How long has it been since the screaming stopped? Be sure it is safe, then bring him back.

you can do it. even if you don't believe in yourself believe in him who believes in you! he knows you can do it! just a little longer, then you will be safe.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/06(Sun)09:12 No. 188978 ID: 19e2d0
File 127584075328.jpg - (98.04KB , 900x740 , 01.jpg )

It has been a long time. Here, without light, I don't know how long. I heard the scream. The horrifying scream...

Now, all I hear is a rustle, like fires. Master Heartsbane will be unconscious for several hours even after I stop holding him here, and after that he'll be weak and groggy. I have to make sure it's safe... I... I can't do it... We're both going to die here alone in the dark, but at least we'll die together.

I don't know... I ... I don't know whether or not to check the surface, or just stay here, where it's safe.

you CAN do it glory! carefully go back to the surface, be ready to extinguish fires. you can get him out. you know how heartsbane is, he would rather die in a futile battle then just giving up.

>>188978
Up. We must find out if it is safe.

>>188978
Cautiously check the surface. Whatever was going on there seems to have died down now.

So what's the scream? Does Heartsbane have to be kept unconscious to prevent something, or is that a side effect of something else?

Go up and look around.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/06(Sun)10:08 No. 188996 ID: 19e2d0
File 127584412567.jpg - (388.94KB , 900x740 , 02.jpg )

I must make sure the surface is safe, that Ryxix is gone. He would hate himself if Ryxix made me kill me, even though I can't manage anything on my own.

I still have a little of her blood left. When I drank it, I felt... I felt like no one could stop me. I could do anything. I have to be careful, though; there's so little left.

Horror. Horror and carnage waits for me on the surface. Dead. Did my companions escape or are they among the dead? I can vaguely make Kshaara's tower out in the distance, perhaps it would be wise to get closer, or I could try to make my way to the gates. It's so worthless though, what could I do on my own other than fail or die?

>>188996
Gather up whatever supplies you can find and then go back down and see if you can't get Heartsbane up on his feet again.

you can do the best you can. as long as you tried your hardest, it would be alright.

Try to find *anything* that is alive.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/06(Sun)11:18 No. 189034 ID: 19e2d0
File 127584832572.jpg - (360.87KB , 900x740 , 03.jpg )

I think about going back to Master Heartsbane, but what good would it do? He will be unconscious for several more hours and feeble for several more. I have to make sure it's safe before I go to get him out.

I wander for a while, surrounded by fire and corpses. Surely, some of them have to be alive.

I check a mostly-intact Ophian, but I'm too late. I knew I'd fail before I began. My only hope would be to use some of the blood. He hasn't been dead long, so maybe it would be enough. It could make me strong even though I'm so incompetent and useless, but there's so little. It will make me powerful for a little while, but we both used so much in the fight.

I don't... I'm so confused. I wish someone could help me make the right choice.

>>189034
It's the Ophians city. If anyone should be able to help you figure out where to go to find good stuff it should be one of them. Go for it, use some blood and revive it.

do it, then let's head to the tower, maybe some blood is left?

You can't find anything alive? I can imagine all the defeated being killed, but surely there are surviving victors?

Head for the tower. See what's up.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/06(Sun)12:37 No. 189090 ID: 19e2d0
File 127585306972.jpg - (288.46KB , 900x740 , 04.jpg )

I drink some of the blood. Instantly, I feel power coursing through me. I feel like I've ascended, like some missing part of me has been replaced.

I look at the meat in front of me, and know how to correct it. The meat becomes a living thing again. It is simple, as simple as taking the snikts apart was earlier, as simple as making the buildings into gnashing walls of spikes.

It chokes, coughing up blood, and stares at me in awe.

"I thought I was dead," It chokes, "What happened?"

I tell it what little I know, and that I have to get Heartsbane to safety. I ask it what it knows.

"Our mistress has awakened. Those of us who stayed behind so that the rest could escape were quickly slaughtered by her. She seems disinclined to deal with us and more inclined to kill us because of our betrayal. She's also curious though, and wants to find out what happened during the fifty years she's been dead. Ryxix left. He fled, screaming, into the desert. It was," he shudders, "horrifying. Many of the snikts are wandering through the city confused, most near Kshaara's tower. Without commands from Ryxix, I don't know that they will attack on sight. I owe you my life. I'll gladly assist you however I can. My name is Byron."

>>189090
Ask about where you can find supplies. Stuff like weapons, food and medicine. Once you have gathered up as much as you can carry go back down into the hole and tend to Heartsbane.

yes, get stuff then bring hearts-bane up and have byron help you carry him out.

Okay, so throwing yourself at K'sharra's mercy is right out.

Maybe he can help carry Heartsbane out of here and somewhere else that's safer. Though it also sounds like he'll eventually improve even if you stay here, since Ryxix is moving further away.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/06(Sun)14:11 No. 189162 ID: 19e2d0
File 127585866577.jpg - (171.66KB , 900x740 , 05.jpg )

We gather supplies from nearby, including one of the spears still charges with Kshaara's blood. It doesn't take us long, and the power of her blood still sings inside of me.

We rapidly make our way down to Heartsbane, who is beginning to groggily awaken.

Both he and Byron will be weak for some time because of what I've done to them. I inform Heartsbane of the situation.

"Hng," he growls, "Our fate hangs over us like a heavy shroud. Kshaara is dangerous. I've heard tales. I don't know what she knows or what she plans. The black wave threatens to swallow us unless we defy it utterly. I... know that I can't fool her, but maybe you can. Pretend to have recently arrived and see what you can learn from her."

The blood still sings in me, but I know that when its power ends, I will be as I usually am. I would have to dispose of the rest of it - there's no way Kshaara would miss its presence and approve of my use. I could drink the rest - it would probably allow me to carry on a conversation with her for a while. The whole thing seems extremely dangerous.

We could just slip away, and no one would ever know we were here. It upsets me to disappoint Heartsbane, but this might be a sign of his ever-present insanity and not a genius plan.

dispose of blood and find kashara and act like you just showed up. ask what has happened and about how she managed to free herself

What the hell are you going to find out from her that will actually be useful?

If Heartsbane has a legitimate answer to this question, go ahead and talk with K'sharra. Do whatever is necessary to make it less likely that she gets pissed off at you.

>>189162
Leave the blood in the hole with Heartsbane. Then Go up and see what else you can find. Stay away from any Snikts, not all of them are as nice as Spikesby.

At least go and try to find her.

>>189162
We should drink the blood and talk to Kshaara.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/07(Mon)14:18 No. 189901 ID: 441e52
File 127594553592.jpg - (319.46KB , 900x740 , 06.jpg )

I drink the rest of the blood and feel its overwhelming power sing inside of me. I try to sneak closer to the tower, easily avoiding the randomly wandering snikts.

I round the corner near her tower, thinking to hide behind some debris and watch, but her predatory eye spots me instantly.

The ophians in her grip wriggle weakly. T-they're still alive.

The tail of the one in her mouth disappears down her gullet. She grins at me, her gory tongue flicking periodically.

There is blood everywhere. She's broken the urns. She smiles at me.

She knows. She knows everything. Her eyes are like horrid, burning suns, and I feel them boring into my head. I-I can't lie to her. This was a mistake, a terrible mistake. Surely she knows what I did. Surely she can smell her blood inside of me. I can still taste it in my mouth.

"It is a pleasure to have company again," she purrs, her voice dry yet strangely sensual, "How is it that you have made your way here? Perhaps I can be of assistance to you." She slides another weakly resisting ophian into her mouth and it quickly disappears.

S-she's just playing with me. I-I'm not walking out of here alive.

"i was simply traveling when i saw the smoke and decided to see what was creating it. it is a surprise to see you free after all this time, Kshaara, perhaps you could indulge me as to how that happened?"

>>189901
Don't lie, just tell creative truths:
"The spears that held you were crafted in the Sea of Oblivion. I came here to investigate them and see about acquiring one for Blacksoul to research when that... thing attacked.
Was that really the wizard Ryxix?
What happened here?
Why are you... er... eating those Ophians?"

>>189901

Don't be stupid! Run as fast as you can. Don't attempt a parlay, don't tell her nothing.

>>189932
YOU SHUT UP! glories problem is her lack of confidence. i highly doubt anything is as bad as she says it is.

>>189929
Oh, also:
She has a fear aura. You'll be fine unless you do something incredibly stupid.
I don't think we can save those Ophians, so be content that they are too groggy to be fully aware of what's going on, and their deaths will be very quick.
She probably won't notice that you drank her blood. At least not with so much of it everywhere. If she does we can talk our way out of trouble, so don't worry.

She seems to be one of the least unreasonable wizards, so she might actually be helpful. For example, if you can't carry a magic-destroying spear on your own then she might spare an Ophian so it can carry the spear on your trip to Blacksoul.

>>189934

Getting killed is supposedly RESTORE her confidence? You know why she has no confidence?!

Because that's what she traded for powers. She will never gonna get it back. So stop getting Glory killed.

>>189901
Sure you are. Wizards are just like normal people, only extremly powerful. You can get past this wihtout too much trouble.

A key point here is being curteous and to make her interested in you. So long as she thinks you're interesting and amusing she will let you live. For startes you can say that you came to see how she's doing, what with the city being destroyed and most of her servants dead or fleeing you thought that she might enjoy some company.

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/08(Tue)11:21 No. 190480 ID: 66ca9c
File 127602130883.jpg - (355.02KB , 900x740 , 07.jpg )

I try to remain calm, but it is almost impossible. Her eyes...

She lowers herself to the ground in front of me with a splash. The ophians still in her grip wriggle more vehemently.

I carefully pick my words, attempting to avoid an outright lie.

"I was passing through and saw the smoke and fire. I wanted to see if you were alive and to find out what is happening here. Was that really the wizard Ryxix? I think the spears were likely forged in the sea of oblivion and was thinking about bringing one to Lord Blacksoul. Why are you eating those ophians? I thought they were your children."

"Curiosity can be dangerous," she sighs, "but I see no reason not to entertain you for now. Ryxix has freed me, and I am quite well. I will keep the spears to myself for now, however. I am understandably uncomfortable with them in the hands of a mortal creature, even one so small and delectable." her tongue flicks again before she continues, "These traitors actively worked against me and will therefore be punished. More than that, I have been asleep for so long. As I slowly digest their still-living bodies, what they know is also absorbed by me. I must make up for lost time, after all. Know that those who defy me suffer, and suffer greatly, until I choose to release them in death." She pauses a moment longer and then -

Her eyes! Power, awful, irresistible power washes over me. I was such a fool! I remember now; Kshaara was always known to be the greatest mentalist from among the remaining wizards. I am doomed.

"What are you doing here? Who is your Master? Did you have a part in this? If so, describe everything you saw and did."

I feel the force wash over me...

and past me. Her blood inside of me is protecting me from the spell! There is hope! As long as she suspects nothing, I might walk out alive. I have to make this convincing, give her a reason to let me live.

What reason to live? It's pointless to continue. Just let her kill you.

sound monotone when you say this "i came when i saw the smoke. i have no master. i had no part in this" and then stand there blankly until she stops emitting power.

Okay. Here's a USEFUL suggestion. Relative to the other one.

Your master is Lord Blacksoul, whom you're collecting the antimagic implements for. Also, you had no part in this. Truthfully. You were stuck in a cave the whole time, but you don't need to tell her the where and why, given you said you just happened to be wandering by.

>>190488
This. Except... if she thinks we have no Master she might claim us.

Think. Who can we claim is our master that she won't immediately know if it's false... and won't check up on anytime soon? Blacksoul? Morriga? Hmm, we did mention Blacksoul already and our outfit does match the colors he prefers.

Well don't mention Spikesby or describe him at all, the Ophians she's eating has a good chance of knowing about him and his involvement in the battle, knowledge Kshaara could have potentially absorbed.

I'm honestly surprised she doesn't just eat you to figure out what you know if she can do that.

Aren't you Soulfire's bitch? So, just say you're Soulfire's bitch.

If not, claim to be Blacksoul's bitch, I guess.

If that's unworkable for some reason, claim to have a good singing voice.

If that doesn't work, panic and self destruct so she can't eat you.

>>190531
Why do you say that? Can you reference a post?

>>190489
Go with this one. And the thing you need to keep in your mind is to believe this. Fully with 100%, no doubt, no hesitation, nothing that can give it away as a lie.

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/06/08(Tue)15:37 No. 190576 ID: 2cbe3e
File 12760366599.jpg - (14.49KB , 300x252 , Courage.jpg )

Listen, kid – are you going to let that old Gulch heifer try and buffalo ya? She ain't nothing to be afraid of. Have a little courage, that's all.

Instead of saying Blacksoul, just say you're an adept of whatever wizard actually took your courage back in the day.

Maybe we could find... ANOTHER wizard who could give you some courage...

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/11(Fri)13:39 No. 191967 ID: 8e18cd
File 127628874130.jpg - (308.52KB , 900x740 , 08.jpg )

I have no idea which wizard I was given to. It happened when I was a tiny child. My parents gave me to the closest Wizard and let them take what they chose.

I try to look as blank as possible. I hope this is what happens when she uses the spell on you...

"I am collecting implements associated with the Sea of Oblivion for Lord Blacksoul. Lord Blacksoul is my Master. I had no part in this."

The magic washes over me, past me, leaving me unaffected.

"Odd,"hisses Kshaara, "What did Blacksoul do to you?" She leans close, another weakly-resisting Ophian slides down her horrible maw.

shit, shit, what the hell does that mean


"He took my spirit."

Look a little sad. Adepts of Blacksoul always regret it. Unless she didn't mean what he took to make you an adept, in which case, I have no idea.

In a really halting and uncomfortable tone, say that you can't tell her what he did.

Makes it sound like some weird mentalism effect, and maybe she'll just let it go.

>>191967
Say that you're not sure what he took or if he even took anything. He seems to like it if his minions still retain a rather large amount of free will.

So how quickly could you, and what would happen if you utilized all the blood on the floor right now.

Tell her you don't really understand what he did to you, that you aren't that smart to understand probably. Just that you've felt depressed and unconfident more often then normal

Say "He made me a loyal servant. I do not think about it. If there isn't any more use I can be, or any items I can take to Lord Blacksoul, I'll take my leave with your permission."

Glory!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/12(Sat)14:05 No. 192686 ID: 8e18cd
File 127637671185.jpg - (308.75KB , 900x740 , 09.jpg )

The blood is everywhere, and I could use it, but I can't do anything directly to Kshaara. Adept magic doesn't work on Wizards. I could think of something if I want to try to escape, but that would definitely blow my cover, besides, I just realized how close she's gotten... That being said, I could reshape the surroundings with almost unlimited freedom as long as mass is conserved and no materials are changed into other materials. This much blood would let me do whatever I wanted. Like I said, though, I think it's far too late to try anything.

The last ophian slides down her gullet.

I feel something behind me - it's her tail, pushing me even closer.

"I do not know exactly what Lord Blacksoul has done to me," I say, using every ounce of willpower to maintain my halting monotone, "but he has made me a more efficient servant. If you have nothing for me to bring to him, I will leave with your permission."

"So,"she hisses, the stench of blood and serpentine musk overpowering my senses, "You cannot love. Let us see if Blacksoul has left you with the ability to FEAR!"

Heartsbane!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/06/12(Sat)14:12 No. 192696 ID: 8e18cd
File 127637715379.jpg - (136.29KB , 900x740 , End.jpg )

"We wait. She will return."

"Be reasonable. How many hours have we been in this lightless hole? How much air can we possibly have?"

"We wait. I will not leave her.

She will not fail."

>>192686
Fear like a bastard.

Also ask her of her opinion on the thoughts of a sort of metaphysical cave where the perfect version of everything exists, and the objects in our world is merely shadows of that. Naturally that doesn't apply to her, she is as close to this ideal perfection as you thinik anyone can possibly come.

She's dead. Otherwise it wouldn't have ended there.

>>192773
Not necessarily!!

I don't think Kshaara would readily kill the adept of another wizard, especially one like Blacksoul.

Blacksoul just doesn't seem like the kinda guy anyone fucks with. Ever.

Bite Quest Intermission II - "A Dark Room, High in the Air" Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/01(Thu)08:14 No. 201790 ID: 2c9c16
File 127799727929.jpg - (214.37KB , 900x740 , Title.jpg )

[ Previous Books in case you need a refresher - I know I did: http://tgchan.org/wiki/Bite_Quest ]

This whole long walk has been exhausting. Walking became painful weeks ago - what a wretched means of transportation.

I am full of dirt. Everything down here is dust and rock and filth and loneliness. I wish someone had come with me. Being so alone makes me think of Breaker. Cold stone. Darkness.

And now here I am. Cold stone and darkness.

I hope Glory made it out of Suri Ok. I hope Spikesby is safe, even though I know he can't possibly be. I'm sure Majestic Thunderstrike is fine - she's so much stronger than the rest of us.

I'm so exhausted - I don't even remember what I'm supposed to be doing here anymore.

>>201790
Hopefully you're gonna get your wings back. As Blacksoul will need a new messanger now, and you're free to take the job and with your wings you will be able to get it done quite quickly.

Oh and you should probably inform him that Ryxix has become even more crazy and unhinged and that Kshara is back.

That electricity-covered shadow shape is just miscellaneous magical shit, right? Not something to worry about?

Go inside and await an audience with Blacksoul, so you can tell him what went down. Apologize for taking so long, because the giant 'orrible monster that smashed down the city burned off your wings.

Get cleaned up in the meantime.

>>201790
If I were to wager a guess I'd say that Blacksoul has managed to imprison a creature from the Sea of Oblivion, there.

Thankfully you're pretty safe from it; it has no desire to eat magical constructs. We need to report to Blacksoul what happened at the city, and humbly suggest that he regrow your wings so that you could continue to serve him.

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/02(Fri)02:57 No. 202157 ID: 2c9c16
File 127806463352.jpg - (101.60KB , 900x740 , 1.jpg )

I notice the translucent, gelatinous thing behind the tower, wrapped in glowing bands of energy. It leers at me, but I ignore it for now and go inside.

I am reminded of my first visit to Blacksoul's tower, where I was forced to walk through these dimly-lit unadorned hallways. It is not long before I am joined by one of his ephemeral wraiths. It leads me through the cold, dusty halls until we reach a doorway and I hear Blacksoul's strained rasp, much louder than his usual whisper. He seems to be talking in circles to himself. I pause and listen. The Wraith momentarily disappears.

"...it can be done. I know it can be done. It is simply a matter of quantity, of value. How many of them are there here? Enough, surely enough. No matter how many it takes, as long as there is enough it will be worthwhile."

Sickly light flares up in periodic bursts from below. The Wraith returns with a bundle of clothing.

"Lord Blacksoul is currently indisposed and it would be best not to interrupt. Please change into more suitable garb and I will inform him of your arrival."

I don't know what Blacksoul is talking about, but the fire in his voice scares me. I go to change, giving me a chance to reflect on what I've seen and overheard, and decide what, exactly to tell him and what I might want to keep to myself. What's going on here seems important - I should probably also think of a few good questions. He's never minded answering them before.

>>202157
From the sounds of it he's planning some big project. Possibly something that he would rather not do but something he feels is necessary. Would probably be a good idea to ask him what he is planning and what he intends the outcome to be.

You should probably tell him that Kshara is back and that Ryxix is a bit more unhinged than before. He doesn't really need to know the details of your part in all of it. If he asks about the wings then you can say that you were just observing when Ryxix's creature hit you and took out your wings, after which you decided to head back to Blacksoul to report on what you had seen.

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/02(Fri)09:37 No. 202198 ID: 2c9c16
File 127808863122.jpg - (187.58KB , 900x740 , 2.jpg )

I change into the clothes and make my way carefully into the laboratory. Strange braziers, alembics and delicate devices made of glass and metal bubble, whirl and smoke.

Containers of all descriptions are spread across the open worktable, many empty or broken.

A big hunk of translucent jelly is suspended from hooks in the ceiling and drips with some strange, translucent ichor. It makes me feel nauseous and uncomfortable to be around.

I make a small noise to get Blacksoul's attention and announce myself, briefly describing the events in Suri but saying that I was just flying there to investigate. I tell him that Kshaara is alive and Ryxix is even more crazy than before. Unlike my previous visits, I don't feel that penetrating gaze. I know he's absorbing what I tell him, but he doesn't turn from his work.

His dry voice rasps from beneath his robes, "Yes, Ryxix may have to be dealt with somehow. He cannot be allowed to break the rules by which we operate. Interesting. Thank you for informing me of this turn of events. Also, wasn't a creature with you last time you were here? What happened to it?"

I inform him that Majestic Thunderstrike didn't accompany me. He doesn't ask further.

Flares of colored light illuminate the slimy material as he pulls various etherial substances from the bottles and arranges, combines or ignites them.

After a period of silence, I ask what he is doing.

The fire is in his voice again, that burning, feverish heat, but it isn't focused on me at all. Even still, it's scary to be near.

"The creature from the Sea of Oblivion has been captured, and it's method of protection is extremely interesting. It utilizes the souls of living creatures to form a barrier of energy that is neither composed of magic nor antithesis. I believe this same mystical technology could be utilized to either shield ourselves or eliminate the oblivion matter entirely. It is all a question of souls, of quantity. The antithesis has spread enormously to cover the earth, but it emanates from points inside of the sea, just as magic here emanates from our bodies. If those points are targeted and destroyed, the sea will retreat, perhaps entirely. It is a question of obtaining sufficient quantities - lesser materials are useless."

Once again he lapses into silence. I am unsure as to how to continue.

Well, he's a wizard. Maybe he has some use for a magical creature.

Ask if there is a task you can undertake for him.

If he has one, maybe a fully functional servant would be more useful. Say, one with working wings.

>>202198
Oh, that's some quite bad news really. Spikesby won't be safe from soulsnatching in the Sea and he's probably going to be in quite a deal of trouble.

Hmmm, there are a few things you should ask him now. Starting with what would happen to a magical creation that has gained a soul and is then deprived of said soul. Also if you could get your wings back, both so you can serve him better and because they make you happy. And if he couldn't create a magical creature that could be sent to scout out these important points.

perhaps the sea has Anti-wizards that create it, they grew in strength the longer the fighting lasted.

So we need barriers made of souls, then we can go fight back against the sea of antimagic? Looks like we have a mission.

>>202198
"Could that mean that the antithesis is coming from living beings?"

Hopefully blacksoul will consider repairing you when you reveal the damage. He seems like the preserving type, anyway.

>>202242
well so far we have proved useful and reliable, and making a new thing that could do what we can would be near impossible because he is not specialized in creation magic like flails breaker is.

also, perhaps a high density packet of raw magic, protected from the anti-magic by being within a creature with a soul. take it to the anti-magic generating thing and just throw it at it. perhaps destroying whatever is creating the anti-magic by directly attacking the source. with one creator gone the wizards could spread out more and perhaps ease tensions.

Politely request that he repair your wings so that you might serve him better.

"Does this mean you need magical creatures with souls, as an attack force? Or... do you mean more like taking souls from a lot of mortals and making armor out of it, like the anti-magic thing did? It seems kind of inefficient. Maybe you could encourage your magic creatures to grow souls, and then teach them how to use them for defense?"

Amp up the politeness as much as is necessary. Y'know, toss in some 'um's and 'er's and 'sir's where appropriate.

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/03(Sat)00:10 No. 202547 ID: db5197
File 127814104747.jpg - (174.18KB , 900x740 , 3.jpg )

I ask about the antithesis - could it come from living creatures? Could he send scouts into the sea to find out the points of emanation?

He moves toward me.

I ask if there is anything I can do. If I can help him gain souls to destroy the sea of oblivion. I ask if packets of magic protected by shells of soul could be used to target and destroy the key points. I tell him I'd be much more useful if I had my wings back.

He reaches out to me, and I feel that wave of sickness and heat. Now that horrid intensity is focused on me.

I.. I ask what exactly he needs the souls for. What happens when a magical creature loses its soul?

He is almost touching me, and I.. I can't help it! I turn to flee but he catches me easily and his skeletal hands slide into me. I feel my flesh mending, my wings spreading slowly out from their burned nubs, but I feel something else - his fingers reaching, searching from something deep inside of me.

Nauseous sickness pervades me, that awful heat and diseased breath sear through and around me. While he works, he speaks, his sepulchral, rotten gasps thick with emotion.

"Yes. The points of emanation are our analogues, living creatures that have gained power over time. They are fundamentally different and more limited, but it is useful to think of them as Wizards of a sort. Magical creatures do not return from the Sea. They are swallowed and lose their protections, but scouting is unnecessary - I can feel each and every point of emanation.

I feel that there are several ways in which you could continue to be useful to me. I need souls, vast quantities of souls, and they are extremely difficult to acquire. The material could be weaponized as you suggest, but I feel that the protective material could be used as a weapon directly - a wall that crushes the antithesis from all sides, down to nothing - or coating my body and the bodies of my fellow Wizards and moving directly. It's a matter of quantity. I want to destroy them outright, but that requires so many more souls.

A soul inside of a living thing is not useful against either a Wizard or an Oblivion-creature. It is the material that can be refined from souls that I need. To create the coating protecting this creature, they must have killed thousands. The more I think of it, an assault is useless. It needs to be a blast, ca crushing wall of force - they must have so many more people than we do."

He grunts in disappointment and lets me go. Whatever he was looking for, he did not find.

"You can still be useful to me. You have seen what happens already when a creature loses its soul - the creature we captured took souls as it traveled. Souls, unlike beauty or compassion, are a fundamental part of any creature that contains one. It is inextricable from that creature's physical body, and the body is utterly destroyed in the extraction.

If you really wish to help me destroy the Sea of Oblivion once and for all, then you will help me fill my land. Do you know a good starting place? Some group that needs protection?"

I feel... sick, violated, but at the same time, it thrills me to be physically whole. I can FLY again! Well... as long as I can get away from here.

... blacksoul is not looking too good now. don't tell him that though.

So many more people... could they have some kind of hivemind? Blacksoul was kind of a dick right there, probably looking in you for a soul, but at least his intentions are good. It seems like what's needed is the wizards treating people nicely and helping them develop souls. Then ripping them out. Not the nicest solution, but it might be the best. People can... grow more than one soul right? Maybe some powerful single creatures that go out and help people, then return with souls and go out again.

Aw hell naw. He gon' eat all the snakes.

...

Ah, fuckit. At least they'll be dying for a purpose, rather than for pointless, petty whims. Tell him about the refugees from Suri. Politely ask if he's going to kill ALL of them, or cull them for generations until he has enough. That would be more sustainable.

>>202550
doesn't work that way, they need to do it out of free will. a creature that helps because it is supposed to wont work.

and perhaps steal the shell from the shadow beast to supplement the number.
and yeah, explain that the refugees from suri need a place but because of the battle you are fairly sure they do not have enough population for it, would need to simply gather the souls of the dead for a few generations as killing them all then and there would not get enough and result in even more rumors that his land is a death trap so no one else would come. and since you apparently do not have a soul you kinda cannot disobey his orders anyway.

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/03(Sat)02:35 No. 202582 ID: db5197
File 127814975161.jpg - (111.99KB , 900x740 , 4.jpg )

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I tell him about the refugees. We just spent all that time rescuing them, but this could help everyone. Besides, they probably wouldn't be happy anyway.

I tell him that one group evacuated to Radia's territory whereas the other group went to Lord of Marvels.

As I tell him, I feel terrible inside. I just have to keep telling myself that this is really the best solution.

"Exellent! A good start," he whispers, "But it will not be enough. We need more. Are you ready to help me save the world? You can act as my voice, you can go out and bring them to me. We will start with the refugees, but there must be others, so many, many others.

I want to know your heart, my insect. Do you understand what your work will mean for the world? I will need you to speak from your heart, from your own will to bring to me what I cannot get for myself, otherwise your words will not sway mortal hearts and draw mortal bodies to my domain." His sick breath and heat radiate with terrible intensity, but the focus has shifted. He does not look at me as a mere thing. I can almost feel respect in his voice, and maybe fear.

it is not really the best solution, it's the only one we got. you don't have to like it.

>>202582
Well from what he says the antithesis guys hardly seem any better than any of the living wizards. And Blacksoul still has a purpose, he's not doing this because of some twisted whim. He has a purpose and a cause here that he feels extremly strongly for.

Sky, what he is trying to do will change the world forever if he succeds. There will be so much new land and not anywhere near enough wizards to cover it, it's even possible that they will never be able to cover it all and a few might not even want to leave their current domains. So there could be areas where people could live completly free from wizards and their plots.

I think you need to ask him for something else too though to be truly effective. You would probably also need a way to change your voice to alot of different tones and moods to sway the people, some regenerative ability to make sure that you can continue without having to go back to him for repairs if you're injured and the ability to change your shape with a glamor would probably also be useful. After all a few people have been immediatly hostile towards you because it's quite clear that you're a wizards creation.

Oh, and he was probably also checking for a soul when he was repairing your wings.

"do you really want to know what I think? this plan is absolutely horrid! BUT, it's the only one we got. i also doubt enough souls exist on this little area to effect the whole of the sea of oblivion. but the old die and when they do you can take it then. perhaps inform the other wizards to gather the souls of their dead as well. then, one day, years from now, your mighty weapon will be complete."

>>202589
anyone hostile to her because she was made by a wizard would not want to move near a wizard so changing form would be useless.

>>202595
That's hardly a certainty. They might be convinced that they would have it better with another wizard, but to do that convincing we would first have to be able to make them listen instead of just attacking.

Wait, would the other wizards help us if we asked their help? I feel like we're going to have to snag their people under their noses.

"I think it's awful! Monstrous! The greatest Evil... and if you need so many souls, what if we kill everyone when saving the world?! What's the point of saving it then???

.... but I can't see any other way..."

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/03(Sat)05:06 No. 202624 ID: db5197
File 127815880089.jpg - (213.85KB , 900x740 , 5.jpg )

"I... I think it's monstrous, awful. I think it's a horrible thing to do, but I don't see any other way. Can't we harvest from the dying? The old?" We could make this a nice place to live and slowly gather up enough souls to make the weapon"

He lays his burning hand limply on my shoulder.

"I am glad to see you understand necessity, it will make my explanation easier." He begins to lead me through the castle, up further and futher.

"The souls of the dying are no use to me, and I do not have years. The oblivion-creatures already have this magical technology, and have a far vaster amount of potential souls to harvest. I must act quickly and decisively. I must gather as many people as I can inside of my domain, and then all at once..." he snaps the fingers of his free hand, "A grand reaping. A decisive strike that will be unexpected and absolutely fatal. That is why I need your assistance. I do not know how to communicate with mortals. I do not know what sort of land they desire. You have traveled extensively, both in my service and on your own. I need you to save the world with me."

He waves his hand and the sick pall that hangs over his land splits and rolls back like a vile curtain revealing clear, blue sky.

"What sort of land will make them happy?" His voice is still dry, raspy; the feverish aura of sickness still surrounds him, but something has changed. His voice isn't as detached, as analytical. There is passion. There is hope.

Still. It is a twisted hope. It is a hope built on a mountain of corpses, and those corpses will be just as much my doing as Blacksoul's.

A land of hope. Of growth. A paradise. It cant be too good, or they' ll suspect something is off... but still. It must be a place where they feel they have the chance to raise their families in. A place where a crazy Wizard isn't imposing crazy rules for shits n' giggles.

It' s not about what it actually is, but about what they think it is.

A land where they think they can live without your interference.

When the reaping comes, we must make it seem it doesn't has anything to do with you. And we can' t reap everyone. Kill only 2/3rds of everyone. The last third will rebuild.

Or, we can just take it like a tax. Of all the people, the tribes, the communities coming in.... 60%, 80% of everyone goes to the slaughter. Explain what we' re doing. Ask for their sacrifice.

I'm just throwing possibilities. We' re about to do something horrible. We need to do it the best way possible, so we won't kill everyone, and so we won't need to do twice.

Explain this to him. We need to leave survivors. That's not negotiable. We'll draw in everyone, no exceptions, all the people from every land, and make a good number of Wizards pissed off, but there must be survivors.

Maybe if we make those that give themselves up heroes. Some sorta monument.

>>202624
Blacksoul is atleast trying to build something for everyone on his mountain of corpses. Not like Soulfire who wiped his realm clean just because his people didn't need him anymre, not like Radia who only builds a monument to her own glory on the suffering of her people, not like Flails who only seek thrills for himself without regard to how his population suffers from it. As you said, what Blacksoul is trying to build is a thing of hope.

What is needed isn't really a utopia without suffering or problems. Just a place were people will be allowed to live without the intervention of wizards. That's probably all you need to promise to get a great flood of immigrants, a realm where they will be free to live their lives without the intervention of wizards, a land where they are free to make their own choices and live by their own rules. A fertile land where they are free to live as they themselves choose. You could add a small amount of danger to it though by saying that it will be close to the sea of oblivion and if the creatures living there see their happiness and wealth they might grow envious. It will probably take some time to make people believe in such a thing, but once the belief has spread there is likely going to come a great many people to his land.

I think there is one thing you should ask of him though. While you're out preaching to the people, he should be researching the methods he can use to make sure they're as effective as possible, so he can get the most out of every single soul. As he said he will have less resources to work with and it's possible that he will only get a single chance at succeding. There cannot be any waste in the process, it must be as good as he can possibly make it.

And it's probably best if the people don't know what is going to happen. If there are any survivors afterwards you can put a different spin on it. Say that it was an attack by the creatures of the sea, that they put everything they had into destroying Blacksoul because they knew he was a threat to them. But the attack failed, Blacksoul managed to redirect it back towards its source and destroyed the ones that struck at them, and now there is alot more land free for them to inhabit. Told in the right way that should be a believable lie for them.

Sky!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/07/03(Sat)06:26 No. 202637 ID: db5197
File 127816357299.jpg - (185.09KB , 900x740 , End.jpg )

I tell him the kind of place people would like - a fertile place where he doesn't interfere, but protects them from external harms. I decide it's best that when I go out, people don't know they'll be killed.

Maybe this is better after all - at least they'll live well and peacefully before the end.

I tell him that there have to be survivors - if everyone dies, it doesn't matter that the sea is gone. Blacksoul tells me he agrees, but not everyone will leave their territories. He leaves me with one more bit of news before I retire for the night. Magical creatures who have gained souls are far, far more valuable than any other creature.

I cannot sleep. My window faces out over the broad, bright sky. It is hard to believe that what I am about to do is the right thing.

I will have to go to the Ophians first. After that I have hard decisions to make. What do I tell my companions? Isenore is gone, but Majestic is with the Ophians. Do I go to Moriga's territory with this message of asylum?

I can't believe either Heartsbane or Spikesby would agree to this plan, if either of them are still alive.

The Ophians first. What next? Moriga? Do I tell my friends, or keep it all a secret? I gaze at that bright, hopeful moon, but it doesn't give me any answers.

[even though this is the end of the chapter, answer Sky's questions.]

>>202637
Well after the Ophians have been told you should probably do a tour of all the wizards domains. Starting with the ones that are the most oppressive.

It will be a terrible burden to carry but you should probably not tell any of your friends about this. Even if some of them might understand the necessity there is the risk that they will talk in front of the wrong people and unravel the entire plan. Although it will be a terrible burden to carry it's probably better that just you and Blacksoul carry it.

What you're going to do is not going to be easy. But it must be done, and by helping Blacksoul you might be able to make it as painless as possible. Because the alternatives might lead to alot more suffering. If he was forced to forcefully take people from the others territories or drag the other wizards into this plan and have them do the collection. Either of those two would likely lead to alot more suffering and strife.

We should go tell Moriga of this new development, but not tell Blacksoul about her asylum if she doesn't know about it already. We should see if we can try to get some volunteers of noble magical creatures there that would like to help us save the world, and be absolutely truthful towards them. Only bring the volunteers. If Blacksoul doesn't know about the asylum already, we can spare the rest.

Tell Spikesby, when you see him again, and you will see him again, he's a tough little guy. Telling the others would be a bad idea until you get his reaction.

Sky, one of the key things to keep in mind is the development of your own soul. Spikesby acquired his in a short amount of time. I don't know how you could avoid developing one, perhaps being as emotionless as possible, but I would NOT put it past Blacksoul to be sending you out in particular to talk to all these people just so he can have one more magical creature's soul to use in the end. If you don't try to somehow counteract the development of your own soul, if you don't try to at least think as little as possible and have as little emotion as possible, he's going to kill you too once your soul completely develops.

While we go to Morriga we can ask her if she thinks she can sense a soul in a magical creature, and see if we can't get a progress report from her every few months, though I think staying at the asylum would be a hard sell after getting others to volunteer their lives.

Are you ready to die, Sky? Because it seems that when the time comes, there won't be any other option. If you continue on this path and don't flee straight to Morriga right away, anyways. Another option could be to not include Morriga's territory or include her magical creatures in this plot at all, and after you have gotten everyone you can to go to Blacksoul's, you can simply go live with Morriga after that instead of returning. You'll help save the world and survive, if that's what you want.

Lastly, I'd say to find out everything you can on these wizard rules. See if you can figure out of the creation of another wizard is against the rules, if wizards have souls, etc. If it isn't against the rules, then at some point, you should be blunt with him. If you develop a soul somehow, he's going to kill you. But if you could convince him to make you into another wizard, perhaps an apprentice to help him save the world, his chances of killing you would be... well, actually, I'm not sure that would help. He seems to like you, and enjoy having you around, but just as easily would kill you without a second thought if he had reason to.

The biggest question of all, Sky, is whether or not you're ready to die for this. If you don't want to die, if you want to live with Spikesby in Morriga's domain, then keep as little contact with Blacksoul as possible and don't ever return to him, simply going to Morriga's after all is said and done. If you are ready to die for the world, and ready to put your life on the line for all of this, then becoming as close as possible to Blacksoul, perhaps trying to become his apprentice and staying as useful as possible to him so that he keeps you around is probably the best thing to do, and maintain that "as useful as possible" part.

If you're not ready to die for this, Sky, if you want to hold Spikesby in your arms as you both live out your years in the asylum, we need to know as soon as possible. There is no shame in wanting that life for yourself.

If you feel like you want the above, and the guilt of leading so many to their doom would haunt you forever, you need to go straight to Morriga's and never speak of this again to anyone.

If you feel deep down that this is the right thing to do, and you feel that you are ready to die for this, then we're just going to have to see if there isn't possibly some use that blacksoul can have for you other than the eventuality of you gaining a soul. If there isn't... You're just going to have to come to terms with your short little life, Sky.

...You know what? No. You're the closest thing Spikesby has to a friend. If he lost you it'd be a bitter existence even in Morriga's asylum. You've got to survive this somehow, Sky. For Spikesby.

>>202652
There is a problem with simply running away though. Neither side here seems content to let the other one live. If Sky just runs away to be with Spikesby then their remaining years will probably not be very long.

And Sky gaining a soul is hardly a certainty. Far from all magical creatures gain one after all.

After the Ophians, the next thing to do is find a fucking ocean of blockheads and tell them about Rock Candy Mountain.

Moriga doesn't really have enough people to be worth the trouble. Plus, hypocritical though it might be, the more people you know who are alive afterward, the less you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life. So, go ahead and try to avoid luring people you like. Other than the Ophians who are pretty much doomed anyway at this point.

Majestic probably doesn't have a soul, so she's hopefully okay to bring with. Isn't there some way you can tell? Don't they smell weird? Don't bring her if she smells like soul. Make up some excuse.

What you're doing isn't the right thing. But it seems to be the only thing that can be done.

Unless there is a way to somehow shift the antithesis and normal matter into some kind of third catagory

A place where a wizard is here to protect, not exploit...

We gotta work with the assumption everyone will be coming. Entire communities will be coming. Entire races will be extinguished. Se still gotta make sure there are survivors from this pool.

That, or arrange for all magical creatures to get souls. Soul Factory.

Spikesby would agree to the plan if there was no other way. If this isn't done, the antithesis creatures will continue to trespass here and eat souls on their own. Blacksoul's plan will, over the long term, save lives and souls. Plus, if a magical creature's soul is so much more valuable, then Spikesby might be willing to give up his in order to save a whole bunch of mortals.

Bite Quest Intermission III - "A Bright Room, High in the Air" K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/02(Mon)18:26 No. 214921 ID: 7d53c3
File 128079880867.jpg - (169.15KB , 1000x700 , Title.jpg )

It is the moment of creation. Life, a mind, brought into existence, a tiny wisp of sentience and knowledge.

"There," she hisses, a sibilant, lovely sound. The first sound the new creation hears, "A beautiful child to assist me. You are a conglomeration of collected souls. I sent you out, all across the world to spy for me and learn. Now, I have compressed you into a single little wisp of nothing to help me with my plans."

"I need you to tell me what you have learned, anything particularly important that you should share with me."

The suggestions are the voices of the wisp. They know everything that happened in the entire quest except for the events of the Intermissions and the /questdis/ thread. Every suggestion will be told to Kshaara, not just the consensus.

>>214921
NICE TITS MOM

They are some very nice tits.

Ryxix smashed up the city with a horribly mutated Golden... to get to your slammin' tits!

Spikesby Biteface is a pretty stand-up guy.

YOU LIKE MEN...MEN!

Flails Breaker is a rapist. He also was somehow part of the rebellion against you and tried to do you in your weird sorta dead state. You should create a creature with a poisoned vagina to give him horrible dickrot.

The Anti-Magic guys are invading the lands and eating souls and shit. Also probably had a hand in your death. Probably. Spikesby is a man with a plan and is the most greatest thing in the land and you shouldn't hurt him because he has everybody's best interests in mind, including yours. He will be very useful should you so desire somebody useful that doesn't really involve murder because that's not his style.

Give him a hat, he is in great need of actual style because he is also nude. And attractive for a Snikt, yes.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/02(Mon)19:49 No. 214944 ID: 7d53c3
File 128080379663.jpg - (129.64KB , 1000x700 , 1.jpg )

"I am glad you find me appealing, child. I am beautiful. A snikt named Spikesby Biteface? Interesting. I was aware of Ryxix's actions, but not the attacks from the Sea of Oblivion. This requires immediate actions. I need strong allies, and I need more information.

The information about Breaker is also interesting. I am going to take a trip, but you know better that I what would be the most effective use of my time.

Ryxix? I could try and calm him. This could be useful.

Moriga? She has always been extremely easy to manipulate. I think she knows things.

Flare? Flare is very strong and easy to manipulate. I can get it to do whatever I like with a little work

Breaker? If he is against me, he won't be able to hide it. I can deal with him easily. He is not very good at subtlety."

well you know, radia was in a position to tell you about flails but you know how she gets when she's jealous.

Knowing things is what we like to do best. Lets go for Morgia because you say she knows things, then WE WILL KNOW MORE THINGS, YES! You have blood on you miss, will lick it off sensually? Sensual licking is the best way to clean oneself, yes.

>>214944
We aren't very good at subtlety either, mom.

But yeah, about Moriga... if you could get some sort of friendship established with her, I'm sure she'd be a bit more forthcoming with whatever information she has. She seems like someone who could use a strong friend.

Radia is the same bitch as usual. She rudely stabbed out one of Spikesby's eyes when he met with her and she has been trying to troll Breaker and Ryxix with her body (which is nowhere near as good as yours.)

Blacksoul is cooking something up to strike back at the Sea of Oblivion. If you could help him somehow, it would obviously be beneficial to the entire world.

>>214952
Y'know what? Sure. Go make friends with Moriga. Why not.

I don't think there's much Breaker would actually do to you. It's either be subtle or break the peace, and he's almost definitely not going to do either.

Helping calm Ryxix should be a priority. He's in an unstable state, and who knows which direction he might stabilize, without intervention. If you can reach out to him now, it could save everyone a lot of trouble later. If bad news is really going down with the sea of oblivion, you might need the whole team.
It's also the decent thing to do for a friend who's at kind of a low point in his life.
Plus, he made all that blue fire for you.

On the other hand, you want more information, and Moriga is the easiest, and most entertaining, way to get some.

It comes down to what's more important to you right now. More information, or hurrying to fix things. If you think you can do both in reasonably short order, you should probably start with Moriga. If you think you need to pick only one for the time being, go for Ryxix.

Shall we continue to search the world to provide you with knowledge? With a physical body we are now immensely more capable of espionage, tasks, and specific investigations. If we are to continue spying for you, which is now likely one of if not our only use, we do know that alone we will not be as effective than if we were with a group of one or more other creatures. We believe new creatures or creatures only familiar with your realm would not be very suited, though... any in your domain that has had experience, preferably in the areas where we would be able to gather the most information for you, would allow for exponential increases in the gathering of information. Brutish or low-intelligence companions would likely provide more hindrance than aid, if at all possible they should be smart and capable of understanding complex tactics.

>>214944
Blacksoul intends to construct a weapon to unleash upon the sea of oblivion. He is confident it will work, but it is powered by souls.
If you allowed Ophians safe passage to his land then you could curry favor with him while combating the sea of oblivion and getting vengeance on those who betrayed you.

... what happened to the Golden that was here a little while ago? She is vital to the effort.

>>214944
Breaker isn't really worth for you to worry about. He only thinks with his dick and it's a very stupid dick.

But you know Moriga is quite scared of you, might not be as easy to make friends with her as you think, but she would probably also like a strong friend. And Ryxix is really out of it right now, he hasn't really been very stable since your "death".

Might actually be best to go meet with him first. He might do something retardly stupid if you don't calm him down, like trying to attack another wizard or something, and that would force Blacksoul to come out to play, and I really don't think anyone would want that.

>>214944
I am one of the few that wants to find an alternative to using the souls of the living to power a weapon to destroy the Sea of Oblivion. We will soon know a great deal about what is inside it! If anything you should delay Blacksoul's plan, just for a while.

>>215083
No, don't even think about doing that. Blacksoul is incredibly driven and sees this plan as his only way. If you get in the way of this plan then he will fucking ruin you. Not sure if he would succed, but it might fuck over the balance and kill you all.

It's alot safer for everyone if you just let him mess around with his plan on his own.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/03(Tue)18:24 No. 215329 ID: f87000
File 128088506332.jpg - (134.78KB , 1000x700 , 2.jpg )

The wisp doesn't know about events that took place during the Intermission. Direct references to those events will be ignored.

"No amount of licking will clean it I'm afraid. It appears that I have changed."

>>214974
"That is an excellent point. I intended to destroy you after I was finished, but perhaps you can be useful to me in the future. I have something here. It has been digesting for some time, but I think it is still alive. I'll leave it here. It should be mostly healed by the time we return.

"Moriga it is. Hmm. I will travel through the Desert of Ruin on my way to see her. She is afraid of me. It will be simple to bend her to my will. What approach should I take with Ryxix? With Moriga? I haven't seen either in so long that I am not sure of the best way to approach either."

>>215329
Well I'm sure she's fine, physically and emotionally.

Uh, not sure what else we can really tell mom.

(Mom, that girl has nice tits)

>>215329
You know as well as we do that direct interference in other wizards' affairs is forbidden. You may need to contact them by proxy. You could send us, or create a warrior slave to deliver the message... or perhaps with your superior intellect you can think of some better way?

What are the rules of the peace agreement, exactly? Knowing what is allowed will help us advise you.

>>215329
Moriga seemed pretty OK when it came to talking to magical creatures, but you're right, she'll probably just run from some horrible murderous psychotic like you.

Ryxix loves you but went kinda nuts when you got penetrated hard by all your kids and has gone sorta crazy. I'd say just tread lightly and don't really try too hard to point out that he's some kind of hideous bug monster now.

>>215343
He was a hideous bug monster before. Now he's just a bigger hideous bug monster.

>>215329
Moriga seems to be afraid of basically all of the rest of you guys, as far as I remember. I'd think that if you took a gentle, almost protective approach, you might get somewhere.

Maybe. That's a straight-up guess.

Tell Morriga you need her advice. That'll surprise her, and she'll see it as an opportunity. Otherwise, she might freak out and escape to the ocean as soon as your back's turned. Be magnanimous. She's already terrified of you, so scaring her more is redundant.

When meeting Ryxix, you should try to at least temporarily stop the blood and hide the wounds using your magic. Your "death" hurt him greatly, and the bleeding will probably make him sad.
He really misses you, and he was really focused on getting you back, so show a lot of gratitude and patience.

Also, yeah, that weird thing in your stomach which we definitely don't recognize seems like it would be really useful.

>>215329
Well Mommy dearest. For Ryxix it's probably quite simple, just meet up with him again and be his companion again. He has been missing you terribly.

Moriga is a bit different though, simply ruling her through fear isn't a very reliable way. If you were to help her a bit with her sanctuary then she would probably be alot more postive towards you. And stop trying to look like you're going to eat her. I'm sure sharkfinwizard soup would taste excellent but you don't have to look like you intend to taste it all the time.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/08(Sun)13:26 No. 216395 ID: f87000
File 128129916333.jpg - (208.76KB , 1000x700 , 3.jpg )

>>215334
Every wizard projects a field of magic that brushes against the edge of other wizards' fields. Most wizards become irritated or angry with other wizards who are too close to them because both fields attempt to fill the same space. My abilities with mentalism allow me to mitigate or completely remove this effect, therefore there is no danger in me leaving my territory. Ryxix and I have very compatible fields, however, so it has never really been an issue.

I believe I can keep him from perceiving my wounds. It may be better to do so.

It doesn't take me long to find him. He bursts from the ground after very little time in the destert.

"K'SHAARA! I FOUND YOU. I KNEW YOU WOULD COME TO ME EVENTUALLY! YOU'RE GOING TO STOP WITH THE CRAZY STUFF YOU WERE SAYING BEFORE, RIGHT?"

"Of course, Ryxix. It is exactly like it used to be. I am visiting you just like we used to."

"WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THE OPHIANS? WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WHO KILLED YOU? HOW CAN I HELP YOU K'SHAARA? I WILL DO WHATEVER I MUST!"

Well, that was certainly simple enough. Your advice is well-received. Now... how to best make use of him?

>>216395
Tell him that he doesn't have to do anything to them. You will deal with it yourself when the time comes. For now you just need him to tag along with you as you go visit Morriga. And maybe it would be nice if he could make a present for her, some sort of suitable guardian beast for her sanctuary.

Point out that the ones who stabbed you are already dead. Also that you ate a bunch and they were delicious and you're feeling a lot better now. Tell him you're probably going to let the survivors go so they can be miserable on their own for some yet-to-be-determined length of time, such as forever.

Tell him you're concerned about the Sea of Oblivion, and that you think some big stuff might go down and you guys might need to get ready for it. The weird spears that you were stabbed with probably came from there.
I don't know what can actually be done about it, though, other than making a lot of fighty monsters to kill things that come out of it. Luckily, Ryxix is good at making fighty monsters.

On that note, consider making a new species to populate your city. Maybe lizards or birds. That would be cool. It would also give you and Ryxix something to talk about, since you both like making monsters. Whatever it takes to make him less of a psycho.

There probably isn't a good reason to go bother Moriga other than to mock her for not being able to swim through the ground like a street shark.

>>216395
Hmm, actually maybe it's better to let him stay where he's at. Just tell him to make you something nice for when you get back.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/08(Sun)14:29 No. 216415 ID: f87000
File 128130298562.jpg - (201.10KB , 1000x700 , 4.jpg )

Hmmm, yes, I don't really want him interfering with anything. I do need to locate my errant children, though.

"leave my Ophians to me, Ryxix. You know this is the proper way of things. I am going to visit Moriga. I want you to stay here and help me design some new creatures, as well as perhaps a guardian for Moriga. The spears that 'slew' me were forged at least in part from material from the Sea of Oblivion, and something major is happening there. Marshal your soldiers and prepare for battle, my dear. It seems that soon there could be another war. The mortals and their doings are hardly relevant compared to that."

"AS MUCH AS IT PAINS ME TO LET YOUR DEFILERS LIVE, YOU ARE RIGHT, OF COURSE. I HAVE BEEN BLIND. I WILL DO AS YOU ASK ME. PERHAPS WE CAN TALK AGAIN WHEN YOU COME BACK THIS WAY. I'LL HAVE SOMETHING PERFECT FOR MORIGA, AND SOMETHING WONDERFUL FOR YOU. I WOULD NEVER DISSAPOINT YOU."

Making a creature requires time and effort, even for Breaker. Time I would rather spend securing my allies. I'll let Ryxix handle it - he's a more competent transmuter.

Moriga's fears have always been the product of her own imagination, that and seeing exactly how I relish the defeat and subjugation of my foes.

I will visit her. She travels often and knows a lot. I think she will be a useful ally. I need an appropriate method of approach, though.

>>216415
Approaching Moriga will be difficult. She does have a form well suited for water, though... perhaps you can meet her at a shoreline, so that she has an easy escape route and thus will be more at ease?

Slither over to her castle and tell her you need to borrow a cup of sex.

Really, how hard could it be to talk with her? She said she was on good terms with you. If you need a unique angle, tell her you need her advice. I bet that'd take her by surprise.

>>216424
I also like the idea of phrasing it as asking her for advice. :v

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/08(Sun)15:48 No. 216435 ID: f87000
File 128130768874.jpg - (177.35KB , 1000x700 , 5.jpg )

Approaching from the water is probably best. If she learns that I'm coming, she'll probably try to slip away.

I slither to the back of her little cliff, near the ocean entrance. Sure enough, I see her swimming toward the sea.

"Hey, K'shaara. I, uh, heard you were dead. Looks like that's not true. So, uh, what are you doing in my territory?"

"I've actually come to you for help. I have been unconscious for quite some time, and I want to know if I can rely on you for help."

"Help with what, exactly?"

She doesn't seem entirely frightened, but I can sense that she is uncomfortable.

Tell her about your concerns with the sea of oblivion, and what she thinks ought to be done about it. Try to avoid making it sound like the world's in deep shit, or else she'll panic and go back to the ocean. Mention that you think you've made progress patching things up with Ryxix.

Also, ask why your Ophions would've wanted to kill you. :(

>>216446
Basically this. Telling her about Ryxix going mad with his "love" for you might be a good idea too. Either way, don't sound too frightening or demanding, Morriga likely won't like becoming directly involved in any way so let's not try to put her in such a position.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/08(Sun)17:58 No. 216462 ID: f87000
File 128131553559.jpg - (185.86KB , 1000x700 , 6.jpg )

"Well, I am uncertain what has been occurring in the world while I slept. All I know is that Ryxix went insane, but I am making steps toward settling him down. He is making a guardian creature for you. I will create its mind, so please don't worry about it interfering with your affairs here."

Her inscrutable, single expression irritates me. I can never tell if she is being smug, or if her lidless eyes and lipless face are just making it seem so.

"That's awfully nice of you, K'shaara. I mean, we've always gotten along and all, but you've never actually treated me like an equal or asked me for help or anything. We just kinda had that 'predator solidarity' or whatever, even though I'm not much of a predator. Frankly, it's kinda creepy."

"Moriga, I know you know more than you let on. You use your obvious weakness to seem inconspicuous and therefore be ignored. Our brethren perhaps, never saw your value. I didn't until recently. My ophians, when they attacked, had weapons forged from what I believe to be Antithesis. I simply wish to know if you have any idea how or why they acquired these weapons, or why they would turn against me. I wish to extend a hand of friendship and open communication between us. I do not know who I can trust, but I feel I can trust you not to betray me."

She looks away. "Yeah. I know who did it. It was one of our 'brethren.' I don't know what the plan is exactly, but I know I'm dead if I tell. I think it's more than just you, though, I think it goes a lot deeper. I think it might have to do with the war, and the birth of the sea. You have to protect me though, you and Ryxix. I can't say anything unless I know I'm safe. It's either that, or just leave. I don't want to get in the middle of all this."

And here I was expecting this conversation to go nowhere.

Tell her you'll protect her, and mean it. Tell her you have to know what the plan was, and who's behind it. Ask why she hasn't run away already, if she's so worried. Also, lick her face a little.

>>216462
You and... Ryxix?

Let's get serious here. Morriga is basically the only person halfway trustworthy at this point. She also wears her emotions on her sleeve (gills?) If she were lying, if she were friends with you before and felt bad about turning your ophians against you, if she turned your ophians against you, you would be able to tell in her voice.

At the same time, you need absolute confirmation that she played no hand in it. You should pull her close in a gentle though threatening manner so you don't startle her and get your face bit, and ask her how you would know she played no part in this. Don't ask what she knows, but how you would know she had no hand (fin?) in it. Only then can you offer complete alliance and friendship, as after the ophians rendered you comatose for so long you're hesitant to trust even her.

>>216467
I'm supporting this.

>You and... Ryxix?
It's cool. He can make some blue fire for her.

>>216467
I'm gonna support this too, even though I made my own suggestion. I dunno how paranoid we should be, honestly.

K'shaara!!Z0Mwx3ZJZj 2010/08/08(Sun)18:53 No. 216476 ID: f87000
File 128131879756.jpg - (202.06KB , 1000x700 , End.jpg )

"Ryxix will do as I ask. There is no need to worry about him. He is a vengeance-seeker. When I need him to fight, he will. Unless everyone was massed against us, we would be able to protect you. Besides, protecting you is really as simple as warning you. I have no reason to leave you out in the cold."

As irritating as she is, she can't lie to me.

"Okay, look, you can't tell anybody. I don't know who is working for who. I know you and Ryxix weren't involved. I - Okay, I'll just start in the beginning."

"Just a moment."

Thank you for your time, little wisp, but this isn't for you to hear.

Weekly regular BiteQuest updated will begin Saturday the next. If you want to help design K'shaara's new creatures or Ryxix's guardian, then go to the discussion thread! The winner gets something cool.