>>146110
Realizing that you are immortal understandable makes you want to withdraw into yourself, becasue you know that it's the only thing that will not leave you. But you need to remember that just becasue good things will pass doesn't mean they were not good in their own time, the same with all evil things.

Just because it may seem easier to kill him and forget him does not mean it wouldn't be a cruel and heartless thing to do. Were you not in the same situation not so long ago? Sure he could be some trouble if he survives, but you are immortal, any trouble he could cause would eventually become dust in the wind.

But it would be the memory of what you did, that will stick with you. Any good or ill he does will eventually pass from relevance. But what you do, that you will have to live with, forever.

Burns, do whatever you want. I'm sure either choice will bite you in the ass somehow.

I'm not going to preach morality or humanitys worth or any shit like that. Convincing people to look at those things in a new way is almost as hard to make a believer change their religion. But I will not let morality stand in the way of what I view as most efficient or rational. I will advice you to take what I view as the most efficient way to achieve your goals. If that includes causing harm to others then that is a regretable consequence, but it will not change my advice.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)13:03 No. 146171 ID: c67320
File 126842780580.jpg - (154.47KB , 777x777 , 05-25.jpg )

Maybe this isn't just a normal command decision. My country is gone. I've accepted stranger things in the past two days. Somehow, the seems the most difficult. I've put my entire life into the belief that while my country may not be the strongest, or the most cultured, it still held merit. It was part of me.

But I won't give up my mission. Not ever. I have my own reasons for that that go beyond just being a soldier. I would be abandoning everything that I am, and every good part of me that Delia ever instilled in me. Just going home would be the greatest insult to my life, and hers, and my son's.

All right. I'll help him. Normally I would play this safe. But I'm making this decision as a man, not as a soldier. And I've never had blood on my hands, by my own accord.

He continues his labored breathing. I'm not sure what we can do for him. I imagine he requires surgery. Maybe we can radio a message to his people as we leave? Or something else?

>"What are you going to do?" Kitty asks.

Oh, if Tannon objects simply tell him that the man isn't in a stable enough condition to get any information out of, and that patching him up first will be required in order to get said information. Then let him know how patching the guy up will increase his chances of actually telling them something useful instead of keeping his mouth shut like a soldier, and how this man, given the nature of the information he may hold, is for the moment more valuable alive than dead. You could also bring up that since you are saving this man's life, he may actually be convinced to feed false information to his superiors, depending on how attached he was to his unit or not. Regardless, he's seen what you're capable of and push comes to shove could be intimidated into doing so anyway,

For Tannon, it seems that all you need to convince him is a logical argument.

As for what to do right now, obviously removing the guy's armor is the first thing to do, to check for and/or patch up any external wounds. Ask kitty to check around camp for any medical supplies.

Ultimately you're going to need to find one of those vehicles Tannon was talking about and load him up into one and strike off for any sort of settlement large enough to feasibly have a kind of hospital or clinic.

>>146171
While Kitty probably has quite a bit of skill on anatomy it's probably mainly on how to kill people. And where joints usually give out first. But ask her and tell her your plan anyway.

If you actually plan on saving him then I think you're going to have to ask Tannon. Guy is a massive dick and will probably tell you that you're a stupid animal because of your choice but he might still do it.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)13:45 No. 146181 ID: ebea88
File 126843034690.jpg - (154.86KB , 777x777 , 05-26.jpg )

>I think you're going to have to ask Tannon.
I'm afraid you're right. He's not that kind of Doctor, but something tells me he knows a lot about our physiology. They have to, to be able to... ride around in our bodies, or whatever the hell they do.

"You're gonna be all right, kid. Hang in there a bit.
"Doctor, we'll probably need your help here. His injuries seem to be internal, and -

>"Why do you wish to keep him alive?"

"I've got my reasons, all right? If we want any more information out of him, we need to stabilize him."

He seems unconvinced. The soldier is fading in and out.

I lean to Tannon and explain with a whisper: "Look, we can use this guy. If they pick him back up, with false information, we can buy ourselves time. We may even manage to make an ally out of all of this. Just trust me on this."

He says nothing, but nods, without an expression. I guess that's as good as I'm going to get.

"All right, let's get this armor off of him. Kitty, go see if there are any medical supplies around the camp Maybe in one of those mining vehicles."

>"Right."

She seems pleased.

I stir the soldier with my hand, to make sure he doesn't lapse into a worse condition. "Hey! You're gonna be all right. Hear me?"

[animated] Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)13:46 No. 146182 ID: ebea88
File 126843040251.gif - (437.28KB , 777x777 , 05-27.gif )

>"Th-thank... you..."

roflcopters

>>146182
Heh, I knew that was going to happen.

By the way you still need Tannon so ripping him slowly limb from limb is not going to solve anything here. Neither is yelling at him or asking him what's wrong with him. He is likely perfectly normal for his kind. Just remember that you can never truly trust him. He will help you so long as he thinks it benefits him, the second he would see it as adventagous to dispose of you and Kitty and go his own way he is likely to do so.

OH and get out of your uniform. Find some non military clothes in Tannons camp.

>>146184
[[ He hasn't been in uniform since, like, chapter 2. He's wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, you know. ]]

Maybe you should inform Tannon the more stunts like that he pulls, the more you lean towards executing him and finding another lead to the vault. Tannon isn't and can't be your only lead.

'cause to be honest, you're Amortal now. You have all the time in the world to finish this mission.

>>146186
Didn't notice that. Well he should still pick up a few extra sets of clothes.

Don't do anything rash. You need Tannon. Plus if you don't react to it, he won't get the satisfaction of fucking with you.

Just say "I see you disagreed. Let's go."

...Y'know, just a thought, but you might want to relieve Tannon of his weapon before he can cause further incidents.

>>146205

Yeaahhhhh

>>146205
I really don't think he's going to accept that. Or have just one weapon.

>>146231
What he thinks of it is irrelevant. He's on the way to becoming more of a problem than he's worth keeping around for. If the situation turns dangerous, MAYBE he can have the gun back then, but obviously he can't be trusted to play by the rules outside of an immediate survival scenario.

Don't say anything to Tannon. Yeah, he's a dick, but he never was human. He won't understand and it will just make him think you're either stupid, weak, or both. Just shrug. Don't say anything at all. Besides, he's apparently a badass himself.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)15:57 No. 146279 ID: 212869
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"I knew you'd try some shit like that!"

>"Of course you did. I was going to kill him from the start."

"I should tear your fucking arms off!"

>"Burns," Kitty tries to interject. She's already taken his weapon away.

>"That would be purposeless. I know you will do nothing to me."

"Maybe not now. But you're pushing your luck, Tannon! You need us a lot more than we need you."

>"How little you know.
>"Surely you can appreciate my actions. I have a mission to complete. I cannot allow your animal compassion and lack of foresight to hamper that mission."

"This is my mission, Tannon. I'm making that perfectly clear, right now.
"You're going to have Coalition on your ass for the next five thousand miles. How far are you going to make it without the two of us?"

>"We won't make it far at all, as long as you are creating a path for the Coalition to follow."

"My call. Not yours! As far as you should be concerned, you're my subordinate. You fall out of line again, I either kill you or leave you in a ditch, somewhere. We don't need you. Is that clear?"

>"Very well."

He says it with practice, and without hesitation. He knew this was what I was going to do. He could probably guess how the conversation would even play out. But I don't care.

I'm sick of this place. Are we done here?

Yes, please get the hell out of this awful place. The sooner you get out of here the sooner you get done with Tannon's awful shit.

>>146279
Well you could prove him wrong on one thing. Tell Kitty to hold him down. Grab ahold of one of his teeth, one halfway to the back on the sides should do, then pull it out. It will fucking hurt but not not be that harmful in the long run and will not impair his abilities.

I would suggest you get out of Qer. I would suggest going to East Port. There should be enough cargo traffic going through there to let you find transport to the Empire.

Kill Tannon first.

Think about it; He's recounting step-by-step on how to get to this place instead of simply telling you how to get there. He's controlling your exact movements and keeping your options narrowed by making sure you only know of the options he provides for you. He's more or less herding you to this location, and you're buying into it without question.

His hopes are riding on that 'animal compassion' keeping you from killing him. You already know he plans to betray you at the soonest possible moment. What's to say he isn't leading you straight into a trap; a place where he can get away safely without telling you anything, or even worse a place to capture both you and kitty. You're amortal but you aren't invincible; a heavy enough containment cell could hold you. He could hold one of you hostage to manipulate the other to carry out his bidding; don't think for a moment that this isn't the kind of plan that he'd come up with.

This is EXACTLY the way his kind thinks. You are only useful to him so long as you are controlled in some way. Once you disallow him that control he will seek to regain control by any other means. You are a calculated risk as long as you remain free to do as you please, and when this is over he will not allow you to remain free.

Kill him now and save yourself the hardship later. You know that going with him is a complete dead-end in every respect.

Uhm. Let's leave Tannon unmutilated, collect what supplies we need and move on.

...wait, grab a radio and set it to receive only. That way we can tell what the Coalition is doing.

>>146285
You know what, changed my mind. Tannon can keep his damn teeth. But keep it in mind for later occasions.

The rest still stands. Make your way to east port. And ask Tannon about Qer and the coalition, and why they would think he has papers important enough to send 23 commandos to look for.

What the fuck? Spitefully hurting Tannon because you don't like him won't accomplish anything. While you travel, ask him what he knows about Qer and the Coalition.

Trying to punish or hurt him because you don't like the kind of creature he is is useless. He doesn't understand the way you think, doesn't want to, and trying to punish him will make him more likely to think that you're a threat to him. If he has no reason to betray you, then he won't. Why give him a reason?

You are all assuming Tannon is actually leading us to said vault in the first place. We have no reason to believe he is taking us to where he says he is. He needed us to get him out of that cave alive, and he needs us to keep him safe from the Coalition. When safety is no longer a concern there is no longer any purpose to keep Kitty and Burns around.

This isn't killing out of spite. This is thinking exactly like Tannon and predicting results.

Do we really want to suck up to this guy for the rest of the game just to prevent him from his eventual betrayal? Do we really want to go the lengths necessary to keep a favorable viewpoint with Tannon, and establish our utility? I for one do not like being viewed as a calculated risk to be neutralized the moment we are deemed unusable at the earliest possible time he is able to dump us.

I say we find better friends.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)16:54 No. 146314 ID: 212869
File 126844169477.jpg - (144.41KB , 777x777 , 05-29.jpg )

>ask Tannon about Qer and the coalition
Kitty beats me to it.

>"Burns, why did the soldier seem surprised that a Qerian would think his country was being invaded?"

"Good question. Well, Tannon?"

>"Qer has been under Coalition control for a decade. The government - what little there is - is a puppet government. The Coalition has free reign here. No doubt Qer has declared its loyalty to the Coalition, or will do so soon enough.
"They may even move on from your country to attack North Poilen."

"Why would they do that? We got involved in a war with the Coalition over land claims with -

>"I know why you think you're in the war. Something more is at work here. I was at work investigating why when other matters took precedent. It is why I am fleeing this world."

"Why?"

>"Why I am fleeing this world? I cannot say. Press as you'd like, but it is information the Acruen cannot divulge."

I seethe at this, but I'm certain nothing can be done. For what I hate about Tannon, I'll give him this: when he takes a stance, he sticks by it. It makes him easy to read in some ways.

"Fine."

I lower him, having forgotten I was holding him off the ground. I had barely felt his weight on my arm.

"Why would they invade Poilen?"

>"As I explained before. Something about your war concerns who they're chasing, and the Sunrisen Empire's link with that person. That is the greatest likelihood. I know nothing more than that."

I spit as I turn, as ready to leave a place as I have ever been.

"Load up your shit in one of the vehicles. Let's get the hell out of here."

I guess I'll grab some extra clothes and food, if I can find any. I haven't eaten in forever. If there's anything else you can think of, mention it now, because we're leaving immediately.

>>146314
Grab a radio so that you can hear Coalition chatter.

Didn't Tannon say there were weapons? Get some. What else is around here, anyway?

>>146314
Do one last sweep for anything useful or anything that can be sold. Oh and search the coalition corpses. They're not going to need any jewelry or cash they have on them but you might need it.

Other than that I can only repeat my desired destination of East Port. From your current position you can easily get there without having to cross Poilen lands. And if the Coalition officially takes over Qer then there could be refugee streams going to Cerea, that would make it easier for you to blend in.

To be fair your reasons for keeping him alive were kind of lame. But Tannon is seriously bad news. You can't form a positive relationship with someone who has already decided to betray you, and takes that as a logical premise to all future arguments. Anyone with ay modicum of reason would kill the Acruen where he stands. You might mention to him how glad he is that he's in the company of "animals" because were he to pull this sort of thing with an a more rational minded being he'd have been eating his arms yesterday. What he perceives as weakness is both vital and necessary to his goals and his future functioning. I bet that'd knock him down a few pegs. His plans are now totally dependant on nothing more than the kindness of animals.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)17:51 No. 146351 ID: aa5284
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So you voices are all against me killing an enemy soldier as a tactical move, but want me to murder Tannon, because you don't like him? Why am I listening to you again?

I'm not going to kill him. He's the only lead we've got. You can debate whether he's being honest or not all you'd like, but personally I believe he's being truthful enough. It's my command decision, and we're sticking to it. If he does something to jeopardize the mission again, we'll reevaluate.

I head off to collect what I can find. A lot of the bodies are already stripped away. Tannon was busy while Kitty and I were talking. I pick out a couple of radios. They won't have much purpose once we put some distance between us and the Coalition forces, but they may come in handy later. I also get a change of clothes. I stink of blood, and I imagine so does Kitty. We need a shower, but fresh clothes will do for the time being. I also collect what money I can find.

>I can only repeat my desired destination of East Port

Having overhead Kitty's discussion with Tannon earlier, they had agreed to head to Gray Bay. I trust her judgment, and there's not enough of a reason to change that now, aside from Tannon's wild speculation. It's funny what you voices choose to believe and disbelieve sometimes.

We can't stay here any longer.

Returning to the vehicle Tannon has chosen, I find it packed full of everything he's taken. He's thorough, I'll give him that. There's enough here to last us quite a while.

If you have any more questions you can think of, ask them. It will be a lengthy trip from here to the cave systems under North Poilen.

Tannon is already at the wheel. I don't know how to drive this thing, and he knows where to go, in theory. I warn him before we leave about the price of betrayal, which he seems entertained by, as though I shouldn't be concerned.

Kitty comes on board, and the doors close.

We drive away into the darkness of the second largest cave system in the world, into North Poilen.

>>146351
I said East Port all along. I think it's a better port and most of all it's alot further from any coalition forces. Bigger harbor further away from enemies should be a clear choice.

And about Tannon, trust Tannon to do what Tannon thinks is best for Tannon. He wants to leave this world, to do that he needs both of you. So long as he needs both of you, you can trust him to do what he thinks is necessary for success. Just never forget why he is doing this and never think that you can truly trust him. Think of him as one of those squadmates who you really hated but still knew could be trusted to cover you when the shitstorm landed on both of you.

Now for questions. Give us all the information you have about the political situation in Cerea and the Empire as well as their societies. Ask Tannon for more information as well.

>>146351

Interesting strategy. I actually <i>like</i> Tannon. I just want him dead because he's such a dire threat to your (presumably infinite) future, not to mention our little gem's existence. I get the impression that he gets ahold of us, it's Game Over. I wanted you to kill the Coalition guy too, once it became obvious he wasn't going to be any good as a prisoner.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)20:52 No. 146462 ID: ebea88
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We finally get underway. These are the only mines in the world that can be navigated like this. It's hypothesized that at some point in history, some civilization dug out these caves for whatever reason. My guess? It was for the ship. Maybe more. A lot of it is still unexplored. It's gotten rougher over the centuries, but it's still navigable.

>one of those squadmates who you really hated

I loved all my squad mates.

>the political situation in Cerea and the Empire as well as their societies

What, you want me to hold a social studies class?

Qer didn't surprise me. There were rumors that their government was a sham, of course. Nobody really paid attention since the place is run by criminals.

Cerea is an old enemy of the Confederacy and North Poilen. They're the ones that wiped out South Poilen, a few hundred years ago. They were a kingdom back then, and tried invading us afterwards. They lost that war.

Nowadays, they're a major port trader on their west coast. The rest of the country is a lot of grasslands, mostly. A lot of farmlands and military installations. If the Coalition is pushing to control all of Gaeten, that will be their biggest obstacle, now that the Confederacy is out of the picture. The people there aren't particularly friendly, and they're fairly insular.

The Poilenese are a lot friendlier, although they have a lot of in-fighting that keeps you on your toes when you're dealing with them. They lost a lot of land to the Cereans in a war a few decades back. The two countries aren't very friendly to one another.

The Sunrisen Empire and the Coalition is a very long story. Do you really want to hear about all that?

>>146462
Certainly. I can't ascertain the necessity of knowing the history of these nations given that your current predicament is based more on touch-and-go planning than anything else, but hey, I'm curious.

At the very least it would make us feel a bit less in the dark about the goings on of your world--current events are only so helpful without the background history. That aside, seems like we have nothing but time anyway since Tannon is mum about anything particularly useful. Might as well indulge our curiosity and see where it leads.

Yes, please tell us. the more we know, the better we can help you.

Also, make eyes at Kitty to reinforce the solidarity.

>>146462

That thing's got 4x4 power drive, right?

Let's get this underway.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/12(Fri)22:53 No. 146546 ID: 8e9eb6
File 126846321681.jpg - (243.43KB , 777x777 , 05-32.jpg )

Well,, I was just hoping for some privacy while I change clothes, you know? But anyway, it's not like you're anything but disembodied voices, I guess...

The oldest of the two most major forces in the world is the Sunrisen Empire. It was once a lot larger than it is today. Whereas now it occupies all of South Taesen, it used to extend through East Taesen and into Northland, and even occupied some of Gaeten.

I can't really remember the specifics of what dates, who and where, but basically, the Sunrisen Empire got started a few thousand years ago as a small kingdom on an island near the Eastern Expanse. The Expanse acts as sort of a natural border ships don't want to enter, for obvious reasons. When that kingdom, whatever it was called... can't remember. When it started expanding by force, it moved south and west. The mountain ranges that extend through the southern part of Taesen acted as another natural border against routes.

Over a period of about five hundred years, that kingdom owned most of the continent due in part to intelligent military strategies, technological innovations and the invention of concepts like economies and right of ownership.

Gaeten and the Northlands and the Blacklands hadn't been discovered at the time, and the Wilder Expanse was seen as a place where evil creatures lived, so a lot of politics were congested in that part of the world.

War broke out between this kingdom and a republic in East Taesen about 1500 years ago. Neither side could really push beyond Vedic's Straight, because of the way the land narrows down.

Long story short, this kingdom discovered a more advanced method of navigation, or something like that, I remember. They ended up colonizing the Northlands while looking for someplace to establish a fort to act as a place for their armies to mass up to attack this republic from behind. The war died down a few years later, and this kingdom got expansion fever. The republic broke up on its own after its economy collapsed.

At some point, there were several revolutions in the kingdom, and it broke apart. One of the factions named itself the Sunrisen Empire.

Now, this to me, is where it gets really strange. "Sunrisen" was just a name. It didn't mean anything, as far as scholars know. They assumed it was someone's name.

Then, you guys came along. I didn't really put it together then, but... well... Sunrisen. The sun? Our world doesn't have a sun. And it's where you guys get your light, right? And it rises out of the ground, or something crazy, because your worlds are big balls hanging in nothing? It's like, whoever named the Sunrisen Empire knew something the rest of the world didn't. Or maybe it really was just someone's name. I don't know.

But anyway, the Empire became really militaristic and declared war on these other factions that had broken away. Over the course of a hundred years, they'd all been reclaimed.

The Sunrisen Empire started expanding out into the rest of Taesen, basically trying to control the entire world. The various nations didn't take kindly to that. One of them - and this I do remember - was named Yu Nayega. I remember that because that country still exists. It's the main country that keeps the rest of the Coalition held together. Yu Nayega led a unified army against the Sunrisen Empire.

After several years of war, some of the countries lost their leaders due to diseases the Empire introduced, and assassinations. Yu Nayega took their lands over, sort of quietly, under the guise of trying to maintain order. That's how they expanded to where their borders stand today.

Over the next few decades, the Sunrisen Empire destabilized when its citizens tired of the constant war and the problems it was creating. It lost control of its colonies in Northland, and two or three other countries broke away from its territories in East Taenen.

Things continued like that up to present day. No real world-changing events, aside from the discovery of Gaeten a couple hundred years ago, and the other Expanses that wall our world in.

Now, a hundred and fifty or so years ago, a man named Muerto Jack came to power in the Sunrisen Empire. He was a giant of a man, supposedly, and was known for being eccentric and often violent. He became a general, before he became something of a politician. I mention him because the Sunrisen Empire's King was assassinated, and most people thought Yu Nayega was responsible. The King had no heir. Nobody could decide who should ascend to the throne, or whether to retaliate against Yu Nayega. Muerto Jack basically stepped in and took control of the entire Empire overnight, and led a campaign against Yu Nayega.

Muerto Jack was killed a few years later, but that war has basically been ongoing, whether with armies or economies, ever since. The Coalition was formed by Exarch Belleza Ren about fifty years ago to stabalize a lot of floundering countries. She pulled them all together and basically resolved the world's economy overnight. After ten years, she stepped down and her daughter took up the Head Seat, and her daughter after her.

The two are still at war. It's been calm on the surface for the past few decades, but it looks like the Coalition is pushing back into outright war with the Empire. Not sure how that will turn out. The Empire is as weak as it's ever been. At least in comparison to the Coalition.

The current leaders are Exarch Selia D'san and King Paulson Kierva. The King is an old man, and isn't expected to survive the year. The Exarchs are always extremely secretive, and are only seen in private meetings. It's rumored Selia is beautiful, and looking for a husband.

The populations hate each other. The war polarizes a lot of worldwide politics. If you're seen as supporting one side or the other, you tend to be ostracized by the other. Which is basically what happened to us.

Phew.

Well, there's a brief history of the world. Satisfied?

...Where does the Confederacy fit into all that?

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)01:53 No. 146667 ID: f2b2b3
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>...Where does the Confederacy fit into all that?

Doesn't. Gaeten as a whole is an afterthought in world politics. Most of the east part of the continent is mountains and desert. The rest is plains and deciduous forests. So, there was never much here to exploit, aside from a few gem mines.

The Confederacy was formed a hundred and twenty-five years ago from eight small colonies that chose to declare their independence when their founding country - called Tren - collapsed economically. They joined with two other kingdoms during a political marriage that united a good part of the continent. Hence the name, Ten Generation Confederacy. We haven't... didn't... have quite the history that the Empire and the Coalition have had. The only major wars we've been involved in were with other colony kingdoms, over the past two hundred or so years.

Now, if there are no further questions, I'm going to get some sleep before we arrive at Poilen.

>>146667
You know that was all very interesting. And makes me think of a couple of ways to potentially fuck up the Coalitions plans. But those would be quite difficult to achieve.

A method may present itself later. The plan would basically be to get Cerea and the Empire to agree to a silent alliance. The empire will then start sending equipment and officers to Cerea while Cerea takes a public stance where they say that they will view any attack on Poilen as an attack on their soil. If the coalition then attacks North Poilen then it's possible that they just may bite off more than they can chew. If nothing else it should slow down their advance nicely. I know it's not exactly an easy plan, but you and us both can try to keep our eyes open for any oppurtunities to gain political influence.

Oh and the name Sunrisen. I can think of two ways it could have been meant. Either that the empire was going to rise like the sun, in that it was inevitable and something that couldn't be stopped, of course the sun sets eventuall also so the destruction of the empire is just as inevitable but that is the fate of all things. The other one would be that it was going to be an empire that the sun never sets upon, that is that the empire would eventually cover the whole world. And hey who knows, maybe the guy that founded the empire had us once upon a time, or something like us. We tend to loose our memory when we go into hibernation.

Well, fuck, I don't remember if we asked Kitty or not but ask her if she's ever heard of a world called "earth". Just cuz its a conversation starter.

You call yourself human right? Or is your species called Nalans or something?

>>146667
...Is that a whole crate of nothing but canned ham? Also turn around if you wanna get an eyeful, Burnsie.

>>146710

Unless he looked at it before, he's gonna have to turn around to tell us about the hams crate. Which, to be honest, I'm a little curious about now too.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)14:41 No. 146773 ID: ebe67f
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>Just cuz its a conversation starter.

Like I said, I'm pretty tired. I'd rather not start a conversation with a naked woman right now. She's been like that for a while now. Can't make up her mind what to wear, apparently. But "earth," as far as I know, is just soil on the ground. Is that what your world is called? Your round thing?

>Nalans

Where are you voices getting these made up words from? We're human.

>plan to bring down the Coalition

I guess you voices really think you're on a wild adventure here. I can't imagine anything I do having an impact on regional politics, much less national or world. My plan is to lay low, as I should, get my job done and get back home. End of story.

>Cerean alliance with the Empire

The Cereans are not a friendly bunch. And I have little doubt they wouldn't want an alliance with anyone. Like I said, they're an insular people and want nothing to do with world politics.

And as an aside from that, you voices have to realize that the Empire isn't exactly the good guys here. Throughout history, they've been one of the worst threats to world peace. The Coalition is far more recent, but has usually only been aggressive when it comes to butting heads with the Empire. They've started to try to police the world a lot more lately, but it wasn't until the past few years that they've become something of a bully, themselves.

I hate the Coalition for what they've done, but when I was a child, they Coalition was a hero for how they kept the "evil Empire" in check for so long. That black and white view of the world fell to the wayside as I got older, for a variety of reasons.

>HAMS

I like ham.

Wait a minute.

She's still naked because she can't decide what to wear.

Why are YOU still naked? You know you can talk and put on clothes at the same time.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)14:57 No. 146777 ID: ebe67f
File 126852104263.jpg - (230.45KB , 777x777 , 05-35.jpg )

Sounds like you guys don't have any more questions, or are more concerned with seeing Kitty nude, or something, so I'm going to get some rest.

"Hey, Kitty."

>"Hm?"

"I'm going to get some sleep. Watch on Tannon for me?"

>"Oh. Right."

With any luck I'll wake up just as we're exiting the cave system, wherever that may be.

I grab my stuff, lay down some soft material and grab some much-deserved sleep.

>>146773
It was simply a thought. I don't think it's likely you will be able to bring it off. I just tend to make plans with any information I get. Some are good, most are bad. Some could work, most would never work unless some extremly unlikely events happen. I still make them. Amd don't sell you chance to influence things short. Oppurtunities can arise and fortunes fall, if you're in the right spot at the right time you can change history.

The world is never black and white, it simply is. You said the coalition had started to conduct atrocities, Tannon hinted that there is more behind the recent Coalition politics than you see on the surface. If you want to bring down the Coalition then say so and I will try to find ways to do it, if not then I will focus on other areas.

Hams are nice by the way. Can't think of anything else now, so get some sleep and be ready to face a new tomorrow in North Poilen. I still think that's a bad idea by the way. Might be easier for you to get in but that's also going to be the case for the Coalition and politically unstable places can be nasty.

[paused] Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)15:00 No. 146779 ID: ebe67f
File 126852125359.jpg - (161.03KB , 777x777 , 05-35-p.jpg )

[[ At certain points in the game, you will have the chance to help design clothing, equipment or items to be used in the quest, in the discussion thread: http://www3.tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/321772.html

Game 1 is to design clothing for Kitty, although this will not apply until sometime later in the quest, when she has the chance to obtain new wardrobe items. ]]

>>146774
[[ He's wearing pants, although you can't see it. He's getting ready to sleep, so he's not wearing a shirt. ]]

>But "earth," as far as I know, is just soil on the ground. Is that what your world is called? Your round thing?

Yeah, the name Earth comes from a Roman god or something, like all of our planets in our system. Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, etc. Romans are basically your big bad empire only now they're a dead civilization. Also no guns. No clue how how long have guns existed in your world.

We're humans too. What a coincidence. I only really mentioned Earth the god because, fuck, how in the world did the influence of one of our dead religions get in your science and you call your dirt "earth"? Reasonably, Earth is a word you shouldn't even fucking know about.

I think someone from our world may have come up with a lot of your world's scientific revolutions or at east supported the language evolution. A likely explanation. Only the fucker didn't care to mention about outer space and stars. That is... if your speaking english and not every word of ours is being turned into a word of same meaning in your language.

>>146813
[[ The name "Earth" derives from the Anglo-Saxon word erda, which means ground or soil. It became eorthe later, and then erthe in Middle English.

There's no such thing as a god "Earth." I wouldn't think too much on etymology in this quest, as it's not something I'll be touching on outside my book. It's part of why the universe exists as it does, which you won't discover in this quest. ]]

>>146813
Earth can also be called Telus. Which I think is what the Romans called it.

But Burns don't bother with planets. Your reality is the one we have to work within. Our previous experiances and knowledge can't help you if they're not part of the reality you're in-

oh fffffuuuuccck sorry for being dumb

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)20:09 No. 146928 ID: 12084d
File 12685397788.jpg - (169.91KB , 777x777 , 05-36.jpg )

>Delia, oh Delia
>Delia's Gone
>One more round
>Delia's Gone

My dream interspersed the real I cannot find
Voices voice I hear upon the edge
Where cannot I form my mind
Lost, voices, lost
Help

>>146928
You're dreaming. So what? Make that dream your bitch! Force it to be what you want it to be.

>>146928

Don't think about being in high school naked. Don't think about it.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)20:23 No. 146951 ID: 12084d
File 126854057999.jpg - (172.57KB , 777x777 , 05-37.jpg )

>Always liked that song.

The voices... Tear. Makes it hard to

Thoughts slowly forming

Image appearing

Help me

>Well, come on, then. We don't have much time.
>The night's not long.
>Choose a path.

"Path? These... graves?"

>Whichever way you'd like to think.
>Really, aren't they the same thing?

"Who is this?"

The words come easier. The dream settles. Is this a dream?

>Pick a path, kid.

Go with Delia. Because John is obviously JOHN FREEMAN WHO WAS GORDON FREEMAN'S BROTHER. And we want none of that.

>>146951

Why take any path that leads to death? You can walk off into the shadows instead.

Well, the left appears to day Delia. The right appears to be written in Wingdings.

With the current information I don't think I can make a proper conjecture about which path to take. You should probably sit down and have a nice cup of coffee until the lettering of the right path becomes clearer.

i think you have to pick which you want to give up. the present, delia, or the future, john.

live for the future.

Well, Delia's your wife. John is your son.

Question is, what is the choice here? Who to dream about? Who to save? Who to give up? Or is it even more metaphorical, and we're choosing between living in the present (Delia) or the future (John).

In my opinion, you should choose John, the one with the most future left.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)20:55 No. 146991 ID: 12084d
File 126854250853.jpg - (223.26KB , 777x777 , 05-38.jpg )

"What kind of decision are you trying to get me to make?
"I'm not going to choose anything."

>"Oh, that was always your problem, Jack."

"Delia? No... you're not... Kitty? Why do you have my wife's voice?"

>"Something wrong with the way I look, Jack? You lost interest in my body a long time ago. Don't I look better this way?"

"Stop this. Stop it now."

>"You've seen more of her in two days than you have of me in five years, Jack. It wasn't the war that drove you away.
>"You never could make a decision for yourself.
>"Unless it was whether to ignore me and John and head back down to the bar."

"I never stopped loving her. You don't understand our marriage. You have no business digging around in my head.
"Our relationship is none of your business."

>"What relationship? Didn't you know? How she's been having an affair, for the past two years?"

"Enough!"

>"You haven't been there. You didn't appreciate her, love her, the way she wanted to be loved."

"You mean everything to me, Delia. Everything."

>"You never showed it. You depend on me to make our decisions, handle our business, solve our problems...
>"Maybe that was where it all went wrong. How could I expect a fulfilling relationship from a man with no passion left in his life? All you have is your service to a dead country.
>"What happened to those pretty words you used to say to me? Did losing my youth mean so much to you? Am I so unlike the woman you committed your life to?"

I have to get out of this. I can't wake up.

Are you responsible for this, voices? I should have never fallen asleep with you in my hand.

>>146991

Oh come on, man. We can't make you hallucinate about your wife.

Besides, I'm sure she loves you very much.

Don't look at me boss; this is a new thing as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe you should put the mission on hold for a bit and spend some time with the family? You're amortal now; you aren't exactly going anywhere, and neither are we or the vault.

How bad could it be to go back and see them for a bit?

Punch the wall inbetween, and forge your future through the actions of your present. Walk both roads at once, living for the future as you affect the present.

Enduring the pain of both future are present on his back... that's the job of a real man.

>>146991
Don't look at us. You're just having a nightmare from everything that's happened recently.

You're afraid right now, Burns. But you can overcome that fear. Master it, and fear becomes courage to face the unknown.

>>146991
No. We aren't doing this. I have an idea of who is... but I won't let you accuse him. You need to go through with this, and understand. Understand your mistakes.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)21:10 No. 147021 ID: 12084d
File 126854340934.jpg - (185.79KB , 777x777 , 05-39.jpg )

>You shouldn't blame them, Burns.

The image of my... wife fades, as I meet an image behind me.

>They're responsible for your dream, but not for what you're dreaming.
>This is all on you, kid.

"Who the hell are you?"

>A religious man, Burns.
>That's all I am. I herald world to world. I'm a disciple, preaching the Good Word.

"Get out of my fucking head."

>I will, Burns. I'm not trying to cause you any grief.
>You know, you don't have much time left with your wife.

"That some sort of threat?"

>Not at all. No. If this was a perfect world, she'd live forever.

"Like me?"

>No, Burns. What I had to do to you was tragic. But it's all right. Piaculum is on his way. Then, you and your wife and son can have the right kind of eternal life.
>Never having to watch your family die while you stay young forever. Being given a purpose, without having to worry about what meaning life has.
>That's the kind of god I serve.
>Burns, I only want to help you.

Who the hell is this guy? I still can't think straight. What should I ask? What should I tell him... What do I do? I can't do this on my own.

Block him out! Block him out!

Oh hell, wake up! Wake up man!

>>147021
He says Piaculum will bring some kind of 'eternal life" to you and your family this unsettles me. Ask him to clarify.

Well, if I had to make an informed guess, a Piaculum is on it's way to slaughter your wife and son, sent by the man whose responsible for making you amortal, which he did so for a purpose he hasn't graced us with yet.

In a nutshell, more or less.

>>147021
"What kind of eternal life?
Where can I learn more about this 'Piaculum'?
What do you want me to do?
What 'purpose' would you assign to me?
What are your plans for Kitty? For my wife and son?
You're obviously planning a major change, so what does that mean for my world's governments?
For personal freedoms and rights?
What about those who oppose you? Will you ignore them and let them be, or exterminate them?

eternal life, in heaven.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)21:52 No. 147094 ID: 12084d
File 126854592651.jpg - (164.62KB , 777x777 , 05-40.jpg )

>eternal life

"Eternal life? You stay away from my family."

>Nothing like that, Burns. True, eternal life. That's why I made you the way you are: to preserve you, until Piaculum could arrive. I can't give you real eternal life, unless you're still alive to receive it. The dead are outside of my reach.

>Where can I learn more about this 'Piaculum'?

"What the hell is Piaculum?"

>Piaculum is one of many names for the god that I serve. The mortal men and women we're trying to save call his body Piaculum, as well. You fought with a small part of his flesh recently.

"You really expect me to trust something like that?"

>His flesh is stained with the sins of all those lives he's saved. It's his burden. The further those pieces are from his reach, the more difficult it is for him to control them. It is good you sealed it away, until Piaculum can retrieve it.

"What do you want me to do?"

>Enjoy life. Do what you'd like to do. Protect your family at all costs. Above all, please, don't take any more lives. I can do nothing to help the dead.

"I've never killed anyone."

He smiles.

>I know. Just make sure the soldier that's a part of you doesn't either.

>What 'purpose' would you assign to me?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. But, I'll try to ask anyway.

"What purpose do you want to give me?"

>The same meaning that anyone deserves, Burns. To be happy. To love and be loved. We'll build a new heaven, a new paradise, together.

"What are your plans for Kitty? For my wife and son?"

>The same as any person. I only want to see them safe, unharmed, and alive. Everyone is equal. We all require salvation. Even me.

>the world's governments

"What about my world? Its countries, its identity?"

>Would you really be sad to see it go? Is there anything here worth protecting, aside from its people? Your governments, your pride, your sins, will vanish, forever. Piaculum will give you a new, perfect world, unlike this one.

>personal freedoms and rights

"And what about my free will?"

He laughs, rather heartily.

>Yes, your free will, will stay intact. You couldn't be much of a person without it, could you? Like most people, you fear your own salvation. But that's good. Fear makes you aware. Those that are afraid of the change appreciate it most. It pains me to see anyone in pain like that, but... it's unavoidable, sometimes.

>those that oppose you

"What if I don't want your salvation? What if I don't want eternal life?"

He samples the drug between his fingers and considers this.

>Everyone needs salvation, Burns. Whether they realize it or not. Would you abandon John, if he took a path in life you knew wasn't right for him? I don't want to sound cruel. But, sometimes, you have to do what's best for others, even if they don't realize it. I'll tell you now, no one that Piaculum has saved, has ever regretted it.

>Burns, I know this has all been overwhelming. But, I'm only here to help. I'm hurrying as quickly as I can. Every day, people are dying, all across Nahala. We can't reach them all. Please, protect who you can.

The image of the man I believe to be Caiphas, one of the digens Kitty once described to me, wavers and fades.

The dream that came for me, releases me. I fear its return.

Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)21:53 No. 147096 ID: 12084d
File 126854603528.jpg - (214.50KB , 777x777 , 05-41.jpg )

I awaken.

The dream... It feels like it's tainting the reality around me. Slowly, it crawls back to wherever it came from.

God, I'm so glad it's over.

His voice lingers, as the dream fades.

>Just make sure, when I find you again... that there's no new blood on your hands.

[end of chapter 5] Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)21:56 No. 147101 ID: 12084d
File 126854618244.jpg - (202.46KB , 777x777 , 05-42.jpg )

>Even if those hands aren't your own.

>>147101

Hey, we're a mood ring!

i think this is a different tear. the blue is the second tear. this could be the first or third.

Suggestion 2010/03/13(Sat)22:09 No. 147117 ID: e75a2f
File 126854696641.jpg - (24.24KB , 450x450 , mood-ring-color-chart.jpg )

Looks like we're doing good.

[not canon] Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/13(Sat)22:17 No. 147134 ID: 12084d
File 126854743960.jpg - (202.82KB , 777x777 , 05-42-ohnoooooo.jpg )

WHERE IS YOUR PRECIOUS COLOR CHART THEORY NOW

>>147134
A COLOR FOR EVERY VOICE, FOOL!

>>147134

I think this means we're gay. :o

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/03/13(Sat)22:26 No. 147149 ID: a85626
File 126854801363.jpg - (93.21KB , 501x800 , galactus.jpg )

...

...

FUCK PIACULUM

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/03/13(Sat)22:30 No. 147151 ID: a85626
File 126854820242.jpg - (26.65KB , 720x576 , evangelion.jpg )

FUUUUUUCK PIACULUM

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/03/13(Sat)22:34 No. 147153 ID: a85626
File 126854846720.jpg - (63.44KB , 500x363 , tetsuo.jpg )

Fuck. Piaculum.

There is no way this could possibly end well.

'Even if those hands aren't your own.' = those aren't burns' hands.

I dunno if we should be worried about Piaculum. He said that nobody ever regretted being saved by him.

>>147167
Depends if they are capable of regretting it. I am still a voice of caution. I do not trust the smoking man.

Suggestion 2010/03/14(Sun)00:12 No. 147270 ID: e3f578
File 126855432031.jpg - (30.31KB , 700x393 , Gurren-Lagann_-_Kamina.jpg )

What, we've finally got a guy encouraging the good path end everybody seems to teter forward for and you guys go "fuck him"? Guy is the only actual not pessimistic fool in this quest so far. I don't want to turn him down.

Besides, its not like we can't fucking deal with a manipulative GOD if that's the case. We're /tgchan/ dammit. Go beyond the impossible and shoot reason to the curb.

>>147134
Who's awesome? You're awesome.

>>147270
the main problem isn't that he's an optimist. The problem is that he... well, he seems like some sort of wacked out cultist. "I am giving you eternal life! ...the flaying of your skin is perfectly normal for the procedure!" I saw, we approach his path, but with caution. I mean, we have seen what this thing looks like, and it doesn't look like the body of a kind and caring deity.

>>147253
He said that they retain their free will. That would require a clear mind.

>>147270
The main problem is that Piacalum is a vast entity that exists in another dimension and it's idea of bringing salvation is consuming everything. Think of it as the Tyranid hive mind in 40k and you get somewhat of an idea of what it is and how it will bring salvation to all. So lets try to not help it out.

[chapter 5 stats] Plague!!NkAwOzZ2H0 2010/03/14(Sun)05:47 No. 147442 ID: aa5284
File 126857083763.jpg - (167.21KB , 777x777 , 05-42-s.jpg )

[[ By your actions or inactions, the following has transpired:

Kitty:
*mistrust of Tannon has greatly increased
*relationship with Burns has developed slightly beyond the projections of her own regrets
*is concerned on how to change herself for the better, permanently, rather than falling back to her lesser nature
*is more aware of her need for a larger wardrobe

Burns:
*understanding of the moral ambiguity of his current mission has waned from mere utility and duty
*has developed a begrudging understanding of Tannon's methods and intent
*has lost some respect for the wisdom of the voices within the Tear
*is growing more reliant on making his own command decisions
*has a slightly better understanding of the secret history of his world
*is greatly concerned over his marriage

Tannon:
*has accepted Kitty and Burns as necessary elements
*considers Burns to be unstable and animalistic - too emotionally-charged for total competency
*considers Kitty to be less animalistic - amoral enough to seek necessary ends
*anticipates Kitty and Burns continued assistance if he maintains his part of their bargain
*now answers to Burns' command decisions

Gained:
x1 Mining Vehicle
x11 Combat-Utility Knives
x5 Coalition Combat Vests
x1 Tannon's Handgun (4 clips)
x20 Coalition Assault Rifles (73 clips)
x12 Coalition Handguns (64 clips)
x467.23 Coalition money
x5 days food/water

As the story progresses, events may encompass far more than the handful of characters you have accumulated. ]]

>has lost some respect for the wisdom of the voices within the Tear

Something tells me that's going to bite us in the ass later. Is it possible for you to tell us what caused that?

>>147450
All of the suggestions to keep the Coalition guy alive. Then the very upset mood when Tannon killed the guy. Which I frankly think turned out pretty well, Tannon is now more likely to obey Burns and Burns is less likley to listen to any stupid shit we tell him. And the Coalition guy died. So I'm quite happy with the way it turned out, atleast in the short term.

It was
>So you voices are all against me killing an enemy soldier as a tactical move, but want me to murder Tannon, because you don't like him? Why am I listening to you again?
that. Which was pretty petty of us, honestly.

>>147450

No that's pretty good actually. Burns's first mistake was assuming we would have answers for him. That he's coming to terms with our ignorance might save us his blind trust in the future. As in, he knows now to warn us.

>>147714
Seriously, so much could be saved if certain character's didn't trust us as much as they have.