View source for Holes/Session 51/raw

<pre>
Apheori (GM): Is everyone here?
Ganelon: Merr ain't, according to my Roll20.
Apheori (GM): Oh, right.
WE NEEEEEDS HER.
Frezak (GM): I have begun the summoning rites.
Ellemerr: poofs
Apheori (GM): HELLO.
Okay, this screen is way too small.
There are four of you.
You all wind up separate.
I'ma start pm-ing you blocks of text.
Frezak (GM): Sure.
Apheori (GM): Uh, what sort of will defenses do characters of your level have?
Frezak (GM): What, on average?
Apheori (GM): Yeah, I guess.
A normal.
Frezak (GM): Someone of our level with a base 10 in their will stat has about... 15.
Ganelon: Radek's worst is Fort, at 16.
Otherwise, 21 AC, 20 Reflex, 19 Will.
Frezak (GM): A class with a main stat that's will-based would have another 4 or so on top.
Gravy's will is only 16.
Ganelon: AC is generally supposed to be like 2 higher than the others, though.
Frezak (GM): Poor Gravy.
Ganelon: At least for the people who fight up close.
Frezak (GM): SHe only asked about Will.
Ganelon: ...So she did!
Apheori (GM): So 26 gets Gravy?
Does 16 get Rhu?
Ganelon: Maybe not.
Avengers actually use Wisdom.
Frezak (GM): I don't think it would et Rhu.
Gaurav: Nope! Rhu's lowest is Fort at 15, but he has a Will of 19.
Apheori (GM): Huh.
Stupid arse widsom-based defenses.
Gaurav: He has a lower AC than Radek, weirdly enough. Comes from not wearing armour, I suppose.
Ganelon: That...
Huh.
Frezak (GM): Avengers should get a defence bonus.
They have... Shield Of Faith, I think.
Ganelon: Yeah, they get a +3 when wearing none, which would be better than Radek's armor itself.
But then maybe it's the difference in Dex/Int.
(To Frezak): Your name is Hieron Maranthana. You are a third-year student at Sa Karana High, well-liked, and out-going in a curt sort of way. While you are relatively athletic for your class, overall your appearance is fairly normal aside from the blue hair and the shovel you carry with you pretty much everywhere you go.
(To Frezak): Your friends have remarked on this, and rather disapproved, but despite all their concern that having the blue hair was a bad enough sign already, and that having a shovel on top of that would only make it that much more certain that you would become some sort of protagonist, you would not be pursuaded to desist. It is your shovel, and it is important to you.
Ganelon: Since the higher of those also gives you AC.
(To Frezak): This is who you are. You have no conscious recollection of who you were or where you were or what you were doing, though you retain all the general manerisms, skills, etc of your normal character, so basically just act normal bearing in mind that you are currently convinced that you are some sort of student in an anime elven high school.
Gaurav: Yup, I've got that. It's 13 + 3 + 4 (Improved Armour of Faith, I think).
(From Frezak (GM)): Hah!
Gaurav: His DEX is +3, which is a bit on the low side, I guess?
(To Rhu): Your name is Ganasi Miri. You are a second-year student at Sa Karana High, a bit awkward, but friendly and fairly well accepted, though you have no specific social circle and no close friends. For an iera, you look quite normal. So normal, in fact, that the thing people notice is how utterly unnoticeable you are. Usually you just laugh, but sometimes... sometimes it gets to you, just a little.
(To Rhu): You put most of your energy into your studies. After all, that's what you're all here for - to prepare for your lives in full. So you do, and it works, and your grades have stayed up and then some, though while you're the top of your class, you're still not quite at the top of the school.
(To Rhu): That unfortunate honour goes to Amaranthsi Nisholian. He looks like L.
(To Rhu): Except that's not right. As far as you can recall, you were somewhere else not so long ago. Some planet called Cerris. Investigating some holes. In a hole, practically, with everything all weird and black and crap. The scientist was going to close one, and there were these gods and stuff involved. You know. Then suddenly you're here and you're someone else and you don't really know how that happened.
Frezak (GM): +3 is a good modifier for your secondary stat.
Ganelon: Yeah, ain't bad.
(To Radek): Your name is Amaranthsi Nisholian. You're a fourth-year student at Sa Karana High, and yet despite the fact that you've not even graduated, you're the most competent scientist in the known worlds. Law enforcement organisations and powerful corporations alike seek out your aid on a near constant basis, and you simply have to turn most of them down. Your hair is black as Midnight, but your eyes are even blacker, sunken into deep shadows that creep out some and only entice others. Your face utterly, painfully, refuses to grow a beard.
(To Radek): You have no real friends, but you do have a fan club consisting of a good two thirds of the school's female population, and almost one third of its male population, and there is almost always a bit of a mob following you around on campus. When they can find you at all, that is. You do have a way of disappearing on them.
(To Radek): Except the gibbering in your head is telling you that none of that is true.
(To Radek): The gibbering is on your head. You know it's there. You remember the cephalopod's smooth cold feeling, gripping your cranium strongly in an embrace that always came across as strangely non-threatening, except now the feeling is gone. Your head is bare.
(To Radek): Except it's still there. Wherever you really are, the cephalopod is still on your head, and it's worried for you.
(To Radek): And now you remember the hole. The strange light, the darkness, the vertigo. The god who surprised you, the chance to test your creations without anyone to complain... whatever happened with that? Did you even make it that far? You don't think you did.
(To Radek): You were just walking. And then this.
(From Ganelon): Wwaaaaaaah you really did come prepared for this. Hold on.
(To Ganelon): I had a long bus ride.
(From Ganelon): Okay, caught up.
(To Ellemerr): Your name is Akari Sudamanshintha. You are a student of some sort at Sa Karana High, except there is no such place, and if it were, you'd not be here at all.
(To Ellemerr): This is clearly a dream, but it's not one of yours. And the weird thing is, the particularly weird thing that just doesn't fit anything you know, you don't even know whose it is.
(To Ellemerr): Perhaps it doesn't belong to anyone? Perhaps it's something else? Would the rest of you know?
(To Ellemerr): Looking at Squirrel now, you kind of doubt how helpful she's going to be, even compared to usual. She, at least, is entirely convinced of her studentiness, still looking almost exactly the same, but dressed in the uniform: short skirt, funky top, tie. Her bloody red hair sticking out in every direction.
(To Ellemerr): You look down and you're in the same, though your own colours have changed...
Apheori (GM): OKAY.
BLOCKS OF TEXT SENT.
(From Ganelon): So I am convinced that my current reality is false, and I'm receiving mental signals from the real one (which is presumably therefore still occurring in real-time)?
(To Ganelon): Seems to be.
(From Ellemerr): Okay. Let's see where the dream wants me to go. Class?
Apheori (GM): You're all outside, though not together. The classes are mingling out on the green, the spires of the school rising behind, with a general air of anticipation about the place. Small groups of students are chattering excitedly. Others are milling around, some going from group to group, others hugging their tablets, others still just standing about, waiting, content to take in the free break.
You all maintain your usual skills and stuff. All passive equipment effects remain. Weapons may or may not apply.
(To Radek): You do still have your robots, for whatever reason.
Ganelon: I think it would be weird if I were armed with a rifle.
(From Ganelon): My darlings.
Apheori (GM): Well, you could have something to that effect for club purposes or something.
Though it wouldn't be as effective as your usual.
Ganelon: It's cool, I can toss office supplies in a pinch.
Apheori (GM): Actually, no, you DEFINITELY have a giant-arse rifle.
It's HUGE. And it's really light.
Frezak (GM): A boffer gun!
Apheori (GM): Anyway, y'all are out on the grass. You don't necessarily know each other, but you may know of each other, or something. There's a lot of students.
Some stand out. There is a girl with a tutu on her head, but she's otherwise acting normal enough. A guy with blue hair is digging a hole, with his friends standing around him exasperatedly, though this is hardly new. Two girls, clearly twins, one red-haired and one black, are looking about a bit worriedly, though the red-haired one just seems to be copying the black-haired one more than anything else. And you all know Kiesthisi - the drug King of the school. He's standing there now in a haze of drugs, oddly alone, looking all the more impressive for it.
The Prince Amaranthsi Fan Club is of course out in force, too, though there's no sign of the prince himself.
The two new girls, Volshikana and Midoriki Hano, are nearby too. They're a bit of a mystery - nobody's really sure where they came from, or if they're even iera - they might even be _deresi_, the whispers go. Whatever the case, they're both beautiful, with incredibly ornate hair, ridiculous accessories, and huge eyes. The huge eyes are key, somehow.
And they won't tell anyone anything.
Apheori (GM): Kiesthisi's haze looks almost like a crown from some angles.
Gaurav: ... when you say "tutu ON her head" ... ?
Ganelon: "Drug King" sounds more criminal than the reality of it.
Frezak (GM): Yeah.
Apheori (GM): XD
Frezak (GM): Chemical Baron
Rhu is practicing Wushu with some other students from the Wushu club. It's all swishy ribbons and random jumping off things, either a tree trunk or a school wall, whatever's more convenient.
Apheori (GM): Kiesthisi Nitheriyamatha is a third-year student at Sa Karana High, and he is the drug King of the entire school, the height of cool, the go-to man for parties, enjoyment, and philosophical enlightenment alike. Also diet fads, for whatever reason, though he knows less about those than people tend to expect.
I might as well just tell you since RAHB didn't show.
Ganelon: I'd shake my fist at him if he had!
Apheori (GM): Can we change your names to the names in the dream?
Ganasi Miri is practicing Wushu with some other students from the Wushu club. It's all swishy ribbons and random jumping off things, either a tree trunk or a school wall, whatever's more convenient.
Apheori (GM) cackles.
Frezak (GM): REmind me of the AS command, Gan.
Ganelon: It's really that simple.
"/as Name words words words"
GMs only.
Frezak (GM): Yesh, but brackets? parentheses?
Ganelon: Well I've not been a GM to test it.
Apheori (GM): I'ma just change the names for now. >.>
Frezak (GM): Let's see.
Ganasi: I just renamed Rhu in the character screen. Seems to work.
Gaurav: OOC
it's confusing because our names are so similar
Hieron: n Maranthana) Yo
Frezak (GM): gaah
Apheori (GM): Actually, yeah, changing the names seems good. BEcause icons.
Midoriki Hano whispers stuff.
Ganelon: Not to mention us players can't use /as.
Volshikana: Whisper whisper.
Midoriki Hano: Whisper!
Ganasi eyes the beautiful new girls from time to time. He doesn't understand how someone with large eyes can be beautiful, but there they are, being beautiful and large eyed all at once.
Midoriki Hano: I'm an anime schoolgirl _alien_, what.
Apheori (GM): How do you italicise? >.<
Ellemerr: With stars.
Frezak (GM): stars!
Ellemerr: sigh
Apheori (GM): Agh, seriously?
Ellemerr: Seriously. >.<
Apheori (GM): >.<
Ellemerr: I've ranted quite a bit about it already.
Apheori (GM): Yes.
Okay.
Okay, so Gravy's guy, whatever the hell his name is, the blue-haired one, is digging a hole. Rhu's guy is dancing about with clubmates.
What are Amadi and Radek doing? Radek had disappeared, but that doesn't mean much.
Frezak (GM): Hieron will dispense wisdom.
That is all hole related.
Apheori (GM): Actually, Rhu's is a girl for some reason.
Ellemerr: Standing. Looking around. Trying to keep her twin out of trouble, somehow.
Apheori (GM): The twin is still following you around copying everything you do.
Perception, then?
Frezak: Your friends are a bit tired of this, but humour you.
Gaurav: Excellent. The only Wushu-er I've known was a girl, so I can just play her.
Frezak (GM): Such friends.
Apheori (GM): One of them, a guy named Leaf, asks when you'll be done.
Ganelon: Well the first think Radek is going to do is instinctively attempt to stroke his beard.
Hieron: Never! But Even great works can be suspended.
Ganelon: And when the dismay passes from him realizing there isn't one, he'll turn it into an inferior ponderous chin-rubbing.
Ellemerr: Sure, perception.
rolling 1d20 + 8
(
11
)
+8
= 19
Frezak (GM): I actually stroke my invisible beard in real life.
Ganelon: Radek is used to having a real one.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: Looks like thing everyone's out here for is about to start.
It seems to involve the two... aliens?
Ganasi tells my friends I'll be back in a bit and sidles up to Gravy.
Amadi keeps observing.
Ganasi: (to Hieron) Psst, it's me.
(to Hieron) I mean, it's Rhu. How did we get here?
(To Frezak): You only vaguely know this guy.
(To Frezak): Er, girl.
(To Frezak): In fact she looks really, really normal.
Ganelon: So when you said I've disappeared...
(To Frezak): Which actually kind of stands out.
Ganelon: How literally?
Apheori (GM): That's really up to you. You could just be hiding on the other side of a shed, or temporarily invisible, or whatveer.
Pick one.
Gaurav: Hiding behind a shed with a giant rifle sticking out.
Hieron: Hello, friend! We come here every day through that gate over there.
Ganelon: Well apparently I've got a giant horde of minions chasing me around.
Hiding would be difficult.
Apheori (GM): That's why you disappeared.
Ganelon: He totally would for that reason, yes.
Apheori (GM): You can make yourself invisible for a round in order to get away from things.
Happy?
Ganasi: Ah, gotcha. (nods) I'll go look for our ... classmates, then.
Apheori (GM): The crowd of students seem to be quieting.
Hieron: Of course!
Ganelon: Then yeah, he'll try to use that to get somewhere hidden, and... from there, if possible, somewhere that he can see them for when they disperse.
Frezak (GM): Except Student Gravy who can't whisper.
Ganelon: And of course he'll be mumbling theories at himself all the while.
Apheori (GM): On a hill that is vaguely in front of everyone, the two possibly alien new girls are standing with the class presidents and headmaster.
Radek's guy is standing on the other side of a fence from most of the crowd, but he can see most of it fine.
Ganelon: I STEADY MY RIFLE (No I don't).
Gaurav: You totally should.
Frezak (GM): Radek looks down from on his Gnoll.
Apheori (GM): XD
Ganelon: I'm not turning this into an assassination until I have a reason to!
Apheori (GM): The headmaster does something of an intro speel you may or may not have been paying attention to.
Gaurav: Given that they are anime schoolgirls, if you try to aim at them, they'll vanish and appear standing behind you, tapping your shoulder to ask what's up.
Headmaster: Students of Sa Karana High!
Today is an auspicious day, for today we welcome two of our own.
Gaurav: Ganasi is definitely paying attention. The headmaster might be Radek!
Headmaster: Blah blah blah stuff reckoning blah stuff.
Ganelon: Nah, Gaurav.
Ellemerr: Considering her careful observation of everything, Amadi would listen too.
Frezak (GM): Waaaaaait, Reckoning?
Sounds a tad ominous.
Ganelon: If Radek was the headmaster, would he really be talking about people other than himself? In a positive manner?
Apheori (GM): ...he actually says that, at which point one of the class presidents steps forward and steals the megaphone.
Gaurav: I kinda want to watch this anime now. Any show where the principal says "blah" during a speech and where Greibel is King of Drugs is likely to be brilliant.
Ganelon: Then again, he might talk of reckonings.
President Danaitai : But seriously, folks, we've planned this festival for months, and we're having a festival!
Having two newcomers makes it that much better, but they're not the only reason we're here!
Gaurav: Gan: ah, if only Rhu had enough insight to suss that out.
President Danaitai : They're just a slightly better excuse than what we had before.
Volshikana: Which was nothing?
President Danaitai : Yes!
Come on, let's give them a hearty welcome!
Apheori (GM): As all the students start cheering, Volshikana and Midoriki Hano start arguing with each other.
You can totally try to listen in if you want. Or not. Or something.
Hieron: Yay! Woooo!
Frezak (GM): Gravy totally uses his Reality Analysis power.
Ellemerr: Listen!
Apheori (GM): Perception!
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+14+10
(
7
)
+14+10
= 31
MATRIX DECODING HOOOOO
Ellemerr: ... Y'know what, I'll go over and ask Hieron what they're saying, guessing that any diggers must have good hearing.
Ganelon: I
...Shall listen too*
Apheori (GM): Frezak: They're arguing about the reality of this. One is saying they need to stop it, that it's bad and stuff. The other, Volshikana or whatever, is saying they should maybe play it out.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+10 Perception
(
15
)
+10
= 25
Ellemerr: rolling 1d20 + 8
(
12
)
+8
= 20
Apheori (GM): Radek: Seems to be something about the reality of it.
Ellemerr: Though I do have ears of my own.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: Same
.
Frezak (GM): Gravy waves at them.
And yeah, will relay what he heard to anyone that asks him.
Headmaster throws his arms in the air surprisingly anticlimactically and casts a spell thing, and suddenly a whole lot of festival stuff, complete with snack booths, rides, and a very large rhino, appear behind him.
President Danaitai : Uh, yeah, PAAARTY.
Apheori (GM): You guys ask?
Ellemerr: Well, Amadi does. Or Akari Sudamanshintha does. Something.
Gaurav: Does we know what a rhino is?
Midoriki Hano: Eh, it's something you know what it is, and I'm just calling it a rhino.
Apheori (GM): Er, ooc.
Okay, so y'all coallesce on the blue-haired gravedigging protagonist guy.
Or something.
As everyone moves to head for the festival stuff.
Ganelon: Once my STALKERS are gone, sure.
Apheori (GM): And he relays what he heard.
And you have two... squirrels.
Squirrels.
One with black hair, one with red.
Ellemerr: Er.
Apheori (GM): Radek's guy evades the stalkers, but then they start crowding around this too after a bit.
Ellemerr: Am I a squirrel? shifty eyes
Apheori (GM): You look like her.
But with black hair.
And less crazy.
Ellemerr: >confused<
Apheori (GM): You're Amadi/
.
You, like everyone else EXCEPT Squirrel, just look a bit different.
Ellemerr: And in addition, there are squirrels?
I'm wary of the squirrels.
Apheori (GM): Er, sorry, no. >.<
I meant Squirrels.
Ellemerr: Oh!
Okay, right.
Now I'm less confused.
Radek grumbles.
Radek: ...I am trapped in a horrid nimbus of juvenile adoration. Please tell me at least one of you still has their senses intact.
Radek hesitates.
Radek: ...Or whatever passes for them among you, considering.
Apheori (GM): Okay, I renamed Radek.
He's the prince.
Ganelon: Thank you.
Apheori (GM): To clarify.
Amadi: I have two Squirrels.
The likelyhood of insanity is substantial.
Squirrel: This is all not real! Real insanity!
Amadi: Yes.
Ganasi: rolling d20 insight to identify radek
(
18
)
= 18
Gaurav: err, +8
Ganelon: 26?
Gaurav: I seem to have forgotten how to roll20
Apheori (GM): The Prince is definitely Radek.
Ganelon: Few others would use the phrase "horrid nimbus".
Apheori (GM): Also the two aliens are still arguing with each other. They also have really big boobs.
Ganasi: Um, yes. Nimbus. Right. Is that a rhino?
Apheori (GM): Are you guys just standing there, all moving toward the festival, or going somewhere else?
Ellemerr: I wanna talk with the girls.
Frezak (GM): Lacking anything to do, Gravy will just follow his friends.
Ganelon: I... have no intention to move towards it, but if anyone else is stringing the group forwards then I don't mind.
Right now, just being around them is fine.
Gaurav: ^ same
Apheori (GM): The drug King, Kiesthisi, goes up to Amadi and offers her a toke.
Gravy and his friends are headed for the festival.
Akari: ... I'm going to talk. To... those things.
Don't get too lost.
Akari accepts the toke (whatever that even is) and puts it in her hair, before walking towards the aliens.
Apheori (GM): Kiesthisi follows, humming a strange tune.
Ganasi follows Akari, but he keeps getting distracted and keeps glancing at the rhino.
Apheori (GM): Gravy's going with his group of school friends into the thing itself.
Radek goes which way?
Ganelon: To listen to... those things.
Apheori (GM): Okay.
Ganelon: On the way he'll attempt magic.
Just to see if it works right.
Nothing dramatic.
Apheori (GM): Hieron Maranthana - you follow your friends and immediately one gets distracted by a girl he has a crush on and runs off. You let him go?
Amaranthsi-Radek: D20 and arcana.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20
(
7
)
= 7
rolling 1d20+16 Arcana
(
10
)
+16
= 26
Apheori (GM): The magic doesn't exactly work. You suppose it could just be a thing with the... what is this, a dream? But you can adjust for it without too much trouble. The cephalopod is very clear on this.
Somehow.
Ganelon: Good to know.
And this better not be a dream!
He hates those!
Apheori (GM): Well, dreams don't usually happen in real time. Or with other people...
You can try to identify it.
Ganelon: ...Sure, why not.
Apheori (GM): Arcana
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+16
(
15
)
+16
= 31
Apheori (GM): It is a dream, sort of, but more like a VR than a dream itself. You've been hijacked into something, and there's no indication of what by at all.
Normally there'd be an interface.
Frezak (GM): Gravy carefully hides the keyboard built into his shovel.
Apheori (GM): o.O
Ganelon: I'll work on a solution later, when we're not just standing around.
Or rather, standing up.
Let's go see what the anime babes want.
Gaurav: Later is when that rhino will charge into the crowd and kill us all.
Apheori (GM): Hieron (Gravy): Your friends wind up at the rhino. It seems very unhappy, and people are trying to ride it. This makes it even more unhappy.
Ganelon: It'll kill a lot more people before us!
Akari stops before the aliens.
Akari: Hi.
Apheori (GM): Everyone else: You go up to the anime babes.
Volshikana: Uh... hi.
Midoriki Hano: Don't talk to them, you fool!
Hieron: PLease leave the poor thing alone. It's not happy.
Frezak (GM): Can I... Nature the Rhino?
Apheori (GM): NAture the rhino!
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+11
(
6
)
+11
= 17
Apheori (GM): Some people seem disappointed at this, others seem supportive, and your friends try to get you to ride it.
Akari: (to the aliens, in response to Hano) Why should I not talk to you?
Apheori (GM): Whatever the case, you wind up ushered up to it, and check it out.
It looks like a very large specimin of its species, and is apparently not real.
Gaurav: Huh.
Apheori (GM): Sorry, Hano was talking to Volshikana when she said that. Do you still respond thus? >.<
Hieron: Okay, who put the fake Rhino here? If you're going to make a fake Rhino, at least make it a happy one!
Ellemerr: Change to "Why should you not talk to me?"
Apheori (GM): Aiight.
Hieron: The handler person tells you you need to ride it to make it happy.
Midoriki Hano: You're... not real.
(to Amadi)
Ganasi: (to Midoriki) Yes, we know.
Amaranthsi: ...Don't listen to him. We are not constructs of this simulation.
Midoriki Hano looks at Ganasi and frowns curiously.
Frezak (GM): I would like to INsight the Handlerman
Midoriki Hano: You... you look familiar.
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+4
(
10
)
+4
= 14
Volshikana smacks Midoriki.
Amaranthsi: I assume neither are the two of you.
Volshikana: (to Amaranthsi) Yeah. Not really sure what happened there.
You all all right?
Amaranthsi: ...In some ways.
Amaranthsi silently mourns his beard.
Akari: It is very strange. I'd ask if this is what dreaming is like for other people, but of course it isn't.
Volshikana: Frezak: Handler guy is a nerd from the second year, he seems to mean well enough, and you're not sure what he was actually thinking with any of this, aside from 'giant rhinosare cool'.
Apheori (GM): Er, ooc.
Radek's poor beard. I guess I'm holding it hostage until this all gets worked out.
Amaranthsi: The others are recognizable enough. Under the circumstances... I take it you are the god? One of you?
Volshikana: Yeah.
Hi.
Midoriki Hano: (to Volshikana) What did you do?
Volshikana: I didn't do anything.
Did I?
Amaranthsi: ...Troubling that you couldn't escape this.
Ganasi: rolling d20+10 religion check on the two "gods"
(
6
)
+10
= 16
Gaurav: No idea if i can actually religion check in this dream, but I'm going to try.
Volshikana: (indicating Hano) More troubling that he's here, really.
Ellemerr: I'm gonna stare hard at Hano and try to figure out who he is.
Apheori (GM): Rhu: They have really massive boobs.
People could form religions around those alone.
RELIGION!
Gaurav: Rhu is regrettably an ass-man and these boobs mean nothing to him.
Ooo.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: Religion.
Gaurav: Maybe they will some day.
Midoriki Hano: This is not my dream.
Ellemerr: Considering my character, my religion is really low. xD
rolling 1d20 + 7
(
14
)
+7
= 21
Frezak (GM): Ellemerr, roll Boobs.
Midoriki Hano: ROLL BOOBS.
Er, ooc.
Gaurav: No no she
Ellemerr: You sure he didn't just shout that?
Frezak (GM): NO THAT WAS IC
TOTALLY IC
Gaurav: should say that
Apheori (GM): No that isn't!
The other one might yell that, but not Hano.
Ellemerr: Snrk
(To Ellemerr): Hano is Hazz. Volshikana is Kyrule.
Ganelon: BRB.
Akari: (to Hano) Well, of course it isn't. If it was yours it would've been boring.
Midoriki Hano gives Akari a long, unimpressed look.
Volshikana: Where'd the Gravedigger run off to? He looks like a protagonist.
(to Radek) Also, nice gaggle.
Akari nods in agreement.
Apheori (GM): You still have a bit of a crowd of fan club around you, watching intently.
Frezak: You insighted the handler. What next?
Frezak (GM): I will leave in disgust!
Amaranthsi frowns.
Amaranthsi: Yes, it is very persistent.
Apheori (GM): Hieron stomps off in disgust, holding his shovel prominently.
Two of his friends follow.
Ganelon: So he's a blue-haired guy, but is it spiky?
Apheori (GM): Any interest in anything being there?
It's lush and perfect.
Frezak (GM): Food!
Ganelon: A protagonist without spiky hair?
Apheori (GM): There's stalls with a lot of food. Gather some up?
Ganelon: Suspicious.
Frezak (GM): Yesss
Apheori (GM): They can't always have spikey hair@
Ganelon: Actually it's more telling of the genre than anything.
Frezak (GM): Gravy is a big active person and needs nourishment.
Apheori (GM): Frezak gathers up a whole lot of food and winds up in a pie eating contest against his friends and the girl with the tutu on her head.
Ganelon: If he had spiky hair and goggles we could be certain that it'd be all about fighting the forces of unambiguous evil with the power of friendship.
Apheori (GM): Er, his guy.
Volshikana: Hmm.
Gaurav: We don't need the power of friendship, we have the power of hitting things really hard.
Apheori (GM): Th gaggle of fan club watches excitedly. Rarely are they actually aknowledged.
Frezak (GM): Gravy is certain in his dominion over pies
Ganasi: (to random/prettiest member of gaggle) So you guys are like, his fans or something?
Midoriki Hano: Oh, please.
Midoriki Hano stomps forward toward them, then suddenly explodes in a mass of tentacles shooting out in every direction, reaching toward all of them, all at once.
Apheori (GM): The fan club scatters. The rest of you are probably a bit put off by this too.
Ganasi screams.
Frezak (GM): IN JOY
AND EXTASY
AND LOVE
Akari: (mumbles) ... Show-off.
Amaranthsi jumps a bit, admittedly.
Gaurav: In surprise tentacles, mostly.
Apheori (GM): A moment later all the tentacls are gone and Hano is just standing there looking big-boobed and grumpy.
Volshikana: Heheh.
Amaranthsi: ...E-effective.
Akari: Not really.
Ganasi: I .. but .. that ... you ...
Squirrel: Boob!
Boobs!
Ganelon: Hey, they are gone.
Squirrel jumps on Hano and starts fondling her boobs.
Ganasi: It's you. You're here! You ... hey, get off my god!
Akari smirks.
Ganelon: This really is pretty anime.
Ellemerr: I'm sure we could sell it for profit.
Midoriki Hano twitches angrily and then pushes Squirrel away with one hand, holding her back while the midget tries to swipe at her with too-short arms.
Apheori (GM): As for Gravy...
The first round of pies disappears without incident. Some sort of berry.
The second round of pies... you're not sure what they are.
Nature, please.
Ganasi hopes Senpai Midoriki will notice him.
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+11
(
6
)
+11
= 17
Ganelon: They're schnozberries.
Frezak (GM): Jeez, terrible rolls again.
Ganasi: (to Amaranthsi) You don't have a camera or something, do you? I'd like to take a picture of this.
Amaranthsi sighs.
Ganelon: The tablet should be capable of that, yeah?
Apheori (GM): Frezak: It might be meat. You are reeeeally not sure. Eat?
One of your friends balked at it and dropped out.
Tutu girl already finished.
Ganelon: Meat pies?
Savoury and sweet pies?
Apheori (GM): Yes.
Gaurav: Presumably he turned green and riddled off screen with funky sound effects.
Frezak (GM): Hellls yeah
Apheori (GM): Radek: You have a tablet, but it's different from your real one. You don't know if anything done here will persist.
You could arcana to try to find out.
Ganelon: Sure!
Apheori (GM): Hieron eats the pie, along with his other friend. Third round!
Ganelon: But he'll take a picture either way because Rhu will get all depressed and annoying if he doesn't.
Apheori (GM): Third round is pies stacked on top of each other. You each get a piepiepie.
Frezak (GM): And then the eggs hatch!
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+16 Arcana
(
2
)
+16
= 18
Alas!
Apheori (GM): Shrug.
Frezak (GM): Alack!
Volshikana wraps an arm around Hano and poses for the picture, putting up bunny ears behind her head.
Midoriki Hano hisses irritably.
Amaranthsi still attempts the taking of a picture, if he can at least figure out how to operate the thing. He scowls the whole way through.
Volshikana: Oh, cheer up.
Gaurav: Amaranthsi hands Ganasi a photo of his own scowling face.
Volshikana: This isn't the end of the world.
Amaranthsi: You're certain of that?
Akari: There'd be more bunnies if it was.
Midoriki Hano: This is literally the end of the world, you fool! You call yourself King, part of the Dark Sister's elaborate network, and then you just sit back and party?!
Volshikana: I'm pretty certain, yes.
Akari looks around warily, as if afraid that bunnies might spring from nowhere.
Volshikana: Aside from the lack of bunnies, there would also be, well... hmm.
Volshikana looks around.
Volshikana: Well, something, anyway.
Ganasi: rolling d20+10 religion check on "Dark Sister"
(
20
)
+10
= 30
Midoriki Hano: Then what is this?
Volshikana: Radek, what is this?
Apheori (GM): Hmm.
What does Rhu know?
Gaurav: Not much. He's only just (like a few days ago) worked out that they were in a different universe from where they started.
Ganelon: What is what?
Gaurav: Maybe the bunnies all think they're anime school kids?
Ganelon: This WORLD?
Apheori (GM): The Dark Sister, also known as the Founder and the Architect, is the one who created the network named universes. Hazz'ridan is not a part of that, but he does interact with them on a fairly regular basis due to a bit of an overlap.
You're not sure how you know this, but apparently you do.
Gan: Sure.
Ganelon: He probably read it on a wiki-surf starting with Hazz'ridan.
(From Ellemerr): Where does Amadi and her ilk figure in this?
Gaurav: Okay. He can deal with that.
(To Ellemerr): Amadi and her ilk ARE the Dark Sister.
Amaranthsi: To my understanding, we have been forced inside a simulation.
Volshikana nods.
Volshikana: Constructed as some form of dream form, I'd suppose. I have experience with similar, though that is both more... and less.
Amaranthsi: It possesses dreamlike qualities, yes, but of course it is not one. I do not dream.
(From Ellemerr): I thought that might be the case. Oh dear.
Apheori (GM) cackles.
Akari suppresses a laugh into a sort of snort.
Amaranthsi narrows his eyes - not at anyone in particular.
Amaranthsi: The lack of an interface is concerning. It may be intended to keep us here indefinitely.
Apheori (GM): Gravy: You ate the stacked pie, right?
Frezak (GM): Yyyyyep
Volshikana: Not necessarily. In the Book, there isn't really an interface either, normally.
Except why we would even be here... perhaps it is trying to stop us from reaching the hole?
Ganasi: What would an interface look like?
Midoriki Hano: What hole?
Volshikana: Sanessee.
Midoriki Hano: When?
Volshikana: Then, of course.
Midoriki Hano: Then how...
Volshikana grins slowly.
Volshikana pokes Hano in the boob.
Ganelon: Indicating the answer to her unspoken question, obviously.
Midoriki Hano: You are enjoying this entirely too much.
Apheori (GM): Frezak: Next pie is a chicken. Literally, they just slapped a fried chicken down in front of you.
Akari: Oh, you're such a boob.
Ellemerr: That's directed at Hano.
Volshikana: Isn't she?
Amaranthsi rolls his eyes.
Ganelon: Radek holds the gods to a very high standard.
Such as being responsible.
It's therefore unsurprising that he doesn't like any of them.
Well... that he knows.
Hieron: Excuse me! This isn't a pie!
Volshikana does an impression of the teacher in DearS, fondling and juggling her own boobs, complete with 'ooing' and squeaking noises.
Hieron: I can tell!
Gaurav: ^ http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/dears/images/b/bb/Dears-MitsukaBounce_640w.gif/revision/latest?cb=20110730235133
Apheori (GM): It's a little like that.
Hieron!
The contest person asks if you have a problem with that.
Amaranthsi crosses his arms and turns his back. How /crass/.
Volshikana stops and bursts out laughing.
Volshikana: Oh, come on. It's anime!
Live a little.
Akari: ... I wonder what sleep would be like here. Anime dreams aren't pretty, in my experience.
Volshikana: I wouldn't advise it. There might be tentacles.
Akari grins a little.
Akari: Some of you should try. Just to make sure.
Ganelon: Sorry, Names, but Radek's all business.
Hieron: Yes. It's a pie eating contest. If someone asks you to bury a body, you don't dump a corpse in a cannon, fire it, and call it a day. Who is the manager here? I have rights!
Ganelon: Or at least, his definition of "pleasure" is often dangerously irresponsible and unethical sciences.
Midoriki Hano wraps a surreptitious tentacle around Volshikana's shoulders.
Ganelon: Certainly not...
Ganelon turns up his nose.
Ganelon: Boob juggling.
Apheori (GM): The guy asks Hieron if he'd like to bury the chicken.
Ganelon: ...I just realized, if this is the general sentiment, I'm going to be working on a way out of here... teamed up with the personification of Hazz'ridan.
We're doomed.
Apheori (GM) cackles.
Gaurav: With the powers of tentacles and science combined, we can't lose!
Volshikana: (swatting away the tentacle) Okay, yes, you're right. We do need to sort this out.
Hieron: No! This is a contest! I am contesting! There are rules, you know! You can't get away by breaking the rules!
Ganelon: Tentacles and OBSTRUCTED PROGRESS.
Gaurav: Wait, if we've all realised he's Hazz, how come Amadi hasn't punched him in the nose again?
Ganelon: She still has time.
Ellemerr: Heeeee
Gaurav: There are precious minutes of Hazz' punching that are passing her by.
There is nothing sadder than missing all the god-punches that might have been.
Pie guy: (leaning forward at Hieron) The rules... are what I make them.
Apheori (GM): Hieron: Your other friend dropped out, so they're both cheering you on now. You just have tutu girl against you.
She already finished her chicken.
Hieron: And when rules are broken, bad things happen to bad people!
Pie guy: So eat your pie.
Frezak (GM): His eyes are slightly unfocused.
Pie guy: Or conceeeeeed.
Ganelon: Geez, Gravy, just because you started a religion doesn't mean you have to get all paladin on us.
Gaurav: By the rules of Anime, tutu girl is clearly Gravy's love interest.
Ganelon: Forget the rules and devour that chicken!
Akari suddenly shouts
Akari: This carnival is not well-oiled!
Ganasi jumps.
Hieron: This issssn't a p-p-pie
Frezak (GM): Hieron jerks upright
Assuming he was seated.
Akari decides to ignore the others and go towards Hieron. If he's far away, she'll run.
Pie guy: Piiiiiie.
Apheori (GM): Amadi runs off, finds the drug guy in the process, and they both wind up behing Hieron.
Frezak (GM): Gravy grabs the table and tries to smash the Pie guy.
Gaurav: Are we sure Pie guy isn't a god too?
Apheori (GM): Greibel's guy blows a cloud of drug smoke on Hieron.
Hieron: Badthingstobadpeoplebadthingstobadpeoplebadthings
Greibel: Go with the flloooow, man.
Ganelon: ...Do you still have your giant strength?
Apheori (GM): Yeah.
The table flips, flies into the pie guy, and sends bits of pie plate everywhere.
Akari cheers loudly.
Apheori (GM): A whole lot of stuffed animals go flying too.
Hieron's friends also cheer.
Greibel: Yeaaah, man.
Greibel starts choking.
Apheori (GM) wanders off.
Greibel wanders off.
Frezak (GM): Gravy will leap at the Pie Guy as soon as there isn't a table in the way
Amaranthsi glances off in the direction Akari left. He doesn't even need to see the chaos to know that it's going to happen.
Apheori (GM): He leaps, winds up on top of pie guy and table.
Frezak (GM): And try to get hold of his face/head
Akari chants,
Akari: Consequences! Consequences!
Apheori (GM): You succeed, no trouble.
Ganelon: Is this about to get really dark?
Volshikana: Well. Shall we see how this plays out?
Frezak (GM): And try to bash the guy's head against the floor over and over again while babbling on the theme of Bad THings and Bad People
Ganelon: Yyyyep.
Amaranthsi: Time is still advancing in the real world.
Ganasi notices the fighting breaking out and runs over to help.
Apheori (GM): The squid gibbers.
Frezak: d20.
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20
(
19
)
= 19
Apheori (GM): People around are starting to notice, and they're screaming. Nobody actually explicitly does anything.
Amaranthsi attempts mental communication with the squid - nothing complex, just a bit of prodding to see whether he can elicit a response.
Apheori (GM): Hieron's friends are no longer excited. Tutu girl is bugging her eyes out at it.
Radek: Arcana.
Amaranthsi: rolling 1d20+16
(
20
)
+16
= 36
Ganelon: BOOM
Frezak (GM): He's gonna keep smashing until he doesn't have much to hold on to.
Apheori (GM): Gravy: You bash the guy's head. It breaks his skull and continues to break and blood and stuff flies everywhere.
Frezak (GM): ONce he's holding mush he'll stop and look down.
And then start gibbering again and try to run away with the body
Apheori (GM): Radek: Yeah, you get a bit of a response. A sort of sense of the thoughts, the time, the worry.
Hieron: Can'tbefoundcantbeseencantbehearddon'ttelldon'tspeakspeakspeak
Apheori (GM): Frezak: The guy still has table on his legs, though you could stop and move it, or strength to yank it out.
The people around are utterly horrified, not even saying anything.
Ganelon: You're a good friend, squiddie. I'm glad I didn't turn you into magic dust.
Frezak (GM): He'll just pull at the bit he has to hand and run, even if he doesn't have a full body with him
A torso will do.
Apheori (GM): Strength.
Akari follows Hieron, now silent. If he looks in her direction, she'll smile encouragingly.
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+4+3
(
17
)
+4+3
= 24
Gaurav: Should we be trying to stop Gravy tearing this reality apart? Or is that what we want, given its unreality?
Frezak (GM): Gravy won't actually look at anyone. Won't register anyone he sees, either
Amaranthsi nods to himself and sticks with Volshikana, if she really wants to observe this mess.
Amaranthsi: Mm. I am still in contact with my cephalopod companion.
Apheori (GM): Volshikana and Hano come up, probably accompanied by all the other PCs?
To Gravy-dream.
Guy.
Hieron: Hidehideittheysaid
Gaurav: Crazy-Gravy is pretty scary
Apheori (GM): Gravy: You wind up with an arm and a chunk of torso and try to run off, but how do grabs work?
Hieron: Don'ttelldon'ttell make it up
Apheori (GM): Hano tries to grab you.
Frezak (GM): It's a... Strength roll against... reflex?
Volshikana: Your bodies are still there. Mine isn't, which I suppose might make sense. Theirs is, though. (indicating Amadi and Squirrel)
(to Radek)
Apheori (GM): What's the strength of a tentacular god as an anime schoolgirl?
Gaurav: Aren't octopuses really strong?
Apheori (GM): rolling 1d20 + 20 vs reflex?
(
12
)
+20
= 32
Pfft.
Akari tries to bat Hano away.
Ganelon: Well, 20 is like... someone's entire reflex defense on its own.
Apheori (GM): That was a bit extreme.
Yes.
Ganelon: That said.
Apheori (GM): Make it +10 and it still works.
Ganelon: 20 is also a reasonable to-hit from a strong guy who is level 30.
Kinda low, actually.
In 4E, level counts for a lot.
Apheori (GM): Either way, Hieron gets grabbed by anime schoolgirl.
Frezak (GM): If Gravy is grabbed he'll automatically try to... well, gore. But no horns so he'll try to headbutt, I suppose.
Amaranthsi: ...What's wrong with him?
Akari punches Hano's nose.
Volshikana: Perhaps it's a reaction to the dream? Tried to push him in a direction contrary to his nature...
Apheori (GM): Gravy: Do it. Roll or whatever?
Akari: Roll. >.>
Akari: rolling 1d20
(
17
)
= 17
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+13
(
13
)
+13
= 26
AC
Apheori (GM): What would the bonus be on Amadi's?
Ellemerr: I don't even know. xD If it's str it's pretty low.
Ganelon: Minimum +2.
Ellemerr: Her str is 10, so it's just the level mod, yeah.
Ganelon: Then +3.
Frezak (GM): +3 on amadi's Str
Ellemerr: Oh, right.
Yes.
Ganelon: And add another +2 from attacking someone who didn't expect it, if they... well, didn't expect it.
Apheori (GM): Amadi misses. Gravy headbutts.
Though it really doesn't do anything.
Frezak (GM): Rolling... Atheltics to try to escape.
Apheori (GM): Frezak: You wind up with a head full of boobs. They're very squishy.
Frezak (GM): Delightful!
Apheori (GM): Rhu should fondle his god's boobs.
Frezak (GM): He'll... hold the corpse in one hand and use the other to try to grab Hano by the head/throat
Which shouldn't be a problem if his head is being squished.
Muffled gibberings.
Amaranthsi: (To Hano) Do you have this under control?
Gaurav: Um.
That would be extremely disrespectful.
Midoriki Hano attempts to bring Hieron under control by grabbing his head right back
Apheori (GM): You both have each other's heads.
Frezak (GM): Hieron is bigger, yeah?
Apheori (GM): Pretty similar.
Gaurav: But Midoriki is a god, even if she doesn't look like one.
Akari kicks Hano on the shin - probably not very hard, if not for lack of trying.
Volshikana: (to Amadi) Hey, not now.
We need to calm him down somehow.
And I'm a little concerned about using my... usual methods in a place like this.
Akari blinks at Volshikana.
Akari: We do?
Volshikana: Yes.
Akari: ... And this is the best way?
Akari looks very doubtful.
Frezak (GM): He'll grab her by the leg and lurch backwards, trying to toss Hano over his back.
Dropping the corpse to get the second hand, of course.
Volshikana: Well, no. I think he's just trying to keep him put for now.
Or... something?
Apheori (GM): Roll.
Ganelon: Suplex the god!
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+11
(
10
)
+11
= 21
Minotaur Suplex!
Akari: Oh, please.
Akari rolls her eyes.
Apheori (GM): This doesn't entirely work, though she does lose her hold on you.
Akari: How about just letting him dig it off?
Frezak (GM): As soon as he's free he'll try to grab the corpse and run again
Volshikana: He's not digging.
HOLD.
Apheori (GM): Her voice booms everywhere, and everything stops.
Aside from Amadi, Radek, Hano, and herself.
It's all just frozen mid-whatever.
Akari huffs and taps her foot.
Ellemerr: Crossed arms. All that stuff.
Midoriki Hano walks over to where Gravy had gotten (a few feet away) and then pushes him over.
Ellemerr: http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/150/f/2014/224/7/6/ic_huff_by_insaincat1111-d7uwgav.jpg
Apheori (GM): Heh.
Volshikana: Okay, I don't know about you guys, but I am having serious difficulty concentrating. On anything.
Midoriki Hano gestures vaguely at Rhu's gal and suddenly she resumes moving as well.
Ganelon: Is that true?
Are we having trouble concentrating?
Apheori (GM): Naw, you're basically fine, aside from some weird dreaminess.
Ganelon: Accursed dreaminess!
Apheori (GM): And the general knowledge of dream stuff.
But when it comes to thinking, it's all doable just fine.
You may not be at your best, but it's been a long day anyhow.
Ganasi steps up to try to stop Hieron escaping, but is surprised to find him lying on the ground.
Amaranthsi: ...That's unusual. My thoughts are largely unobstructed.
Amaranthsi gestures to Gravy.
Amaranthsi: ...Distractions aside.
Midoriki Hano: (to Volshikana) I feel the same, and it is very... aggravating.
Volshikana: Strange.
Ganelon: Oh boo hoo, Hazz.
Having trouble thinking about stuff?
Apheori (GM): Gravy: You can move again.
Akari grins gleefully.
Apheori (GM): You are no longer frozen.
Ganelon: Are your thoughts hitting a DEAD. END?
HMMMMM?
Midoriki Hano gives Amaranthsi a withering look.
Apheori (GM): What does Hieron do?
Frezak (GM): Scramble for the remains of the Pie Guy
Apheori (GM): Where's Hieron's shovel?
Frezak (GM): Back at the pie eating stall, I think.
Volshikana runs and grabs the shovel.
Midoriki Hano wraps Hieron in tentacles before he can run off again, with only his head poking out.
Apheori (GM): So there's basically this schoolgirl, with black tentacles coming out her front, with a head sticking out?
Frezak (GM): Gibbering and thrashing is on the cards, I think.
Midoriki Hano: Shut. Up.
Midoriki Hano squeezes a bit.
Gaurav: What is left of the Pie Guy?
Apheori (GM): There was the chunk Gravy ran off with.
Ganelon: I'll give his best friend (Amadi) a chance to try and resolve this before doing anything, but if she won't...
I'll approach him instead.
Volshikana hands Amadi the shovel.
Volshikana pushes Amadi toward them.
Volshikana 's voice booms again, this time saying 'Release' and everyone else resumes again as well. Mostly panicking. And fleeing. And being all horrified and stuff.
Akari bonks Hieron lightly on the head with his shovel. If she accidentially pokes Hano with the shovel as well, no loss.
Akari: Hey. HEY! Gravy! You in there? HELLOOOOO?
Gaurav: What're the teachers doing?
Apheori (GM): Perception.
Gaurav: Or that class president dude, he's probably more competent than the staff.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+10 Perception
(
12
)
+10
= 22
I'm concerned about that, too.
Frezak (GM): I don't think Gravy is registering language at present.
Gaurav: rolling d20+15 perception check on adults in the area
(
2
)
+15
= 17
Apheori (GM): Rhu: It's all a mess.
Radek: They're trying to calm the mess, and especially to get everyone else away from you all.
Gaurav: Good. We are kind of dangerous.
Frezak (GM): Naaaah
Volshikana holds out a hand and seems to be doing some sort of magic or sensy stuff or whatever.
Midoriki Hano sticks a tentacle right in Hieon's head.
Frezak (GM): AAaaaaagh
Akari: That's a little excessive, don't you think?
Gaurav: We could try to use a Heal attack to knock him out. Didn't we try that on Dave back when we were fighting the sphinx?
Apheori (GM): Hieron tenses up and just completely stops moving at that point.
Midoriki Hano: He will not be silent!
Frezak (GM): I don't think he can get any more tense, to be honest.
Apheori (GM): Hmm.
Rigidly tense.
OR... maybe.
Akari: So?
Apheori (GM): Well, Volshikana stops what she was doing and comes over as well.
Volshikana: Hey, hey, calm down.
Amaranthsi: I take it he's not thinking rationally anymore.
Amaranthsi is still looking in the crowds' direction.
Amaranthsi: The others won't bother us, for a while. I still recommend we resolve the problem soon, or relocate.
Midoriki Hano: (a bit more calmly) He doesn't seem to be thinking at all.
Volshikana: Can you tell what's wrong with him? Exactly?
The madness, the corruption that entered him so innocuously from the first hole, it has finally taken hold.
Akari: Well, he's stuck, ain't he?
Midoriki Hano: The madness, the corruption that entered him so innocuously from the first hole, it has finally taken hold.
Apheori (GM): NOT VOLSHIKANA.
SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT BIT.
Midoriki Hano: You need to GET HIM OUT OF HERE.
Volshikana: We need to get all of us out of here.
Ganelon: OH!
Volshikana: Before we lose ourselves.
Ganelon: LOVELY!
Akari: Some of us did that a long time ago.
It's not so bad.
Volshikana gives Amadi a worried look.
Amaranthsi shoots a glare at Akari.
Amaranthsi: Unacceptable.
Volshikana: You did not think that at the time.
Ganasi: How did we even get here?
Didn't we leave Dave behind as an anchor? Can't we use that something/
somehow*
Akari shrugs.
Akari: Am I not allowed to change?
Akari points to Gravy.
Akari: He did. He should again.
Volshikana: That was the anchor from the time and place at Sanessee, but that was for our bodies, not our minds.
Midoriki Hano wiggles the tentacle about.
Midoriki Hano: Yes, he does need to change.
Akari glares at Hano.
Apheori (GM): Hieron jiggles a bit.
Amaranthsi: ...Would you perhaps be able to use a mad squid?
Akari: Not your sort.
Ganasi: Yes. Okay. Good. Next time we should remember to leave a mind anchor behind too. Brilliant. Don't know why we didn't think of that.
Akari: I don't know about squids. Maybe?
Volshikana: We need ideas. There are things I could do, but I fear to actually try them now, because once done, they will not likely work again.
Akari: We should... wake him.
Akari shudders a little.
Akari: I'm not sure I know how to.
Volshikana: Using the squid, can you communicate?
Amaranthsi: In a limited fashion.
It is difficult to relate concepts to the creature, though I suspect it does possess intelligence.
Volshikana: Hazz'ridan.
Kill him.
Ganelon: Or I hope it does, anyway.
Akari: Excuse me?!
Ganelon: WHOA WHOA WHO
Gaurav: Does Rhu still have his Mask of furry true sight? Or did we leave our possessions behind?
Frezak (GM): Cripes!
Apheori (GM): No mask.
Amaranthsi: ...What?
Midoriki Hano: Are you... sure?
Volshikana: No. But he is already as good as gone. And maybe that will get him out.
Apheori (GM): Radek: This is your time to... uh... come up with something better.
>.>
Or Amadi.
Ganelon: Um...
Akari: If it doesn't work, I'll - I'll kill you right back. Or worse! I can do worse.
Wouldn't it be enough to just bury him?
Gaurav: Does Amadi have a mental connection with Dave?
Akari mumbles to herself, sort of as an afterthought,
Akari: I could do worse...
Apheori (GM): Yeah, she does if she wants to.
Volshikana: Bury him in what, the dream?
Ganelon: Radek thinks!
As do I.
Ganasi: Whose dream is this anyway? Can we convince them to let us go somehow, and then try to treat Gravy in the real world?
Ganelon: So we're in a simulation and our bodies are intact. All that should be necessary is severing the connection between it and our heads, and we should get our heads back.
Apheori (GM): It's a lot darker out now. The sky has gone overcast, grey clouds hanging low with the promise of rain. Pretty much everyone else has gone, for whatever reason.
Akari: It's not mine.
I mean... it's not even a dream.
Not a proper one.
Ganelon: Unless this is like our brains have been put in the sim rather than just connected to it.
Then we'd just be trapped forever.
Apheori (GM): Maybe.
Frezak (GM): Eh, the gods are in here.
I don't think that they have bodies in the way we do?
As in brains and all that.
It's them!
Ganelon: Well.
Frezak (GM): It's all their fault!
Apheori (GM): Yeah, one them said how they just sort of wound up here, no bodies left behind.
Gaurav: Can they use that Dark Sister Network thing to call for help?
Ganelon: This is going to sound incredibly callous, but I could always use Rhu as a guinea pig and see what happens.
Frezak (GM): Can they try to sleep?
Gaurav: That is his job in this party, yes.
Amaranthsi: ...Wait. Tell me about this "book". Is it responsible for our circumstances?
Ganelon: I know we've encountered it before.
Though I think I messed up the reading of it.
Apheori (GM): Amadi: You might still have access to all the random stuff in your pockets.
Being... in your pockets.
Which don't entirely exist to begin with.
Akari: Maybe if... if there was more of me... I mean...
Akari trails off, looking anxious, and then suddenly looking panic-stricken around for the two Squirrels.
Volshikana: The Book of Dreams...
Gaurav: Amadi: Empty your pockets.
Volshikana: You had a copy, once. But with that, the way I came to use it, I would open it, and it would take me... places...
But at first, all it was was words. Words take you places, too. There may be a connection.
If I just could think straight!
Ganasi: What would happen if we tried to open a Hole in here?
Apheori (GM): A Squirrel suddenly appears and stares Amadi in the face.
Ganelon: We could... tell a story and see where we end up?
Gods, don't count on Radek for that one.
Gaurav: If nothing else, that would attract all the sphinxes in the area. Of which there are probably none.
Remember Gravy's digging-a-hole-in-the-fabric-of-reality trick? Do you think that would work if it was one of us doing it?
Akari calms immediately and starts digging through her pockets, throwing out... sandwiches, of course; but also a stuffed wyvern, several sporks, butterfly jewellery, a microphone, some anime DvDs, a long letter to Sandy Claws, a shorter letter to Santa Claus, some broken glasses, a bowl of cereal, and anything else the GM wants, of course.
Apheori (GM): Amadi also pulls out a glob of porridge, which looks suspiciously like Rasputin and bounces up onto her shoulder, two stale cookies, and an entirely blank book.
Ganelon: STUFFED WYVERN
YOU WILL BE MIIIINE
But not here.
Not today.
Akari pounces on the book and just looks at it for a bit, muttering under her breath, "Please be useful," before opening it on a random page.
Apheori (GM): Amadi: d20
Akari: rolling 1d20
(
13
)
= 13
Apheori (GM): Words appear on the page, slowly, as though the ink is coming up through many layers.
Frezak (GM): It says "Eat Me"
Apheori (GM): It says, "mw.loader.state('the_pope_is_an_atheist_woman_alien', 'missing');"
Frezak (GM) gasps.
Frezak (GM): The tongue of devils!
Gaurav: It says "Hello! My name is Tom Riddle, what's your name?"
Frezak (GM): It says "You are in a room"
Akari: ... I am not perfectly sure that's "useful".
Apheori (GM): The words disappear, and are replaced by a diagram of utter madness.
It literally seems to be mapping out madness. Madly.
Gaurav: Hmm.
Akari: Now we're getting somewhere!
Amaranthsi tries to read over her shoulder.
Gaurav: Does it have a little "You are here" sign with an arrow next to it?
Frezak (GM):
Akari: Squirrel, have a look at this.
Apheori (GM): Also Hazz hasn't killed Gravy yet, but she does seem to be losing patience. Slowly.
Squirrel looks and then almost immediately points at a spot on the map, but the spot keeps moving.
Squirrel: This. No, this. No, it keeps moving!
This!
Akari nods vigorously.
Ganelon: Can I... comprehend this at all?
Apheori (GM): I assume your will is above 13?
Ganelon: Yes.
'Tis 19.
(From Ellemerr): Not entirely sure what I should do with this, of course. It seems like the sort of thing Amadi would understand and use. Could she find the place? Is it a place here? Is it inside someones head?
Apheori (GM): Radek: d20 and arcana.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20
(
14
)
= 14
rolling 1d20+16
(
8
)
+16
= 24
(To Ellemerr): You can try to latch onto the point with your mind and hold it put.
Apheori (GM): Radek: You can see the map, and see it move, but mapping it TO anything is harder. Maybe if you had a bomb, you could blast to it...
Make it stay put through an appropriate application of force?
(From Ellemerr): I'll do that.
Ganelon: Bombs making things stay put?
Gaurav: Could Greibel have a look at the map?
Ganelon: He really must be going mad.
But aha! I DO have a bomb!
Akari stares hard at the point Squirrel is trying to pinpoint.
Apheori (GM): Greibel... seems to have wandered off with the locals.
Ganelon: As in, even if I don't have my tools, or the not-assembled superbomb, I have my 'bots!
And one of them violently explodes upon death.
(To Frezak): Actually Greibel already woke up and he's been drugging your character this whole time with hallucinogens.
Apheori (GM): Radek: I suggest trying to get an update on what's going on from the squid.
(From Frezak (GM)): Oh. uh, okay, I suppose.
(To Frezak): You just went mad on your own, didn't you? Was this what you expected? >.>
Ganelon: Sure!
Though I've not known it to be comprehensible in the past.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: I need... uh, d20 and arcana.
Ganelon: ...Hell, why not. I'll try to relate this maddening map to the mad squid.
Apheori (GM): Radek: More arcana.
(From Frezak (GM)): He went mad because he is mad. He forgot he was the Gravedigger, the persona of which he uses to seperate himself from being an escaped mental patient.
Ganelon: Maybe insanity will help it understand.
rolling 1d20+16
(
16
)
+16
= 32
(From Frezak (GM)): He just reverted, and found himself again.
Akari: rolling 1d20
(
19
)
= 19
rolling 1d20 + 11
(
10
)
+11
= 21
(To Frezak): Ahahahah, that is awesome.
Apheori (GM): Radek: The squid gets the map and doesn't like it. At all.
It reacts the same way as it does when something tries to attack you/it.
Amadi: You pull on a point on the map, and everything starts moving arond it. The rest is being pulled, too, but not so much as the point, like pulling a point up on a sheet.
Everyone: The dream/whatever shivers.
And then it starts raining.
Gaurav: ... huh.
Frezak (GM): It starts raining WISHES
Gaurav: At least it's not fishes.
Apheori (GM): Hazz has still not killed Gravy's character.
Frezak (GM): Everyone roll to save against being crushed by the futility of countless hopes.
Ellemerr: ... I have not noticed time moving for the last hour. >.< I guess I can delay a little longer by eating, since I'm too hungry to sleep, now, but I should really go soon.
Gaurav: Is this like Inception? Does this mean the dreamer needs to go to the loo?
Apheori (GM): Radek: The squid shows you a bit of what it sees.
Ganelon: Uh oh.
Apheori (GM): And what it sees is apparently Greibel, in the real world, giving Gravy drugs and acting very, very worried.
Let's see if we can wrap this up.
Gaurav: So that's where he went.
Akari grabs Squirrel's hand and stares harder, frowning in a terribly anime-y fashion.
(To Akari): It occurs to you suddenly that you could just... leave. Step outside. This is all just cloth, after all. A thin veneer of stuff happening...
Amaranthsi: ...The book. Of course!
(From Akari): But could I take others with me? Gravy, for instance?
Ganelon: It's our interface! Maybe!
Gaurav: A map of madness is our interface? That ... would make sense.
(To Akari): You could try.
Ganelon: Okay.
I need to locate... us.
(From Akari): Let the others try this other thing first. Might be cool.
Apheori (GM): Arcana!
Ganelon: And if everything's all moving about, yeah, I will totally detonate my robot to fix that. If that can actually help.
rolling 1d20+16
(
3
)
+16
= 19
Damn!
Apheori (GM): You make out several discrete points on the map that seem to be moving.
You can... do something with them maybe.
Because magic.
Ganelon: Ah screw it. Desperation move.
We don't need this world to remain stable if we're leaving it.
So he will just start disconnecting/unplugging/removing everything he's able.
But, you know, tell me what the first one does.
Before he ruins everything and then just keeps going.
Gaurav: This is a very tense session.
Apheori (GM) cackles.
Apheori (GM): Give me an arcana and an insight.
AAAGH I NEED BATHROOM.
Apheori (GM) throws a pineapple at Gan.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+16 Arcana
(
2
)
+16
= 18
Hold on.
I use my action point on that (if you'll allow it).
To reroll that because fuck no, this is important.
Regardless, the insight.
Apheori (GM): Sure.
Ganelon: rolling 1d20+5
(
5
)
+5
= 10
Ganelon sighs.
Ganelon: Rerolled Arcana:
rolling 1d20+16
(
3
)
+16
= 19
OKAY.
Apheori (GM): o___o
Okay.
Gaurav: Ouch.
That was physically painful.
Apheori (GM): Amaranthsi Radek gives a point, some point, or maybe it's not even a point, but it's definitely at least something, a big ol' yank.
At the same time, Midoriki Hano kills Hieron.
Everything lurches horribly.
Hieron just flickers a bit and then disappears.
Frezak: d20
Ganasi: (to Midoriki) Did you do it? Did you save him? Is he awake?
(From Akari): - Am I allowed to sidestep into nothing and disappear?
Apheori (GM): The tentacles all sort of disappear at about the same time as all the lurch stops.
Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20
(
1
)
= 1
WHEEEEE
Apheori (GM): Wheeee!
Gaurav: Um.
Ganelon: FAILURE ALL ROUND, LADS
Apheori (GM): Midoriki looks a bit surprised.
Midoriki Hano: I... don't know.
Volshikana: Oh dear.
Okay, that's it. I don't even care anymore.
Radek! Bombs!
Ganelon: Is that an order or is she going to provide bombs?
Akari: I'm going after him.
Akari takes a step to the side, and... something might happen. Maybe.
Apheori (GM): Gan: Feel free to keep yanking on the map.
Otherwise Volshikana will give you a bomb.
Ganelon: No, no, I'll take the bomb.
Apheori (GM): Akari: Arcana.
Akari: rolling 1d20 + 11
(
11
)
+11
= 22
Apheori (GM): Akari: You find yourself in Midnight. But this was all also Midnight anyway. A dream made up of a piece of it?
Anyhow, he's got to be around here somewhere...
Ganasi just looks around at everybody with a mix of confusion and panic in his face.
Apheori (GM): Akari becomes just Amadi again, and heads off into th black....
Ganelon: Okay, how do I use a bomb to create stability from this mess?
Akari starts searching frantically and calling for Gravy in many, many voices.
Midoriki Hano: (to Volshikana) Go after him! Find him!
Volshikana: Er...
Ganasi: (to Volshikana) Take me with you! I can help!
Volshikana: Keep them safe.
Volshikana shakes her head at Ganasi and disappears.
Apheori (GM): Gan: You...
Uh...
Make something up and roll something and we see where the whims of irreality take us. >.<
Ganelon: You suggested it.
Right, let's start with a d20 because bonuses are ephemeral anyways.
rolling 1d20
(
20
)
= 20
Cool.
Apheori (GM): Blow EVERYTHING UP!
Ganelon: Wish I had you SOONER
Apheori (GM): Or something. Do you want to do that?
Ganelon: More like "out" if that can be managed.
Apheori (GM): Blast a hole out?
Ganelon: If I could just blow the crazy right off this map, that'd be cool.
Apheori (GM): Where do you direct the map?
What exactly do you do?
Er, the bomb.
Ganelon: Well, pulling seems to have an effect.
So "beneath".
Let's get us a subsurface detonation.
Apheori (GM): Okay. Radek sets y'all up the bomb, pushing the explosion into the book, under the map.
Ganelon: And then he points it away from himself.
Because obvious safety precautions ought to be observed.
Apheori (GM): The explosion is immediate and horrifying, and generally away.
Ganelon: And subtle ones like "don't set off bombs within their blast radius" ignored.
Apheori (GM): The dream just shreds.
Ganelon: Fuck yeah.
Gaurav: Eeks.
Midoriki Hano: Welcome to the true dead end.
An illusion.
Apheori (GM): And then everything is gone.
Gaurav: Fin.
gg, everybody
Ganelon: Well... statistically speaking, blundering around for so long, this was bound to happen eventually!
Gaurav: Truth.
Apheori (GM): In all seriousness, this isn't the end.
You just... blew up the thing you were in.
I suppose you can just wake up or whatever next time.
Gaurav: And a fictional rhino.
Frezak (GM): Poor rhino.
Apheori (GM): Also, Amadi, I need three d20s.
Ganelon: I specialize in showing a highly irresponsible disregard for the stability of the worlds I inhabit, don't I?
Apheori (GM): XD
Ganelon: "Get him out now? OKAY!"
YANK.
Amadi: rolling 1d20
(
12
)
= 12
rolling 1d20
(
16
)
= 16
rolling 1d20
(
13
)
= 13
Frezak (GM): Radek explodes into 12 pieces, Rhu explodes into 16 pieces, Amadi explodes into 13 pieces.
Gaurav: YAY! I WIN!
Apheori (GM): Okay, Amadi, you don't find Gravy.
But you also don't get lost.
You're searching the black between universes, the sheer nothing that is the everything of Midnight, and you get the sense, even, that you've done this before.
Or perhaps after.
You can keep going, but then, especially as small as you are now, you may only increase your chances of getting lost.
But you could also keep going, maybe find him, maybe prove it can be done, because after all the others you've condemned you need it to be possible...
Apheori (GM): But that's not you anyway. This is you, and that's him. It's all up to you what you do now.
Ellemerr: Not going to give up on Gravy. If I'm reasonably sure this is where he is, I'll keep going.
Also sleeping.
Apheori (GM): You're sure he's... somewhere.
HEre. Yes.
Aiight, you're off doing that.
We'll... uh, come back to this later.
GOOD SESSION, PEOPLE. I HOPE.
Gaurav: Yes! Very scary.
Ellemerr: If it's very little, and with nobody else in it, you can poke me anytime I'm green and maybe we can finish before next session.
Ganelon: I liked it.
You made Radek desperate.
I won't say it was to get his beard back.
...But I won't deny it either.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: Heheh, okay.
Apheori (GM) cackles.
Kyrule: Test...
Well, that just looks silly.
Frezak (GM): Oooh, that's purdy
Hag would love that.
Kyrule: Oh, she does.
She really does.
Which fits, since according to the lore she designed this mask anyway.
And then gave it to meeeeeee.
When I murdered her.
Frezak (GM): Such a slut!
Kyrule: It was a bit of a tricky situation.
Not that that was actually me at all. Because really I'm the hag from the other universe, and there was something of a bit of a mixup somewhere along the way.
</pre>