Sarolt nodded, but didn't look Atilla in the eye. [Familiar] showed a pit-like melancholy forming inside of them.
"You're a dog person. I'm a rat person. He's made of light, that guy is a cat, she's a talking weapon, and we're all discussing literal daemons. This is a fiction. Real or not... and look: I didn't play Godhunter in my past life, but even I know that it was a dark fantasy. Keep that in mind."

Their shoulders slumped a bit, and they sat down on the floor. "I'm open to anything. I only have one condition: the person who takes responsibility, by whatever means, must promise me that they will be vigilant."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Sat 17 Sept 2022.

Euphoria raised her eyebrow when Atilla waxed poetics about morals. "Thanks for the Philosophy 101, Dad," she said with some venom. Like the title itself was poisonous to her. "But I prefer not to use my so-called morals to manipulate someone into doing what I personally think is right. Sitting here, debating what Josh should and shouldn't do isn't our place. He's clearly upset. And now so is Haloise. It's scary, it's weird, but whether yall like it or not, she sees the spirit as a part of her and as her responsibility. And everyone was just now talking about whether it should die or not. You don't think that's a little messed up?" The irritation in her voice died down into the same melancholy that enveloped the room. Her blood pressure came down as she pet Grim, who she now had on her lap. For as long as he would tolerate it.

"The only person with the right to make a decision is Josh. So long as the daemon is a part of him and causes him suffering. And once it's out, only Haloise has the right to decide what becomes of it. This is between them. The rest of us need to offer whatever support we can while they figure it out," she said.

Euphoria then turned to Josh, and she smiled at him. A sad smile that kind of quivered on the edges. "That said, Josh, it means a lot to me that you are open to Haloise's plan. This really seems to upset you, so we won't take your decision lightly. I know she'll do everything she can for you. I don't think there's a person here that wouldn't do the same." With all that said and done, she fulfilled her promise to Haloise. She set Grim down and stood up with every intention of leaving. Frankly, she didn't want to get sucked into some high-brow philosophy debate. Fun for a classroom. Less useful in the real world, where the consequences weren't hypothetical and the chess pieces were people.

"I'm not sure if a new vessel is needed," Euphoria said turning back to Atilla, "But if it does, I'm sure you'll be first choice. And if anyone else's assistance is needed, I'm sure you'll be contacted. I'm still getting bits and pieces of the plan right now, so I don't have anything more to share right now." She then mused quietly for a moment and cleared her throat. "Also, I'm... really sorry that I called you Dad." she apologized to Atilla. As if that word had been an insult when she threw it at him that he hadn't deserved. Atilla did make her feel a bit like her Dad did. A disappointment.

Euphoria put Grim back down on the ground and slipped back into the shadows, reassuming the AFK position she once took against the wall. "I can't make promises on Haloise's behalf, Josh. But she does want to take responsibility for what happened to you, and I am sure she will prove to you her vigilance if you talk with her."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:36, Sun 18 Sept 2022.

[Grim] hops down and mews softly.

He noted [Euphoria]'s words and how she ended her statements. He was very impressed, but she had gone away before he could talk to her. He made a mental note to speak with her in the near future. For now he gave her a very approving look before she went back to leaning against the wall.

Atilla had expected raised voices, indignation, or even scowls of disapproval. He had expected anger. So the resignation and gloom that had filled everyone instead threw him off. He glanced between Sarlot and Starling, unsure of how to respond. Something about Starling in particular confused him but... his own thought dissolved before it could finish. Instead he simply nodded and moved back to the stairs where he sat down once more.

Lyngel's words triggered something in him. "Don't talk that-", he clamped his snout shut when he realized what he had tried to say. It had almost been a reflex, a reaction born of hearing that tone a thousand times. His own words had essentially proven the shage's point. No one here was a kid, everyone was an adult capable of making there own decisions.

"Sounds like you have it under control, keep us updated please", he requested as he stared at the chandelier. When he spotted a servant in the corner of his eye he motioned it over. "I need something stronger, bring me a Manhattan." A few moments later he nursed his drink and stewed in his own thoughts.

The little snake remained coiled around Sarolt's arm. It spoke, repeating pieces of what it had heard to compose its own reply, in the order it had heard the fragments, and in the voice of the original speakers.

[I'm normally pretty good at working collaboratively... but this is... too much. For me.]

[What do you mean, 'negotiate'? I'm not some NPC who just spits stuff out for everyone if you feed them mats. There is no way that I'm letting some so-called 'higher dimensional being', aligned or not, tell me how to do my job. No one is taking away the one thing I feel like I can control in this reality. There is no one here for us to impress yet. So there's no reason to bring metaphors or morality into this. This choice can be selfish.]

[I'm only holding back because people are deliberating and I'm trying to be polite. I need something stronger-]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:56, Mon 19 Sept 2022.

Sarolt grunted at the little snake's words.

"You know, I don't actually blame it for wanting to 'live'. Just like no one should blame a bear for wanting to protect its cubs, or a tiger for needing to feed itself. Self preservation is a powerful instinct that we all share."

Sarolt pushed themselves up off the floor and shook their head. "But that doesn't mean I stand-by and let them eat me." They looked in the direction of Haloise, the once expression of mixed fear, worry, and helplessness replaced with a sort of macabre resolve. "The daemon has taken over the ratworks, and the first exosuit I built. It has complete control of all the golems, and it's sealed the exits."

The young dwarf turned more fully to the others. "It said it itself. It could have waited. It's been listening to all of us. It knew you were all leaning toward mercy, and knew that I was open to letting it live under someone else's care. But it's acted first. It's done exactly what I was worried it would do." Sarolt took a step toward [Starling]. "Starling, I need you to please cleanse me. Quickly. I imagine it's already spread itself to the ratworks, so doing it on me alone will likely not be enough. But so long as it's in me as well, I can't defend myself in there. Also, if I could have your permission to use mimicry to copy your abilities afterward, that'd be swell. Right now, I'm kind of a sitting duck."

"My other body is presently in The Hall of Skye, I'll have it leave there and meet you in your fief as fast as I can, in case you can't use your powers here."

The Emendaemon responded again, playing back what Sarolt had said.

[I don't actually blame [. . .] for wanting to protect-]

[I was open to letting it live-]

[But [. . .] acted first [. . .] if I could have your permission [. . .] right now [. . ] I'll leave you.]

---

[Baleful Talent: Emendaemon] lost.

---

Starling shook his head at Sarlot.

"You must never try to mimic my abilities. I'm not even sure they can be properly mimic-ed. My aether thing is more of an inheritance from a soulbound ribbon, while my Illuminatio and such tie into my Lunarian and weirdnature. I think I'm some sort of void-celestial hybrid. But even if they could...you'd be opening yourself up to all sorts of possible corruption, especially if you lose control over my secret-revealing non-light and it starts pouring all kinds of crap into your mind and spirit. I'm already dealing with some things and taking some severe risks and gazing into the abyss, so to speak, and lately it's been starting to gaze back. And if the Daemon thing isn't any indication...your Mimic is proving to be a potent but double-edged sword!" Starling replied. His words weren't meant to be unkind, and his tone of voice was more of genuine concern. [Familiar] definitely sensed sincere concern for Sarolt.

"With that said, I'll be happy to start trying to cleanse you since you're asking for help and...huh? What's going on? What the heck just happened with the daemon?" he said, as the daemon seemed to speak here and then suddenly was lost.

Starling utilized [query] to try and determine what had suddenly happened with Sarolt and the Daemon, and why the daemon suddenly seemed to vanish from this area and potentially was lost.

"I guess we'll have to have the mimicry discussion later. But... I can't evolve unless I mimic everyone at least once, so... yeah. Good times."

Sarolt looked around at everyone gathered. "Does anyone have any inherent combat powers they would let me mimic? I'm a support build, and my actual self is surrounded by a sea of enemies... so... yeah."

Starling considered.

"What are you able to Mimic? Is it only talents, or can you Mimic skills and such too? I'm mainly afraid of you getting into trouble with [Illuminatio] more than anything. I'm literally about to lose my head over it soon but my void nature is keeping me alive." Starling asked.

"What about a stealth skill? That sounds like it'd go good with your toolkit, yes?"

"Talents only, unfortunately. The first time I tried to use mimicry was on one of Earthborn's magical skills, and it failed." Sarolt shrugged and grimaced.

Starling nodded.

"I have an idea. Would you be willing to mimic [Illuminatio] on the condition that you'll forget you did so immediately after? Call it a lunar magic pact albeit a simple one." Starling said. [Familiar] and possibly Valence will know that Starling just white-lied about the pact thing, but was being honest about trying to protect Sarolt.

"This should satisfy your evolution condition while preventing you from falling to corruption. A corruption that I don't understand yet and that may affect your life and limbs." Starling said firmly.

"If you agree to this, then go ahead and Mimic [Illuminatio]. Hurry though - I may not be able to offer you this pact for long."

"I have a combat talent you could mimic as well, [frenzy]. I gained it in the fight against the [Ghost Eater]."

Grim padded over letting Sarolt have his choice of either.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:55, Mon 19 Sept 2022.

Eri's eyes fluttered, and she held out a familiar dark stone in her hand.

"Cast it . . . into the hearth. Reduce it to . . . fertile ash."

She slumped on the throne, not merely asleep but unconscious.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Mon 19 Sept 2022.

[Grim] hearing [Eri] bounded over to the stone picking it up in his mouth and rushed to the hearth, worried about [Eri] He cast it into the hearth even if it meant getting burned a bit himself.

He then leapt back watching it and waiting dutifully for it to turn to ash. His eyes shimmering in the firelight.

The heart-thing wrapped in star-stuff initially did not burn; then the hearth roared and devoured it greedily. Acrid Seagreen smoke disappeared up through the flue.

A palm-sized metal spider skittered out of the fireplace, coated in white ash and sparking where it stepped.

[A [Sysling] is born to the Pantheon.]

The [Sysling]'s nascent [Constellate] talent mapped out the web of relationships between himself and others, and if he focused on someone else, mapped out their relationships with everyone else in a given space. It was fairly basic for now - told him if two people loved or hated each other, and otherwise displayed them as having a neutral / amicable relationship.

[Welcome, Sysling, to the Last Citadel.]

Eri shifted, holding her head as she came back to. [What was that?] Then she slapped herself, and spoke with her actual mouth. "I tried to sense the Echo of it to know what would - what it was, and what would come of it . . . while it tried to [Predict] my next move? My future adjusted based on its past, and its past adjusting based on my future . . . "

She saw the newborn [Sysling]. "Good morning, little one. Welcome to the Last Citadel. What do you remember?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:09, Tue 20 Sept 2022.

Okay, the actor thought to himself. Nobody had mentioned that the login procedure would be that rough. He looked around, getting his bearings, and saw that the others looked like they had already started. A while ago, it looked like.

Shit. He really needed to impress these clients. This gig could easily lead to more work, but somehow he was already behind and he doubted he could pass the blame onto their system. Certainly, Arjun didn't think that would impress them.

He tried to quickly assume his role, while familiarizing himself with the controls.

"My queen, my heart, my eternal mother!" The actor began reciting his lines as the Sysling, while performing the basic movement tutorial. Move forward, move back. "I bring dark tidings, chk-cshk-chk dark tidings indeed!

Strafe to the left, strafe to the right. "The Lost House is in danger! chk-cshk-chk Even now, a Ghost Eater climbs the rotting flesh-stairs to our sacred home. We must prepare ourselves!"

Turn to the left. Turn to the right. Turn to the left a full 360, just to get the tooltip to go away. The actor noticed that the controls were very smooth, and the conversion to multiple legs had been much easier than he had worried about. "The Grand Array knows we are here!"

It occurs to the actor that the tutorial quest had not actually popped up anywhere in his view, as he had been warned it would. It didn't matter. He would figure that out during someone else's lines. In the meantime, he tried to climb a wall, improvisationally adding a sense of agitation to his character. It felt right, given the lines and his size.

"Send out the Prince of Passion to the eastern gates! chk-cshk-chk We must alert the Lyngel and the Lajos! The Lost House is in danger! Daaaaaaannnnnnggggeeeerrrr!"

The actor, Arjun, had really felt like that last repetition had been unnecessarily dramatic. Schooling himself to stay focused and professional, he redoubled his effort to stay in character and understand why the Sysling would talk like that. Be true to the script. Trust the writers, he reminded himself.

For good measure, he tried to find a shadowy bit of corner and hide in it. Given the lines, it made sense to play him as a bit of a scaredy cat.

While waiting for his next line, he covertly tried to access the options menu and reorganize his HUD.

Edit: added more chk-cshk-chk
This message was last edited by the player at 13:07, Tue 20 Sept 2022.

"Oh now that is neat looking." [Grim] said as he saw the spider born of the ember flame lit hearth.

The little kitten moved back from the hearth to let the spider walk into the room. Watching in fascination as the construct skittered about in some strange dance. The word [Ghost Eater] though, sent the kitten into a tense posture.

He looked off towards the wall where [Euphoria] was leaning.

A quick, "Welcome to the pantheon [Sysling]" then he scampered off towards [Lyngel-Lajos, Princet of Revolution, Euphoria of the Golden Hands]
He looked up at her and gently used his paws without bringing his claws out to get her attention. "Seems like we are going to have enemies at the gates. Let's work together."

Quite a theatric entrance for the little robot spider. Domonkos listened attentively, more curious than careful. Perhaps if he had been present on the original attack he would be more concerned.

"If you are heading there, Lyngel, may aswell tag along with you. After all, I'm very curious to see what a [Ghost Eater] looks like, since I may become one eventually".

Sarolt was staring blankly at a wall, entirely consumed by what was happening with their other selves, but just barely aware enough to overhear the dire warnings come from... whatever... the new... what was it? Was.

They found their brain was a bit fuzzy while another self was using Illuminato.

"What? We're... under attack again?!" The fat rat shook their head, trying to focus. They also completely missed the fact that another being had apparently been added to the household. "Okay... okay... Um... I'll try to wrap this current issue up as soon as I can!"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Tue 20 Sept 2022.

Haloise watches the spider do it's whole spiel, having awoken when she felt a new chain tug on her chest. She slowly looks over: right now, Haloise is a floating female figure, clad in form-fitting armor that seems to be ceramic, including a matching helmet that hides silvery hair. Ashen skin is underneath the porcelain armor, and steely grey eyes stare out at you. Oh, yeah, she also only has one full limb, an arm - her other arm and both of her legs are actually meter long awlpikes that she balances on, making her otherwise short body look like it has very long legs.

[Hmmm.. Mmhhhhmmm. I apologize, mister... uhm, what do I call you? I do believe you are confused. Let's slow down and play a game. Eri-chan mentioned a [Prediction] talent that I assume you have. Try and exercise it a bit, and jump off of the phrase 'The game is a trap.' Take your time.] Haloise wasn't speaking with her voice, but rather, with some sort of telepathic link with the spider. Her inflection was flat, but she still seemed kind, if a bit unadjusted to her form.

Atilla rubbed his temples as he tried to keep track of everything that was happening. It seemed that despite his efforts Sarlot's daemon had resorted to some drastic measure before it had disappeared. He could only assume that somehow the daemon had left the rat's psyche. With the doors to the Ratworks sealed there was little he could do. "If it's already left you then we can take harsher measures. Try to open the doors and I'll come assist."

Before he could say more Eri had supposedly ordered something to be burned in the hearth? The wolf-man watched in confusion as a mechanical spider crawled out of the fire. Even their patron seemed confused by the chain of events, so Atilla merely watched as it started to rave about an attack. In another world his body jolted as it debated if it needed to move to defend the eastern gate. Once he reflected on the warning though his confusion grew even more. "Wait, the Lost House? Is it talking about the manor we started in? Wasn't that already destroyed? Also who are you and how do you know who we all are?"

Euphoria's body stirred again, both from the conversation and Grim's prodding. With groggy, heavy movements, she took in the chaos around her best she could. While being in several places at once, mentally, came effortlessly to the others, it always made her a little dizzy. Maybe it was because she was thinking too hard. Everything would be easier, maybe, if she had no thoughts at all.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, why am I being alerted? Isn't there enough crazy shit going on for one day?" she asked, massaging the same headache she was having at the bottom of the Pit. Her first course of action was to bend a knee to Grim. "Yeah, let's work together. But I'm still figuring out where I'm supposed to go," she said. "Seems there's like... 20 fires going on right now." Spider, AI, Ghost-Eaters, there was only freakin one of her. OK, there were three (debatable) of her, but they all shared a single brain cell working its dammed hardest to process everything going on.

"The main thing I'm catching onto here..." Euphoria began, looking at Sysling in the far corner, "Is you're new, and freaking out, she said pointing at him. The finger moved across the room to then point at Josh, rattling with anxiety in their little rat body. "And you're still freaking out."

The black smile that was once tired peeled back into excitement as Atilla spoke. "Well-well, is this true, Josh? Has the Deamon left your body? Because if that is the case, then I guess you no longer get the first say in what happens to it. As far as I'm concerned. Haloise," she then said, turning quite business-like to her sword-wife. But she didn't say anything else. They shared a knowing look. Everything that needed to be said was shared in the silence between them. But Euphoria's eyes, burning with determination, betrayed what she meant: Just say the word.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:19, Wed 21 Sept 2022.

Starling looked on curiously.

"Wait...so what ever actually happened to the endaemon then?" he asked, a bit distracted.

Eri studied the Sysling with curiosity. "Ah, little thespian. We are past that part of the play. Presently, we are dealing with a struggle between the Three Mothers."

Sysling failed to hide [70] given that he glimmered with light from the fire even in the shadows.


"There is no Ghost-Eater, friends. We are safe from exterior threat for the next two and three-quarters hours at least."

Sysling could access his [Inventory] talent fairly easily, although it was empty for the moment. His [Appraise] skill was exactly where he had been told it would be. The movement tutorial was complete, and two new quests appeared in his [Quest Log].

[Quest: The Burning Rainforest] added.

[Quest: The Dead Jungle] added.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:27, Thu 22 Sept 2022.