Log - October 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: 2026-08-06 |
If anti-gen members are talked to/interrogated (by someone with ruminantia lie-detection), will they confirm that they have no involvement in the katalyth incursion and attacks? Adding on to the answer about creating a dream bubble of the reconsciousness, verso can create light producing things from chroma, if he makes one in a dream bubble, will there be anything to see? if he uses perissodactyla shape-shifting to take on the form of what they are so afraid of/claim they were ignorant of, will that produce anything? |
Anti-Gen members will be firm (if slightly shocked over the accusation) about having not placed any Katalyth, or attacked any Augmented. Their phrasing is particular, and technically true- that they, personally are doing neither of these things. ...Which is indeed very suspicious and not wholly honest. They know what's going on (if not all to the same degree); they're certainly involved with it, but they're still really focused on Patho-Gen being the true culprit. If it weren't for Patho-Gen, none of this would be happening. Anti-Gen themselves won't admit to anything, even if attacked. (Nor will they turn hostile, but will defend themselves/try to talk any aggressor into leaving.) They'll reiterate that they want what's best for Karteria and the Augmented. That is still true, by whatever personal definition they're using. As for Perissodactyla shape-shifting inside the patient dreams... it's hard to give what they're afraid of a concrete shape. It's something disease-ridden and destitute; it's years of being underground, starving and furious and blind; it's being observed from every angle, cut apart and pieced back together, thoughts joined with a myriad of other voices; it's feeding blood to a wolf and knowing that it will obey you hereafter; it's to see everything that was done to lead to this point, and to know that it's hopeless. That it was hopeless centuries ago, and they're just now catching up. Being that this is what the patients are presently experiencing, they won't react to having more of it inside the dream bubble. |
| #2
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-06 |
The deeds the augmented are being accused of from their past, is that things they believe they did, or things they actually did? | It can be both! Characters can be haunted by things they know they've done, and things that they are innocent of but believe otherwise. (As an extra note, they can also be accused of real things they don't remember doing.) |
| #3
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-06 |
This one just occurred to me, but - given Fungi souls are stated to be good at absorbing arcane radiation, while Momo is trying to investigate the culprits behind the Katalyth drops could he theoretically also take advantage of this ability to lower the lingering radiation levels in areas the Katalyth was planted by at least a little bit, since the source would've been removed? Also throwing this on here as well - aside from fungi shenanigans, would Momo's sleep dust (which induces dreamless sleep specifically unless he throws his spores in with it) have any appreciable effect on the state of the reawakened meat patients? Likewise, would a positive fungi-induced fever dream provide any reprieve? Edited 2026-08-06 02:00 am (local)
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Given that Fungi are fantastic at radiation absorption, Momo could do a lot for the local environment just by virtue of his presence. With the Katalyth not having been there for very long, he could return things to near-normal. (This will naturally be less effective if Katalyth is deposited somewhere and not noticed for a time. There's only so much one Fungi-network can do....) And his dreamless sleep dust would work to put the meat patients back under. Whenever they wake up, they'll be back to their old nightmare... but their unconscious state would be peaceful and empty, at least. And they'll be physically healthier for being able to sleep without disruption, even if it is unable to fix their mental state. The fungi-spores are... differently effective. They definitely work, but without his direction, the fever dream will only amplify the madness they're already experiencing. A horrifically bad trip, something that's already broken made to find new angles to bleed by. Momo can still control it, however (though it's a bit harder in this case than usual), in which case it'll be more like his wingdust- in that it'll help them for the duration, before reverting to their prior, maddened state. |
| #4
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-06 |
Ooo! Exciting. And if one were to summon a light, would that be possible or would it be swallowed up by the darkness? (Totally understand if you want to save further details for the log!) | A light could be summoned up, and it would work to briefly illuminate the surrounds. It... looks about as one might expect, given the texture. It's like being inside something alive. There are a disconcerting amount of eyes for anything, but they're all closed; even if touched, they won't react, as though they either don't notice, or are determined to stay shut. The illumination doesn't last for very long before being suffocated by the atmosphere. Rather than being snuffed out entirely, it turns into a streaky, flickering grey, giving the surrounds more of a corpse-like pallor. |
| #5
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-05 |
Preemptive FAQ |
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| #6
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-03 |
How is attempting to track/find out more information on those who are smearing the Augmented (or track the source of the Katalyth drops) likely to go, or will there be more info on the post? Momo has his lie detection/enhanced senses and if there'd potentially be a way to get more info out of someone with fungi shenanigans, may be willing to resort to that (though not the fatal variety)... Also on the note of fungi shenanigans, with regard to the Collective Reconscious quest, would him reasserting his fungi presence on people he's infested before go any way to help break them out of the post-coma state? (Or would he be able to get any different sort of vibes from the influence they're under aside from what he felt on during meat rescues?) |
While the smearers are quick to abscond once they've made their speech (or if the tide of opinion around them turns against them), they are still normal people and can be caught by a quick or canny enough Augmented. Doing so in view of the public could still count against the Augmented, if they're too rough or scary about it (even if the Augmented are just defending themselves...). But they are also possible to track. The attackers aren't anyone remarkable. With Arthropoda-senses or similar, it'd be easy to pick up that most of them don't even particularly dislike the Augmented. (Those who perform the physical attacks at night are more heavily skewed towards dislike, but even then there's not many who actually hate them.). Some of the people involved are from the defector camp just outside Karteria. This group is largely after a payout; they've been promised opportunities to live back inside the city, and/or having their criminal history expunged. The rest are a part of the lower-middle class; there's almost no one from the lower classes taking part. These sorts are more idealistic, if anything; they're more likely to believe what they're saying. As for what they're saying: they're all getting their lines, their orders from someone else. The defectors honestly don't know who's behind it, but can be pressed to guess that it's probably someone official. Has to be, right? They don't know if what they're saying is true, and they don't particularly care. Being informed of anything incorrect is met with indifference; they were hired to say some shit, push some Augmented around, they're not vetting it for accuracy. The middle class sorts know more, though it varies from person to person. Some will admit to working for the government, others for Patho-Gen, others for Anti-Gen... and they all seem to believe it? (Or, they might claim one as a lie, and would reveal their truth if caught out at it.) They've all been paid in some way for doing this, whether that's through numis or material goods, or securing business connections. Most of them believe what they're saying about the Augmented, but they're not 'committed'- as in, they think they're doing something akin to honest work, getting these truths into the open air, and will be surprised (if dubious) to hear that it might not all be accurate. A very few are true believers in a strange way; they absolutely refuse to admit who they're working for (apart from claiming that they're doing it at their own initiative, and... mean it?), and largely know whether what they're saying is true or not. They feel that what they're doing is 'necessary'; they're oddly the most sympathetic to the Augmented, but also believe they shouldn't be there. Some have backgrounds in science or bureaucracy, and some just work in shops. There's an almost manic energy to these few, as though they're on the edge of some kind of breakdown, despite being otherwise the most passionate and articulate. In all cases, some group (or groups?) is giving them targets to find among the Augmented, and providing them with information specific to them. For the people performing attacks at night, they're given less information, only physical descriptions and the places they're most likely to be. The source of the Katalyth drops will be much harder to track. Anyone who's caught as a part of the Augmented-smearing won't know anything about it... mostly; it seems that these groups are kept separate. They'll try to keep up the pretense about believing it's the Augmented doing it; some of them might even believe it. (The exception is the odd group of before, who know the Augmented aren't behind it. Besides that, they clamp down hard about it. It's true that they don't know personally who's doing it, but if their actual feelings are forced out of them, they amount to a sense of, "It's not enough." They find it regrettable that the Katalyth was cleaned up.) As for reconnecting with his old fungi spores on the patients, that continues to go... strangely. They still don't listen to him in the way that fresh spores do (Resporing now will work to get the patients to calm down, at least, or otherwise do what he wants- but it's only due to puppetting them into compliance, rather than a genuine 'calm'. If he gives up active control, they will return to a maddened state.). But given that he's the originator of the fungi sporemind, he could force his way into this new 'circle' now that it's awake- but it would try to assimilate Momo back. Those disloyal spores have learned a different song, and Momo could feel the edge of what the meat patients are going through. There's an immense impression of grief and guilt- as though existing itself has put them into crisis, having become a part of something immeasurably wrong, that was broken from the start. It's despair pitched black, and it's hard to see a way out from it- and hard to find any sliver of the patient's mind left inside of it. The voice that they're using might come from their own throat, but it's speaking for something larger than them, something that lacks a thought besides to hurt. His old spores are adding to this voice, and though he could potentially wrest them back into some kind of compliance, they're unable to revive the people they've been growing in. |
| #7
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-03 |
For the collective reconsciousness, would a perissodactyla be able to manifest what they saw in the form of a dream bubble or peek at their dreams when they sleep to get some knowledge of it? | A Perissodactyla would be very much able to get inside their heads this way! The dream bubbles... they don't show anything promising. It's dark, too dark to see much detail, and in a way that eyes could never adjust to- even if one was possessed of an excellent nightvision. It's like the world itself is restricting sight, squeezing it to its most minimal in the way that breath might be crushed out of a throat. What remains is a pulsing atmosphere, a slow throb in all directions in a deep red. There's space to move, but it feels claustrophobic all the same; there's wetness in most directions, and to press upon it, it's soft and yielding to a point. To move forward is to have the space that's behind disappear- but when it's all the same, it's not much to lose. But there's no desire to move- that's clear immediately. If there had ever been a desire to escape, it has vanished, and besides the Perissodactyla, there's no 'person' in the dream, no individual identity. There's voices in the pulsing, and it's hard to tell whether they're hallucinated or not, something that's been dreamed up for the sake of company. An insane company, but it's there, an utter misery lining the viscera of the bubble. Nothing sensible is being said, it's all echoes of the kinds of things that are being said out loud, muffled through layers of organs. There's a pervasive sense of loss, something that's torn to shreds what had once been an identity, and has been replaced with more pain. Every patient's dream bubble follows the same pattern. Each is experiencing the same thing, solitary cells layered atop one another, their guilt shared through the throbbing of the walls. (As an extra note, Spectrals would also be able to involve themselves in their dreams in some way, though at much greater danger and more cost to themselves. What they would 'see' would be similar, but they would be stuck inside of it, with a greater chance of being overwhelmed and trapped.) |
| #8
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-08-02 |
Has the bell ringing and all the effects from it from the last post stopped? | The bell ringing has entirely stopped, and everything it brought with it, yes! The forbidden side of the building is eerily quiet these days.... |
| #9
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-12 |
hi mods, so on the subject of the meat, and before we start plotting something in full force... Is it possible for a few augmented to work together to try and get to the center of the meat? We have a few characters who have all felt parts of the meat and have been chatting about it, and if it's ok for us to try, we'll come up with a plan on how the characters are trying to get to the center of it and the entity therein... We wanted to check first, in case the M E A T has an already planned conclusion, but also if this is something we could do to help angle things in that direction with further investigation, we would be interested as well! |
It's everyone's favorite subject.... The M E A T does not have an exact conclusion besides its current condition- that it is now removable, and is no longer spreading with any particular verve. (Which isn't to say that this is necessarily the end of meat in all capacities, but its present iteration is unlikely to go any further.) Which also isn't to say that there's nowhere to explore in regards to its origins or what it's been doing and why- so players are very welcome to have characters actively exploring that direction. So yes, just let us know how you want to approach things, what you're looking for, and we can get back to you with what might be found. (And which would naturally angle its way into future events.) |
| #10
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-11 |
Understandable! After a couple of days, once Rowan's had time to double check with smarter friends (Tighnari lol), they'll send a private response: 504720746f72747565642 06d7920667269656e6473 20696e2066726f6e74206 f66206d652e2043757420 6d65206f70656e2061676 1696e20616n6420 61676 1696e20756e74696c206d 79206865616c696e67206 661696c65642e2053746f 6c652075732066726f6d20 6f767220686f6d65732049 20776f756c6d6e27746769 7665207468656d 2074686 52074696d65206f6620646 1792c206d756368206c657 3732061636365737320746 f206f6e65206f662075732e ("PG tortured my friends in front of me. Cut me open again and again until my healing failed. Stole us from our homes. I wouldn't give them the time of day, much less access to one of us.") |
Whether Lambert has read this or not... they do not reply. A valiant attempt to level with them, no doubt. Don't lose heart! Perhaps someday, their paths may cross again... And Lambert may well remember this. |
| #11
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
Would Lambert respond to an offer of repairs free of PG's influence? Or a safe back up? | It's not likely that anything would convince "Lambert" to meet up with someone as a result of a network conversation, but an offer like this might get them a text response. Is this a trick? It sounds like a GENUINE PATHO-GEN OBFUSCATION. Are you trying to [FACTORY_RESET] me? I am onto you. I will stay free. I will will willwillwill [IP_BAN] any Patho-Gen Obfuscators. |
| #12
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
So umm... How's Lambert on forgiveness about trying to harm them? |
They wouldn't respond to any apologies sent their way, unfortunately, so it's hard to tell whether they're the sort to forgive. Lambert would also not offer anything in the way of an apology for any provocation they may or may not have performed.... |
| #13
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
Sooo... What does our funky little forest friend look like if an Aves manages to get a glimpse of it with their soul vision? Also, say two idiots want to try leaving it a very intentional peace offering of kitchen utensils. Like, they set out a nice little pile of them or something, and wait for it to show up and see what it does (white knuckling through the fear effect probably). Any particular changes in behavior? Does it seem to have a favorite kind of utensil? EDIT: I'm told that Kalim would also like to leave snacks out for it. Falafel is also integrated into the utensil pile. Edited 2026-07-08 11:06 am (local)
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Well... it definitely has a soul. It's different from that of a beast, but it's not quite human either. (It is also not an Augmented-esque soul, for clarity.) Though there's not really anything in the wild to compare it with (besides Brickston's fate, fusing sufficiently with his Natural Soul to become a Spectral rather than an Augmented), it seems likely that he's looking at a genuine Spectral. (The soul itself is not particularly spooky to look at. A pale, whispy thing... it's easy to lose sight of, within the murky horror of its 'body'.) A whole pile of utensils will focus its attention in that spot for longer than usual, allowing any observers a chance to- well, observe in relative safety this time. It seems to have a preference for anything that can be used to cook with (a whisk or spatula over a fork, for instance), but will linger over everything for a time, before disappearing back into the forest with it all. The falafel will also be taken (though it didn't pay as much attention to it in the moment). |
| #14
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
okay. so. northly has a plan. Is this a good plan? who can say! but by god is she going to do it. are patho-gen going to take any measures against her "make me unconscious before bell time or all your pipes are bursting" actions? will they do as she wants and knock her out? |
Patho-Gen knows to be a bit wary when Northly arrives on their doorstep (and they're noticeably surprised to see her, given that her antipathy towards them is well documented). But when they hear what she's after, they would actually agree to it. Northly could turn up before each ring, and they would knock her out. Nothing would happen to her while she's unconscious, and she would be allowed to leave once she's woken back up after the bell stops. Plan successful...?? |
| #15
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
oh no, her plan is to uh, initiate the knocking unconscious with destruction. just how much damage she could do would depend how fast they are on the draw. though potentially after a few rounds of this if they see her coming and hit the switch before she's started, she wouldn't be too bothered. (unconscious is better than mind controlled) |
Northly no... you would have gotten what you wanted just by asking them..... The first time she could probably get away with hurting a few people, flooding the lobby (maybe not the worst thing given the recent meat infestation), before they shut her down. The more she does this, the more she would train them to knock her out on sight. Nothing would still happen to her while she was unconscious though, and they would escort her outside somewhere to wake up on her own (As they assume her waking up in 'captivity' would just lead to a need to knock her out again.). Plan still successful...??? |
| #16
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-08 |
Hello mods, I have a question: Let's say you put up a hiatus as a safety net just in case, but are able to make AC anyway. Am I allowed to disregard the hiatus by stating such and asking permission to delete it, or will it still count as a hiatus? Alternatively, when the reason for said hiatus is now obsolete, am I allowed to say that I don't need it anymore by asking permission to delete it or will it still count as such even if I do have the comments needed to complete AC for that month? Thank you in advance, mods! |
It doesn't have to be that complicated! The only time a hiatus is "counted", is when it is submitted for AC in place of a comment thread, AND is checked at the end of the month. So if a hiatus is posted to the hiatus page, that in itself would not count as it being 'used' for the month. We do still recommend players who go on hiatus to go ahead and post their hiatus to their AC thread (since it's an easy thing to forget!). But if the player finds that they're able to submit normal AC after all, so long as the AC comment is edited before the end of the month, then it won't count as a hiatus being used. (Additionally, should someone need to hiatus for more than one month in succession, we just ask for players to let us know.) |
| #17
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-07 |
Would the creature in the woods have any appreciable reaction/recognition to characters who've encountered it before? Momo ran into it with Bruno a while ago and they gave it a utensil bribe (though Momo did end up...quad-wielding burning branches to cast enough light to protect Bruno from it after he got dragged away from the campfire area, as one does). | The creature might be a touch more aggressive or insistent towards those who have fended it off before- but not by any marked amount. So it's not impossible that it's able to remember past encounters, but there's also nothing in its behavior that would indicate definite recognition. Its behavior is otherwise unchanged from how it was previously described- it being drawn towards cooking after dark, the ability to bribe it with utensils, and so on. |
| #18
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-06 |
Not that anyone WOULD do this, but... what would happen if an Augmented managed to bring a shard of Katalyth to the spacial tear and threw it at it? | It's a good thing that no one would think to do something that dangerous. Just bringing Katalyth within the vicinity of the meat creates a powerful and increasing sense of wrongness, that something impossible is being made to take place, and reality is writhing against it. Katalyth cannot grow around a meat landfill, and it seems like it doesn't want to exist within one either. But if some fragment of Katalyth happens to be sent into the dark, it would disappear like any other object. However, as attempting to touch or otherwise interact with the spatial tears is incredibly painful, the use of Katalyth on them (and throwing a piece in counts as 'use') qualifies as touching it, and will generate an even greater degree of soul-rending pain. As another bonus, even characters who had never been exposed to the Katalyth song will be abruptly deafened by its chorus, and will come out of the experience with the misery earworm. (Characters already earwormed will at least recognize the sound of crystalized grief as it echoes long past the disappearance of that bit of Katalyth.) |
| #19
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-06 |
What about those that made a pact with the Kelesis guardians. Does that make it easier to resist the sound? | Unfortunately, there's nothing that the guardians can do for pacted characters while they're inside Karteria. Their realm of control is Kelesis, and until Karteria falls under Kelesian influence, and the baku properly occupy both locations, there's nothing they can do. However, should pacted characters take shelter within Kelesis during the month, the reverberations of the bell (which do reach outside of Karteria's borders- distance seems immaterial) will be partially nullified by the guardians' influence. They do want to protect their Augmented allies, and are uneasy about this amplified use of mass Calling magic. But for the time being, their strength is centered in Kelesis, and characters will need to be present there to avail of it. |
| #20
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-06 |
Approximately how long do the effects of the bell last? A few minutes, an hour, whatever helps people have more horror in their character's lives? | As long as it needs to, really. They can be shaken off quickly, or be inescapable for hours. As the calling occurs twice a day for the whole month, it could be wildly variable in effectiveness, so the degree of horror can be tailored to meet a character's needs. |
| #21
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-06 |
How successful might someone be in making the meat more palatable through different cooking methods or by covering it up with strong flavors? Or is the yuck of it all too pervasive? | The taste is strong and the vibe pervasive, but it's not impossible to cover. No Karterian has really committed to trying to turn it into something palatable (or at least inoffensive), because apart from people tasting it on a dare, few have viewed the meat as something usable. But it's still meat, and it's not immune to being prepared in a ways that could mitigate its worse qualities. It's likely to still result in some challenging dishes, but it can be made to be better than what it is. |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-05 |
Preemptive FAQ | Initiation-specific FAQ
Preemptive FAQ
Edited 2026-07-05 09:37 pm (local)
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| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-07-03 |
I feel like I have asked this somewhere before but it's been over a year pls forgive me, if a scientist character points his handmade radiation reader at a SECONDARY - have the radiation readings of the longest surviving Augmented remained relatively the same since he first started taking them last year, or are they noticeably ticking up? TY FOR THE FAKE NUMBERS AND SCIENCE AGAIN |
I can't remember this ever being asked either... A deceased character (whether natively or a developed Spectral-type) wouldn't be any more or less radiated when compared to a living one. And the radiation readings of long-running characters will have remained relatively stable! There shouldn't be anything there to mark them as different, or worse off compared to new arrivals- so it seems like the Natural Soul is doing its job of allowing the Augmented to better shake off any exposure they do experience. (Characters who spend a lot of time outside the barrier will still have readings that are temporarily higher than 'normal' (especially if they're on their own), but this will also clear up quickly once they're back inside.) |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-14 |
Hey again mods it's me... Ya possum... I decided to have Five follow up on some investigation answers y'all gave me for April's player expedition to Southern Eparsis, and I'm wondering something about one part: "A soul seen by Furies' Sight lets him learn that this citizen came from northern Orexis (...) The citizen in question was a normal human." To Five's eyes, does this mean the spirit is actually doing a full body manifestation? Or does it still look like whatever spirits viewed with Furies' Sight usually look like, and it's just telling him that it was a regular human? He was particularly hoping to reach out to some of the deceased augmented whose bones were retrieved from the underground compound, so he'd be paying close attention to any signs that he succeeded or not. (More general question for FAQ purposes: what DO souls viewed with Furies' Sight usually look like? I think its been mentioned in logs and on event FAQs before that they look like little lights or wisps or something, but. Figured I'd ask here.) |
Ah, yes! A few points of clarity on that particular statement re: the soul who comes from northern Orexis. The soul 1. looks the way souls typically do, and 2. looks like an Average Human Soul. With regards to where it's from, this is learned via explanation. The soul will willingly offer this information, that it came from Phantasia! What do souls look like? Lights, whisps... Yes. They don't take on a particular manifestation of a physical form, so no ghost-humans or ghost-rabbits or the like. At first, characters may struggle to "tell the difference" between myriad souls—like, what does a snake soul look like vs. a human one? But with enough exposure to various critters, that is how one learns. Being able to see plenty of average humans in Karteria probably helps to have a general idea of what their souls look like, at least. In all, the soul is amorphous, to a point. None of the traits belonging to their living vessel will follow the soul, rendering them into those sort of... whisps, indistinct and difficult to form into a shape. But there's something about them—their behavior, their essence, something—that at least relegates them into various species. I hope that works! |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-05 |
Are there any limitations on the AUG network to prevent northly from uh, promoting the velvet claw quest there? (would obvs be under a cut, and with a note that I don't want sex content with minors, just potentially horrified "well I can't unsee that" stuff) | There aren't any limitations in that regard, no! Northly would be free to advertise as she sees fit. |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-04 |
Now that the meat has...burst...will Fungi rot abilities be a more viable way to help with cleanup (...of the parts that don't have people in it, though if rotting connections to the meat might help bust people out then that'd be good to know as well) than they were for approaching the thing as a whole? Also if theoretically someone Momo has controlled before was on the further-gone end of being fused into the meat, what would their headspace read like to him if he reached out for it? Edited 2026-06-04 01:40 am (local)
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The fungi rot is now fully effective upon the meat! Momo would be able to properly infest and dissolve a fair bit of it (limited now by the sheer scope of the task... there's a city-sized amount of meat, even the most productive of fungi will take time to eat through it). Rotting up the connections to the trapped people is also effective- though he'll have to be careful while doing it, as everyone connected to the meat is relying on it to some degree (like being hooked up to life support, except the life support is also slowly incorporating its patients into itself). So he could kill people by freeing them (or end up dissolving parts of them that have become indistinguishable from the meat) if he's reckless. But it's definitely possible, and there are people who are more superficially attached, and more readily saved- or at least separated from the flesh. None of them are waking up, even if removed.... If Momo found a prior fungi-host among the meat victims, the fungi would still be present within them. The headspace of their host is a strange place- as there's activity present, but it feels like static, something scratchy and discordant. It also gives the impression of being on the edge of something immense. Something city-sized; whatever's going on, their minds are connected with the meat, and are as good as one with it. Momo's old spores are otherwise oddly dormant. They can be read, they're still a part of him... but they're also a part of something else which is far bigger than him. They've become a bit disloyal in that regard, after all this time melding with the Phenomena. (New spores applied to the meat will act appropriately, as noted above. It's just these old ones that have been lulled and broken down into joining with the meat hivemind.) |
| #27
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-04 |
fun times...ty! Out of curiosity, would the Something Bigger feel anything like the meaty pulsing presence he felt when he got his Fungi soul? |
Though it might have some similarities, it's a completely different situation from the experience of gaining his Fungi companion. The soul-getting would have felt more primal in comparison... something natural. Communing through the meat feels newer, and more artificial- forced. |
| #28
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-04 |
Can Pom smell Momo spores in the meat, or does the scent of the meat cover it up? Because uh. He should probably not eat Momo spores (but so might). | It should be possible for him to smell them, given a Carnivora(x2)'s good nose involved. It would also be faint, and easily missable too, covered up by the meat- so you could have Pom eat them or avoid them as you prefer. |
| #29
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-03 |
I have a question concerning the bodyswap as a hypothetical thing: Let's say that Unicron ends up in Ciel's body who has a Spectral type soul. If a situation arises when he is forced to be fully shifted, will it be Ciel's Spectral form or will that be impossible? |
The body swap only carries a character's consciousness, their awareness- which means that they'll be leaving behind their own Natural Soul(s) (along with their native soul), and will only have access to what exists in their new body. Anything of their old self would be completely unreachable. So it would definitely be Ciel's Spectral form that Unicron would be using were he to Shift in his body, along with being in possession of the rest of his Spectral-type powers and potentials! |
| #30
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-02 |
For body swapping... is it okay if more than 2 Augmented are involved in a swap? Say like a threeway... | Oh, absolutely. The swaps can be more of a chain, passing consciousnesses down the line (or around a trio). |
| #31
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-02 |
Like, how much meat could one Augmented eat before they feel any consequences? Are there consequences? Like, if they're a real big boy who is extremely hungry and finally loses the battle against the impulse to not eat the weird meat. | The meat is genuinely safe, if gross to consume! Even in large quantities! A character can get sick over it- but it would be a reaction to its taste, its texture, its Vibe, as there's something unnatural feeling about it all. But the meat itself does not have anything poisonous in it. It's not cursed in any way. If a hungry boy has a strong enough stomach, they could eat until they were sated (or until they were sick from eating too much). And they'd be doing the city a favor, cleaning up a bit of the mess and putting it to good use! The flesh is also perfectly nutritious, having a similar composition to organ meat, so no worries about not getting anything out of the meal either. The only time the meat wouldn't be safe, would be if it was cut off from the whole and left to rot. It's exactly like any other bit of raw meat, in that way. |
| #32
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-02 |
The meat does indeed bleed if cut, and will continue to bleed for as long as the injury remains- behaving as any other living thing would (any living thing comprised of blood and meat, anyway). While the prior version of the Phenomena had the strength of infinite healing, ensuring that it scarcely had time to bleed at all- this widespread version isn't anywhere near so durable. If wounded, it will copiously bleed, and if left to its own devices it will clot itself up, will scab and scar, but that's now a process that would take days to weeks. The blood itself is as fresh as the meat is; both it, and the meat itself, would be equivalent to a living (if skinless) entity. Its default state is raw and alive. The blood is as gross to consume as the flesh, but it's also just as harmless and nutrient dense. To a connoisseur, it would come across as both human and beast at once- a bizarre hybrid. It does nothing to make it taste any less unnatural and unpleasant. | |
| #33
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-02 |
sorry mods... How uh. Biologically sound is the meat... If someone were the type of person who could manipulate flesh and bodies What would the meat feel like... Like a mass of people, could he feel people still in there... does the meat itself feel like...anything like bodies of people/animals/??? |
It's a bit of both at once, in its way. But it wouldn't be wrong for the Meat to come across as one city-sized contiguous entity. (Which isn't to suggest it's a person, an individual, or has anything like higher consciousness, despite having some reflexes in regards to being touched or hurt.) One entity, but it's grown together so wrongly that it's disconnected from itself... so someone familiar with Communing With Meat would be able to feel the scope/size of it, but wouldn't be able to manipulate too-distant parts (the 'signal' would be lost, absorbed along the way). It is both animal and person in nature. In addition, there are people embedded in it, to some degree or another. (And it really is some degree or another... as while some of the missing folks are more superficially twined in the meat, others have fused almost entirely.) These points would come across as a blend... a part of the whole, but also individual (and the more time that passes, the more that individuality dissolves). |
| #34
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-06-02 |
SO! I have to ask, is it going to be possible to for Luke to maybe reach out with the Force and sense any form of ill-intent or maybe like the Anti-Gen folks might not be telling people the whole story/hiding something? Sus-senses are tingling. |
Luke would certainly be able to pick up a few impressions from the Anti-Gen folks. Are they hiding things? Yes, absolutely. They are holding a lot back of themselves. But at the same time, they're entirely genuine about wanting to help- in being sympathetic to the Augmented situation, to the point of being downright affronted over the unfairness of their existence. And to that end, they are committed to providing what assistance they can think of, and in offering the Augmented an alternative to Patho-Gen. They don't have the best people skills though, even for Karterians, so their goodwill can come across as a bit blunt or pushy- but it is real. |
| #35
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-28 |
Hello mods. Are there any limits as to what can happen to the memeing ServiTon? It's currently being cornered by two characters and before things can get violent, I'd like to know just how far can we go and what can it do to fight back? Can it also manhandle or drug people who look like they want to "correct" it? I assume we're not allowed to destroy it. |
Thank you for asking! I suppose establishing some limits may have been wise to start... Since there is only one of these memeing ServiTons out there, I think somehow finding a way to preserve it is best to make sure it survives to see the next victim to meme about. This ServiTon will fight back and manhandle people if it feels threatened. It has the ability to drug people- but it may warn them first, or taunt them with this ability! Its last-ditch effort to avoid being brutalized: it may escape the scene. Very quickly. Characters who have some ability to neutralize machinery may find that this particular ServiTon resists such measures, though it can definitely be impacted by attempts to short it, tinker with it, or interfere with its mechanical nature. Somehow, though, it just keeps goin'! A mystery: many other ServiTons would succumb to that kind of damage, but this brave ServiTon can power through and seek some measure of self-repair, a la nursing its own wounds... At all costs, it will resist being destroyed, though it can be damaged (and it'll just repair itself off-screen). Ways To Preserve The Poor ServiTon Who Did Nothing Wrong. |
| #36
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-26 |
When Gale drains a particular piece of Katalyth, what happens to it? Is it 'dead', like just a regular rock? Does it regenerate its energy? Does it change in any way? Thanks! |
A completely drained piece of Katalyth will shrink into nothingness- similar to how characters can potentially use music to cause Katalyth reduce in size. Gale's method is more self-destructive (and self-energizing), but it also serves to dissolve the energy that binds Katalyth together. As Katalyth is technically solidified magic, rather than having any kind of natural material structure, there would be nothing left behind as it's used up. If it's used up, it's gone, with nothing left to regenerate. If the piece he's using has any impurities (as in, if it grew upon rock, and might have bits of that rock within it), those would be all that remained after he drained the edible part. Those bits of rock might feel unpleasant to be around, having been nestled against Katalyth for a time, but are otherwise harmless. |
| #37
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-22 |
Hey just checking... What do you think of someone apping from Hetalia? Specifically with Historical Hetalia taste sprinkled in? I'd love to take a Hetalia France into this game but I'd want to play with Hetalia France with hints of more dark historical Hetalia. How do you feel about Headcanons? I'm wondering since I'd like to play with a Modern Day France with hints of darker Historical France. Edited (Adjusted the question. Sorry about that.) 2026-05-07 08:12 pm (local)
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When apping a character, we expect that apps be made up primarily of canon material. Headcanons are acceptable for exploring aspects of a character not quite defined, but should not make significant impacts on a character's personality. Headcanons that extrapolate upon a character's family circumstance based on canon evidence, for example, is allowed; headcanons that would otherwise alter a character's personality or history are not. As far as this description of Hetalia's France goes, these different "flavors" of Hetalia would be different canon points, reflecting France's personality at two different times. We would not be able to accept a mishmash of canon points, and would expect that an app reflect a singular canon point within the series as the character is represented. |
| #38
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-20 |
Hello mods, I have a couple of question about this gremlin I want to apply with. 1 - Don Quixote is a Bloodfiend, which is just a fancy way to say vampire. She's basically currently sealed via her running shoes. Due to complicated canon reasons, at the moment, if she takes off her running shoes, she will go into a violent blood frenzy and attack everything on sight to feed. Now, I'm not planning on having her remove her shoes (and they need to be physically removed, doing something like chopping off her feet doesn't seem to trigger it), but if for whatever reason they do get removed, how would this be handled? Would the bloodlust be nerfed so that she remains in control? Would she still lose control, but her power level be nerfed? Something else? 2 - Related to the above, in canon, when a Bloodfiend feeds on someone, they will turn either into another Bloodfiend or a Bloodbag, which is basically like a zombie level vampire thrall. There's no escaping it, you get bit, you turn. How would this be handled in the game? She's not planning on feeding on anyone, but just in case. |
1. How she responds to the removal of her shoes is up to you! It could be that it operates as it does in canon, that she becomes uncontrollable and hungry. Or, it could be that the Augmenter and the additional soul within her serves to blunt the reaction in somewhat- leaving a few threads of consciousness or self-control (how much it helps/how much of a struggle is left would also be up to you). Really, it's down to whatever option feels the most interesting. 2. This part is more likely to be nerfed... at least with other Augmented. Biting one of them will probably not have any effect (beyond being bitten), but with player permission it could be that some characters/types remain more susceptible than others. Regular Karterians, though? They're not immune at all, so they would turn as expected. |
| #39
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-19 |
Back in November Sheryl had the idea that (1) some of the original Augmented likely came from marginalized areas of Karteria twenty-five years ago and (2) they might still have friends/family who remember something about them. Since then, she's increasingly spent time performing in East Sophia and asking adults if they remember anything about the original Augmented or if they had friends/family who disappeared about twenty-five years ago. She's also occasionally hummed tiny bits of Peacock's reassurance song to see if it triggers anything. Malkuth has been asking similar questions, including also in Gloria and Five asked once or twice but was too much of a slacker to do it more than that. Would this have turned up any notable reactions or information? |
So sorry it's taken a while to get back to this. It's a process. Bear with us! I love this line of investigation, and here are the sorts of responses characters might get if they try it often enough! In East Sophia, many citizens won't know much about this and won't be able to provide anything... but there will be some who attest to this: yes, they had family members who became Augmented. These same family members were sicker than hell, they say; one citizen might remark that it was his father who became Augmented, who tried his best to provide what he could by working on ships before that became too dangerous. He fell ill with arcane radiation poisoning, predictably... and before he knew it, he received news that he'd been helped by way of this Augmenting process. What he can recall from when he was a boy is that he got to meet his father "before the fur and claws really started." His dad was hale and hearty; he was strong and energetic, like nothing had ever happened. It was astounding! He had to go back for routine checks with Patho-Gen, and one day, he regrettably informed his family that he needed to go. Where, he didn't say, but he said it was Patho-Gen's desire to keep Karteria's citizens safe while they continue to learn and understand the nature of their Natural Souls, and how they'll impact them. That was the last he'd seen of him. He received a few letters; the last one he received was very scribbled. He doesn't have it anymore; living like this in East Sophia with nothing to his name means that he's lost what he has over and over, and his keepsakes are lost. But he doesn't particularly want it back. "It was written like my father'd lost his mind." Something to the effect of missing his wife, his kids... Missing home, as a father would. But the son details that the paper was crumpled and shredded, and the lines of his script were scribbled and wrong. "It just kept saying the same stuff, like he was a beast with a single purpose." A pointed look at the Augmented; he doesn't mean to be derogatory, but that left an impression on him. Then they received news that the Augmented had gone to Lupê, and... that was that. Around then he received formal news that his father had died there, working to protect Karteria from Lupê's designs. The man, who was once a boy, is stolid and sure that this is what happened. There may be two other individuals they can come across with similar stories: an older woman who details the near-loss of her spouse, the way tentacles and suckers started popping up on her wife's body and the way she resisted going to Patho-Gen, but she started acting "not like herself, cold and cruel"; another man who recalls his younger brother, merely seven years old at the time, who had taken on the traits of a rabbit. ... Curiously, this Glire-type Augmented One he speaks of was similarly recalled to Patho-Gen at the same time as the rest. His brother had communicated with him for a time, but had started becoming increasingly shy. Before he knew it, his family received news that he'd passed; they said it was an accident, one that ran adjacent with Lupê's attack. All of this to say, some residents of East Sophia will indeed claim a relative who they've lost, who'd formerly been Augmented. They all met the same fate: death. As an extra layer, asking these people if they know anyone else who had an Augmented family member... Almost as if by design, they don't know anybody well. But some of them can attest that they saw other families with similar experiences, only a rare few here or there; it seems some were also from middle classes, even upper-middle classes. They do not know the identities of other affected families, though some are aware that Celia's sister was one of the Augmented. |
| #40
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-19 |
Hello Mods. I’m thinking of apping Unicron here when your next TDM comes around. However, I have a few questions to ask, cause I’m not sure if he’s even appable. In any case: 1) I’m not sure if Unicron’s a unique case here(in terms of the personality questions), because his motives and such are driven by the soul of a scientist. With that said, will the answers be based solely on the scientist or could it also include Unicron himself since he’s basically an extension of said scientist? 2) If there’s something inside of his body that’s poisoning/killing him, will the effect slow down or come to a standstill if he ends up in Kateria before his canon death? Also he has a black hole in his core. Will that be nonexistent if he ends up in the game? 3) In the FAQ, you mentioned ‘moderate size’. What would you consider an acceptable range for that? 4) As for inventory, is headcanon allowed for such? Cause if not, I can only think of one item and it’s related to the scientist more so than Unicron himself. Or is it okay to not have any inventory at all? Apologies for the bombardment of questions here, but I appreciate your assistance and help with this. Thank you in advance. |
1) If the scientist is an extension of the character and the two are inseparable in their canon, I believe they would be appable as the singular Unicron. If you would consider Unicron's personality to be that of the scientists, even if they're caused by the scientist, that would belong to the character! 2) If there is something slowly killing him... Whether it remains, we'd like to leave up to you. Which is more fun? Would you prefer to have that ticking time bomb that would loom over him, or have him be abruptly without? As far as the black hole goes, that might be... That might be very interesting to Patho-Gen's scientists, but if there are major repercussions to its existence around other characters or if it fuels too much power, it may be nerfed. We currently have some characters with a wellspring of major power or some other curse in the game that are managing with their various afflictions! 3) "Modestly sized:" if they can fit through doorways, even if it takes a little contortion, they're good. If their forms would be too cumbersome to navigate the setting, they may arrive in a different form. 4) Headcanon items are not allowed unless they're something extrapolated from canon. For example, if your character enjoys chocolate in canon and it's not unreasonable to assume they have chocolate in their general possession, those could be brought. Inventory should be items that belong specifically to the character. It is okay to arrive with no inventory. |
| #41
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-14 |
hi mods! IRT the Meat, will soundwave be able to get anything out of attempting to mindread the meat wall? or mindread any person trapped inside the human-sized pocket meat? | Alas, the meat seems to be utterly thoughtless... But trying to find any of those strange people-pockets in the meat will be a trip to try to mind-read. Attempts to do so will feel like a shock to the system and cause Soundwave to feel the equivalent of sticking a fork into a live socket. There's a strange, foreboding sense that comes from this: the distance between a person on this side of the the Phenomenon and the humanoid figure captured within its walls is greater than it seems. Turns out that the human figure may not actually be a trapped person, as though sealed into a pocket, but merely the symbolic representation of a person trapped within something far, far more vast... Something about the attempt to read a person's mind through the meat will leave Soundwave feeling udder dread, like he's just tried to probe into the mind of something which should not be known. Trying again despite this inner turmoil will cause a person to feel continuously 'zapped'- and continuously warned. Should he persist, he'll pass out- and any sleep he has will be utterly void and dreamless. |
| #42
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-08 |
Hi! I saw that characters aren't able to arrive with any SUPER DUPER ADVANCED TECH! And Luke... he got an arm kinda chopped off and has a cybernetic prosthetic in its place. And while robotic prosthesis are totes nothing new, it is still p-advanced! So basically... can he keep his arm in the tdm so I know before I write a top level for him? |
Oh no... poor dear. Luke may keep his arm, but perhaps Patho-Gen has rigged his Augmenter to nullify any particularly advanced non-human powers, like guns or lasers or anything of that ilk. A bit of extra strength is fine, but they're wisening up to these newcomers and their fancy bodies and powers! Once accepted into the game proper, much of the powers possessed in that arm will likely be returned. We just like for all new characters to start out nerfed to be forced to rely on their Natural Souls. |
| #43
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-06 |
Hi mods!! Since the Meat seems to be sticking around, is it possible for player apartments that were absorbed when it initially appears to have been ejected by now? I know that during the initial March event it was stated locations can be left out of its path at player discretion, but wanted to check whether it is allowed for this to happen after the fact as well. | Oh yeah, absolutely. You can say that at your discretion, the meat has conveniently Receded if you'd prefer your character to access their homes once again! It's like the Meat rejected specifically their apartment, making it available to access... We're totally cool with that. |
| #44
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-06 |
Hello, mods! This game looks really cool; I have a pretty niche question about my guy here. So, Dottore has split many versions of himself off; these clones are centered around perspective, specifically perspectives he's experienced over his life. Like, the one we interact with in game is from a time in his life when he was at his most selfish, but that’s just one aspect of the original. Other Dottores would behave differently. I like to play him in his 'prime' or 'original' form, the man who has all the experiences that the clones are made to embody. The thing about him though is that the existence of the original is theoretical. We haven't met him, we don't know if he's dead or if the act of making segments fundamentally changed him in terms of life and individuality. What I've done in my other game to sidestep the fanon nature of it, is just play a version of him that encompasses all of the personalities of the segments without saying specifically that he's the original. Are either of those character concepts acceptable? Playing the original specifically, or playing a version that does something similar without stating outright that he is that original. |
Hello! Apologies for our delayed response. Either option that you choose would be an acceptable way to play this unusual sort of character situation out in Karteria. Pick whichever one sparks the most joy for you. |
| #45
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-05 |
**Preemptive FAQ** | Preemptive FAQ
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| #46
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-04 |
In cases like Bricks, i.e. a dropped character who has their body taken over by their natural soul, is their original soul still in that body? What would someone who can see souls see in these individuals- would they count one soul, two, would the two be fused, would one be dormant and the other active? Thank you! |
Thank you for the question. Though you are no longer in the game anymore, we will still answer this for posterity, and for anyone so inclined to take a peek at the state of Brickston's soul. In a situation like Bricks', someone with the ability to see souls (or sense that sort of thing) would be able to tell that there's only one soul in him now. It is "a Spectral-type soul", but not the same as the Spectral-type soul Brickston had been implanted with. For anyone who'd seen his soul and his Spectral soul before, they would be able to recognize what's left as a composite of the two. Clinically, it would count as a purely Spectral soul at this point, rather than anything human, but made of two blended entities. So basically: yes fused. (Other unusual drops or other circumstances might have a similar thing occur- it would depend on the situation.) |
| #47
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-04 |
Hello mods! This is a question related to the outer city defectors situation. As Malkuth has asked Yesod to help out with the investigations that she and Wriothesley are carrying out, specifically by looking into what technological innovations and products might be linked to the ongoing demand for Katalyth, Yesod will try to search through any Karterian records of headlines/articles etc. for noteworthy market trends. What sort of information would he be able to find? Thank you! |
They're going to need to look upwards: class-wise, that is. A lot of general tech is pretty... innocuous, spanning products that operate with just magic and electricity: electric toothbrushes; air-purifiers... The list of such in-home everyday use appliances can go on. The rich are way more interested in computers than the lower classes; all computers in Karteria are archival and search-based machines, after all, and not ways to "surf the web" recreationally (that's what Syntrofoses are for!). The upper echelon of society like to use these as databases with which to organize their lives: their assets; investments; genealogical records; etc. It's possible that Katalyth can be used in these computers. They're already quite cost-prohibitive, and lately, there has been a marketing shift toward increasingly more expensive, high-powered units and away from the more "affordable" (if it could ever be called that), further pricing out any of those few hopeful citizens hovering below the ultra-wealthy margin who are actually just interested in this sort of tech and might ever hope to have enough numis to rub together to purchase one. Another area of the tech industry lies in robotics. There seems to be an uptick in demand for upgrades, and these upgrades are exorbitant in cost. These upgrades usually advertise a more advanced capacity to perform tasks such as in-home medical care; childcare; what might be referred to as "wellness chats", and other helpful, more personal service functions. Beyond that, there aren't any paper trails, and anything further they would like to learn would be best learned by cozying up to the upper-class, which is exceptionally difficult to do. A Golem-type might have the easiest time going under the radar in their circles; wealthy Karterians will be less guarded around even Augmented Ones of these soul types due to their preconceived notions about all Golems being mindless servants, not much better than the robotic help they like to employ. |
| #48
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-05-02 |
Sliding this in a little early for planning purposes: after...me forgetting that winter exists for the northern hemisphere, Momo will be getting back on trying to organise some expeditioning again, in this case focusing on Eparsis ideally during March! So poking my head in for further information regarding the two likely routes for this one: -First would be returning to Lake Teleos and surrounds for a more detailed look, because of the people who originally explored it only one is still here...and that one has mentioned to Momo that whole Katalyth-ridden settlement situation. Given this, he would be trying to gather some people with Katalyth resistances (Golems, potentially Spectrals...) for this route to try and explore further into this area, and Rowan's player has expressed interest in having them come along to try and see if there's any potentially retrievable tech they could access, given the area near Lake Teleos came up in the Basileios server bust-in. What are the possibilities with exploring this area with people who can at least exist for some period of time in it? -The other route would be heading to the south, down towards Krater and Eirene. This looks like a much longer route at a glance (though he'd be trying to recruit fliers or souls that are otherwise a bit less susceptible to bog conditions to at least not make it worse on themselves...), so as well as general info I'd also be curious how long a trip that direction is likely to take. -Not a route but something I wanted to clarify since I'm not sure where the original information for it was - I recall there being some sort of agreement between the original exploration teams and Patho-Gen regarding payment/equipment in return for providing a report on the expedition back to Patho-Gen, so just wanted to clarify whether that's the case and whether they (or the Government, to potentially make things a bit less fraught with how Patho-Gen relations have been lately...) would still be willing to extend it here. EDIT: Poking my head in here to say that given current events (I assume Patho-Gen/govt wouldn't exactly be raring to equip an expedition group with what's going on this month anyway, and Momo probably wouldn't think it's a good idea to remove a large number of Augmented from the city at this time) this will probably be postponed, so this response is now more for Edited (updating with actual new timing for when i was planning to do this instead of ~vaguery~) 2026-03-27 03:50 pm (local)
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Once again, we're terribly sorry for the delay on this. I'm really hoping things improve, both in our lives and mental spaces, that will help with our slipping expedience. That said, here is some information. You are free to do with this when you please, and at this rate, don't hesitate to pester me directly (Prince) on Plurk in a PP if you need something else. (I know u got me added!) I don't wanna keep you delayed, and our inboxes are So Very Full!cw: death, dead bodies, implied experimentation, body horrorLake Telos Indeed, getting those with some resistance to Katalyth will be important if characters wish to investigate primarily the southern edge of the lake, as that's where there's a large concentration of Katalyth. Rowan wound find that this area's absolutely the area that the data centers they were interested in is located. The closer characters get to this Katalyth-encased area, the more they're plagued with hallucinations to each sensation- and none of these are positive ones. Areas characters have been injured in the past may flare up as though they're being hurt all over again; they may hear the sounds of crying, or smell an odor that brings them back to a particularly horrendous moment of their lives. The Katalyth in this area feels determined to inspire torment. But Spectrals and Golems will have a better time of this place, particularly if they've tapped into their respective types of mental development: a Spectral-type will feel inclined to lean into the feverish terror, and Golem-types will feel inspired to mute their emotions as hard as they can. The best defense of all for any character: imprinting. They'll be best able to battle back their demons with someone connected to them, particularly if they stay in close proximity with each other! What can characters find in this specific area? Decaying structures; concrete, support beams, evidence of structures far too minimalistic to be home dwellings. This doesn't appear to be a settlement at all, as much as a small collection of... warehouses? Small ones, mind, and what few remain accessible suggest that these stout buildings were built to expand a few floors underground... not unlike Patho-Gen's HQ, which has some of its floors extending below-ground. So those who existed here didn't necessarily have comfortable living in mind- but a few noteworthy areas accessible inside of these buildings, that contain anything definable, include the following:
It's easy to make the assumption that this collection of buildings was a research area, and some dark things were going on in some of these buildings- with some connection to Patho-Gen. Those who can be found within seem to be people from Karteria rather than elsewhere; something about this place is a conductor for Katalyth growth. If it's most concentrated anywhere in this mess, it's definitely further underground. Krater & Eirene Damp, boggy, swampy... Ick! The travel down to the south won't be fun, but Natural Souls do give these otherwise plain humans a leg-up. Much of the landscape is indeed ravaged with Katalyth, poisoned like Orexis's swamps... but life persists. Life found in these areas starts to resemble southeastern US flora & fauna, albeit with some fun twists here and there. Marsh rabbits with too many ears, armadillos with two heads, prairie chickens whose eyes are too large. Eirene is a small settlement towards the water- or, it was. There are no living human inhabitants, and they likely perished during the beginning of Katalyth's creep into Eparsis's wildes. It appears to have been a quaint town; there's a lighthouse at the coast's edge, but no indication that they were a commerce hotspot or the like, though there were boats and docks. Few boats remain, but there are some vessels that have endured many years in disrepair, and their undersides- as well as within the vessel proper- have been tainted by Katalyth the way barnacles would attach to a ship. Only Katalyth can apparently penetrate the hull... The colorful, tattered banners of cloth and wind-swept, overgrown gardens suggest small-community contentment and self-sufficiency, and the interiors of houses may have been quite nice at one point. Many doors are worn, wooden window shutters splintered, roofs in disrepair; wildlife has found their ways within. Katalyth naturally grows everywhere. There's no real tech here for the tech-savvy, and no evidence of death in the area. The citizens are gone; it's possible they fled the settlement when they realized it was making them sick. Krater is a larger city, though not as large as Kelesis and Karteria. It's a bit north from Eirene, and not coastal either. Compared with Karteria its buildings are squat, more like a small-scale Kelesis, but the taste in bright colors remains; its streets are quaint and narrow, if chronically uneven and difficult to navigate. The inhabitants seem to have dealt with this problem by painting its steps bright, visible colors. There isn't much of interest here, though there will be human remains discoverable. These people likely died of arcane radiation poisoning; the city was also likely evacuated, as the population of this place should've been greater. What few people remained... died. There isn't much in the way of notable tech: old TVs, radios, the like, but no crunchers, servers, or even usable Syntrofos. Nearby is an overgrown, untended orchard. Fruits of many sorts were grown here, but grapes- and therefore wine- appears to have been a major part of the city's agriculture. There may still be some wine racks still fully stocked, bottles intact... And since I know we must address "can I eat it?": A good rule of thumb is to NOT DRINK MYSTERIOUS BEVERAGES YOU FIND, especially ones that are over 30-40 years old, but characters who understand how wine ages may find a few that are clear (not cloudy), safer to drink. While some bottles may miss the mark and taste a bit stale, others may be rich and full-bodied, perfectly aged. The Katalyth exposure.... That's a risk each individual should weigh for themselves. These wouldn't necessarily be a smart choice for Karterians, but the Augmented will be safe. The liquid's in thick glass- it's not unreasonable to determine they've been insulated enough from Katalyth, at least for Augmented Ones! Regarding the question about payment for exploration, yes! It will remain as a constant, as Patho-Gen is still interested to learn how the world fares. They will especially pay for the recovery of any of their tech, but those who are in charge of overseeing expeditions made by Augmented Ones will be coming from a department of Patho-Gen who has a vested interest in the state of their world, and thus, they sincerely wish to know if there's anything to be learned from its environment. Characters can be paid, assuming they're willing to bring back reports: pictures, write-ups, recovery of various items (which must be left at the edges of the barrier for examination, as anything tainted with arcane radiation poisoning cannot be permitted inside of the barrier)... The like. I apologize for the lack of timeliness on my part, but I'm really hoping to do what I can to get back on my feet after this long break. As I said before, if you need a quick answer to something, please do not hesitate to PP me pertaining to this expedition! |
| #49
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-04-06 |
**Preemptive FAQ** | Preemptive FAQ
Edited 2026-04-05 11:56 pm (local)
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| #50
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-04-02 |
How might those who assisted with Ereshkigal's little underworld heist back in February be received in Kelesis for the festival? | Cautiously. They've had some time to grieve over what they feel to be lost, and while they haven't forgiven Erishkigal or those who helped her, they're trying to view things in a less reactionary light. The Augmented have largely been kind to their city, and while killing their population qualifies as more than a 'mistake' in their eyes, they're trying to understand the reasoning. Trying to understand the people involved, and why they would do something this drastic. Where did this measure come from? Is there something they're not understanding? In practice, anyone who was involved in the underworld scenario will feel especially watched in Kelesis at all times. The baku will be swifter to act defensively if they notice anything that could be interpreted as aggression towards Kelesians, but they will be permitted to participate freely. (The Kelesians themselves won't treat these helpers any differently. It's only the behind the scenes baku who are cautious.) |
| #51
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-04-02 |
I've added a freak to my roster I'm so sorry anyways. if someone where to try and take a chunk out of the wall and uh. eat it. how bad would that be slash for someone who consumes human flesh like it's nbd, would he know if it's "off" in any way, would there be anything notable? |
That's a lot of meat, perpetually fresh, right there in the open. Who wouldn't want to take a few bites out of it.... It wouldn't cause him any harm, the meat is genuinely safe even in vast quantities. It is unlikely to taste good to even the most impartial (to those with more delicate stomachs, it might trigger nausea or sickness- not because anything's gone off with the meat, but purely due to flavor/ambiance), but it is harmless. It tastes of "wrong". Different characters would have different ideas of what "wrong" tastes like but it hits all of them. If meat is severed from the wall (and taken away from it so it won't just try and reattach), it will 'die' and begin to rot like any other meat. This happens at the normal rate of decay, so it's not like chopping it off will give someone a slimy mass of rotting muscleeyes immediately. |
| #52
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-27 |
Can anything of interest be found in Patho-Gen at this time if someone were to possess a Patho-Gen employee to get a look around? Mostly trying to look for more information on Georges and any communications going on with him, but also interested in any other info! Edited (probably should be slightly more specific) 2026-03-10 03:27 pm (local)
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Apologies for the lateness of this reply... especially since no, there's not too much to be gleaned from the employees left on the accessible side of Patho-Gen and Karteria. It would make it clear that they had not seen or heard from Georges for months, at least- possibly even longer, if they discount recordings. No one's seen him in the flesh for almost a year, and they're genuinely just as shocked and disturbed over his 'reappearance' during the latest initiation. They don't understand what he's been doing, and all attempts to communicate with him further have failed. (They've also not been able to talk to anyone on the other side of the meat.) Everything's pretty chaotic at HQ, and the employees themselves are in the midst of trying to find their own answers. But they haven't worked out anything yet, and that could be discerned through possession. As it's not possible to pass intangibly/spectrally through the meat, it also wouldn't be possible to possess anyone on the other side of it. |
| #53
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-27 |
Swinging in with this one extremely belatedly oops: if someone tried to look out towards the Mt Pneuma facility from the bridge while Meatsphere is occurring, is there any external sign of The Endless Meat happening there too? | Despite being connected to the more ruthless sides of Patho-Gen, Mt. Pneuma is not (currently) covered by the Meat. It looks just about as it ever did, from a distance. If the Phenomena was a deliberate thing, maybe they didn't feel the need to swallow Pneuma up with half of headquarters, given how inaccessible it already is. |
| #54
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
From a Peri perspective, are there any kinds of dreams/nightmares/suppressed subconsciousness inside the meatsphere where people supposedly trapped? | There's definitely people in there, beyond the meat. And it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that a lot of them are not having a great time in there. It reflects a more disturbed existence, a troubled population. But it hasn't been unified into any sort of collective unconscious, or would come across as anything particularly unnatural, as of yet. Just a population of more-stressed-than-usual individuals. (Spectral-types could also have a lesser sense of some dream-disturbance going on in there.) |
| #55
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
Further Meatsphere Concerns... -Can fungi grow on the meatsphere -Is fungi decay any more effective on the meatsphere than conventional hitting it with weapons, or at least a feasible approach to suggest trying -Does meatsphere feel pain or emotions (what vibes might an Arthropoda pick up off it) -Does it have a consciousness in there somewhere...I'm assuming given the size of it that trying to grow on enough of it to trigger mind control would be an absolute Project if not impossible regardless, but I'm curious as to what might result if contact of that type was attempted! (Or alternately, if Momo tried to feel for spore presence from any of the inner Patho-Gen people he's spore hijacked/potentially Basileios residents from last month's event he might've helped get home...are they one with meatsphere...) Edited 2026-03-06 08:21 pm (local)
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1. Fungi can grow on the meatsphere- but they don't seem to be able to penetrate deeper than the surface layers of it. (This would also apply to Terras who attempt to grow on the meat.) It doesn't feel like the ideal environment for them, in that there's not enough stable decay happening. So it works, but it doesn't accomplish much. 2. Which ties into this: fungi decay isn't more effective than conventional weaponry. It's similar to attempts to poison it, in that the meat's healing can outpace the attempts to eat away at it, or disrupt its regenerative process. 3. The meatsphere has the capacity to feel pain. The way it's put together gives it the receptors for it (along with a general ability to register touch). But if those signals are sent anywhere, it's not clear where that is. The meat in itself is not distressed, or possessing of any emotion at all, so while it may be able to 'feel' when it is hurt, it's a disconnected experience. 4. The meat also doesn't have a consciousness, at least not as any kind of singular entity. It is meat, stitching itself together into structure, and while it contains the organic components necessary to foster some kind of awareness, it doesn't seem to be able to hold onto it. It's more like there's brief flashes of something like awareness, twitches of buried nerves, instances that fail and 'die' moments after they were generated. So it could be described as constantly attempting to generate a myriad of consciousnesses, but isn't getting anywhere with it, in the same way its perception of pain doesn't register. (Momo might be able to feel his spores on his colonized people, somewhere within the meat zone. They're not a part of the building structure, so there's that at least. They're still individuals, more or less.) |
| #56
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
If one half of a pair bond was subsumed into the meatsphere, what would the other half be able to feel from it? | It would feel... odd. Like emotions coming from underwater, something thick and stifling. Muffled, but present. It will be clear that they're in some amount of distress or fear, and that it's also been flattened, in a way- a singular, unending note of upset, felt from a distance. (For those capable of reading thoughts, there aren't any, it's something more fundamental and base.) |
| #57
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
Further to this: if there's a pet in a character's home and the home gets engulfed by the meat, will it be okay, | Oh no, the pets.... It could function as it does for characters, in that they will also be spit out a week later, stressed and goopy but otherwise okay. Clean them off and reassure them, and they'll be alright. |
| #58
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
Thank you! Final question (for now??): Does the character who touches the Katalyth come away with any kind of damage, extra corruption, etc etc or is that dealer's choice? |
That would also be left up to the player, yes. This Katalyth isn't any more healthy to touch, so contact with it is bound to be damaging. It could be more corruptive, or twist corruptions in a different direction if wanted, or it could just be the familiar levels of bad. |
| #59
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
Apologies for bothering you mods, but I'm having trouble deciding between two shifted forms, and was wondering if it would be possible for the character in question to choose between them (like say a bird-deer or a deer-bird) at will, with restrictions, naturally! Would this be doable, or is a shifted form set? | As long as the Shifted forms aren't too drastically different from one another (switching between a leopard/snake and a bear/alligator kind of wild change), it would be okay to have 'multiple' versions! Particularly with hybrid souls, with one version of the Shift emphasizing the deer part, and the other emphasizing the bird part... something like that is just fine. |
| #60
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-09 |
Hiya! My character is immortal, in the sense that he can die, but then his body turns into black goop and reforms from that goop. This can happen slowly or quickly depending on plot convenience. (ETA cuz I forgot to mention: he can also change appearance when he revives, be it just something like genitals or hair color or changing his entire look and body shape.) I'd really like to keep this, as his immortality is very essential to his character and his sense of self. How would this be handled with regards to your death rules? Additionally, he has a power that makes anyone who has sex with him want to kill him. This one, I'd want to make optional for people. Is that cool? Thanks! Edited 2026-03-07 06:03 am (local)
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His immortality (goopy intermediate state included) can be entirely functional in game! It would neatly bypass the usual death-mechanics as he's not dying in any sort of way that would require outside intervention. His ability to change appearance on revival could also function as it usually does. And with the latter power... the want to kill him after sex can be as hit or miss as desired. Whatever works best (or worst) in the moment. |
| #61
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Could tighnari appeal to them to get access to their employee records (citing "this stuff keeps happening you need proper emergency response protocols and this is what I do") to do headcounts and get a handle on the org structure and attempt to identify those missing? He would also try to appeal to "the augmented are essentially employees of patho-gen who didn't get a say in the matter, we are invested in our lives here" Edited 2026-03-06 05:39 pm (local)
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This is a compelling argument, but staff members who Tighnari speaks to insist that they've not only already tried a headcount, but that each department has their own employee roll. If there's a complete list of all employees, someone much higher up—and unknown to most—has it, not them. Various departments have already identified missing employees, and of these, they're happy to share. However, they do appreciate the "we are basically one of Patho-Gen's employees" bit. Staff who Tighnari can get ahold of will try listing various names in their department who they know are missing—and goodness, there are a great number of them. Nobody whose name matters in the grand scheme of things, but Celia's mentioned a few times by various people, whether she's in their department or not. Claude, too, is mentioned at least once. The amount of people identified is enough to suggest that many staff members have been disappeared. "As you say, if you see yourself as being colleagues of ours, it's a good idea that you keep tabs on whoever's missing amongst the Augmented as well," they might advise, though not with any intended malice. "We must find them. I hope they're safe..." |
| #62
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Are things in the memshare hallucinations solid? Can objects/people be interacted with/touched, or would a hand pass through them? Also the usual question: would Rowan be able to trace that Syntrofos message back to anything/one? |
The memshare hallucinations look solid, and will even feel solid. It's a full sensory experience, conveying temperature and scent too- and were a present-day character to try and touch objects, they would get an realistic impression of what it would be like. Rough stone, cold snow- it would register as these things. But they would also be unable to change a thing. On trying to touch one of the memory participants, they might be able to feel an impression of fabric or skin, but will be unable to move them, to change their course, to make an impact. And the participants will naturally not react to their observers, and will walk right through them if they get in the way. This doesn't feel like much of anything, if it happens- just a bit eerie. Tracing the Syntrofos message: it's coming from Patho-Gen, in the same way that other official Patho-Gen messages can be traced to their servers. But the signal is... weird. There's garbage data around it, and its actual origin extends somewhere beyond that, merely using Patho-Gen as a conduit. Where it's coming from wouldn't be determinable, but it's an absolute mess. Not even encrypted, so much as a myriad of magical and electronic languages glitched together. Old router noises, hundreds of them. That it managed to connect with the Patho-Gen servers is something of a miracle. |
| #63
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Are things in the memshare hallucinations solid? Can objects/people be interacted with/touched, or would a hand pass through them? Also the usual question: would Rowan be able to trace that Syntrofos message back to anything/one? |
The memshare hallucinations look solid, and will even feel solid. It's a full sensory experience, conveying temperature and scent too- and were a present-day character to try and touch objects, they would get an realistic impression of what it would be like. Rough stone, cold snow- it would register as these things. But they would also be unable to change a thing. On trying to touch one of the memory participants, they might be able to feel an impression of fabric or skin, but will be unable to move them, to change their course, to make an impact. And the participants will naturally not react to their observers, and will walk right through them if they get in the way. This doesn't feel like much of anything, if it happens- just a bit eerie. Tracing the Syntrofos message: it's coming from Patho-Gen, in the same way that other official Patho-Gen messages can be traced to their servers. But the signal is... weird. There's garbage data around it, and its actual origin extends somewhere beyond that, merely using Patho-Gen as a conduit. Where it's coming from wouldn't be determinable, but it's an absolute mess. Not even encrypted, so much as a myriad of magical and electronic languages glitched together. Old router noises, hundreds of them. That it managed to connect with the Patho-Gen servers is something of a miracle. |
| #64
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Could tighnari appeal to them to get access to their employee records (citing "this stuff keeps happening you need proper emergency response protocols and this is what I do") to do headcounts and get a handle on the org structure and attempt to identify those missing? He would also try to appeal to "the augmented are essentially employees of patho-gen who didn't get a say in the matter, we are invested in our lives here" Edited 2026-03-06 05:39 pm (local)
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This is a compelling argument, but staff members who Tighnari speaks to insist that they've not only already tried a headcount, but that each department has their own employee roll. If there's a complete list of all employees, someone much higher up—and unknown to most—has it, not them. Various departments have already identified missing employees, and of these, they're happy to share. However, they do appreciate the "we are basically one of Patho-Gen's employees" bit. Staff who Tighnari can get ahold of will try listing various names in their department who they know are missing—and goodness, there are a great number of them. Nobody whose name matters in the grand scheme of things, but Celia's mentioned a few times by various people, whether she's in their department or not. Claude, too, is mentioned at least once. The amount of people identified is enough to suggest that many staff members have been disappeared. "As you say, if you see yourself as being colleagues of ours, it's a good idea that you keep tabs on whoever's missing amongst the Augmented as well," they might advise, though not with any intended malice. "We must find them. I hope they're safe..." |
| #65
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
What happens to characters that live or are in the areas that are suddenly fleshified? | For those who live in the area that has been engulfed by the Phenomenon... We'll let you choose between three possible options. 1. Your character and their home has been engulfed, just like everyone else. If your character is disappeared, it will take about a week, give or take, from the time that new arrivals come in for them to be... spit out. They will slip into a coma while caught in the Phenomenon, but once rejected by the Mass Of Meat, they'll be coated in a slimy, alien membrane, body utterly worn, as though they experienced a full week of heightened adrenaline. They won't remember anything of the experience. 2. Their home may be engulfed, but the character can be conveniently not at home. They'll need to bunk up with someone else! 3. A path to their home amidst the flesh can be conveniently carved, as though sparing just their home... strangely enough. Is this thing sentient, deliberate? Does it know not to encroach upon the habitat of an Augmented One, is it responsive to things like that? Unknown, and difficult to measure. For some reason, your character's home can remain accessible and undamaged, but it might be safer to stay elsewhere for the time being. (Of course, if you'd prefer your character's home life be uninterrupted, you can say that it feels... Safe ENOUGH to remain in there.) If needed, the Valentia will happily offer rooms to those in need if theirs has gone missing to the Phenomenon. You may choose whichever is preferred, and anyone else with similar questions may do the same! |
| #66
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Hello so sorry what would a sample of MEAT WALL look like under a microscope and is it giving off any radiation.... | To view it while attached to the wall itself, it would look like... well, meat. Kind of. For anyone who's been studying the mutated animals in the wilds, the microscopic composition of these meaty structures is similar. It's even more out of order, as there's nothing vaguely animal-shaped in there, nothing that resembles legs or wings, but the underlying patterns would be familiar (muscles, bones, skin, nerves, etc., grown into awful, irregular slabs). But that unrestrained, unrepentant growth- it's been contained, corralled. The cells are both hypercharged and inert. It gives an impression of something that could explode into growing further at any moment, but isn't. That potential is probably how any damage to the walls heals so quickly, rebuilding itself into its designated 'shape'. If a piece is successfully severed from the stable whole, that unrestrained growth kicks in again, but not infinitely. The sample might double in size, but probably not much more than that, especially if it's made distant from the site it was taken from (so it's not trying to reattach itself). These severed pieces, if microscoped, would demonstrate all of the above but with more instability when it comes to that growth-switch. Some cells are agitated to change, some are still quiet. It remains strangely alive, but will eventually perish and become completely inert, bizarre meat in a few days. It isn't giving off radiation, at least. Not in the way Katalyth does, and is generally "safe" to touch or consume. |
| #67
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Just confirming: the memory is being projected ON reality, so would the character (Mel as an example) see themselves in the memory as a separate entity to be viewed? Or would they be temporarily doomed to act it out as a part of the memory? | The memory is projected ON to the world, yes! The present-day characters would exist separate from their past (or future) selves, able to take it in from a distance. |
| #68
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
I have a question regarding the memories!! What about memories that the character doesn't remember/is made to forget? Is that still viable? I assume so if they can see future events, but just figured to confirm on that. | As long as the events actually occurred to the character in their current iteration (meaning, not in a past life/another timeline/etc), that is A-OK! |
| #69
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Is celia anywhere in sight at the initiation? If questioned about where she is will the staff know anything? Anything new about how the message from georges got there? | She is nowhere! They don't know where she is... Staff admit that a number of their coworkers were deeper in the building when it got overtaken, so they fear the worst. The Phenomenon was indiscriminate about who it swallowed up. Where they went, however... They're unsure. |
| #70
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
I have a question regarding the memories!! What about memories that the character doesn't remember/is made to forget? Is that still viable? I assume so if they can see future events, but just figured to confirm on that. | As long as the events actually occurred to the character in their current iteration (meaning, not in a past life/another timeline/etc), that is A-OK! |
| #71
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-27 |
Here are the details from the discussion with all the participants! (cries.... as if this is a surprise) We have several participants, exciting! A good number of Spectrals as well, obviously. So getting in will be spearheaded by Jacye, who has a lot of goodwill with Patho-Gen, and is going to be ostensibly working on teleporter checks or maintenance, but also will be leaving doors and locations open for the group to break in. As the group itself will have several Spectrals, all who are fairly adept at using Glamors and once it's known regarding Possession, will likely be very aggressive (given...this group) with using it to help fight off the calling. Hugo will also be using practical makeup to help keep people from getting caught even without a glamor, and Lae is offering her invisibility spells and paralyzing glares. As a whole, the group is going to be very directed in get in, hunt around for intel, and get out. We have a good number of augmented with breaking in skils, including Hugo, Mista, and Silco. Also plenty of muscle between Mista, Johann, and the rest of the Spectrals. Silco will insist on at least one non-spectral with each independent group to ensure that there is someone who is not susceptible with them at all times to catch any Spectrals that would get caught otherwise. The information they are specifically looking for include: - How they leashed the spectrals/How the calling is being specifically used against them AND if there is a way to prevent it - What Patho-Gen think is particularly interesting about Spectral Types (or any soul type) - Controlling Augmented in general. What is it reacting to? - Where DID they get the Spectrals that are leashed / Were they being held? / Where did they come from? - Also interested in what research they're doing on Golems, and how it could be prevented/used - Information about Mt Pneuma. Particularly, is that where people were held, how do they keep people from getting close, and any other information about what is being done there. - Mista will be looking in particular for any objects that appear to hold significance for info! - Original corruption of the Katalyth (how did it happen?) OR the Interdimensional Tech and how it works - Silco is ALSO going to do a little quick search for who is ACTUALLY manufacturing most pharmaceuticals being used, and if it is Patho-Gen where the source manufacturing locations are, because he is a shit who wants to start ramping that up, and while inside, he's gonna try for some Please let us know if there are any details that you all would be interested in getting or anything that you need clarified! |
"Given... this group" is a very good summary for... a lot of the Augmented, but especially this group. It sounds like they'll be plentifully equipped for their mission: a bit of charm points with Patho-Gen, a bit of stealth and sleuthing and bitter determination, a bit of Spectral-type action mixed up with some non-Spectrals... We feel they'll be quite successful in their efforts! Here is what they will learn, as well as what they won't, despite their best efforts. (Some of these may be guaranteed, but others are being rolled for how much success the bunch will have in their efforts.) 1. How did they acquire Spectral-types and harness them as familiars? In the HQ, there is unfortunately very little luck to be had about further information on this front. Their singular shard of luck comes in the form of an employee. No, no, this employee has nothing to say... They're tight-lipped. But should they be rendered incapacitated, this employee will be carrying a Syntrofos that they're being really careless with: it has a proximity lock, so as long as it's near their body, it unlocks. LOSER. On their Syntrofos are a number of chatlogs, and unfortunately all of them are password protected. At least Patho-Gen has that safeguard up. But the one that is already pulled up contains the following information:
2. What does Patho-Gen think is interesting about Spectral-types? Why, their ability to meddle with the dreams of others in a way that is more substantial than figment! In recent history, there are some documents that are measuring the general atmosphere and surrounds of Kelesis, a city which some sectors of Patho-Gen seem aware of as being something of a dream-like illusion. The conclusion they reached involved researching entities that had sway over dreams like this... and while they did not know the full nature of what they dealt with, there is documentation that back in June and July that they'd sent employees of Patho-Gen to Kelesis (as some characters may recall having seen employees meddling about), only to have them come back home and die from arcane radiation poisoning. The barriers were fake... The city should be in ruins! Everything wasn't adding up, and this is framed as warfare upon Karteria in their documents. Documents mark this as a deliberate taking of life, and that these creatures that are causing this are dangerous illusionists that need taken care of. Thus: Patho-Gen was able to secure what is only described as... Unknown Eparsian Fauna. This creature is referred to as "Eparsian Specimen" in documents, and is the subject of various studies to understand what sort of entity this is. The fate of this specimen is unknown, and documents available here seem to be more about the results of the study (its power to create robust dreamscapes that are meaningful and physical rather than merely interfering with dreams and toying with them as Spectrals do) as well as the threat these beings pose, and their general disposition: eerie, sentient, threatening, silent. Further documents suggest a willing Augmented One who requested a greater ability to tap into their Spectral-type powers... and with this came the idea of honing the dream-meddling powers of Spectral-types. What a remarkable power this might prove to be! So they pitted this Augmented One in with their Eparsian Specimen and, mutually unconscious, they attempted to dial up that Spectral-types powers... And have found a way to let Spectral-types physically harm those who they meddle in the dreams of! This is not a talent most Spectral-types possess at this point in time, but is the result of Patho-Gen experimentation. "A psychological weapon," they call it; scientists feel increasingly secure in the fact that they will be ready for attacks on Karteria, should they come. (All of this just comes at the cost of a Spectral-type's sanity, no biggie!) As for what interest there is in other soul types... There are some documents available about the use of Terra-type souls in cultivating edible foodstuffs. Nasty. They're very sparse, and seem to point towards the Kelesian underground as proof of its viability. The desire for "samples" seems to have been the reason for that horrible Terra-type beast that attacked Karteria in the past year as well... If there is anything else, none of it is available here. But a Karteria looking at weaponizing, militarizing, putting up defenses... is surely one who is looking at the usefulness of their Natural Souls. 3. Controlling the Augmented: a general question, but there are plenty of answers to be found. Indeed, the ability to control the Augmented without even the use of Calling or anything else seems to have something to do with their Augmenter, as there is equipment available that shows that their ability to "turn on/off" the Augmented is a toggle that can be activated. How? It seems to impact the soul itself, disconnecting pathways between soul and body and rendering the soul inert. The Natural Soul is similarly disconnected; the Augmenter serves as a conduit to render a person disconnected fromt their bodies. Information for this can be found in some of the more exclusive-access areas of Patho-Gen, a few floors up. These documents - printed and physical, thank god - are beyond heavy doors that require a security key to unlock. Or, you know, some other crafty way in. Further info appears to be unavailable... Even researching from the angle of "imprints" doesn't seem to yield anything about a deliberate desire to control the Augmented. Not here, anyway. If there is information about this, it's elsewhere. 4. Where did Patho-Gen get the Spectral-types they're using in Kelesis? Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any information about this available in Patho-Gen's HQ, save for general information about how the Augmenter can contain a soul of a creature, as well as the soul of... an otherworldly entity! (Or just, a human soul. Maybe even more than two souls, as many characters have found out already.) There seems to be some kind of absurd document about how to insert a soul into the Augmenter, and it reads about as abstractly as that legendary Pepsi glove document, in that it has a lot of diagrams about SOUL BEING INSERTED INTO SMALL OBJECT, but little information about where the souls are from. ... But this still isn't about where the Spectral-types in Kelesis are from at all. It's the only thing even adjacent to it, alas: the answer as to where characters' Natural Souls come from are similarly obscured, aside from the fact that yes, they originally belonged to another living entity. It isn't a far stretch to believe the Spectral-types are no different: they were once autonomous entities themselves. Otherwise, see question 1! 5. The work Patho-Gen's performing on Golems: There is nothing in Patho-Gen HQ that specifically reads as being research into Golem-type entities. There are some short notes about Golem-types observed to be resilient against Katalyth, other observations about the soul type in general... In fact, there are some notes about the desire to help remind Golem-types that their agency must be preserved, as they seem to be somehow acutely aware that they are more pliant than most! It might even be a bit strange, how familiar Patho-Gen is with the ins and outs of Golem-types. Almost like they have experience with them... But there aren't any further notes aside from general listings of their attributes, how they could be most effective in helping to research Katalyth, how it's prudent to avoid tampering with their sense of self to give them the tools they need to remember what matters to them... ... Except for one strange document. This is in a digital file about various Natural Souls, an objective collection of some of their traits as Patho-Gen's come to learn of them... Thus, because it's digital and because of the Spectral-type tampering, it may be difficult to look into all soul types willy-nilly. There's a warning within the document pertaining to Golem-types: "DO NOT EXPOSE UNINTENDED SPECIMENS TO KATALYTH." Edited (teehee left link in here) 2026-02-27 12:53 am (local)
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| #72
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-25 |
Hello beautiful mods! Regarding the three magical powers that augmented receive from their souls - I tried to dig around for someone else who may have asked, but I'm bad at Where's Waldo? I have a few questions. As for why I'm asking – for characterization reasons, I don't think Mista would use two of his powers literally ever. They both involve controlling outside entities, and he's really not about that; even his Stand is uniquely sentient and thinks independently of Mista, compared to the usual subservient Stand. A couple of spots mention one can replace a power with something else. So my questions are... 1. Can we only replace one single power? Or could I replace two? 2. Eurasian magpies (my specific soul choice) don't have anything biologically remarkable about them. Could I riff off the superstition aspect of magpies or other related concepts? There's a neat nursery rhyme I was considering building off of for something bizarre. 3. I couldn't figure out if I need to check in with mods about the power replacement(s) I was considering, if they'd need a thumbs up or not. |
It's always fine to ask questions if something can't be found- and in this case, I don't think it's ever been asked before, so it'd be that much harder to locate.... 1. Replacing multiple powers is fine! 2. Pulling from superstitions, folklore and the like for Natural Soul powers and aesthetics is completely encouraged. The more bizarre the better, we love to see what people can come up with. 3. A check in for things like that isn't necessary. If a player isn't sure about the viability of a power (or are curious about how it might interface with something specific in the setting) they're welcome to ask us about it though. But it's otherwise something that can be done at player discretion. |
| #73
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-23 |
hi mods!!! i only remembered this recently, but what happens to a dropped char's items? ones that might've been treats from home specifically. i looked around and couldn't find anything (but i did just get off work so maybe i missed it) so i thought i'd ask! for myself and anyone else that might want to see if they can snoop and snag a dropped cr's items. you know, to remember them by | Took me a min to think of the right keyword to search by, but this did come up earlier! In short, though: Patho-Gen is suppose to collect these things, at which point they're brought to HQ and put in a closet somewhere (and may even be retrievable by CR at that point, if asked about it). When a dropped character is living with others, they're likely to not bother at all, though, assuming that their roommates will deal with it. Even if a character was living alone, it usually takes them a while to get around to collecting things, and they may not ever manage it if a character were staying somewhere unofficially. In which case, their things will just... stay there, until scavanged by others. All of this applies both to items that arrived with them, and anything they acquired afterward (including treats). So characters can definitely obtain their CR's belongings, one way or another! |
| #74
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-19 |
CALLING QUESTION: If someone (Jayce) were to making a recording of an Aves' (Mel) song-voice, and kept an earpiece in their ear, could that be used as a way to protect themselves from Karterians using Calling on them (or orders in general when the golem is particularly susceptible)? ENERGY QUESTIONS: Previously with making batteries and testing imprinting energy. Jayce has been taking readings of his own imprints, as well as some pair bonds |
Calling: That's a clever idea... it would sort of work, but also wouldn't. There is a magic element involved in an Aves' compelling song, and that wouldn't be present in a recording. However, if the Aves is one that has a close connection to the Golem (such as would be the case between Mel and Jayce), it could still help. Not because of any magic left within the song, but because it is the voice of someone he knows and trusts and would be more inclined to obey. (So this means that non-Aves with a similar connection to Jayce would have the same effect. As there's no magic left in the recording, being an Aves is irrelevant! Of course, there's also an element of placebo in place... if the Golem is convinced that a particular Aves' song is more effective (by being told it is more effective), it will have greater strength. Sort of like being told that they're drunk.) It's not a guaranteed save from Calling (particularly the more enhanced versions Patho-Gen has available), but it would help to both literally and metaphorically drown out the unwanted magic. Energy: With all the work they've been doing, it would totally be safe to say that they've gotten some results! Capturing imprint/bond energy, and using it to provide some electricity... it's a good step. As this is some magical/science hybrid mess, characters are free to not understand how it works either- but can freely see that it does, that there's something to this connection that's worth studying further. Long and short: yes, the energy can be caught and used to power some things, like turning on some lights or charging a device for a bit. |
| #75
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-19 |
Howdy mods! So, Gale has kept up with his Katalyth absorbing experiments, though he has tried to keep it to a smaller degree to be safer (as safe as such things can be). Other than expected personal consequences like mutations, would he have discovered anything new and/or had any new consequences? Anything else I should know? Thanks! | That's very good of Gale for attempting a safety, maybe. Limiting himself to a reasonable amount of Katalyth absorption. The usual outcomes continue (mutations and the like). But as he has been sampling from a variety of sources (as opposed to communing with one shard, or slowly eating at the same giant outcropping... unless he has been eating from the same giant outcropping), Gale could have picked up on subtle differences between Katalyth shards. To most, Katalyth is misery, it's horror- it draws out the worst feelings a character can have. And that's not an inaccurate perception. But to a connoisseur like Gale, not all Katalyth feels the same. Pieces might be more aspected towards certain emotions, such as anger, or fear, or grief (which in themselves have their own myriad varieties). The majority of Katalyth is some sort of composite, but Gale can 'taste' what's included in a batch- or even get a feeling for it, before absorbing it. So he might have learned that some emotions go down easier, so to speak, or work better with different types of spells. How things correspond with him is entirely up to you! Perhaps he finds certain emotions more palatable. But Gale can have acquired a taste for Katalyth. (It also might be a good thing to share with those who are working with Katalyth in other ways. Katalyth 'language' likely corresponds with different patterns of emotional inclusions, and the use of music to grow/shrink it likely pairs with that. Gale's insight could serve as another way of approaching the task of dealing with Katalyth.) |
| #76
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-08 |
Are there any negative repercussions if someone pair-bonds to two people and those people hate each other (or more specifically, hate the other's relationship with that person)? | Oh dear... that's why it's important to be careful with pair bonds! While there isn't exactly a set penalty to this kind of arrangement, the character stuck in the middle of it is going to feel the full brunt of all that resentment. All that hatred, directed at someone they're so closely attuned to and attached to... and that it's over the relationship itself has got to be its own pain. It's bound to be deeply unpleasant. If it's not properly managed, it could put strain on the pair bond(s)- but how messy that is depends on what the players involved would like to happen! It could break one or both of them, unable to withstand the conflict, and render it unable to be reformed until the source of the problem is resolved. Or the bonds could stick, and every party could continue to suffer. Everyone loses, until that hatred is worked out somehow. |
| #77
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-08 |
I'm going to have him accept the pact, thinking he can go the "cut it off" route (though it wouldn't work) if it's an issue. Would anyone from Patho-Gen be able to tell he had the pact and react to it? and does the pact offer any protection against arcane radiation while in kelesis? |
Good luck Tighnari.... But Patho-Gen wouldn't be able to detect whether he, or anyone else had pacted with Kelesis. There's that, at least. And as the pact does enhance all Augmented traits and abilities while in Kelesian territory, if the character was already particularly resistant (Golem, Spectral, Fungi), it would further increase that protection. And as 'greater resistance, compared to an unaugmented human' is a universal trait amongst the Augmented, it could provide a dash of added protection from arcane radiation to everyone else. (It would not make Terras, or other susceptible types more susceptible. The pact-enhancements are only in a positive direction.) Additionally, if a character were to fall properly sick from arcane radiation poisoning (challenging to do on accident, or without hugging Katalyth), the pact would help to mask symptoms, and make the experience more bearable. Which could be good or bad, depending. |
| #78
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Question about the empty underworld, if Northly was to shepherd off some more restless souls as she did some months ago on aparallaxia, would they be able to be observed arriving in the underworld in any way? | No, there would be no evidence of these souls managing to arrive to the underworld. They must be lingering as ghosts...? Or maybe they're being interrupted along the way? Hm hm. |
| #79
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Would kelesis be at all open to the idea of an augmented acting as a double agent? Tighnari's skill set is even more skewed towards passive fights these days so positioning him amongst patho-gen to fill them with spores and make them trip would be a better use for him than direct attacks. Would they still want a pact with him? If so and he agrees, is that pact detectable by patho-gen? Does fungi soul mean he could potentially find a loophole in the pact (splitting his sense of self and having only some of his consciousness engage with the pact, then uh disconnecting |
While the guardians were expecting more of a direct assault to remove Patho-Gen from Kelesis... they can readily accept that there are multiple ways to achieve this. While they don't necessarily like underhanded tactics as a rule, they will accept it for a sufficiently good cause. They would insist on a pact should Tighnari suggest this method, however- both for his own sake (as it would protect him more from Calling) as well as their own (to ensure that he was not actually siding with Patho-Gen). Unfortunately, agreeing to the pact causes it to be etched into a character's underlying soul- the whole thing. Trying to segregate it off wouldn't work- and the guardians would be most upset if they caught on to this intended duplicity. Not agreeing to the pact would lead to no penalty from them- though they would warn about associating too closely with Patho-Gen on the battlefield. While they would not go out of their way to target Tighnari, if he showed signs of aggression towards them, they would retaliate. |
| #80
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
too lazy to log out of my other journal gomen Does it mean the caster must be in danger for Furies' Sight to work or can the spirits be called to defend someone else? Like if Mel saw a friend was getting their ass whooped, could she feasibly summon them for that purpose in case she, personally, isn't getting beaten up? |
It's more likely to work should the caster be the one in direct trouble. But as Furies' Sight is inherently a bit luck-based where the 'luck' is determined by whatever the player would find more interesting... it could work out just fine. (And it really wouldn't be stretching the reasonability of the request, either. Even if there's always technically a chance for failure, it's most likely to go sideways if an Aves decided to poke the dead as a party trick, or something similarly trivial. Protecting someone else isn't trivial!) |
| #81
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
hewwo mod, is there anything about the SUSPICIOUSLY SPECTRAL nature of the weapons/attacks/etc that might give Helaena a clue that it's her brother that caused that? not that she'd tell anyone else most likely but so i have an excuse for her to text Aemond like BROTHER WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS etc. |
While most of the evidence would be kept in the form of documentation, in files and notes about the experiments done on Aemond and the result of months of labor, that doesn't mean that there's no practical evidence for someone looking. If Helaena is familiar enough with Aemond's Spectral powers, she could find that the techniques that Patho-Gen is using (both in Kelesis, and especially during the Celestial Shadows part of the event) has the distinct smack of him in there. Perhaps the Spectral-type entities move like him, very slightly... Or they seem to prefer using their powers in ways that Aemond is capable of. Patho-Gen learned a lot from him, based a lot of what they know about Spectrals (and about dream control/manipulation/illusion) from him. So while they've developed their weapons/powers since then... a part of him is still in that underlying 'code'. |
| #82
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
Hello again mods! I have some questions regarding characters looking into Karteria's electricity supply. If Dorothea and Yesod approach Karterian engineers together to ask about the grid, how much would they be able to find out in terms of the power stations' inner workings/primary energy source(s) used, as well as the costs of connecting and running the greenhouse? How much related information can be found in the city's libraries? Alternatively, would it be possible for them to obtain newer generators and confirm that these aren't Katalyth-powered, or if all else fails, could they access enough of the resources needed to modify/build their own equipment, similar to the Science Cabin and Bridge Project efforts? For more context, they're hoping to secure Katalyth-free ways to power systems installed in the greenhouse, which might be supplemented as much as possible with independent methods. Thank you for your time! |
can't believe how little i knew about power grids... whew.
It's a worthy cause... And frankly, avoiding Katalyth wherever possible is a wise choice, even though Karteria's way of living right now is just not possible without the use of Katalyth as a power source. It harms them, it helps them... but the Augmented have a greater choice in the matter, to spurn it where they can. (Aside from the necessity of hiding in the barrier, which is fueled by Katalyth...! What a world.) |
| #83
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Okay, in light of that, one more question. What is she hearing from the corrupted Katalyth? | The song she hears from the corrupted Katalyth would be just what's described above- that distorted version of her own songs. Now that she's heard it, though, it might linger in her thoughts, and when in the presence of normal Katalyth, Lune could continue to hear this corrupted version of the song. |
| #84
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
Trying to imprint with any of these Spectrals... it doesn't quite work, or at least, it doesn't carry the same feeling as imprinting with an Augmented does. It could be described as more of an 'impression', or even a 'mark.' It's a frail, wisp of a thing, but it would allow both parties to recognize one another amidst a crowd. It wouldn't convey any of the usual benefits/complications of an imprint, but it is a form of connection. If kept safe from Patho-Gen and Kelesis both, any saved Spectrals will mostly come back to themselves. They're not Golems, who might have been more easily stuck in emptiness and dormancy- these are beings attuned towards spite, towards resentment. This leads to a kind of resilience, and will shake them back into activity. Many will flee, disappearing into the wilds of Eparsis to hide. Some will linger around Kelesis; the place is drenched in death, both old and new, and that makes it a comfortable place for Spectrals to be (The Kelesian guardians, should they still be in control of Kelesis, will tolerate this for a time. But the Spectral tendency to cause terror will lead to most of them being evicted for poor behavior. Not killed, just... put outside. Haunt somewhere else.). But Hugo and Silco could successfully leave an impression on one or two of the Spectrals they protect. And whether asked to do so or not, they could be inclined to follow them back to Karteria.... And yes, at that point they could be treated as NPCs that they're on good terms with. Their Spectral(s) won't exactly obey either party, and would mostly flit around Karteria getting their vengeance out. But they could turn up as you'd want, and would sometimes listen to requests (particularly if the requests were along the lines of 'haunt this person' rather than 'don't haunt this person.'). They're not particularly chatty, or have much that's very practical to share, as their interests revolve around causing mischief and getting fed (the two are frequently combined). |
| #85
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Will the information that the guardians will provide, upon Pacting, include (1) whether the citizens intended/wanted to turn into a necrodreamblob or got involuntarily yanked into the necrodreamblob and (2) whether the citizens are having a reasonably good time in the necrodreamblob versus existing in a state of cosmic horror? (Happy to wait and get the info itself in the main log, just curious if that sort of thing will be among the info provided.) | As part of the experience of offering a pact, the guardians will be willing to answer a few relevant questions from characters. They're pressed for time, literally being attacked- but they recognize that most people would not just say 'yes' without knowing more. The log itself will attempt to address whatever we can anticipate as questions, and players will be able submit more specific ones once the event faq is live (But for some short answers here: 1. The caretakers didn't have much of a chance to ask; everyone was dying. They strongly believe that this was wanted, however. 2. The citizens are having a good time. They're satisfied with their lives.). However, because this is a crisis situation, the caretakers don't have the time to sit down and explain everything. But they'll suggest that once Kelesis is saved and Patho-Gen removed from the city, that they'll be willing to say more about the situation. They'll only be willing to answer the minimum to convince characters to either pact with them, or to not pact but still help remove Patho-Gen from the city. They would prefer the former, but would still gladly accept the latter. Should Kelesis survive/come out on top of this (as opposed to Patho-Gen gaining control of the city), there would be more opportunities to ask them more. |
| #86
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
How would Spectral possession interact with the guardian pact influence or Patho-Gen's Calling effect? Considering having this guy attempt it to snap a few people out of things. Additionally, for curiosity's sake, what might happen if Jamil tried to possess a Kelesis ghost? |
Oh, that's a good idea. Spectral possession could wrest control away from Patho-Gen, and place it into their own hands. Basically overriding one control and replacing it with another. The possessing Spectral would have to be careful to not end up Called in their own right (which would break the possession + leave them also controlled). A well-meaning Spectral would also have to be careful about releasing their possession too, so they don't get snapped right back up again. Just possessing someone will mostly cancel Patho-Gen's influence at that particular moment, but they'll be left disoriented. So some caution is needed. (Similar mind-influencing powers would also work to disrupt Calling, such as an Aves' Orpheus' Song.) Trying to possess any of the Kelesian citizens... do they have bodies to possess? Of a sort, though to take possession of one would feel very very wrong. Wrong, in a weird way, not that it's rejecting them or not working, but that there's some fundamental mismatch there that's clawing at the edges of their perception. This wouldn't even be the work of Kelesis' guardians trying to force the Spectral out of there, but a side-effect of the strength of the dream bubbles that they've put everyone in, and the Kelesians' self-perception. Trying to persist with the possession will feel increasingly disjointed, as though the body they're moving doesn't match whatsoever with what's underneath it, in a gut-wrenching horror sort of way. On ending the possession, the Kelesian will stagger away, looking ill, and the Spectral will receive a hasty mental note from the caretakers (or find it scrawled on the street in front of them). "Please leave them alone. You're hurting them." With it is a feeling of displeasure and a sense of being watched; trying to possess someone again would lead to a temporary ejection from Kelesis. |
| #87
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Obligatory Patho-Gen interaction question: are the units attacking Kelesis from the [redacted] Patho-Gen branch, HQ, or a combination of both? i.e. how many might Momo pick up bloodstream spores on from his October shenanigans and potentially have an easier time reinfecting if necessary | There are, of course, levels of secrecy and involvement in Patho-Gen. While many of the forces employed against Kelesis would belong to [redacted], some are otherwise 'normal', not involved in all of the darker things the company has been getting up to. But involved enough to be called in here. As this assault on Kelesis has been conveyed to them as necessary for Karteria's safety. Kelesis has been described as a threat, as something monstrous and wrong- controlled not by its human citizens (who are dead), but instead some manner of capricious beasts. Whether as a part of [redacted] or not, most of Patho-Gen here genuinely believe that Kelesis is a danger to Karteria's stability for one reason or another. This is all to conclude: yes, some of Momo's spores exist within a portion of these Patho-Gen forces. Roughly a quarter of them are infected. |
| #88
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
1. For the most part, no- the Spectrals don't seem to be particularly stressed, beyond the stress of fighting to protect their Patho-Gen keepers. 2. Characters could definitely kill those scientists. Kelesis would love it if you did. And to do so would free the Spectrals under their command. As long as there were other scientists nearby, control would soon be snatched back up, but if enough of their keepers were killed, or otherwise sufficiently separated from their pets, their freedom would remain. Of a sort. Characters who were taken in October, or otherwise exposed to Patho-Gen's treatment would understand that it's not the easiest thing to shake off. And these Spectrals have surely been in Patho-Gen's custody for a longer time than that- and without allies, imprints, or a break from their experiments, the damage done to their mental state has grown that much worse. Some will react with confused violence, continuing to attack the Augmented, Kelesian forces, and even other Spectrals. They would have to be restrained and calmed, which could be done through a variety of means; in their disoriented (and pre-primed to be manipulated) state, they'll have little defense to it. Others will simply... shut down. They'll stop doing anything, completely lost without direction. The Kelesian guardians will certainly take advantage of this to try and kill them, so unless they're protected (or if the battle is sufficiently over, in Kelesis' favor; the guardians will leave them alone if they're demonstrated to no longer be a threat) they'll be torn apart. |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
| #89
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
hi...it's me... I had several questions that were clarification, promptly forgot them, so this may be a thread I come back to. HOWEVER. Aves have Furies' Sight, which besides the usual seeing-souls stuff, has this: Lastly, they can call upon the dead in a bid for boons, such as protection in a pinch—but the dead are capricious, and may inflict a bane instead. Especially if they are called upon in situations that aren't so dire. 1. If this were to be used in Kelesis (without the intention of affecting the Kelesians but, you know), what might this look like? 2. If this is used in Karteria or elsewhere, when you say the dead.... Are we talking actually summoning other souls/spirits? Are they human or Natural/Wild souls? (Also if I've asked this before because my memory is shitty af, please forgive, thank you!) |
1. Assuming the character was in actual danger (and not chilling in Kelesis proper, out of harm's way) using Furies' Sight would most likely succeed. And on a battlefield like this, one that occurs in the distortion of a dream, full of manifested nightmares- the dead are particularly at home. To the point of answering physically when called up, providing the Aves with temporary familiars. They would be animal-esque in shape, matching the kinds of Natural/Wild Souls the Augmented are comprised of. Some are zombie-esque in appearance, while others are hazy concentrations of energy. While they can be explicitly instructed, they will also obey the unspoken will of their summoner. Rather than full beasts, an Aves-type could also obtain a more personal protection. A shield from attack, a sharper sight or faster reflexes, a powerful boost to magics and flight. Within this particular circumstance (and in any other dream-like, or otherworldly fields), this would also allow the Aves to see more than usual of how this occurs. A flash of a monstrous spirit blocking an attack, or carrying them higher, or possessing some part of their body for an instant, enhancing the character's strengths. (Were a character not in sufficient danger- or if the dead just weren't feeling it- all those protections and enhancements would be inversed. They'll be slower, weaker, and more easily hurt. Any summoned familiars would be hostile.) 2. That's a complicated one. As has already been noticed by some characters, the 'underworld' of this world is empty, hollowed, and has the feeling of having been that way for some time. So when an Aves-type calls on the dead, where are they coming from? They won't be able to answer that, but it is the souls of the dead that the Aves are invoking. And the only ones who are answering match those of the Natural/Wild Souls. If there's humans out there, they're not replying. For successful casts of Furies' Sight outside of Kelesis/dreams, there would be no opportunity to receive whole (temporary) familiars. The various physical and magical enhancements would be the outcome, applied more invisibly. |
| #90
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
One last question. Lune is attuned to the Katalyth and hears its song. What is she hearing around Wriothsley while he is like this? | If she's around Wriothsley and the Katalyth he's working with, the song would be particularly loud and discordant. A mix of what she usually hears along with a strange echo of Lune's own song, the same thing that she sung for both Wriothesley and Peacock. But it would be dragged down, twisted to fit the tone of the dirge, all hope stripped from it and replaced with grief. Of course, being around just Wriothsley doesn't seem to change anything about the usual song Lune hears. Seems the Augmented themselves don't inspire any changes, even after exposure to it. |
| #91
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Hello, hello! Doesn't this look like a good ol' time... I'm curious to know, would Augmented-run businesses be under threat during this time? Would local citizens just steer far away from them in fear, or feel compelled to target them? As for the guardians of Kelesis, would they be more inclined to listen to reason if a character has provided aid in the past? (Say, thoroughly torch the hellish experimentation tunnels?) Would they be more inclined to look the other way, if said character was on the guardians' side, but also verbalized discontent on behalf of Kelisian residents, and maybe even snuck a couple to freedom via Ereshkigal's underworld? And, that said, how possible do you think it would be to locate Anh's parents? |
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| #92
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Is it possible to get through to any of the citizens of Kelesis about the fact that it's an illusion, even just on a one-by-one basis? | cw: death, body horror It'll take quite a bit of convincing... And will require giving a bit of a history lesson, if the character's up for it. If this is an illusion and they're dead, how did they die?! Kelesian citizens will need to be reminded of arcane radiation poisoning; they'll need to be told that they died from it, and may even need to be given an explanation of some symptoms to really help them recall the experience of dying. ... Doing this will create sudden, intense nightmares around the particular soul. As the guardians of Kelesis will explain to any curious Augmented, this construct is made not of one large dream, but many pockets of dreams; each pocket is a moving, malleable thing that has been being carefully safeguarded and let to become harmonious with its fellows, but this sudden jarring into reality shatters the peace, even if it doesn't quite wake them. These nightmares will be sickly, with vivid memories of mutated dead bodies (a la intense exposure to arcane radiation), foul odors, loud and discordant cries and voices, and pain. Even Augmented Ones will be subjected to the kinds of pain this soul endured in death, as though they seek to share in that experience. Merely shattering the illusion doesn't quite free them from the grasp of Kelesis's guardian. After a bit, Augmented Ones will find themselves forcefully ejected from the entire city, just to get them out of that nightmare bubble. (They're free to reenter the city immediately afterwards.) Augmented Ones won't see the Kelesian guardians, but they will feel as though they're being watched and judged while they tend to the disturbed soul, as though tucking it back into bed. The soul will return to a more peaceful dream after it's tended, the shroud pulled over their eyes once again. "Please do not do that. It causes suffering." That's all the guardian has to say. |
| #93
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
will it be possible to investigate the timing of (and motivation behind) the sudden attack on kelesis? because the last time there was shit happening and patho-gen were less than thrilled at the augmented showing up was the plant creature, and... yeahhhhh. depending on more of the specifics, tighnari is going to go full <img src="https://sighnari.dreamwidth.org/file/5921.png" width="200px" class="imageshrink-actualsize"> about: rogue plant augmented nixed as food source + kelesis interfering with the mt pneuma getaway = suddenly deciding to wipe kelesis off the map Edited 2026-02-03 10:13 pm (local)
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Oooh, a chance to investigate it... Hmmm. I'm trying to think about something that might tip off what caused Karteria to go down this path of attacking Kelesis. The answer is not a single source, though interest in Kelesis's underground is definitely a factor. But for this answer, I'm gonna focus on this: Some of this response is fueled by actions that the Augmented have taken since the start of the game. Certain parties seem to have inspired Karteria down a path of prioritizing its ability to defend its city... and to attack its foes. While Karteria's interest in Kelesis is a maintained, longer-term thing, this choice to attack isn't one that would've happened without that push... So, there's one bit. Evidence of that facet of what's going on... If a character chose to take advantage of the Spectral Madness in the city, they might be able to find correspondences if they break into the Counsel Offices, home of law enforcement and security. It'd be a lot of boring poring through papers and reports, but a conclusion could be deduced that there seems to be a greater inspiration towards defense preparedness of the city... despite there being no tangible threat? Who would attack Karteria, given the circumstances of the world?? Doesn't matter, what if someone attacks??? And what if Karteria needs to attack... someone? ?????? Really, it seems unnecessary, doesn't it. But they've been convinced of the fact that they need to be ready for something. ... In Patho-Gen HQ, of course, there might be some documentation that points towards Tighnari's suspicions: that laboratory beneath Kelesis is invaluable, and Karteria definitely had a hand in creating it. That they're being blocked from going to Kelesis is a move they disagree with, but the choice to attack isn't one they've always been prepared to do. Now they have all these cool Augmented to experiment on and to call to their aid, so things are really looking up for Karteria's ability to handle itself! |
| #94
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
A push and pull, delightful. In a prior question, I'd gotten the answer that the difference between waking and dreaming in Kelesis is nigh indistinguishable. For the purposes of Perissodactyla When Hubert is tasked to protect a thing, he does so no holds barred and would do so with the full extent of what the Guardians taught him. Given the blurring of waking and dreaming in the area, I want to be super sure what he can do where so I don't cross any lines. |
Yes, the Patho-Gen employees who enter Kelesis enter through: dream spaces. They don't mean to do this, but the guardians' influence is such that entering Kelesis from any angle is guaranteed to land you in a dream space of their making. Hubert would find that their influence seems to exist prominently in the city and not beyond it; if they were ever asked, they'd answer that they could extend it, but they would need to physically relocate themselves to exert that influence. And they're unwilling to leave. Thus: Hubert is able to manipulate space within the city's borders, and in a radius beyond it, but not everywhere on the island of Eparsis or beyond. They are unable to create these dream pockets far from Kelesis proper, but they will offer that anywhere one of their brethren is, such dream spaces can be created and linked together... But as it stands: they are all pact-bound themselves from leaving the city. Hubert has freedom to use his powers anywhere within Kelesis proper, and unfortunately, no such other dream space is available anywhere else at this time. |
| #95
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
meowdy, mods! quick character question: would it be alright if wriothesley is a touch less immediately affected by the madness during the celestial shadows event? not so much true resistance, but more a different threshold or susceptibility due to prior exposure (namely touching things he very much should not have at a certain pillar). |
Sure, that would be just fine! It's entirely up to every player just how much they would prefer their character to be affected during the event. Whether that's having a particularly rough time, or more capable of riding things out. And Wriothesley's recent and severe Katalyth exposure could totally be a justification for keeping a greater command over himself. With all that madness he'd endured so fresh, it could place him at a higher threshold of tolerance- so that it would take more than what's going around to knock him off-kilter. Additionally, as this accompanies, and deepens, the occurrence of a New Moon, Wriothesley's Carnivora side could be said to be another protection. It's quieter, and in its dormancy, is failing to be so reactive to the madness. (That said, any Carnivora can also use this opportunity to go snappish and wild... there's plenty of ways to approach things.) We're always welcoming of character specific questions (or general questions, or anything that comes to mind), so please feel free to come to us with thoughts! While we try with the event FAQs to account for the most likely situations/questions, we can't think of everything- and we're always ready to accommodate the particular nuances and specific situations that each character might be going through. |
| #96
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Kinda wondering about the strength of the Calling magic PG are going to use to compel Augmented to fight for them... I know it's been said in the past that it's mostly a "suggestion" that can be ignored, but would it be stronger for this? Or perhaps it would be more effective on, say, a fully corrupted golem-type who already had an obedience complex in the first place.........? (I am trying to make an excuse for Dedue to hurt his friends do you see the vision) |
The Calling magic these Patho-Gen employees uses would definitely be stronger than the form performed by the average Karterian! Not because they're inherently talented mages, but as the result of proprietary technology enhancing, augmenting the effect it has on characters. It would additionally be stronger against Spectrals, and anyone who'd been taken in October, or has otherwise spent time in Patho-Gen custody. Golems, of course... they're just so good at following orders. They would be inherently highly susceptible to Patho-Gen influence. Dedue seems like he'd be perfect for Patho-Gen to grab.... |
| #97
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
so mods hi you lovely folks you how uh... feasible would it be for certain individuals, after seeing the way Patho-Gen is going after Kelesis, to maybe sort of... infiltrate Patho-Gen to get more intel on how they developed their weapons? Before I start REALLY digging in on plotting/gettig folks together/getting a plan together, I want to know if it is feasible or something that could lead to some good information, or if it's a no-go. Given that they are using Spectrals in nature, I think Silco (who generally doesn't give a shit) is probably going to want to know more about it! I can compile the list of how they try for this/what they are going to be looking for if we get a go ahead! |
Could certain individuals infiltrate Patho-Gen during the attack on Kelesis... absolutely! Patho-Gen HQ won't be in any sort of lockdown, and to enter the building everything will appear to be business as usual. There'll be fewer people around behind the scenes, and while a number of the regular staff have clued in to there being something going on, they don't know much about it. The building hasn't been cleared of everyone involved by any means, but most of the information to be found would be buried in offices and labs and behind computer terminals. Assuming the investigative parties are able to manage a certain amount of security, they could get something out of their excavation. Just let us know the sorts of things they'd be digging for (whether it's just about using Spectrals as weapons and how, or if there's any other specific aspects of that or anything else), and we can pull together some results. |
| #98
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Sorry for bothering you again mods, but there are a few characters interested in helping Ereshkigal, and I was wondering if they could |
If that's something her power would permit, then some of Erishkigal's accomplices could take a few of those souls to her Underworld. This would naturally provoke the ire of Kelesis' guardians, more so than only supplying her with energy (which they would already disapprove of). It wouldn't approach the consequence that Erishkigal would face, but they would also face fierce scrutiny, and their time in Kelesis made disorienting and unpleasant. The caretakers are upset, hurt; this is a betrayal, in their eyes, of the kindness the Augmented has shown their city. It is also a threat to its survival, which is not easily forgiven. The more entwined in Erishkigal's work, the more unwelcome a character will become in Kelesis. |
| #99
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Putting this here since it is relevant. Would singing at Wriothsley as she did at Peacock and using science team methods to shrink Katalyth help him maintain sanity during this period? | That's a good use of singing... yes, using her voice like that could work to help Wriothesley out. His mutation and pain is connected to the experiences that created the Katalyth, and related to Peacock's own pain; what shrinks it, would also help to ease his suffering. |
| #100
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
This is wonderful, thank you very much for your thoughtful response, mods! Neuvillette would be happy to offer his services to clean up the reservoirs further, and he will especially be focused on the hospitals and clinics. He will also lend his abilities to the bridge town project, and he'll approach Mel to get some things going. Additionally... I'm not sure if here is the right place to ask, but it is regarding Neuvillette's ability to have it rain in Fontaine when he's sad (which is not possible here!), but do you think it would be possible for a tiny raincloud to rain, specifically, on one random person in Karteria whenever Neuvillette is feeling sad? I thought it would be a funny minor thing for any player to choose to do if they wish to. Thank you very much once again! |
It's a great thought for Neuvillette, to use his unique powers this way! Both Karterians and the Augmented should appreciate that.... And, this is a perfectly good place to ask- and even if Neuvillette's sadness can no longer drench an entire land, there's no reason why he can't drench one random person at a time. That's entirely fine! |
