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[SerbianMounted]

===> Saul: Toss
​

Spoiler: Demonlog

SAUL: O-okay....j-just please....
SAUL: Don't break my ph-phone....

You take a look at the gate....and squint a little, noticing the shift in color. You choose not to stride through it just yet as you wait for U.D to post whatever they're going to post in the group memo.​

 

[Squad141]

> Dust: Settle

The dust complies. This'll take a while, you imagine, you pause, catch your breath briefly, and look up at the hulking poncho-wearing hard-shelled figure. ​

Spoiler: Dersitelog

KIYO: Thanks for the help.
KIYO: Do you know what that thing was?

The hulking brute looks down to you, poncho half-burned. He practically shouts that it was The Chariot and asks if you can READ.​

KIYO: Yes, thank you, I can read. If you knew I could see that text, then perhaps explain what it was besides its title, then?
KIYO: And there’s no need to shout, I’m right here.

Huh? That was a Phantom, he tells you. Big giant assholes, the lot of ‘em.​

KIYO: A Phantom. I’m assuming that means there’s more than two, then, and they’re hard to deal with. How long has The Chariot been plaguing this town?
KIYO: Oh, and what exactly is this town called? I don’t want to get anyone upset over that.

He tells you in a (barely) smaller voice that as far as he knows, there are four Phantoms, and that they arrived about 3 years ago. And he doesn’t know the name of this place, it was abandoned long before they all got here.​

KIYO: Only four Phantoms…

You wonder if this has something to do with the game, though that wouldn’t make sense, since there’s six of you playing. You’ll have to ponder that later.​

KIYO: So, who is ‘you all’? Have you been living in this desert for long?

The last people of Derse, he grumbles. Few Prospit runts too. They’ve all scattered themselves across The Medium since the invasion.​

KIYO: Derse, Prospit, the Medium. This all feels like things that I was supposed to know beforehand.
KIYO: Hm.
KIYO: Who was invading?

Hell if he knows. That one kid brought in a bunch of monsters, he heard. Really fucked things up for everyone.​

KIYO: That one kid? Did they have a name?
KIYO: Actually, my bad, do you have a name?

Carapacians ain’t got no names, he tells you. But the people around him have started calling him the Herculean Buster. He finally removes the half-burned poncho as another carapacian brings him a replacement. You can see a small metal SHERIFF'S BADGE on his vest, and what looks to be a TATTOO on his arm. It’s a PLAYING CARD. The 10 OF HEARTS.​

He also tells you that it was three years ago, he doesn’t remember the name of any soft-shells.​

KIYO: Well, it seems offly nice of you to use that gun to save me.
KIYO: Unless, of course, you only did that because the Chariot might’ve hit the town as well.
KIYO: Either way, thank you.

He looks away and tells you it was nothing, just a Sheriff’s job to protect people. Nothing much of it.​

You nod back at him. A respectable man, and something of a hero if any of those Western films were to be believed. The townspeople begin to disperse back into the Town with No Name, which is what you shall be calling it from now on. You check in on the memo, and see that a discussion about other players and photos are flying around, but you decide to explore this area first.

You walk over to one of the of the buildings, with a very small hope that it was one of those winging door things so you can open it dramatically.

 

[qingwa]

> Lacy: Get up

Blink. Blink. As you open your eyes the bright green of the gate above causes you to squint. You sit up.

> Lacy: A few moments in the past

No time for playing around with the machines! You captchalogue your laptop and walk up the stairs to the top of the- OH SHIT THAT'S AN IMP- oh. Haaah? What did you take yourself for, some kind of scrub? Tsk. You have no idea what alchemizing is.

You knock down another imp, and another, and another, leaving a trail of multicolored rocks as you go.

> Lacy: For real this time

There it is, the big one. You are so cool. Menacingly, somehow, you approach the ogre. You whistle at it, to catch its attention. En garde, putain de merde. You have never attended a french lesson in your life, but neither has the ogre, you hope.

> Lacy: Strife!

Plume du Colomb manifests in your hand. You point it at the ogre. Like the... colomb (you're sure it's a bird), you charge at the brute. You plunge your blade into its chest. It lets out a roar and strikes at you. You dodge out of the way, leaving Plume du Colomb in the ogre. It swings its fist at you again, which, again, you dodge. Rinse and repeat until you're at the edge of the platform. You're backed into a corner, something grazes your hand.

> Lacy: Look down

Leaves? You look down to notice that the vegetation covering your house have crept up Mari's tower. You grab a vine as the ogre lifts its fist.

> Lacy: Retrieve Plume du Colomb

Using the foliage to your advantage you run around the ogre with layers of vine in your hand. Its reaction speed being slower than yours, you take the opportunity to jump onto its back, and climb up it to its neck, where you reach for your rapier from there.

> Lacy: Rein

You cover the beast's eyes with your green reins, stripping it of its vision. It lets out another cry that you acknowledge as a neigh. Unable to see, it flails around, leaving you to hold on for dear life. What a troublesome steed. You ride(let's pretend) your new mount off the edge. You let go a bit too late, you think, as when you open your eyes, you find yourself dangling off the side of the tower. Holy shit.

You did not piss yourself. Instead, you gathered what little stamina you had left and climbed your way back up. And that's when you passed out.

> Present Lacy: Enter​

 

[Eidolon Astronaut]

> Rudy: Rendezvous with CD.

You exit the HALL OF HEROES, now equipped with some tasty LORE that you don't fully understand yet, and an ancient looking POLAROID PHOTOGRAPH that you suspect might come in handy later.

You see wandering the hallways is the Castlery Defender, and judging by the confused look on his face, you can assume he's been looking for you.

> Saul: ==>

U.D. catches the phone and types some stuff, but you can't really tell what it is from up here. After a moment, she finishes.
​

Spoiler: Show Demonlog

U.D.: catch.

You stumble to grab the precariously thrown CELL PHONE, but also a second GREEN object as well. It's an empty STRIFE DECK.
​

Spoiler: Show Demonlog

U.D.: you should think about switching weapons
U.D.: you don't really got the muscle to be swinging shit around.
U.D.: i would tag along
U.D.: but i don't wanna.
U.D.: later.

You check your phone for a second to see what she did. You see that a new HANDLE has been added to your Pesterchum's CHUMROLL. You are now chums with tartarianChimera.

When you look back up from your phone, U.D. is gone.

> Kiyo: Enter saloon doors.

You enter the AGE-APPROPRIATE ESTABLISHMENT. No one really reacts to you dramatically swinging open the doors, though. Dersites (and a few Prospitians) are scattered about, drinking AGE-APPROPRIATE DRINKS and playing cards. One is playing an old-timey RAGTIME PIANO, even. It's like the scene was ripped right out of a EUROPEAN COWBOY FILM.

> Lacy: Enter first gate.

You leap into the lime green GATE as the vegetation continues to grow around your home, spirited away into the last land.

You arrive in the middle of a DENSE JUNGLE, standing on an ancient STONE PLATFORM half-buried in the dirt. Massive jungle trees choke the skies, preventing ANY light from reaching down. Luckily, the FRUITS that hang from said trees are incredibly BRIGHT and when they are so high up -and so numerous- they look like STARS. There are no paths or markers to be seen, just thick vegetation and undergrowth wherever you look. Something seems QUIET about this place, like something that was here is now MISSING.

A block of text floats into view, telling you that you are now in the LAND OF VINES, RUINS, AND !@#$%.​

 

[GamerKitty205]

> Bria: Take Photo

You quickly pull out your phone, but by the time your camera app is open, the WRITHING MASS is long gone. Damn it! That thing looked so cool! And it is definitely important lore wise. You had wondered what happened to the ‘Nobles’ in the mural, but you are almost certain that thing is related to their fates. You should most certainly tell your friends about it...

Later. You’ll tell them about it later. After all the information that there is a giant cthulhu flitting around your land isn’t exactly helpful. Just worrying. Especially since you know next to nothing about it. As far as you know it could be as disappointing as the turpentine abomination. (You really hope it isn't)

> Observe

As much as you want to run after the weird eldritch-horror thing, you should really look around here first. A quick glance tells you that there probably isn’t much in the huts. They’re all being slowly consumed by the ground, and if everything in the library was wrecked, you doubt the things in the huts have fared much better.

> Approach Tree Door​

 

[Orikanyo]

> Rudy: Make an excuse.


You give an excuse, a dog had eaten your homework and you had to quickly go to the washroom to change your flat tire because your grandma is sick and needs your help.

Because you cousin got into a car crash and now needs you to have gotten him to the hostpital and something.

But your back now and everything is cool.

totally cool, no sneaking around at all.

this place is pretty cool and stuff you know? Real cool, lots of people.

You skirt past your disappearance like a professional and walk on up. You ask if theres something here that may help with your work? You gotta find the goals of this game.

​

 

[SerbianMounted]

===> Saul: Enter new portal

It strikes you odd that U.D is giving you another means to talk to hher. Hm, maybe you were just a little cranky and cold when you first met and you got a BAD IMPRESSION though apparenlty didn't give on enough to stop her from helping you out when you needed it most. You wonder what you'll allocate to your new specibus....you have a pretty good idea.

Hm, you should probably gige her a more substantial gift one of these days for all her help she's given you so far. Maybe she does care? It's hard to say why if at all.

You turn your attention to the gate again. Strange. You think about that yellow figure holding a horse. A girl who's name you don't know except for her initials. You wonder how she and the others factor into this somehow.

===> Saul: Enter Yellow Gate​

 

[SpectrumCrow]

> Mari: Consider your approach

You briefly consider trying to sneak past, but quickly decide against it. Third time probably isn’t the charm. But! The sneak attack against the ogre went ok! Maybe you can catch them off guard and gain the advantage. But how…? Maybe the distraction tactic?

You grab the nearest piece of trash that isn’t completely disgusting- you have standards- and toss it so that (hopefully) the liches’ backs are to you. Then, you attack!

> Mari: Attack​

 

[Eidolon Astronaut]

> Bria: Enter tree.

You enter the MANGROVE TREE.

For the first time since starting this game, you arrive somewhere DRY. The enormous tree has been hollowed out, and inside you find CABINETS and SHELVES filled with dry, NON-WATERLOGGED BOOKS. Doors and hallways lead to other sections of this SANCTUARY OF KNOWLEDGE within the cradle of ignorance that lies beyond its front doors. You hear someone approaching from the large spiraling STAIRS that ascend through the entire height of the woody plant.

A tall, feminine figure comprised of a hard BLACK-SHELLED CARAPACE stands at the base of the stairs, a hand still on the railing. She is wrapped in robes made from some discarded materials, you can actually see some WRITING on them... is she wearing book pages? Never mind. On her robes is what looks to be a purple and black BADGE or MEDAL of some kind, emblazoned on it is a symbol that looks vaguely familiar, but evokes ROYALTY, somehow.

She was wondering when you would arrive, Princess.

> Rudy: Bluff?

The Castlery Defender tells you not to worry about it. Boy, if he had a nickel for every time he'd been in that exact same situation...

CD says that if you're looking for work, you could always go on a QUEST. Normally those SALAMANDER guys gave out the quests and stuff, but they left or something, he hasn't seen any in a long time. Luckily for you, a good knight always has a QUEST for a young SQUIRE like yourself!

That is... if you can handle it?

> Saul: Enter second gate.

You travel through the GATE, and you arrive in a place you can only describe as ROWDY.

You arrive on the other side of a INDIGO GATE, high up on the UNDERLING-INFESTED tower that has sprung from RUDY'S HOUSE. Below you is his First Gate, ALCHEMY EQUIPMENT, and also, just his STUFF. Above you lies the Third Gate. Out in the distance, you see the PITCH BLACK TOWER that seemingly everyone but you has. Do they all have that FLOATING MASS OF TAR AND TENDRILS drifting through the sky too? Lucky.

> Mari: STRIFE!

The CREOSOTE LICHES do not, in fact, turn to inspect the garbage. Seems these guys are a bit more INTELLIGENT than your standard IMP or OGRE. Seems TRICKS won't help you in this battle.​

 

[SerbianMounted]

===> Saul: Alchemize

Thankfully you have found a RESPITE in your long journey. You suppose the gates take you in sequence to your and your friend's lands and homes. You imagine that past this portal lies Rudy's home, and then past that perhaps there is a portal leading to Lacy's. The place is rather.....uh, ROWDY. And that's a little much for you. You brandish the GREEN BLANK STRIFE CARD that U.D kindly gave you, and you wonder what kind of gift you should give your new demon friend for when you meet her next. You message Rudy, thuogh it seems like he's too busy to respond.

​

Spoiler: Rudylog

GC: Yo!
GC: Heh, did i do that right?
GC: I hope this doesn't come off as too weird or anything
GC: Even though so much weird stuff has happened today already
GC: The gates lead me to your house, which i am in.....now
GC: I'm in your land! loctaa, yeah?
GC: Maybe I'll see you around! don't worry, i won't mess with any of your stuff while i'm here, just alchemize and refuel, then keep going

You get to work to UPGRADE your inventory as you clear through a few imps. God Rudy, you figured that the place would be kind of a wreck, not like you dropped in on the best circumstances. But still....this place needs some TLC. You QUARANTINE some core rooms of the house form some IMPS and get to work. Leave it better than when you found it, right? You clean up, folding sheets and wiping away some errant TAR here and there. It doesn't look gleaming since you're far from a housekeeper, and you stay out of Rudy's room for the sake of his privacy, but you feel pretty proud.

With your LUDICROUSLY large amount of grist, you make yourself some SUNWITCH ITO overalls. They blaze with the emblem of a warm, yellowish orange sun and compliment you well. No reason to keep warm in this rowdy place. You make some DRILL KICKS using a spare from a tool kit you found astray, these helpful fellas can drill your heels into surfaces, allowing you to have a firmer grip. You also alchemize some of your leftover vegetables with some PROTEIN BARS to make FOOD BARS, way more practical when on the go and just as nutritious! You also craft a HOLO-WATCH, much easier for communicating without needing to blind yourself, VINE FINGERLESS GLOVES (perfect for climbing as they dispense some loose vines to grapple onto things), MICROWAVE WADERS (perfect for keeping feet insulated and toasty while trudging through all these swamps you've heard of), and CRYSTALLINE ROPE (extra durable rope made from a fiberglass decanter you had handy). A TON of sylladex cards so you have more inventory space, the CRYSTALLINE APPLE WATER FLASK (perfect for taking a sip on the go), you raid and make copies of some BASIC MED KITS which you then alchemize with the FOOD BARS to make them HEALTH BARS (they sadly don't make you feel fuller, but they do recover HP).

You also decide to craft some more BOMBS. You craft and make x5 BARBABOMBS as used effectively on that ogre earlier, x10 SHRAPNEL BOMBS by getting some broken glass into the mix (far less deadly but they cover a wider area of effect), x3 PLANT BOMBS which uh.....you don't really know what they do, maybe they spring up vines to tangle enemies? x5 SMOKE BOMBS by getting some charcoal in there for flavor. You captchalogue and synthesize some garbage to also make x5 STINK BOMBS. Sure to clear a room or area in SECONDS, and you're not so foolish, so you take a strange GOAT SKULL MASK and a spare FACE MASK from the med kits and make a GOAT SKULL GAS MASK to be able to work in even the smelliest conditions you yourself create. You also create about x15 GRENADES by combining some simple KITCHEN DISINFECTANTS and a KITCHEN TIMER. They are also far less dangerous than the BARBABOMBS but are far cheaper to craft.

You also take out a majority of the EXPENSIVE GRIST you have to also alchemize your WRISTWATCH with a bomb to create TIME BOMB. You have no idea what it does, but you aren't about to waste all that grist to find out. You of course allocate the new STRIFE SPECIBUS CARD with a bomb and are now able to wield your new HAUL. Feeling more confident, you clamber up, Lacy having helped out by building up Rudy's house to allow you entrance. You step through and enter the THIRD GATE.​

 

[Squad141]

> Kiyo: Mix it up

You're still a tiny bit bummed the entire building didn't quiet down as you swing the doors open and walked over to a table in your iron-backed boots (which you don't and never have had). But then again, you suppose having to be saved by nearly everybody in your line of sight might put a damper on any cool factor you might have had going into this situation. Instead of sitting down at a table, you decide to walk over to the bar (though you're unsure if it's still called that without any alcohol involved) and take a seat at one of the stools. Getting a drink is one of the best forms of socialization, so you ask the barkeep for the best drink on the menu, then turn to the nearest townsfolk.​

KIYO: So, how's life been so far?

 

[Orikanyo]

>Be rudy

You nod with slight enthusiasim, which turns into BURNING SOARING LAD ENERGY as your eyes widen and stance gets hyped for the prospect-

Of a god damn quest.

Quests mean phat loot boys.

And thats what you here for.

Maybe you'll meet a new party member or something?

Wait no you got your friends for that right?

Maybe you could convince npcs to help...?

Prob need some rep for that tho...

You put all this (assumed) game knowledge behind you and hurriedly accept to take on this quest because you know this could lead to-

A) More quests

B) Loot.

C) Cool side characters.

You wonder, briefly, if this will be like one of those games with a hidden romance system... Nah, that prob ain't it. There probably would be a HOT MOMMA somewhere out thrre for that thing. But amongst these dumpy dudes?

Nah not likely in the slightest.

But hey friendship is best ship despite what some Otome-lovers may believe.

Yes, you does know anime thank you.

You are on the internet you have watched King of the Hill you know what an anime is.

Suddenly your apider senses tingle, ie, your phone so you take a look.

​

Spoiler: Saulog

CT: Oh shoot dude didn't know we loop on each other.
CT: Sorry about the mess got some visitors who don't clean up after themselves.
CT: Also, uhh, mind the red stuff.
CT: And like the crap ton of trophies everywhere mom does stuff.
CT: And the ouija boards may be actin up again.
CT: stay frosty

​

​

 

[SpectrumCrow]

> Mari: Strife!

Well, it was a good try at least! You’ll just have to fight them head on, it seems. Not to worry! You’ve got your trusty scissors in hand and are ready to fight. So you leap into action.

Of course, the two spot you and you officially enter combat! You rush the lich on the left, going in for a stab where you can. It dodges while the other one lunges with its claws. You nearly escape the attack, but one claw manages to scratch your side. Ouch. You take advantage of the lich having to regain its balance after barely hitting you, opening the scissors and SNIP SNIPPING part of its arm off!

As you injure the lich, the other one claws at you, creating a tear in your lovingly crafted clothes. Now they’ve done it!

> Mari: Snip snip

Your scissors move swiftly, akin to a flurry of blades. How dare they! You put lots of time and love into this outfit!

The fight isn’t easy, but you manage to take both enemies down. With a furrow on your brow, you examine the tear. It’s not too bad all things considered, but it’s still annoying that you’ll have to fix this up. Maybe you’ll make some clothes that are better for battle! That is, if you can find the materials.

As for your wounds… Yeah, they hurt quite a bit, but you’ll be fine. There’s a bit of blood on your shirt, but you think you can get that out. And now, time for the next mystery to be solved!

> Mari: Open the door and enter the pagoda​

 

[Eidolon Astronaut]

> Saul: Enter third gate.

You jump into the INDIGO GATE to be sent further into the Land of Clouds, Towers, and Adventure. You arrive in a place that is somewhat similar to when you first arrived in LODSAS, as you find yourself in a large HOLE. However, this one is merely a large CRATER, perfectly round. After a bit of climbing you see Rudy's land for the first time outside of pictures.

The BROADCASTING TOWERS here are different than the one's Rudy has been seeing, these are all BENT halfway up at strange angles and curves. Above you, the sky is OVERCAST, grey clouds blocking the sky entirely. Additionally, the crater you crawled yourself out of is in the center of a ABANDONED FEUDAL VILLAGE, masonry and woodwork standing tall despite being coated with BLACK SLUDGE and dried blood. The skeleton of a BIPEDAL SALAMANDER creature lies discarded at the edge of the crater.

Something bad happened here.

> Kiyo: Play it cool.

The white-shelled Precocious Sodajerk slides a ROOT BEER FLOAT down the bar to you, and you feel yourself loose a few BOONDOLLARS as payment. Oh, so that's what those were for.

In response to your question, every single patron of the saloon responds with "Bad."

> Rudy: Accept quest from Castlery Defender.

You hear a Carapacian call out for CD, so you follow him to the WINDOW to see what's going on outside.

A WRITHING ENTITY has floated into the sky, dripping DARK ICHOR and wriggling it's FLAGELLA. It begins floating around in a circle, before it's whole mass deforms into a TORUS. Thin strands of it's body thread themselves across the hole in it's center, forming a familiar SPIROGRAPH pattern. The BLACK GATE begins glowing, now activated. Tendrils from the central mass reach into the gate and pull out SKELETAL UNDERLINGS, coating them in it's ICHOR, transforming the undead beings into PITCH IMPS, ASPHALT OGRES, and the like. Once formed, the newly acrid Underlings are then flung at high speeds in EVERY DIRECTION, repopulating the Land.

The Castlery Defender looks to you and tells you that your quest is to slay that thing, to put an end to the endless horde of the UNDERLINGS.

> Mari: Enter pagoda.

You enter the PAGODA.

Inside you see a series of MANY STAIRCASES leading up and up throughout the structure, Underlings of various shapes and sizes guarding the steps, luckily it's mostly low-level Imps and Liches. This shouldn't be too bad.​

 

[SerbianMounted]

===>

Christ....something bad DID happen here. You take a surveyance of your surroundings, with the overcast weather the temperature is just a bit cooler here. The air is still, unlike on LODSAS where you were constantly feeling the breeze of almost arctic wind. The silence is.....deafening. You pick up the skeletal remains of whatever this salamander creature was with as much ginger care that you can muster. Hm, poor little guy. You wonder if at one point in its life it was a helpful NPC with a few charming dialogue boxes that it looped through. Well, it's a good thing you didn't discard your SHOVEL. You EQUIP your BLADED shovel and with its knife like edge it has no problem digging into the ground. You bury the little friend's remains.

You quickly REQUIP your bandolier of BOMBS after taking care of your deceased friend though. You don't know what happened here but you're not about to be caught unawares. You step carefully through the buildings of the abandoned village. You're careful to watch where you step as you INVESTIGATE your surroundings for any others or loot.​

 

[Orikanyo]

Rudy: Consider the new quest


The thing out there looked familiar, the appearance of the strange squid blob in the photo, perhaps?

It was making the enemies that you are seeing without question.

And so, you have the choice.

Go fight the big blobby thingie.

Or go around and level abit.

If of course you accept the quest.

Really, there was no questioning it.

Rudy: Accept

You accept the quest from CD, the world all but certain your death at the things squishy tendrils is at hand.

Though, such monster hunting requires planning, careful consideration and... Alot of other stuff.

Alot of stuff you didn't have time for because you wana go fight that thing.

But you also know it prob one shot you.

Also it flies and all you have are two piddly legs, stabby sticks and a dream.

You consider for a moment, after having accepted, and ask if CD had seen any dungeon-like places.

Full of monsters and loot or something. You prob need some sorta thing to even fight the big blobby portal monster anyways right? Not like it'd come to you.​

 

[SpectrumCrow]

> Mari: Warned you about the stairs

You have no idea what that means. No one warned you about any stairs.

Considering that you will have to make repairs to this outfit anyways, you decide to throw your cares to the wind* and go for it.

* And by cares, you mean care. That being your outfit. You still care for your safety!

> Mari: Strife your way up the stairs​

 

[Squad141]

> Kiyo: Be the cool guy​

You really wish you were, to be honest, especially in a scenario like this. If only you had a wide-brimmed hat and a gun, and some leather boots with those odd metal clunky star bits on the ends. You're still not sure what purpose those served for cowboys, but who are you to critique fashion?

You take a sip of the Root Beer and find it very good. You haven't had any carbonated drinks in while, mostly due to trying to watch your sugar intake. But if you're gonna eat McDonalds-branded pocky, you might as well go all out on a splurge then work it off later. You take a few more long drinks, before realizing you're looking at the bottom of the glass. You slide it over to the Sodajerk, and raise a finger to ask for another. Afterwards, you turn, and look around the drinkery. Like you'd seen earlier outdoors, there wasn't much difference inside. Plenty of those white and black people, which, looking closer, seem to actually have some kind of shell on, like a snail or a crab. You remember there was a word for that sort of thing. Carapace? Maybe. Or maybe you just made that up, it's hard to tell with longer words that you rarely use.

It's obvious that these people are in dire need of some uplifting, so it's too bad you aren't too great at that. Still, their functional. They staved off a mass of swirling teeth and liquid led by some creepy amalgamation of hatred and hoof. The Chariot... it certainly wasn't riding a chariot. You ponder the meaning of the name, and whether or not Tarot imagery will be important going forward

 

[Eidolon Astronaut]

> Saul: Investigate ruined village.

You wander the cobbled streets looking for anything of note when you see a strange occurrence.

in a straight line from the CRATER, a series of buildings are far more destroyed than others, large swaths completely gone. You follow the mysterious trajectory when you find what is either it's SOURCE or END POINT. A large skeleton about three stories tall with a single ominous eye socket rests half buried into the wall of a stone building, as if it was forcefully PUSHED into it. It doesn't seem to be ALIVE or even UNDEAD, it is motionless. You don't think you'll be able to bury this one.

A small drop of some strange BLACK LIQUID falls from the sky and lands on your head.

> Rudy: Inquire about side quests.

The carapacian who called you over to the window tells you that the other CLOUDS here on LOCTAA have other castles and forts that were taken over by the Underlings, if you are looking for something easier to fight, they would probably be a safer bet than going up against the wandering hordes on the surface.

> Mari: Ascend.

You STRIFE! your way up through the many floors of the PAGODA, each floor you pass the FIREWORKS outside grow louder and more FORCEFUL. Collecting the GRIST and XP is relatively easy from these guys, you guess it would be a HASSLE if every single tower in this place was guarded by BOSS-LEVEL underlings. You destroy the last CREOSOTE LICH guarding the door to the ROOF and ascend. Up here, each boom of the fireworks is enough to lightly shake the ground below you.

At the top of the pagoda you see a very large PAPER LAMP with no light inside, connected to other towers off in the distance via a series of POWER LINES. A switch is located near the base of the lamp, you throw it. A large section of the CITY, centered on the pagoda, LIGHTS UP as electricity pours through long-unused WIRE. The PAPER LAMP illuminates like a BEACON providing even more light to the place. It's beautiful here. It is then that you see that the ground-shaking booms are NOT the fireworks.

Illuminated by the newly lit streets, you see a GIANT. Standing over a hundred feet tall, made of the same BLACK SLUDGE as the underlings, and carrying a enormous SWORD, the creature's monstrous FOOTSTEPS shake the world as it approaches the tower. A METER appears at the top of your vision, and a TITLE appears above it.

The Emperor.

On the streets below, a truly titanic SWARM of underlings gather around it's feet. The Emperor halts its gait, and slowly raises it's sword above and behind it, reeling back for a swing at the PAGODA.

You need to get out of here, but there isn't enough time to run down all those stairs again.

> Kiyo: Ponder the manner of things in the dark.

As the Precocious Sodajerk hands you another round, you take a moment to think about the The Chariot and the Phantoms as a whole.

It wasn't a normal underling, that's for sure, it felt different to you. Like the difference between something DEAD and something simply ASLEEP. You didn't feel the same morbid vibe around The Chariot as you did the Underlings, those guys reek of UNDEATH to you. So if they aren't underlings, what exactly ARE the Phantoms? They aren't Underlings, but they seem to be in control of them, or at least the ones nearby. They also haven't been around the entire time, only appearing THREE YEARS AGO, the realm in which your game takes place seems to be MUCH older than that, so what exactly is the deal here?

You try and piece things together, but you are simply missing too much INFORMATION to draw any conclusions. As you rack your brain for answers, the Herculean Buster enters the building and orders an AGE-APPROPRIATE BEVERAGE.​

 

[SerbianMounted]

===> Saul: Behold

You behold a terrifying sight high above you. That same black mess of tendrils you saw hovering over Rudy's land earlier holds itself in the sky. You see it writhe into a giant floating torus and then form a black spirograph overhead, its writhing tendrils reaching into a defamatory imitation of a BLACK GATE as it flings underlings coated in the same disgusting tar everywhere. The village around you, once a barren expanse devoid of any activity, is soon QUICKLY REPOPULATED by monsters of every creed. Ogres, Imps, Liches and Basilisks quickly slam into the ground around you and begin their hunt. The area is just small enough that you draw their aggro.

You are VERY worried that this giant skeleton is also an underling. But it seems devoid of the black tar that infects all the others. You give the skeleton's GIANT TIBIA a simple pat. Perhaps you'll be able to investigate them further later. Now, where can you hide?​

 

[Orikanyo]

Be Rudy: Time for adventure.


Whilst certainly the type to do so, rushing head first into the big boss enemy typically isn't healthy. Not that you care but you also note that A) Ogre from before gave you a good lesson and B) Theres alot of space out there to explore and by darn tootin you love yourself some adventure.

Thus, for now, you shall call this THE SIDE QUESTING HOUR!

AND SO!

You give a tip of your hat(hood) and make mention that clearing out these castles may be your best bet to get stronger!

You will need bigger and better weapons to destroy that...

...

Whatever it is?

You ask CD if he has a name for that thing, as you prepare to set off on your grand advrnture that is most definitly taking the place of the big mission statement in your mind. Not that you had one beyond "Go find things and stuff." Which, is still there like a hazey breathy voice in the back of your mind.

Man you wana go stab something.

In an rpg.

Not like your a crazed spear wielding psycho.

That'd be wierd.​

 

[SpectrumCrow]

Mari: Oh shit

That doesn't look good. If down isn't a good way out... then maybe to the side? It's probably your best shot at escape, not that you have many options to begin with. But then you realize that there's nothing in reach.

Well, shit.

Instead, you sprint back to the top floor so you at least aren't on the roof anymore. Taking a very quick look around, you take shelter in the most secure area you can find. It might not be much, but you figure you have better chances of survival if you're kept safe by some sort of barrier.

Sure, you might get crushed by rubble and die, but you might get crushed by rubble and live! Or, y'know, another, better alternative.

> Mari: Take shelter​

 

[GamerKitty205]

> Bria: Converse

Spoiler: dersitelog

BRIA: Princess..? I mean—
BRIA: Ah, yes! It is I, Princess Briallen!
BRIA: It’s wonderful to finally meet another of similar status

Her status is not as it once was, she tells you. Her title means nothing here.​

BRIA: I had assumed such, there doesn’t seem to be much left undestroyed here
BRIA: The fault of a ‘prince of derse’ or so I’ve heard
BRIA: And I assume the creature that was here a little while ago also has something to do with it?

She is shocked for a moment. She did not know you saw that. In a sense, yes, the thing you saw was partially responsible for what occurred all those years ago. But it is more complicated than that.​

BRIA: More complicated? Was it more a tool than an agent of the chaos? Did the creature not do it on purpose—What is it anyway— it looks like the underlings, but doesn’t seem to be hostile and there aren’t many underlings on the land anyway, which doesn't make sense, the only thing was a weird zombie and—
BRIA: Uh, actually how about I start by asking you your name?

She gives a light chuckle. Back when there were still others here, she was called the Burdened Quintessent, though she is the only one that remains on this planet. Her and The Magician, that is.​

BRIA: There is a practitioner of the arcane in this land?!
BRIA: I cannot wait to run into them!
BRIA: But, you two are truly the only inhabitants of this place?

She tells you that The Magician is not an individual you would like to meet. The Abominations are its twisted creations, made from her own people. It is why she alone resides here.​

BRIA: Oh... my condolences...
BRIA: I’ll admit, this makes we want to meet The Magician even more, if only because no one should be allowed to get away with such actions
BRIA: Though, I do realize setting off to do that sounds ill advised

It would be. She asks you what you know of the Phantoms?​

BRIA: I don’t think I’ve heard the term before, not here at least.

She beckons you to follow her as she walks to a shelf nearby, pulling out a book labeled Prospitian Visions Vol. 402. She opens the book to a page containing a series of illustrations, five in total. She tells you that these are the Phantoms, those who control the Underlings for the Invader.​

BRIA: Ah, and The Magician is one of these phantoms
BRIA: Wait, there are only 5? Not 6?

She informs you that, in truth, there are only 4. The Magician, The Chariot, The Emperor, and The Sun. The fifth illustration is labeled The King, but is not referred to as a Phantom.

The Magician is depicted as an inverted figure hanging from the ceiling, tools of creation in its hands.
The Chariot, a horse-bound wanderer carrying a bolt of lightning.
The Emperor is a giant bearing a sword larger than itself.
The Sun is an angelic figure with a black spirograph pattern behind it.

The King is a strange mass of darkness, shifting between undecipherable forms.​

BRIA: Huh, all tarot card names...
BRIA: Do you mind if I take a picture?

By all means. She has gathered what little information remains in this place here for you.​

BRIA: That reminds me, how did you know I was coming?
BRIA: It’s not as if I was well known back on earth let alone... where ever we are now

She flips ahead in the book, another depiction, this one of a familiar scene. A young girl in dark red addressing a fallen queen in a library hidden in a tree. She tells you that the Prospitians could gaze into clouds and see things yet to come. Sometimes they wrote them down.​

BRIA: That seems like an awfully useful ability, would certainly make cloud watching more interesting
BRIA: So this whole book is records of the future?

She says that it is not just of the future. The foretelling clouds of Skaia also told of the past, and the present. Many of the books here are windows into time. There is much that can be learned here. It is her duty here to make sure that heroes such as yourself can use this information to your advantage.​

BRIA: That’s amazing! Definitely represents the ‘knowledge’ thing better than the other libraries
BRIA: Do you know what was in those towers anyway?

She says that the towers once held the knowledge of the original inhabitants of this planet, the Crocodiles. However, while the loss of information is always bad, she once read what the Crocodiles called “knowledge” and it isn’t that great of a loss.​

BRIA: Well, they can’t all be winners
BRIA: Though, I do wish I could’ve seen a crocodile librarian
BRIA: I feel as though I know the answer, but are there still prospitians around?

On other worlds, there are still some left alive, but they are few in number, she says. The fall of Prospit was a great tragedy for them.​

BRIA: That’s good to know! Well, half of that statement is
BRIA: Have you seen any spinning gate looking things around here?

She asks if you are looking for the Second Gate. If so, it is at the top of this very tree.​

BRIA: Yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
BRIA: Thank you for all your help, but I’m afraid must be off
BRIA: There is still a whole planet to explore, after all

Of course, she isn’t one to stand in the way of a hero’s journey. She hopes that you and your allies will visit this place again if you have any knowledge you seek.​

BRIA: I most certainly will!
BRIA: Farewell!

> Ascend

You began climbing the stairs leading towards the top of the tree library. As much as you want to stay here and just read all of the books (and you really want to stay here), you stick by what you said to BQ. There’s still a whole game out there, a bunch of mysteries to solve and some very nasty bosses you and your friends will probably have to kill. None of that will get done if you spend the next week scouring through books. Eventually you make your way to the Second Gate

 

[Eidolon Astronaut]

> Saul: Seek shelter.

You run into a nearby building to try and put yourself in a more advantageous position. Meanwhile, outside the window you see a PITCH IMP run through the street in the direction of the giant SKELETON. Crawling inside it's massive rib cage, the Imp DISSOLVES, its mass wrapping around the SPINE. The bones begin to move, animated with new life from the sacrifice of its inky sibling. A NAME TAG appears above it's head as it stands, along with a COUNTER.

SKELETAL GICLOPS - 1/50.

That can't be good.

> Rudy: Prepare for your journey.

The Castlery Defender tells you that if that thing out there had a name, he doesn't know it. But to you, it is your QUARRY.

Regardless, it's about time for you to be off, the CLOUD-TOP CASTLE is approaching another BROADCASTING TOWER, and he tells you that they don't really have any other way down. He goes outside and drops a rope down the edge of the cloud as a nearby tower draws closer for you.

> Mari: Hunker down.

You attempt to find safe respite in the building while you wait to HOPEFULLY NOT DIE.

CRASH.

You land on the ground below in the rubble of the PAGODA. You want to see if the power is still on here or not, but you CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. You try to tell if you are injured but you CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING. You have been KO'd.

Your mind drifts off into nothingness.

> Mari: ...?

You open your eyes. You are somewhere else.

You are lying in the bed of a UNFAMILIARLY FAMILIAR BEDROOM. This is someone's house, and judging by the view from the window, you are back on EARTH. You survey your surroundings. The most noticeable feature in the room is the gigantic PENTAGRAM drawn on the floor in a RED SUBSTANCE. A large, partially-chewed DOG BED lies in the corner beside a desk with a BEEFY looking computer rig. Posters of STRANGE AND SURREAL shows and films line the walls, from TWIN PEAKS to ERASERHEAD. A series of FILM REELS are stacked in a haphazard pile on the other side of the room.

... where are you?

> Bria: Ascend to highest point of the tree.

You reach the top of the MANGROVE TREE'S INNER HOLLOW, where sure enough, the Second Gate floats gingerly. First it is a MINTY GREEN, but it shifts to BRIGHT RED as you approach. Along the wall of this circular cavity are a series of METAL PARTS, bits of a broken machine. You don't have to be a MECHANICAL GENIUS to be able to tell that these are the parts to a HUMANOID ROBOT. The face plate of the robot has two red eyes, though one is missing its LENS.​

 

[Orikanyo]

> Be Rudy: Adventure!

Though you think it's going to be trouble getting to another tower, you decide it is best to get moving nonetheless. part of you wishes you found some form of FAST TRAVEL system in this game but hey, is what it is... it also occurs to you since the cloud was moving, you are not where you once were.

Hrmm...

You bid CD farewell and slip down the rope, execute a CONTROLLED FALL from rung to rung on the tower, ending up on the bottom within record time, you also, maybe, may have landed on another basilisk. It popped nicely, maybe you should check out what these levels are doing for you? Maybe you have points or something to spend? But that would require useing parts of your brain that are currently attributed to ADVENTURE!

So, get to it boy.

You got some adventuring to do!

> DO that adventuring!

Awww yea you gonna do that adventurin' thing yess sir, yep, just gotta find a thing to do that adventuring towards.

Uhh... Oh hey, theres a portal near the bottom of this tower!

Maybe it will lead you to somewhere cool?

Maybe there will be treasure there!?!

Hot diggity darn you just gotta check it out now!

> Get into that portal now

it's time to go in there and totally loot everything not tied down in this new place!

only fair you spread that around, you did it once you're gonna do it again!​