>>42839632

>"Wait!" He calls out suddenly and then kneels closely to the girl. "She's waking up."

The girl instantly scurries back on seeing that she's not alone. She tightly clutches the rags you had so readily thrown away, and eyes the both of you with a glance that would not be amiss on a cornered animal.

>Matthias ignores her defensive retreat and keeps approaching her until she's forces her back to a wall. He kneels down to eye-level with her. "Whats your name?" He asks gently.

>

You wake up, and judging by the light and the commotion outside your tent, it’s already well into the morning. Not that the army would ever move out without you, though, you figure it’s about time that you get going.

In one fluid movement you rise from the bed and pull all the covers along with you, exposing Izu’s face to the bright morning light, much to his dismay.

“It’s rare that you sleep in.” You announce aloud, as you start dressing yourself.

He sluggishly rises, lets out a long yawn, and stretches his arms. He turns to you, his disheveled hair flopping around. “We’re almost there, right?”

“Almost being the reason why we’re moving out.” You respond while slipping into your greaves. “So get going, Captain.”

With one last stretch her energetically bounces out of bed and begins readying himself to move out.

Some of the soldiers will take care of the business of packing up your tent, so all you need worry about is your own personal items.

You slip your cloak over your armor and instantly hear a voice.

“The pinnacle is in sight. Your knowledge is under your control.”

Not the best timing, but you’re not going to pass up this opportunity. You turn to Izu, and he nods, knowing that you will soon need quite a bit of healing to head out without notice.

You consider your choice along with the plans you have for the future. Which one will it be this time?

>Delving

>Pyromancy

>Sealing

>Write in. (Details are appreciated.)

>>42839686
>Sealing
We use it all the time, but haven't leveled recently, so let's kick start it with the cloak.

>>42839686
AHHH IM NOT READY

>>42839759
Don't get left behind, anon.

>>42839686
>>42839749
>>42839792
Well I've been voting for Sealing the last 3 or so times, no reason to stop now.

>>42839686
>Pyromancy
For general combat stuff and our eventual fight with aya.

>>42839686
>Delving
how to force someone into our pocket realm

Hello and welcome back to another run, everyone!

>>42839749
>>42839807
Been a while since we last chose this.

>Writing~

>>42839820
Vicki is looking into that for us already.

>>42839877

A bitter taste has been in your mouth whenever you remember how you failed to seal Philomena in your recent fight, and since learning about the fundamental origin of all powers, you’ve been ruminating over a way to practically apply that knowledge.

Your thoughts drift to improving your sealing ability and you instantly feel the effects coursing through your body.

One by one, for brief moments of time, your connections to each of your individual abilities is sealed off. It starts with your least practiced abilities, but the sensations are already vividly unpleasant. From the start, it feels like your blood has turned solid and is tearing through lining containing it.

It progressively becomes worse until the final, the most innate and practiced abilities are sealed away from your grasp and you feel yourself being compressed into one of the small confinements you’ve inflicted upon others, every individual particle of your being screaming out in torment.

And then it ends. Waves of pain, as if every fiber of your muscles are being torn and then sewn back together, pass over you and leave you pinned to the ground. Izu has been channeling his healing flames into you since the very beginning, you’d very likely not even be conscious if he hadn’t.

He patiently does his work as you lie there with new knowledge settling in your mind.

You know now how to cut off the abilities of others, and the agony that they will go through even if you’re able to do so for a brief amount of time. Some testing needs to be done, but at this moment, it would be a very unwise action.

[1/2]

>>42840550

After several minutes, you feel well enough to rise to your feet, and signal for Izu to cease his flames.

“Not the best way to start a day.” You groan as you rise. “But, it’s only the start."

The two of you head out from your tent to meet up with the remaining councilmembers.

~

“Seems like we’ve been dropping off like flies as of late.” Justina announces as everyone ponders what could have possibly happened to Philomena.

“We are not certain that she’s dead.” Disgur responds. “No trace of her has yet to be found.”

“She’s dead alright.” Justina crosses her arms. “She was never one to skip out on breakfast or be late.”

“She wasn’t so weak that she would’ve been killed off by the mindless soldiers.” You add knowingly.

“Then it would have to be some other stronger force that stopped her.” Disgur loses himself in thought.

Virgil comes into the meeting tent with considerable haste. “The search of the affected area has turned up absolutely nothing. But I think if we try-“

“We have no time.” The general who replaced Zarn finally interjects. “We should be leaving at this moment.”

Disgur uncrosses his arms. “It still doesn’t sit right. One more search shouldn’t hurt. We must do our best to find and eliminate any potential threats to The Empress, doing anything else would be folly.”

“I’m with metal head.” Justina speaks up. “Time for us to get going already.”

“Then we’re at a tie.” Disgur announces and then turns to you. “The choice comes to you.”

You feel the weight of all of their stares come upon you at the same time, but Virgil’s bore into you analytically. The obvious choice for someone not wanting to get caught would be to leave the evidence behind as soon as possible, but in this case, it isn’t so obvious. Not choosing to search might raise even more suspicion, but it’s certainly possible that your flames eliminated all traces of her, and another search would turn up nothing at all.

>Vote to leave now.

>Vote for another search.

>Write in.

>>42840589
Virgil what was your idea first? Another search repeating the same techniques is folly.

>>42840618
For the sake of avoiding a very short update. He plan's to involve Disgur's tendrils in the new search.

>>42840589
>>42840618
supporting

The current Plan is VERY time sensitive, and the Maw is well aware of the current situation.

>>42840589
>>42840657
If that's the case
>Vote to leave now.
Too risky imo

>>42840589
>Vote to leave now.
Too much depends on the time

also we killed her, but don't say that

>>42840657
waitwaitwait. Use tendrils right after an infection-based attack? Does this not sound like a bad idea?

Well, we won't stop him, I guess.

>>42840589
>Vote to leave now.
That'd take forever and we lack time. The Empress wants results and soon. Besides using those tendrils after an infective attack is folly. If the enemy DID kill her with such a technique we'd lose 2 general instead of 1. However, odds are she either ran away or turned coat.

>>42840718
His tendrils are susceptible to the surrounding environment as he wishes them to be, up to a point of course, but it would certainly keep him from being infected.

>>42840680
>>42840703
>>42840741
Time is short and we must get going.

>Writing~

>>42840771

You shake your head. “Let’s not forget that we’re fighting a war. Our grand plan requires us to be as expedient as possible, and we have no time for another search. We’ll focus on our duty bring The Empress the results she seeks.”

Disgur nods slowly. “I was momentarily blinded by the loss of an ally, but Sophia speaks reason.” He turns to the army general. “Signal that it’s time for us to march on.”

Virgil lets out an exasperated sigh and leaves the tent without another word.

The rest of you stand and prepare to head out.

“Serves that bitch right to meet her end in mass grave.” Justina comments aloud as she leaves. “She was always too good for my tastes.”

~

The massive stone structure grows even larger with every passing hour, up to the point that it feels like the whole army is being drawn into to its titanic presence. Of course, as the many large drainage channels all converge to this single point, so too does a potent stench loom large over the army. Several soldiers need excuse themselves from the line to vomit this morning’s meal.

“This is the absolute worst! Really, even worse than when we had thousands of fireballs being thrown at us.” Justina stuffs her face firmly into the hair of one of her dolls to escape the odor.

You press on silently in concern that opening your mouth would add a much unneeded taste to the final part of your journey in this realm. Izu marvels at the construction, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding air.

The line stops just about a hundred yards to the side of the Sluice Gate. You impatiently wait to find out the cause, before a messenger finally arrives.

[1/2]

>>42841407

“The Empress summons the both of you, Commanders.”

“How are you holding up?” Izu leans over to ask the soldier.

A slight grin flashes over the soldier’s face and he’s about to speak before turning to you for permission.

You nod your consent.

“I’m used to it, really. One of my tentmates can’t stomach alcohol, and whenever the fool gets drunk he almost certainly shits up his cot.”

Izu laughs heartily at the response and follows you off the construct. He waves at several soldiers as you proceed to the front of the line, and they all seem to have a needed boost in morale when he does.

The Empress stands boldly, staring at the gateway to The Maw, as you approach. She turns once she senses you’re close. “It would benefit everyone here if we got through that wall as soon as possible. However, there’s almost certainly traps waiting for us inside, and if triggered at the most inopportune time, we could stand to lose more than half the army in one single blow.”

“So we’re going to search it.” Justina adds, dread clear in her voice.

“We must.” The Empress responds. “To facilitate this, we’ll be splitting off and clearing a single level-”

“I’ll go too!” Izu raises his hand to volunteer.

A smiles comes over her face. “We’re going to be clearing each floor individually, but I’m sure you can join up with Sophia and-“

“No, I can clear one by myself.” He interrupts.

The Empress turns to you to be the final decider.

You certainly said that you wanted him to be his own person, but you’re already finding yourself with internal conflict with that decision. He is young after all, and bound to make mistakes because of that, but that's also part of becoming your own person. The question is, would it be too risky to let him do so at this point in time?

>Give him permission to clear a floor on his own.

>Insist that he join you.

>Write in.

>>42841438
>>Give him permission to clear a floor on his own.
Don't be reckless Izu

>>42841438
>Give him permission to clear a floor on his own.
He's capable of handling it on his own. Right??

>>42841514
Well that barrier of his could smash Philomena and he ahs purifying fire. He'd have to have very bad luck to fail.

>>42841466
>>42841514
Sink or swim.

>Writing~

>>42841438
>give permission
We have the link, so we'll know what goes on right until the link gets cut off and we get a cliffhanger

>>42841566
Remember to call him Matt

>>42841566

Even before you give your answer you see Izu silently celebrating. “Just, don’t be reckless, Matt.”

He stands upright. “Understood, Commander!” Then he stiffly turns back to The Empress, awaiting the orders.

“Alright then, young one. You’re charged with clearing the floor above ground level.” The Empress states to him with utmost seriousness. “You must not fail, or else everything will come tumbling down on the rest of us.”

“I’ll do my best!” Izu responds eagerly.

“Then head off to Disgur and he will point you in the right direction.” She pushes him off gently, and he goes away with a sprint.

The Empress turns back to you and Justina with much more gravity than she did with Izu. “Beneath the surface of that thing, lie creatures that once, with great effectiveness, haunted these planes. “Justina, you’ll be clearing the fourth sub-level. I suggest that you do your best not to forget the way back up.”

With an audible gulp, Justina nods her understanding, bows, and then heads off.

“Sophia, you’ll be clearing the sixth and technically lowest sublevel. Even if there aren’t any traps from The Maw inside, there will be the most hostile and volatile creatures lurking along that level.” The Empress informs you, staring deeply into you with her piercing blue eyes.

Hopefully you’ll be able to escape the stench at that level. But something she said interested you.

“Technically lowest sublevel?” You ask.

“You can go lower, if you wish. But most everyone will find nothing but a literal ocean of filth.” She responds, shaking her head. “You’d have to be a fool to even try descending that low, but it must be checked. Now, get going. You have the most walking to do.” She teases, finishing.

~

[1/2]

File: sluiceENC6.jpg (39 KB, 900x636)

39 KB JPG

>>42842238

You find yourself descending lower and lower still. The forgotten stairway echoing your steps seemingly into eternity, with only the dripping of fetid water to keep you company. The light from the surface has all but left you, and your flames light your path forward, filling primeval braziers as you pass.

A very unique sensation fills your body as you reach the technical bottom of the ancient Sluice Gate and exit the stairway. At this point you feel a presence, clinging just beyond the stone walls, but all around you. At this point, you’re in The Maw.

You step out into the incredibly sprawling space and find that you flame only illuminates but a tiny fraction of what lies ahead of you. But at the sound of movement, you instantly snuff it, and only the dim light of several patches of glowing fungus give light in scattered locations.

You spot the source of the noise. It’s a large boar like creature, several times larger than anything that would be seen in the human realm. By the sound of it, there at least a dozen others patrolling the dark by way of smell, but they don’t seem to have caught whiff of you, yet.

Your armor would very likely allow you to pass through this throng of beasts unnoticed, saving considerable time. But, that leaves the potential of being caught from behind, if you engage in combat further away.

>Eliminate the giant boars.

>Proceed on, ignoring them.

>Write in.

File: sluice1.jpg (101 KB, 1280x534)

101 KB JPG

>>42842238
Forgot the image for this.

>>42842250

>Proceed on, ignoring them.
If we get into combat later we can put a seal behind us.

>>42842250
>Proceed on, ignoring them.

>>42842250
>Eliminate the giant boars.
Nothing good about being flanked

>>42842286
>>42842289
"If you'd just let us step on through."

>Writing~

File: SluiceINT3.jpg (473 KB, 853x1200)

473 KB JPG

>>42842428

Slaughtering some pigs isn’t your objective here, so if you can avoid it, you will.

The boars snuffle loudly as you pass by, just feet away from them. With powerful jaws, they snap through the thick stocks of the fungal stocks lining the floor. They go about their business and so do you.

Confident that you’re far enough away from the boars to go unnoticed, you invoke your flame once again. You clear the space in wide strategic arcs, but even after several minutes, there’s still considerable work yet to be done.

To make matters worse, the further you venture, the less the ground resembles stonework, and the more it becomes a compacted layer of filth, in which your boots sink a few inches with each step.

Absolutely unpleasant. If nothing else, this mission will serve as motivation to massacre the inhabitants of The Maw for making you wander through such a horrid place.

As much as you’d rather prefer not getting droplets of pure filth on your wings, you choose to unseal the crimson lengths and take to a low and steady flight.

With your seemingly endless wandering in this dark and forgotten space, the sight of a single small light catches you quite off guard, but you quickly proceed toward it. However, the light itself isn’t of much importance, but what it illuminates gives you considerable pause.

A steaming wall of solid flesh fills in a small passageway, its thick folds pulse with life, and through several pits in its surface it breathes in and out.
You invoke your flame to clear it away and search whatever’s behind it.

“It wouldn’t work anyway, but please don’t do that. I can still feel.”

[1/2]

>>42843116

A young man’s voice seems to come from the wall of flesh itself, but you turn and scan the area around you to be sure.

“No, it’s me speaking to you. Right here.” The wall of flesh flexes its folds.

You don’t let your flame down. “Were you put here by The Broodmother’s forces?”

“Who?” The wall asks with genuine ignorance in its voice. “I was placed here to keep It from escaping after we harvested Its powers. Tell me…Were the others successful in freeing us from those rampaging beings?”

If what he says is true, just how long has he been down here?

“Those old beings no longer roam the realms.” You answer flatly.

The wall breathes a visible sigh of relief. “Then we did win. I knew he’d lead us to victory.”

“Who?” You ask immediately.

“Him! You know…He was really tall, he had wings that were enormous and a brilliant red, but…I can’t remember his name. But, of course, it wasn’t just him. There were others.” The wall finishes sadly and seems lost in thought.

“The being that you’re guarding, you said that you harvested its powers…” You try to look past the wall through one of its holes, but absolutely no light passes through.

“Yes, we did. It gave some of control of the bodies of those who had passed away, but we couldn’t kill it, so I have to stay here to make sure it doesn’t get out.” The wall answers.

There isn’t any more power to be harvested from that thing that hasn’t been already, so there’s no sense in unsealing it. Perhaps it’s time to move back to your search.

>Leave the wall, and continue clearing the floor.

>Write in.

>>42843147
>Ask if he's cold
He said fire would be unpleasant, but being covered in rotten, cold filth can't be much better.

>Ask what it WOULD take to kill one of these things.

>Ping the creature in our head if it has any input.

>>42843147
>Ask where the others were sealed.

>>42843147
Was the man's name Izurig?

Can we seal his form into that of an approximation of a human's form? Can we mentally reach out to the thing like we did with the thing the Empress bound?

>>42843147
Ask him if he remembers a blonde girl with really blue eyes and if he does for him to tell us everything he knows about her

>>42843206
You can try.

>>42843221
Ask questions first, then maybe I guess then. With his permission if we form change.

>>42843167
>>42843198
>>42843206
>>42843211
>>42843237
Stopping for questions, and maybe something else.

>Writing~

>>42843277
Hey Auri has the attached fear of our true form been dealt with?

>>42843365
The attached fear of your current form has been dealt with for the most part, it just slipped past me in the pastebin.

>>42843411
Form 1 had the fear attached to it dealt with too didn't it?

could we use those 162 tablets to increase the potency of our delve realm technique?

>>42843451
Form 1 did, it's been in the previous fear category for some time now, I think.

You could use the tablets for that, but it would have to be in a traditional delving ritual, unless you learn a different method.

>>42843451
>leech tablets
wow, I haven't looked at the pastebin in AGES.

>>42843483
what happens if we dump all these in the 7th floor?

>>42843505
As far as you know, you'd make very nasty water somehow nastier.

>>42843523
yesssss

>>42843277

Several things stood out from what he said, and you can’t leave just yet without addressing them first.

You point to the small lantern. “That fire there, how has it lasted for so long?”

“I don’t know how it lasted for so long.” He responds. “She left it for me…I wish I could remember her name.”

Nothing of use there. It probably isn’t so much to keep him warm, but more so just to give him a little light in this forgotten place, by others…

“She…we’re any others sealed like you?” You ask, and quickly survey your surroundings.

“No.” The wall sighs pensively. “As far as I know, I’m the only one like this. We were split off from our leaders, and this was our only option.”

“So were these leaders able to kill those beings?” You press on, curiosity apparent in your voice.

“No. All of the past ones have been sealed away, but I’m sure if they were victorious they must’ve killed a few.” The wall laughs lightly.

That’s not the case, but you see no point in crushing that hope for him.

“That’s probably true, if your leaders are as grand as you described that one man.” You assure him. “Does the name Izureig sound familiar to you?”

“Izureig…Izu…”The wall grunts in frustration. “It sounds very familiar, but it’s not quite right. Maybe a little different?” The wall broods silently.

You reach out to the being in your mind while the wall thinks. “Do you have anything to add to this?”

“Everything that he says makes sense, but I don’t know if it's true. I do sense something dormant lying beyond that wall. It’s weak, as far as we go, but it’s very angry.” The young girl chirps back.

She wasn’t there, so there’s no way for her to verify. But there’s someone else that could’ve been there

[1/2]

>>42843916

You interrupt his sounds of deep thought. “Do you remember if a woman with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes was with you?”

“Yes! I remember her. More of a girl really.” He laughs with nostalgia. “Oh, she was so shy and meek. I didn’t even know what color her eyes were until she looked up at me accidentally.”

“Is there anything else you remember about her?” You press on, instantly.

“Our groups worked separately, but I do remember that she hated those beings much more than anyone else. She didn’t really say it out loud, but everyone knew. Whenever talk came about those things’ powers, she’d shake with anger.” He says with mirth for being able to remember it.

The anger is the same, but everything sounds like a completely different person.

The wall continues. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but she had quite the crush on Him, our real leader. Well, everyone liked him, he was that kind of guy, but her feelings were obviously different.” He finishes his memory.

It really is time for you to return to clearing this level, but you want to know everything that he can remember.

“Would it be possible to unseal you from that wall?” You ask quietly.

“Yes, but I would die in process.” He responds with only the slightest hint of sadness in his voice. “I’m here until my end, and I think I wait a little longer until that time. Who knows who else might come through here to talk if you did.”

Then there’s nothing else for you here.

“I enjoyed speaking with you.” You tell it.

“Thank you.” The wall calls out.

You turn to leave.

“Oh, if you wondering about your fleshy friends, they came here just a little bit before you did. They didn’t stop to talk to me however, they seemed really busy...”

>>42843946
~

Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for tonight. Quite a bit of information at the end there.

As always, I want to thank everyone that played today! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them in the thread, and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>42843968
So the caelumnites passed this way before they got turned. Goody.

>>42843974
Not exactly the Caelumnites, who knows who the wall is referring to, but you're looking for any inhabitants from The Maw, after all.

>>42843946
We need to get all the information out of him and then unseal him.
If it works and he doesn't die, then that's good. If it doesn't and he dies? Then our enemies lose a potential source of information in the form of what we asked and didn't ask.

>>42843968
Thanks for running, auri. A shy and young empress? I wish to know more.

>>42843968
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

>>42843974
I don't think Caelumnites, more the flesh soldiers. I wouldn't describe Caelumnites as fleshy.

>>42844029
At this point you're at a time sensitive point, so if you want more information from him, it'd probably be best to come back later, that is, if you can. But if you really want, you can opt to tear him from his post at the beginning of next run.
>>42844032
You're very welcome! Perhaps you shall know more, only time will tell.
>>42844035
You're also very welcome!

>>42844068
How strong is the sealed construct compared to the one the usurper dealt with?

Is the Broodmother one of the people who stole it's power long ago?

Did the Usurper's demeanor change so much because one of them got their hands in her noggin?

>>42844168
>Did the Usurper's demeanor change so much because one of them got their hands in her noggin?
She probably just grew up and got older

>>42844168
Considerably weaker, but would still take up a decent amount of time to deal with.

You know already that she has quite potent manipulation over the deceased. So while she does have its power, you don't know if she received it directly from it.

Mostly this, >>42844213 Of course, with growing up comes experiences that change you.

Alright, I'll be heading out for the night. Until next time!