Log - October 2025: Difference between revisions
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|faq_pre_event=https://kelesis.dreamwidth.org/6571.html?thread=9153963#cmt9153963 | |faq_pre_event=https://kelesis.dreamwidth.org/6571.html?thread=9153963#cmt9153963 | ||
|faq=https://enochlesis.dreamwidth.org/19927.html?thread=5445079#cmt5445079 | |faq=https://enochlesis.dreamwidth.org/19927.html?thread=5445079#cmt5445079 | ||
|section1=I. CORRECTIVE PROCEDURE | |||
|section2=II. FEAST OR FAMINE | |||
|section3=III. THE VELVET CLAW (OCTOBER EDITION) | |||
|section4= | |||
|section5= | |||
|section6= | |||
}}{{EventInfo}} | }}{{EventInfo}} | ||
Revision as of 21:48, 11 December 2025
Previous event: Test Drive Meme - September 2025. Next event: Test Drive Meme - November 2025.
The Main Event event on 2025 October 4 posted here. This was the event for October 2025.
FAQ Pages
Full questions here
Event headings
FAQ Questions
| Information | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| #1
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
Slightly less belated than the other question I asked, but still belated: The new encrypted option. "There's no way to prove that they're encrypted", but if Rowan was looking into it with what they've already done with the network, what would they be able to discover? Would they be able to find out if they're encrypted so that the user is anonymous but Patho-Gen can still read the text of the message, or if the message itself is encrypted (with or without the user also being encrypted). |
With their general network prowess, as well as familiarity with the Karterian network from having been looking at it from the start, they probably would be able to determine whether the service is properly encrypted. And in this case: they would be able to find that Patho-Gen wasn't lying about this! There isn't any backdoor, secret access just for them: it really is genuinely encrypted, both in terms of message contents and the senders themselves. |
| #2
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-11 |
This is completely unrelated to this log but wanted to ask for logistics for...reasons... In the previous TDM, it talked about pair bonds, but it also said this: Should the pair bond feel particularly mischievous, or want to explore the supposed power of their relationship, gestures of affection and care for each other will cause overhead lights to burst, or for the machine to overload and abort the procedure. In this room, like this, it may be possible for these characters to communicate telepathically... as if they needed such connection to know each other's hearts. Does "in this room, like this, it may be possible" refer to the conditions of the experiment and the machines, or is the telepathy something pair bonds can eventually do once they're strong enough? Just wanted to check. Thank you!! |
That's right, that's something that pair bonds can potentially do at any time! It has no connection to Patho-Gen's machines, nor requirements beyond the characters themselves being pair bonded. It's more that the particular consciousness of the situation, being told to focus on their imprint (and that imprint actually having developed into a full pair bond) during that bout of testing might have stirred an ability like that into being. (Of course, how easily achievable this is (and how inadvertently it happens) is up to the players. It could be that it requires deliberate concentration for both parties, or some manner of stress/agitation/strong feeling, or physical contact. It could happen fleetingly, or become a nuisance... whatever is more convenient for the players. There is probably something of a max range... like if one party is in Karteria, and the other Kelesis, it would be easier to just call them on the Syntrofos. A general awareness/feeling for their state would persist at all distance unless explicitly smothered by something, but telepathy should be more of a short-range bonus.) |
| #3
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
this isn't about the parents we're getting to the source. would the miscreant son be interested in a deal... all malkuth wants is a chance to put 3kon's music on the map of the rich young folk (surely they'll be into the rough crudeness of those carnivora they're all bad kids here) and in exchange for her shapeshifting to look like him and work at one of the jobs that an augmented proposes to get his parents off his back for a little while separately, since augmented have the chance to own businesses now, would it be possible to buy up one of the unfinished buildings in east sophia or would it still be a leasing situation? malkuth's willing to put in the long term work as long as it's "cheaper" upfront |
Miscreant Son: a deal made to spread the good word of 3kon: So. We couldn't figure out just how this lad would handle such a request. We let... a dice handle the fate. The roll was not favorable. Like, a 3 out of 20. While the rich son would take advantage of Malkuth's 'generosity' and let her work a job for him (hell yes, he can work and NOT do shit!), and he'd also humor whatever request she has about listening to 3kon's music and even spreading it around... He is not fond of the Augmented, and isn't able to acknowledge that it's any good past his distaste of them. The rough crudeness of the Carnivora-types is favorable compared to the cutesy Aves-types that so many hoity-toity folk like, sure, but he's not fond of them. The son says he'll listen. He says he'll tell his buddies. Whatever she wants. But he doesn't say he cares for it. In fact, he kind of treats it like a way to be mean when showing his buddies. Look at these things, trying to be normal! Weird, huh? It's really mean-spirited. Sorry, Malkuth... :c But it's not all bad. It's a start. If he exposes it to some of his friends, they don't all necessarily side with his opinion, even if they pretend to jeer and mock what they hear and see. They have to all agree with him on the surface, and make fun of it... but they might actually secretly like it. It's an interesting start amongst the rich, finding something that is catchy, new, unique... but that they're embarrassed to like. Buildings in East Sophia: WHY would you want one of those derelict things, a landowner would ask?! Additionally, the Government has problems letting any Augmented Ones own property in Karteria. Renting only! (Owning things is for rich people to do, and not for people who don't even live here normally?! (They really need to get over this if they wanna welcome in these otherworldly visitors, huh? B... baby steps.)) The answer to owning is: no. Renting, however? Yes. And renting a whole derelict building... It's possible that Malkuth can cut a deal with someone who owns property in East Sophia that they can cut down the cost of even renting a whole building if she promises to polish it up. It's still their property, they're adamant about this, but if she can make it shine... The dangers of this, of course, is that the landlord can revoke the deal after a contracted amount of months and reclaim the property, but we'd rather let this matter be whatever's most fun for you to play out. If you want Malkuth to find a fairly kind landlord who isn't going to steal back the property as soon as she gets it habitable, that can absolutely happen. To rent a whole building won't be cheap, and building/renovation supplies won't be cheap either. But with the help of some other Augmented Ones on her side, it might even be doable. |
| #4
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
If one kept their traits mostly hidden and went looking around in the crowd. Could they tell who was messing with them? And how wide spread is this rumor? Kaeya has been working on housing repairs all over the city…would he have heard it? |
Characters can locate the individual messing with them via Calling magicks, indeed. They are doing it on a whim, just because they heard about it! They'll be real mum about where the info came from. If pressed and prodded for deets, these magic-practicing Karterians have a he-said-she-said sort of web for where they learned this information from. A brother-in-law, who learned it from a work buddy, who learned it posited by a weirdo online via their various social media apps, who claims they don't know where they heard it from, they just thought about it on their own. ...It's not unreasonable, however, to guess that some part of Patho-Gen has disseminated this 'rumor' as a result of their experiments. What their aim is, however, remains to be seen. Would Kaeya have heard the rumor? Unlikely. Karterians would be sure to be quiet about this kind of talk right in front of an Augmented One. But if you'd like to thread it out, he could have absolutely overheard it if it's of interest! Of course, the rumor's source remains unconfirmed, though it would be very easy to assume where it came from, given the circumstances. All people who talk about this stuff in public spaces (or even in their own homes) would be non-Patho-Gen staff, or if they're Patho-Gen staff members they'd not be very important or integrated ones. |
| #5
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
would an arthropoda soul be able to detect who specifically was trying to call say, her bond-mate as part of the "detecting intent" part of their skillset? esp if she was perhaps riding on his back | Ooh, indeed. It'll be difficult, however. The interesting thing about the 'intent' of these parade-goers is that the 'intent' is fleeting before they actually try it, implying that it's very whimsy-sourced. They didn't come to the parade with the desire to try out magic tricks on the Augmented. It's more like a domino effect: the rumor's gone around, yes (its source cannot be traced but it's safe to assume it's some part of Patho-Gen responsible), and one person just... gets bored, and tries it out. Another person sees this and wonders if they can do it too. So while possible to find them through these means, it might just be easier to locate a Karterian focusing very hard. By the time they're done with the spell is when characters are sufficiently implanted with the urge, and at that point the 'intent' part is over. They'll probably look obvious by virtue of looking stupidly smug about the whole thing, too. If interrogated, their 'source' is a web of he-said-she-said. Their reason for doing this is because they were bored, and curious. Karterians are a curious-minded bunch, and a hypothesis deserves being tested! They will apologize, and say they won't do it again. They just had to see if it was true. |
| #6
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-06 |
crying im sorry mods what uh what if someone who is very much disliked by the government puts in a license request for a business he is a very legitimate businessman don't you see he just wants to do legal business and play by the government's rules :) :) :) |
Legitimate businessman Silco turning up to do legitimate business... what's wrong with that? The Government could very well be expected to balk, or laugh at the absurdity, the absolute nerve. Silco, who's been associated with trouble from the start, now wants an official license from them? However- and Silco could well see some evidence of this discussion, a flurry of activity behind doors open and closed- he's not rejected out of hand. There are delays. This is not a normal case, and after what looks to be a lot of deliberation, a lot of back-and-forth... Silco is indeed granted A License. (Do they actually trust him, or believe he's going to start playing within the rules? No, but the influence he's gaining in the underbelly of the city has caused concerns- and they think this may be one way to better keep an eye on him. To hassle, to distract. If Silco goes ahead with his very legit business, he may expect a lot of auditing, a lot of bureaucracy thrown in his way.) |
| #7
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-05 |
Apologies if it's mentioned somewhere, but Flins is a fae, and as such seems to use his lantern to feed. Would he be permitted to keep it despite it being a seemingly magic item? | Patho-Gen has made exceptions in the past for things like weapons or magical items during the TDM specifically. If the character absolutely needs that item to survive and there are no other workarounds... they may grant it. However, any other features the lantern possesses, if used for ill during this first month, will garner harsh penalty and surveillance. If the character can feasibly survive without the lantern, however, they won't be willing to give it over. They want to study it first, and learn its ins and outs! Magical items will usually be returned to characters upon acceptance, unless it's a game-breaking item or one that grants immense power. |
| #8
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-05 |
piggybacking off of this (lol) if someone wanted to sell goods (specifically art) to people or to take on commissions, is that considered a business requiring of a license? bonus if they sort of sell themselves at the job fair as someone who can do paintings, drawings, etc.? |
It's one of those gray areas, but for the most part, no! A Karterian would do the same thing at, say, a craft fair or during Salvation Day. It starts to become a "problem" in the Government's eyes when they start turning significant enough profit that they want to collect taxes on it... But nobody wants to enforce that kind of thing in RP. Generally speaking, if it's a main source of income for a character, they may require a business license but might not require a venue for that business, if that makes sense. You can follow your heart on this one. License or no, let them do art... |
| #9
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-05 |
How would the public feel about rides on a big dog, granted said dog were decorated for the parade with ribbons and curse, and was absolutely not above giving rides to people if it meant a few bucks here and there for the "get out of town" fund? | Whoa... rides on Big Dog... They might take some reassuring at first, but yes. Maybe if that dog weren't snarling and being as nonthreatening as possible, and decked out in those ribbons, they might be down for it. Just be nice, doggie! |
| #10
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-05 |
Hypothetically if an Augmented hung around the schlocky propaganda musical rehearsals offering a lot of unsolicited-but-technically-sound advice on the songs and singing and, to a lesser extent, the acting and dancing -- could that Augmented take over a role if a castmember became indisposed? Are there any cranky reviews, letters to the editor, or Syntrofos flame wars complaining the accuracy (or lack thereof) of any specific parts of the musical? |
If a castmember became indisposed?! Sheryl, what are you planning... If pushy enough, well... In most cases, the Peacock Musical will have understudies. But assuming all of these people are somehow indisposed, they might humor at least a rehearsal with an Augmented One. Do anything too off-the-cuff, and you're out. Amateur reporters would be happy to get the opinion of Augmented Ones about this show that was supposed to portray the magnificent Peacock! If they have complaints, it's a sensational news story! The Sophian Herald is an entertainment news group mentioned in a Concluded quest (under "CAN WE HAVE A WORD?") that might be interested in something divisive and shocking like this. They have a penchant, however, for exaggerating accounts... |
| #11
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-05 |
Hello! There is a book I'd like for Aether to pick up, but in the game it comes in a few volumes. Would it be possible to get the entire set or some sort of compilation of all the volumes in one? | A couple volumes is nothing! They may hand him one specific volume, but if he asks after it the staff might go deep diving into their archives to find the rest of it, as you prefer. |
| #12
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-08-16 |
Walks in here several months late with Starbucks OK so we wanted to actually thread out the decision of whether they'd tell Patho-Gen about Phantasia, and this is what they decided on. Ultimately, Childe will tell Patho-Gen that Phantasia still exists but they need their barrier strengthened and maybe some supplies if they can be spared. He's not going to offer many details outside of that, but he will offer to go himself to create a teleportation point for this to be able to happen if Patho-Gen would like to offer aid. He's hoping that if the people can slowly detox from the Katalyth poisoning, maybe some of them will want to come to Karteria where they'll be safer than where they are right now. |
1. Patho-Gen will aid in the efforts to build teleporter waypoints to help Augmented Ones make it to Phantasia. This will be helpful if they want to offer any aid to these faraway citizens, who chose to remain there despite the warnings that they needed to seek the shelter Karteria offered. 2. Their barrier could use a tune-up. This, Patho-Gen would agree with. They take pity on their suspicion of them, and decide it might be best to leave these efforts in the hands of the Augmented. In this case, Patho-Gen will offer whatever they can... Tools, special diagrams that might help with the constructs that create their barrier—something to help improve it compared to the roughshod one they have. However, Patho-Gen scientists do not think it possible to undo the effects arcane radiation is having on these people. It hasn't been demonstrated to be possible as of yet... Not to say that they don't think it's valuable to offer them greater protection nonetheless. Even if their mentalities can't be helped, their bodies can be, and their physical health is something worth saving even if they remain paranoid. The greatest obstacle Childe and Eli will face in attempting to work on the barrier may be the Phantasians themselves. They are extremely protective over their barrier; one wrong move, and ???? barrier fails?? Sure, the end times are coming, but nobody is allowed to take what life they have left and if that barrier goes down, it's over, right?! It'll require having some grace and patience, as they'll be reluctant to even talk about this save for a solid "no, we don't need your help." ... At least there's a way to convince them. If they're just waiting for their barrier to break, why not let someone attempt to fix it to avoid that fate? Similarly, Patho-Gen scientists will offer the advice to Eli/Childe that should something go awry with a single beacon that creates the structure of the barrier, it will only weaken the barrier rather than break it. Reasoning with locals that a single mistake won't completely destroy their barrier may help them reluctantly agree to the tune-up. 3. The people of Phantasia will remain completely reluctant to travel to Karteria, even after the overtures of assistance. The more this idea is pitched, the more they dig in their heels. It is not a friendly subject to them. Over time, however, some may reveal something of the reason... And in future, more of this information may come to the forefront: some of their ancestors came from Lupê, very long ago. They are far removed from these ancestors, but citizens of Phantasia have been taught that Lupê rejected technology, and favored taking only what they needed. Moreover, Lupêans did not control nor tame their environment via Controlling magic or industrialization: they grew with it and existed among it. They were a peaceful, rational people who lived within their means, and the city just isn't their vibe! They live here out here to connect with the culture Lupêans had; their ancestors always warned them of the city. A complaint they have of Karterians, and everyone else, is that nobody is willing to "face the music." To them, this means... well, accepting doom. (Interestingly, if one returns to Karteria to attempt to trace the lineage of any of these people (obviously using the names of parents or grandparents mentioned, as most individuals in Phantasia have been there since birth at this rate), they are not related to any Lupêans. Most of them, at least: there are a scant few who are. Similarly, their ideas about Lupêan culture is contrary to what Karteria has to say about the militaristic, vicious, unreasonable Lupê.) |
| #13
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-07-03 |
May I ask- does it seem as though the citizens here have gone slightly insane from the intensity of the Katalyth, perhaps even the barrier not being enough to totally shield them? Or does their paranoia seem to be more of the typical isolated-small-town variety? | It's something of a mix of both. Were Katalyth not in existence, the Phantasians would still be skeptical and wary of outsiders. They don't want to live in the big city for a reason (even if that reason is 'we've always been here'), and anyone who turns up from elsewhere... why? It'd be hard for them to imagine a purpose that's to their benefit. But Katalyth exposure, and its known influence over emotion... it's not doing anything good to the local mindset. Their smaller barrier isn't quite as effective as Karteria's, and the amount of Katalyth in the region is immense. It's amazing that they're surviving at all, but also inevitable that the emotional leakage from the arcane mineral is leaving its mark on their minds. It deepens pre-existing paranoia, provides more angles for it, more reasons to be afraid. That said, it would still take a good amount of provocation for them to be hostile to outsiders. Katalyth is depressing; it provides more reason to believe in the inevitability of the end-times, and the apathy to do no more than continue toiling at their daily lives. So basically: always paranoid, Katalyth making it easier to find more justifications to be paranoid and pessimistic and a bit odd. |
| #14
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-07-01 |
Bit late in the month to be asking (so I get if you don't get around to it!) with the souls that aves types see in attempting to reach kelesis, can they be communicated with in any way? Do they have a desire to pass on or any other emotion/will that could be picked up on? And does it seem like they could be the people of kelesis (now deceased)? |
It's hard to tell the condition of the owners of those souls. They don't give off the impression of something dead, at least; for all that they're flitting around, in and out of visibility, a bewildering dance taking place in the distance, they don't feel disconnected, lingering in discontent or loss. If there's emotions to be picked up on, it's... mixed. There's some that are content, playful and light; there's others spiteful and furious. They don't respond to any attempt to communicate with them, but you are at quite a distance to them. It's possible that they just don't hear it- or that they're not capable of hearing anything. |
| #15
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-26 |
Another Spectral powers question, sorry if this has already been answered somewhere! How long do the manifestations last, if there is an expiration date? Jamil accidentally jumped at his own shadow and summoned a monster based on a Bad Childhood Experience that was dealt with in a bloodily spectacular fashion, and now they gotta figure out how to deal with this water bottle (corpse). Follow up, if the corpse DOES stick around permanently, is that something that ought to be reported somewhere. It's pretty nasty |
The manifestations aren't permanent, so no worries about some awkward corpse-disposal outside Kelesis.... As for how long they do last, that can be somewhat variable. They'll always disappear as soon as the Spectral-type exits the area around Kelesis; they can't accidentally leave some living or non-living illusion residue!
While they're there and paying attention to it, the illusions can last from anywhere between minutes and hours. They're more likely to distort and eventually dissipate the more they're questioned, but will otherwise linger as long as is (in)convenient. |
| #16
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-18 |
hi mods!! quick question about spectrals' illusions turning real: can it affect other people (with their permission, of course), specifically their body temperature? this is super specific LOL but if elysia thinks that someone's body might be super cold/hot, would that come true? | Yes, that could totally be possible! It should probably not be so hot/cold as to seriously hurt them (or hurt them at all, as her 'expectation' of what it should be like would take precedence, so if she thinks this is their normal, it would effectively be their normal), but she could absolutely change someone's temperature for a bit. |
| #17
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-17 |
I'm reading that the water of the pink lakes is caustic but generally safe- if characters swim in it, is it fine or do they get some sort of skin irritation? | The pink lakes themselves are safe! It's just the (red) Blood Lake that's too caustic to be comfortable to dip into for long. The pink ones are just pretty salty, so unless a character is sensitive to that, they should be fine. |
| #18
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-17 |
Ooooooh.... Liem would definitely come down on more on the side of letting Patho-Gen arrange for people they'd like him to heal, both because he wants to foster goodwill with them, and because he's not a shill who wants to cater only to the highest bidder, but he would also reserve the right to heal people of his own choosing sometimes, if he wanted to. It could definitely be fun to have Liem encounter trouble with news getting out and him getting kidnapped as a result of this. 🧐 Is there anything I should keep in mind if I decide to explore a mini-plot like that? |
Sorry for the delay on this! We've been mulling over some Tough Questions and hit a lil block on this one. If Liem got kidnapped... It would usually be orchestrated by a shady individual, oftentimes the sort described in the MISSING PERSONS (prompt IV) quest on the second TDM. These people seem to have very few defining features about them, and dress so normally that they fade into a crowd. Again, these people do not work for the government, nor for Patho-Gen; they will not visit harm upon him, and will oftentimes perform the kidnapping only if Liem seems vulnerable in the moment. They may try drugging him, or using chloroform. Where he'd often find himself is in a small room. It can be either a laundry room with a lock, or a bathroom, similarly locked. The bathroom has no medications in it; the laundry room has few notable features to indicate anybody's name. As if these rooms see little use... Which might check out, because they look like they belong to some very wealthy individuals. Probably have like, seventeen bathrooms and get servants to do their laundry. Sheesh. To add insult to injury, Liem would often be bound and blindfolded. (If he demands either of these restraints be removed so that he could perform his magic... Well. Not much to be done about that, right? These nondescript businessmen/women would do as asked; they would try to turn off the light to keep the anonymity of their client, but it's clear that the room itself is quite ritzy. God, these rich people are trying to do all of this inside of their own homes!!! Ridiculous.) The anonymity of the family would be maintained. There might be some sort of squabbling too far away to hear; a good assumption would be that the family members are arguing over who gets to be cured. The compensation Liem receives will be paltry in comparison to what he'd receive if they were attempting to do this above the table: about 700 numis, or about $70 a person. They've learned that Patho-Gen is paying only a bit more (probably about 5000 numis per person, or $500 a person! (Like $1000 a day if he can do two people! Wowza!) Of course, there is a sliding scale on their end of things; impoverished sorts get their care reduced.) and are being stingy. |
| #19
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-17 |
Harry’s going to be vibing in the ruins, at the graveyard, trying to pick up some of the stories of the people who lived and left Aparallaxia with his psychic nonesense. And tell them to passerby whether they want to hear him or not. Might be an odd question but, do the mods have any stories in particular they’d like to be told here? Also, I’ve been wondering in general about genius loci, does this world have such a thing? And if so would it be willing to talk to an outsider? (I’m not even sure Harry himself would be ready to make that kind of connection yet but he is trying to become more intimate with this world and it's cultures.) |
Ahh apologies for the delay on this, the stories bit is taking a hot multiple seconds, but wanted to get this part out at least... For the genius loci, there isn't something quite like that. Not exactly... or not yet. Katalyth is very good at growing, at appearing. In addition to being miserable to be around, if looked closely at (really closely at, like under a microscope), it possesses a structure like nothing in nature. To be around it causes mutations, and Katalyth itself mutates... adapting to something without thought behind it, grasping at everything it can and changing it. It's endless, ceaseless, tireless, without focus or meaning- but within all of that, could it not ultimately hit upon something that can think back? So if there is a genius loci, it's a newborn. It is fragile as a thread, it is constantly being drowned out, suffocated and remade. But it may be piecing together something consciousness-shaped. It would be a difficult thing to talk to, as anything Harry might hit upon might not be 'alive' days later- or he could end up listening in to another part of its body, another facet that's also learning and dying, fumbling for meaning within the morass of terror and grief and growth that it's made out of. |
| #20
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-13 |
Hey, mods! So, with Daemon being a weird Spectral type who is tied to the cycles of the sun instead of the moon, I was wondering if he might sense anything unusual leading up to or following the weirdness on the 21st? Adjacent to that, would it have any other effect (on abilities, mental state, etc.) beyond the usual day/night cycle stuff and the eye growths afterward? |
Daemon might end up feeling a bit itchier in the days preceding the solstice. Frustrated or restless, a vague sense of dread that's impossible to ease. It's constant, but worse during the (very long) day, yet has no definable cause or reason. Everything is terrible. Everyone is terrible. There's no escaping it. It all comes to a head on the solstice itself, when all that pent-up agitation bursts. The feelings stop. It's probably something of a relief at that point, that it's all over, even if so much else is now wrong. At least it's a concrete wrong, like everyone growing eyes, and so many Karterians blinded. If you want to go the eye-horror route, Daemon's might express more explosively- fiercely reactive to whatever is going on out there. In any case, his abilities as a Spectral will be exceptionally stronger at the solstice and around it- easy enough that he might be using them without meaning to. (This could also include his mental/emotional state- as anything invoked from being a Spectral might be in similar full-force.) It should settle back to normal within a week or so... though he may continue enjoying the long days of Summer as only a day-aspected Spectral can. |
| #21
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-13 |
so on a totally different topic (food shortage instead of my other kelesis questions) hi it's me again <img src="https://media.tenor.com/tNKbpShxXYcAAAAC/its-me-hi-im-the-problem-its-me-taylor-swift.gif" class="imageshrink-actualsize"> i expect you've noticed gojo's farming and other charities project i've paused a couple of times to think to myself 'should i ask if this is permissible/plausible/feasible?' but no, gojo satoru asks no permission and honestly a single abandoned farmhouse and one old fruit tree would be enough to convince him that his plan is great. what he WILL ask for, though, is for somebody else to foot the bill. (do the folks at the augmented affairs office just feel a sense of dread whenever they see him coming?) since the City Council and other governmental officials are the ones who asked the Augmented for help with the food shortage, gojo will take his proposal to them. (especially anyone who knows that he's been doing good work hunting for Karteria, though if they've been delivered An Entire Dead Boar or two maybe that only increases their sense of dread.) anyway he's got volunteers for an augmented-run farm or two to help with the food shortage!! would the government like to help fund this effort? he even has Experienced Farmers ready to take the helm (he has *one* experienced farmer). they're going to need ... farming equipment. gojo has no idea what 'farming equipment' entails. but he will have his experienced farmers and the volunteer laborers follow up with specific requisition requests. |
There were once more farms around Karteria, more than the few clinging to survival at the edges of the barrier. Some of that land still belongs to the remaining farms, but has simply gone unused- being just too far out for them to do anything with. The ownership of the rest is muddled, with the prior farms having gone bust completely. The land is useless to Karterians, so there's no one interested in contesting the Augmented using it for now. The condition of the fields is... mixed. The pieces closest to the forest have already begun being reclaimed by it. The rest is grassy and damp (though not marshland), but there's nothing about it that seems unfertile, merely unmanaged. Nature is doing just fine without human involvement. Arcane radiation is the only thing preventing humanity from coming in and changing that. A good thing that the Augmented are resistant to it! There is the occasional charming (decaying) old farmhouse and those fruit trees that tell Gojo that this is a good idea. (Largely apple, pear, or plum- colder-weather fruits, or foreign equivalents. They're doing pretty well, actually, with a bit of friendly mutating.) The blackberry thickets are thriving a bit too hard. And it's... not an impossible idea, really. The Government will humor it; it keeps the Augmented occupied in ways that don't involve the destruction of public property. As for the request for 'farming equipment'... it would not be categorically denied, but there would be an insistence that Gojo's farming crew should reclaim what's already out there first. What is out there, lurking in those old decaying (charming) farmhouses? Bits and pieces. A lot of it is rusted, but it was built to endure so it might still be functional underneath. Most of the seed that was left behind has already been eaten by enterprising rodents, but there might be a smidge remaining. What isn't available could likely be borrowed by the few remaining farms. As there's already been some positive contact between them and the Augmented, they would probably be willing to loan out some extra tools. (As most of the remaining farms had to retract themselves, quite a few have more than they can use, amounts made for more fields, more orchards.) And as they're already familiar with supply chains within the city... working in greater concert with would-be Augmented farmers would increase their profit (which is what matters in the middle of an irradiated, mid-apocalyptic landscape; capitalism must endure). (That, and most people do not want to see Karteria starve. There's some few who are earnest and honest enough to recognize that getting help is more important than a few numis.) Should the Augmented productively produce a productive produce yield, however, it has been decreed that Patho-Gen MUST analyze it for safety reasons. The growing conditions beyond Karteria's little safe zones isn't clear to them, and they want to make sure no fruit or vegetables are carrying little bits of Katalyth for human consumption. Kind of like checking to ensure there isn't any pesticides riding with the veg, you know. So yes, Gojo may become a farmer. Farm cats are a staple, after all.... |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-13 |
Being an curious old soul, Norimune would likely have tea with the Aparallaxia client and join her for tea and snacks afterwards. Yay! If he asks, what kind of stories would she's willing to tell about herself, the sentimental item(s) and her life/hometown? He doesn't mind whichever topic she tells, he'll listen to them. ... Also I'm morbidly curious and wanted to ask (even if Norimune won't do it). Is the squid edible? Assuming someone slice off a limb and get the idea. |
Enjoy that tea and those bonus snack cakes! While she would demur over discussing herself directly, she would be happy to talk about what life had been like in Aparallaxia. Living on a bridge had its quirks... she didn't know of anyone who drowned of falling accidentally into the sea (there are guardrails, of course, to protect against the clumsy or drunk). But there were a number of Childhood Tragedies, of a game being cut short because the ball was sent over the edge, into the ocean... or of some favored possession deliberately thrown into the waves by a rival. The sound of the water was constant, and soothing; she's one of the few who go to Water's Edge for the sake of the water, and who doesn't view the ocean with distrust or distaste. It's the only place in Karteria that reminds her anything of home. It's still not the same as being surrounded by it, but even when there were storms in Aparallaxia, when she watched the waves lash against its edges, against the pillars supporting the structure, she never felt unsafe. In Karteria, nothing feels safe. As for the squid... it is edible, after a fashion. Despite the Katalyth growing on parts of its body (don't eat those), the majority of its meat remains safe for consumption. It wouldn't taste exactly like what you'd expect... closer to a hybrid between squid and mammal, meatier in a disconcerting way. But there's nothing dangerous about it. |
| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-12 |
Belated piggybacks off this chain; if Bricks were to tinker with the clicker device, try to open it up with tools and examine it the same way with the ServiTons what might he learn? | A lad here to tinker. There is very clearly a small chip laced with magic within. It's of the sort used for ServiTons: it contains that patented flavor of Karterian Controlling magic that they so love, because nothing beats forcing the world around them to behave. There is also a small capsule. It almost slaps of the Augmenter... but much smaller, nary a seam in sight. This will be risky to try to pry open, and it's otherwise a solid metal capsule. There is indeed a warning printed on the side: DO NOT PUNCTURE. And yet puncture or cutting seems to be the only way inside... We'll go ahead and detail what will happen if Brickston decides he wants to pry this capsule open. The safeguard: this capsule floods the air with a poisonous mist, enough to suffer temporary neurological effects that may last for a week to a month. (Local Reptilia-types and Golem-types will be immune to these effects!) If that's not enough, a small explosion takes place! Keep those fingers clear! All traces of the capsule and what is inside is destroyed. Unfortunately, there are very few ways to disarm this capsule; whoever designed this is clearly hiding something about its structure. There may be other ways to detect what lays beyond the shell of the capsule... If Brickston decides he will heed the warning and not puncture the capsule, and attempt other means of exploring this little doodad, there may be certain detection devices that could be made or accessed that would show a very slight reading of Katalyth, so microscopic that it's almost an error. Alas, if it's let to detonate, the ability to process a reading out of its dust will be very difficult to do. |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-12 |
Hello my darling mods! Thank you for that info--yeah he's definitely only going to try that once and bail on the plan pretty quick. Won't take him long to make a new plan though~ The new plan: So he's taken up carrying a bow for the hunting prompt, and has made the effort to find (or make, if he has to) some sort of foam-tipped arrows, whatever will shoot safely and effectively into the city with a letter tied to it. (What kind of range does a foam arrow have? Glad you asked. An archer of Gojo's strength with a modern bow should have a maximum range of 350 yards--since we can only assume that a foam arrow with a letter tied to it is less aerodynamic, let's say 100 yards.) He intends to make like ... six copies of this letter and shoot it in the direction of Kelesis at slightly different angles in hopes of at least one copy reaching an interested party. Here's his letter: To the people and leaders of Kelesis, My name is Gojo Satoru. I am one of many kidnap victims recently brought to this world by the organization called Patho-Gen in Karteria. They have subjected us to experimentation and torture in the interests of developing a resistance to the substance they call Katalyth. With this resistance, they expect us to carry out work for them outside of their city. For this reason, they have sent us in hopes of re-establishing trade between Karteria and Kelesis. I can imagine, given the unethical treatment that we have received from Karteria, that perhaps you do not wish to re-establish communication with such people, and I imagine also that the reason your city is so inaccessible to us explorers is that you have defenses in place to keep strangers away. It is my hope that you might consider establishing a dialogue with us, those called 'Augmented' due to the experimental procedure that Patho-Gen forced upon us, as people unwillingly affiliated with Karteria. I do not speak for all the Augmented and I am no leader of them, though I have taken up a role to facilitate communications between the Augmented for other projects. I would gladly serve to facilitate communications in this, if any among you are willing to speak to us. If the inaccessibility of your city is something that has befallen you and not something that you've done intentionally, then we will do our best to provide assistance if possible. We are here outside your city, for now, and we have many abilities. If you need assistance, then send out some communication to us and we will try. Your hopeful ally, Gojo Satoru He draws a little sketch near the signature of himself with cat ears and a blindfold, giving a V-sign, captioning it: 'I look like this!' (Bonus content of him workshopping it with Mel.) Since this will be happening pretty late in the month anyway (getting to Eparsis, poking around Kelesis, formulating this plan, workshopping the plan), and Gojo expects that best case scenario (if there are people alive and coherent in Kelesis, if they want to communicate) the people / leaders of Kelesis will want to take a few days to consider before making any effort of communication, I don't expect to get any kind of prompt response from this (if there is any response at all), so feel free to put me off until next month. |
Gojo and Mel may author their letter, and Gojo may do his best to shoot it in the vague direction of Kelesis. ...Let's hope it doesn't hit anyone on the way in, yes? Even if it's foam, what a shocking way to get in touch! It'll take a day or two, as long as he's willing to stick around. But that response will eventually come—and though Gojo was the one who signed it, Mel is welcome to be treated to this message as well! Seems whoever the authorities are, they are aware of what's going on around their perimeter... There is no formal "letter" in return. However, there will be a response. It'll take one of the following forms:
Sorry. It has been long. Since we exchanged words with anyone. We will deliberate showing our city to you. Treat our citizens kindly." |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-09 |
So this is separate from the event, sorry mods...but Eli and Childe were thinking about going to explore the northern part of Orexis, and their destination is Phantasia: <img src="https://images.plurk.com/1x8WR6bpCZsZ36vTaM1r6U.png"> Is it possible to reach there, and if so, what would characters expect to find (wildlife, monsters, notable buildings or things in the area?) |
Phantasia is a small settlement of... people, surprisingly. If characters explicitly ask Patho-Gen about Phantasia, they will sigh; the particular way they treat those who live in Phantasia is with the same sort of pity that they treat those who live in the outer city, in that many who live there are... defectors, of a sort. They hope they're doing alright, particularly since they've given them quite a bit of technology to live there as safely as they can. Karteria's government will treat them with the same sort of pity. As you know, the world at large has become unsafe for regular people to live in without the use of a barrier; on the island of Orexis, the only place safe for people to live in is Karteria. Phantasia... is somewhat the only second option that they know of. (How Doxa is- long ago this was a small settlement, but they haven't had any contact from anyone there since the barrier was erected.) Phantasia's resources were a monetary drain on Karteria, so the government hopes they're grateful for this overture of good will. So... why does Karteria insist on offering them any monetary support? Well, these people were of Karteria once... They don't offer much further explanation. Eli and Childe would find first the evidence of overgrown farmlands on their way to Phantasia. They can't be tilled, used, or relied upon anymore; they've been let to the wilderness for many years. There's signs of humans having existed there, that much is undeniable. But at first, it'll be incredibly hard to find anybody. As the further northwest they go, the more they'll find intense concentrations of Katalyth. We're talking entire manmade structures, sheds and old trucks, absolutely encased in Katalyth. It's enough to inspire unease and madness in even the Augmented Ones, with how much there is. (Some book reading back in Karteria might clarify why this is: Katalyth's first recorded incidence on Orexian soil is in the year 829, where it's documented on the northwestern shore. It'll require access to some of the archival files in the library, which can be very tedious; this might be the job for someone who is fastidious about reading and learning. ...There is very little else said about this, other than the marvel at this, as well as the unease it sparks in researchers- as well as documented notes about how they "must keep calm.") It's inhospitable. How could anyone live out here? At the base of Alexane's Range, tall spires as steep as the Southern Spires but far more massive- despite the fact that these peaks are similarly encrusted with sickly, multicolored iterations of Katalyth (ranging from the usual turquoite, to yellow, to violet)- is a small settlement. Its barrier is less transparent than Karteria's, a dome-like, shimmering veil over a city about 2 sq mi at most. Stout structures in poor condition, akin to shacks, stand against the test of time. Small farms are dispersed between buildings... and the amount of residents? It's a small population of about 500 people, which is miraculous! They are incredibly withdrawn, and are reluctant to acknowledge the Augmented Ones as anything other than a sign of the endtimes. They aren't hostile; they are stubborn people who are hardened by the direness of their circumstance, people who wake early and tend to what livestock and crops they have. Survival is their priority, while Karteria's people live in some semblance of comfort. But they're making it. If characters ask these settlers about Karteria, they will face them grimly. Do not trust the big city. They don't have any actual personal anecdotes to share, and most of them have never even been to Karteria! But their people have developed something of a doomsday-like mentality of the world, and feel convinced that anything Karteria does to combat it is only going to hasten the world's demise. Summoning these otherworldly Augmented Ones... Phantasians pity the Augmented, who have been yanked from across time and space against their will. This is a broken, unsalvageable world. This, their ancestors have told them. All of this nonsense about Controlling magic, about interdimensional reaching, about harnessing the world's resources for reckless development... This is mankind's own undoing! All they can do as this tiny settlement is live their small lives until the world ends, or until their barrier breaks. But yes, aside from some very grim peoples who live an extremely simple lifestyle, the landscape is ravaged by Katalyth. The local flora and fauna continue to grow, doing quite well! But in these highly concentrated areas of Katalyth, especially closer to the shoreline, animals and critters seem to have... evolved some special traits. Rabbits have sharp, predatory teeth, or may have even developed eyes on the front of their head rather than the sides (uncanny, strange, weird); cougars are faster, more inclined to forage for vegetation, alert and cautious to the approach of Augmented. Creatures are evolving and changing in strange and nonsensical ways, but they're thriving. Do Eli or Childe wish to report back to Patho-Gen about Phantasia's existence? While they are aware of them, they have had absolutely no contact with them and basically had to believe that their tech has been somehow holding up over all this time. They will be curious to know how they fare. |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-08 |
Would it be possible for a spectral type to make use of their ability to accidentally conjure things to get information? Like Ciel trying to conjure a person that could answer his questions, or a book/census/newspaper from the city? | Ciel could certainly conjure up someone who seems like they know what they're talking about, and who would happily answer any questions he had. Unfortunately, those answers aren't necessarily correct. They are probably not even remotely correct. As the information is entirely based on what Ciel expects, or wants to hear. Even if he's not conscious of having certain biases or assumptions... the illusory figure would come up with something Ciel would find 'plausible'. The more it's questioned or disagreed with, the more irrational or meaningless its answers might become. Conjuring up objects would have a similar result, with books and newspapers detailing whatever he wanted to read, with the text becoming more and more nonsensical the harder he scrutinized it. |
| #27
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-07 |
Hello again! So I'm absolutely loving this event and have another question re: the Spectral illusion/reality thing. I was workshopping Aemond's thought process re: getting from accidentally willing things into existence (e.g. his very disappointed mother) vs intentionally willing things into existence (e.g. his very cool dragon Vhagar), and feel a natural next step to that is "okay well if I can will things into tangible existence, can I will Kelesis into existence too?" I fully expect the answer to that to be "lol no," but I was wondering if even just having those thoughts might have some kind of impact on the surroundings? A glitch in the Matrix type thing? Also, what would happen if he got on the network and told everyone to Simply Imagine Kelesis is there? Thank you! Edited (more precise wording!) 2025-06-07 04:11 am (local)
|
A clever trick... and should Aemond (or any other Spectral-type) attempt to will Kelesis into existence, then he will find a Kelesis manifested neatly right where he expects it to be. It's not the real thing of course, but instead whatever Aemond might imagine the concept of 'Kelesis' would look like. Even if he's not conscious of having a preconception of what the city is like, it would put together something that would fit, or make sense to him. If other Spectrals were told to do the same thing, they would also imagine up their own version of Kelesis. (If multiple Spectrals were together in one place and believed real hard about it... it would develop into a bizarre conglomerate of concepts.) Advancing to 'the city' would still not get him or anyone any closer to its actual borders... but he would be free to explore his version for as long as he didn't question the details too hard. It would fall apart under too much scrutiny, more so than creating an individual entity. |
| #28
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-07 |
So, it's obviously a huge problem for the local government that a quarter of the city is now permanently blind (probably including some people in government as well, even). As a cleric, Liem can cast remove blindness/deafness, though only at most twice a day. While he obviously can't make a dent in this problem by himself, he does need employment, and after the solstice, he'd like to see if the government will subsidize him curing what people he can, so he doesn't have to charge people who just had their lives potentially ruined. Would the government be on-board with this? Is there a healthcare system that he could utilize for this purpose? |
It is very definitely a huge problem, and not one they were at all prepared to face. There are gaps in places they consider crucial, gaps in bureaucracy, as all corners of the city struggle to adapt to this new crisis. Patho-Gen would be absolutely willing to put him to work. He would also be exceedingly well-compensated for this. However. They would be very, very troubled about this ability and his identity becoming well known. The richest parts of the city were struck as indiscriminately as the poorest- and they would do absolutely everything they could to monopolize Liem for themselves. Of course, you'd be welcome to go this route, have some sort of kidnapping plot.... Or even willingly acquiesce to healing the upper class, and the upper class only. (Does Liem want a penthouse in Basileios? Because this will get him one. His neighbors still won't talk to him or want to look at him, but by god they will tolerate it for as long as he's curing the people who matter.) If he does follow Patho-Gen's recommended advice, and keep this all on the very down-low... he will still be well-compensated, but less extravagantly so. He could have a residence of reasonable standard anywhere outside of Basileios. Questionable practices and ethics of the company aside, there's still plenty of people within Patho-Gen who would not want him or this ability abused- and would try to arrange patients for him in some manner of impartiality. (With some bias towards those in Patho-Gen... but they would also not completely freeze out the lower classes.) With only two (at most) people a day cured, it would... not be any time soon that he'd get to everyone. (With a population of around 700,000, that means roughly 175,000 have been blinded... which means a mere 87500 days will see them all cured, if he somehow keeps that two-a-day schedule.). |
| #29
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-07 |
OH NO SQUID FRIEND :(((( well!! with all of that in mind, Eleanor will personally do her best to try and answer its questions in a non-verbal way, since she can just transmit imagery back in a similar way that she and Set will get a glimpse of Karteria. She'll share an image of herself and Set to help identify them, followed by one of Eleanor gently placing a hand on a (notably calm) tentacle, or even holding one of the hands of the suckers. She, uh, has a pretty deep empathy for being isolated and touch-starved, actually, and that comes through too. I will say that's probably about all she can manage before the side-effects of its excitement get to her! She's going to be nursing those symptoms for a bit, but you know what, it's fine,,, they're just a little guy who wants friends :(( So! On that note! Assuming squid friend doesn't get killed and after Eleanor has had some time to recover, she'll definitely try again! Hopefully most of the other characters will have moved on, but she'll especially be doing her best to try and express calm to it—That is, the idea that she can stay and "talk" with it, but please be careful to not blow out her mind again, friend 😭 (but she'll also understand if that's easier said than done). She's not necessarily looking for information this time, but just trying to be a comfort! Maybe asking if there's a way they can help, but she's, uh, kind of guessing not. And for the lakes, thank you for the clarification! |
Looking out for the poor squid.... It's unintentionally loud, and poor at controlling its own emotions when provided a foothold (or mind-hold, or tentacle-hold), but it is still intelligent. It will notice the difference in relative 'volume' of thought, and that Eleanor came away from the experience in pain. In future conversations (especially if there's more than one), it will attempt to modulate its thoughts somewhat... hold back some of that desperation for company. It wants friends more than it wants food, so it's trying not to hurt her. :c But it will take some practice. Depending on how other people interact with it (whether they're neutral elements just trying to get by, whether they're also trying to communicate in some way- or whether they're trying to cut off those tentacles), this could lead to some sort of solution to how the squid is managed. With her persistence in conversing with it, it could learn what the Augmented look and 'feel' like, and will let them pass unimpeded. It might, like, put some tentacles up on the bridge, see if anyone wants to hang out... but it'll stop knocking people around or psychically attacking them. Any other characters trying their best to talk to it also helps! It's forgotten how to socialize.... If enough other characters are aggressive towards it but don't kill it, it will probably remain selective with who it tolerates, and hostile and skittish towards any unknowns, leaving the middle of the bridge still difficult to cross. Once teleportation is arranged on the Kelesian side, it's less of a practical issue for those just trying to get across... but exploring the bridge will remain a hazard. (Of course, if enough people decide it's too dangerous to live, that's the other outcome...) |
| #30
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-06 |
alright mods... rubs my hands together... eleanor is going to try to psychically communicate with Da Squid Eleanor is able to peek into the minds of animals in canon, and the way it essentially works is inhabiting their point of view and their minds for the moment. So, even if it's not verbal communication, she should be able to understand it and get a general vibe of what's upsetting the poor thing. She won't connect for long (because it does tend to be a bit traumatic for the creature--though a squid might do better since it's more intelligent), but she's trying to see what has it so agitated and see if there's a way she can help. EDIT THE SECOND: Set (  redsoil) will also be helping her out here actually! Since he can speak with animals, they’ll just do a fun n’ flirty little mind meld to assist with that. Surely nothing bad could happen! (we both welcome bad things happening)And in case it's helpful, here's the snippet of her explanation about this process to give you an idea of how it works! below the cut! Salem ; I tried to touch minds with one of Lettie’s rats, once, just to see what would happen. Drifter ; Okay, I have to ask how that went. Salem ; It was a dreadful three seconds for him. Salem ; Poor little thing. I’d failed to allow for what touching MY mind would seem like to HIM, you see. Imagine a child lost in an infinite department store, screaming for its mother at the top of its lungs over and over. Everything was enormous and incomprehensible and had NOISES and SHAPES instead of SMELLS. Salem ; I broke the link as fast as I could. He was a little dizzy for an hour or so, then he was fine. I doubt he even remembers what happened to him. Drifter ; And your side of it? What was it like being a rat? Salem ; I don’t know if you’ve ever had the kind of slump where all you want to do is lie in bed and breathe in and out and just exist without doing anything else, but it was a lot like that. Salem ; Very basic. Simple needs met in simple ways. Salem ; Childhood innocence has nothing on rat-consciousness. Drifter ; Sounds kind of pleasant, the way you talk about it. Salem ; Oh, it was. I’m sure being a rat has its bad side, like having to eat your dead brother so the predators won’t sniff him out, but that fleeting moment of simplicity was like a religious breakthrough, almost. Salem ; I guess being a rat is a lot like being a monk. Live off scraps, make your humble way in the world, never own a car or a house. EDIT: and a secondary side question for a different prompt! I notice that the log says that the blood lake's waters are caustic, whereas this FAQ mentions that they're safe. Is the former more a rumor (or just find for Augmented because they're more resilient)? Or is it not actually safe for swimming? Edited 2025-06-05 12:11 pm (local)
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One of the strangest things about the squid-mind is that it's not only intelligent, its thoughts are structured in a way that is eerily similar to that of a human. It's not identical, but it's close. Something cephalopodic has been fitted with it, merged to a degree that it would be hard to even consider them as separate entities... with the result a consciousness that is a hybrid of the two. So any trauma that comes about from being on wildly different levels of consciousness would be minimized- but it'll probably be overwhelming all the same. The squid might attempt to use human language, on connection with Elanor's mind- but it's likely to broken speech, reflective of questions, and relying on impressions of its emotional state to get its meaning across. It can't properly ask who she and Set are, or what they are, or express the pain it's in (even though it's survived Katalyth growing on it, it's not a comfortable experience). Frustration will flavor its attempts, a despair over its own clumsiness, but it will genuinely try to hold a conversation of sorts with Elanor and Set. It will deliver impressions of 'WHO' and 'WHY'. There's a lot of imagery in its head, flashes of the Augmented who've been around this portion of the bridge, paired with more repetitions of the same feeling of curiosity. As for bad things happening: this might be very uncomfortable for all parties involved! The squid doesn't know how to think softly, to emote gently. In its desperation for company and this hint of someone talking back in a way that it understands, it might scream that much louder. All of this is likely to induce more migraines, even temporary blindness, deafness. It's not trying to hurt them... it's just excited, and trying to understand. Between its questions are visions of deep water, of emptiness. You all are the first non-fish it's seen in years. (There are some other impressions it provides of non-Augmented humans, not on the bridge, but on streets and in cars. In homes, in offices, in labs underneath bright lights and sharp knives. ...And beyond that, a city, bustling with life. It looks a lot like Karteria.) And that's a good catch about the Blood Lake, as some information has diverged accidentally over time... the locations page will be updated to clarify this, but: Blood Lake itself (red) is uncomfortable to swim in. It's somewhat caustic, but not outright dangerous. It's just... very salt. Around it are pink lakes, which are safe, if not necessarily as medicinal as rumor would have it. They can be swam in freely. They are very nice to swim in! |
| #31
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-06 |
hello mods! thank you so much for this exciting event, and i have some questions :' since the big squid is presumably going to sustain some damage during various people fighting it, could I assume that there will be katalyth-contaminated??? bits and pieces in the area of battle? secondly, i know it says direct contact will bring unpleasant results (not that even indirect but close proximity to it is any better), but harrow does have in her arsenal the ability to create perpetual/regenerating bone - this is obviously going to take all her energy to maintain and she is definitely going to be doing some edgy bleeding out of her pores etc with the exertion, but could she potentially contain a sample of katalyth and take it to a different location to study it? option two to the second: if the first attempt fails then she will try to just encase it in many many layers of bones and roll it along like a snowball. will that work?? thank you so much again! |
That is very likely, that if bits of the squid are severed, or parts of its Katalyth-growths otherwise knocked off, that those parts would fall onto the bridge. What a hazard... good thing Harrow is there on cleanup duty. To gather it up in bones, it would be sort of like containing it in a thick glass jar... in that it would still give off radiation, and it would still provoke feelings of distress and unhappiness to be around it, but it would be 'portable'. It would also look much cooler to be surrounded by bone. And given a long enough time in contact with it (days to weeks, so it doesn't sound like it's necessarily possible, if she has to bleed out to maintain it the whole time, but for reference's sake:) the Katalyth might attempt to... attach to it. So both of her options would work, in that they would let her move Katalyth pieces elsewhere without directly touching it herself. It will be unpleasant but possible! As for the bones found from Asphodel Fields, she should certainly be able to glean some details. For that one in particular, the remains were of someone in their 40s-50s, probably female, and with signs of long-term illness, something that pre-dated whatever caused it to mutate. While it was never cured of it, it was made to persist for far longer than it should have; the bones have a history of someone miserable and anxious, that was terrified of living and dying in equal measure. addendum: because i missed the may TDM shenanigans ... the bodies found in the asphodel fields are said to have no evidence of souls. is there anything that harrow would be able to find out from them were she try to "read" the bone remains that momo has retrieved? for example, rough age, sex, any other physiological identifiable details ... thank you so much and sorry about how many times ive mentioned bones in these questions! |
| #32
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-06 |
My first question was gonna be on the next teleportation panels but I see you already mentioned that! Gojo will communicate to his teams to get the next teleportation panel established on the far side of the bridge by the end of the month. Second question is about his Six Eyes with Kelesis, so since he has special perception abilities, I wanted to ask what can he see as he nears that Kelesis border? As a recap, his Six Eyes ability can see "everything". With the nerfs he's got in Karteria, that's everything within 30 feet, plus normal human vision beyond that (if he takes his blindfold off). I had to put some thought into how the heck that would or wouldn't apply with magical / psychic illusion stuff. He's totally susceptible to all magical / psychic illusion stuff, he has no resistance to it beyond his own human willpower. For this, let's describe his Six Eyes 'vision' as like sonar. Even if he can't see Kelesis, he gets highly detailed sonar-like data of the area thirty feet in that direction, including inside of any houses / hollow objects. But since he's still otherwise susceptible to the illusion, I'm imagining this data will function at a disconnect for him, just like the syntrofos insisting there's something there, his Six Eyes will tell him that stuff is there but his mind will be constantly rejecting that and insisting there is nothing there. If that makes sense for ability & limitation, then can he see anything interesting along the edges? He won't be particularly methodical about it, but he'll certainly run along the edge for a good few miles. Thank you for everything, mods. ♥️ |
Gojo and his special eyes.... His ability would function somewhat like the Syntrofos, in that they would agree that there is absolutely something there, but it's refusing to be seen in any other way. The sonar is hitting something, but all else is refusing to acknowledge it. Even attempts to ignore the faulty(?) senses and just move forward fails to work, as if the concept of 'moving forward' is being rewritten in real time. To skirt around the edges, Gojo could feel that there are buildings, of a sort. Or... structures, parts of them, rough around the edges. The shapes don't really make sense for buildings. There's also a surprising amount of these structures that extend underground. Moving figures, indistinct in their shape, also seem present in this sprawling city. Essentially, Gojo's Six Flags see a theme park of a bustling city, or at least hints of it—something's really there! But to the naked eye, there's absolutely nothing. Here's the catch. To walk within 30 feet of Kelesis as it stands... That is awfully close! Even for a Carnivora-type like himself, resistant to the effects of whatever's going on with Kelesis, it's too close for the city's liking (not that it's sentient), and retaliation is in order. He will feel immensely disoriented, a sort of vertigo that leaves him dizzy and nauseous and unable to focus after he gets any of these glimpses, and direction simply won't make sense to him for a bit. Is it worth it? |
| #33
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-06 |
What affect would Orpheus' song have on the squid? Could it's affect be amplified by multiple Aves using it or by characters with pre-existing similar abilities? | Orpheus' Song could have an effect on the squid! The squid itself is very loud in its thoughts, and very... intense about its feelings. A lone Aves (especially if they were more on the timid or uncertain side), would have a difficult time piercing through its mental 'shell', its fully-formed and overwrought defenses. But multiple Aves (and characters with similar abilities) working together could potentially work to calm it, or impose some other feeling upon it. The influence would still be temporary, so as soon as they stopped their song, the squid is likely to retreat, taken by surprise. Its emotions weren't a deafened jumble for a little while, and it's not sure what to make of that. It will react with more curiosity towards Aves in the future, as likely to prod at them, as to pull them into the water (the prodding may still hurt). (If the squid is attacked during/after the song, it will also retreat afterward, and become more wary and aggressive towards anyone remotely bird-like.) |
| #34
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
Say someone was a non-flashy sort of carnivora who wanted to try to do the smooth grind, but they have flashy ✨magic✨, would that be allowed? People seemed very keen to see him do his tricks in the park, and he does have some feathers... | As someone who also plays a character who has a non-flashy soul, who loves to be flashy... We want to encourage everyone to be able to engage with this prompt, even if their character isn't flashy. The exclusive nature of the prompt can be used as an angle to engage with it: they may dig in their heels and say no, they do not agree to pay someone who isn't a pretty peacock strutting around, if you're not photo-ready then they simply don't consent to hiring and that's that!! ... They are still people, and they can be convinced. However, they may try to stiff payment anyway, claiming they never agreed. In the end, we'll leave it up to players if they want their character to net the full reward or not; The Smooth Grind can just give 'em a tip or something for being kind of neat, they guess. |
| #35
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
for the friendly wildlife, if hector were to come across a deer or a fox or something that has been killed and do his weird necromancy to revive it, how would the other animals respond to that? both the act of doing it and the newly undead friend. | It'll depend a bit on how awful this necromanced critter looks, at least to a degree. Having exposed muscle or bone may cause some deep concern from critters, more than without; they may have to process their feelings in very animal ways, which may result in overtures of aggression, affection, playfulness, arousal, fear... But ultimately, the animals will calm down once they've gotten over the whiplash of going from grieving to realizing that the one they've lost is... back?? Smells a little funny, but there they are, alive again. Ultimately it'll go from "AHHHHH YOU ARE ALIVE??? (BIG FEELING)" to "well I'm glad you're back bud, you were looking real bad there." They will (usually) receive their friends back. As for how they respond to Hector, it will be with bewilderment (big feelings); it will settle down into further curiosity, following him around like he has treats or something. (Does one get positive reputation for healing the dead animals...? If only.) Edited (left my funny discord formatting thingies) 2025-06-05 07:46 pm (local)
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| #36
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
Aemond is a Spectral type, and I'm just wondering what might happen if he thinks something along the lines of "golly I wish Vhagar were here"? Might he get a glimpse of his grumpy old lady, and if so, how long would she last / would she be able to interact with their surroundings? | god, yes. Spectral-types may pine for a loved one and they shall appear, controlled entirely by the work of their subconscious. This also means they may do spontaneous things, or they may do/say things that Spectral-type subconsciously compels them to. She would last until Aemond is interrupted or distracted, and she would disappear if Aemond heads for the bridge. She is the work of Aemond's imagination, and therefore under the control of his subconscious, but she'll be entirely tangible near Kelesis. So long as she's in Aemond's sight she can remain and do whatever... Aemond's subconscious version of Vhagar imagines her doing. Edited (editing this for clarity!) 2025-06-05 07:08 am (local)
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| #37
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
Piggybacking off of this for the limits of the spectral "thoughts come to life"- how much can these manifestations interact with other characters, and can they harm other characters aside from the spectral one? i.e. Eli tends to have violent intrusive thoughts, so is a passing "wow I want to stab that person" likely to manifest as him... Actually doing that? Does he watch a clone of himself do that? Or is it not "real" enough to hurt anyone? | They can harm the Spectral-type, and they can harm all other Augmented Ones. If we use the illustration of Eli having a subconscious thought of "wow I want to stab that guy right in front of me," this inclination wouldn't even require making a duplicate of Eli. Instead, the person he's imagining stabbed is just... stabbed, knife and all, but with nobody there at the handle of it. It's pretty wicked. (... Something, however, keeps this stabbing from being anything super lethal. So if he imagines plunging a knife through the chest, the blade is modified into something very shallow and short. Interesting!) It's a dangerous game. For Spectral-types like Eli, he'll need to be cautious. (We also want to ensure that this remains in your comfort zone as well: if writing out an intrusive thought of Eli's actually happening is bothersome, it can be skipped!) |
| #38
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
Question, are the hunters being offered any resources as far as weapons go, or will they be expected to BYO? | Alas, neither the city council nor Patho-Gen has any weapons to offer... at least, that they're willing to offer. If you want knives or baseball bats, best to buy your own. Friendly reminder from Patho-Gen: it is your claws/teeth/magic and that Shifted form that are your weapons. Go forth and hunt! |
| #39
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-05 |
Teleporters! For those Also, event timeline - sorry if I missed this somewhere, is there a specific time during the month the Kelesis exploration begins, is it all month/loose-y goose-y? Thank you! |
Teleporters!! I myself do not know much about theoretical teleporter tech, and I'm willing to bet they're fairly simple. They work for one individual at a time; they're spacious enough to hold multiple smaller people, but this is not advised. (Patho-Gen won't elaborate, but there are chances that teleporting with a friend could cause the teleporters to fail. There's something-something about relying on a soul for teleporters to work, and just imagine the stress the machines undergo if they're moving a total of like, four separate souls (two for each character). It's not pretty.) The ones being erected at waypoints have a rating of being able to cover up 20 miles, but the range can be extended with the placement of another teleporter. Think of it as if it's all strung together with an invisible wire... Which means that theoretically, if someone were in the midst of teleporting and one of the teleporters failed, welp. That could be bad. It takes about 30 seconds to travel 20 miles in these teleporters, so they're also not instantaneous. To the individual using the teleporter, they even experience that entire duration of time in a strange sort of quiet, with lots of rattling from beyond their claustrophobic teleporter cubicle. It can feel a little cramped and unsettling to use at first, but Patho-Gen suggests that all good things come at a price. Some staff members also allude to this not even being their "best rendition" of a teleporter, but if pressed, they double back and say that to make something even more sophisticated is... a huge drain on resources, as far as they know. (That being said, they are also welcome to having some help refining these basic teleporters if anyone wants to help improve their design.) Event timeline: we didn't end up specifying in the body, you are correct! This is to help make it loosey goosey as players prefer, but we imagine the Kelesis part of the exploration taking place during the latter half of the month. Of course, characters can zip right back to Karteria with ease using these teleporters, so nobody has to miss the summer solstice either! |
| #40
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-04 |
What's the ballpark for how long the bridge is? And how long is the squid's area? are there clear boundaries to the squid's area? what's the construction of the bridge? Are there pillars down to the floor of the channel? "don't worry about it" magi-science? |
The bridge is approximately 60 miles long. Manmade structures exist on this bridge, dilapidated as they are... but the middle portion of the bridge is the Squid Zone, which is best indicated by the damage done to buildings and even the bridge itself. Partially why it's been impassable, as even some areas of the bridge have been destroyed or need repairs. A good jump from a Glire-type could clear some good gaps, but most characters need to get to work on patching up these impassable parts. ... While contesting with Squid-chan. Regarding boundaries, the increasing structural damage that resembles a good beating will be a clear indicator. Indeed, this bridge is a collaboration of two cities, and combines three different styles of build. On the Karterian side, there is a long stretching portion of steel/concrete, supported both by dense, reinforced pillars and a bit of "don't worry about it" magic-science; on the Kelesian side, the bridge begins to dip lower toward the ocean, where some structures can do a bit of floating. It's made primarily of reinforced concrete on this side, but not as much Magi-Science BS. |
| #41
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-03 |
for the bridge, will aves types still be able to fly over with the Squid there? would a suitably tiny aves go unnoticed? and if they can, are there teleportation devices that could fit in a carry-on suitcase? (if the answer to both of these is yes, this is the month northly is forced to deal with how useful a skillset flying + inventory is) |
The squid has some very long tentacles, but an Aves flying high and discreetly enough could probably slip past. Very sneaky.... Unfortunately, some of the parts of the teleportation device are larger than that, so wouldn't be able to fit in a suitcase. She wouldn't be able to carry over a whole panel on her own. However, there are multiple pieces to their construction, and some of those components would be able to fit in her inventory. So even if she couldn't put together a whole thing, she could take care of some of the parts. |
| #42
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-02 |
Wild golems - would it be possible to find some weird little walking rocks while foraging? 👀 TY | They are pretty uncommon... but it might be possible to spot the occasional little ambling rock formation out there. Maybe they're drawn in by the Augmented Golems in the vicinity...? A sign that it's safe to come out of hibernation? But yes they may be spot. |
| #43
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-02 |
I close my eyes... mods, I'm so sorry for these dumb questions. 1) For Aves/people with more sixth sense or empathy-related powers, what would they be able to garner from the squid? Or from Kelesis in general? (If this will be answered on the log, feel free to skip this question and tell me to be patient!) 2) When you say "attractive and scantily dressed" for the Smooth Grind... What might that look like, and would the Augmented flagging people down ALSO be wearing that kind of uniform? Or nah? From Adds on to here w/ permission: for characters who can also directly speak with animals, what else might be uncovered from that angle? let's not SQUID about the INK-SSUE! |
1. The log will have some more information on Squid Interaction, and on the approach to Kelesis. More questions would absolutely be welcomed on the log post! But empath-types, Aves (and also other cephalopods), or people otherwise good at reading animals, would be able to pick up on the squid being intelligent, curious, and immensely lonely. For Kelesis, each of the 'sensitive' types will have a different experience, different things they'll be attuned to. 2. It's not too scantily dressed, but there's some amount of leg showing. Far more close-fitting compared to everyday wear, items that show off a neckline, that accentuate a waist. A tease similar to formal-wear, but it's also clearly not formal, so it comes across as a bit daring to Karterian standards. As long as Augmented fit the 'vibe', they won't be constrained to a particular outfit- especially as the point is to show off those fine (but only a little scary, and most of all not dull) Shifted/corrupted features! They don't want those wings hiding under long sleeves, or lovely whipping tails to be disguised under coats! They want those features accentuated! Response to More information will turn up with the log, but characters who can talk to animals will definitely be able to communicate to some degree with the squid. It'll be somewhat different from the experience of talking to either an animal or a person- like some bizarre halfway point, something that had forgotten how to talk to anything. Its thoughts are LOUD. |
| #44
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-02 |
coming back with the questions as i am wont to do... i really like the summer solstice prompt with all the eyes and stuff, and since elysia's shifted form does come with a bunch of extra eyes, i wanted to know if the eyes that appear on their bodies are like, random eyes/space's eyes?? or if it'd be ok if i took an itty bitty detour here and had elysia shift instead, so the eyes growing on her body are just the eyes that come in her shifted form... if that makes sense? |
The eyes can take all sorts of forms, they can match what a character has, they can be wildly alien, they can be different animals, or things that are only vaguely eye-shaped at all... it's a world of eyes out there. So Elysia could have her shifted-eyes wherever and however you like! |
| #45
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-02 |
hello mods! i've kind of been operating under the assumption that spectral-types are aware ( either formally or through Vibes ) of their impending deaths as corruption continues, and please correct me if i'm wrong! if that's true: were a spectral-type character happens to start feeling ANTSY about their Impending Death and approaches Patho-Gen about medical/scientific interventions ( outside of the posted efforts ) to stave off the Corruption — essentially volunteering for MORE — what kind of response might they get? patho-gen already put this guy back together ONCE, since he arrived Dead... sorry ny'all |
It's not widely known, but The Vibes Are There... really, Patho-Gen could have done with providing a manual about what to expect with some of these types (then again, it's possible that they don't know the details themselves). Hopefully as Spectral-types start dying off, they can spread that exciting potential to other Spectral-types. But regardless, how much a character can 'sense' of their impending death as a Spectral-type is up to the player, so it's certainly possible to feel it coming. Given that this impending-demise-antsyness is due to the Natural Soul and not an actual failing of the body (though they would certainly want to try to clear that as a possibility), they wouldn't treat the task of stopping the process that seriously. Your Spectral-side knows what they're about. However, Patho-Gen would be interested in observing the process, and would welcome someone regularly coming in to get a load of tests done, really get a feel for how things are deteriorating, if it's something that can be measured. They might present this scientific curiosity as 'help staving off Corruption'... but in truth, they are more interested in seeing it play out. |
| #46
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-06-02 |
hi sooo if someone were to go bug-hunting in the swamp, would they find just regular ol' swamp-bugs like we have in the real world, or are the bugs Different?? I've been going with the assumption all the bugs are basically the same but figured i should ask since Helaena...loves bugs....and catching them.... | It would probably be a mix! Familiar bug, unusual bug... not even necessarily unnaturally mutated bug, but just the result of evolution taking some of the bugs in different directions. Of course, there are the occasional ones that seem to have been mutated by arcane radiation, given that their developments are more... haphazard. Dragonflies with extra sets of wings, mosquitos with far too many mouthparts, water striders grown too heavy to stride. Most of the nonfunctional ones are just eaten by something else in the wetlands, but some of the developments might be advantageous, or at least not too much of a hindrance. A toxicity that makes them repulsive to the ambient amphibians and birds, or appendages that mimic the local snakes... nature is beautiful. So really, she can find a combination of familiar, similar-but-localized, bizarrely-mutated, and mixes of all of those.... |
| #47
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-25 |
last minute q that i forgot to slip in for dear marlowe ( gojo/@mrblueeyes )!! since set...... was allowed to keep his ability to talk to animals ( heLP ME ), and would have interrogated(?) some FROGS 🐸🐸🐸 on behalf of gojo. or a snake, or any swamp-dwelling creature he can get his hands on. largely, he's relaying questions such as: A general idea of how the animals have been impacted, where they most feel it, and if they've seen the comings and goings of anyone beyond the mutated entities roaming around is great!! I just forgot to ask this for Gojo's player to have the info earlier on. THANK U |
🐸🐸🐸Frog Interrogation results🐸🐸🐸 1. The local swamp critters aren't that great at keeping track of large things that aren't attempting to eat them. They think there's been more activity 'lately' (which probably refers to the Augmented exploring recently). 2. It's definitely only recently that they've seen anyone travel back and forth, from the swamps to 'other' (Karteria, probably). The Augmented presence has confused them somewhat, and they seem to be lumping in the large mutated creatures in with them. To their senses, there isn't a discernible difference between them. 3. The frogs are intentionally and ineffectually duplicitous. They think Set is after their sweet insects, and will try to send him all over the place where all the 'really good, very delicious' insects are. These are actually more dangerous spots, where there's more poisonous (and not tasty) insects and predatory fish. (The frogs also contradict one another, for the sake of trying to encourage Set to go to where other, rival frogs are.) Trying to map based on frog-intel will reveal a battlefield of frog-grudges but nothing particularly useful. (It does suggest, perhaps, that there isn't anything traditionally human-shaped living in Asphodel Fields.) The snakes and lizards somewhat better, if skittish. They're honest about not being sure, but they also can't remember anyone besides the Augmented/mutated entities fussing about in the swamp. They would be unwilling to guide to anywhere they think is dangerous (and are bewildered at the desire to go to where the water is foulest and where the insects are inedible), but would accept a lift to the nicer parts of the swamp.... Unlike the frogs, they will be honest about where the good hunting (for a small lizard/snake) is. |
| #48
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-22 |
Since we have some folks ICly asking science team about this: is there any way to determine whether the badly mutated entities may have been human at some point besides the scraps of clothing? Or would any samples brought back be too mutated to properly identify as potentially human anatomy? Don't wanna overstep, thank you! |
Oh man... the bodies would be identifiably human (or at least, would have parts of them recognizably human amongst all the distortions and corruptions). Characters who are reasonably proficient at human biology/physiology (or who are willing/able to look things up, consult medical literature, etc.), would be able to notice human characteristics. Unsettling human characteristics on bags of mutated beasts... so yes, there should be ways to identify them as people beyond the scraps of clothing. |
| #49
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-18 |
Hellooo- Ala, Set, and Mettaton are exploring north of Karteria (eg route 2 from here and continuing along the coast) this month, primarily having Ala transform into a dragon to fly them over the land without having to trudge through the terrain proper 1) Ala's trying to keep out of the katalyth's reach by flying as high as she can above them so they don't affect her as much, with the downside of the higher altitude = cold = the penchant to fall asleep midair, along with her inability to maintain the form for an extended period of time regardless. Will she have an easier time going the coastal route or flying over the water, suggesting there are less katalyth out at sea, or are mostly embedded on the sea floor far underwater, or are there outcroppings of tiny islands on the surface/???maybe katalyth floats, idk 2) Ala's also looking for the oxalis plant, but really any sort of weed with bright yellow flowers that ideally taste sour when you chew on the stems but she's not picky and if they end up being toxic (whether due to katalyth or not) I'm sorry bc she's bringing them back to the Fillanthropy to be used in salads and stuff, sorry. Are there edible plants out here? whether there are animals they can spot out here eating the plants with no apparent/immediate ill effect, or if Ala & co. taste test on the field 3) Does communication via syntrofos break down or weaken the further they are from Karteria, and if yes then to what extent? better/worse over the open grassland vs over the ocean vs up higher in the mountains? 4) Unrelated to the exploration questions above, but if Ala sees people asleep/unconscious on the streets (either pcs or npc citizens from, for example, some aberrant spectral-type power draining people's lifeforce) how easy would it be to transfer numis from syntrofos to syntrofos... just skimming a little off the top instead of draining their entire bank account... you know... Syntrofos unlocks in the possession of their owner but does that person have to be conscious |
1. In terms of Katalyth, sticking to the coastal route will probably be easier (maybe the battering of the waves pulls the deposits out to sea?). Flying too far out is still not recommended, as weather conditions can change rapidly, and the winds are likely to buffet her down into the ocean. But sticking close to the shoreline should be safe. 2. If not that precise plant, Ala could find some similar local equivalent- something brightly yellow with a sharp taste. There's some more information here on some of the kinds of plants and critters that might be around. 3. The Syntrofos signal is surprisingly robust. However it's operating, it seems to function entirely well in the wilderness, even far from Karteria. It seems to have some issues with extreme temperatures (such as cold), and it certainly does not like being underwater, but these seem to be problems with the device itself rather than the signal. Elevations and forest coverage otherwise don't seem to influence it. 4. Oh dear... yes, it might be possible for her to drain (modestly or otherwise) the accounts of those she catches napping. The Syntrofos does not care if its owner is unconscious. There will be a data trail left behind though, so she is likely to be caught doing this if enough NPCs check their accounts and notice some mysterious transfers. She would be arrested and the amounts taken returned with penalty, and she would also face some amount of community service (along with preparing a presentation that explains that she understands what she did was wrong, and won't do it again). (Draining Augmented accounts... Should the victim notice and complain, the amount will be pulled back out of her account and returned to its owner, but she's not likely to face more (official) recompense than that. This is a problem between monsters.) |
| #50
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-18 |
Follow up question(s) if you don't mind, sweet mods!! I think it was stated somewhere (possibly in Thorntail's original... incident???) that people who get hit by the device specifically have to be brought back to patho-gen to be revived. 1) can you tell me (or remind me if it's already been said somewhere and I forgot) how that works? Does the target appear for all intents and purposes to be just, regular old unconscious, except nothing anyone outside of patho-gen will wake them back up? 2) When they do take someone who's been hit with the device back to patho-gen, does that mean the employees there will be able to tell *specifically* that it was one of those devices that caused them to reach that state? (or to put it another way, would there be any hints that characters involved might be able to pick up on which would indicate if that's the case?) Basically the lads are trying to be cautious and mindful of anything that might tip patho-gen off to the possibility that they're experimenting with one of these things. |
1. The character would appear to outwardly just be unconscious. It would be notable and strange due to not being rousable by normal means, as though they'd just been... switched off, rather than in a genuine state of sleep. To anyone capable of seeing souls (Aves-types in particular have this ability, but for any characters who are good at sensing this thing naturally as well), it also feels like they're being suppressed on some soul-deep level. Both souls are neutralized, quiet, and completely still. Very much alive, but still. 2. Patho-Gen would be able to tell that it had been one of their devices to trigger the unconscious state. They would probably ask how this had happened, because it's not like anyone on staff (hopefully) would just shut off an Augmented for funsies and just leave them that way. It's possible that they wouldn't jump immediately to 'have you stolen a device', when the more likely culprit (to their eyes) would be 'is something wrong with the Augmenter?' They would like to insist on the unconscious character being kept for some additional tests, to see if it's not oversensitive.... The existence of these clicker devices would not be openly acknowledged at any point, and they would present their concern as the Augmenter making a character unreasonably drowsy, their Natural Soul misaligned, perhaps, causing a strain where it shouldn't. |
| #51
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-14 |
More a general curiosity, but does artificial light weaken spectral types in the same way/as much as sunlight does? | Apart from being awkwardly startled by having a bright light suddenly shown on them, Spectrals shouldn't find themselves otherwise weakened by being under artificial light. Of course, it's entirely up to the player if they would prefer to have their Spectral dislike light sources in general, or be otherwise additionally sensitive to them, or just find darkness particularly cozy. |
| #52
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-14 |
Thank you mods!! So, next up, I don't think anyone's asked yet... Everyone's making great progress exploring the swamp and helping to coordinate efforts toward setting up waystations and establishing a safe route forward! For the scouting teams farthest in advance ... hey so what's that bridge like!! :D :D :D |
How ABOUT that bridge... All that progress is paying off, but right now the bridge isn't quite explorable. Even strong Aves-types trying to fly over it will get knocked into the water (please go save them if this happens). It's dreadful. Hopefully the expedition teams can keep busy setting up those waystations and maybe even getting a break in between all this work.... And in addition to those waystations, because Patho-Gen is very interested themselves in making it to Kelesis (and, for reasons to help characters who are less mobile/less interested in being mobile a way to reach places outside Karteria), they are eager (or rather, willing) to entrust manufactured teleportation panels to characters who know what they're doing out there. This is a relatively new technology... and one that they'd been at a loss to do much good with, before now- as they lacked the ability to go deep enough into the wilderness for long enough to set up these things themselves. But they would like an intermediary square to be set up somewhere mid-Asphodel Fields (as the range on these things isn't indefinite), and another near the bridge itself. (And, eventually, one on the other side of the bridge.) The starting point is conveniently within Patho-Gen HQ, and would be made accessible to all characters. These are expensive and hard to produce, so please don't break them carrying them out there.... But this is something else to be occupied with in the meantime, and it will benefit everyone to have it available! (We know BRIDGE is the direction things are going and next month will have all of the bridge-related information so hold pls. Sorry about the bridge blocking for now... It's a very long bridge.) |
| #53
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-13 |
question from a potential new player Is the limitation on characters regaining weapons only for the first prompt or for the whole TDM? Trying to decide if Petra here would have her knife back during the nightmare or medical volunteers prompt. (and apologies for whoever has to see all my edits.) |
It is just for the first prompt! Weapons should be delivered to the character's room in the Valentia within the first few days, so at any time after that she will have it available! (Though it may be temporarily confiscated again for the duration of the medical prompts, if they catch that she has it with her... but it's also possible that they just miss it, assuming she's not brandishing it at the staff.) |
| #54
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-13 |
Momo will be trying to gather some stuff from around Asphodel for science hut enrichment, so a couple of qs for that: -Since it's mentioned the large mutated creatures in Asphodel will tear themselves apart to avoid capture/use limbs as weapons, would it be reasonable to...shoplift a removed limb or something...preferably from a dead one but hey if a live one throws its arm at him a sample is a sample right -how angry are the bitey asphodel bugs likely to be about being live captured as samples (and are normal anti-getting-bug-bitten protections i.e. enclosed clothing enough to alleviate this or have they also got mutations going on) |
The mutated creature isn't going to have much use for those detached limbs, so Momo would be welcome to collect them... It certainly counts as a sample, and it is somewhat more humane(?) than killing them outright. The bugs will be variable in anger. Some are pretty chill about it, confused about being in a jar/bug capture vehicle, but will bumble around inside, and then bumble around outside if freed. Most will be some degree of Agitated and Unhappy, and may try to attack if released. Typical anti-bite protections will defend against the majority of the insects, though it's possible to come across some who've developed to be especially good at just boring through fabrics, or otherwise melting them with stings, venom, or other secretions. With some trial and error (and characters with carapaces, stones, hard scales, particularly thick hides, or who are poisonous in their own right, have their own natural protection) it should be possible to mitigate a lot of the biting. |
| #55
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-13 |
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I feel so spoiled with all this info HAHA. You're the best! One more (silly) question: Is there... a limit to the number of recipes one person might submit... I ask because Niki is crazy about cooking, LMASDFASDF. I was thinking about whether he should submit a silly amount of them or if he should enlist help to submit! |
He would certainly be welcome to submit multiple entries! If it starts getting too crazy, they would still be accepted, but he wouldn't receive the reward prize infinitely! (The gratitude, however, is infinite. He can have as much of that as he wants.) |
| #56
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-11 |
Hello! I am also really interested in food-specific stuff, haha. :') The marshland sounds terrible, but would someone be able to find anything interesting to use as ingredients out there? Things that could be used as seasonings/plants/animals/monsters(?!)/etc. Alternatively, could you point me in the direction of other places where characters might find things like that? If not, it's cool, Niki's just the kind of person who likes to explore and look for things to make cooking more interesting, so I think it'd be cool if he could bring stuff back, but he'd still explore either way! I know this kind of thing is really specific and probably only relevant to a handful of people LOL SO NO STRESS!! But I appreciate any thoughts you have in advance! 💕 |
Is not everything edible, if you believe hard enough...? At least once, right? For real, though, yes: there will be some things available for foraging in all climes, to a degree, and some of these things will be more seasonal. With regards to real-life parallels, the island of Orexis in particular draws some inspiration from Western Washington-native resources, from berries to mushrooms to plants. While this is a long list of berries that can be found in the PNW, not all of these would be available in the wetlands of Asphodel Fields, but some could be depending on their environmental preferences: swamp gooseberry, chokecherry, etc... Some spices and other plants can be foraged for, too, like horsetail, elderflower, and various types of mushrooms. We have a slightly similar answer here as well. CRITTERS. Waterfowl (mallards, coots, great blue herons, list goes on), rodents (deer mice, creeping vole, beavers), amphibians (rough-skinned newts, long-toed salamanders, Western toads), other birds (red-winged blackbirds, dark-eyed juncos, marsh wrens), and other mammals (raccoons, the occasional mountain lion), for starters... These creatures may be called different things in Karteria, but this sort of diversity is to be expected. They're doing well out there, and are totally unfamiliar with humans! As far as monsters go, there are some of these various animals that are mutated, having extra appendages or eyes or the like, but they seem to get along fine and don't have any special powers. (It is not impossible to find something downright monstrous, but that would be very unusual and worth reporting to Patho-Gen. Who knows, though, it could be in a wilderness near you...) |
| #57
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-10 |
Hello! Following up on this investigation last month, since I tapped a few people to thread more about it this month - Dearka and Yzak and Chuuya want to test the range of effective knock-out-ity on Dearka with the clicker, mostly by means of a very stupid set up to trigger it from afar by means of like, u know how u set off dominos...not that but [ combination of gravity aiming and poking with a thing ] to see how far they'd have to be standing away for it not to work at all (also bc it's funny to knock Dearka out repeatedly for Science(tm)... | Poor Dearka... We endorse these funny shenanigans. So say Chuuya and Yzak stand like, a mile away from Dearka to start. If they try this, the unfortunate bit is that: whoever is holding it will pass out. But let's say they get smart and rig up the device to self-deploy. You know, set a timer and run. Assuming no other unfortunate Augmented One gets caught in the crossfire (a poor, unassuming individual just... walking up to the device to check out what the heck it is while it's about to go off), it has a functionality of about 250 feet. If all three Yzak, Chuuya, and Dearka are standing in a perfect row, or even a positively 'equal' distance, the device will function to impact whoever is "directly" in front of its trajectory. Imagine a laser pointer, in this situation. Another interesting thing: say Chuuya sets the device down on a surface and points it toward Dearka. If Chuuya can press the button on it using, say, a broomstick while standing behind the general "front" of the device, it will prioritize anything in front of it in a general fan-shaped trajectory. |
| #58
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-10 |
Now seems like a pretty good time to follow up on this. It may or may not be immediately evident during Viktor's wellness check that he is...not well. If asked, he will explain the nature of his illness (degenerative lung condition brought about from prolonged chemical exposure as a child) and will generally be fairly pessimistic about his prognoses. UNLESS. I am interested in the questionable science route that we talked about in the initial inquiry, and wondering if this might be the most logical springboard for it. Viktor himself would be potentially willing to try experimental procedures or untested measures, and might perhaps offer to track his symptoms/progress/side effects for them if it's helpful. tl;dr if he wanted to make himself a Patho-Gen guinea pig that is also a plant. what would that look like Edited 2025-05-07 06:35 am (local)
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Of course Patho-Gen would be willing to help Viktor out, the maintained (or restored) health of their Augmented guests is of utmost interest to them.... Should Viktor express interest in what Patho-Gen has to offer, they will inform him candidly that this is top-secret technology that they've been testing for... a time. Those who he speaks to initially won't even know what the tech is, only that it exists. They will refer him to follow up with Patho-Gen HQ. Should he take them up on the offer, Viktor's free to go at any time in the month. Patho-Gen scientists will inform him that he can begin "now", or come back another time, but regardless of his choice they cannot tell him what they're doing to him at this time. However, the scientists/doctors who come to meet with him assure him that while this technique they're trying on him hasn't been successfully tested on humans, they have reason to believe based on laboratory settings and experiments that it will work. However, they are sure to treat it with a respectful gravity: he would be the first, and theoretically, it could be used to help treat Karterian citizens who've sustained arcane radiation poisoning. All of this to say, they want this to work. If Viktor complies... they will sunnily shake his hand, and thank him for his willingness. And then, he will lose consciousness. <details><summary>Viktor will be gone for about three days, give or take; he will have only one moment of fitful wakefulness... cw: Drugging, Medical experimentation, Dubious medical horrors</summary>
Rise and shine! Viktor is in Patho-Gen HQ, in a regular hospital bed. It's far nicer than the one he initially woke in to start with; he has a view of the city, nice white sheets, a comfortable set of pajamas they've fit him with... The clothes he'd been wearing before are hung politely on a hanger. The strange vision he had will feel dreamlike and surreal. What Patho-Gen will explain to Viktor is this: He's been fitted with a second Augmenter. It's "inert," they say: there isn't a soul in this one. It should bolster his existing immune system and work together with his Terra-type soul to 'grow' in a direction conducive to his health. This is just the start of their efforts of course- and they'll warn that it may not work right away. That Viktor may even experience more negative, or uncomfortable feedback as his body adjusts to this 'hypercharging' of his ability to heal. Theoretically, it should permit his body to develop healed tissues in place of the ones that have sustained damage, even as far back as childhood. It is, after all, tech intended to help those who have developed arcane radiation poisoning. They aren't sure what symptoms Viktor will face. They would love to learn what he experiences as he goes, as they attempt to determine what alterations would be best to help those who don't have Natural Souls like Viktor does. Once he feels well enough, Viktor will be escorted from the hospital. They'll even offer to help him to the Valentia, should he desire it. What to expect if you decide to let Viktor go through with this: Will it fix his lungs, his myriad of other physical ailments? Not exactly. In the short term, Viktor is likely to feel moderately worse- with symptoms ranging from increased fatigue, nausea, and an unceasing sense of absolute dread. His Corruption will advance, but parts of it will come in strangely, either oversized or discolored or just failing to function as a living plant should. It's struggling, fighting to adapt to something, and will carry Viktor along with it whether he likes it or not. For the first month, it's primarily just miserable, but he sure is growing, and he certainly isn't dying. The strangest part of all, is that amongst his malformed leaves, his Corruption may begin to take on the characteristics of those he spends the most time around. So Viktor might develop some feathers after spending long enough around an Aves, or his skin and leaves may crystalize in the extended company of a Golem. These growths may rot away, or may persist in some uncomfortably 'healthy' fashion, continuously developed and adapted to if his companionship changes. A wide enough circle of friends, and Viktor could develop into a proper amalgamation.... By the second month of this treatment, he will begin hearing voices. It will become quickly apparent that he's picking up on stray thoughts of those around him (as you see fit). It's intermittent and at this point uncontrollable, and could make existing in a crowd that much louder and unpleasant, to have this absolute torrent of information poured inside of his head. And the more he hears, the more his body may continue to develop/mutate, spurred on additionally by a distressed mental state. The worse he feels about it, the worse it gets, basically, as his body fights to adapt to a threat, even if that threat is his own perception of himself. At the third month, Viktor may finally begin to feel some sort of equilibrium, or some kind of improvement(?). He is still alive, for one thing. And while the mutations continue, they're having some sort of regenerative effect. He may be a mess of plants and foreign growths, but he will be a stronger mess, the eye of the storm. If he's wounded, his body may display an uncanny capacity for self-healing- with an emphasis on the uncanny, as a cut fills up with fur, or teeth, or stone. But he will heal, at all costs. The voices are clearer, easier to keep track of, and they're there even when no one else is. They may not make any sense, but they're clear. This too might be something easier to adapt to by now, as if some part of his mind has been threaded through, expanded and rewritten by his growths to be able to handle the noise. If you wanna go through with this, just get in touch with us at month 3 for more fun symptoms! Whatever Patho-Gen has implanted Viktor with will gradually have an impressively regenerative effect, but it won't be a clean sort of regeneration: oftentimes, parts of his body will over-compensate or borrow from inappropriate tissues to heal or augment itself to adapt to a changing world.</details> |
| #59
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-09 |
hello! really inconsequential question: does the suspiciously reinforced room have any kind of toilet facility | Alas, the suspiciously reinforced room is lacking any sort of toilet.... However, they may ask characters if they need to use the facilities before the injection, if that's a concern. (Sorry for the misbehaving characters who are drugged and tossed inside, you don't get asked. :c ) Thank you for giving us an unusual thing to discuss.... |
| #60
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-07 |
re: food philanthropy, what kind of food IS available? Is meat scarce, particularly stuff that takes lots of land (cows etc)? Is there much in the way of farmed produce? Is there canned stuff? | Ah, this would be a good thing to mention somewhere on the info pages, huh? Maybe some more extrapolation under Food on the Culture page... Thank you for asking! Most plentiful are canned goods and synthetic products. Somehow, Karterians are receiving farmed goods: they do have some farms that are shielded by brittle, small-scale "generator"-style barriers: they prepared for this increasing tragedy as much as they could. They resemble this, pockets of farmland protected from the effects of arcane radiation in a sort of circular pattern, the protection originating from a central generator. Farm workers are... very at-risk of arcane radiation poisoning, but at least there are pockets of safety when working out there, and they have the ability to create greater "pockets" to help farm livestock. Livestock is understandably more scarce, and beef is especially hard to come by (chicken is far more likely a protein choice). Meat is an expensive thing, and so too is seafood, given how little of it is accessible to Karterians anymore. (If they find anything, it's some white fish and some shellfish). This is why synthetic meats are more commonplace, and these synthetic meats resemble ones we might find today. Lots of meat is canned, too. The most commonly available foods are easy, hardy, year-round crops. There are factories as well that can process foodstuffs and make them more shelf-stable, to a degree. But as the population continues to grow, man do they need some other source of food. There are plenty of things we might expect to line our pantries available, like sugar, flour, salt, canned/pickled/frozen veggies/meats, grains... |
| #61
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-07 |
Which district is the brightest/has the most artificial light, and which is the most dimly lit? Asking for a spectral type. And do the districts run on separate electricity grids or one big grid? |
These poor Spectral-types. The one most lit may be the southern edge of Sophia and the southwest portion of Gloria, where the two meet together. This forms something of an entertainment district, and buildings in Karteria that are entertainment-oriented are often lit in Hollywood-style lighting. Thus, the most artificial light would come from these buildings, though there are surely pockets in other districts, particularly around theaters, clubs, or other ritzy entertainment spots. Most dimly lit: East Sophia and the east side of Water's Edge. East Sophia was one of the latest districts to be developed, and it didn't quite make it before the city of Karteria had to respond to the catastrophes that started to fall upon their world. Buildings there are left unfinished and now a shell of nothingness, and sometimes this means they're left unlit. Water's Edge, particularly the part bordering East Sophia, is just a bit... run down. By the coast as they are, it's a bit ominous and quiet during the night. Karteria's run off of one grid, but there are substations, and they're not clean-cut by district. Attempting to knock out power to a single district would be faulty, as districts often share substations. Basileios, for example, is split into two: one half shares with northern Belle Ville, and the other shares with northern Gloria. So on, so on. |
| #62
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-07 |
hello my gorgeous and beloved mods Gojo, Choso, and Felwinter want to start the larger swamp quest with a quick, broad scouting mission (the plans for which were largely drafted before the details of Kelesis Ho) before they settle in for the longer project of helping to map a route and set up waystations. <img src="https://images.plurk.com/1l75nvxoyv8tTDjBVMSTBI.png"> Numbers mark approximate location of intended overnight campsites (with the intention of traveling through the night without stopping on the way back) if they don't run into anything that would cause a change of plans. Felwinter in particular will be doing sweeps of the area by air above the route of the two on the ground, and he's also particularly looking for this legendary secret location 70 miles out which Brickston's intel hinted at (and which intel is getting increasingly confused and diluted through this game of telephone). What IS the blood lake? what ARE the southern spires? does Felwinter see anything cool from his birbs' eye view? Thank you! |
Blood Lake! A fav of mine. The game of telephone is certainly a challenge, but all will be compiled and clarified as things are learned so that everything correctly learned is cemented, to get everyone on the same page. Otherwise, let me break these answers down into bullet points.
None of these locations are the "secret location" hinted at by the intel Brickston found. However, aside from Katalyth deposits, the world is doing swell without being touched by humans, and native flora and fauna are thriving, if a bit weird in general. |
| #63
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-07 |
hihi mods! so caleb and set explored the marshlands together back in april, while set was tapping into his inner terra, before they had to retreat/head back to the city. i was wondering if they could apply what they had learned/found out from that previous trip to the velvet claw's current commission and see if that could give them an extra boost in earning some extra numis as well as help them out this month while they do some more side-searching/exploring for the kelesis ho! mission. |
This is perfectly reasonable to us. Guild leaders of The Velvet Claw will likely hear them out and agree that they could surely talk their patrons into giving them an extra cut—especially if Caleb and Set agree to guide other less experienced Augmented Ones out toward Kelesis, through the marshes. They will be thrilled at their proactive scouting as well. Caleb and Set will both help the entirety of the Kelesis Ho! mission go ever more smoothly. Having people who know how to navigate the area and take instruction from Patho-Gen to clear a path toward the southern edge of the island will be a huge boon. If they make it all the way toward the bridge... The bridge has seen better days. It is not only coated with shards and growths of Katalyth where the ocean batters at it, but parts of it need some heavy-duty maintenance and repair to be safely traveled. The bridge is a magnificent thing besides, spanning about 35 miles, though since humans are completely unable to tend to it or even check on it... Well, that might be why it needs some TLC. For the duration of this log, the bridge will not be able to be cleared—but remarkable headway can be made to get started on its repairs. Imagine structural faults with the supports, fully caved-in portions of the road (wherein a person would need to either balance on beams or leap over the large holes, lest they fall into the ocean), and other such issues. I hope this helps, and lemme know if you have any other questions. |
| #64
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-05 |
sooooo what happens if a character does kill and potentially eat a citizen while under the effects of the day terrors prompt asking for a ahem friend |
Fabulous...... Come report it! This is just so that we can keep tabs on how Reputation is handled. You can detail whether you think your character could be associated/found out, or if it's a senseless murder with no way to link it to anyone. If the murder/meal can be linked back to your character... Surely, there will be some fairly dire consequences. It will be a first for Karteria's legal system to process, as they've never had a human(?) eat another human before... and Patho-Gen will have to defend these actions. It's... likely that this individual will end up having some scientific/medical modifications made to their person. You know, to help make them... less dangerous, and to reassure the public safety. |
| #65
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-05 |
their phones are also snails so he's having an interesting time adjusting to these non-sentient non-psychic devices.... but anyway. if he tried to dismantle/break the camera(s) in the room, would security or someone come try to apprehend/sedate him? |
I understand now that One Piece is full of snails. Intriguing. Yes, a staff member would respond poorly to technology being damaged. They know they'll have to write up a report to send to government officials, and they won't be happy to pay for the repairs/replacement, either... (We also encourage you to report it if you decide to have your character go through with this!) |
| #66
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
Hi mods! I have a few questions about the suspiciously reinforced room. If Augmented under the influence of the feral side effect were to start thrashing around the room, would they be able to damage it at all? Is it even possible to make a dent into the room? And, how does the door to the room react to a direct explosion? Asking for science. Edited 2025-05-04 05:46 am (UTC)
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While it's built to take quite a beating, and to prevent some potentially feral monsters from escaping... that doesn't mean it's impervious to damage. Some dents could be left, some claw marks made. The door itself is particularly sturdy, but a direct explosion might leave it looking a bit burnt. Dented and burnt. But it would remain in place. (If it started looking like anyone might escape, they would shut that right down... but these rooms were made as if expecting to receive a few hits.) |
| #67
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
SO AFTER ALL THE FUN AND BODYSHARING AND CHAOS... what would happen if Silver meditated to try and "speak" with his Natural Soul? It's clearly Very Unhappy, and if they're going to have to live like this, he wants to try and understand it. As a note, Silver has never really meditated before... but how hard can it be, right? | If Silver can get the hang of meditating and is real patient about it, it might be possible for him to reach something of his Natural Soul's state of mind. It'd be hard to describe it as communication... more of an intermittent sense of feelings, pulses of impressions. They are largely distressed, anxious. It's battering at a cage it can't escape, it's trying desperately to live. The more its emotions are attempted to be suppressed, the harder they will rebound- provoking sharp, unpleasant headaches. But if Silver can manage to just sort of... coexist with it, it may not exactly calm, but will feel less panicked. Maybe it'll help those Corrupted traits come in a little more smoothly...? |
| #68
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
Sooooo! How susceptible to blackmail are these suspicious folks? Obviously, this would take a lot of sneaking around and digging, so about a month's worth of work, but would there be any sort of paper trails? Like tax evasion, saucy affairs, corruption, and the like? Alternatively, should the blackmail be unsuccessful could said saucy affairs, tax evasion, and corruption be broadcasted somehow for the sake of being petty? Or I guess if there's any information to be learned from it |
Alas, these people seem to be quite... anonymous. Even trying to track them back to their homes or workplaces is a bust. They seem to be masterful at keeping covered, and not even tracking their scent or anything seems to work. One of them can be found hitting on someone in East Sophia, but he's wearing a wedding ring. There's that. He's a bald man, average height, middle-aged, light skin, brown eyes. He won't discuss anything about this little tryst, even if provoked. He merely gets lost in the crowd. |
| #69
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
hello mods! i'm assuming the reinforced rooms are equipped with surveillance equipment of some sort for the also side note that sabo is used to cameras looking like snails, so it's totally understandable if he just doesn't recognize anything even if it is obvious. 😔 (then again he'd probably just try to wreck shit anyway to cover his bases smh.) |
Oh, that's hilarious. Camera snails......... Who knows, maybe Sabo would be able to connect Round Snail Eyeball with those black ceiling orbs we know and love in modern society. (I hope that links properly.) Those are everywhere. Additionally, wellness centers have some extra styles, though the ceiling orbs are most common. |
| #70
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
Hey mods, so excited to check out the game and the TDM prompts are amazing! Quick question re: some more morally questionable and violent characters -- if someone fought back considerably hard against being brought in for experimentation and/or made an equally violent scene during the initial stage of taking readings pre-injection, would they be able to do any damage to any of the doctors? If so, are there any consequences to be aware of? 🫣 Respecting of course that being sedated or restrained would be the ultimate result either way. |
cw: non-consensual Sciences We love some violence and morally questionable actions... A character who is excessively violent will be treated to a heaping amount of force in return, and yes, it is permissible to damage these Patho-Gen Another consequence: for incoming players, we will have a Reputation thread to report any goings-on for this TDM! The more characters behave/misbehave, the higher/lower Reputation can go with various populations in the city. For example, acting up to doctors in the injection prompt and Enviolencing Them will definitely cause Augmented reputation to tank with Patho-Gen (and depending on how bad it gets, the government of Karteria, as they have to pay for all the damage...). But that's for future consideration! (Welcome to the TDM!) |
| #71
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
Howdy! In the event that a character comes in that is human but has very obvious physical mutations (gestures at Shouji's general heteromorph status) and his at-the-moment unavailable powers are linked directly to those mutations, do the physical presentations themselves change? Would the limbs affected by his powers just remain inert? | That's really up to you, how you would prefer to play with it- whether the physical presentations change or remain exactly how he's used to. So if you would prefer him to temporarily lose the ability to use those extra limbs, he certainly could- or, he could maintain that sort of 'baseline' ability. Keep those arms under control.... |
| #72
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-05-04 |
So those badly mutated entities with scraps of clothes on in the swamp… if Rowan was to use their mimicry ability to talk to them in the voices of the people from east Sophia who are missing friends and family, or specifically try calling out the names of those who are missing in the voices of their loved ones, would they get a reaction? | Oh dear. This would, indeed, provoke a reaction. While other conversational attempts or any sort of approach towards them would lead to immediate aggression, if Rowan were to use the voices of East Sophians, the creatures will freeze up instead. It's hard to tell if they're startled, confused- or whether they understand the words at all. It's a temporary hesitation, and they will either turn immediately hostile afterward- or they will do their best to flee. They don't seem to be able to communicate in anything but violence or terror, the capacity for language on their own part lost. |
| #73
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-29 |
sneaks in here at the very end in light of this, I'm wondering what lab equipment might be available to a pair of intrepid scientists who might want to do things like chemical analyses or look at stuff under a microscope. If they are allowed any equipment, how much leeway do they have? (i.e. is it on loan? is it for forest expeditions only or can they bring it back to the Valentia?) If they wanted to do actual experimentation out in the woods, would a makeshift field research station remain relatively undisturbed? |
As unhappy as Patho-Gen is with the Augmented as a whole... they haven't burned through all of their goodwill or patience, and accept that a number of the present issues are a natural part of the whole 'bringing a bunch of strangers into their world and giving them monster souls' deal. They certainly want to encourage the Augmented to go out and do science for them- so for characters who are the responsible and knowledgeable sorts (and who haven't been aggressively trouble-causing), the appropriate lab gear would be provided. It would be on loan, and they would want to keep tabs on who was using it, especially at first- but as long as they weren't borrowing anything too explosive (please don't burn down the Valentia somehow), they would be able to take it wherever it would be most useful to them. Being able to go out and do science in the outdoors is certainly encouraged- and apart from the local wildlife being curious about what they were setting up, research stations would be likely to survive unscathed. |
| #74
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-28 |
spreads out markers and maps hey mods hey this is effectively 'ok does he find anything noteworthy?' but in way too many words and with charts he'll be making about 2 excursions a week, one with felwinter and one with johann (probably ... if they can manage to focus on anything other than sex ... eventually), so let's say total 4 trips before the next event (TDM) he'll start with trying to head south as requested and quickly discovers that Patho-Gen can get fucked now a wolf can travel about 50 miles in a day and a tiger can ... travel ... somewhere between 10-40 miles in a day (no one's sure because they get bored or lazy or distracted ......... love this for them) and a felwinter can travel???? probably he can keep up with gojo so 10-40 miles it is. what's the scale on this map? (i don't expect you to have thought about this, i'm sorry, my autism kicked in.) anyway he's going to take approximately these routes <img src="https://mrblueeyes.dreamwidth.org/file/5550.png"> that is all. 'does he find anything cool on his longer ventures?' |
(apologies for the delay there was some shuffling) What, cat doesn't want to get his paws dirty with swamp water.... Route 1: After politely skirting away from the marshlands, the path is largely at the edge of the forest, and therefore considerably drier. Not dry, because nothing on Orexis is dry, but it's less squishy. Gojo and friends are also not the first ones to have ever trod this land, as there remain discernible paths tracing the line between impassable forest and unfortunate marsh. Animals avoid passing here, as if something about its design has made it unappealing to nature. Katalyth is remarkably, eerily absent along the trail, though its presence visibly returns only a few hundred meters away from it. It is otherwise unremarkable. Route 2: Gently rolling terrain, there's trees but not enough to obstruct the view of some lovely grassy fields. They still tend towards the moist, but lay just enough above sea level to avoid turning into marshland for now. Closer to the city, there's the beginnings of what might have been a proper road, but it's soon abandoned, and if there were any footpaths past that point they've since been completely reclaimed. This is actually a pretty peaceful route.... There's certainly enough Katalyth around to make things perpetually a bit uncomfortable. It really does grow everywhere, the rocks marring what would otherwise be an entirely congenial landscape (so long as one isn't there for the excitement). The coastal route is in a similar shape, but you also get a view of the ocean the whole time. There remains a negligible amount of sea life apparent close to shore, and no seabirds to speak of. Route 3: Gojo's party finds a luxurious blue cenote! (As might be expected, given the label 'cenote' on the map.) It's quite lovely, and would be a nice way to spend an afternoon- and certainly, there's signs that there had once been tourism here. Mostly because there's trash left behind, in the form of cans and bottles, decaying tents, plastics of unknown purpose, etc. Unfortunately, even getting close to the cenote is rough. Not because the terrain is particularly treacherous, but there is a lot of Katalyth in the area. Getting a start on marking that out might be a good idea. The water isn't immediately lethal, but it's... it's not going to be pleasant to be in for very long, though it is very pretty. The animals in the area are also... strange. They show more signs of mutations- extra antlers, malformed tails, legs bending the wrong way, too many eyes, etc.- than the wildlife does that lives further from the water. And while not aggressive towards visitors, they are also not afraid of them, lingering far closer than any wild animal should. Route 4: The densest route by far, when it comes to forest navigation. There's no sign of even old, abandoned hiking trails, as though humanity had just given up claiming this part of the island (or nature had been particularly aggressive in reclaiming them). And yet, close to the Western coast, there's a small cluster of cabins, in various stages of dilapidation (so depending on how forgiving you are in categorizing something as a cabin and not just a wreck, there's 3-5). The couple that still have roofs and most of their walls still don't have much more than that. Everything is covered over with greenery, as though nature had reclaimed the dead wood and made its own house out of it. There are unlabeled tins of food(?) lurking in things that may have once been cabinets. Some are have signs of being bitten, if not pierced through, but they're all arranged as though someone had taken care to keep things orderly. In one of the 'cabins' (lacks most of a roof, some walls, the structure having largely been dragged down by worryingly large tree roots), it wouldn't be too difficult to notice what looks like a mass grave. Or a mass... something, it's hard to tell if there had been any attempt to bury anything, or whether nature did that work for them. Only bones remain, picked clean and fragile, of a variety of species, tumbled together. For anyone who can discern these things, there's little sign of a pre-death struggle. Most of the bones are large-animal sized. The one towards the top is the most intact, and given the curl of its spine, could suggest that it had lain (or been lain) as though to wrap around the rest. It's hard tell what sort of creature it had been. Apart from an uncomfortable atmosphere, the rest of the campsite is peaceful. In terms of scale: uhh it's doable in a couple days given the capabilities of Gojo and company. |
| #75
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-25 |
Question that came up in a thread: since Arthropodia can sense intent, do they sense any intent from being in close proximity to Katalyth? From the Katalyth? I know it's a rock, but just in case rocks aren't a monolith. (heh) | That's an interesting one, and an aspect of Katalyth vs. Arthropoda we haven't considered. After discussing it: yes, there will be something. It'll be hard to discern it past all of the Badfeels (TM) that come with being near Katalyth... but there is no feeling of ill will, no intent to harm. No intent to help, either. But there is intent, after a fashion. The best way this intent can be described is wanting. Pure, absolute want. Wanting to be heard, known, seen, touched, or ignored—it's impossible to say precisely what it wants, but accompanying all of these feelings is some kind of yearning. |
| #76
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-19 |
OK mods, I'm sorry in advance because this is such a weird dumb question that's probably answered or implied somewhere if I look hard enough, but I figure it's just easier to ask directly: is there any reason at all why a deer wouldn't be able to wander it's way into Scintillant Park? Or to put it more broadly, what's the urban wildlife situation in general? I know there's a whole lot going on in the woods outside, but what about the city itself? Do the Karterians have a barrier so dang good, they've managed to do what no human in our world has done before? Have they found a way to keep deer from getting in and eating all their fucken plants? I need to know for impulsive dog boy chase reasons, thanks :') |
Overall, wildlife within the city is... faltering. It's not doing too well. Insect life in particular is the hardest hit, with populations dropping to less than a quarter of what they were half a century ago, when they began keeping records. Birds, and small mammals (squirrels and the like) are also in decline. Researchers don't have a clear answer for why, other than a general incompatibility with human-made cities and human-driven activities. Which is not to say you can't come across a deer in Scintillant Park. As you might expect, deer are spiteful, stubborn creatures- and why would they remain in the luscious and human-free spaces outside Karteria, when they can wander in and eat cultivated herbs and shrubs? Deer obey no laws, no borders. They may be freely chased. |
| #77
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-07 |
Power-related question that I think I probably know the answer to -- would Silver be able to move/lift the crystals with his psychokinesis? Or are they pretty solidly in the ground and/or would the mental stress be too much to handle? | While it might technically be possible, especially with smaller pieces, or ones with less of a good 'grasp' on whatever surface they're growing from- it's not easy. It's almost as bad as going up to it and just touching it. The mental stress would be considerable, and probably more of a deterrent than the whole 'being affixed to the ground' deal. Mental powers on a material that in itself creates significant mental strain just by being in its vicinity... it's not a great combination. He is, of course, welcome to try and have an awful time of it. |
| #78
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-07 |
Sorry if I've missed this somewhere, but how's the signal on the Syntrofos outside of the city? | The signal is nice and strong, surprisingly reliable! Whatever they're doing to maintain a functional network sure is working really well. |
| #79
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-07 |
Okay, a couple things: 1) Do the mental/emotional effects of the Katalyth differ when Augmented are shifted? Will characters become more resilient or feel stronger/more stable around the rocks in monster form? 2) Max likes making his own maps, to keep mental note of what might be useful to him and what he’s discovered. Is there a way to manually mark things on the Syntrofos map or would he have to make a physical copy if he wanted something customized? |
1. Characters could totally feel themselves respond somewhat differently to Katalyth when Shifted, compared to their natural state. If anything, they might be more drawn towards Shifting because of it, instinct telling them to throw up this defense, to wrap themself up in it for safety. While it doesn't protect completely by any means (getting close to it is still awful, please lick the rocks responsibly, etc.), being in a form closer to that of beast might make it feel more endurable. 2. Yes, the maps are freely customizable within the Syntrofos! He can use the touchscreen to draw little things on it, or tap it to add in text wherever he'd like. It's possible also to 'sync' his local maps with those of other characters, to better collect/share all that data. |
| #80
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-06 |
What happens if a character does some indirect touching of Katalyth? Like wrapping it in cloth, using tongs, or putting it in some kind of jar/container (for later private study)? Does this muffle the overbearing sense of dread in any way? Can medicinal andor Recreational Drug type plants/fungi be found/foraged in this forest? Are they affected by arcane radiation? Edited (we're also about wholesome medicine here too ) 2025-04-06 03:42 am (UTC)
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Ooh, good question. It's a layer of protection from the concentration of Katalyth; it's at least some protection, but just imagine how close that is to the rock. Cloth would not offer much protection. However... Every once in a while, Katalyth is secretly smuggled into the city. This is done via very intensely walled jars... so it's doable. Small fragments at a time. Of course, if one gets caught smuggling it into the city they get in big trouble. Katalyth is contraband in the city nowadays. Recreational Drug/plants/fungi exist in The Woods. You may rightfully assume that any sort of extant plant or fungus that grows in the Olympic Mountains could be found. They are not impacted negatively by arcane radiation... but boy, they sure have had a chance to grow. Whether this growth is due to arcane radiation, or simply being uninterrupted by humans, it's difficult to say. (If one were to analyze samples under a microscope, samples would suggest that they do have a trait that causes it to grow and/or mutate at accelerated rates... In case this is relevant.) |
| #81
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-05 |
(Hopefully I didn't just miss this detail in the write-up somewhere but, sorry if I did,) Is going out into the woods "strongly suggested" (read: mandatory, actually) by Patho-Gen? Or are augmented allowed to hang back in the city if they prefer? Elan's had it up to here w/ being exposed to evil magical rocks and thus he'd probably be more likely to let others make the first excursions out into the woods before he gives it a try himself, but it'd be good to know if he'd get any flack for staying back, or if he winds up being voluntold to get his ass out there :') |
We are of the opinion that Patho-Gen can be as pushy or as lenient as you prefer! If you'd like for Patho-Gen to be aggressively pushy about Elan going out into The Woods up into making it mandatory (he could have been under the advisement under a very rigid staff member) because you want to deal with him having to go out there, we endorse this. We also endorse him getting a more lenient member of Patho-Gen coaching Elan who capitulates to Elan's discomfort. They will impress upon him the fact that they really need their help specifically, and they'll give him as much flack as you prefer. The justification for this is that members of Patho-Gen are each individuals with different mentalities and attitudes. He could just get a bad streak of really strict, callous members... or he could get a more understanding one. It is up to you. |
| #82
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-05 |
hello mods! i had some technical questions about imprinting (pre-emptive apology if this was already addressed elsewhere) i know a lot of it is ooc-ly organized between players, but apart from characters icly acknowledging "hey we're close, i guess we imprinted" is there anything in the game mechanics that would alert a pair of their status? since it's a new phenomenon for patho-gen too, i was just wondering how a character might know if they'd imprinted or not... or if that mechanic isn't yet accessible (like, if they participate in the study, would there be a time a staff member looks at the data and is like "oh yep you're imprinted") TLDR 1) is it feasible for a character in complete denial to carry on saying they haven't imprinted/bonded at all? and if so, 2) is there an ic mechanic available for a player to use when they decide to force said character to finally acknowledge it? ty mods! |
Developing definitive tests is something Patho-Gen will still need time to develop- as right now, their evidence would be largely observational (i.e., these characters become calmer when together), or obtained through blood draws or other monitoring (revealing upticks in various positive things). Which could also just mean the characters like each other anyway.... They're still working out the benefits themselves, but in the longer term they may well develop tests to definitively label characters as imprinted or not. For right now though: yes, it's entirely possible for a character to maintain their denial with nothing scientific available to prove otherwise. And in the future: also yes, that scientific option will probably turn up, but it's not out yet. |
| #83
Topics: Souls, Necromancy Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
hi I have another question about Pal doing stupid things to himself already SINCE he is a necromancer, and since he knows a) how to manipulate a soul as a moveable object and b) keep two souls separate from each other, IF he tried to do this upon sensing The Urges in the frolicking prompt-- would it do anything to him, would he get awful feedback. I know it's not going to work, ultimately, but would he necromance himself into a migraine, or like, simply not be able to "locate" the actual Natural Soul using necromancy? Basically how bad of a week is he going to have. tysm. |
Palamedes will find himself unable to keep the souls apart. They are... technically distinct, everybody's Natural Soul and their regular soul, and they remain as such—but there's no stopping the influence the Natural Soul has on everybody's bodies. You are free to have him try and necromance himself a hearty migraine, and the soul can absolutely give some wicked feedback if he attempts to get too cozy with him. ... There is another thing. There is an overwhelming... feeling coming from the Natural Souls. Something like a distinct NO any time someone might attempt (and fail) to keep it apart from the host's soul. This thing wants to live. It will not be denied. |
| #84
Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
a Like say, animals or something alive? Basically Infinite is trying to bring back a cool bug or two for someone he's okay with and I wanted to see if there was anything like that going on! |
Haha, that's cute... Infinite can bring a cool bug back! No harm in that. Security standing at the gates won't stop him from bringing in harmless things like that, but they might stop someone from trying to bring in an actual bear or something. |
| #85
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
if someone was going to, say, on their way to the woods snoop around the decaying village outside of Karteria itself, how reclusive or sparse would the people be there? Would they mostly outright flee an augmented, or could someone who's |
It's on the southwest edge that there would be any sort of life out there, and they're very, very reclusive. Hard to spot. For someone who can detect what a shoddy, makeshift habitation might look like... they're definitely there. And some of them watch. Seeing no signs of animal features on Silco (or anyone who approaches) doesn't seem to soothe them at all. Silco would theoretically find that these people are incredibly paranoid and agitated. Everyone out here is clearly infected with arcane radiation poisoning. They are coming up with weird trains of thought, saying something about how if they go in for treatment they'll be injected with poison and killed. They seem convinced that anyone who approaches them is sent by either Patho-Gen or the government to try to use them for something, and they're not taking the bait. They can't quite figure out what they're going to be used for, though. Experiments, or something. If asked why they'd think such a thing, some of them say they know someone who disappeared. Or they know someone who knows someone who disappeared. You get the picture. This is a doomed world, and it's easier to say that because they themselves are inevitably going to die. These people are of the jaded opinion that pretending like everything's normal is Karteria's problem, and they're sick of it. Edited (whoops, a part of a sentence was missing) 2025-04-04 04:28 (UTC)
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| #86
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
Quickly (hopefully!!) to clarify from the NPC thread - would Celia be able to facilitate access to Katalyth in Patho-Gen labs for them to help with attempts to stabilize the rocks, or is it a no-go until they all potentially build better rep |
Oh!! Sorry- but yeah, actual lab access is probably unlikely to be granted at this time. Have to get that reputation up first (especially with Patho-Gen, which the Augmented by and large... haven't), or otherwise try to build a |
| #87
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
Sooo, asking for a friend. How does the Katalyth react to fire? Just out of curiosity. Augmented have been instructed that it's a dangerous source of energy and all, but. I'm assuming it makes the radiation in the area... worse. |
Like many things, Katalyth does not particularly appreciate being on fire. Rather than being hurt by it, however- it's likely to cause an immediate flash fire in its vicinity, burning unnaturally hot and blindingly bright... and impossible to put out. Nothing will douse it, suffocate it. ...And yet, it will disappear on its own within a few minutes, with the Katalyth beneath it coming out not exactly smaller, or singed, but looking different all the same. All its odd nodules and crevices are in different places. And while it is on fire... the distress that's given off in its vicinity becomes vastly, vastly worse. If characters weren't hallucinating before, they probably are now; the agony they're in should be considerable, overwhelming, even scarring. |
| #88
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-04 |
So, the critters are thriving, but can you hunt and eat the animals in the woods? Also, given the survey quest my inner horse girl has to ask: are there horses in Karteria? 👀 |
Yes, the animals out there should be safe to eat! (Assuming they're not naturally toxic, anyway. Arcane radiation contamination from them is not an issue, though.) Levels of tastiness may vary. There are horses! The police/militia maintain a mounted guard, and that would be the most likely way to spot some equines. Recreational riding used to be a greater hobby, but since it's not safe to spend long outside the barrier... it's not, these days. Several farms still maintain their own horses as well. There may even be a few feral specimens, lurking the woods.... |
| #89
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-04-02 |
So how does arcane radiation compare to regular electromagnetic radiation? I've been learning wild shit about scorpions, like they're alarmingly resistant to nuclear radiation, glow fluorescently under concentrated UV light, and can seemingly feel/sense visible spectrum radiation even if they can't see. Would any of this apply with Katalyth? Would any of it be wildly different? |
While it's a different underlying principle... there are parallels enough for that to be thoroughly plausible (also, the Natural Souls are magic these are magic scorpions, arcane radiation is magic... it all fits together). Also it's neat as hell. A scorpion-based Natural Soul would have a higher resistance than normal to arcane radiation, and a character with one like Hubert would even be able to handle Katalyth directly for slightly longer periods (several minutes rather than one, could almost 'brush' off an incidental contact rather than be immediately stricken by it). He may also glow freely in its presence- and may find himself glowing quite a bit once outside the Karterian barrier. He could also have an easier time 'seeing' it in the landscape, feeling out the places that it's growing. The ability is likely further enhanced while Shifted. |
| #90
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-31 |
Would someone with a reptilia natural soul that allows them to taste the air like a snake be able to find the Katalyth easier? Also would tasting the chemicals released by the Katalyth have any extra effects on Harang? | While there are no chemicals for Katalyth to give off, being a rock... it is giving off something that Harang (and other Reptilia-types) might be able to 'taste' with their tongue. While all characters will feel a sort of dread/distress on being near Katalyth, tasting the air like a snake will allow him to pinpoint its location(s) more easily. In terms of extra effects from the tasting, as it's more of a 'sensing' tool rather than actually ingesting anything, he wouldn't feel any additional effects from doing this. Just the... increasing malaise of approaching Katalyth in the first place. (And hopefully he'll be able to keep from tripping over it... better bring a friend.) |
| #91
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-31 |
Since the Katalyth gives off such Bad Vibes, could Pal path his way to it more quickly using psychometry? And also what happens if someone touches it directly... asking for a friend.... ALSO less event-y question, what kind of books are in the bibliotheque? Informative nonfiction? Romance novel slop? please can there be slop Edited 2025-03-31 11:25 am (UTC)
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Oh dear. His psychometry should be able to hone in easier on the bad feelings Katalyth gives off, yes. Should his 'friend' touch it... they will probably not enjoy it. For unaugmented humans, that contact would be lethal, and their death long enough to be agonizing. The Augmented- should they not keep hold, lick, or otherwise try to eat Katalyth- won't have a great time. There will be absolute mental agony, and it will only possibly be matched by the accompanying physical agony. They will develop some of the physical signs of arcane radiation poisoning such as blackened boils, blindness, paralysis, seizures- but they will pass if they don't continue touching the thing. Throughout it, they will be terrified, panicked, and possibly violent. But hey, they'll probably survive. Recovery from their injuries will take hours, at least- if not longer. Characters who are very good at healing themselves might recover faster (unless they have to do so consciously and are too incoherent to manage it). Terras are probably more sensitive, while Golems might have a marginally easier time (they still can't eat it). (If anyone does touch it for too long- longer than a minute or so- they will die and need to either be able to revive themself, or be brought back to Patho-Gen for resurrection.) The Valentia library is, in fact, largely slop. It's entertainment, intended for quick reads and quick returns, from the building's past as a hotel. It's possible someone has left an errant textbook behind, or dry historical novel... but it is by and large slop. If you want non-slop you'll have to visit one of the city's multitude of real libraries. |
| #92
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-23 |
Hi hi mods! If McCoy's tricorder – the white box he's waving around in the icon, a high tech medical scanner and diagnostic tool – happens to come along with him, would it work? And, if so, what might show up as hinky if he scans himself? 👀 | A neat little device... The tricorder will work in the setting, but it miiiight go a little haywire (whenever convenient in a thread to do so, such as when you wish not to spoil a surprise or have characters understand something!). It can perform its regular functions well enough, to a degree: characters will read as whatever their state of health is, with the Augmenter not at all affecting its reading. Bizarre. It may acknowledge that people aren't feeling well for some very basic reasons (they all just went through surgery and whatnot, after all). Every once in a while, the device may hiccup and error out, or give a false reading of extremely poor health?! But it's just a hiccup. In short, reading oneself after showing up here will accurately portray them as whatever status their currently in, but the Augmenter will go undetected or not noted. They have had surgery, they may be undergoing fever, they may be aching or in distress... but the reason is inconclusive. It can also read as an infection or a foreign body, such as an implant—which, it is, so it's not wrong. |
| #93
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-17 |
I know characters get mysteriously knocked out for getting too intense in the arena - but would they also get knocked out for starting a fight in the Valentia? If they slammed an older gentleman into the wall during Prompt IV would a ServiTon try to break up the fight? (in our thread Silco is trying to bait Jayce to see what the violence threshold is for Patho-Gen knocking folks out, OOCly no personal preference either way what happens but I wanted to check first, ty!) |
Unfortunately(?) for Silco, since there's no Patho-Gen staff around... there's no one to break up fights like these! In a case like this, where there's a ServiTon observing, it will definitely try its earnest best to request/plead with the instigator to desist, and may warn that it will call the authorities if they do not. If the instigator doesn't listen, the ServiTon will summon police to its aid... Which would either end with the culpable party arrested (and given some community service to atone for the crime), or with them knocked out and arrested (and... also given some community service). Main difference is whether they're dragged away unconscious or not.... |
| #94
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-16 |
hi hi mods! thank you for the fun tdm! i was wondering if you guys intend to post an overflow for it, or if you'd rather that we move our threads to our journals? since it seems like it might reach captcha soon! |
Hello! I am glad you're enjoying it! This was brought to our attention—totally forgot about how captcha sneaks up at about 5000 comments. We have an overflow here. Hope this works! |
| #95
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-14 |
So what if, in the play fighting, the instinct is less about fighting and more about mounting and mating, would that count as incapacitating and get the top dog (lol) knocked out? | Oh dear... you could take that in multiple directions really, depending on what you wanted to happen! It's possible Patho-Gen would allow them to continue- because hey, this is good info too, as for what behaviors these Natural Souls might provoke the Augmented into (they assume it's the soul at work and not like... what the characters would be doing anyway. they can be wrong). Or, it could strike the observing scientists as too obscene, and cause the primary instigator to get knocked out. Depends on the group the characters get, there's some that will still choose Karterian Propriety over science, and some who will... not. So really, you can take either outcome! |
| #96
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-13 |
Hello! If we picked a soul in the TDM and decided to go with a different soul in our app, would that be okay? Can we handwave that we've always had that soul, or can we say that the soul changed upon game opening? Or would choosing another soul render our threads as not canon? I'm really happy with my current threads, so I'm hoping I can keep them. That said, I'll leave the final decision up to you all! |
Oh that's no problem, changes in soul between the TDM and the app are completely fine. It's only once the character has entered the game that the soul type is considered 'set' (and then can only be changed once for free + costing 400 points thereafter). You're free to handwave any discrepancies between the TDM and the app. So there's no issue with existing threads remaining canon. c: |
| #97
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-12 |
Hello, I was hoping to clarify something. For characters using the kitchens, how creative could they get with recipes? Is it similar to anything they'd find on a Betty Crocker recipe? For drinks like tea and coffee, would it be limited to a brand/type, or are more types like oolong available? | Good questions! The things available in the kitchens are all of the ingredients needed to whip up any of those Betty Crocker atrocities, plus plenty of other basic ingredients/condiments, with a leaning toward non-perishable or tinned foods. Drink-wise, there are tea bags, coffee, milk, juice, soda—the list goes on. We won't be super particular about this: it could be that on an off chance, your character finds the precise thing they needed to make a specific dish on one day, but they don't have it on another! It'd be easier to dictate what isn't available in there, even though it's not like they have top-of-the-line luxury ingredients in there to begin with. In Karteria, seafood is at a shortage despite being located right on the water... which means that the seafood you find on food items in the Valentia come from a tin, and they loudly proclaim being a fake fish product. Most meat in general is either canned, cured, or ground. There are no specialty meats. A bit peculiar that those are the only limits: veggies and fruits seem to be at least present, even more perishable ones like lettuce or raspberries. They're not super abundant though. |
| #98
Topics: Homeworld powers, Wildlife Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-11 |
Apologies for the belated addendum, but I have one last familiar-related question. In her own setting (the Pathfinder tabletop RPG), my character could potentially forge a bond with a local animal in order to get a new familiar, if she lost her old one or wanted to change familiar for any reason. It just requires a long magic ritual and a somewhat substantial amount of money (so, not something that could be done immediately). Would this be viable in-game as well? |
Never too late, and sure- a magic like that should still function in the setting. Given time, she should be able to make for herself a new familiar from one of the local critters. |
| #99
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-10 |
hello mods! apologies if this has been asked and answered — but what options are available to characters who may wish to seek out their own medical supplies, ie bandages and even pain killers? ty! | Always worth clarifying any point- and there are pharmacies available in Karteria (mostly Patho-Gen owned or associated with, though there's a few older shops just barely hanging on). Basic supplies (like what you'd find in a first-aid kit) are readily available, along with some painkillers. The sorts of things you'd be able to get over the counter. With a bit of effort/talking to a doctor (or if they're the type, just stealing it), characters could also get some heavier/prescription medications. For these especially, stocks have gotten slow to refill, and shortages are increasingly common. Any individual store isn't likely to have much at a time. There are also apothecaries, which are smaller and either individual or family-run. Some are legit, reliable, and trustworthy- if offering more unusual (and not scientifically proven) options to their clientele. Others are sketchy, dealing more with illegal goods, the dangerous, or the unreliable. Cephalopods in particular might be interested in checking out these places for their magical tinctures; within the city, they're a good place to find ingredients. For everyone else: there's bandages and paracetamol. |
| #100
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-03-09 |
hello, is there any water available in the ballroom for characters who are feeling sick? | They're quite inconsiderate, not having refreshments available in the space everyone's mingling in after waking up (expecting the Augmented to trek over to the Valentia to have their drinks/snacks). That said, there are still staff around who will absolutely fetch someone a cup of water if asked. If someone looks particularly unwell, they might even offer it unbidden. |
