>>27224
Well, that would confirm that we aren't the only ones who've had the idea of training out here. I just hope he isn't sore about us taking the Evicanae...

I place Mi back on the ground before responding. "Looks like we get to meet somebody else, Mi."

"We meant you no slight by slaying your quarry," I call back. "It was a matter of self-defense, but we turned out victorious." I leave it at that and hope he fills in the rest: to the victor goes the spoils.

>Bah, it's nah skin off me nouse. I saw yer move there boyo. You seem like a bit o' a Scrapper.
He gives a wide smile, then pats you on the back. You notice that his muscles have deep-running scars.
>You notice tha' eh? Been fightin' these Behemot's fer as long as I remembah. I don' know where they's come from, they were suppose' ter have died off when we started to use more than sharp, pointy sticks to kill them.
He strokes his large beard. Mi goes up to him and jumps on top of his chest, holding onto his...substantial chest hair.

>You talk funny~!
>Oy, you travellin' wit this girlie?

((I gotta sleep now..Please stay tuned...))

>>27281
"Aye, that I am-" I cover my accidental accent adoption with a cough and a clearing of my throat. "I mean, yes. Her and one other. This is Mi, the most energetic one of the bunch." I gesture back at the train vaguely, "Our other companion is Raen; she can be a bit... high strung and doesn't freely give her trust, so please be patient with her. And there's me. You can call me Mirk. We're... refugees, I suppose you could say. Wanderers without any real goal. We came out here to train and were surprised by this, uh, Behemot."

>Aye, they pop up this time...Well anytime. Anyhoo, so yer wandrers eh? Well, lucky fer you I don' kill Families anymoor. The firs' time the Golden Emperor as' me to do it, I couldn' stomach it. I did it, but I could'na do any more. War an' killin' are differen' fer me. I quit my old job and came out here where it's a fair fight. So, how did the two of ye meet? On the field? In'a prison? And how old is yer daughter? My Evicanae is tellin' me tha' she's older tha' meself.

((I have been exiled from the comp for two days...Please stay tuned...))

>>27750
It strikes me that I don't actually know how MachinOrgani families work. Are they based on biological relation or some sort of loyalty oath? For that matter, I have no idea how MachinOrgani are made... in a factory or born? Until I know more, I decide plausible deniability is the most advantageous course.

"Mi is sort of... adopted. We found her under some rubble and she was just too lovable to leave by herself. We had a bit of a rocky start, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. As for Raen... well actually, when we first met she was doing her best to kill me," I chuckle briefly at just how much things have changed, and how much I've learned since I first encountered my faceless assailant-turned teammate. "I must admit, it's a relief to come across another person who's sick of all the mindless violence."

I do my best dramatic pose, eyes focused on something beyond the horizon, shoulders burdened with the weight of the world. "We've all been affected by the Ty- Golden Emperor's reign... but what difference can three mere wanderers make?"

>None at all laddie, unless you caen kill 'im. Ah hope you do. Ah'm sick of peace. Ah want some war to break mah boredom. It gets a bi' tirin', killin' Behemot's.
His shoulders sag. It seems he has been out here for a while. You also are alerted by the fact that he wants to start another war between the two sides.
>So the two of ye got together after a little scuffle, eh? I bet I ken see who wears the pants in yer relationship.

((Gettin' kicked...Please Stay tuned...))

>>29006
"Hmm," I consider what he said briefly. Maybe war would be a nice change of pace... a clear enemy and clear objectives? Sounds better than running around aimlessly. However I don't know if the Tyrant could be beaten in open military conflict.

I chuckle at Schae's statement, but I think it's time to clear things up a little bit. "No no, it's not like that. We just decided that two heads are better than one. I can fight, but I also have a nasty case of amnesia, so really I need her more than she needs me."

This sentiment of longing for war has me thinking though... even if we do kill the Tyrant, can this world really be rebuilt? Can creativity be restored? Or will it just last until the next person in power gets bored and decides that we need another good war?

"Have you thought about doing anything productive or creative? Something besides killing?"

>Fightin' head to head is the MAN's way of fightin'. And what is there to do? Somethin' besides killin'? Why should I stop? S'not like ther's anythin' else to do in this god-forsaken earth.

Schae seems to be quite attached to fighting, and doesn't seem to be able to think much past fighting. He does seem like a likable person though.

((I shall be away from the computer for a while...Please stay tuned...))

>Uh-oh...I can't get loose~!
Mi seems to have been entangles within Schae's mass of chest hair.

>Ah, lassie...Try not to rip any off. It hurts like the devil.

"Hah, don't worry, Mi. Let me help." I move forward to support her weight with one hand while trying to untangle her with the other.

"Well, I'd offer you a spot in our little family if I thought you'd accept, Schae, but I don't know if we'll be doing enough fighting to... satiate you. Still, we do plan on training out here and that means as much combat as we can find. Of course, I'd need to talk it over with Raen."

I turn and look back at the train. "Speaking of Raen, I wonder what's taking her."

>Bah, I usually go alone in my trainin'. You all will just hold me back...Gah.
You successfully untangle Mi, but some hairs are ripped out. She quickly tries to throw it far away from her.
>Anyway, I doubt that your partner will not like me. I have killed quite a few of her side. Something for you to think about laddie: The war was divided between the genders. Oh, a few of our side worked for that blasted Goddess, but that was it. She prob'ly sees meh, an' is tryin' to compose herself. I will leave a'fore it gets messy. I pray you good luck Comrade!
Schae then walks back towards the forest and Raen coincidentally appears.

>Well, what did the Wooden Hatchet say to you?
Raen adopts a cold tone when she asks you this.

((I gotta go now...Please stay tuned...))

>>29240
Gender? Ohhhh...

"Raen!" I walk toward her but pause. "I didn't know the factions were based on gender. You never told me. I'm sorry."

Something strikes me as odd... "Wait... how did you know his Evicanae's name?"

Raen looks indignant.
>How could I not know him. He wiped out over 1500 of my Sisters all by himself in a single battle. That battle was actually one of the deciding factors of the war. The Tyrant began to create more highly destructive warriors, more...beast-like in fighting techniques. We could not keep up with his soldiers, and had no choice but to surrender.

Wow... we're lucky to still be alive.

"Raen, I didn't know anything of the war or this world or myself or- I need your help to fill in the blanks in my memory and learn about things that everyone else takes for granted. And when you go away, I've got nothing. I just have to hope that I'm not talking to some kind of mass-murderer psychopath."

"I... I know I may seem callous or unsympathetic at times, but I promise it's entirely out of ignorance. I wouldn't have sat there getting chummy with him if I'd known who he was and what he'd done... and what it would do to you. I'm sorry."

((i gotta go...Please stay tuned...))

>*Sigh*...I guess I should tell you some back-story about all of this. Several Millenia ago, perhaps more, the first MachinOrgani were created by the Organi to be their servants. For centuries, our predecessors were treated as slaves, less than garbage. Then two MachinOrgani rose up and tried to make things more...Equal for us. They both worked to change how we were seen and thought of and succeeded. But one of the original pair, The Golden Emperor, wanted us to be the dominant race and tried to kill all the Organi. My leader, Pearl Goddess, tried to stop him, resulting in the war. The Tyrant began to create his army, sometimes brainwashing peaceful MachinOrgani into joining him. It was a dark war. By the time it ended, he had released the pestilence and many MachinOrgani had died. I was created near the end of the war and did not get to see much action. I presume that you may have been created much earlier and had died. Obviously Mi was made near the middle of the war, when we needed a boost in power.
Raen seems to be trying to stay emotionless during her whole explanation.

>>29478
"But why would factions be based on gender? Is gender nothing more than an aesthetic for us? Are... all men really..." I shake my head and try and make sense of all this. "Okay, so if I understood you correctly, the original war was over whether the Organi should be killed or not... but they're all dead now. So why hasn't the war ended and both sides made peace by now?"

The reason hits me like a lightening bolt. "Because MachinOrgani don't die of old age, of course. Raen, thank you for explaining it to me. Knowing that, it makes me even more grateful that you're letting me stick by you. Thank you." I step closer and move to put a hand on her shoulder, if she doesn't pull away or give me a cross look.

Raen does not pull away, but she does not exactly welcome your touch.
>We have gender because the Organi wanted...Pleasure from us, sex slaves. I do not know why there was a gender split.

((I gotta go...Please stay tuned...))

>>29489
I'm starting to get tired of Raen distancing herself, of her hating me because of what I am rather than who I am. I turn my back to her and silently walk away, stopping to pick up Mi and place her on my shoulders again. "Let's just go. We'll see what we can find."

"How are you doing, Mi? Do you feel any better after absorbing that other Boo?"

>I feel funny...All these funny words are coming and I don't know what they mean~! Boo's making some strange noises in my head...I feel good...
Hopefully nothing bad happens...Especially if she is on your shoulders.

>I suggest that we move into the forest. Our purpose here is to train and become stronger.
You do not need to hear her to know the rest of the sentence: "to kill the Tyrant." Raen seems to have only one goal in her mind, which is to kill the Tyrant, but you are not sure if it would consume her or not. Hopefully it will not.

>Master...Perhaps the circumstances that exiled Raen from her Sisters may have a connection to the Tyrant and Silver Fire...

>>29584
>I was actually thinking about that very same thing, Pertinax. Comforting that our speculations are coinciding. Maybe she was told to come back with the Silver Fire's... body or Evicanae or whatever... or not to come back at all. Which means she probably blames me for not being the Silver Fire. Hell, she said that before she accepted my apology, that she hates me for not being him.

>I'm starting to wonder if I should just kill her and be done with it.

"I have those words too, and I'm still trying to figure it out, Mi. Don't use any of 'em now, you can try them out next time we come across one of those big things." Maybe Boo will be able to talk with a few more Evicanaes absorbed.

"Yes, yes. Forest it is. Let's keep track of which way we're moving in case we need to head back." I start walking at a 50 degree angle with the track, heading away from the rails and further into the woods.

((I gotta get to sleep now...I got an SAT practice test tomorrow...Please Stay tuned...))

You head into the woods, not knowing what to expect except for large creatures. It is extremely dark, even with the sun overhead. You can barely see within a few feet of you. You can hear sounds deep in the forest, but you can't really tell what they are.

>It's dark...
Mi whimpers slightly on your head.

((I gotta go to SAT practice...And I have to think this out...I didn't plan on this, even though I was nudging in this direction...Perhaps it may be time for a time-skip soon...Please Stay tuned...))

>>29755
((
Take as long as you need, mate. I'll keep checking in. Whenever you feel you're ready, let me know and we can pick it back up. Just don't give up, there's no rush. =)
))

((Alright...I have a final scene...This will be the last scene in Part One of Silver Quest.))

>It will be alright.
You assurance toward Mi seems to calm her down. You take the time to reflect on what had happened since your awakening...Though you do not know if it was worth the troubles. Raen is too unstable for you to trust completely, even though the both of you went through trials together...You actually consider killing her to save you trouble later on, just in case she decides to kill you.

>You wanted to make a base area? Well let us try the cave up ahead.
Raen calls back towards you, almost not bothering to look back. You see the cave she was referring to as you go up the path. It seems abandoned and safe. Hopefully it is.
---
The group decides to spend the night. This sets off signals in your head because Raen herself decided to set up camp, especially after her disdain for "Organi Limitations". You set up a fire using the Equip command, creating your metal arm. You rub it against a rock, causing sparks to go on the wood gathered. Mi soon falls asleep, presumably tired from Absorbing a new Eviacanae. Raen gestures you to follow her deeper in the cave. It sets off signals, but you do so anyway...
---

>I would like to have a private moment...with you...
Raen sounds nervous, perhaps even slightly convicted.
>I apologize for my actions...It is just that...The Tyrant has caused much damage and destruction...I...I am my teacher's daughter, one of the first Natural-Born MachinOrgani since the war. She was...soiled by someone on the other side, kept alive for torture until she was freed. By this time she was...pregnant with me. I brought hardship and ridicule to her. I was living proof of the failure of the Garnet Spear. It just...
raen pauses a moment, trying to keep her emotions in check.
>My mother died soon after in battle. That was when I decided to try to get revenge on her rapist. The only clue was that the enemy was one of the Elite Fighters of the Tyrant. I decided that it was the Silver Fire because of the rumors of the Primitive Evicanae and MacinOrgani. Garnet Spear was the only one on our side to come back alive from fighting the Silver Fire, so I assumed that she was later kidnapped by him, then raped. So I sought out his tomb, bringing back his head to regain honor. That is when I found you...I had never felt so much hate for someone who was neither the Silver Fire nor the Tyrant. But...Now I feel conflicted about you...I still hate you for not being the Silver Fire but...I feel something else about you...
Raen shifts closer to you, holding on to your hand. She slowly gets on top of you, bringing her face closer to yours.
>I...I do not know what to call this feeling...Maybe we can find out together...?
She closes the gap between your faces, touching her lips to yours. You are too surprised to react.

The both of you share a moment that night. You felt closer to her, connected to her. Your bodies became one, as if you were one person. It feels nice...to be close to someone...
---

((Almost done...))

You wake up the next morning, with a vivid memory of the last night. You look around to see that you are near the mouth of the cave, next to the fire. You do not see Raen, but you see Mi crouched up next to the now extinguished fire. There is a note carved in a rock, etched in with what looks like sharp claws.

>Please do not look for me. I thank you for being there. I thank you for listening to my words and staying with me. But I must try to act by myself, to find my own answers to my questions. I left because I could not handle my feelings. You need a comrade who is more stable, more at peace with him or herself, not me. We may meet again, but I doubt it will be soon. Thank you...
-Raen

You look out at the sunrise, thinking of a new day.

>Where's Raen?
---
END PART 1

((*Gah*...I'm sorry if the ending was pretty lame...It felt like a good ending for myself...It was actually better than the original ending that was planned. So on a scale of endings...This was a 10. You discovered more things than I had actually planned. It was awesome. I'll post what could have happened with some of the choices later...Answer some questions, then perhaps Archive it if it is alright...))

>>30546
Wow, that wasn't lame at all... it actually made my jaw tighten when I read her letter. Way to play with my emotions dude. =P

I'd love to hear what could have happened, and then feel free to archive it.

Do you have any idea on when to expect Part Two? I don't wanna rush you but damn I love this story.

((Alright...I'll post some possible scenarios that could have happened.

If you went to the screen or tried to knock out Raen when you first see her instead of trying to kill her, you Evicanae would not have spoken. In fact, none of the Evicanae would have had a consciousness if you had done either of those things.

Raen could have been much "softer" with you if you had kept Garnet Spear, gone to the screen, and used Connect. She would have snuck up on you, and you would have the choice of Evoke, Equip, or Break. Using Break would stop her armor from forming. This also breaks her will/spirit and she becomes more complacent. I planned on her later hating you and attacking you once more if that scenario panned out. Of course it did not.

Mi was a spontaneous creation. In the pack was a "dead" Evicanae that did almost nothing.

If you had used Wake, you would have blacked out. You would have woken up to a scene of destruction and holding onto Raen's severed arm.

A character that never showed up...well, I'm going to probably add him to part two...))

Ah...Part two may come later...I kinda want to try my hand on other ideas that I have...

>>30550
Sounds like it could have ended up quite differently. Why wouldn't the Evicanae have had a consciousness? And what do you mean by 'softer'? Just that she lacked the willpower to be obstinate? That doesn't seem like a better alternative, so I'm glad that didn't happen.

I don't mind waiting for part two, it's good to try new stuff so you don't get burned out. Just don't forget it entirely. ;)

I had planned for Evicanae to be a sort of...Symbiotic weapon. Like a life-support system. If you lost it, you died. Giving them life was much easier to do, now that I think about it...

Yeah, by "softer" I meant submissive and "weak"...She would have been kinda annoying, now that I think of it. She would have been extremely weak, and would have done most of what you asked her.

I'll try not to forget Silver Quest...I'm pretty scatter-brained in real life...

>>30559
>I'll try not to forget Silver Quest...I'm pretty scatter-brained in real life...

=/

...

=[

Ah, most importantly, Thank you for posting. It was really fun doing this with you...Seriously...It was cool dude.

>>30561
Yeah, well thanks for running it. It was lots of fun to explore an interesting world with such a complex history. I greatly enjoyed it.

Thanks...I guess I'll try to Archive this now...

How DO I do this...Hopefully I can figure this out...

...Yeah, I'm gonna need some advice please...

>>30571
I have no idea. Maybe ask in IRC?

>>30571
Get an IRC client, go on #tgchan, request it.

Mucho Gracs...I'll do it in the morning...Thank you for being there with me in Silver Quest, Part 1...

((Umm...I can't seem to connect...I'm using Chatzilla...))

>>30669
try: /server irc.rizon.net
then: /join #tgchan

>>30669
Yell at a mod/admin and they will do it.