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Myth: A New Age CYOA
- Thread starter Fangshi
- Start date
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
Why wasn't that in his Rules? This is setting is up for failure.Henry's Magical Tip of the Day: When magic is involved no colour is a good colour.
Jester
Arbiter
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 1,493
Depends if you are not the person who is on receiving end, it tend to be hilarious. Nine tends to giggle even when she is on receiving other people 'attention'.Baltika9 said:
Henry's Magical Tip of the Day: When magic is involved no colour is a good colour.
Anyway it is all rolled up. Interesting results...
Last time when we got interesting results we got prostitute, bodyguard and personal doctor. This time it will be pet green emerald sphere.
Fangshi
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2014
- Messages
- 1,997
Jester said:
Certainly, it is all a matter of perspective and relative strength. But Nine can afford to be rather cavalier most of the time, it is remarkably difficult to finish her off. Derryth on the other hand is still quite a bit more fragile.
You came awfully close to 'dying' here. You actually rolled very poorly for the first six checks, then perfectly for the last three. It was quite impressive and should make for a fun read. The update is maybe a bit long, normally I would have broken it into two updates but the original choice that was going to end this update simply did not make sense for the character. Given the position she was in she would only have made the choice she did. The other options simply would have gone against who she is, I think. (Though feel free to call me on that if you think she would have gone with one of the other choices and I will give my rationale.) So instead you get a longer update and a different set of choices at the end.
Update is essentially done. Just reworking a few things, should be up within the hour.
Last edited:
Fangshi
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2014
- Messages
- 1,997
Chapter 15: The Mad, Mad Mind II
Dim light filters into the room from above. Outside the miniature nightmares fight and die as they swarm across the glass. An uncaring sun beats down upon their broken forms, they scream in fear, in pain, in triumph.
While you are spared these sounds the scene unfolding before you is little better.
The light catches the creatures as they fight and die. They cast long shadows against the walls which make these hunched beasts appear to be giants.
The large creature raises its sphere and repeats its mantra, "Kill, murder, eaaat!" it stretches that last word out into a screech that pummels your ears. Two of the unmarked creatures drop their weapons and claw at their deformed ears.
The marked creatures press their advantage. Tooth, nail, and bone tearing into the flesh of the unmarked. They are dragged down and torn open by the marked who cast aside their weapons in favour of their bare hands.
Three of the creatures and their leader continue their assault upon the remaining unmarked. The remaining two creatures fight on in silence; a certain grim determination writ upon their faces.
A large part of you wishes to flee from this scene, to abandon this nightmare city and return to some place less broken, less twisted. The animal in you seeks escape but you choke it down. This is your first real lead since you arrived in Nine's mind. For better or worse you will pursue it.
"Thaïs, I have a plan," you tear your eyes from the horror in front of you and back to your friend, "I think if we work together we can weave a Control spell on the leader of those beasts. If we can break him the rest should follow."
Thaïs hesitates, "Are you sure that is a good idea Derryth? We have known the spell for what, a day at most? We do not know how Nine's mind will react to our casting and on top of it all if the spell goes wrong with our minds so close... we could lose a lot."
She raises good points but now that the idea has entered your mind you can not get rid of it. Part of you wants to see what will happen and curiosity has always been a weakness of yours. You smirk, "Well I mean if you think you can't keep up..."
Thaïs raises an eyebrow, "Oh, I can keep up. I am just a little worried that you will not be able to handle the extra energy here. I would not want you to hurt yourself..."
You beam at her, "Great let's get started then. I will attach the hooks into his mind while you construct the harness we are going to put on him. Once I am ready you can pass your half of the spell over to me. We will only be in contact for a second and then I will have him."
You focus on the creature. Its 'mind' for lack of a better word is far different than anything you have ever encountered. The entirety of it is comprised of only a handful of ideas, memories, ambitions and all of them are bloody. It comes on as a series of still images, your mind only able to grasp it in each individual second, not as a whole.
It is disorienting but you adapt. You sink your hooks into the most basic instincts of the creature. The constants of its broken mental landscape. Hatred, rage, and... fear. It is afraid of something.
There is something else within it. Something deeper.
Before you can explore this deeper presence you sense Thaïs reaching out to your mind. She has the harness ready but is being cautious. You will have to manage the handoff just so or you risk getting a bit too close within the mind of this thing. If you do this right your minds will only be in contact for a second...
A second is all it takes.
That deeper presence is cunning, it has grasped what you are trying to do and instead of immediately attacking it waits until you are unbalanced. Until the exact moment your mind and Thaïs' are in contact.
Then with all of its power it pushes you towards her. It giggles with glee, a deranged laugh that sounds for all the world like Nine, "Dears, it is already so very crowded in here. How about we condense things a little?"
You collapse into Thaïs' mind. At first it resists trying to push your mind back out but as you tumble further your minds begin to twist around one another. If you can not think of a way out of this you will lose yourself within minutes.
Most people would panic.
But you have never really been that type.
You calm yourself. You do not fight the pull which would only draw you in quicker. Instead you direct yourself, nudging yourself further out into an orbit around Thaïs' mind, you think on your past, what makes you, you. It works, your minds slow on their collision course. It will take more than a little shove to finish you off, you think.
You can not help but smile when you notice her doing the same thing. Good girl you think, if she had panicked you would both have been doomed. Slowly your minds will collapse into one another but your collective actions have bought you both a few seconds.
You only have moments though... and yet moments within the mind can last an eternity.
Calmly you run through the possibilities.
Can you get help from Thaïs?
No.
If you even think about her too hard your minds will snap back together and that will be the end of you. Whatever comes after that it won't matter for you.
Do you have a spell that could help?
Maybe?
You could in theory attack her. Hit her hard enough with an assault spell and you could probably wipe out her personality. You would 'live', you speculate, you would know all she knows, have lived all she has lived but you would remain yourself... she would die though, here and out there.
You shake your 'head'.
As interesting as this train of though is on an academic level you know, no knew even before you thought it, that you could never do it. You simply do not have it in you to 'murder' your best friend.
You feel happiness at that.
You are not sure if it is your own contentment or Thaïs' bleeding over as you move closer. You push those thoughts from your mind and conjure up another batch of memories, pushing the two of you apart again.
Right, no help, no spells... what does that leave you?
Nothing?
Accept your fate and work with Thaïs to integrate your personalities into as stable a new 'person' as possible?
It might work. You know and trust one another enough that you could probably do it with minimal damage... though there would certainly be damage... would it be that bad?
Your minds begin to speed up again at the thought.
You catch yourself, a bit angry at the idea that you would ever surrender even for a moment.
You will not do that.
You will not do that to Thaïs.
You will not do that to Henry.
You will not do that to the girls, or Madb, or all the others depending on you.
You conjure up every reason you can think of to resist. To remain Derryth. Again you slow, this time almost to a crawl.
You are about to turn back to the task at hand when a peculiar idea hits you.
Where did that last idea, to surrender, come from?
Why would you even do that?
Why would you even think that?
Would you really give in like that?
No.
If nothing else you have always known yourself.
You would not think that.
And you are certain Thaïs would not either. In all the time you have known her she has never been one to give up.
Where did the idea come from?
Persistent aren't you?
An amused voice pushes into your mind, masculine, tired, but a little curious in spite of itself.
You toss a few more memories out from your rapidly depleting stock, anything to buy you enough time to escape, you call out to the voice, "Who is there?"
The voice's tone takes on a sarcastic note.
Why your very own guardian angel...
You have little patience for it, "Great another asshole..."
The voice chuckles.
I like you Derryth. Of all the fools and mages I have been stuck with I think I like you best. It will be a shame when you are gone.
It almost sounds sad at the prospect of you ceasing to be.
You hazard a guess, "You, you are our bracelets? Or in our bracelets..."
You really are a smart kid Derryth.
You shrug off its praise, you do not want a pat on the back. You want answers, "So why were you helping us and why did you plant the idea in my mind to give up just now? Those actions seem to be at odds with one another."
Well giving up would be the best way to ensure your body survives. You would both live on... after a fashion. You are going to have to be pragmatic here Derryth.
"So you are only interested in our continued physical existence. Our minds are of no consequence to you?" you press it further.
Well, I would not say of no consequence. You are both quite entertaining but yes if you strip everything away you could say I am only interested in your bodies.
It chuckles slightly and continues.
Frankly it would save me a lot of trouble if you were both less... strong willed. You are a smart woman Derryth but for such a smart person you do an awful lot of stupid things. Do you have any idea how difficult it was keeping you both alive during that battle with the Necromancers?
You are not sure what to say, "Um, sorry?"
Oh, and not just the Necromancers! What about the mercenaries! And now this... Well your luck has finally run out. I won't save you this time. Maybe whatever new personality comes to inhabit your body will be a bit wiser.
You 'frown' at the thought, "You mean easier to control don't you?"
Six of one, half a dozen of the other, Derryth. It is all the same to me. I need you both alive, I-
You begin casting.
What are you doing?
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell.
Girl, what are you doing!
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell, at yourself.
If your disembodied mind could grin it would, "Don't understand? Well then let me explain. You 'need us both alive' as you yourself said. You also said that you 'won't' save me this time, not that you 'can't'-"
It takes on a soothing tone.
Now Derryth, I know facing your end is quite trying but it was going to happen anyway... someday. Don't do anything stupid, I-
You have made up your mind, "You will save us! You will save us or I will obliterate myself. I will die in here and my body will die with me. Then where will you be?"
Clearly annoyed the voice stands its ground.
You are not going to do it. Even if you do your mind will simply collapse and be absorbed by this place. Your body will live, I will live. You do not have the strength to will yourself away!
"Can you read my thoughts?" you calmly ask.
In here? Yes. It replies.
You keep your tone flat, inscrutable, "Then read them. And ask yourself if you really are certain that I can't."
It hesitates, then it looks.
It sees you growing up abandoned in the Province.
It sees you clawing your way from Henry's Tomb.
It sees you below Muirthemne fighting an army and their dark Goddess.
It sees you here and it sees you snuff out your own life.
It sees and understands. You will do this if you have to. You are moments from doing it in fact.
Quietly it answers.
Alright, I will do this for you. I will help you but you will owe me for this. Do you understand? You will owe me big for this.
It seems like such a large decision but it isn't. You will not sacrifice a friend, you refuse to surrender yourself, and oblivion is not a tempting solution. There is only one choice you can make.
You accept the voice's deal, "Alright, a favour for a favour."
The voice chuckles.
Well maybe this was not a complete waste of time after all. Follow my instructions exactly. I have only done this once before and it did not quite work... but this time will be different I can feel it.
You stop him for a moment, "Who are you if you don't mind me asking?"
Me? Derryth I am no one... and everyone... call me the Faceless Man, it is as accurate as anything else.
You are out of memories. Nothing more can keep you apart.
Your mind crashes into Thaïs' but the voice coaches you both. You move as fast as thought, conditioned to instinctively follow instructions from the bracelets. You shift the memory of your first kiss moments before it collides with a childhood nightmare of Thaïs'. She pivots her hopes for the future around your fears of the past. You twist a midsummer night's tryst and slip it past the approving gaze of her father. Henry's death darts past Shiver's sacking of Scales. The two of you continue in this intricate and exhausting dance for what seems like thousands of years.
It is just possible to achieve.
The guidance of this Faceless Man, the complete trust you have in one another, your familiarity with each other's minds, and your absolute determination to succeed together produce a small miracle.
Your minds pass through one another, they unwind from each other and pass safely back into your projected bodies. You have survived, but you feel different. There are memories, emotions, in your mind that you are almost certain are not your own. You don't think you lost anything but you have definitely picked up a little extra. Not full memories really more like... impressions... you doubt you stole anything from your friend but the pull of her thoughts remains.
Still this is definitely a 'win' as Gareth would say. You have survived and perhaps that is enough.
You still exist, Thaïs still exists, and to your amusement the control spell is still in place. Trapped within that deeper level of your minds mere seconds have past within Nine's mind. Quick to capitalize on the situation you reach out with your mind and grab hold of the Control spell, furious over what this thing almost did to you and your friend.
The secondary presence within the creature's mind attempts to resist you but after what you have been through you refuse to let it have its way. It is only one small part of Nine's mind and it is ultimately powerless before your cold fury.
You hit it. Throwing it from the creature's mind back into its little green orb.
With the creature now under your complete command you turn it upon its companions. You are not quick about it, you are not kind about it, you order it to kill, to murder, to eat. It rips, it tears, it breaks them with club and fist and when they all lay dead it wraps its great hands around its head and it snaps its own neck.
As it dies you are thrown back into your own projection.
You go a bit pale as you stand and survey the carnage you have wrought. In your anger you held nothing back. The two remaining unmarked creatures cower in a corner covered in the blood of their enemies. Viscera are strewn about the lower floor. The room is spattered with the blood of the creatures and the corpse of the largest beast rests in the center of it in a wide puddle of blood its head wrenched out at an odd angle.
"Hell Derryth..." Thaïs stands next to you, "I mean, I know they are not real but..."
You rub your temples, "I... I just lost control for a moment... won't happen again..."
"Was... was that Nine that did that to us?" Thaïs asks, leaning on the rail of the catwalk.
"Part of her but you know how she is. The part that attacked us might not be the Nine we know," you shrug and lean forward beside her.
The two creatures notice your presence. One of them notches a bone arrow. You casually set its bowstring on fire with a flick of your wrist. They drop to their knees and begin praying. Mentally drained you ignore them for the moment and continue your conversation, "So did you hear the voice as well? The Faceless Man?"
She nods, "Yes he was not too happy with you, though I think he likes you in spite of himself. He kept muttering..." she grins and mimics his voice, "'That Derryth has one giant pair! A Wyrd damned pain in the ass!'" she lets out a slight laugh, the beauty of it incongruous with your terrifying surroundings, "Looks like he kept his word. I wonder how he knew how to do that?"
You frown, "He told me he had done it once before. That it did not work but that he was sure it would this time..."
She rests a hand on your shoulder, "Well no sense worrying about it at the moment. We will just have to deal with him when the time comes."
You push off from the rail, "Right, let's go see what those creatures can tell us."
-------------------------------------------
It takes the better part of ten minutes to coax the three creatures to their feet and get them communicating.
"We want to get to the center of the city. How do we do that?" you gesture as you speak, they do not seem to have a great understanding of Bruig.
The creatures chatter amongst themselves in a tongue you can not quite place. Their 'leader', or at least the bravest of them, finally speaks up in broken Bruig. He often repeats himself and jumps to his strange tongue every now and again. He is trying to help, but is uncertain of how to express his ideas, "Ah... center... is dangerous, it is very dangerous. More... Fallen... ah... more marked ones. Need... need... help... allies?"
You sigh, "Yes, probably."
The creature gives you a grin, you think it is meant to reassure you but it also reveals his fangs. Those fangs remind you that these creatures might not be terribly friendly if they were not convinced of your powers, "We... we could bring you to the Mistress... she seeks m... mighty allies... drive off the Fallen. Return to the center... to.... home!"
The other two creature nod along with it, "Help us... help you!"
"Maybe..." you are not too sure one way or the other. You are fairly certain that the creatures you saved will vouch for you and this Mistress of theirs may have the resources to get to the center of the city.
The creature senses you hesitation, he draws a bone knife and presses it into your hand, "You... hmm... saved my... being?... my life... I will serve... show you... way to center of... of the city... Think... think you should meet Mistress but..." he hesitates and takes a deep breath, "Will take you alone if... if... necessary."
The other two creatures each draw their daggers and present them to you handle first, "Will serve!"
So you do have a few options...
As you consider them the orb catches your eye. It rests on the floor, covered in a thin layer of blood. You wonder if you should do something about it.
1. Strategy:
A) You will follow these creatures back to their Mistress and see what you can learn. If there really are more of these creatures you might need an army.
B) You will continue on to the center of the city with your three 'guides'. You have no desire to visit a settlement of these things. You should be able to handle the three of them and if you move quietly you might be able to slip past any adversaries you encounter.
C)You will get directions from the creatures and carry on by yourselves. You simply do not trust them enough to go with them.
D) You head back in search of Nine.
E) You give up. You will begin unwinding the spells holding you in Nine's mind. This place is not fit for any sane individual.
F) freeform
2. The Orb:
A) You take the orb to study it. It may be useful though it is dangerous.
B) You leave the orb where it rests. You want nothing to do with it.
C) You destroy the orb.
Dim light filters into the room from above. Outside the miniature nightmares fight and die as they swarm across the glass. An uncaring sun beats down upon their broken forms, they scream in fear, in pain, in triumph.
While you are spared these sounds the scene unfolding before you is little better.
The light catches the creatures as they fight and die. They cast long shadows against the walls which make these hunched beasts appear to be giants.
The large creature raises its sphere and repeats its mantra, "Kill, murder, eaaat!" it stretches that last word out into a screech that pummels your ears. Two of the unmarked creatures drop their weapons and claw at their deformed ears.
The marked creatures press their advantage. Tooth, nail, and bone tearing into the flesh of the unmarked. They are dragged down and torn open by the marked who cast aside their weapons in favour of their bare hands.
Three of the creatures and their leader continue their assault upon the remaining unmarked. The remaining two creatures fight on in silence; a certain grim determination writ upon their faces.
A large part of you wishes to flee from this scene, to abandon this nightmare city and return to some place less broken, less twisted. The animal in you seeks escape but you choke it down. This is your first real lead since you arrived in Nine's mind. For better or worse you will pursue it.
"Thaïs, I have a plan," you tear your eyes from the horror in front of you and back to your friend, "I think if we work together we can weave a Control spell on the leader of those beasts. If we can break him the rest should follow."
Thaïs hesitates, "Are you sure that is a good idea Derryth? We have known the spell for what, a day at most? We do not know how Nine's mind will react to our casting and on top of it all if the spell goes wrong with our minds so close... we could lose a lot."
She raises good points but now that the idea has entered your mind you can not get rid of it. Part of you wants to see what will happen and curiosity has always been a weakness of yours. You smirk, "Well I mean if you think you can't keep up..."
Thaïs raises an eyebrow, "Oh, I can keep up. I am just a little worried that you will not be able to handle the extra energy here. I would not want you to hurt yourself..."
You beam at her, "Great let's get started then. I will attach the hooks into his mind while you construct the harness we are going to put on him. Once I am ready you can pass your half of the spell over to me. We will only be in contact for a second and then I will have him."
You focus on the creature. Its 'mind' for lack of a better word is far different than anything you have ever encountered. The entirety of it is comprised of only a handful of ideas, memories, ambitions and all of them are bloody. It comes on as a series of still images, your mind only able to grasp it in each individual second, not as a whole.
It is disorienting but you adapt. You sink your hooks into the most basic instincts of the creature. The constants of its broken mental landscape. Hatred, rage, and... fear. It is afraid of something.
There is something else within it. Something deeper.
Before you can explore this deeper presence you sense Thaïs reaching out to your mind. She has the harness ready but is being cautious. You will have to manage the handoff just so or you risk getting a bit too close within the mind of this thing. If you do this right your minds will only be in contact for a second...
A second is all it takes.
That deeper presence is cunning, it has grasped what you are trying to do and instead of immediately attacking it waits until you are unbalanced. Until the exact moment your mind and Thaïs' are in contact.
Then with all of its power it pushes you towards her. It giggles with glee, a deranged laugh that sounds for all the world like Nine, "Dears, it is already so very crowded in here. How about we condense things a little?"
You collapse into Thaïs' mind. At first it resists trying to push your mind back out but as you tumble further your minds begin to twist around one another. If you can not think of a way out of this you will lose yourself within minutes.
Most people would panic.
But you have never really been that type.
You calm yourself. You do not fight the pull which would only draw you in quicker. Instead you direct yourself, nudging yourself further out into an orbit around Thaïs' mind, you think on your past, what makes you, you. It works, your minds slow on their collision course. It will take more than a little shove to finish you off, you think.
You can not help but smile when you notice her doing the same thing. Good girl you think, if she had panicked you would both have been doomed. Slowly your minds will collapse into one another but your collective actions have bought you both a few seconds.
You only have moments though... and yet moments within the mind can last an eternity.
Calmly you run through the possibilities.
Can you get help from Thaïs?
No.
If you even think about her too hard your minds will snap back together and that will be the end of you. Whatever comes after that it won't matter for you.
Do you have a spell that could help?
Maybe?
You could in theory attack her. Hit her hard enough with an assault spell and you could probably wipe out her personality. You would 'live', you speculate, you would know all she knows, have lived all she has lived but you would remain yourself... she would die though, here and out there.
You shake your 'head'.
As interesting as this train of though is on an academic level you know, no knew even before you thought it, that you could never do it. You simply do not have it in you to 'murder' your best friend.
You feel happiness at that.
You are not sure if it is your own contentment or Thaïs' bleeding over as you move closer. You push those thoughts from your mind and conjure up another batch of memories, pushing the two of you apart again.
Right, no help, no spells... what does that leave you?
Nothing?
Accept your fate and work with Thaïs to integrate your personalities into as stable a new 'person' as possible?
It might work. You know and trust one another enough that you could probably do it with minimal damage... though there would certainly be damage... would it be that bad?
Your minds begin to speed up again at the thought.
You catch yourself, a bit angry at the idea that you would ever surrender even for a moment.
You will not do that.
You will not do that to Thaïs.
You will not do that to Henry.
You will not do that to the girls, or Madb, or all the others depending on you.
You conjure up every reason you can think of to resist. To remain Derryth. Again you slow, this time almost to a crawl.
You are about to turn back to the task at hand when a peculiar idea hits you.
Where did that last idea, to surrender, come from?
Why would you even do that?
Why would you even think that?
Would you really give in like that?
No.
If nothing else you have always known yourself.
You would not think that.
And you are certain Thaïs would not either. In all the time you have known her she has never been one to give up.
Where did the idea come from?
Persistent aren't you?
An amused voice pushes into your mind, masculine, tired, but a little curious in spite of itself.
You toss a few more memories out from your rapidly depleting stock, anything to buy you enough time to escape, you call out to the voice, "Who is there?"
The voice's tone takes on a sarcastic note.
Why your very own guardian angel...
You have little patience for it, "Great another asshole..."
The voice chuckles.
I like you Derryth. Of all the fools and mages I have been stuck with I think I like you best. It will be a shame when you are gone.
It almost sounds sad at the prospect of you ceasing to be.
You hazard a guess, "You, you are our bracelets? Or in our bracelets..."
You really are a smart kid Derryth.
You shrug off its praise, you do not want a pat on the back. You want answers, "So why were you helping us and why did you plant the idea in my mind to give up just now? Those actions seem to be at odds with one another."
Well giving up would be the best way to ensure your body survives. You would both live on... after a fashion. You are going to have to be pragmatic here Derryth.
"So you are only interested in our continued physical existence. Our minds are of no consequence to you?" you press it further.
Well, I would not say of no consequence. You are both quite entertaining but yes if you strip everything away you could say I am only interested in your bodies.
It chuckles slightly and continues.
Frankly it would save me a lot of trouble if you were both less... strong willed. You are a smart woman Derryth but for such a smart person you do an awful lot of stupid things. Do you have any idea how difficult it was keeping you both alive during that battle with the Necromancers?
You are not sure what to say, "Um, sorry?"
Oh, and not just the Necromancers! What about the mercenaries! And now this... Well your luck has finally run out. I won't save you this time. Maybe whatever new personality comes to inhabit your body will be a bit wiser.
You 'frown' at the thought, "You mean easier to control don't you?"
Six of one, half a dozen of the other, Derryth. It is all the same to me. I need you both alive, I-
You begin casting.
What are you doing?
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell.
Girl, what are you doing!
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell, at yourself.
If your disembodied mind could grin it would, "Don't understand? Well then let me explain. You 'need us both alive' as you yourself said. You also said that you 'won't' save me this time, not that you 'can't'-"
It takes on a soothing tone.
Now Derryth, I know facing your end is quite trying but it was going to happen anyway... someday. Don't do anything stupid, I-
You have made up your mind, "You will save us! You will save us or I will obliterate myself. I will die in here and my body will die with me. Then where will you be?"
Clearly annoyed the voice stands its ground.
You are not going to do it. Even if you do your mind will simply collapse and be absorbed by this place. Your body will live, I will live. You do not have the strength to will yourself away!
"Can you read my thoughts?" you calmly ask.
In here? Yes. It replies.
You keep your tone flat, inscrutable, "Then read them. And ask yourself if you really are certain that I can't."
It hesitates, then it looks.
It sees you growing up abandoned in the Province.
It sees you clawing your way from Henry's Tomb.
It sees you below Muirthemne fighting an army and their dark Goddess.
It sees you here and it sees you snuff out your own life.
It sees and understands. You will do this if you have to. You are moments from doing it in fact.
Quietly it answers.
Alright, I will do this for you. I will help you but you will owe me for this. Do you understand? You will owe me big for this.
It seems like such a large decision but it isn't. You will not sacrifice a friend, you refuse to surrender yourself, and oblivion is not a tempting solution. There is only one choice you can make.
You accept the voice's deal, "Alright, a favour for a favour."
The voice chuckles.
Well maybe this was not a complete waste of time after all. Follow my instructions exactly. I have only done this once before and it did not quite work... but this time will be different I can feel it.
You stop him for a moment, "Who are you if you don't mind me asking?"
Me? Derryth I am no one... and everyone... call me the Faceless Man, it is as accurate as anything else.
You are out of memories. Nothing more can keep you apart.
Your mind crashes into Thaïs' but the voice coaches you both. You move as fast as thought, conditioned to instinctively follow instructions from the bracelets. You shift the memory of your first kiss moments before it collides with a childhood nightmare of Thaïs'. She pivots her hopes for the future around your fears of the past. You twist a midsummer night's tryst and slip it past the approving gaze of her father. Henry's death darts past Shiver's sacking of Scales. The two of you continue in this intricate and exhausting dance for what seems like thousands of years.
It is just possible to achieve.
The guidance of this Faceless Man, the complete trust you have in one another, your familiarity with each other's minds, and your absolute determination to succeed together produce a small miracle.
Your minds pass through one another, they unwind from each other and pass safely back into your projected bodies. You have survived, but you feel different. There are memories, emotions, in your mind that you are almost certain are not your own. You don't think you lost anything but you have definitely picked up a little extra. Not full memories really more like... impressions... you doubt you stole anything from your friend but the pull of her thoughts remains.
Still this is definitely a 'win' as Gareth would say. You have survived and perhaps that is enough.
You still exist, Thaïs still exists, and to your amusement the control spell is still in place. Trapped within that deeper level of your minds mere seconds have past within Nine's mind. Quick to capitalize on the situation you reach out with your mind and grab hold of the Control spell, furious over what this thing almost did to you and your friend.
The secondary presence within the creature's mind attempts to resist you but after what you have been through you refuse to let it have its way. It is only one small part of Nine's mind and it is ultimately powerless before your cold fury.
You hit it. Throwing it from the creature's mind back into its little green orb.
With the creature now under your complete command you turn it upon its companions. You are not quick about it, you are not kind about it, you order it to kill, to murder, to eat. It rips, it tears, it breaks them with club and fist and when they all lay dead it wraps its great hands around its head and it snaps its own neck.
As it dies you are thrown back into your own projection.
You go a bit pale as you stand and survey the carnage you have wrought. In your anger you held nothing back. The two remaining unmarked creatures cower in a corner covered in the blood of their enemies. Viscera are strewn about the lower floor. The room is spattered with the blood of the creatures and the corpse of the largest beast rests in the center of it in a wide puddle of blood its head wrenched out at an odd angle.
"Hell Derryth..." Thaïs stands next to you, "I mean, I know they are not real but..."
You rub your temples, "I... I just lost control for a moment... won't happen again..."
"Was... was that Nine that did that to us?" Thaïs asks, leaning on the rail of the catwalk.
"Part of her but you know how she is. The part that attacked us might not be the Nine we know," you shrug and lean forward beside her.
The two creatures notice your presence. One of them notches a bone arrow. You casually set its bowstring on fire with a flick of your wrist. They drop to their knees and begin praying. Mentally drained you ignore them for the moment and continue your conversation, "So did you hear the voice as well? The Faceless Man?"
She nods, "Yes he was not too happy with you, though I think he likes you in spite of himself. He kept muttering..." she grins and mimics his voice, "'That Derryth has one giant pair! A Wyrd damned pain in the ass!'" she lets out a slight laugh, the beauty of it incongruous with your terrifying surroundings, "Looks like he kept his word. I wonder how he knew how to do that?"
You frown, "He told me he had done it once before. That it did not work but that he was sure it would this time..."
She rests a hand on your shoulder, "Well no sense worrying about it at the moment. We will just have to deal with him when the time comes."
You push off from the rail, "Right, let's go see what those creatures can tell us."
-------------------------------------------
It takes the better part of ten minutes to coax the three creatures to their feet and get them communicating.
"We want to get to the center of the city. How do we do that?" you gesture as you speak, they do not seem to have a great understanding of Bruig.
The creatures chatter amongst themselves in a tongue you can not quite place. Their 'leader', or at least the bravest of them, finally speaks up in broken Bruig. He often repeats himself and jumps to his strange tongue every now and again. He is trying to help, but is uncertain of how to express his ideas, "Ah... center... is dangerous, it is very dangerous. More... Fallen... ah... more marked ones. Need... need... help... allies?"
You sigh, "Yes, probably."
The creature gives you a grin, you think it is meant to reassure you but it also reveals his fangs. Those fangs remind you that these creatures might not be terribly friendly if they were not convinced of your powers, "We... we could bring you to the Mistress... she seeks m... mighty allies... drive off the Fallen. Return to the center... to.... home!"
The other two creature nod along with it, "Help us... help you!"
"Maybe..." you are not too sure one way or the other. You are fairly certain that the creatures you saved will vouch for you and this Mistress of theirs may have the resources to get to the center of the city.
The creature senses you hesitation, he draws a bone knife and presses it into your hand, "You... hmm... saved my... being?... my life... I will serve... show you... way to center of... of the city... Think... think you should meet Mistress but..." he hesitates and takes a deep breath, "Will take you alone if... if... necessary."
The other two creatures each draw their daggers and present them to you handle first, "Will serve!"
So you do have a few options...
As you consider them the orb catches your eye. It rests on the floor, covered in a thin layer of blood. You wonder if you should do something about it.
1. Strategy:
A) You will follow these creatures back to their Mistress and see what you can learn. If there really are more of these creatures you might need an army.
B) You will continue on to the center of the city with your three 'guides'. You have no desire to visit a settlement of these things. You should be able to handle the three of them and if you move quietly you might be able to slip past any adversaries you encounter.
C)You will get directions from the creatures and carry on by yourselves. You simply do not trust them enough to go with them.
D) You head back in search of Nine.
E) You give up. You will begin unwinding the spells holding you in Nine's mind. This place is not fit for any sane individual.
F) freeform
2. The Orb:
A) You take the orb to study it. It may be useful though it is dangerous.
B) You leave the orb where it rests. You want nothing to do with it.
C) You destroy the orb.
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Hmm. I'm not quite sure what to do about the orb. If it's a part of Nine's sadistic side, then we don't really want it re-emerging. But then destroying it may produce some dangerous defenses in its stead. What do the unmarked creatures say about the Orb?
Tentatively votingAC AA AC
Also, sounds like we're dealing with yet another archmage. That makes what, three all in the same room? Are the Avatara reforming? Or the Fallen Lords...
Tentatively voting
Also, sounds like we're dealing with yet another archmage. That makes what, three all in the same room? Are the Avatara reforming? Or the Fallen Lords...
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Fangshi
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Smashing Axe said:
It is 'terrible and evil magics'! Of course from talking to them you get the impression that they think all magic is 'terrible and evil magics'.
All they really know is that each of the Marked champions carry one. There are supposedly four in total and that by defeating this one you have struck a serious blow against the Marked for what that is worth.
Their Mistress may have something more useful to say on the subject but you would need to bring it to her or at least tell her about it to learn more.
Baltika9
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Didn't see a solud no, so he does know it, but just won't share.He won't tell you. He is still a little pissed off at Derryth.
Well, we can practice it on him as an apoligy. He would need to be one sad bastard to refuse that.
Sunnmøring
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Ooh, AA! Assembling an army and pilfering shiny stuff is what it's all about.
Nevill
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An experimental spell. That requires combining the efforts of two mages. In a place where the minds have to struggle not to converge on one another.
In hindsight, that was retarded.
Wonder what extras we've picked. Oh, and now we owe to one of the Fallen, too.
Don't really want to destroy a part of Nine's mind without knowing its significance, but don't want to pick it up either. The shiny is imaginary anyway.
In hindsight, that was retarded.
Wonder what extras we've picked. Oh, and now we owe to one of the Fallen, too.
I always thought the bracers were too good to be true.
Don't really want to destroy a part of Nine's mind without knowing its significance, but don't want to pick it up either. The shiny is imaginary anyway.
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Fangshi
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Nevill said:
If you could get in some rest perhaps (it would take a while though since your body suffered the strain and it has to recover in real time). You would have to find somewhere safe and good luck finding somewhere safe in Nine's mind. You can probably assume Thaïs is fairly worn out as well. Just... you know... be careful from here on out...
Nevill
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Actually... If we suspect Nine to be The Voiceless One, or The Mother of Plagues, or something similar, that could explain what is going on in her mind. The Dark corrupts and twists the personalities of the Avatara, but they still retain memories and certain aspects of their previous existence. These creatures call the center their home, and refer to their opponents as 'Fallen'. Maybe they are the remnants of her original personality?
In any case, we must either leave or destroy the orb. We can't take that risk after being nearly consumed by it. There are at least three others, so we are unlikely to cause irrepairable damage with that action, and we stand too much to lose if we are caught unprepared again.
What is it about shinies that makes people forsake everything for them?
AC.
Smashing Axe, what happened to your natural aversion to the horrible consequences?
In any case, we must either leave or destroy the orb. We can't take that risk after being nearly consumed by it. There are at least three others, so we are unlikely to cause irrepairable damage with that action, and we stand too much to lose if we are caught unprepared again.
What is it about shinies that makes people forsake everything for them?
AC.
Smashing Axe, what happened to your natural aversion to the horrible consequences?
I think there is plenty of evidence for us not to mess with that thing.
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Well, it was a bit risky, undeniably. My mistake was assuming mental spells would be far more effective in Nine's mind. Still, I don't think it was a really bad move, even in hindsight; the outcome wasn't good, but bad rolls didn't help with that.
But yeah, let's be more cautious with this kind of stuff in future. It was the right decision to intervene at least.
Av could have been worse.
Going to flop back to destroying the orb. I was voting to keep it because I wanted to adopt a wait and see approach with it in case we could utilise it to achieve greater control of our surroundings, but I think Nevill is right that getting rid of it is for the best.
Nevill
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The problem wasn't even with the mental spells, though it played it's role, too. The risk - very high and unnecessary, mind - came from the fact that we used the spell that required us to link our minds with another person in a place where we were forewarned it was incredibly dangerous to do that sort of thing. I can't believe I forgot about that aspect of magic.
It was an incredibly bad move (not the intention, but the method we chose), as we've worn ourselves out right in the beginning of our journey, and got indebted to a set of bracelets we can't get rid of. At least now we know there is a third side to the conflict. Damn, the insane hybrid of Nine and The Faceless One would qualify for an endgame abomination that could rival the Watcher.
Yeah.
I can't marvel enough at just how narrowly we have avoided a TPK.
Jester
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This joke got old.Didn't see a solud no, so he does know it, but just won't share.He won't tell you. He is still a little pissed off at Derryth.
Well, we can practice it on him as an apoligy. He would need to be one sad bastard to refuse that.
vote AC
meatshields and mby wiping out the part of her mind we encountered.
Baltika9
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Who said I'm joking?
Jester
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My hope i guess?
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