Wait I have an idea
Ask for 100% oxygen, then get your restaurant-assigned matchbook and throw a lit match at whatever she pumps in
The idiot won't realize what she's doing until it's too late

>>1086193
That sounds like a good way to self-immolate. Pure oxygen isn't explosive, it just makes fire go really fast.

>>1086183
Tell him you require sexual congress with a female of direct royal succession.
Kinda like a weasel with an extreme allergy to paupers.

Thats not gonna work. Dammit.

Okay, maybe clutch your neck and slump forward,.,like your windpipe is damaged.
Choking noises for effect.
Your voice already sounds off.

The guard is new and hopefully naive enough to buy it.

>>1086187
Yeah. Some kind or artificial voicebox.
Or maybe writing implements?

How about a digital tablet? Tons of those have assistive communication and translator thingies on them.

The thing definitely seems controlled, headshot the handler.

What's the city we're in like?

Right, that thing’s definitely being controlled in some way by the handler, fuck that shit. You raise your gun and fire at the bastard right as he pulls out a remote. Thankfully, these mooks don’t seem to be nearly as enhanced as Red or Blue, either for stealth purposes or simply because they’re lower on the totem pole. Your shot finds it’s mark, and the man’s fingers keep moving toward the remote until they’re kindly informed the brain has a 1 inch wide hole in it. They flop down, dead.

“Anon, the weird guy’s still running!”

…But the thing doesn’t stop moving, though it seems to jerk erratically, and suddenly slows down. The Bald man that was rifling around in his pants has whipped out his revolver, while his buddies are either trying to move away from the thing or scrabbling for their own smuggled weapons.

You swear as you line up for a another shot at it’s legs, wheels, or whatever the hell it has under there, but the bald man manages to fire off a shot that… hits it dead center mass. Fuck. You’d be impressed if it wasn’t for the fact you’re almost certain it’s about to explode. Except it doesn’t, at least not into a ball of fire.

Instead, you see a metal spear rip itself out of the fabric, tearing off the cloak with it, the harpoon tearing into the leg of the man who shot at it, who screams, though you can’t hear it from here, and they fall to the ground as the bot begins retracting .

It is some odd looking smoothly build robot. A rectangular body with rounded edges, supported by a mass of writhing mechanical tentacles. You see four weapons jutting from it’s chassis, a speargun on it’s left front, Gatling gun erratically sparking, stuck in halfway between being stowed or deployed on it’s left side, and some sort of sparking rod pointing foward on the top of it’s “head.” It has no face, instead having a single purple “eye” on it’s “face.”

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Try to disable one of the bot's weapons before the melee starts and you can't get a clear shot.

The hostage situation is… annoying, but at minimum you doubt that the cyborg can escape at this point. What’s more concerning is the robot actively hunting down the group.You don’t want to waste the chance to take a shot before the fans start going apeshit and blocking all your shots.

However, it seems pretty heavily armored, so you opt to shoot one of it’s THREE currently deployed weapons. Anyone who says there are four weapons is quite obviously a sleep-deprived idiot. The gatling gun is almost certainly nonfuctional already, it’s shock prod too slim of a target, which leaves only the speargun.

…You just hope it doesn’t make it worse for the guy being impaled. Your shot charges just fast enough to hit the speargun as the robot begins trying to reel the man in and the crowd of baldmen and mutants begins surging towards the bot.

The Gun crackles as sputters as your ray of white light rips through it, making it refire it’s speargun instead of continuing to drag it’s prey, making the cable scrape through the hole already present in the man that was being reeled in, sending him into convulsions from the pain. The bot jerks likewise, (though you doubt it has a PAINSYS installed) your shot apparently severing some of it's motor systems for it's tentacles as well.

You attempt to aim again, but you’re not able to charge it up fully before the victim’s fellow gangsters and Anas fans swarm the bot, plinking it with low-grade firearms and the mutants trying to rip it to shreds while a few begin attacking the cable to free their ally. They’re just mostly knocking it around and not doing any real damage, though they’re surprisingly good at avoiding any friendly fire. You wince as one of the mutants get a little too close, and they jolt wildly as the electric prod rams them in the stomach. The cable is made of stern stuff, their smuggled firearms doing nothing to cut it, and mutant strength n

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Not really anything you can do at this point. Keep scanning the crowd until the combat ends in case another enemy pops up. Thank Arial for spotting so well.

Is this enough to cancel the concert, or is it just a typical night in Neo-Mobius?

Ah, this energy displacement field seems to have trapped our outer consciousnesses again.

Chocomaca 2024/03/06(Wed)14:53 No. 1085604 ID: 65e394
File 170976559581.png - (3.04MB , 2560x1440 , superstarempress.png )

Super star empress opens her visual channel to the sideboard.

>What are we supposed to do?

The first thing as a star empress I've come to realize the importance of consciousness skills and focus at all times. Even now I'm aware that great power brings great convergence of thoughts, ideas, and events.

As we know my title is the Shadow, I even now consider in my mind the possibility of installing on remaining titan ships this planetary energy source displacement device and quickly figuring out an alternative power source and adapting these power systems into feeding with that power instead of what is detectable by the Spectres.

"In my retinue few dozen titanships and I personally am present in this system. My Nebula Devourer Doomstar will make quick end of any single Spectre force in one system, but I cannot divide my forces to protect an entire galaxy."

"My Super Star Empress, I was considering installing new stealth technology on the remaining titans from my personal fleet, but I'd need a mysterious power source to feed my systems with alternate physics"

"If I'm correct Star Empress, your friend has recently made such discoveries in the fringes of this galactic group. As discovered by my arts."

>Take off visors and masks in the presence of the Super Star Empress

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>>1085604
Also I would like request a stable commander for an expedition I'm planning, someone skilled, subtle and loyal.

It's a long shot but if it succeeds then I could secure a valuable cash of lostech.

Chocomaca 2024/03/06(Wed)22:38 No. 1085672 ID: 65e394
File 170979353676.png - (1.05MB , 2560x1440 , naerltanis.png )

>Request officer; Subtle, Loyal, Skilled

"Shadow I have Naerl'Tanis ready to go for a risky expedition. Her skills in camouflage and shapeshifting make her ideal for spy missions. She is completely loyal and can recognise and use some lostech on site. Her primary skillset is Spirit Mage. This is exotic to our civilization and most techno-archivist even in the Imperial Archives of the core worlds do not know the lore of her abilities well."

Well she seems well suited for the field work portion of expedition.

Well as long as she's supported by a competent team then we might be able to steal the lostech right under the machines mechanical noses.

Though a hacker would also help due to the nature of the enemy and maybe someone handy with a blaster if thing go loud.

>"If I'm correct Star Empress, your friend has recently made such discoveries in the fringes of this galactic group. As discovered by my arts."

"Hmm funny that since I was plan on visiting them before my expedition but if what you said was true then ensuring her safety would take priority."

Also Before you go, you should ask the governor how's the capital holding up, are the citizens doing ok?
And what could I do to help?

(edit 2)

(1/3) OMNI 2024/02/02(Fri)15:53 No. 1082345 ID: 32f4b5
File 170691803281.png - (52.62KB , 1000x700 , dh50.png )

The half lie comes easily past your lips, "Yeah, but it's not what I wanted to happen. I'm not that great with magic, so things like this happens sometimes. No real harm, though."

He buys it easily and nods. Can't argue when your knowledge is as deep as a drop. "Oh, oh that's cool! What did you want to happen?"

"Just wanted to check a few items you had in here. Some of them could be useful to me." You eye the music box.

He looks at you with a curious eye. It's clear he wants to understand what useful means to you. His gaze then drops to the bloody bandages around your waist, like he's just now noticed them, the perspective from the floor helping guide his eye.

You note the way the shopkeepers brows twitch in an attempt to hide his reaction.

He moves to stand quickly and brushes himself off. What he's noticed is quickly compartmentalized away, in favor of being in a better mood. It's a wise decision. "I see. Well, depending on what it is I could give you a discount. I don't know how it'll go with the Wolves, but if you have magic, you should be able to do anything."

You open your mouth to say otherwise but you quickly close it. Instead, clearing your throat, "Right. Now we're talkin. I was eyeing this music box actually." You gesture to it, "All I have on me are gift cards, if you're willing to take them."

(2/3) OMNI 2024/02/02(Fri)15:56 No. 1082346 ID: 32f4b5
File 170691821814.png - (56.25KB , 1000x700 , dh51.png )

His brows furrow as he moves to pick up the music box. With one hand holding the bottom of it he opens it without fear. The magic inside does not activate. Magical objects tend to be rendered moot, even with their passive effects, if they're handled by someone with no magical knowledge or talent.

The tune starts to play. It's a slow.. almost melancholic rhythm. One you don't recognize.

A small golden figurine of what looks like a cherub rotates as the song plays. It holds a trumpet up to its lips, posed mid dance, or maybe mid flight? It's a cute thing. Intriguing. What kind of enchantment does this have? Is it holy?

The shopkeeper's voice interrupts your thoughts, "If it's a debit gift card, I can take it. Can you do 50?"

Your own bargaining sense is triggered, "How about 30?"

He looks at you in surprise at the lowball number, voice surprisingly firm, "45."

"40."

There's a pause as he stares at you with a slight squint. You hold steady. You're both shopkeepers when it comes down to it.

"42. I haven't had that many sales."
Not too bad. He did just get robbed, "Okay, deal."

He gives you a nod as you both head to the front counter to process the transaction. Thankfully, the giftcard doesn't decline.

You have 33C left.

(3/3) OMNI 2024/02/02(Fri)15:59 No. 1082347 ID: 32f4b5
File 170691839265.png - (59.95KB , 1000x700 , dh52.png )

>Also don't cast any other spells unless you're sure you can deal with the results when you inevitably draw FIREBALL.

That one's always the kicker. Though you don't draw FIREBALL as often as your other spells. The worst incident was in Dimension 2-73PP. You can still hear the singing.

You'll try drawing IDENTIFY again when you find a nice alleyway to hole up in.

For now, you tuck the music box under your arm. You don't trust this guy enough to see you use your inventory cards.

He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand and leans a bit on the counter, "So, um, what else can you do?"

You put a finger to your lips, "Well, I gotta keep that a secret. Who knows what kind of nose will smell it." You pause, thinking quickly, "Maybe I could tell you something interesting, if you have anything good?"

He squints again then nods, catching your drift, "Again, I'm not sure how useful my information would be, but ask me anything."

You're cutting close to an hour before Eiko might show up again. She did say 1-2 hours, but it's best not to overestimate.

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Ask about the Wolf Bites' compound, and maybe about the Bulls

>>1082347
Ask about the wolves.
He mentioned them already.

Frame it like you want to avoid them and that kinda trouble.

You may not be here for long but no need to leave yourself open.

Even if he hates them, he could call in to the bites telling them you were asking after them in an effort to gain credit with them before the next shakedown.

If you play the role of another potential victim looking to avoid them and frame any question around that, he'd have nothing to gain and may even empathise enough to answer.

Gunslinger 2024/02/27(Tue)22:52 No. 1084803 ID: 8928a2
File 170910314411.png - (101.54KB , 900x600 , EQCannon.png )

All five feet of it.
Wait, what?

The cannon barrel bucked beneath her, catching her in the midsection before your fist collected her head. She flew like a discarded toy, tumbling limply through the air before her feet found the ground almost magnetically, her body stiffened as she slid to a halt on all fours. Her face whipped up to meet yours, and her eye was now contorted in hatred. Your guns were already up. She flickered and the last dozen rounds from your XM’s shredded the wall behind her. The only sound was casings clattering on the hardwood floor. She'd vanished.
“After all - that, I expected a bigger load from you, human.”
You thought she gasped slightly when she hesitated, and she sounded flustered.
“I've been having fun with your friends outside, I guess I'm a little spent after so many partners. I've lost track of how many I've killed. How many of you were there? Was it two thousand? More?”
Silence.
“Speaking of, I can't help but notice you haven't called for them. What's your plan here?”
“I'm going to take my time carving you to pieces for what you just did to me, animal.”
The Occulotti curse translated poorly, but the venom in her voice got the point across.
“Was there another crazy cyclops bitch in here hypnotizing me while she rode my dick? That was all you.”
“Wh- no! You shackled me to your sick fantasy! Tell me how you did that. Answer truthfully or you die.”
That's it, keep talking you thought to yourself. Your sensors didn't detect any sound, so she must have been projecting a voice into your head. You swept the room, pretending to look wherever she threw her voice. Broken glass crunched under your feet.
“I don't know what to tell you Occ, you had me pretty dazed for all of that. I was not in control of what happened. Figured you were playing

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Well broken glass implies a window. For OpSec if she knows we're a borg we have to murder the one-eye. Here's a basic plan - grenade to low yield, drop it and full thrusters out the window. Her pals should believe we're a floater or otherwise be surprised enough to not shoot while we leave the blast radius.

Keep talking and shooting the shit/shadows. Trading insults is a great way to gather intel.

>>1084803
3]] Keep talking. Riggs and Cotton should only be moments away.

Remember that your greatest regret is that your penis is severely overcompensated.
So overcompensate. Make her taste your Big Boner until it kills her.

Character sheets: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e0UqVZ9Vh_-o_ao08IkM_FsYam5-xjzncgfhiI_6oFA

"Yes, thank you, we're all very impressed with how much more hardcore you are than the university's accounts receivable department. Nice attention to detail on the bodies - smells almost exactly like the real thing," says Rock, who's wrangled far too many medical cadavers as part of teaching assistant duties.
"So, does this mean Hotel Blue is willing to allow the Tinsnips to throw the proposed glitter party in the D'Nyanzelo Brothers warehouse on fourth street? Assuming we clean up after ourselves, and the maitre'd gets paid on time and in full, of course."

>It then concludes with a sardonic, "Welcome to An Pur, newbloods."
"Lived here my whole life, drama queens" Specs mutters under her breath, awkwardly twisting herself to work the kinks out.

Upon hearing her compatriots antagonize the gangsters whose good graces they're operating under, Costello lets out a low growl.

"Business over dinner. Not over riverbed. Talk shop at nicer venue."

So, we need to figure out how many dice we roll, what the position is, and what the effect level is. DM can set position and effect level- by first guess is "Risky" and "Standard" but you have the most insight into the goons motivations/orders and how well that aligns with us. We're trying to score, and we're going to make a Social plan to do so- >>1082763 throwing a party to rub elbows.

PROCEDURES
action roll
1. The player states their goal for the action.
2. The player chooses the action rating that matches what their character is doing in the fiction.
3. The GM sets the position for the roll.
4. The GM sets the effect level for the action.
5. Add bonus dice.
6. The player rolls the dice and we judge the result.

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rolled 4, 5, 2, 2, 5 = 18

---

>>1083278
>For action rating, this seems like Consort, Command, or Sway. Not really confident on which.
No, if this is an engagement roll for the start of a heist: https://bladesinthedark.com/planning-engagement
>The engagement roll is a fortune roll, starting with 1d for sheer luck. Modify the dice pool for any major advantages or disadvantages that apply.
I'll just roll more dice than we're likely to need, and then we can figure out how many of them are relevant.

can you fish?

People who say follow the river have the right idea here. Perhaps prey will drink as well.

I suggest carving marks into trees to keep yourself from getting lost. If you don't have claws for it, you should get a stone for it instead.

On that note, do you know how to make tools? A simple spear does much to empower you.

>Pokemon but they don't say their names all the time
Oh thank @#$%.

>Hunt
Stick with foraging for nuts and berries for now. Those have lots of energy at low cost.

So, the main character being obviously an Eevee, should have some sort of superpowers, maybe those could help with hunting and exploring and such? He should have ability to move with superspeed for very short, directed bursts by infusing his body with a sort of 'normal' elemental ki. This can be used for a quick surprise takedown of prey or for mobility and scouting and getting to hard to reach places or climbing. There's also a few ranged energy blasts, but those are more advanced.

LastDance:
Wagon man is right.
Nasty critters, nastier swarm.
Like...
There wuz this thing i read bout as a lillun.
Pie ranna or summat.
Strip a cow to the bone that said in minutes.
Min.
Its.
I dunno what a cow is, but its gotta be nasty if it took a swarm to frag one.

Dont lettem get on ya lady!
Yer doin keen.

>>1084007

We live in an information based reality. Just because YOU can't find out what a cow was and where the genes are still being used and in what sorts of things and what things that aren't called 'cows' any more are still basically 'cows', sorta, but just marketed to suits and rollers, that's on you, chummer. Look. It. Up. Just because a lot of the info is SOMEWHAT WRONG doesn't mean it isn't USEFUL. Hint: There's a reason lots of places call police by terms associated with cattle.

>>1084025
Lastdance:

Chummer, i can barely work this drekking busted uplink.
My meat has only ever been real estate fer chrome but when i usedta run, i wuz just the panzer.
Deckers mighta s'well be wizzies t'me.
First one i saw used a clacky lil thing with his hands. Now they just think it.
Yeah, yeah.
Im a 'tique.
Least i got in here though.
Now i get'ta watch primo razergirl run hard.
...the front its gotta take t'stream yer runs...
Cool as. Ice cool. Arctic.
Stay frosty lady!
<donation failed>
Oh fer fracks sake... howd i...

>>1084007
>>1084071

So, here's the thing. Swarms of Piranha *couldn't* tear the flesh off the bone of large mammals like Cows or Humans in minutes. That was a myth. They were just pretty colorful tropical river fish that eat meat and travel in schools. Nothing special.

But here's the thing. We live in a post-multi-apocalypse world where, all of a sudden, there's a ton of types of reality manipulation out there, yea?

And some of those types follow collective beliefs and mythology. So as the normal Piranha are going extinct due to pollution and all these disasters, WEIRD Piranha of various sorts and types are spawning due to all the things that spawn or mutate or create weird animals, spirits, spirit beasts, spiritual animals, mutant animals, and this that and the other. And a ton of THOSE swarms of Piranha *do* strip flesh off of bones in seconds or minutes.

But, here's the thing. Piranha are still pretty colorful tropical river fish. So corporate types have cloned de-extincted normal versions -- the old, went extinct type -- in their office aquariums. While out in the wild, someone may or may not have reintroduced the original strain (dunno), but there's for SURE a mess of weird magical or other variants.

>>1084225
LastDance.

Spellslinger said sumthin like that t'me once, then started on bout a collective unconscious or summat and i zoned on him.
By time drekker was done, i was too gonked t'get.
But yknow, think i grok it now.
Cheers chummer.

<donation sent: 50z> "Yer crushin this run chica! Wheredja getcha killware?"

Sar Manjensen (translation: sew my jeans on)
16
Intersex Lynxgirl

When you were a baby, an insane vagrant found your abusive parents bashing your head in and decided to 'step in' by unleashing their hidden arsenal of guns, turning your momma and poppa into meat and popcorn.

They weren't exactly an improvement, even if they fully accepted you. You learned how to kill a squirrel with two bullets and a coat hanger before you learned to walk. When your powers kicked in, your foster parent only showed more insanity and put you through horrifyingly villainous training. They wanted you to topple the government and all that.

Child services stepped in about three years ago and you've been living blissfully in a backwater orphanage ever since.

Marie Kafka
19
Female

To say you led a good life would be stretching it, your parents gave you nothing more than food to eat and a roof over your head, so you essentially had to raise yourself, mostly through books at first. A book on parenting became your guide on how to grow up, an encyclopedia became your mentor, and fictional characters became your role models. Once you got past the password on your father's work computer though, there was so much more.
So naturally when you got bullied you turned to the consensus of the internet, since authority figures were a no go that left self defense. The taekwondo teacher was nice enough to give you discounted lessons, and once you got to green belt you figured you'd try making use of your fledgling martial skills. It ended up being the worst decision of your life.
That train, that goddamn train. It was raining hard, and the fog rising up from the nearby coast made it hard to see more than a yard. Your bullies cornered you by the tracks, they never really did much more than a single punch so you figured if you used proper force they'd give up. That's why the moment one of them laid their hands on you, you kicked them straight onto the tracks. It was only supposed to intimidate them, but at that moment a train showed up. Your bully tried to get up and off the tracks but the rain made them slip on the rocks. One moment they were scrambling to get away, the next moment their legs became a smear of red as the train barreled through. It was a memory that you'd never forget, as if seared into your corneas.
In the end it was ruled a self defense but nobody could look at you the same way. Moving out of that damned town was the only good thing your parents ever did for you.

Name : Thomas Marlow
Age : 22
Gender : M.

Traumatic event :
I just got shot.
Again.
Have a guess what my trauma is.
Let me tell you, it does NOT get easier second time around pal.

Now im here either suffering a psychotic break or whats left of my mind is hiding out in one of my last misfiring neurons that for some goddamn reason is fixated on the finer points of form filling.

I
I dont want to be dead.

1/2 Cross 2024/02/10(Sat)23:51 No. 1083126 ID: 32ff81
File 170763790770.png - (2.00MB , 1310x999 , GA41.png )

Is there a possibility that the medicine that they’re shipping around is going to help save lives?
…Probably not. Even if there’s a regime running the Undercity, shipping medical supplies around like this, unlabelled, raises a lot more questions. There’s a chance - but considering the circumstances, its unlikely.

It’s also entirely possible that they’re listening in on your conversation somehow.

“Davey… I’m sorry to say, but maybe compliance is the right choice here. We don’t know the bigger picture, and I don’t want you to be making more enemies. At the end of the day, you’re still being pressed into this, so I doubt anyone would blame you for this choice.”
Hopefully.
You keep mum on some of your thoughts - best not to say some of this when it’s very likely that they’re listening in on you.

Davey bites his lip, his whiskers drooping a little.
“Ah… alright. I understand. I trust you, Rory.”

He leaves the camera on the desk as he goes to retrieve the package.

He waddles over to the tube’s receptacle, the wrapped package present with him.
Davey keys in the numbers, before placing the package in and closing the lid on top of the tube.

There’s a big sucking sound, and a ‘whoosh’!
Seems like the pneumatic piping is still working perfectly fine despite the recent issues with the landslides and earthquakes.

“What now?”

“I suppose we wait?”

2/2 Cross 2024/02/11(Sun)00:04 No. 1083128 ID: 32ff81
File 170763869008.png - (1.89MB , 1166x940 , GA42.png )

A few minutes pass without any kind of response.

Then, the telltale sound of a new tube.
Finally! You were wondering if that shady group had just up and abandoned Davey.
"Your help is greatly appreciated. We've alerted the most skilled individuals, and you might want to secure your belongings. We have obtained data indicating that there’s another earthquake projected to soon impact your district."

He pauses, lowering the piece of paper.
“Another earthquake?”, you ask.

“That’s… odd. I thought the first one was a fluke, but normally we’d get warnings before they hit. The tubing system doesn’t seem to be down, but…”

“No, other part. Secure your belongings? Are they bringing in a drill or something?”

Davey’s eyes bug out a little as a realization dawns on him.
“Ohhhhhh no. I thought… oh no. Another one. I… I have to fortify this place, otherwise the roof’s going to come down in my greenhouse! The first earthquake’s already done enough structural damage!”

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Secure anything that holds food and water first. After that write a quick letter to Nico. If there's time, then protect anything sentimental.

Consider the possibility that one of the power players involved has created foundation-destabilizing technology.

That means making small earthquakes.

Two major shocks at once is too big a coincidence. Even with aftershocks, you'd think the government would have protocols for major chain earthquakes. No, someone, somewhere, is busy letting you all die.

Davey needs to find the best spot - the area in the house that gives the best chance of survival and escape - and then reinforce and resupply that specific area. Take the food and water to that location, then nail in some extra struts and find some way to stack heavy appliances near the ceiling.

Which neighbours are the nicest/ most sociable? Send a warning to those and tell them to pass it along to everyone else in the neighbourhood.

Send one to Nico too with a jar of food, cause why not.

After that, secure all the plants and food and water you can. We don't have time for non-vital things.

You moved swiftly yet cautiously, calling on every moment of your training as you stepped further into the once home of your family. Senses screamed at you of the dangers of this place, of the horrors that could be inflicted upon your eternal soul should you fall here. But all the same, you could not bear to leave now, not without recovering something to return to your family, to restore just that small bit of your family's lost heritage. The temple had been your first thought, there had been no other choice. It appeared untouched from a distance, and it's only the words of your sensei that had kept your wits about you, despite the seemingly untouched nature of the small building.

The thin, rice paper door had been shut tight, and it took a hefty pull to loosen it enough to open far enough to slip inside yourself. Within, the old, single room temple appears undisturbed by anything. Dust covers every surface, a thick blanket that swirls slightly as your feet disturb the room for the first time. As soon as you'd cross the threshold, you had felt that sense of all consuming foreboding vanish, that feeling of something watching you fall away, and your first shaky breath within the confines of the temple seem somehow lighter and less difficult. You had been suffused with the feeling of safety, warmth and comfort. A quick investigation of the room had revealed a small shrine, a single candle still somehow lit upon its surface, its dedications difficult to make out in the dim light, but still clearly venerating the Celestial Heavens above. Paper charms are plastered along the walls and beams, and though you couldn't make any sense of them you could recognize a shugenja's work. This place had, by all appearance, remained unravaged by the tainted things that presumably stalked those halls, or the taint that normally corrupted anything it touched.

Still, your caution had you questioning the apparent sanctity of this place. Su

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A brief respite, you took what rest you could.

Link the bonfire

You didn't dare disturb the charms or the candle. Too tired to worry about the dust, you knelt in front of the shrine to pray. The whole situation was so unreal, you couldn't say exactly when you fell asleep.

You'd set your equipment in a corner of the temple, careful to avoid disturbing the seals along the walls lest you somehow break the strange sanctity of the place. You'd knelt before the shrine, intending only to offer prayer, to seek some blessing from the Heavens in your search, and perhaps to rest a moment before moving on. It was strange then that when you'd opened your eyes once more, it was not to a dimly lit temple but a room glowing with dozens of candles. Beyond the edges of the candlelight, there wasn't a wall, but an endless darkness, stretching far past the light's glow.

Whatever shock you'd felt had been interrupted by a sound from behind you. Instinct screamed, and you'd whirled about in alarm, hand falling to grasp the hilt of your sword. What greeted your panicked gaze was not some foul demon or unholy spirit but a woman. Dressed in a kimono of sky blue and crimson red, the middle aged woman had the look of someone haggard and worn, her lips bearing signs of what look to be puncture wounds, as if someone had taken a needle and sewn her mouth shut at some point. Yet somehow you felt as if her presence was no threat to you, or perhaps merely that she'd meant no harm. Whatever her appearance, she bowed low upon seeing your attention upon her, before straightening once more, her gaze fixing upon you with a strange intensity.

"I bid you welcome, young Hiruma. It has been a long time since one of Daylight Castle's lost children has come home. Longer still since it was one that has not felt the call to service..." Her voice bore a hint of melencholy, her gaze momentarily softening into something that seems on the verge of tears. But the expression quickly vanished, her stoic gaze returning. "I am Hiruma Masami, and it is good you have found your way to Candle Temple. Please, sit, you will be safe here from the Oni's influence. You no doubt have questions, and I shall

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Suggestion 2024/02/11(Sun)21:00 No. 1083193 ID: ab6c3e
File 170771401111.jpg - (68.41KB , 821x1015 , 1-017.jpg )

You chat a bit with Rutu about the lay of the land. It sounds like this is mostly a farming town built up around an old monastery near the lake, but that in the last 20 or so years it has become a stop traders would make when traveling up the twin rivers.

A lot of the farmers, including their family, live on the northwest bank of the Nanfang Qingren, which feeds the lake from the south. The Monastery is east of the town, which lise on the south bank of the Xibu Qingren that feeds the lake from the east. There's a main road that heads down toward where most of the farms are, and most of the people in the region are farmers that live within a few miles of it - if you go much farther west of town or across either river you mostly find solitary hunters or people that aren't much interested in living in a community.

"You mentioned Yu?" You ask, "I met him by the river, and he showed me the way to town."

"Oh, yes!" Rutu pipes up, "He's a quiet boy that wandered in a few years back. His shack is in the lee of a hill near our farm, so he's basically our neighbor!"

Li chimes in, "Always seemed a bit shady, but he's good people. Helped us out a few times when we needed it."

You nod, "He helped me out, too. I was accosted by a ruffian in the woods, and he took care of it."

Rutu nods, "That sounds like Yu all right. He's a moody boy, but he can look pretty scary when somebody tries to get rough with people around him." Li nods, and starts to say something, before Rutu suddenly yelps "Wait, ruffians in the woods?! Did you tell the magistrate?"

"Magistrate?"

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Pay a visit to the antelope, he might have an idea of where there might be work.

>>1081940
Now that we've met the otters, time for the antelope!

An antelope with a laborer's build, but wanting exercise bodes ill for finding work. That does offer an opening for conversation, though; you're looking for work, and was wondering if he's had any luck in his search.

The presence of the magistrate could make things thorny in the future. You want to keep the town safe, and informing them of the highwayman's presence, especially if he's only one of a band, could help. But if an Imperial agent could connect you back to your origins, then we want to inform discreetly.
Mention the encounter with the highwayman to the antelope, as well, and try to get the rumor mill going. Surely, someone will bring the matter to the magistrate upon hearing of it. It might be prudent to mention that Yu fought off the highwayman without saying you were there to witness it.

>>1083210
If you want to start rumors without tying the story to yourself, you should talk with the drunks. Play up the excitement of Yu fighting off a huge bandit, by the morning they won't remember the boring details like who told them the story.

I'd say you should find a habitable death-world and live there.

>>1076834

Things can be 'habitable' but absolutely miserable. Consider: massive, constant natural disasters. Wrong day/night cycle. Wrong gravity. Very radioactive. No land that's not covered in water, or no freshwater anywhere. Wrong temperature. Wrong amount of air pressure. Not enough magnetosphere (see aforementioned radiation). Wrong soil composition. Wrong year length. Wrong temperatures. It isn't JUST giant monsters that are trying to eat you, which can be fought militarily if you are badass enough, that make a deathworld into a deathworld. It's fantastically easier to make a comfortable space station than it is to make a comfortable, livable outpost on a deathworld (at the bottom of a gravity well no less!), if such is a world that no one actually goes to because it is horrible, even if it is technically 'habitable' and technically within some arbitrary egghead's categorization 'limits'.

How much fuel does the ship have? What locations are reachable with our current supplies?

>>1076753
Maybe we have to take risk, maybe a medium sized settlement we could attack? Or a risky job you were offered? This time you and your team could be the ones coming on top.

>>1076842

I guess I got the definition of Deathworlds wrong. Rather than just being 'utterly inhospitable to life', Deathworlds are more worlds that are actively trying to kill you, like a world run by an insane AI and populated by giant, crazed monsters that are vaguely from fantasy and mythology, with nanotech that eats any technology more advanced than some particular fantasy author's conception of 'vaguely medieval'.

And they're marked as Deathworlds, despite being 'totally habitable', because the Galaxy doesn't want to spend the money and effort to clean them up yet.

We don't want to go to one of those, especially because we don't know the rules by which anything marked like that is operating, and also there is specifically *only one way to determine those rules*.

Guess what it is.

so like... It seemed like they were just going along with Sally and John at first, but now I'm thinking they might've bought it wholesale, which is a bit awkward...

Ok the date was fun but this is getting weird.

Silence 2023/09/06(Wed)16:47 No. 1071865 ID: ed041d
File 169404406025.png - (385.25KB , 1233x2000 , Dagan Date.png )

Name: Dagan

I Am A: Synthetic Dragon

Seeking: She-Dragon

Looking For: Casual Date, Hangouts, Possible sex?

About Me: I'm a single dragon, something called a "replicant" and largely made of synthetic materials. Advanced construction, super strong, and rather flexible. 6 Feet Tall.

Likes: Other dragons, fire, action games, Music, robots, causing a little bit of mischief

Dislikes: Jackasses, people who don't know how to handle weapons properly, EMPs.

>>1071513
Puffball: "Its a bit like how you guys handle the right and left of the body."
Jhonny: "basically there is a reason why puffball is so round heh". Sally:"she is the stomach of the gang, there is a reason for the ball part of Puffball other then the puffy fur"

Or something like that
Also supporting
>>1071518
Basically living vicariously through others
>>1071517
Makes sense if combined to a extreme degree

>>1071513
Commit to the disguise. Tell them youre on a fast-binge-fast diet and its middle heads turn to eat.
If you come clean now theyre gonna think youre sone kind of anti multiheaded dragon bigot mocking them.
I hear folk can get sued for that.