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The hulking, impassive metal soldier looming over you reaches into the tank beside her, opening a hatch and thrusting her lanky, taloned limb deep inside. When she withdraws it, a pale yellow heart throbs in her grasp, billowing heat forth with every disembodied heartbeat.

“It is yours, Rath.” November intones, brassy voice echoing through her plating as your red-haired companion looks on in abject awe at the device being offered to her. “I know you’ll use it well.”

Rath takes it in hand, wincing at the heat even as she continues to stare into it, a look of joy clear on her freckled features.

“I…thank you so, so much, man.” She breathes, glancing sheepishly up at her armored benefactor. November merely nods, and with that Rath dashes off to rejoin Julia and Amara, excited to show off her prize.

“I thought you said that your life depended on keeping the core?” You ask, eyebrow cocked at November’s inscrutable helmet. She turns from your watching Rath race off to face you, hesitating a moment before voicing her voxel-distorted reply.

“I have a lead on another Forge.” She replies simply, hoisting herself atop her lumbering mechanical steed. You note that for all her steely composure, you’re sensing that she seems somewhat anxious to leave. “I have enough energy to keep the tank running until I get there and commandeer the other core. Your concern is appreciated, but I‘ll be fine.”

She looks down at herself, running the palm of her long-fingered hand along her armored torso, a wave of mixed empathic feelings lapping at you from across your channel. Guilt, shame, hope…you’re not sure what any of these mean as she turns to face you.

“I…believe this is goodbye, for now. I appreciate your offer to use the Forge, but I must be on my way.” She intones, nodding stiffly before giving your companions a final, solemn gaze. “Please continue to take good care of them.”

>>Insist that she wait here short while as you craft some new items and craft her something in turn. You’d like to learn more about her, and having a reliable mode of transportation as you head west isn’t a bad idea if she open to journeying together.

>>You’re not letting November go that easily. There’s something about her focus on Rath that doesn’t sit right with you, and you want an explanation. First she was intent on speaking to your friend almost exclusively, and now she’s trying to hit the road? It doesn’t add up.

>>Ask her to come with you. You plan to swap out the core at the Monastery’s Forge for this one, so maybe you could cut a deal with the Daughter Superior and Sister Uzu to give November their level one core. It’s worth a shot, at least.

>>Let her go while you take the Forge core back to the Monastery. You’d like to have everyone available to give input during the creation process, and it’ll give you a chance to review what you’ve all discovered.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3419964
>>Ask her to come with you. You plan to swap out the core at the Monastery’s Forge for this one, so maybe you could cut a deal with the Daughter Superior and Sister Uzu to give November their level one core. It’s worth a shot, at least.

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3419964
Also, I think November is subtly dealing with PTSD with Rath as a trigger point of sorts. doing 2 tours in the Afghan war as a tank commander is bound to mess people up.
>Open up the empathy channel. A wave of comfort and sadness, and one of hope.
>"And leave Rath hanging? Even Soldiers require a place of shelter and respite. I don't know what you've been through but if the saying 'war is hell' is true, then you've went into hell twice. And it's clearly eating you up from the inside. It's not healthy for anyone at all."
>"I know a place where daughters have learned to suppress their hunger through meditation and practice of self-restraint. A Monastery. That place also houses a Forge core. It's level one, but it's a Forge Core nonetheless. I didn't want to have you leave empty handed since you've done so much for us since our encounter with you."
>Ask her to come with you. You plan to swap out the core at the Monastery’s Forge for this one, so maybe you could cut a deal with the Daughter Superior and Sister Uzu to give November their level one core. It’s worth a shot, at least.
>Spawn a FuzzBuzz for her as a gift. Even if November has no use for it and if she refuses our offer, at least it can be something that brightens up her day as a useful hood ornament or a decor the equivalent of Fuzzy dice.

>>3420004
I actually was gonna do a different choice but the idea of giving her the old forge core is actually a nice gesture, feels bad for her to leave with nothing but aprehension over something to do with someone who probably is starting to look up to them.

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>>3419964

"And leave Rath hanging? Even Soldiers require a place of shelter and respite.” You say softly, staring up at November as you open the empathic channel to send a wave of comfort, sadness, and hope to her across your connection. “I don't know what you've been through, but if the saying 'war is hell' is true then you've went into hell twice. And it's clearly eating you up from the inside. It's not healthy for anyone at all."

November has paused, half-way lowered into her beloved tank as she stares at you in silence.

"I know a place where Daughters have learned to suppress their hunger through meditation and practice of self-restraint. A Monastery…one that also houses a Forge core.” You continue, noting the wave of irritation followed by curiosity that crosses the channel at your last statement. “It's level one, but it's a Forge core nonetheless. I didn't want to have you leave empty handed since you've done so much for us since our encounter with you.”

You smile up at her, and something within her shifts ever so slightly.

“Come with us, November.”

Your hive twitches, a small, compact version of FuzzBuzz emerging from within that proceeds to hum over to rest on the soldier’s hand. She chuckles, a curious, brassy sound, though not entirely unpleasant. She averts her gaze from you, choosing to watch Rath and your fellows idly for a few quiet moments before she turns to you once more.

“…Alright.” She finally relents, climbing out of her vehicle and taking care not to disturb the fluffy palm-sized swarmling that still rests on the back of her hand. “Give me a moment to prepare some countermeasures inside the Metall Geschoss, and I shall join you and Rath.”

You give her an appreciative nod before making your way over to your allies, and what you feel emanating from November puts a smile on your face, despite your reservations about the intimidating soldier.

You feel nothing but waves of deep, sincere gratitude.

When you and your allies take the waystation to the Monastery with November in tow, there’s a noticeable increase in the hustle and bustle taking place in the storied halls, countless Sisters busying themselves with tasks, their numbers bolstered by a myriad of fresh faces. You elbow your way past them to the main hall, muttering apologies all the while as you struggle against wave after wave of white-clad Daughter, stoic and focused in their assigned tasks until the density breaks when you finally emerge into the building’s high-ceilinged cloister.

A vast sea of shuffling movement greets you, the air filled with the murmur of hushed voices and stern commands from leaders unseen until a familiar voice breaks through the din, speaking directly into your mind with a pleasant and flirtatious tone.

{Welcome back, stranger}

(Continued)

>>3420078

You turn to see Gina through the crowd, hazel eyes filled with a playful glimmer, dark brown hair falling about her shoulders as she stands there, fixing you with a wide smile.

[It’s good to see you, GG] You say, walking forwards and into the warm hug that she wraps around you in the middle of the bustling throng of strangers. [How’ve you been holding up, and what’s all this commotion about?]

{Sister Uzu’s been cracking the whip after Dorian caused a fluttering of hearts the likes of which this place has never seen} Gina replies with a grin, one that falters as she continues. {I think there’s something else to it, though. There’ve been more meditation sessions recently, and Uzu’s been pretty stressed with keeping everyone busy…I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with the Hunger}

You watch as Rath drags November by the hand through the crowd and in the direction of the Forge, chatting animatedly as they make their way through the crowd. Amara is perched atop Julia’s shoulders as the latter picks her way through the crowd, trying to get to a less occupied area of the Monastery while you continue your conversation with Gina.

[Interesting…have you and Dorian been able to learn much since we left?]

{Weve found a couple things of interest, though Dorian’s had the best luck of the two of us} She says with a roll of her eyes. {I swear, this place is so full of thots it’s a goddamn think-tank}

She steps back from you, arms still on your shoulders as she looks you up and down, no doubt noting your disheveled appearance.

{What about you, how did things go on your end?}

Your shoulders sag a bit, and Gina’s gaze goes from intrigued to concerned at the shift of emotions across your bond.

[That’s…that’s a whole conversation] You sigh, growing more irritated by the second at the rubbing of shoulders around you, the suffocating crowd seemingly increasing in density the longer you stand there with Gina in your arms.

[For right now though, there are a few things I’d like to get done]

>>Meet with the Daughter Superior and ask her about switching the Forges cores out, and then proceed with crafting if she consents.

>>Find a nice, quiet corner to settle in with everyone and go over West’s notes. Many hands make light work, as you and rath can both attest to.

>>Sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3420081
>Meet with the Daughter Superior and ask her about switching the Forges cores out, and then proceed with crafting if she consents.
Best not to leave November hanging.
>Walk and talk via Crimson Cord.
>[Long story short, the Iron Soldier Rath's been dragging towards the forge nicked the Forge Core from the tier 3 forge we've been meaning to use. We've managed to convince her to come here so we could swap out the Monastery Forge Core for the Tier 3 Forge Core. There's more to the story but it'll have to wait.]

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3420081
>[Geez, so many new Daughters, and with Dorian around, I think half of them will have a harder time containing "The Thirst" instead of "The Hunger"]

>>3420113
Ill support

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>>3420081

[Long story short, the soldier Rath's dragging with her nicked the core from the Tier 3 Forge we've been meaning to use] You say, taking Gina by the hand and leading her after Rath. [We've managed to convince her to come here so we could swap out the Monastery Forge Core for the Tier 3 Forge core. There's more to the story but it'll have to wait]

When you round the corner to the hallway that hosts the Forge you’re met with the sight of Sister Uzu interrogating Rath, November, and a worn-looking Dorian, his normally composed face now the mask of a young man at wit’s end. Uzu herself seems to be faring little better, lines of tension taught across her brow as she turns on her heel to face you, the first words out of her mouth a demand for explanation.

“What’s this about switching out the Forge cores? For what reason?” Uzu barks, her typically clipped and professional manner replaced with tense and acutely stressed tone of voice. You explain the situation to her, introducing November in haste as Uzu’s patience begins to run thin.

“Fine, do it.” She says dismissively after a moment of consideration. “I’m running late to the next meditation session, I don’t have time for this right now.”

Dorian gives the girl a quizzical glance with one sky-blue eye.

“Miss Uzu, I thought you said you had an initiation meeting scheduled?”

“Shi…shoot, yeah. You’re right. Thank you, Dorian.” She says, hastily correcting herself before fixing you with a resigned glare. “Shu? I’m trusting you to not blow anything up, I’ve got a lot on my plate to…

“Go, do what you need to. I’ll keep an eye on everyone.” You assure her, and with that she dashes off to address her obligations. With Uzu gone, Rath wastes no time tearing the original core free of the Forge’s hearth, the light within dimming for a moment before she thrusts the replacement deep within. Rath withdraws her hand just in time before the Forge explodes with a deep crimson light, igniting with incredible power as you and your allies collectively take a step back from the burst of heat as it springs back to life, stronger than before.

“Is everyone ready?” You ask, and you’re met with a series of nods from your fellows. The redhead to your right cracks her knuckles as she steps forwards.

“It’s about damn time.” An impish grin spreads across Rath’s face, her yellow eyes lit by the Forge’s eerie light.

Forge Tiers 2 & 3: https://pastebin.com/pVEbSn6M

RESOURCES AVAILABLE

>>SHU (HP:170%, BIO: 190%): Hive Mistress, Gluttonous, Generator, Humoral Paladin.

>>GINA (HP:170%, BIO: 190%): Neuromancer, Vitruvian (from Kosi), Phantasmal Conduit

>>RATH (HP:210%, BIO: 170%): Vitruvian, Generator

>>JULIA (HP:180%, BIO: 160%): Flesh Artisan, Calcite Armorer, Humoral Paladin

>>DORIAN (HP:140%, BIO: 120%): Flesh Artisan, Humoral Paladin

>>AMARA (HP:120%, BIO: 100%): Skintalker, Humoral Paladin, Flesh Artisan, Generator

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting will remain open for two hours, and please know that questions are welcome if there is any clarification needed. Additionally, this week will follow a fairly relaxed posting schedule, since there are several items of note to address at the Monastery.)

>>3420276
Arma Ashuran. I need it. Give it to me.

Also a question. Could a daughter put 100% of their bio into a relic? Create a powerful relic at the cost of the fleshsmith's life or something like that? The contender has sentience and I can't think of any other way that Karma would've gotten in there.

>>3420276
Right, so my forge vote is;
>SUI TORMENTIS
>>120% Calcite From; 70% TEMPORAL REMAINS, 30%(20 Health) From Julia, 20% From Julia
>>80% Fibromancer From; Trade GEAR Relic, if Rewarded for Forge Upgrade ask for Fibro Bio, and Trade Bio from Dorian, and some Health from Gina, With Bio from Gina too.

I simply think the Armor is way too good to pass up, and way too versatile in later Tiers too. Even starting out, the Defense is great, and not needing to hash out as many Platlings is a massive save. And extra Strength is wholly worth it, an as stated, being able to increase speed and even its own Defense in later Tiers is outright wonderful, even if we might not be able to take its higher Tier just yet. Plus, with the Remains, it may tremendously offset the negative of the Health Cost, which i already feel is worth it in its cost.

And i also want to make;

>CURSUS ALAS
>>100% Hive Mistress From; 45%(30 Health) from Shu, 55% from Shu
>>60% Generator From; 30%(20 Health) from Rath, 30% from Rath.

Long term i still think the armor is much better, but these aren't anything to snuff at either. They can go on anyone, albeit if they have the Bio, while the Armor is about having the Health or Health Regen. They dont offer Defense nor a permanent Increase to speed(technically) or Damage, but can still aid in both, and help keep people out of combat when needed, albeit if we use it for that it kinda feels like its only using it to half its potential.

Still, i think both of these, especially together, will massively increase our combat prowess. Both can be used on multiple people without hindering or changing their playstyle, both have long term upgrades to look forward to, the Armor especially only becoming more and more powerful as our party does due to having more Health to throw at its stat increases, and both can potentially be made without massive gimps to our parties stats, certainly the armor at least can temporarily cover the losses it inflicts due to being Armor.

>>3420288

(That is indeed how the Spine and the Nail were crafted, as that is an option available at a Tier 5 Forge. If attempted at lower levels, it merely results in the death of the user. Also, Karma is something of a special case.)

>>3420296

>>3420291
Is it even possible to Fulfill the Fibromancy requirements for anons' need for Sui Tormentis by sacrificing other Relics?

>>3420300
Sacrifice? Im saying trade it to another daughter in exchange for Bio, or some of our own. Not unreasonable, id imagine.

>>3420300
>>3420303
(Trading it with another Daughter present in the Monastery for their biomass is possible, yes.)

(Someone earlier mentitled haggling with other Daughters for their biomass, and that is an option that is available under the circumstances as they stand.)

>>3420309
what relic tier would the Wild Collar be?

>>3420311
(It would be Tier 3.)

>>Wild Collar: A stretchy leatherbound collar that strangely comes with a Metallic Name plate and a tough leash of Neurocords. The Name tag is blank. An alternate solution for the daring or the desperate that seek to tame the wild world created by the Crucible, the Wild Collar is a relic that binds the Amalgam to the Daughter that holds the Neurocord Leash. Success rates may vary, and even attempting to capture a wild amalgam is tantamount to suicide, as once the collar is roped around the Amalgam, the holder of the Relic and the Amalgam in question will engage in a contest of wills with only one outcome. Either the Amalgam submits or the Daughter dies. Either way, taming the wild has great risk and reward. (Skin talker 100% Neuromancy 120%)

>>3420312
Oh holy hell and i thought i was potentially stretching what we could afford. Though as much as i dont want to stab my own vote in the back, the monestary might be one of the few places with some skintalkers about.

>>3420316
(You are correct. This is a rare opportunity.)

First off, we should hand the Monastery Forge core to November.
>>3420316
Sure we can bargain for their Bio, but what do we have to bargain? The Corrupted Gear's already used to bargain for the Fibromancer material needed to craft Sui Tormentis.

>>3420276
Hey BHOP, do we still have this available, from Ringo in thread 14?

>>TEMPORAL REMAINS (Forge Item): The arm of a Calcite Armorer that has spent too long in the presence of a Tindalos, this surprisingly dense limb boasts a compact amount of Calcite and self-regenerating properties. When used at a Forge of Tier 2 or higher, adding the limb to a crafting recipe grants 70% Calcite Bio towards the cost of the item, as well as imbuing it with a Passive Regen modifier appropriate to the creation in question. Considering a dog gave you it's bone...you're kind of honored.

>>3420330
Ginas conduit is a rare class type. Vitruvian also is something many might be seeking.

>>3420333
Yes. it's still available. We saved it for this occasion.

>>3420333
(You do, it's listed in the Forge Pastebin.)

>>3420330
Also im not sire if we can afford all 3 items but id be willing to trade out the burner bugs for the collar in exchange for Armor support.

>>3420345
>>3420312
Thanks for the info, For the record I was merely asking about the tier the Wild Collar is categorized as, not necessarily voting for it.

>>3420349
Ah dang, my vote still stands as is then.

>>3420342
also is that gear even slightly a digimon refrence?

>>3420356
(If you are referring to the Sparagmos Gear, then you have a good eye. )

>>3420320
Ominous. It might be a good idea to move back to the studio and bring the Tier 3 core with us. (I hope we can keep things safe and peaceful though.)

>>3420276
Forge vote for:
>SUI TORMENTIS
as >>3420291

>OBSERVER'S LENS (from Tier 1)

>KOKU SERUM

These aren't as flashy as new weapons but I'm confident they will be just as useful. The Lens needs upgrading but even at level 1 will make it easier to assess threats and make better decisions. (It would have been hilarious if we made these at the first opportunity and saw B'ni's stats.) The Serum makes constructs super tanky so really good for massive swarmlings and it recharges fast enough for us to get a couple of uses before most encounters.

I realise all three of these would leave Gina and Julia low of Health/Bio so I'm open to making fewer and would suggest leaving three allies behind next time, with one at full strength making sure these two are safe.

>>3420291
I'll support this. Wild Collar might not work out for us at the current moment since the Skintalker and Neuromancer Requirements is too much for us to stomach the cost (it basically cripples Amara and Gina).
And the health/Bio debuff cost is spread across the board in a way that none of our party members are severely affected by it on our next expedition west. it will be an entire vein before the debuffs incurred by forging Relics wear off.
>>3420276

>>3420361
Also BHOP, What's the exact ratios for the debuff penalty incurred for crafting? For example, if Julia were to create the Construct Serum that holds a single charge(30% Flesh Artisan, 20% Calcite) And she pays it in full from her Bio meter, what's the debuff penalty? Conversely, if Julia pays for the Relic using only her health, what's the debuff penalty for that? Because if we are going to make the most out of crafting these relics, we need to know the exact drawbacks.

>>3420383
(Regarding your example, she would spend 25% HEALTH or 50% BIO to craft the item, and her HEALTH or BIO maximum would be cut appropriately, leaving her with a max of 155% HEALTH or 110% BIO respectively.)

>>3420392
Thanks for giving us the example, now that we know the Debuff to Craft conversion ratio is 1:1
That basically solidifies my vote in support with >>3420291

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>>3420276

After more than an hour of testing, haggling, and forging, you and your team finally complete the creation of the Sui Tormentis and the Cursus Alas to much fanfare, most of it courtesy of Rath’s boisterous nature coupled with Amara’s boundless enthusiasm.

Maybe it’s just you, but you feel like you could cut the tension and stress in the air with a knife. As your gaze darts across the faces of your assorted allies, you’re met with a collection of utterly exhausted expressions. The Monastery may be a bustle of activity, but there’s no reason you couldn’t use some of its numerous resources to relax a bit before you continue westward. There’s the Sparring Ring and the Spa, as well as a variety of new faces around the place to chat with.

Regardless of what you decide, spending a little time here couldn’t hurt.

>>Dismiss everyone to go and relax in whatever way they see fit. They’ve all worked extremely hard, and they deserve a break. Hell, you do too, so you decide to go attend to your own needs before you set out again (Write-In).

>>Spend time with Daughters of your choice in either the waking or dream worlds (Choose 2-3 allies to touch base with, either alone or as a group in a place of your choice).

>>They may be tired, but there’s still a lot left to cover. Find a nice, quiet corner to settle in with everyone and go over West’s notes. Many hands make light work, as you and Rath can both attest to.

>>You need to find out what’s been going on in your absence, so sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3420465
>>You need to find out what’s been going on in your absence, so sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them.

The notes are important but so is being up to date on whats happening. Relaxation can come once these two are done, or like always Shu can be Shu and never actually relax haha.

(Gentlemen, voting will remain open for the next two hours.)

>>3420465
>You need to find out what’s been going on in your absence, so sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them.

Priorities. Relaxation and introspection can come after, and we'll get to go over West's notes.

>>3420465
>Hand November the Forge core. It would be polite to fulfill our part of the bargain, as well as give her the reward that she wants (A Forge Core for her tank) due.
>"Thank you for letting us have this opportunity November. Here's the Forge Core for your Tank."
I'm not sure which Forge Core to give to November.
>You need to find out what’s been going on in your absence, so sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them. A big debriefing on what happened on each other's side. Include the Raid on Dr. West's Lab, seeing what happened to Soroitas, the Ambush and November.
>Once Dorian's said his piece, you can dismiss him or suggest to him to relax with Julia. The man ran himself ragged from interacting with the fanbase he unwittingly attracted, and he seems most comfortable with the Julia the Flesh Sculptor that stole his heart at first sight.

>>3420465
>that picture of Sui Tormentis
That's an EVA.
That's some good shit right there.

>>3420489
The Tier 1 core. Giving back the gifted T3 is kinda an insult, or could be seen as such, and we convinced her to come specifically for the T1 core, sorta. I think she was just lonely a bit personally.

(Wrapping up the day Gentlemen, and I'll be posting one I arrive home.)

>>3420465
>>>You need to find out what’s been going on in your absence, so sit down with Gina and Dorian to find out what they’ve learned thus far. It’ll be nice to touch base since you’ve had nothing but a flurry of activity since you last saw them.

best to keep on top of things

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>>3420465

“November? I believe this is yours.” You say, gesturing to the core Rath extends to the soldier, stooped low in the cramped space. She takes it in one long-fingered hand, giving it a cursory examination before turning to face you.

“Thank you.” She intones deeply, stooping even lower as she then gives Rath a deep bow of appreciation.

“Gina, Dorian; I’d like to catch up and see what you’ve found out. Everyone else can chill out around the Monastery, but don’t go too far.” You say, taking your two allies to the central chamber where you ask an authoritative Daughter where you can find a vacant room. The best she can give you is cramped space with a single bed that takes up the majority of the space it was shoved into, barely intended for one person as the three of you cram in to the confined space. Dorian insists you and Gina take the cot, leaving him to lean on the wall opposite you both.

Now afforded a modicum of privacy, you explain what happened to you and your team when you explored the town, ending with a recap of what you found in West’s lab and when you involuntarily slipped once again into your old friend’s mind.

“Shu…shit, I…I’m so sorry.” Gina breathes, horror and guilt emanating across your bond as she takes your hands in hers, and even Dorian extends an amorphous hand and places it gently on your knee.

“You have my condolences, Miss Shu.” He says sadly, his shifting limbs taking on a deep cobalt coloration as he sympathizes with you.

“I’ll be alright.” You reply, giving them both a tired smile before straightening your shoulders. “So, what’ve you two found out?”

“The biggest thing you missed was that Mara had to lay down the law to a fairly infamous group.” Gina begins, leaning back against the wall the cot’s shoved up against as she speaks. “Four girls came around, and literally everyone here got up in arms, panicking as Uzu tried to calm them down. The four called themselves the Midnight Crew, and apparently they earned a reputation for dominating at the Arena not far from here for the past few months.”

The name rings a bell from when you dueled Penny just before you dealt with her boss, though you remain silent to allow Gina time to finish her retelling.

“I thought they were blowing things out of proportion until Mara asked what was up.” Gina says, shrugging her bare shoulder and allowing her sweater to slip a little further down her arm. When she heard who it was she was seriously pissed, so she stormed outside and they had words until the Crew finally backed off.”

“Where’s Mara now?” You ask, and a tinge of regret finds its way into your mind from hers.

“She, uh…she left a few hours ago after making some preparations and re-forging her gear.” Gina says hesitantly, and you sense the implication across your bond, the silent acknowledgement of a single, irrevocable fact.

You both know exactly what Mara’s gone to do.

(Continued)

>>3420478
Seconding. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, so we better get our homework taken care of before having fun.

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>>3420956

“What about you, Dorian?” You ask, turning to the impeccably dressed artist and trying to drive thoughts of Mara and her prey from your mind.

“It’s not that surprising, but a majority of the young ladies here did a fair bit of traveling before arriving here seeking peace, but few have been as far west as you all have.” He says, noting that he talks with his hands when he’s sober as well as when he’s had a bit to drink. “Truth be told, the majority of the information I’ve been able to gather has been regarding Amalgams. The general consensus is that there are at least three different classes of Amalgams; Basic, Titan, and Colossus. From what Gina tells me, it looks like you've fought a Titan class before, near where you met Lady Julia. They're uniquely humanoid, and usually possess some form of unique ability set, making them in-demand targets for Daughters that intend to hunt them down."

"What about the third kind?" You ask, leaning forwards.

"Well, I'd imagine that a Colossus type would be something akin to what you fough...encountered when crossing the River of Tears." He explains, catching himself mid-sentence. "Massive, dangerous, usually a gatekeeper, of a sort. Fighting one is equal parts infeasible and inadvisable, given their size and power."

"Interesting...hey, do you mind giving me and Gina a minute?" You ask, glancing towards the girl on your right as you communicate your intention across the Crimson Cord before turning your gaze back to Dorian. "I know, you should go check up on Amara and Julia. I'm sure they want to say hello to you, away from the heat of the Forge, obviously."

"O-oh?" Dorian stutters, glancing towards the doorway as she shifts from one foot to the other. "That would be...I would very much like that, yes."

He give the two of you a stiff, hasty bow before striding off, brimming with energy despite his earlier tiredness. Gina chuckles as she watches him depart, her eyes lingering on the exit for a second before she turns to you with a sigh and wry smile.

“Ah, I'm rooting for those crazy kids...anyway, to kind of go off what one of Dorian’s earlier points, while most girls here haven’t traveled west as far as we have, there were a few Daughters that were passing through for the Forge or the Spa that were a little more seasoned..." She continues, shifting position on the bed to sit at the cot's head, extending her legs out to where her toes meet your hip. "...and I think I’ve got a decent idea of what’s on the other side of the river we crossed.”

(Continued)

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>>3420976

You scoot a little closer to the brunette, taking her feet and placing them in your lap as she pauses for a moment, a little smile playing on her lips before she continues.

"So north of where we washed up there's the Dissociated Ones, who you mentioned November's familiar with. Hey, did she say what happened to get her kicked out?" You shake your head, and her brow furrows slightly. "Huh. From what I've heard they're pretty chill, so that might be worth knowing. Anyway, to the south is a second Arena, and if I was a betting kind of girl...and I am, as previously noted...then I'm guessing that's where the Midnight Crew are headed, since it's reportedly a lot more dangerous than the one further north of Julia's place."

You notice a glint in her eye as she moves on to her next point, and you can tell she's been saving the best for last...though 'best' is a subjective term when it comes to Gina's curiosity.

"Carroll's Forest is further west, across a set of plains. From what I've heard, it's nuts. The whole place tries to mess with your head, make you see things that aren't there and ignore things that are. It's crawling with Amalgams and even a few Daughters that have tried to exploit the unique properties of the trees there."

"Unique how?"

"Apparently there's a rumor going around that Neuromancers that can jack into the trees and hold their own end up learning a lot about the previous Crucibles, but of course the deeper you go the more pressure it puts on your brain. The girl I talked to lost her friend since she dove too deep, but they seemed a little under-powered than we are now. I figure it's worth a shot...hey, what's with that look?"

You're shaking your head at her, rolling your eyes even as a grin tugs at the corners of your mouth. "You're just too damn inquisitve for your own good, is all. 'Oh shit, a tree that will make my head explode? Sign me up!'"

"Hush, you." She fires back as she sticks her tongue out at you playfully, poking your stomach with one of her toes. Well, you've been debriefed, and now it's just you and her. You know that there's a few other things you'd like to take care of, so what's next?

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3420995
>Give everyone a few hours to relax and enjoy themselves.
>spend time using Gina as a pillow.
>in a few hours, get everyone together to review the notes.

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3420995
Carroll's Forest? Like Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland? BHOP, you never fail to make awesome sounding places.

>Give everyone a few hours to relax and enjoy themselves.
>Spend some alone time with Gina.
>In a few hours, get everyone together to review the notes.

>>3420995
>Surprise her by playfully biting down on her foot with your stomach mouth as a riposte to her stomach-poking. Hold her foot hostage and tickle her by licking the soles of her feet and between the toes. See if she's ticklish.
>Give everyone a few hours to relax in their own way.
>Go and Meditate for one hour, Holly's probably livened up the place on the inside. Say hello to the new faces you've consumed (Penny, Spartan).
>Spend some time with Rath for 1 hour. She probably wants a sparring. Or try to convince her to meditating. If she's not for meditating, bring her to Gina and have Rath go under so that she gets to meet Meg (the Pro-pugilist)
>Spend the last hour with Gina idly chatting about her and yourself.
>We'll have everyone reconvene to review the notes gathered from the Lab.

>>3421068
>fleshscape bodyhorror take on Wonderland.
that sounds like the opposite of a good time, even for what this game has so far offered.

>>3421085
actually we made a promise to that one headpal to let her talk to and train Rath.

maybe...

>Give everyone a few hours to relax and enjoy themselves.
>Spend an hour with Gina, catching up on sleep in the real world while you talk to her in the dreamscape, simply enjoying eachothers company.
>go with Gina to fulfill our Promise to the Boxer about talking to/Training with Rath, as you enjoy the headspace show of seeing them spar, while you maybe talk to Holly in the stand/ sidelines of said headspace.
>After that and everyones had their time to themselves, get everyone together to review the notes.

>>3421107
Well, we're gonna have to go hunt some Amalgams to get people's core level up to speed if we're going into Wonderland Forest.

>>3421130
maybe, but we can decide on that when we get to that point.

id honestly probably vote to see if November wants to drag us along anywhere. lady probably has some places in mind and might like some company.

but for now,
>what do in monastery?

>>3421107
>>3420995
I would like to support the Rath's mental training.
Also, have Gina equip the Spine for this. I'm sure she'll appreciate the additional processing power the Spine can give her.

>>3421253
I agree with this.

Gina is probably the most cerebral member of our party, she seems like a perfect fit for the Spine.

>>3421253
oh wait damn, before that, you just reminded me

>>3421107
>Have Gina see if she can Jack into and talk to the Daughters the Spine and Nail are made of.

im still highly of the opinion we should not use those relics unless we can get permission from the daughters they were made from, otherwise we should destroy them.using relics made by killing other daughters goes against what we stand for too much, aswell as letting anyone else use them.

>>3421253
>>3421254
we should hold off on using something like those, considering what they are and how they were made.

the good new is, with West being our enemy if we can talk to them they probably would be down for it.

(For the sake of clarification, do you want your time alone with Gina to be spend resting and talking with her or speaking with the Spine and Nail? I'll keep voting open an extra twenty minutes.)

>>3421275
id prefer talking to the Relics myself, especially if folks are pushing to try and use them.

>>3421275
Resting and talking. We nearly died (as usual) on that last mission, we need to relax and destress. Also, we could really use some ALONE alone time with Gina, hint hint.

>>3421346
can we at least put off using them then if were not gonna talk to them?

>>3420995

"You look tired..." Gina says, head cocked to the side, a strand or two of brunette hair caressing on her high cheekbones.You nod weakly as Gina pats the space between her thighs, and you shift on the cot until your head rests comfortably in her lap. Her hair falling about your face like thick, voluminous drapes that frame her shining set of eyes and warm smile. "Hey, I can put us both to sleep, if you want. I can even kind of set a sort of bio-clock to wake us up. How's an hours' rest sound?"

You grin as you feel the cord slide into your neck.

"That sounds like the best fucking thing I've heard all day."

You're sitting on the edge of a storage bed, afternoon sunlight filtering into a room with purple walls, though you can barely tell for all the posters occupying nearly every square inch of exposed plaster. Mystery Skulls, Xenoblade Chronicles, Symphogear...along with two-dozen other names of franchises you've never even heard of. The scent of lavender and honeysuckle fill you nose as you breathe in the spring breeze that wafts in through the open window.

"My room, from when I still lived with my parents." Gina says from beside you, throwing her arms wide before letting them fall to her sides as she takes it all in. "I'm pretty sure I've missed some details here and there, but yeah...this is where I grew up."

"I like it." You say with a smile as she settles next to you, leaning one elbow on the open window behind you to stare out into the branches of the gently swaying trees surrounding her childhood home. "It's very cool, and very you."

"Yeah...hey, about the, uh...about back in the tent after you almost drowned." Gina starts, uncharacteristically hesitant as she fidgets with her hair. "You know I'm big on the whole 'not making things complicated' thing, yeah?"

You nod, taking off your shoes to sit cross-legged on her bed, facing her full-on as you watch her struggle with something that's she turning over again and again in her mind, well before trusting herself to voice it aloud.

"Did I skeeve you out?" She blurts, and you're taken aback as much by the wording as her tone. "Was what I did, like...creepy? When I used my cord and looped stuff, and...look, I know it's stupid..."

"Gina...have you been worried about this since I left?" You ask, and you watch her bite her lower lip slightly before she replies.

"No...yeah, kind of. Look, you're really awesome and I really don't want to fuck this up. I mean, I'm kind of the queen of fucking things up, when it comes to...whatever this is." She says with a shrug, staring out the window as a scarlet flush works its way up her neck. "I dunno, you're the first person who's made me want to jump the gun and not play it cool...I'm not used to that, you know?"

Oh...you're really not sure what to say to that. Truth be told, you've been firing on all cylinders ever since that moment that you haven't really had the time or mental space to think back on it...

>>Write-In.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. My apologies for the space between updates, as I was working on two updates in tandem with the votes, and I was knee-deep in one before switching to the other, and then I realized I wanted to take it in a slightly different direction, and then formatting kept things interesting as I pared it down to a decent length...ah well.)

(In any case, thank you so much for your participation and readership, and I shall be resuming in approximately twelve hours from now. Voting meanwhile shall remain open for the next ten hours, and I shall be around for a while longer to address and comments, questions, or concerns. Thank you again, and I hope you have a great night.)

>>3421482
Haha, i know that feeling. Thanks for running as always, even if our inessant need to do ALL THE SEMI TRIVIAL THINGS may not be as exciting to write.

>>3421473
Though honestly i have no input in this scenario. Not my cup of tea, though i still do look forward to seeing what direction you shipper Anons take this in, for different reasons of course.

>>3421520
(Oh no, I find enjoyment even in writing the seemingly trivial. It makes me think about things I haven't before, and it's always a good opportunity to throw in some good characterization every now and then. Also, know I will never give you all a choice that doesn't have some sort of deeper consequence to the narrative. The trivial is always anything but.)

>>3421529
ah, a fair enough point.

speaking of semi-trivial, how do Autonomous Forge Constructs work? is it basically whoever forges them ,it works like a normal construct, in that it goes dormant if it gets too far away, or would they be able to be controlled by anyone who touches them if they are not already inked to someone?

could they be set with instructions to run on even when outside of its controllers range of command?

yes i am just thinking about making Amara a Fuzzbuzz playmate for when were not taking her out on missions and i have no shame or regrets about it at all.

>>3421556
(They are completely and utterly autonomous. Amara will be thrilled.)

>>3421577
(To clarify, they have no maximum range and they will follow the commands of their original creator.)

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>>3421577
>>3421583
splendid.
absolutely positively the best use of our resources and no one shall convince me otherwise.

>>3421473
>"Well... in the heat of the moment it wasn't. To be honest, it was actually kind of kinky because of the bet we had between us."
>*shivers*
>"Being at the tender mercies of someone like you is something I'm also not used to."
>"B-but that doesn't mean we can't continue like this. I'm completely fine with where we are right now."
>"But as for... that. I'm...willing to experiment a little bit from time to time. But we'll have to establish firm boundaries. Lord knows what devious kinks you hide behind that curious mind of yours, you fiend."
tl;dr. Establish boundaries. Acknowledge her concerns. Give your take on it (you're fine with it. It was kinky the first time it happened. You might be open to something that similar from time to time within reason.)
Admit it anons, it was kinky. And as the anon that started the bet in the first place, I take responsibility in responding to Gina's question.

>>3421577
Can autonomous Constructs like FuzzBuzz be modified and upgraded without a Forge?

>>3421577
>>3421583
I feel like we should spend time to modify and upgrade FuzzBuzz over time during the quest, turning him from a simple pet-companion into a Fearsome Construct that can fight as well as any daughter on its own.

>>3421700
>>3421706
honestly i was just gonna make her a cheap one but i like your plan so maybe thats too risky to losing him. going for a least a Baneling sounds good, though i think with what we have already spent thats already pushing it, and a knightling certainly at the moment would be alot extra on basically a gift.

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>>3421735
I think otherwise, if we're going to gift Amara lets do it right. Maybe we could also inject him with koru serum to make him THE ULTIMATE SMILE PROTECTOR and since it recharges anyway.
>>3421700
Supporting this anon,
Shu Internally: pic related

>>3422150
The serum might wear off but who knows. I merely meant that another 60% no matter how you split it is alot to take off Shus stats, if only because of what she already lost. Gina i dunno, really depends on what we ended trading for the 80% Fibro which
>>3421583
Did not yet say.

10% or 30% is a much less dangerous increase in stat hits, especially with Shu being a Guranteed part member.

Albeit if we take Amara with us we dont need to make it just yet, and of course can wait to make it, really it all depends on what we end up doing after notes, which will also decide what party is best to take.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3422251
(As far as what you traded for the Fibromancer BIO, I leave that to you.)

>>3422251
>>3422336
So what exactly did we trade for 80% Fibromancer Bio?

>>3422336
>>3422338
Lets be fair about it.
The Gear isnt bad but not the best. Id say 50%?
Then Gina has the best Bio type to trade out i think, so the other 30% from her. Maybe a split of 15%(10 Health), 20% Bio from her?

>>3422343
Er, 15% on the Bio there, whoops.

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>>3421473

"Well... in the heat of the moment it wasn't. To be honest, it was actually kind of kinky." You say, a small shiver runs down the length of your spine when you think back on it. "I have to admit, being at the tender mercies of someone like you is something I'm also not used to."

The ghost of a smile plays on her lips as her keen eyes study you face as you keep talking, tripping over your words a bit as you meet her gaze.

"B-but that doesn't mean we can't continue like this. I'm completely fine with where we are right now. So...I'm willing to experiment a little bit from time to time, but we'll have to establish firm boundaries. Lord knows what devious kinks you hide behind that curious mind of yours, you fiend."

An impish grin spreads across her face, but beneath that playful veneer you can feel a sense of relief flood her system. You stare into her eyes for a moment, feeling your stomach shift, though not from your abdominal mouth.

“Your room is actually pretty huge.” You comment as you glance around pointedly, changing the subject masterfully with no awkward transition at all. You’re very proud of yourself. Gina gives a soft ‘hm’, her eyebrow cocked at you out of the corner of your eye before she averts her gaze to look around her childhood home.

“Yeah, Mom and Dad made bank when they were out, which was often.” Gina says wistfully, her focus darting across the posters strewn about every surface. “I didn’t really want for anything.”

“You miss them?” You ask after a moment of silent contemplation, and Gina just shrugs.

“I had a few months to myself to process it all. I was never super-close with them, but yeah...yeah, I kinda still do.” She says, turning to look out the window again, spring sunlight casting a golden sheen on her hair. “What about you?”

“I can’t remember.” It’s your turn to shrug as you answer truthfully. “They were one of the casualties of the lava lamp B’ni took to my head.”

“Dorian’s got his issues with his Dad, I know nothing about Julia’s family except that they’re weren’t the most supportive of people…maybe they can bond over that?” Gina muses, putting her chin in her palm. “Amara’s a question mark, though if she has any baggage it’s impossible to see given her ludicrous amount of positivity. Rath is…dealing with the most in regards to family, honestly.”

“Yeah.” You echo, looking across the treetops at the deep blue sky beyond. You settle in a quiet relaxation for a time, giving you a moment to consider you next move.

>>Continue to talk with Gina, and bring up a few things you’ve wanted to run by her (Write-In).

>>Wake up and go regroup with Rath, then have all three of you go into the dreamscape together so your red-haired pugilist can have a session with Meg.

>>Have Gina patch you in to the Spine to see if you can talk with the Daughters that may still be conscious within.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3422343
(50% for the Gear is fair.)

>>3422363
>>Have Gina patch you in to the Spine to see if you can talk with the Daughters that may still be conscious within.

>>3422367
Awesome

(Voting shall remain open for the next one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3422363
>Have Gina Patch you into the spine for an hour of talking.
>Then when the hour's up, go down to Rath for a dreamscape session with Meg.

We might still have time.

>>3422403
I mean im down for the Rath thing too, just usually BHOP re-states such options if we still have time after the current.

Test.

>>3422476
Test successful

>>3422363

“Hey, I’d like you to look into something, if you don’t mind.” You reach into one of the collapsible pockets that Julia thoughtfully included in your dress, retrieving a dreamworld replica of the Spine, curled into a tight belt-loop like an insect furled in on itself.

“Oh Shu, you shouldn’t have.” Gina says dryly, taking the Spine from your hands and inspecting it. “Though you certainly could’ve done worse as far as gifts go. I love me a good Relic.”

“The real thing is in my pocket in the real world, and I want to try and talk to the Daughter it was made from, if it’s possible.” You explain, and Gina’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Now who’s the reckless one?” She fires back with a wink, gently tossing the imitation back to you. “Karma and the Contender were one thing, but are you sure you want to try it with someone you don’t even know?”

You nod as you run a thumb along the spiny curvature of the Relic’s back. “Absolutely. If there’s a chance that I can get someone else on our side, even if they’re trapped within, it’s worth a shot.”

“No rest for the Defiant, I guess.” Gina replies with a hearty sigh. “I’ll jack out and patch you into the thing, just…be safe, alright? I’ll keep the Crimson Cord open, so if I feel anything weird I’m pulling the plug immediately, alright?”

You give her a thumbs-up before she simply vanishes, leaving you in her room for a few moments before you feel a tug sideways, a pull that yanks on every molecule in your body. The walls of Gina’s bedroom fade, the smell of honeysuckle from the open window replaced with the pungent stench of bile and the coppery tang of fresh blood. When your vision adjusts you’re faced with a dim corridor of sickly yellow flesh, the surface flickering with errant sparks.

Your feet sink into the soft, pliable ground with every step forwards until the corridor opens up into a tall chamber with a tower of coiled nerves in the center, sleek and silvery as they stretch high into the darkness above you. A girl, perhaps a few years younger than you, is bald and crucified against the neuron pillar, nerve fibers running through the palms of her hands and laced painfully through her legs, binding her to the profane column.

When you approach, you see that what you assumed to be the slickness of sweat on her bare form is a thin, membranous sheet covering her from head to toe, a suffocating sheath of myelin that binds her wholly to the core of the device. Her body spasms as she draws in a pained, choking breath as she pleads with you.

“…e’s still here…et out bef…before…”

“Come now, Shu.” Comes a coy voice from just behind the tortured girl. “Why waste your time with a spent battery when I’m here~?”

A cold, pitiless fury crawls up your back as Doctor West casually strides into view, a coy smile on her taught features.

“I assure you I’m a much better conversationalist, Darling.”

(Continued)

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>>3422497

“West.” You seethe through grit teeth, your jaw clenched tight.

“Me!” She crows as she throws her arms wide, her lips peeling back into a joyful smile that clashes against the barbaric treatment of the young girl to your right.

“How are you here, Doc?” You demand, and her shoulders shake with a silent laugh.

“Darling, I could bore you with the intricacies of how I’ve maximized the effectiveness of my Phantasmal Conduit abilities while granting my proxies a substantial Neuromantic arsenal, but I assume you’ve already picked through my notes or you’re about to, so I’ll spare you the finer points.” She monologues, electric blue eyes flitting over every inch of you as she paces about. “Suffice it to say I’m little more than a ghost in the machine, as it were. A backup of the genuine article, put here in case of brigands or the like. You know, I never understood the concept of theft prevention, when allowing someone to take your things ultimately tells you so much more about them.”

“Gina is going to pull me out in a second, so your gloating is…” You begin, but you stop when West wags a long index finger at you.

“No, no she won’t, Darling.” She replies coolly, leaning back to fall into the armchair of meat that bursts from the floor at her behest. “I’d imagine she’s wholly unaware of your current predicament given the audio-visual loop I’ve put in place. You know, normally at this point I would send enough synaptic feedback to liquefy the grey matter of whomever was foolish enough to hijack one of my creations, not to mention ransack my lab…”

Her glossy steel braces are on full display as she leers at you from her throne of flesh and bone.

“…but I’ll make an exception for you, Darling.”

“How kind.” You sneer, glancing once more towards the helpless girl woven into the Relic. “So why the exception? Did you just want to gloat, or do you intend to have a pleasant chat or some shit like that?”

“Some ‘shit like that’, I’d say.” She replies with a cocked grin, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs idly. You sense movement behind you, and you whirl around on the spot to see a chair emerge, similar to the one West now occupies. “You destroyed the Sparagmos Engine, and given your destructive proclivities I’d imagine you’ve done the same to my laboratory.”

You just stare down at her in stony silence until she chuckles softly, giving you a defeated shrug.

“Ah well, given how you’ve grown it’s not all that surprising.” West continues, adjusting her glasses as she speaks, the lenses glinting with the light reflected from the sparks that dance along the tower. “So…”

“…Care to answer a few questions, with some answers from yours truly in return?” She queries, leaning forwards in her seat. “A little tit-for-tat, as it were? I think there’s a lot we could learn from each other, my Dearest Shu.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN HER DOMAIN

(Voting shall remain open for the next two hours, Gentlemen. Apologies for the delay in the update, duty called at work.)

>>3422560
>"Go get bent over a sawblade and fuck off ."
>Try to get a hold of Gina, but focus. Remember thus is still a dream, and you are still you. Nothing compared to a neuromancer, but maybe you can make some dream camolings to go and try to free the girl crucified, see what happens when sue isnt so bound.

>>3422589
Anon, Dr. West is a High level Neuromancer and Phantasmal Conduit Daughter. She literally trapped us into the spine. And fooled Gina. Do you think we can simply escape? Also, Camolings were Dr. West's design, she would notice it in a pulse.

>>3422602
Don't care, fuck her. Aint playing her damn games or being her entertainment.

>>3422589
Careful. "Tit for tat" reminds me of the Prisoner's Dilemma strategy which consists of opening with cooperation and then reply with whatever the other party's last response was. If we respond with aggression without a plan, she'll be aggressive until we decide to be cooperative again. And since we're kind of at her mercy until we can learn more about our situation.

>>3422560
>Cooperate for now. But don't give her anymore information than you need to while getting as much as you can from her.
>See if you can contact any of the daughters inside of yourself. Hell, you'll take Sam if she shows up again.

>>3422602
>>3422621
Maybe a compromise where we answer her questions with basically nonsense?
Like if she asks "what is your goal?" We say "to get to the other side." And stuff like that thats not exactly a lie just vague nonsense and the like.

>>3422560
>"Sure I could answer a few. Let's play Therapist."
>Open up the empathy channel show the poor girl trapped in the relic some comfort. Tell her you're sorry for not hearing her warning, and that this is for her sake.
>"So how's your hunger? Feeling more peckish than usual? I just happen to figure out the exact cause of why that's happening."
We could bait her into wanting information and asking for demands. If she really wants to know more about ourself, then we can tease her by withholding certain snippets of information.
>When answering West's questions, pretend to ask for a few minutes to think about it when you're secretly communicating with Gina via Crimson Cord.
>To Gina via Crimson Cord: [West. Ghost in the Shell. Trapped. Stalling for time. Find solution to purge West's ghost.]

I missed a lot between veins 14 and 15 I think. What is the spine?

>>3422634
The reason i wanted to try something inside the dream is because she said she had trapped Gina in an endless loop. Unless someone outside snaps her out of it we very well may not be able to rely on her.

>>3422641
(The Spine is a Relic that was found in the 16th Vein.)

>>3422643
(The loop is merely an audio-visual one, much like looping security camera footage. Gina herself is perfectly functional.)

>>3422653
Oh, so her mental image of us is what's looping?

>>3422560
>Spawn a couple of Fuzzbuzzes Have it fly and land atop the Crucified Daughter's shoulder.
>Play off FuzzBuzz as a meaningless toy that serves to keep you idle like a fidget spinner.
>Have the second Fuzzbuzz sit in your lap and pet it.
>Secretly have Fuzzbuzz on the daughter's shoulder make buzzing sounds in Morse code quiet enough for the Daughter to hear. [Stalling for time. stop. Help is coming. stop. Coordinate with Gina. Stop.]

>>3422658
(Precisely.)

>>3422667
What I meant is have one FuzzBuzz sit on the Crucified Daughter's shoulder while the other is in Shu's lap playing as the decoy for the secret message.

>>3422560
Supporting >>3422634 and >>3422667

I also want to ask a few personal questions, like if she bothers talking to the Daughters she consumed.

>>3422560
>"So what would it take for your other ghost to leave the Nail?"

Yeah i knew and know its not gonna win, but im keeping my vote the same.

As far as im concerned we have nothing to say to this bitch and nothing from her is worth listening to.

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>>3422560
Questions to ask of her:
>"Name a time where you nearly kicked it in the name of Science."
>"There was a photo in the lab, I did give it a look but couldn't quite remember. Could you refresh my mind on what the picture looked like?"
>"What's your favorite Class ability to use/study?"
Answers to give her:
>Do a 2 truths and a lie format when answering a question. 2 parts of your answer will be true, while the crucial bit will be a lie.
>if related to our past, answer simply with "Amnesia."
Idle chat to distract her in the middle of answering one of her questions as a way to stall for time:
>Go off on a tangent about FuzzBuzz. And bumblebees. God darn it they're so adorable and fuzzy. Drown Dr. West in a tide of FuzzBuzzes until she's neck deep in the fuzzy cuddle bugs like pic related.
>Mothers and parents. Start having idle talk about the great picture that is the cosmic horror of the Crucible. Speculate about the scenario of what would happen if there was a gender counterpart of the Crucible and this crucible and the other crucible collided planets. Would that be the cosmic equivalent of sex and marriage?
>"If it eases your mind, I did make copies of your notes. The important ones. Your research will not be in vain."

>>3422560
Ill be honest with you anons, resisting her now of all places may be a baaad idea.
As another anon said, lets try to seem cooperative but keep most of our secrets to ourselves.
West is too intelligent to outsmart, all we can really do is play for time until she gets bored.
One question we can ask is why she did the things she did, The engine, the relic daughters etc.

>>3422560
>To Gina via Crimson Cord: [Don't do anything too reckless, West is here to pick my brain for information.]

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3422560

“Alright, I’ll play ball.” You say, taking a seat in the chair behind you as a pair of palm-sized Fuzzbuzz clones emerge from your hive. You make a show of settling into your chair as you open the empathic channel to the trapped girl, who softly moans as your field makes contact with her mind. You do your best to soothe her by letting her know someone’s on her side, trying to free her from this hellish existence.

"So how's your hunger? Feeling more peckish than usual?” You say, petting the small FuzzBuzz in your lap as the other goes over to rest on the arm of West’s chair. “I just so happen to know the exact cause of why that's happening."

“Mother’s influence, I’d wager.” She replies casually, catching you off guard as she peers over her lenses at you. “She’s such a vindictive beast. Anyway, shall we begin? I’ll start; how long has your dear friend Isabelle been awake for?”

“Twelve months.” You lie, cutting the time short by half before you immediately fire off your counter-query, a little shaken by the subject she raised. “Do you ever talk to the Daughters inside of you?”

“Frequently, if they’re interesting. Most aren’t, so I leave them to their own devices…or mine, if they’re better served that way.” She replies dismissively as you spawn another half-dozen Fuzzbuzz-lings to annoy her. “Next question; has your under-developed friend figured out what makes her so special?”

“I…what?” You ask, and West replies with a finger tapping her chin.

“Interesting. I’d imagine you’d know given the connection that binds you both, but if you don’t then I suppose she doesn’t, either…especially if neither of you have read my notes yet.” She muses, and you fire off another question to keep her from diverting her attention elsewhere.

“Why are you doing all this? The Engine, the Relics…why all the suffering?” You demand, and for the first time since you’ve met her, West pauses, steepling her fingers just below her chin, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment before she speaks again, a host of small, fluffy Swarmlings accumulating on and around her legs.

“Did you know that World War Two was one of the best things to ever happen to the medical and technological worlds?” She says, tilting her head down to affix you with her electric gaze. “I shudder to think where we would be without it.”

“Millions died.” You say, your knuckles white as your fingers dig into the arms of your chair, straining to reach out to Gina through West’s defenses.

“Billions prospered.” Comes her casual reply, absent-mindedly stroking the back of the FuzzBuzz by her side. “It’s simple math, Darling, do try to keep up.”

(Continued)

>>3422879

“Overall, I like to think my plan is a straightforward one. Accumulate power. Finish the Crucible. Take it over. Retool the virus that is the Crucible into something that can make worlds instead of destroying them.” She says, gauging your reaction as you try to keep an impassive expression. “With a sculptor’s hand and the knowledge of countless species from throughout the stars, one could craft a perfect existence, an ideal world filled with ideal people, free of the foibles so common among sentient races. I could even bring everyone back. The Cord keeps us all as backup, so what's to stop me from bringing everyone back to life in perfect bodies, in a new and perfect world?"

You extend the empathic field to West, and you find nothing disingenuous about what she’s told you. Not a single trace of cruelty or malice. She truly believes in what she’s just told you, in the fact that what she's doing is truly worth it.

“…You’re serious.” You breathe, and she just smiles wide, content in your understanding of what she intends to do, assured in the possibility of her plan in the face of the dozens of small Swarmlings that cover her torso like a fuzzy blanket.

“Quite. Make no mistake, it will take untold eons, my Dear. Other planets will have to be carefully picked apart and studied before I have what I need to make it all right again, but I’m a patient woman. After all…”

A tinge of amethyst light flickers in the edge of your vision, just out of sight.

“…I’ll have all the time in existence to craft a better one.”

{Shu, what the hell is going on?!} Gina demands, her voice sounding as though it’s coming from the far end of a deep tunnel. {There a loop, and I can’t pull you out…I’m trying but I think West is behind this. Just hang in there, I’m coming!}

“I do believe it’s your turn, Shu.” West continues, crossing her legs once more. “So, while your friend works to get you out of here and you try to talk to the battery over there, do try to think of something good this time.”

A chill runs down your spine as she fixes an amused gaze directly into your soul, her cold blue eyes devoid of anything remotely resembling anger or irritation…it’s just idle curiosity, like a collector looking at a newly-acquired specimen.

“I’m waiting, Darling.”

>>”Fine…name a time where you nearly kicked it in the name of Science."

>>"There was a photo in the lab, I did give it a look but couldn't quite remember. Could you refresh my mind on what the picture looked like?"

>>"Tell me, what's your favorite Class ability to use/study?"

>>You have her covered in Swarmlings, and in the dream space it doesn’t look like you have any upper ceiling on your creations. Fight her, giving Gina the chance to strike.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3422886
>Spit at her feet
>"The 'greater good' means nothing if you dont do any good along the way to prove you'll do any at the end. Its just an excuse to treat people like objects for your own goals."
>>You have her covered in Swarmlings, and in the dream space it doesn’t look like you have any upper ceiling on your creations. Fight her, giving Gina the chance to strike.
>Go ham, maybe theres no limit on how many arms you can spawn, how many tongues.

>>3422894
For reference, ive not wanted to kill a character in a form of media before as much as i do West in as long as i can remember.

Good job on that one BHOP, shes literally like a near perfect amalgamation of what character traits and ideal i despise.

(Voting shall close in two hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3422900
(Haha, I'm actually glad I was able to accomplish that with her. She's very fun to write for the reasons you listed.)

>“With a sculptor’s hand and the knowledge of countless species from throughout the stars, one could craft a perfect existence, an ideal world filled with ideal people, free of the foibles so common among sentient races. I could even bring everyone back. The Cord keeps us all as backup, so what's to stop me from bringing everyone back to life in perfect bodies, in a new and perfect world?"

Ah, the Nox viewpoint. "If I succeed, I can undo every bad thing I did so it doesn't matter. If I fail, we're probably all fucked as the Crucible continues, so my acts of evil still don't matter."

>>3422886
>"There was a photo in the lab, I did give it a look but couldn't quite remember. Could you refresh my mind on what the picture looked like?"

>>3422905
See, one thing is, while she may be genuine shes also undermining certain details. Like when she mentioned having to tear other planets apart. No reason to mention that unless she is being purposefully cruel towards us, or took some joy in the thought of it.

Kinda undermines even that mindset if you ask me, or maybe its a good example of how dangerous it is?
"Im gonna undo everything anyways so why not enjoy the process it takes to get to that point."?

Also, interesting that I suggested the "restructure the virus" outcome a while back, and now it's West's goal. Except for her, the ends justify the means.

>>3422905
(When people mentioned Wakfu at an earier point, I thought that might be brought up again when you had a sit-down with West.)

>>3422905
>>3422934
Nox is such a poetically tragic man.
>>3422886
>"There was a photo in the lab, I did give it a look but couldn't quite remember. Could you refresh my mind on what the picture looked like? I never took you for one that keeps sentimental keepsakes."

>>3422929
Didn't Charons race basically want to do that/ something similar? And as smart as West thinks she is, that was an entire race preparing for the crucible to the point of building machines based around it. And thats just one potential example out of who knows how many past crucibles.

Sure, what we want to do might be impossible too, but we never said it wasnt, only that it was the right path to take, and we at least aren't being asses along the way to do it.

>>3422944
Yes. Charon and Karma's testimony said they basically made machines designed to be compatible with the Crucible in hopes of making a Champion strong enough to physically overpower the Core Crucible Tenants and stop the Crucible cold, but Charon and her partner fucked up real bad.

>>3422886
>>3422905
Also
>I'm sure Mother came to you with a Choice a long time ago. Which one did you take?

Besides giving us insight into her character, or what it used to be, it could also give us a hint as to what her core ability is.

>>3422941
Changing my vote to this >>3422960

>>3422905
>>3422941
>>3422960
Im still strongly of the opinion we shouldn't waste time talking to her.

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>>3422886

“I'm sure Mother came to you with a Choice a long time ago.” You say, relaxing your grip on the armchair. “Which one did you take?”

“I took the one that would allow me to mold the world around me.” She replies, plucking at the fingers of one gloved hand with the other until she slips the limb free of its black latex sheath, revealing her skinless, bright red arm, laced through with exposed neuron bundles along their bleeding surface. “The world needs a Neuromancer’s touch, wouldn’t you say?”

Your lips twitch with the ghost of smile when you sense a familiar and welcome presence.

“You’re right, it does.” You reply, and with a nod the thick sheet of bees around her stiffen into a sheet of steel-like Platelings, in concert with her chair seizing her limbs and sinking them into the ground. A rare look of surprise crosses West’s visage as Gina emerges from the tunnel behind you, spearing the ground with amethyst cords with every step she takes.

“Just not yours, Doctor.”

“I’ve been able to neutralize her defenses and countermeasures.” Gina reports, completely ignoring the Doctor's presence. “The girl over there is irrevocably fused to the Spine, but at least I can give West the boot. I can probably do the same to the Nail, now that I know how it’s done.”

“I’d applaud you, but you robbed me of your rightful congratulations.” West crows, and Gina just fixes her with a withering glare.

“West?” GG sighs as you stride over to face the Doctor. “If you keep talking, I swear to god I’m going to staple your tongue to your taint so you can watch Shu kick your ass.”

You stare down into the deep blue eyes of your captive ghost. “I’m going to take a guess and say you don’t have a way to get back to your body to report what you’ve seen here, so here’s some last words for you; I will tear down every lab, every edifice, every scrap of what you’ve built that makes mockery of life on this planet…”

You lean down, your face mere inches from hers.

“…And then I’m coming for you.” You growl, and she just gives you that same, serene smile as before.

“I’ll see you at the Cord, Darling~”

Your knuckles meet her chin with a vicious right hook, her body shattering violently and thrusting you back to reality in a jarring transition of color and sound. You and Gina stare at each other for a moment, her cords retreating into her arms as you both catch your breath.

“Fuck that bitch.” GG spits, and you give her a tired nod of agreement.

>>Join Gina, rath, and Meg in the dreamscape for an overdue training session.

>>You’re pretty well done with the dreamscape after that surprise exorcism. You’ll go with Gina to get Rath set up to spar with Meg, but after that you’ll go off and do your own thing for a little while.

>>Something West said earlier doesn’t sit right with you. Review her notes, alone or with a group.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3423318
>>Something West said earlier doesn’t sit right with you. Review her notes, alone or with a group.

Preferably with Gina and anyone else who wants to.

>>3423318
>You’re pretty well done with the dreamscape after that surprise exorcism. You’ll go with Gina to get Rath set up to spar with Meg, but after that you’ll go off and do your own thing for a little while.
We have a promise to fulfill.

>>3423318
>>You’re pretty well done with the dreamscape after that surprise exorcism. You’ll go with Gina to get Rath set up to spar with Meg, but after that you’ll Review her notes with everyone.

best of both of them.

>>3423364
also wait dangit i was hoping we would get a chance to ask the daughter inside what she wanted done with herself. though im thinking 'being destroyed to end my suffering' is probably the answer.

>>3423364
(So would this be reviewing the notes with everyone except for Rath and Gina while they're under, or reviewing them with everyone included after Rath and Meg's session?)

>>3423429
After. we can use the time while Gina and Rath are under to unwind and cool off so when we get to the note our heads more level, if that makes sense.

>>3423381
also would it be amiss to ask if we could get this info or would we have to reconnect at this time to get it?

>>3423435
(No need to reconnect. The Daughter within the Relic is barely conscious, as the process to refine a someone into the Relic through a Forge is a devastating one. Something like that should only really be attempted with a Sparagmos Engine, since it's built for that very purpose.)

>>3423539
ah, shame. my votes on seeing if Rath cant burn them up, pyre funeral style or something. still feels wrong to use them given how they were made.

>>3423539
but she was conscious enough to talk to Shu! it still qualifies!

(I will be extending voting an additional half hour since I have yet to make it back home.)

>>3423550
this is true. though Gina did say she was irreversibly stuck how she was, and id not feel right leaving her crucified to feed such a device.

we already blew up the one device i can think of that could've saved her, for good reason mind you.

>>3423568
Well shit. And it was a corrupted Engine too. And if we went to use another Ripper Engine, then Ringo's Contract gets Violated and she gets thrown out.

>>3423579
im not even sure if the standard Engine could reverse this, but yes even if it could we cant use it for other reasons. Ringo did us a solid the least we can do it not have to kill him or have him have to kill us.

>>3423579
>>3423554
hrm...so id assume not, but could we...consume the spine? seems like it wouldnt make sense to be able to do that to Relics, especially high level ones, but gotta at least as as it is the only other option i could think of to get the girl outta there in any form, besides destroying the relic outright obviously.

>>3423618
Well it is a piece of organic material, so I guess it would make sense? we'll need to confer with BHOP.

>>3421473
Oldfag. How long have Gina and Shu been fucking?

>>3423667
technically they have not actually done it in the traditional sense, only Gina teasing Shu with infinite sensation looping. but Gina confessed to us....3-5 Veins ago now? i think?

>>3423657
indeed, hopefully the hell that is traffic did not consume his soul.

>>3423667
The closest they got was something akin to Bondage play and sensation feedback looping. Hugs, yes. Kissing, I can't remember. And besides, we have a loli that we need to protecc from lewd and scary stuff.

>>3423678
i dont think Amara needs protection from scary things. girl happily pointed out a body as treasure and while she understood the situation with the Soritas and took it seriously, she was never afraid of it or what happened to them. er, if anything how she handled it is proof of the opposite i think.

this isnt even taking into account fighting a big deadly doggo not entirely on our plane of existence, or keeping her cool when separated and fighting a girl who turned a room into an eyeball emporium.

she actually has a very disturbing level of 'im ok with this' going on.

(Finally back home with my soul intact, and writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>3423618
>>3423657
(Consumption of Relics is comically dangerous, but possible.)

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>>3423712
well shit. well lads, how much risk we willing to take over this moral dilemma? i still dont think its right to leave em in those torture cages but when BHOP says 'comically dangerous' you dont just ignore that shit.

>>3423712
well then... that just leaves relic burning as the only other way out for the poor souls. They’re super useful tier 5 relics, but knowing the “How it’s made” episode of Body Horror’s history channel just makes me think twice about using them.

>>3423725
>Not holding onto them and feeding them to Dr.West when we find her.

>>3423735
oh hell no, thats not right to do to those souls, im not sure you can force them to do that either. Gina could maybe do it with her leash if West was not also a high level Neuromancer.

that, and you just know West would either have a trick up her sleeve to make it useful to her, or survive it coming out ok, and forcing them to be back in her hands/head for even a little bits pretty messed up.

>>3423733
burning it seems like the best option, unless we really wanna stick with Shus 'care way too much' personality and have her pull a 'leave no suffering soul behind'. but its just so damn risky i think we can justify ignoring that to do the proper enough thing of burning them.

>>3423751
there’s also the fact that West is a Neuromancer that is a terraforming specialist and also got max levels in the conduit class (which explains how West knew where we were and what shenanigans we were doing when it comes to the lab raid and the destruction of the engine, it allows her to transfer consciousness between different pieces with the bio she controls as a conduit)

>>3423763
its still curious how exactly her powers work. she seems to know most but not all the details of what happens.

also thank all hell we didn't actually use the spine before all this.i dont want to know what she could've done or what would've happened if we had slapped that onto one of us while she was still inside it.

>>3423318

After you and Gina spend a moment longer catching your breath, the two of you meet up with Rath and detail you idea. To say that her reaction is favorable to the chance to have a knock-down, drag-out brawl with someone who can help teach her the ropes is an understatement, and she practically begs to meet Meg on the spot until you can convince her that lying down before going under is a good idea for her waking body.

"So, can I like go full Raiden versus Armstrong in there, slingin' around giant robots, going apeshit?" Rath asks, the tenth question of that ilk in half as many minutes as the three of you walk back to your allotted room.

"I mean...maybe? I'm not even sure what that is, but the whole point is to learn how to do things that can translate into waking-world stuff." You sigh, and Rath just gives you a freckled scowl before turning to GG.

"Is she always this lame when it comes to your magic dream shit?" She asks, and Gina glances over her shoulder towards you with an impish smirk.

"Hm, I dunno...she could use a little imagination when it comes to the possibilities of a consequence-free dreamspace, but you didn't hear it from me." Gina replies, and Rath makes a face at her, then at a you, and then she just storms a little further ahead, intent on keeping a healthy distance from Gina's machinations. When the three of you finally reach the room, it's after barging through a crowd of new initiates, led by...someone who's not Sister Uzu. The fresh-faced instructor grimaces as the three of you blunder through her class, and you glance around to make sure you didn't miss the younger Uzu somewhere close by. You thought Dorian said that the Daughter Superior's granddaughter had a class like this to lead, but maybe time's gotten away from you with everything that's happened.

In any case, you beckon Rath and Gina into the room, staying in the doorway when the punchier of the two turns to face you. "You're not stickin' around, Boss?"

"No, I uh...I'm going to go attend to a few things." You say wearily, hoping to take some time to yourself, but not betting on it actually happening, given your track record as of late. Rath just shrugs and waves goodbye as you leave them to it, resigning yourself to pacing down the...

There, just at the end of the corridor. A hulking set of rusted armor creeps around the corner, slinking back awkwardly into the shadows when she notices she's been spotted. Heaving a tired sigh, you lean one shoulder against the hardened flesh wall.

Goddammit, November.

>>Fine, you guess you're going to deal with this, now. You suppose it's as good a time as any to confront November about her weird Rath fixation.

>>Touch base with Sister Uzu and see if she needs any help. She seemed pretty stressed, and you have a little while to kill. May as well spend it helping someone that's helping others.

>>Check in on Dorian, Julia, and Amara. They're the newest members of your team,

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3423778
It would have been hilarious.

>>3423783
>>Fine, you guess you're going to deal with this, now. You suppose it's as good a time as any to confront November about her weird Rath fixation.

ffffssss goddammit last time we ignored odd behavior for too long our team member became a final boss. lets nip this in the ass now this time.

>>3423796
call it a hunch, but I’m getting the feeling that November is Rath’s biological mother or a close relative of hers. No woman would tail a young girl like that nor spend so much time fixiated on a singular girl AND instantly click with her on first dialogue.

>>3423817
oh im sure its something like that. still, point stands, we should take care of this now while shes making it so obvious.

also keep in mind November said the DOs process scrambles memories. im wondering how much of this is fully intentional. i mean, you know, she following Rath is fully on her, but i mean her fixation in the first place.

>>3423783
>Touch base with Sister Uzu and see if she needs any help. She seemed pretty stressed, and you have a little while to kill. May as well spend it helping someone that's helping others.
Uzu needs more attention. She's the one keeping the Monastery relatively going, and if our previous interactions with her are true, then she's currently suffering an asthma/anxiety attack. An attack that might lead her to succumb to hunger. She's at risk.

>>3423912
are you really ok leaving November alone on this issue? it ended for us poorly in the past. literally the best case scenario i can think of is Rath finding her stalking her and punching her in the face and starting a fight if we leave this to its current path.

>>3423783
>>>Fine, you guess you're going to deal with this, now. You suppose it's as good a time as any to confront November about her weird Rath fixation.

>>3423919
It's honestly a tough decision. For now I'll change votes and go with your idea. I hope that we'll be able to find time to keep Uzu's head straight. She's practically the de facto leader of the Monastery, if she crumbles, we might not have a Monastery to come back to.
>>3423783
>Fine, you guess you're going to deal with this, now. You suppose it's as good a time as any to confront November about her weird Rath fixation.
>"Does Rath jog your scrambled memories back into order?"
>"I can understand your curiosity. Getting memories scrambled with Amnesia, chasing things that jog memories of the past. In my case, I got my memories scrambled by a lava lamp to the skull right when the Crucible started."
>"Call it a wild hunch, but I think you and her are related."

>>3423968
eh, yeah i understand your concerns. its just, grah, November is literally awkwardly sliding back around a corner and stalking our friend, i just cant ignore that. christ in hell those notes are looking further and further apart. no joke this is getting so out of hand id not be surprised if BHOP was getting ready to make SHU roll against the hunger from sheer stress in the background.

>>3423984
(Are you referring to West's notes?)

(Also, given the sheer amount of things Shu is trying to cram into one sitting with all her people around her, the possibility to having to roll of Hunger is a grimly amusing possibility.)

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>>3424004
sorry i misworded that
>those notes are looking further and further away
so yes.

also
>dem spoilers
oh shit.

>>3424004
>>3423984
Shu really needs to learn how to relax and unwind, otherwise she ends up like Uzu.

>>3424012
...I seriously think we need to find time for Shu to actually unwind. Because this ain't healthy for Shu.

>>3423968
>>3423783
Changing votes to
>Gah. You don't have time for this. For once in your life, you need to relax and unwind. Go find that Spa and take a nice bath.

>>3424014
>>3424019
we have made Shu into someone who genuinely cares too much for and about others. she sees a problem and she adds it to the list. she doesn't want to leave anyone without help, which is noble, but as is yes obvious is i literally cannot think of more than a single instance where we took more than an hour break for her to relax, sleep not counting.

its hard from both an OOC and IC perspective. on one hand, OOC, we both dont want to miss anything and dont want to fuck up helping character we both enjoy and need. IC Shu kinda ended up in an unfavorable position. she is a genuinely kind and caring person that was kinda thrust into being the leader of a group, became the most defiant daughter of the crucible, and while BHOP has not yet had Gina talk to us about it, apparently we also have started to get a reputation to live up to. she has alot on her plate, alot counting on her, and alot of things and folk relying on her. its hard to feel like you can afford to take a break under those circumstances, especially when you know when you do, something IS being missed, something important, both from an IC and OOC perspective.

>>3423783

You power-walk over to where November attempts to hide her massive form, overtaking her in short order as she tries to slip back down a narrow hall.

"This form is...inconvenient, when it comes to reconnaissance." She says with a voxel-distorted sigh as you cross your arms in front of her.

"You staring at one of my teammates is even more so." You shoot back. "So I'd like an explanation as to why you're so intent on my best brawler and good friend."

"She is so happy with you and your unit." November intones, her brassy, distorted voice echoing through her armor. "I've never seen Rachel like this."

"Yeah, she..." You pause, noting her use of a name she has no right to be familiar with.

"I presume she hasn't spoken much about her family, has she?" She continues. "I'm not surprised...they were always an insular sort. I had to get out of there when I had the chance, so I...ah, never mind that. I believe true introductions are in order."

November kneels before you, extending her hand in friendship as you put two and two together.

"My name is Heather Neeson. Rachel, or Rath if you prefer, is my niece...and I would very much like to keep that between us."

"I...why?" You sputter, cocking a suspicious eyebrow at the metal soldier. "She thinks her whole family is dead, so why don't you tell..."

"No." She barks, the harshness of her reply reverberating in her armored form. "I'd be doing her no favors, despite what you may think. Ever since she was a little girl, she was always so quiet, so reserved. So many siblings, and she was the middle child. Dependable, kind, never spoke a word out of turn."

She looks past you towards the end of the hall, where Rath slumbers, trading blows with Meg to her heart's content.

"She's trying out a new version of herself, alongside people that accept and care about her...but she is still very much the girl I knew back in the first world. If I told her who I was, then I know she would feel obligated to stay by my side, and...I wouldn't wish that on her. Not with these lucid moments growing fewer and farther between."

November rises to her full height, staring down at you for a moment before she continues speaking.

"I set you on edge earlier, and I apologize. I did not mean to keep this from you, there just wasn't a good time to broach the topic." She says apologetically, bowing her head slightly. "I won't be staying here long. I need to keep moving...and so does Rath."

>>"...You're right. We'll keep moving, and I'll keep this between us. Just...consider telling her in your own time, alright?"

>>"Listen, if you want to keep being 'Hotel November' then it's your call...just know that Rath is a lot stronger than you're giving her credit for."

>>Ask her a bit more about herself...it may take what little time you have before re-assembling your team to review West's notes, but it might be worth it.

>>Write-In

AND

>>What do you do with some time to yourself...if you have any left?

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the night, with voting open for the next ten hours before I resume posting two hours after the close of the voting period. You all have been magnificent as always, and I shall be around for a bit longer to address any questions, concerns, or criticisms you may have. I wish that you have a restful evening because Shu clearly isn't going to get one and take care.)

>>3424056
:(

>>3424065
Why the sad face, Anon?

>>3424056
>>>"...You're right. We'll keep moving, and I'll keep this between us. Just...consider telling her in your own time, alright?"
>"just remember this at least, that even despite all that, you have already gotten Rath to look up to you a bit, its obvious. that cant be something bad, and id hate to see her wonder why you started to avoid us."
>"If nothing else, know if you ever need help, or just are feeling lonely, me and my friends are open to your company."
AND
>leave a note with Gina to gather everyone once shes done, then fucking slug off to someplace, anyplace, where you can just relax. no crowds, no sudden crisis in need of your attention.
>spawn a FuzzBuzz body pillow edition once alone and curl up to enjoy some snuggles.

>>3424061
well ,it was enjoyable as always, though oddly somehow stressful haha. id bet my votes second half's only got a 50/50 chance of happening, poor girl.

my Captcha was stairs, which is what getting to those notes is starting to feel like haha.

>>3424056
>Neeson
Oh BHOP, you've made Rath's Aunt Liam Neeson's sister...
>"...You're right. We'll keep moving, and I'll keep this between us. Just...consider telling her in your own time, alright?"
>Ask for 30 more minutes of relaxation via empathy channel. You're feeling stressed as all hell.
>If you do have the time, spend it at the Spa. or spawn a FuzzBuzz Cuddle pile to snooze in. One Knight-class FuzzBuzz to use as a body pillow and max out the rest of your swarmling slots with FuzzBuzzes. Whichever option is more time efficient.

>>3424061
Damn you BHOP. You dangle all of these loose ends like yarn to a cat and watch us entangle ourselves in it.

>>3424061
>>3424088
i dunno why you're post and not my own made me get reminded of this, but BHOP, dont our Swarmlings have the ability for us to combine them together to make bigger and stronger swarmlings? i only ask as it was no longer listed on the character Sheet when i copied the info over to the current spreadsheets, so said info didn't get copied over(to be fair, the earliest Level you had listed was lv.5 i think).

if we still do have this ability, does it work on Knightlings? cause that was my thought for the bodypillow knightling. also as i do genuinely remember us having this ability for at least a little bit, its something we have not utilized at all.

we also have ignored this little thing
>your ability to pack more acid into your creations has resulted in their ability to detonate explosively, either on destruction or on command. The detonation sends acidic barbs in a zone-wide blast radius which will trigger any other acidic swarmlings to detonate in turn, potentially causing a catastrophic chain reaction.
its rare but i feel like it would've been useful once or twice. im thinking the issue is like i said, for soem reason not all levels were listed and some stuff was kinda awkwardly thrown about, so some info is in odd places for Anons to look for. just like how Ravenous Maw upgrades were never given levels, though that one may of been on purpose or coincidence. Neuromancer for Gina was also missing its Lv.1 on the old sheet.

sorry to suddenly remember all this and throw it out there, but it hit me like a car into a brick wall all at once so i needed to put it forth while i remembered.

>>3424088
>>3424056
Amending a section of my vote in regards to free time:
>Go curl up in the same room as Gina and Rath, Spawn a pile of FuzzBuzzes and one Knight-class Fuzzbuzz then curl up in said pile and sleep. Do not have your FuzzBuzzes vibrate with buzz noises. It'll save you time.

>>3424114
(You can still do that even with Knightlings, and I'll make a note to add that onto the Swarmling cheat sheet.)

(Also, the acidic chain-explosion still triggers from time to time, but I just haven't added in in the narrative due to space issues, but the damage numbers still get through. I do appreciate the reminder, and I'll have to go into the Google Doc through a halfway decent computer and update all of the remnants of the early-game weirdness. A lot of that is due to me trying to be fancy with ability names as opposed to simple numbered ability titles, and then I realized that was an absolute nightmare to keep track of on my end.)

>>3424130
>we can make a super Knightling.
we haven't been going swol enough my dude lads.

and ah, yeah thanks for the clarifications.
ill leave the background info page unhidden for ya so you can do that when you can. usually i keep it like that as it looks messy and other anons dont really need access to it, especially as its well, the info where its easist to mess something up, but i suppose actually for those who cant view the drop menus correctly due to not having the right software they might need anyways.

>>3424056
The first half of this >>3424074
THEN
>Ask Gina to check on Uzu since I trust her the most to make sure Uzu doesn't succumb
>Have the rest of the team review the notes and give you the highlights later
>Go to the spa or Fuzzbuzz cuddle pile as others suggested

>>3424642
Im ok with asking Gina to check in on Uzu but i really want the whole team including Shu there for the notes.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

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>>3424056

"...You're right. We'll keep moving, and I'll keep this between us. Just...consider telling her in your own time, alright?" You request, glancing back down the hall to where you left your companions. “Remember this at least, that even despite all that you have already gotten Rath to look up to you a bit, it’s obvious. I’d hate to see her wonder why you started to avoid us."

November remains silent, meeting your eyes through her visor as you turn to face her once more.

"If nothing else, know if you ever need help, or just are feeling lonely, me and my friends are open to your company."

“I will keep that in mind, Shu. Give Rac…give Rath my regards.” The soldier replies after a moment, and with that, she lumbers past you and back down the hall, her metallic bulk halfway out of sight before you notice the small Swarmling strapped to her waist, dangling like a cellphone charm from a ringlet on her waist.

You stand there for a minute or two poised to face the next issue that arises to distract you, the next crisis that needs averting. When nothing comes, you take a tentative step forwards, then another, and another until you’re sprinting back to your room, closing the door hastily behind you. You grit your teeth, waiting for someone to come and tell you of some emergency that demands your full attention, but all that you hear is the distant murmur of voices, barely audible over the steady breathing of Rath and Gina, the former’s head in the latter’s ample lap atop the cot, both immersed in the dreamscape.

Holy shit.

For the first time since you woke up in this hellish new world, you have nothing to do, no group to manage, no dynamics to wrap your head around. You relish the absolute nothingness on your plate as you spawn a massive Knightling, covered in a soft down of red-black fuzz along with a small fleet of miniature FuzzBuzzlings to serve as an impromptu mattress on the hard flooring. Considering that Gina’s still technically awake, albeit otherwise occupied, you trust your creations won’t be reduced to an amorphous blob atop you the moment you lose consciousness, but as you feel your muscles slowly, achingly relax into the surprisingly comfortable mattress you’ve made, you don’t think you’d be bothered to care if they did go all gooey.

Before you forget, you spawn one last Swarmling, its shell inscribed with a request that Gina check on Sister Uzu when she’s done if you aren’t up by then. As you watch it land on your friend’s knee the room grows dimmer, your eyelids and limbs growing heavy as sleep quickly washes over you.

Oh hell yes.

(At Long Last)

(You Sleep)

>>3424868

When you force your eyes open, you’re uncertain how much time has passed. You’re staring up at the ceiling, dimly aware that the mattress beneath you remains fuzzy, intact, and ludicrously comfortable. You feel an angular weight on your chest, and for a minute you wonder how you managed to wrestle your body pillow-ling atop you when you realize it’s off to your right, a short distance away.

You glance down, your eyes widening as you realize that Rath is sprawled atop you and fast asleep, her freckled cheeks buried in your chest as her back rises and falls with the steady rhythm of slumber. When you try to shift her arms and legs wrap tighter around you like a snuggly vice, forcing the breath out of you as an amused voice fills your mind.

{You two look fucking adorable…you sleep well?}

You glance to your left to see Gina sitting on the cot, looking down at you with a smug grin while sipping from a cup of steaming tea. Jasmine, by the smell of it. You blink, heat working up the back of your neck that only hastens its ascent when the girl atop you mumbles into your cleavage.

“Hrm…right there’s…Mmm…”

[This…I don’t know how this happened] You say, trying to plead your case as Gina stifles her laugh for the sleeping girl’s sake.

{I do, so no need to freak out. Our little firecracker sacked out after her dream fight with Meg…which went well, by the way. Julia swung by to let me know the notes are ready whenever we are, and she offered to make some tea while you and Rath got some rest…and apparently we have a sleep-walking cuddleslut on our hands}

[So…you’re not mad?] You ask, Rath’s hands working awkwardly around your shoulders.

{Quite the opposite, but that’s a conversation for another time} Gina replies with a wink, rising from the cot and gently opening the door. {As tempted as I am to join you both, I’ll let you extricate yourself in due time. We’ll be ready with the notes when you are. Oh, and thanks for the note about Uzu. She and I chatted, and I think she’ll be alright}

You breathe a sigh of relief, turning to your next monumental task. Escaping your cuddly warden takes the better part of a half hour as you pry yourself free of Rath’s exceedingly insistent grip to rejoin your fellows, which you somehow manage to do without waking the exhausted red-head. To your pleasant surprise, Julia’s poured you a hot cup of tea that rests on a round table in a room secured by Dorian, surrounded on all sides by calcite chairs occupied by your allies with two to spare for you and Rath, whenever she finally wakes.

You settle down in your seat, eyes darting over the stacks of translucent skin before you, the copies of West’s meticulous notes that you had Julia replicate using her powers. You reach out, hesitating for a moment as you try to decide which of the subjects you’ll tackle first.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3424877
Remind me, what notes did we manage to copy?

(Voting shall close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3424884
(You were able to copy notes on the Cord, Classes, Hybrid Abilities, and Persons of Interest.)

>>3424877
Order
>Classes
>Hybrid Abilities
>Persons of interest
>The Cord

Just seems logical to put Classes and Hybrid Abilites next to eachother, if nothing else.

Looking forward to both reading this and seeing what our party thinks of it all.

>>3424877
Order
>Classes
>Hybrid Abilities
>Persons of Interest
>The Cord

>>3424877
>Have Gina photocopy the notes with her smartphone. Better to keep a digital copy.
>Drink the tea.
>Work on Classes first.

>>3424868
Order
>Classes
>Hybrid Abilities
>Persons of interest
>The Cord

>>3424877
>Have Gina photocopy the notes with her smartphone. Better to keep a digital copy.
>Drink the tea.
>Classes
>Hybrid Abilities
>Persons of interest
>The Cord

(Writing now, had a work meeting that held me up.)

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>>3424877

As you take your first long sip of Julia’s tea, Amara trots over and hops up into the brewess’ lap with a handful of the Class notes Dorian has helpfully doled out to the five of you.

“D-do you want to r-read this with me?” Julia offers sweetly, and the girl perched upon her knee squints at the page before tilting her head up.

“Oh, nobody ever taught me how to read!” She announces with a matter-of-fact tone, and Julia looks utterly mortified until Amara’s straight face cracks, the little girl devolving into cackling laughter.

“I can totally read, I was just messing with you.” She says as she starts flipping through the sheaf of skin-print in her hands, her caretaker fixing the back of the girl’s head with an unamused glare. You take another sip and set the chipped teacup back down on the table, flipping through the papers packed with West’s tightly-cramped, manic print. Most of it goes into considerable depth regarding the finer and more obscure aspects of the different class types you’ve encountered thus far, until you flip to the last few pages, detailing a pair of classes you’re unfamiliar with.

The first, scrawled as the ‘Phantasmal Conduit’, is unique among the other skill sets in that is revolves around not merely the manipulation of the mind, but more around emotion and, most notably, weaponizing the Daughters the wielder has consumed. Much of it runs counter-current to what the Elder Uzu told you about what’s possible regarding making artificial bodies for the ghosts Daughters to reside in, as the upper limits of the ability allow the user to separate their consciousness and move it from vessel to vessel, and ultimately allow the Conduit in question to do the same with the ‘ghosts’ of Daughters within her.

On the other hand, the Conduit’s other skills allow her to effect the emotions of those around her for ill or good, bringing to mind one ability you’ve yet to see Gina use in combat. Such abilities are far-reaching and indiscriminate, effecting all around the user with the exception of herself and the bodies of the Daughters she’s summoned. West notes that, much like the Skintalker, the Conduit is an exceedingly difficult class to start out as, given their BIO-hungry abilities on top of the fact that they require a large collection of consumed Daughters that are willing to work with the user in order to work at peak efficiency.

You’re flipping to the next page when you look up to see Amara’s eyes go wide with excitement.

(Continued)

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>>3425029

“YES!” She cheers, snatching the page from Julia’s hands, holding it up to the bioluminescent orb that hangs from the low ceiling above you. “A new one!”

The turns the note around in her hands to show everyone, a list of known Skintalker words filling the page along with in-depth details as to their effects. She points to one word in particular, and the rest of you squint at the fine print beneath the newest addition to her Lexicon of Flesh.

>>GRA (8% BIO): a word indicating an escalation of events, this word possesses the ability to vastly enhance the effects of the word it precedes, essentially doubling its effects.

Grinning at the overjoyed girl, she hops off to go test it out as you turn your attention to the curious set of sketches on the page before you. Shuddering, you realize they depict a variety of warped human forms, painful spasms of half-human, half-beast Daughters captured in still-life on the replicated page. Some of the transformations result in Amalgam-esque forms, boasting curious physical enhancements from the world of old, and some…some from other places entirely.

You continue reading about the Daughters West has dubbed the Unnatural Predators, a class that specializes in altering their physical form to mimic the flora and fauna of their original worlds. Of particular note is that the abilities they absorb from fellow Daughters are much weaker than when used by the original wielders, while to balance this they gain the unusual ability to enhance and refine the forms and traits of Amalgams, encouraging the hunt of beings usually best left avoided by the other classes. West was ‘fortunate’ enough to manage a capture of one Daughter that could seemingly teleport from place to place, her features having been altered to resemble that of a skinless canine, bringing to mind a certain four-legged ally of yours, still guarding the Sparagmos Engine deep within the bowels of an abandoned factory.

You toss the notes to the table after reading that West theorizes higher-level Predators would eventually become indistinguishable from the Amalgams they themselves hunt to grow stronger, stopping in your perusal before she fully details the autopsy on the girl she captured.

God, you hate her so much.

Anyway, it seems your allies are still skimming through the documents assigned them, reading silently around you. Rath has yet to rejoin you all, something telling you that she’s still sleeping where you left her as you weigh what to tackle next.

>>Continue on to the notes on Hybrid Abilities.

>>Drill down on another class of your choice.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3425031
>Drill down on another class of your choice.
Hive Mistress and Gluttonous are the most pertinent for Shu.

>>3425031
>>Drill down on another class of your choice.
Lets see if she can teach us anything new on Hive Mistresses. Just seems logical to read on those.

we still gonna get pastebin drops on at least some of the info later BHOP?

>>3425037
(Oh, absolutely.)

(Voting shall close in two hours.)

(Also, if the drill-down vote wins out, I assume you'd like to proceed to the next set of notes automatically after the details on the other classes are given?)

>>3425031
>>Continue on to the notes on Hybrid Abilities

>>3425045
Yes, please and thank you

Since we're reading the research notes of a mad sciencist, i think this is a good time to propose my plans to end the crucible: plan 1.
Operation: Voltron the sexmachine
Use our artist boi to convince every daughter in the monastery to donate 10% bio.
Get Mara/ a giant FuzzBuzz to promote Dorian in the Arenas with a huge skin-poster, more bio.
Go to the best forge. Create god-tier relics.
Defeat Mother with our team driving a giant relic-robot...
profit!

>>3425031
>>Drill down on another class of your choice.
In addition to Hive Mistress, read more about Neuromancers. West said something about Gina being special and, while it might come up in Persons of Interest, it's worth checking for hints here too.

>>3425065
Defeating Mother wouldn't end the Crucible, it would still continue. Shes just a cog in the machine as it was.

>>3425090
Lets encourage Gina to read up on the Neuromancer notes while we focus on Hive and Gluttonus.

We have a team for a reason afterall.

>>3425031
>Have each people reach more about their core class abilities. Gina reads Neuromancy, Shu reads Hive Mistress, Amara reads Skin Talker or Humoral Paladin.
>Julia and Dorian have to share the Flesh Artisan notes So Romantic Comedy stuff happens between the two.
>Silently have the FuzzBuzz mattress carry Rath over without disturbing her. KnightFuzz (the Knight-class Fuzzbuzz) will be her bodypillow.

>>3425133
Actually i like this idea alot so ill support with gluttonous thrown on for us, but id also imagine this was gonna happen sorta anyways.

Also a normal sized knightling can fly with Rath, i can only imagine what a doubled up bodypillow sized one can carry. Were using something akin to a raging death machine the likes of which we have never spawned before as a comfort tool, and im loving it.

>>3425031
Do this.>>3425133

>>3425031

“Miss Shu, I’ve found some notes on the Gluttonous that you may find interesting.” Dorian declares, rising from his seat and walking around the table to hand you the notes of interest personally, and you grab them with the hand that isn’t clutching the Hive Mistress file you’re intrigued to crack open.

“Miss Gina, for you.” He continues, plucking a stack of notes left in his seat and extending them to the girl to your left. She takes them happily, and a cursory glance informs you that they’re a detailed summary of Neuromancers and their capabilities that the brunette immediately dives into. You peruse the notes on your two main abilities, learning a few things over the duration of you read-through.

As you already suspected, the Hive Mistress class specializes in reconnaissance and overwhelming their opposition with a host of mass-produced creations, though they’re not necessarily limited to insectile forms as indicated by the description of an older Daughter that controlled a Swarm of feline constructs. Interestingly, you compare West’s detailed notes regarding the balance between power and number, between quality and quantity. Apparently, you’re the first Hive Mistress that West’s documented to have taken the third option, as most of her unwilling subjects either suffered a sharp cut in the amount of Swarmlings they produced in exchange for an increase in power, or could generate much weaker creations in far greater numbers.

If you’re reading the Doctor’s diagram correctly, you’re straddling the line of the two, while keeping fairly in line in both number and power with Hive Mistresses of equal power. What’s more, there’s nothing in her notes that detail anything about empathic fields or the like extending to other Daughters, which confirms your ability’s unusual properties.

You glance up, smiling at the sight of Julia and Dorian huddled over the Flesh Artisan notes, the latter shifting uncomfortably next to the slight-framed girl beside him. You share a grin with Gina before turning back to the Gluttonous notes in your other hand. It mostly confirms their superior melee abilities, but you’re intrigued to learn that they gain access to a variety of regenerative powers on top of some abilities that modify the Consumption of Daughters and Amalgams, offering a host of other options when it comes to your morbid dining options. Your ears perk up when Gina makes a small, curious noise from beside you.

“You okay?” You ask, and it takes a moment for her to reply as she tears herself away from her reading.

“Yeah, it’s…it’s just weird. I mean, half of this is just ways to mitigate synaptic feedback and damage and stuff, like it’s this major drawback. I’d think it was just West being paranoid, but apparently that’s a major issue.”

“We’ve never really run into that before though, right?” You ask, and Gina just shakes her head.

(Continued)

>>3425277

You lean forwards, taking another sip of tea before picking up a stack of notes detailing Hybrid Abilities in greater detail. Most of what you find simply details what you know in a little greater detail, namely that if a Daughter’s abilities that reach the level intervals of five, ten, fifteen, and twenty simultaneously, then they have the chance to combine into a Hybrid Skill. The growth of these Hybrids allow the Daughter to benefit from each of the HEALTH and BIO increases offered by the component skill trees, and each level of the Hybrid tree grants a combination of abilities and boosts that each component would have offered. While the downside is that individual skill trees have potent and incredible abilities waiting at the end, the Hybrid Skill trees offer greater and more diverse growth overall. What’s more, Hybrid skills can then be combined with other Hybrids in turn, with the possibility of unifying one’s skills into a single, massive tree that loses many of its unique properties in exchange for massive gains in HEALTH and BIO with each point invested.

“Huh…check this out, Shu.” Gina says, extending a note to you from your left. You peer at the page, West’s voice somehow bleeding through every word of her compressed script.

“While my own personal development in the early Crucible stages was less than optimal (as I am too high-leveled at this point for the Sparagmos Engines within easy reach to be able to reconfigure my abilities) I have noted an intriguing interaction between hybrid abilities and the Choice presented by Mother. Six different interviews and subsequent dissections have revealed that the option to Hybridize two or more abilities that have reached level five simultaneously consistently precedes the Choice itself, and in four of the six cases studied the Daughters that crafted a Hybrid ability pre-Choice that included their Core ability had the Choice center on their Hybrid. This leads me to believe that strategically making a Hybrid Ability with one’s Core skillset before the Choice is instrumental in reaching greater heights of power.”

“She’s wordy as all hell, but that’s good to know.” You say, handing the page across the table to Dorian’s outstretched hand. “Mr. Gardner, I think you, Rath, and Amara might be interested in reading this since you’re all on the cusp of the Choice.”

As if on cue, the massive, fuzzy Knightling that you used as a body pillow clambers into the room, refraining from flight so as not to disturb its ginger cargo, still sleeping soundly. The lot of you suppress a round-table of chuckles as you shift through the other papers in front of you.

>>Look for the answer to a specific question you wanted to pose before continuing on to Persons of Interest.

>>You think you’re done here, so have everyone continue on to Persons of Interest when they're done with their current readings.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3425286
>Look for the answer to a specific question you wanted to pose before continuing on to Persons of Interest.
>other: Of all the things between Neuromancy and Conduits, what made you and Gina so unique and special that Mother basically gave you the equivalent of a shotgun wedding in the form of the Crimson Cord?

So what kind of development do we want Rath to have? I'm thinking Hybridizing Phantom Limb with Tensile Strands.

Is it even possible to have two powers reach level twenty simultaneously? Only core abilities go that high, and each daughter only gets one, as any consumed powers caps at fifteen.

(Voting shall close in two hours, Gentlemen.)

>>3425298
(I'm afraid that West would have no insight on that, as the Crimson Cord was forged after her initial info-dump before you fought Hecaton, and the ability is so unique she has not encountered anything like it thus far. It's more a question for the one that gave it to you, truth be told.)

>>3425307
(Under very rare and specific circumstances, it is possible. To detail them would spoil a mechanic I would rather keep under wraps for right now, I'm afraid. My apologies.)

If a core ability was merged into a hybrid class and then subjected to The Choice, would it still be able to reach level 20?

>>3425305
That sounds good. Otherwise ive got nit time to think up a question to dive into sadly.

>>3425327
(Yes. Hybrid Core abilities, when merged with another ability to form a hybrid, have their cap extended to 20. Other abilities merely have a cap of 15 as you noted. Without fully realizing what she was doing, this is how B'ni ended up getting so powerful, by just drawing other regenerative abilities into her Hybrid Core tree and mulching anything that didn't jive with that into HEALTH and BIO upgrades.)

>>3425336
Wait, actually
>>3425286
>Get yourself a brief summary of each Classes uniqueness in their advancement and characteristics.

>>3425342
So the gist that I'm getting is that Hybrids get the RAW STAT bonuses, while Monoclasses get more mileage out of their specialized abilities.

>>3425357
(You are correct.)

So Gentlemen, what sort of build are we aiming for? Raw Stats or specialized abilities?

>>3425377
Depends on the ability. If it's ones that have raw offense or power as their main selling point, hybridizing them is okay, but the more subtle abilities or ones that lean on their effects should get specialized. This is not counting core hybrids which are a bit special.

Speaking of, should we level up Ravenous Maw to level 10 at the same time as our Swarmlings to make them a Hybrid power?

>>3425401
Our swarmling ability seems specialized in the sense that we have the flexibility to make different types of swarmlings (platelings, banelings, stiltlings, sonarlings, etc.). It's what gives our main power its utility. I'm hesitant on hybridizing Swarmlings and Gluttonous.

On the other hand, the fact that Gluttonous classes have abilities that lets them be more picky when consuming enemy daughters/amalgams. Shu ends up becoming a Chimera Ant Queen.

>>3425346
Specifically, knowing things like how Generators often get choices that greatly change how the ability works is extremely useful, aswell as answering the question of things like how one Flesh Artist simply causes debuff stacks, another gives a guy 3 forms while his body is liquid paint and he can spawn constructs. I get the classes are loosey goosey but knowing more about what qualifies something as what class may help us fight and pick out abilites better, and for things like the generators its useful for say, what if we dont WANT to greatly change how a power works, then we would thus know if its a Generators power to be more careful with how we spend level points, as an example.

whew, finally home. ten hour shifts can be brutal.

>>3425401
>>3425377
>>3425437
i dont think Maw and Swarmling is a good mix. much too different of powers in how they work and how we use them. Maw and Handed might mix really well however. either a bunch of mini-maws over our body or tentacles instead of arms is what id think we would get. or maybe 'arms' with mouths on the end instead of fists.

for Rath, im not sure. as stated Tensile and Limbs might be a good mix. id imagine if we did Limbs and Boil we would replace throw-able Boils with fists that either explode into a wave of fire ash, or give off fire ash when we punch, and would probably make her fully a melee build, if that was our goal.

For Gina Halo and Necromancer might mesh well. they already basically just compliment eachother anyways, so we might not even notice the difference.

otherwise i cant see much that might mesh well together. though some might give us quite unique and interesting outcomes if we did them.

also who made a bunch of the sheets entries white texted and why?

>>3425529
Should've kept the sheets view only

>>3425618
cant, otherwise the drop down menus dont work. i both have a backup and can revert the sheet to previous versions, i simply wish to know if there was a reason or if it was a mistake.

(Writing now, Gentlemen. Thank you for your patience and participation.)

>>3425529
(Regarding the ten hour shifts, I know how you feel. I just got home and will post the class summary sheet here shortly, and that will more than likely close out the evening for posts until tomorrow morning.)

>>3425529
>>3425444
It just came to my attention that Augmentations are a thing not covered by Dr. West's notes (well, what we didn't manage to get from Dr. West)

>>3425672
it wasn't on the original list either, but yeah, seems interesting its missing. might of been in the drawer i suppose.

>>3425699
Damn. The fact that we didn't stick around long enough to ransack everything from Dr. West. So many missed opportunities.

>>3425710
everyone was worried about her coming back so we started to feel rushed.

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(Gentlemen, my apologies, but I do believe that I shall be pausing here for the evening. I kept going back and adding more things to the class fact sheet, and given the fact that I kept accidentally replacing Hive Mistress as 'Swarmlord' for the past thirty minutes, I believe I shall be heading to bed early and resuming tomorrow morning so that I don't forget something silly and then kick myself for it later.)

(Thus, voting shall remain open for the next ten hours, and I shall be resuming posting in approximately fourteen hours from now with the class fact sheets [which may be slightly pared down for length and my own sanity] and the beginning of the Persons of Interest. This is by far the largest info dump of the mechanics, and it will more than likely be the only major one like this in the course of the quest. Thank you all for your time, participation, and patience, and please know that you are a fantastic group and I look forward to continuing tomorrow. Take care, and get the sort of rest you wanted to give Shu.)

>>3425719
no worries. this is a pretty important section for us too so take your time making sure its right, im sure we all would prefer that.

take care and have a good one BHOP!

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>>3425719
Take care.

Hey BHOP, I've got a question. When we crafted Sui Tormentis, we also used Ringo's bone (Temporal Remains) as additional crafting material. So what bonuses did the bone provide for the Armor Relic?

And somehow, Amara's Hallow Clone ability reminds me of a certain Manga that I recently read. Pic related is a hint.

>>3425965
(It now immediately regenerates 25% of the HEALTH that the user donates to activate its effects on top of having a high chance of negating a status ailment the user was recently inflicted with.)

>>3425965
(Also, excellent reference, I'm glad you liked the manga!)

>>3426193
So to clarify, If wrath wears the armor and sacrifices 4% hp for 12% increase in speed and strength, the armor gives her back 1% hp. Or is it a flat regen of 25% hp everytime the user donates its current hp for the boost? And would it be affected by the Nail's HP regen Debuff?

>>3426217
(The former example you listed, and yes to the Nail interaction.)

>>3426193
Wouldn't that just be a 25% decrease in the cost of activating its effects, or is there mechanical reasons you said it like that, such as anti-regen abilites affecting that technical decrease in cost?

>>3426263
(It was originally going to be a flat decrease, but triggering healing has far more beneficial effects for other triggers long-term.)

>>3426321
>but triggering healing has far more beneficial effects for other triggers long-term.
Oh my. That pretty much guarantees Augs, Relics, and abilities that rely on health recovery in order to trigger.

>>3426321
About what i thought. Also,silly question. Could we out a layer of platlings over the SUI? Not sure why we would do this but would it be possible and would it have any downsides?

>>3426339
(You absolutely could. It would hinder mobility while boosting defense.)

>>3426346
>mfw we could wrap Rath(or possibly Dorian) up like a triple wrap burrito.
good to know our options and for some reason im smiling but that just seems like a wholly heavy waste in a team build.

oh, and for upgrading Relics. is the next level, using the Armor for example, costing us 70% Calcite and 70% Fibro, or as it is Base Cost+, 180% Calcite and 150% Fibro?

>>3426334
have we seen any positive abilities yet that trigger upon Health Regen activating? all i can think of that it being Regen instead of a cost reduction thats positive so far is scenarios where we are fighting it.

>>3426381
the former. The latter is if you want to go straight to level 2 when crafting.

>>3426346
>>3426381
also, are Unnatural Predators more likely to fall to the hunger given their animalistic tenancies? and would this increase be an actual increase mechanically, or just a mental health one?

see, my thought on this was, that core abilities have been implied to somewhat be based off the Daughter they belong too, but that could imply many things for someone with such a power.

also kinda sounds fucked up to think you're fighting an amalgam only to gain a new headspace buddy. that sounds like a bit of a mindfuck haha.

>>3426391
>inb4 Ringo turns out to be an Unnatural Predator.
It would simultaneously be the best and the worst thing to ever happen.

>>3425529
I think Tensile and Boils might make superheated wire that doesn't just slice through enemies, but melts through them.

>>3426615
I can see it. Boils still feels like it would work best for her on its own though, unless like stated we wish to fully commit her to melee only basically, or at least risk that happening.

(Gentlemen, I'll be posting the class summary here shortly, with a voting period open for any additional questions before moving on to Persons of Interest.)

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>>3425286

After a little while of sharing information and swapping notes between yourselves, you and your allies compile a succinct list of everything West has recorded about her findings. Beside you, Gina taps away on her phone, pecking at the screen as she saves the notes and takes the odd picture of the pages fanned out on the table. At your requests she hands you the purple device, the amethyst screen glowing as you scroll down and review what you’ve found so far.

--HIVE MISTRESS--

>>Strengths: Capable of generating a large amount of constructs of variable quality, ability blends well with others to keep up pressure and open foes up to stronger attacks. Potent damage-over-time with large swarms or effective flanking potential with larger creations.

>>Weaknesses: Few close combat options while solo, many small components for the user to manage in combat. Extremely high consumption of BIO until later levels or unless mitigates with some sort of regain or regeneration.

>>Unique traits: At and after level ten, the user's Swarmlings regularly gain access to unique abilities and forms in accordance with the other abilities the Daughter possesses, allowing them greater options without resorting to Hybrid skill trees. And allowing one to specialize solely in their Core ability without losing out on their other abilities.

--CALCITE ARMORER--

>>Strengths: Access to a large amount of increasingly complex and powerful weaponry and a respectable number of middling defensive countermeasures, high attack power and critical hit chance out of the gate.

>>Weaknesses: Easily out-ranged and relatively fragile until late-Crucible. Weapons require a large amount of BIO to craft, particularly more complex forms.

>>Unique traits: Choice either vastly expands available weapon options or offers the chance to double down on one or two sets of weapons and customize them. Possesses superb synergy with the Gluttonous, the other class that emphasizes critical hits and effects surrounding them.

--NEUROMANCER--

>>Strengths: Masters of mind and matter, easily capable of locking down targets in single combat if they can connect with their abilities. Potent battlefield control and ability to interface with the Fleshscape. Boasts a high resistance to the Hunger, as well. Excellent recon and team communication skills.

>>Weaknesses: Extremely vulnerable in group combat, Neuromantic feedback can be devastating and incredibly lethal.

>>Unique traits: Choice revolves around focusing on either mind or matter and honing that skillset. Also has the ability to enter into the minds of their allies and soothe them, which makes them one of only two classes that can combat Hunger encroachment directly.

(Continued)

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>>3426984

--FIBROMANCER--

>>Strengths: Highest raw strength or defense of any class, easily capable of tearing through constructs and barriers. Easily capable of being the last one standing in large-scale fights due to slaughtering the opposition or tanking everything that was sent their way.

>>Weaknesses: Unusually low mobility unless augmented by another class, very short range. Abilities never extend beyond medium range at most.

>>Unique traits: Choice boils down to prioritizing overwhelming offense or nigh-impenetrable defense, with one or the other lost in the process. Rare mutations of this class eschew attack or defense in favor of overwhelming speed, though more research into the phenomenon is required.

--FLESH ARTISAN--

>>Strengths: A strong balance of offense and defense coupled with an intuition regarding the Fleshscape that grows over time, Flesh Artisans play well solo or with a group.

>>Weaknesses: Their early-game balance continues on for the duration of the Crucible, meaning that they never really excel in any one area.

>>Unique traits: The only other class to have unique subclasses, the other being the Humoral Paladin. Impressionist Artisans have their class abilities revolve around the manipulation of their own bodies, with the manifestations often allowing them to shift between a variety of forms to suit the situation. Expressionist Artisans focus upon imposing their vision of artistry onto the world around them, apply debilitating debuffs on foes while slowly building to a crescendo of damage or crippling status effects.

--GLUTTONOUS--

>>Strengths: Can devour other classes' constructs mid-combat to replenish their own resources and deals increased damage to them, as well. Middling attack power is offset by monstrous critical hit chances, the highest to be found in the Crucible.

>>Weaknesses: Imbibing the mystery meat that are other Daughters can lead to unexpected side effects of mid-combat consumption, as Flesh Artisans, Humoral Paladins, and Generators possess certain skills that can wreak havoc if parts of them are devoured.

>>Unique traits: A Gluttonous’ Choice is a curious one, as one part of it augments their mid-battle healing to double down on their survivability, while the other focuses more on tweaking the options and possibilities around the CONSUME level-up option.

(Continued)