cerulean, and the links of coral that bind it to your necklace seem to literally swim with life and vigor.

For a terrible moment, you consider the chain in your pocket. What would happen if you tried to link these with the Link to the World Without?

You dismiss the thought almost immediately. You wouldn't subject Boand to being trapped in a binding with the Avatar's essence.

Still, it's a curious idea.

> [Binding Discovered: Mantle of the Leech. A long black cape, seemingly torn from the void of space. Ribbons of red spirit fire occasionally erupt across its length. The cloak slowly rots away at the world around it, devouring the vital spirit energy of the world in roughly a six-foot bubble around the bearer.]

You quickly unbind that, lest you bring the house down around you. The Eternal Maw stares back at you, ready to take more.

You put it down on the table a little too quickly.

(cont.)

>>42281718
> [Binding Discovered: Wavecrest Cloak. A regal blue cloak, decorated along the edges with images of the surging surf. Drawing the cloak up over the wearer's head creates an aura of flickering blue around them, dampening any spiritual effect not emanating directly from the wearer. This effect pulses outward in waves from the bearer for as long as the hood is worn.]

Watching the world around you ebb and flow in your second sight is both fascinating and disorienting. You get a faint sense of Boand's momentary surprise as you draw the cloak's hood up over your head.

-This is new,- she says into the back of your mind. There's an almost dreamy tone to her voice. -I don't think Ayren ever did anything quite like this.-

> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
> Unbind the cloak and decide on your final loadout for the day.
> Write-in.

>>42281729
>> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
"What do you mean?"

>>42281729
>> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
What day you mean quite like this

>>42281729
>Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
"Good or bad kind of new?"

>>42281729
> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
"In what way?"

>>42281729
> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
"What did he usually bind with your pearl?"

>>42281729
>> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)
"Testing many combinations or this type in particular?"

>>42281777
I think Ayren's pact-Focus with her was a comb, not a pearl. At least, based on the glyphs on the comb she was holding while reminiscing about him. Not sure how she would have gotten it , though. Did he leave it in her keeping, and their pact was a symbolic thing rather than for power?

>>42281729
> Respond to Boand? (Write-in)

"Well, this might've been convenient in the Gardens.

How is it different from the other bindings anyways? It's nice to be able to talk easily with you."

>>42281718
Man, the Eternal Maw is evil as fuck, but damn if it doesn't make an impression.

>>42281802
Honestly, I'm curious why her comb kept its form past Ayren's death. We know most of his totems broke when he died. Are his other old focuses still around somewhere broken?

>>42281885
We should stick it and the basilisk in a weapon and see what kind of unholy abomination comes out.

>>42281888
If I remember right the comb was cracked, so it probably did break. Just not enough for her not to keep it as a memento.

>>42281906
Get a two handed axe and bind Eternal Maw to it

Or bind it to a skull for maximum edge

>>42281975
We'll probably get some heartbreaking omake of him leaving her with the comb now.

>>42281998
Do we have any money to buy weapons or other cool items here?

>>42281888
It holds no power or significance as a totem now, the only reason its intact is that boand probably kept her part of however it works to keep it a thing.

>>42282014
DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGE!

And by that I mean we ask nicely and hope the shopkeepers are good people.

You tilt your head to one side, attempting to convey your sense of surprise to Boand. -Different?- you ask tentatively. -Different how? Because of the cloak, or because we can speak like this?-

-A little of both,- she replies. -Ayren tended to find one good meld for his Foci and stick with it. I suppose he didn't have time to try every permutation like you seem to enjoy. In the end he made up for it with the strength of his Foci, but I always told him that his lack of flexibility would come back to haunt him.-

There's a mischievous double-layering to that last sentence that you're hesitant to explore any further.

-Do you know why we can communicate like this?-

There's a brief sensation of intense focus on Boand's end, and you can see the Wavecrest Cloak ripple as though a stone had been dropped into it. -Cloth mediums work well, I think. It aligns with my nature better than a wood mask.-

Interesting. You knew the material of your anchor had some minute effects on the aesthetics of binding, but this is on a whole other level. -Learn something new every day.-

A fleeting glimpse of her fox-like smile ripples across your mind's eye.

You glance out the window. The day is growing shorter by the minute. You have plenty of permutations left to try... but you should probably get going if you're going to go at all.

> Continue experimenting. (Suggest next combination.)
> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout: Flashy, subtle, defensive.)
> Head to bed early. The town can wait.
> Write-in

>>42282064
>> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout: Flashy, subtle, defensive.)
Absolute subtle

>>42282064
>> Get ready for a night out.
Subtle

>>42282064
> Get ready for a night out.
Flashy

>>42282064
>Get ready for a night out. (subtle)

>>42282064
>> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout:subtle)

>>42282064
> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout: Flashy, subtle, defensive.)
>Flashy
Honestly this seems like a flashy place, so making a big splash might do well to help us make a good impression.

>>42282064
> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout: Flashy, subtle, defensive.)

Subtle. We can go flashy when we go to meet the lord.

>>42282064
> Get ready for a night out. (Choose loadout: Flashy, subtle, defensive.)
Subtle. At least, so long as we're just touring the town. Subtle the first night out, flashy once we know the area.

You pluck select Foci from the table, placing each in turn within its appropriate anchor. You imagine to any walking by your house, the rapidly strobing lights emanating from within must be a source of some curiosity. Your village has grown used to it by now, and if you spend any length of time here, the residents of Eluneia will have to follow suit.

With your subtle bindings in place, you tuck away the overly obtrusive foci in your pack. All said and done, while you feel a little underprotected, you know for a fact that you won't stick out too badly in a crowd.

> Current Loadout:
Cloak: Nocturne's Embrace
Gloves: Obsidian Touch
Pants: Velociraptor Graves
Bracelet: Ring of Reverberation
Sword: Moth's First Resort
Boots: Cloudwalker's Stride
Bow: Crystfire

> Unmelded: Ykree Fin, Razor Wing, Siren's Heart, Eternal Maw, Boand's Pearl, Emperor's Crown

You're sleek. You're quiet. You're ready to blend in to an evening crowd. Moth's First Resort won't be too out of place as a simple silver rapier, and Crystfire, while unusual, doesn't crackle with otherworldly flames or golden wisps of wind. You note, as you step out of the house, that you don't have any key to lock the door behind you. Vowing to search for one in the house on your return, you set forth.

(cont.)

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>>42282526
The streets are a little less bustling by the time you make it outside. For a town of this size, though, a little less bustling is still as busy as you've ever seen the thoroughfare through your village. You weave between the shoppers negotiating with merchants in stalls along the road, taking in the sights of Eluneia without a guard to force your path. In the distance, you can hear a loud bell tolling, and a detachment of soliders march up the street past you in perfect, synchronized step. Stone spires many rooftops away beckon your investigation. High above the city, the moon rises into the sky alongside the sun, as if to proclaim dominance over the heavens above.

The city stretches outward before you.

[[We'll call the thread here for the evening. Shorter than I'd like, but I need to pack for travel before I sleep. If I can run a thread Monday, I'll announce it on twitter. Otherwise, we'll pick up on Friday at our regularly scheduled time. Have a good night!]]

>>42282539
Night Diarca. Dont let the horrors bite.

>>42282539
Good night, Diarca. Thanks for running. Travel well.

>>42282539
This look like arrogance against the heavens and spirits

>>42282539
Goodnight Diaca, thanks for running.

[[As per usual, I'll stick around a bit post-thread to answer any questions.]]

>>42282740
So do bindings break when the Totemist dies? Boand's comb raises some questions.

>>42282808

Without spoiling anything major, yes and no. The objects themselves become defunct magically. Weaker bindings will disintegrate entirely. Depending on the strength of the bond with a given spirit, some can survive, as you've seen.

>>42281309
>Despot Delusion
Perfect.

>>42282740
Thanks for the thread.