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| #1
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.) |
| #2
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.) |
| #3
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! |
| #4
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. |
| #5
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. |
| #6
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. |
| #7
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. |
| #8
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. |
| #9
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. |
| #10
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.) |
| #11
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. |
| #12
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! |
| #13
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. |
| #14
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. |
| #15
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. |
| #16
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! |
| #17
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. |
| #18
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.) |
| #19
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. |
| #20
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.) |
| #21
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! |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
1. That's an interesting one... It would be possible for Dante to receive a replica of their PDA. It should be fully functional on the note-taking side of things, and might even come with copies of notes that they had taken in the past, though... not quite right. It's full of errors, but more in language and formatting rather than content. As though whatever had copied it had been reading it from a distance, and not used the right file format. If the cards themselves are a physical object that would manifest as a part of the PDA, they could come with, but would also be replicas... AUs of AUs. They could still work largely as intended, but less powerful. (Along the lines of general ability nerfs. If you'd like to tweak them in other ways to reflect them being a knockoff version, you're also free to do so!) But the cards having functionality could be maintained. Something like this would probably count as a luxury treat/100 comments. 2a. Yes, but with a couple of caveats. If the use of that ability is predicated on something that happens later in canon, and could never be unlocked without that canon event, the character would have to be updated to that point in order to use it. If it's just an ability the character always had, but canon just hadn't revealed it- then yes, it would be fine for them to go ahead and have it without a canon update. 2b. This is the other caveat: if the use of the ability would constitute a major spoiler, then you should probably wait the two-months-from-reveal to be clear. If it's less major, or something that can be warned for- it'd be fine to just proceed with spoiler warnings in headings. |
Got it, thank you! Was planning on luxury treat, but wasn't sure if you wanted a little more points put toward it than the 100. And totally understand for number two! I'll give it some thought and proceed with caution. |
| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-31 |
Hi, mods! I had a few questions regarding the Augmented-run farm as Wriothesley slowly gets more involved with the project. |
1. The government might be skeptical at the idea of hazard pay, and want to downplay the effects of arcane radiation on the Augmented. After all, isn't the entire point of the Augmented creating creatures capable of enduring it? Patho-Gen would actually step in on their behalf, however- supplying some of the data they've collected, showing that while the Augmented are certainly resistant to arcane radiation (and can more readily heal from it), they are not immune. But given that the farming venture is already showing fruit- the government wouldn't fight too hard against funding them. While they certainly have their corruption, their biases- they are still largely pragmatic and do not want Karteria to starve. Augmented farming is widely supported as a concept, as something immediate and practical that they can do that Karterians cannot. While there might be some grumbling when it comes to the costs of keeping these beasts healthy, Augmented farmers could secure some manner of salary, and concessions for the danger they're putting themselves in. 2. As the government is willing to fund the farm work, the private sector might be less relevant.... But for reference, the Augmented could also find good interest from local grocers, cafes, restaurants- anything that, well, sells food in some form or another. 3. Fish farming! A small body of water like the farm pond could be effectively cleansed. Any Katalyth growing from the pond bed would need to be removed, and the area regularly inspected to catch any new growths. But it could be done, and it would help to keep any fish kept in its waters healthy. With collective Augmented help when it comes to the maintenance and fostering of a healthy pond environment, there's no reason why they couldn't grow some fish. And given that any body of water is sufficiently small, such as a pond (whether natural, or artificially constructed), the same techniques could be used around the bridge town as well. |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-31 |
Piggybacking on this but has the accessibility gotten better/more advanced after the event that blinded a bunch of Karterians? (There was one, right? Or did I make the up in my head...) | There was indeed a mass blinding event, taking place on the summer solstice, last June. A quarter of the Karterian population was permanently blinded, with the Augmented suffering more temporary eye-related mutations and injury. The aftermath has led to attempts from the government (pushed by pre-existing advocacy groups- as it's not as though the blind did not exist in Karteria before) to improve accessibility and safety. There was also a Velvet Claw task summarized here, which requests help from the Augmented for ideas on how to improve things for its citizens. In short: it's a work in progress, but it's far better than it was before with expanded options for getting around the city, housing with features for the blind... but some of the lower class districts (such as East Sophia, parts of Gloria) continue on with fewer accessibility options. More private establishments as well reflect the increased blind population, and many have tried to make accommodations. Karterians as a whole are much more aware of the needs of the blind, given that almost everyone knows someone who was affected, even if they weren't struck themselves. |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-31 |
Hello, mods! 1 - Have a canon specific question that I should've asked earlier (but I also don't think it's a big deal that it changes much?) Dunno if it's a silly question or a similar question was asked and i missed it - apologies, if so! In canon, Cybertronian has something called a spark, which is basically their soul and heart. But unlike any regular souls, which are intangible, a spark is a physical soul. So, my question is, does Soundwave have a physical soul residing inside his human vessel, therefore able to feel it pulsate along with his heartbeat, or is it intangible like any other souls? 2 - Following up on a conversation Soundwave had in-game, he will head over to Patho-Gen and respectfully ask them why he's "humanized" instead of bringing over his real body? Also, are they keeping his original, real body hidden somewhere, or do they not have access to it? What will Patho-Gen responses be? The OOC reason was that I wanted to severely nerf Soundwave by "humanizing" him and I figured him being a giant mech was unwieldy for the setting as an IC reason, but I wanted to be sure what IC responses he'll get from Patho-Gen! |
1. That's an interesting quirk... but yes, he'd be able to keep his soul as it is. And as you say, it wouldn't change anything. He just has his familiar physical soul in his new body, along with the more intangible Natural Soul. 2. When asked, the Patho-Gen employee will have to look up his specific circumstances, as while it's not unheard of for characters to come in and require some... relocating, it's not common. Whatever answer they pull up will startle them. "Respectfully... I don't think we could accommodate someone of your dimensions." With some helpless gesturing towards, well, the city. A place built for humanity. Is his original body located somewhere on Patho-Gen's property? They wouldn't be able to answer that, the average employee wouldn't have access to that level of information. But they would suggest the answer is no. It is mostly a guess on their part. They've never seen the mechanism that brings characters to their world, but they can't imagine that it's large enough to permit entities of his stature. (How was he brought in then, how was anyone brought in- they don't have any hard answers for that. The explicit details of the transfer are kept amongst the higher ups in the company. All the public-facing staff know, is that sometimes someone will come through who needs to be placed in a new physical body.) |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Hi mods! Bouncing back to this question (or question 3 from that question), assuming Rowan was able to find more or less the same info (just slower and less efficiently lol), if they tried to confirm that with the locals what would they get? They'd start by asking in the places they already have friends (starting at the smooth grind, then moving on to folk at the Valentina, but then asking around in general if they need to), just casually bringing up Calling to see what people say about it, what it gets used for, if anyone is particularly powerful with it how that looks, and what people know about it's use in technology. |
The locals wouldn't have much of a problem discussing Calling with Rowan, particularly if they already have a good rapport with them. They would confirm the information already given, that they don't view Calling as anything 'special'. It's just like having any other talent, like being good at maths, or poetry. Everyone's capable of doing it a little, but unlike more useful skills, exceptional Calling won't get you a career. Back when horseriding was more of a hobby, Calling was a typical requirement for a trainer. Nowadays, you can't really get employment from being a good Caller, but your pets will be exceptionally polite. It's common knowledge that Calling is used within electronics, but engineers, scientists- the people behind creating it apparently don't need to be personally flushed with magic. Patho-Gen has never made it a hiring requirement. The average person doesn't understand why their machines work, only that cutting little designs onto metal will make them more effective. (There might be a touch of awkwardness from any Karterian who's heard that the Augmented can also be manipulated with Calling magic. Does that mean they're animals...? Are animals judging them for using Calling magic?? It's raising some uncomfortable questions, though the increased association with beasts (not that it wasn't always there, given corruptions and Shifts) hasn't yet turned into a full other-ing by the Karterian population. No one would be reckless enough to try using it on Rowan during the conversation, at least.) |
| #27
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Hey mods!!! I'm ruminating over bringing an android character in the near future so I just wanted to ask some specifics on that. 1. I believe in another question, its said robots/androids who come as they are can potentially have biological manifestations of their transformation (like real feathers vs steel feathers). Could this also pertain to the whole body as time goes on? Ala an android slowly becoming an actual being? (maybe even a body horror aspect, flesh growing in the inside over time, etc.) 2. If the android looks notably inhuman, just to confirm, they will be treated like they're not alive/generally mistreated or disregarded by the actual populace? How far does that go? (Like will the android be able to get a job or will they be turned away, etc.) 3. Last question, I believe in another question, its said robots/androids could interface with some electronics with moderate success. How much control does this entail, exactly? (Like just turning on a radio, or being able to collect data? Etc.) Just want to know the general extent. |
1. Robots/androids can absolutely have biological components as a feature of their corruption/Shift. An Aves could have organic feathers or metal ones, or a mix, or a composite. Body horror components are always encouraged, all robots are welcomed to become as uncomfortably fleshy as desired. 2. That is true, if the android is not capable of passing completely as a human, but is recognizably robotic, they will be treated as any other robot/Golem in the city. Which is to say, as something that's not alive, and as worthy of as much respect as a toaster. They might not have trouble getting work, but they will have trouble getting paid for it, and are likely to need a non-robot's help to advocate for them. 3. Robots and androids can have some capacity to link up and use the local electronics. This would include a limited ability to interface with their Syntrofos, though the connection would be unreliable, and prone to breaking. It wouldn't invite much in the way of hacking potential, but they could send and receive messages, at least. They could also have some limited ability to connect to and operate with regular consumer electronics, but this would also be unreliable. The magic inherent in the machines interrupts the signal. Trying to do anything more than establish a connection with the device's normal functions may invite some more terrible results, depending. For example: attempting to interface or hack too deeply into one's Syntrofos or even a regular ServiTon... may cause the robot in question to be overcome by a deep, overwhelming despair, enough to interrupt whatever they're trying to do. Relying on an imprinted partner should help them recover, but this is just a way to keep characters from hacking local ServiTons and/or their personal device. (Connecting with anything mechanical in Kelesis would always fail. It might feel like it succeeds, but it never actually goes anywhere.) |
| #28
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Hi...it's me again... So I was glancing at the map and saw that there's quite a bit of land past Kelesis' city extending east and south. Is there anything preventing the Augmented from going there? (I remember it being mentioned that Kelesis has a 'border' within the city but wasn't sure if that border also impeded people from going around the city or whatnot.) If more info is coming soon, please feel free to tell me to skedaddle while you cook. Thank you! |
There is nothing preventing the Augmented from exploring the rest of Eparsis! The 'border' of Kelesis is just refers to where the city buildings end, and wilderness resumes. The lands most directly around it (parts of the forest to the north, the edge of the mountains to the east, and their side of the bridge to the southwest), are unofficially under Kelesian 'influence', but there's nothing there to prevent characters from walking through or around them. As of yet, the only bit that's been visited was a jaunt reaching Lake Telos as well as the other smaller lake in the area. The rest of the island has not been visited! If explorations are planned anywhere, just let us know and we're happy to provide more information on what's out there. |
| #29
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
hi mods! would a cephalopoda compulsory honesty hex work on Anh? thank you for working with us!! | Yes! Cephalopoda-type magicks will work. But Anh isn't the sort to hide much. They've really taken a beating to their morale after the loss of their parents those many years ago. The hex may not be necessary. If anything, they just don't seem to want to talk about much. They've grown shy and reclusive, and prefer to be left to their own devices. If asked about that memory, they will be visibly distressed. They don't like that this memory has been seen by anybody, and it might cause them to go mute a bit more. Some other Cephalopoda-type tricks might work... trying to hex a person into being compelled to answer, a derivative of a truth hex, could work temporarily. But all they know is that that way back then, Karteria had been trying to help Kelesis erect a barrier like Karteria's. Anh themself began to work for Patho-Gen around this time, while their parents were in retirement back home. Then... turns out that the whole project to share the technology of the barrier, didn't stick, and Karteria withdrew their team from Kelesis. Anh knows the technique for barrier creation was with Kelesis; they haven't ever figured out why Kelesis never actually got the barrier, but they suspect it was the general Kelesian way of living: they didn't take the warning seriously, didn't act quickly enough... didn't comply with whatever Karteria's demands were, despite the gravity of the situation. Whatever Kelesis is there is surely built upon the backs of those who died, Anh's parents included. They don't understand why Kelesis is reported to be thriving; the way their parents wrote it, it seemed doomed. They haven't written to Anh since; they're certain their parents are passed. |
| #30
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Hello mods! Following up on + requesting more info for a question that was previously asked my Caprica here. They will attempt to press Anh for more information using coercion, and potentially a cephalopoda compulsory honesty hex. (Link to thread here. cw: torture.) As a note, a handful of characters have become involved. They took action during the network outages, to take advantage of the lapse in security, tracked him to learn his place of residence, and handled him there. (If possible. Will retcon that detail if necessary.) Please let me know if you'd like any more info, how you'd like to handle consequences, etc! Thanks! 🖤 Edited 2026-01-28 06:01 am (local)
|
With the Cephalopoda-related answer detailed at that link, when it comes to Consequences... February will arrive with its new reporting thread for January/February with the plotting post, and that would probably be the best place to post about their Crimes, along with any additional info! (Particularly with how public or traceable their actions were. But as a general idea: if their torture/murder escapades are discreet enough, they could probably come away from it without facing personal consequences. If anything can be tied to the participants, they would be facing weeks of public service, followed by a presentation to show that they learned their lesson- up to house arrest/being fitted with an ankle monitor, should things turn particularly violent. In either case, what they did would be considered as premeditated, which incurs greater penalty than acts of passion.) |
| #31
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Thanks so much! Sorry to move the question around on you, I thought it may have gotten lost in the mix. Vincent would be a repeat offender. If they got caught, would he face the same service, do you think? (They were certainly trying to be discreet, but you never know!) |
Oh no, it's no trouble- if things are taking a while, a nudge is never unwelcome! As someone with a history of poor behavior, he'd face something akin to the outcome explained here, with extended time spent with the ankle monitor + potential 'recalibration' as a last resort. That's only if the crime can be definitively pinned to him, of course! |
| #32
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-26 |
Hi mods! Would like to check in real quick: Neuvillette has been here quite awhile and he would like to do something about the nasty water however he can. As he canonly has dominion over water back in his world and has maybe a fraction of that available here, is there anything he can possibly do to help to purify some or a significant amount of water and clear it of pollution slowly? Thank you very much! |
It would be a difficult thing to purify a great deal of water- as in, the ocean itself, or entire lakes. Any place where Katalyth lays or can grow... even weren't it a matter of scale, it would be a pollution that would soon return. However, Karteria has its own water treatment facilities, responsible for all potable water within the city. And while due to its operation within the barrier it is 'relatively' free of arcane radiation, it's not perfect. If Neuvillette offered his services to further clean up their reservoirs, the Government in particular would be thrilled. Filtering it out of an entire city might still be a large task, but if he can keep radiation (and ambient pollutant) levels lower, it would still help Karteria's overall health. Hospitals and clinics would also benefit from having their water be as clean as possible. (Neuvillette might also be a great asset to the Augmented-led project to turn the abandoned bridge town of Aparallaxia into a place where the Augmented might live. Purifying smaller local water sources, collected rainwater, etc. Even if the Augmented can tolerate arcane radiation better than the un-Augmented, it's still not good for them- on top of whatever natural pollutants might be around.) |
| #33
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-22 |
Hi mods! I know sailing beyond the islands is basically a death sentence, as the ocean extends for miles upon miles to no end, but how deep can one delve in the sea just off the shores of Karteria itself? Like, diving from the Waterfront? Since it's based off the Pacific Northwest, would it range from shallow to about the depths of the Puget Sound before a drop-off? Do Karterian shops near the pier have run-down diving gear, maybe? Would it be fine to build anything down there offshore? I'm assuming the wildlife is also similar to what everything's been like thus far. Not sure where I'm going with this yet, but I'm asking on behalf of some ocean-oriented Augmented. Thanks! |
Though the waterfront in Karteria isn't a proper channel like Puget Sound is, for convenience: yes, it has a similar structure of depth. From shallow, it goes to about 1000ft in depth before plummeting to Deep Scary Ocean depths; while Katalyth exists anywhere in the ocean, there's far, far less of it in this 1000ft-deep area, and this would be the areas most "comfortably" traversable for the Augmented! I'd say that it extends juuust around 7 miles out, this 'safe' 1000ft-deep zone... which means that the Augmented can swim or dive as they like here, especially if they maintain the same buddy system that they'd have out beyond the barrier. Is there diving gear? Yes, but you're right in assuming that it's some vintage stuff that might need some patching or work. Not that we expect anyone to thread that, but it's some good background for the sort of state diving goods are in. Surprisingly, there is a lot of ocean-faring gear available in thrift stores in various states of heavily-used and heavily-damaged. Thrift store owners will explain this thusly: before the real threat of Katalyth impending, there was a real big push for sailors. It was one of the most lucrative jobs out there. Delivering crews, ferrying supplies... For all kinds of jobs. What kinds of jobs? Shop owners don't know. They just work here. They're not sailors. The sailors are dead, and they took their secrets with 'em. Nonetheless, they've got all this diving gear available and with no real application, so it can be quite cheap. |
| #34
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-16 |
Hello mods! Weird question but for the reward mirrors... Is there a way to lock them like a door? Or a way to turn them "off" so people can't get in? Or is it just open for anyone and everyone to walk into any time? |
The mirrors unfortunately are always in an 'on' state, fully functional until broken. But while they lack that functionality themselves, some characters might possess appropriate spells natively. (A wizard's Arcane Lock, for example.) And different Augmented might have developed skills that could be used to similarly control entry, or otherwise make it more difficult- such as a Spectral glamouring the mirrors to look like something else. Or a Cephalopoda could develop a hex or enchantment to restrict entry entirely, or only permit certain people to pass. So there might be options, even if the mirrors themselves can't be turned off. |
| #35
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-15 |
Hey! Noe is going to drink Wanderer's blood but we both wondered how being Augmented might have an impact on the blood inside a character's body. Is it just normal blood or is it something mixed? Also Wanderer is almost nearing his final transformations as a Spectral and that means he's close to dying. Does that affect the blood as well? (maybe a lower temperature) |
The quality of any Augmented's blood is something we'd leave up to the player! Characters can keep their old blood type, or it can become some unlikely fusion with their new cat/deer/birdself- or switch entirely to their new soul's type. Maybe it even changes in qualities between the corrupted form and Shifting. Terras could be full of chlorophyll or sap, or some hybrid with blood; Golems might not have blood at all, or possess infusions of some other material entirely. Spectrals... their blood might be in some sort of suspended 'dead' state, stagnant and cold, with pre-death something similar to that but less severe, or blood that's just reflective of an overall unwell. It's really just about doing whatever you find more interesting! |
| #36
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-08 |
Hello it's me again we're doing it; Florian and Eli have helped Bricks kidnap a Patho-Gen employee and are doing some terrible science on him. Bricks will attempt to possess his pet Katalyth shard, accept any and all powering-up no matter how horrible, so desperate to separate this guy's soul. I'm open to him accidentally doing something else instead if mods have anything in mind? Either way this is obviously going to go very badly for him and kill him. He'll die with grief and frustration wanting to make some difference in this world and lamenting his own limitations. Assuming he goes crazy, excessively mutates from all the powering-up, turns into some spectral vampiric fire demon of sorts burning with a lust for life-energy, petty vengeance, and hunger for knowledge—what will the aftermath of this look like (mostly for his CR)? What happens with his pet Katalyth shard (does it turn dark?) Could Brickston haunt a particular location? Potentially drain the life force from anyone who comes within a certain vicinity unless they offer a nugget of knowledge to him instead? I initially imagined this to be underground right where he dies but if there are any other locations in game that mods could suggest that sound fun or might be appropriate for a knowledge-hungry tinkerer I'd be game for that? Under or near Patho-Gen HQ? His rowhouse in Sophia? Somewhere in Kelesis? Somewhere yet undiscovered? If there's something mods have in mind that he feels appropriate to use for in any way, please let me know I'd be happy to help accommodate though his death. |
It's Happening..... Brickston looked too far into the abyss and it looked back. It's possible, even likely- that in his maddened, powered-up Spectral and Katalyth-infused state that he would succeed in separating the soul from his victim. Without the connection to its host, and surrounded by Brickston's new power, the soul would disintegrate, fall apart into errant shreds, each of them mutating beyond recognition. This soul has eyes, it's nothing but eyes and teeth, a maw that tears itself apart the more Brickston tries to hold it. The now-corpse of the Patho-Gen employee faces this as a backlash, as the energy spills over into the nearest relevant parties. It twists itself apart, bones snapping, with new spires of them growing out of every fracture. And with them, more eyes, more teeth, organs that slip from fresh cavities, blackened with boils even as they form. It's unrestricted, horrible growth, a perpetual ruin that will take over the basement they're doing this in. (Eli and Florian may also face a limited amount of this backlash as desired, just by being in the vicinity. Or it can remain as a horrible circuit between Bricks and his experiment.) But for Brickston himself: The Augmenter, the Natural Soul. They were made, implanted with the aim of protecting someone from Katalyth, and the arcane radiation it emits. But there's limits to each of them, and if there's a way to survive persistent contact with the material, this was not the path to achieving it. His own personal shard- it's too unstable, too pure with how much of himself Brickston has placed into it. While it doesn't turn black, as the broken-pillar Katalyth has, it deepens instead into a bloody red. If Brickston wanted to possess it, it possesses him right back, amplifying those deepest parts of himself: his frustration, lamentations, and the need to know. It becomes a permanent part of what remains of his body, less removable than a once-beating heart. Brickston's Spectral-self would not only overwhelm what's left of his rapidly corrupting body, but with the complete failure and destruction of the Augmenter, it too would properly and permanently fuse with what's left of his own soul. There would be no distinguishing them; Brickston is a Spectral-type himself now, rather than an Augmented. Were he ever to be captured by Patho-Gen, it would not be to revive him as a man, but used for research (or very dubious implantation fodder). Uncaptured and free, he could haunt a particular location, whether that's the place of his demise, or anywhere else Brickston bore some connection or attachment to. He'd likely make quite a malevolent figure, given that he's a compounded-Spectral whose passion for knowledge has persisted past life and sanity. With the Katalyth embedded in his shade, he would continue in this ruined state, equally supported and starved by his favorite shard. (He could also be a roaming ghost than a fixed one- this is all really more down to what you would be most interested in having his fate be. But he could stick around in the setting for CR to be horrified/intrigued at, and for new people to... also be horrified/intrigued at. This is a Potential Fate for the Augmented....) |
| #37
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-07 |
Hi mods! I have a few questions about specific canon abilities for my OC and natural soul design. 1. How are foresight abilities handled? 2. What about characters with unusually feeding methods? My character feeds on the residual magical energy in air. What kind of magic can be found in Kateria? They can survive in a non magical world with just their own magic reserves however the augmenter blunting their inherent abilities would mean they can only use a trickle of that energy pool so it wouldn't necessarily satisfy them as much. Which is fine! I like the challenge of Sheliak having to adjust to this new world. I'm just curious who much he will suffer and if the natural soul inside him would try to protect him in any way? 3. I'm thinking of going with a spectral natural soul for him but I have a few questions. If a character is technically already dead, do they still go through a second physical death? 4. Can a spectral design be based on multiple myths? For example a mix of banshee and djinn? |
Hello there! 1. Foresight abilities can still work in some limited sense. While they wouldn't be able to predict future game events or plotlines, they can function for things happening to characters (with player permission, of course). 2. The locals have limited magic of their own (which could be probably be generally felt in the world). Additionally, many of the characters who have arrived are also capable of magic, and might provide some extra energy. In the wilderness, the greatest source of ambient energy would be arcane radiation- the polluting force that Katalyth gives off. As an Augmented (and particularly, as a Spectral-type), he would be protected from much of the usual sickening in its presence, and it's entirely up to you how much of arcane radiation is edible! It's likely to have some untoward effects (faster corruption, added corruptions), but it's definitely magical and there's a lot of it. 3. If a character arrives already dead (or in an inherently unliving state), it would be a challenge for the body to die a second time. They might feel a sort of wasting, or weakness for a time in place of it, or simply undergo the rest of their corruptions without experiencing death2 as a part of it (similar to other soul types). 4. Yes, Spectral designs can absolutely be based on multiple things! Banshee and djinns would be just fine. |
| #38
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-05 |
random and not at all concerning question don't worry about it: does patho-gen have protections around the teleporters inside their hq or would it be entirely possible to transport some big lumps of katalyth into pathogen via them and Demonstrate why it is perhaps not a good idea to do inhumane experiments on the augmented. | Northly... for the sake of this clearly very hypothetical question: no, Patho-Gen does not have those sort of safe-guards around their teleporters. They have no reason to expect- and therefore, prevent- someone from dumping loads of Katalyth on their doorstep. It could be done. It would set off alarms, however, as they do have things to monitor contamination levels- and a lot of Katalyth concentrated in one place would certainly trigger them. It would also set off more mundane alarms in the hearts of the staff. And more than that, as it will also result in a great amount of very sick staff, who are likely to ultimately die. That's a lot of arcane radiation for a normal human to suddenly be in the midst of, but it's an emergency and they can't exactly leave it laying around for even more to be exposed by. Once this happened, they would likely try to work out a means to reject/restrict sendings of mass amounts of Katalyth through teleporters. It may also result in greater restrictions to teleporter access in the near future. But it would succeed at least once. |
| #39
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-27 |
I could swear I remember seeing something about canon updating, but now I can't find it. Possibly I'm just not seeing it? Is it allowed, what's that look like, etc? | Info here! |
| #40
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-23 |
That makes sense, thanks! Are these lights too distant to tell what they are? Do there seem to be other balconies? What colour are the lights? | They're not too distant to see from the balcony, and it would also be possible to spot other balconies from that spot. And many of those lights appear to be coming from those other balconies, flickers of light escaping from other corners of the facility. Other points of light don't seem to be attached to anything, or appear from anything; they're clusters of odd energy, gathered in places around the mountain. Likely a result of activity that occurs within the facility. The lights are pale yellow or white, with the energy-sourced ones occasionally flickering red-black. |
| #41
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-23 |
I think the answer is probably yes, but is it acceptable to have inspiration for a natural soul that is technically a person? specifically, xamaran is a giant glowing fungi that talks. it's an offshoot of the fungi-god of teyvat bifrons but I'm guessing the jadeplume terrorshroom is too much bird? |
Yes, taking inspiration from something like that is just fine! That's a perfectly good fungi. The birdshroom would also potentially be fine to use for inspiration, if the Aves-like aspects were limited to aesthetics. Actual Aves-powers would require an Aves-soul, but a bit of theming is okay. |
| #42
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-19 |
helloooo modsssss can i play ko as transmasc here? i'll be sure to state that headcanon clearly if it comes up, especially in smut contexts :) |
Hello there! Moreover, it's just the season that is slowing us down. (Specifically myself. Getting Pummeled by the holidays.) I apologize for my tardiness, especially as this is a very easy answer. We accept trans headcanons. Respect trans people, respect your fellow players, and you're good. |
| #43
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-17 |
this may seem like a nitpicky thing but it's relevant to me atm because Eli is finding out the facility from the kidnapping/experimentation is probably on mount Pneuma: the prompt says "Way, way high up, trying to escape would be a grave mistake... but beyond this balcony is the ocean, the cliffside riddled in dancing lights." Is this cliffside ON the island, or is it a cliffside on another island that can be seen from this one? I interpreted it as a different island i.e. Orexis or Eparsis, since the balcony is so high up and the ocean can be seen across, but other players seem to have interpreted the cliffside as being on Pneuma itself (and I can't picture that in my mind's eye- where would it be, relative to a very tall building? or, if the balcony is built into the cliffside, how could characters see the cliffside itself? Or does it mean they can see the lights only if they escape the balcony?) |
Ah, yes, the facility/cliffside are both on the island, and are on Pneuma. The balcony would be built into the cliffside itself (along with the facility, the whole thing buried inside of it). To stand on the balcony and look down, one would be looking at the uneven face of the cliff (or I suppose the mountain would be more accurate, but the slope/way it drops off feels like a cliff...), and at the bottom of it, the ocean. The lights in the cliff would also be visible from this place. (Sorry for the confusion, I hope this explains things a little better... I can try again if this doesn't work!) |
| #44
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-17 |
Hello dear mods! What kind of flowers exist in Karteria? Ones from earth? And if so, what kind of region? |
There's a small bit about plants in general here, and flowers in particular would run similarly. Basically, PNW as a region, though it might dip a bit colder than that- and not limited to real world plants! Fantastical varieties (or things that look similar but aren't quite the same as real plants) are also around. Anything that would fit in a colder, moist climate. Purely tropical (or just anything that really needs a lot of consistent sunlight and can't tolerate frost) wouldn't do very well, but some people keep more delicate things indoors. What few greenhouses exist in the city are dedicated more to practical/edible plants, but garden spaces, parks, balconies- plenty of people enjoy flowers too, and work to maintain little splashes of color where they can. |
| #45
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-17 |
katalyth power question! Gale just made the mistake of suggesting to Eli that perhaps his soul could feed on katalyth, since it feeds on fear and gains power from it, and since we now know that katalyth is sort of like emotion itself, and many of those emotions are extremely negative. He originally had this thought when Gale was doing his fucked-up experiments with absorbing the katalyth, but Gale was acting as his self control, so now that Gale is on board, he's likely gonna try it very soon. Probably just by full-shifting near some katalyth and seeing how his soul reacts. Maybe touching it? Probably touching it. What will happen? |
Eli no... what is with mages touching/licking/absorbing the Katalyth.... Full-shifting near Katalyth in itself is mostly 'safe', insofar as anything is safe. But Eli could notice a certain resonance between himself and Katalyth- like calling to like (especially if he's in anything like a bad mood). Just being around Katalyth outcroppings wouldn't cause him to siphon it all up automatically, but he could feel a pull towards it- a nudge towards trying to absorb it. If he touches it, Eli could choose to feed on it. The effect would be similar to what Gale has experienced- that Eli could very well use this influx of energy to strengthen his own abilities, but at the cost of severe pain and rapid mutations. The more he does it, the worse it gets. Unlike with Gale (being a Carnivora, though their advanced healing helps), Eli's Spectral-hood would mean he'd have a much harder time actually dying to this. It wouldn't be very pleasant, though. That's a lot of negativity he's eating at once, and that will warp even a Spectral. But he could definitely do it and most likely live to reap the benefits(?). |
| #46
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-17 |
Real quick question for you guys! Would it be acceptable for a hell-hound/black dog inspired carnivora to manifest fire breath abilities? (Possibly in place of the destabilizing bark, if I need to give up one ability to gain a non-standard one?) Sorry if this is a redundant question, I've been thinking this is OK based on the rules and examples mentioned on the nat. soul pages, but since it has overlap with spectral elemental control abilities I just wanted to double check. |
Oh sure, that would be fine! A hellhound-esque Carnivora could totally have fire breath as an added ability. The bark can still stay! Spectrals (who can choose to have fire as an element), or Ruminants (who can also choose to breathe fire), would probably be innately better at it, but a hellhound could share in some hot breath. |
| #47
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-12 |
Thank you for all of the information you've been sharing regarding the farm and herb growth, etc! I just have a little question linking all of this together with Lae's work now actually being on the farm and in greenhouses! Druid magic allows for sustained plant growth - would that magic work here? Essentially, would she be able to use magic like Plant Growth to help get the food/herbs/etc growing faster, or would it not work as intended? |
That kind of magic should be able to work! It might not be as powerful as it used to be, but she should still be able to see some kind of solid impact from her effort. And if used in conjunction with a Terra-type's abilities, it could be that much more effective. |
| #48
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
Hi there mods! It's been since April that Silver has been working on his boat project, and since he has been on it consistently for eight months now, I assume he should be about done with it. As such, if he takes his ship and sails it outside the barrier, what will happen? And then a secondary question, this one regarding my other pirate - if I want to change Law's natural soul, how should I go about it? Just let you know here? |
Congratulations to Silver on his boat! All that hard work is finally paying off. If he takes it outside the barrier... he will be outside the barrier. It will be much like being outside the barrier anywhere else, in that the Augmented will have a far easier time coping with it, especially if they stick together. The further away from shore one gets, the more unstable the weather becomes, but it's not impossible to navigate around the coastline, or a bit further out. There wouldn't be anything restricting him from navigating around the whole of Orexis or Eparsis. If he sailed around to the bridge area and attempted to make for Mt. Pneuma, he might run into more trouble. It's not strictly impossible to reach, but there's a lot of misdirection, and trying to land there isn't something to be undertaken lightly. (Any expedition to Ekklisis (or Lupê) would be... extremely difficult. Mountains protect the majority of the Ekklisian coastline, and the weather between islands is rough. This is also something that should only be undertaken with a lot of planning. Sailing away from Pathos entirely... nothing would strictly prevent him, but it would effectively be a death sentence. To go out there is to find ocean. Ocean that feels like it stretches on forever, that these little islands are the only blemish on a planet made of sea alone. Patho-Gen would also not be able to readily reclaim or revive anyone washed out into the open ocean.) For soul changes, you're welcome to either PM the mod account, or comment on the mod contact! We don't really have a set place for it, as it's hardly come up so far. |
| #49
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
As golems develop a need to eat rocks, sand, dirt, metals to heal and provide nutrition, do they develop a "taste" for them? Does the CRONCH of a rock become very satisfying to them, does the taste of copper sound delicious, or is it just... An urge to eat it, and then a chore to actually eat it, unless incorporated into other foods? | That's entirely up to player discretion! It's possible for Golems to develop a taste for minerals, to have preferences for grit, hardness, material, all of it. Or it might end up as a neutral thing, something they do to satisfy some purely physical need, a sense that's telling them that they're short on this type of sand, while deriving no pleasure nor revulsion from the task. Or they might keep all their old preferences and find the whole experience unpleasant, both in terms of flavors and textures. Whatever sounds more interesting to play with! |
| #50
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
Belated question relating to this, was the 'Controlling' for 'Calling' a typo (It's usually referred to as 'Controlling', question 3 third paragraph), or is that what one doing research would mostly find it under, or are the two used interchangeably? (Asking about it being a typo because I've been through as much of the FAQs as I can and this is the only reference to Controlling that I managed to pull up. I don't doubt your modly wisdoms <3) |
Ohh good catch, and you're entirely right. It should be Calling, it's usually referred to as Calling in the setting. That was just an error in wording... As controlling is more of an accurate way of describing it, but it doesn't sound as nice. And most Karterians would prefer to avoid thinking about their magic that way, that it's closer to coercion rather than just... calling a beast over, and asking it to do something! So yes, Calling is the 'official' term for it. |
| #51
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
Wow, I should have asked this one william years ago and somehow it only just occurred to me. Apologies. Eli is a D&D-flavoured elf, and D&D elves have advantage to avoid or end the "charmed" condition, such as with spells like charm person. The charmed condition is as follows: "A charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects. The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature." On a mechanics level, you can see that a wisdom saving throw is required to avoid the effects of charm person, and Eli has a +7 to those rolls, plus advantage from being an elf, meaning he rolls two d20s and takes the higher number. I am wondering if this lowers his susceptibility to Calling magics in Karteria, the mind-control from Patho-Gen, or his force-imprint to Patho-Gen? |
That does sound like it would give him an innate resistance to those forms of magic, yes! If you would like to (in future, at least...) have Eli have an easier time shaking off, or otherwise no-selling uses of Calling/force-imprints against him, you're welcome to do so. (By a similar token, should a player with a character with similar resistances want to be fully susceptible, that's also fine. In those cases, the charm effect might follow along a different enough magical path so the resistance doesn't apply/their Natural Soul is interfering with the rolls, etc. Basically it's up to player discretion, how protected a character can be from these effects.) |
| #52
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
can't believe this wasn't written anywhere by us. so i am asking the question to get it on the radar. What kind of photography equipment is used in Karteria? Syntrofos can take pictures, but are there other sorts of equipment available? HOW ABOUT VIDEO EQUIPMENT? For modeling, movies, commercials, studios... etc. now i play a guy who this MATTERS for. |
Kraft Velveeta Dinner Instamatic Camera
Okay camera guy, here are some camera information. |
| #53
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-06 |
Hello mods! Regarding the drop mechanic, if a dropped character is sharing housing with other Augmented, who try to intervene and pacify the character themselves before Patho-Gen units arrive on the scene, what would the outcome be? In this particular situation, Malkuth and Yesod have previous experience dealing with Angela in a similar state (by beating her up with Library Powers). Following whatever happens with that, would the general details here apply as well? Thank you for your time! |
Sorry for the delay on this one- but yes, Patho-Gen would still arrive on the scene to take the character into custody. While they would be appreciative of Malkuth and Yesod keeping her contained in the meantime, avoiding any chance of an untoward situation breaking out and causing harm and alarm in Karteria, they would insist on taking over and whisking Angela away. Were they to resist Patho-Gen's reclaiming of her, it would play out similarly to what's linked. Given Malkuth and Yesod's positive/neutral personal reputation with Patho-Gen, this would be done with a degree more gentleness compared to Augmented who they know to be aggressive towards them. But they would still be knocked out and Angela scooped up. But if they didn't prevent Patho-Gen taking over, they would be left with a polite gratitude for keeping the situation under control. |
| #54
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-06 |
Does spending time within the Kelesian barrier mitigate the build-up of arcane radiation for Augmented in the way that spending time inside Karteria's does? (Basically can Tighnari avoid returning to Karteria longer by hanging out in Kelesis.) And if it doesn't, what happens? Exposure mutations at the same rate as if the Augmented was outside of Karteria for a long period? Edited 2025-12-05 03:25 pm (local)
|
It does not, unfortunately, have the same effect as being inside the Karterian barrier. To be in Kelesis is in practice no difference from being in the wilderness. So exposure mutations would occur at the same rate as anywhere else outside of Karteria. Which should still take a good amount of time to build up, if the Augmented isn't alone out there. (Particularly long for Spectrals/Golems, while Terras naturally have it a bit harder, as usual.) |
| #55
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-02 |
TY! I didn't want to overstep with how available these batteries might be (or materials for making them) re: keeping with the setting - so if you have any parameters for how much stuff (lights, tools, electronics etc) they would be able to get powered in the first couple of months of the Bridge Town Project lmk! | No real strict parameters, though it would probably be unlikely to power an entire Karteria through character-batteries. But a smaller place like Aparallaxia (particularly as the Augmented aren't occupying the entire bridge), where the pulls on energy would be more modest, they should be able to collect and store enough to be used there. That applies to both the energy itself (which is inherently more variable depending on how many characters are helping, how efficient the energy capture is, etc.), and the physical batteries themselves. But given the capabilities of the Augmented, and the ability to scrounge for materials outside the reach of the city, they should be able to make a fair bit of progress. |
| #56
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-02 |
Question about Golem's immunity to poisons, are they susceptible to, say, a Terra using their psychoactive powers to influence them (a thing that Golems are susceptible to) into believing they're experiencing an effect even if technically their brain is immune? basically talk them into getting drugged, for fun! or there's the mention of a healthy psychoactive terra being able to magically influence those around them, could that affect Golems? what about a spectral's ability to influence minds? Edited 2025-12-02 06:59 pm (local)
|
That would be a way to drug a Golem! Sort of. Physically, they would remain unaffected, but they're still capable of thought, and very susceptible to suggestion. The more the Golem trusts or knows the Terra (and the more pushy or commanding the Terra), the better the effect. (As they are being influenced into it, how realistic/effective the experience would also depend on how familiar the Golem is with how it's 'supposed' to feel. If they don't understand what it's like, and the Terra doesn't guide their reactions along, it probably won't work as well.) Same goes for any other Natural Souls that have powers of influence: this ability to persuade is what's most effective for Golem-types, rather than any actual physical effects. (This could also work to a degree with actual poisons as well. Even though their bodies would be strictly unaffected, unable to be sickened, a particularly convincing Terra could fool them into 'feeling' unwell, weaker than they actually are. An extension of telling a Golem what to do, is telling them what they're feeling. Please be kind to your Golems....) Likewise, substances like alcohol may not work so well anymore for poor Golem-types who wish to get inebriated, but the power of placebo can do a lot! Merely believing that the substance they're drinking should get them drunk is enough to induce the effects, so the same can be true for drug, if the Golem-type has Expectations of the substance they're partaking in. All-in-all, no magic is even necessary for a Golem-type looking for a good time: only the ability to believe that they're being drugged. Of course, if someone attempts to slip drugs to an unsuspecting Golem-type, well... that does absolutely nothing. Thus: it's purely psychological. (And at each player's discretion to toy with. Golem-types are able to be snapped out of their inebriation readily if they jarringly realize "wait a minute, this can't be happening!" or if they have too many moments to themselves to ponder the physical feeling of their bodies... Whatever works for players to have a good time/be able to recover from feeling drunk/drugged.) |
| #57
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-02 |
I am finally coming back to this after percolating... Gomen for the delay. I think between the greenhouse project and her going to try to perform at various clubs/theaters (not Peacock Theater) for the next few months, I'd like for her to pursue the former offer for now: to offer to help the entertainers she can find and see if they can at least get info from them about the people who are potentially into something different and weird. Then, at least, she can convince them that she isn't after their clients and that she's willing to take on the "difficult" clients who might even pose as risky to those people. She's hardier than she looks! And once she adds Arthropoda to her roster in late Dec/early Jan, she can at least assuage these people that she's not just plant but also butterfly. With Arthro, too, she can offer her own information back to entertainers if they want; she can help them discern intent from clients, steer them from dangerous situations, discern lies, etc. And in time, building trust, gaining more money, she can maybe work into the second option: helping them have some protection overall, whether it's resources, somewhere safe to go, etc. She has healing magic, so she can also help them if things get out of hand. I recognize this will all take time so this can be a winter-spring-early summer trajectory, and I can come back to you guys to roll on outcomes and get consequences ;) Especially since I'm open to her having consequences around more risky/dangerous/weird options, and to suffer for information that can help out. If nothing else, if she can withstand the heat, she can at least help garner a little bit of favor towards the Augmented in circles they haven't been able to touch yet. IF THIS SOUNDS OKAY, let me know, and I can work on this and report back! (sorry again for my tl;dr) |
That all sounds just great! An entirely reasonable/practical trajectory for her to aim for. Down the line, whenever you'd like us to roll for Consequences for specific attempts, just let us know! |
| #58
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-29 |
HELLO, I know there are multiple efforts from different PCs to make our own barriers (enrichment for the nerds) particularly for the Bridge Town Project. For those who are trying to use non-Katalyth power sources, I wanted to check if it's reasonable to work out methods for essentially converting some natural magic abilities of PCs (like Mel's light magic) into energy stored in some sort of battery. This is riffing off the solar panels/hydro energy projects the PCs did to keep science cabin running (along with the generators they were loaned). |
Its important to keep the nerds occupied! But yes, that sounds entirely feasible, that character-based sources of energy could be stored in some sort of battery, in the same way that sun/water can be. By all means, please feel free to use the powers of PCs to make the best use of their abilities—and the more cooperation (and chance for CR building), the better! |
| #59
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-29 |
Henlo thank you mods for indulging my horrible questions; 1) How does a spectral die after they've experienced physical death? Is it dependent on the Spectral type's weakness in question (daylight, stake through the heart, garlic, rainbow beam, etc), and then the natural soul totally takes over? I guess more specifically what does death by Katalyth play out like? 2) Evolving from his Katalyth studies Bricks is getting more desperate and willing to experiment on himself (or a test subject like a plant, rock, small animal, other Karterian, other augmented?) using Katalyth. His goals are to see if the can separate a soul from a source (be it a Natural Soul or an augmented's soul), even a small part of it, and if it can be distilled in some form. Could he attempt to possess his pet Katalyth shard, or use it like some kind of soul knife? He'll music to it if it seems to have any effect. Does the Katalyth have its own soul? Would any of this make energy? 3) If Bricks wanted to experiment with soul-severing on the very specific patho-gen member who very specifically put the house arrest anklet on Eli, and asked Florian and possibly any other augmented for help in kidnapping them and dragging them back to one of their seedy science dungeons, would that be possible? 4) How tinkerable is the anklet on Eli? Very amendable to him only getting so far in any of that research if it broaches too much into setting mechanics stuff but I also would love to use these experiments as a segue into his eventual death. Edited 2025-11-25 07:19 (UTC)
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1. How can something that's already dead die? The easiest method is as described- that if the Spectral-type is badly weak to a specific thing, then being exposed to that thing will kill them. If a Spectral type lacks a mortal weakness, but merely finds it uncomfortable to be exposed to light/rainbows, perhaps- being kept in those conditions would diminish them by degrees, and when paired with something like starvation could lead them to tip into a second death. The character would waste away, eventually reaching a point where their own consciousness had faded back enough to qualify as 'dead', and for the Natural Soul to take over (as best it could, in these conditions). The line is more blurred compared to most other soul types. For a Katalyth-provoked death in Spectrals specifically... it's unpleasant. Death via Katalyth in any person is unpleasant, but Spectrals have the mostly-unique (shared with Golems, though their manifestation is different) quality of being better able to withstand it. As they're already dead, how can they die another time? Well.... It's death of a sort, but closer to a tipping into madness. If left in physical contact with Katalyth, their bodies will excessively mutate, distort and change, their cells rapidly and incessantly forced to adapt to all the grief in the world, to find some form capable of withstanding everything. The change is naturally powered by Katalyth itself, but is exhausting for the character as well. Living things are killed by this too-rapid development, torn apart from it. An already-dead thing can physically withstand it, but their consciousness will be perpetually battered by contact with it, broken down by the unending torrent of pain they're subjecting themself to. Their body will be a ship without a crew, left to founder in the storm. In this 'death' they will continue to mutate, reactive to everything and nothing. The taking over by their Natural Soul in this mind-broken condition is similarly fraught and directionless, though if they're possessed of any underlying instinct (to haunt a specific location, to perform some specific task), they'll be driven to do so. They will be no more sane in it. In essence... Katalyth will kill the mind of a Spectral-/Golem-type, leaving their ravaged body behind to be piloted by their Natural Soul. Unfortunate. 2. Trying to cut apart souls using Katalyth as a blade is... a choice. Katalyth itself does not have a soul, or anything soul-adjacent. That said, Brickston could hallucinate/convince himself that it does, in its own strange way, that the manifestations of its energy, that the connection he's made to it, means that it's not only alive but that it's developed a soul. As his pet Katalyth shard remains attuned and specifically responsive to him, he could easily feel that it 'agrees' with any assessment he makes, continuing to reflect what he wants to hear. To actually try and possess his pet, in the Spectral way... it's not a good idea. It's a terrible idea. Katalyth is not alive in the normal sense, and trying to possess a clump of it is the same as trying to possess the concept of emotion, or a spell. There's nothing to possess, no consistent will to override and direct- but that doesn't mean that nothing happens. It's inviting himself into its corruptive force, in a very vulnerable way, as bad as being in physical contact with it. But it can't be controlled through possession, neither forced to move or grow or diminish. The sensation of possession will almost rebound on Bricks in a way, sharply strengthening his Spectral abilities, and making it easy to lash out with them, to act on every errant thought. And there are a lot of errant thoughts when he's putting his mind in the middle of the essence of emotion. Music will have its usual effect of making things worse/better depending on what he plays to it (although doing so during the 'possession' will be naturally difficult). For using Katalyth to cut souls: not really. It could probably be used to damage souls, or to power (dangerously) someone else's ability/object used in that direction. Brickston is invited to make the attempt though, and his pet Katalyth will encourage any feelings that he's definitely making progress and not just horribly warping people (including himself). 3. That is very pre-meditated of you Bricks, and irresponsible to be bringing in others to these shenanigans. That said, this particular Patho-Gen employee isn't anyone important, and so long as the participants have a way of tracking down a normal person, they could succeed in catching them and carting them off to science. If they're careful in their catching and their disposal, all parties involved might even get away with it! 4. It is very tinkerable, but it would also immediately transmit that it was being tinkered with- which would naturally not be viewed in Eli's favor (along with whoever might be helping him to mess with it). It would be very, very difficult to modify without it triggering that alarm. More punishment time for Eli. |
| #60
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-26 |
hello mods!!! i have some questions about the peacock theater, since they're not exactly putting augmented on stage (yet!!!!!!!!!!!!) 1. she'd like to use the theater for an indoor concert in early or mid december due to it being, well, indoors and a better venue size, so what sort of deal could she make for it if they're amendable? if they aren't amendable to making a deal with an augmented who looks like an augmented, she's resolved to use her shapeshifting ability to play a wealthy patron known as "miss r" 2. this is somewhat separate than that, but malkuth's looking to help dorothea get her foot in the door there too... at least for a performance, a minor singing role if nothing else, the terra-typing will make it difficult but as long as she's an anonymous singer maybe it won't be so bad for their audience. she's got audio recordings to prove her friend's talent!!! ideally both would be asked about while augmented "appreciation" is a little better thanks to salvation day, trying to make it about something "new" and interesting esp as the days get harder and colder for all... little PR to bring about a new appreciation for the arts that "care"... but i'm no fool. it won't be easy |
Oof, sorry for the delay on this one.... 1. The Peacock Theatre would not be immediately open to Augmented-run performances. They have their own program schedule, and they are the largest and most prestigious theatre in Karteria. Sure, they recently invited some Augmented opinions on a recent show, and even let them come and watch, but to actually give the stage over entirely to beasts...? They would also be somewhat skeptical over a heretofore unknown patron. Not that they would be able to tell that it was an Augmented playing the part- as there's few in the city who know much about what the different soul types are capable of- but there's something suspicious about it. Where did this person come from? What are her connections? Which isn't to say that it wouldn't be impossible to do, especially if the request was to put on a singular show, rather than a repeated performance. If Malkuth could galvanize interest in the show, prove that there was an audience for it (and that it hit the respectability requirements and wouldn't profane the illustrious Peacock Theatre), she might be able to wrangle permission. Approaching Patho-Gen for support might not be a bad tactic either, especially as Malkuth has a good personal reputation with them. They have a lot of influence in the city, and it would be a good PR move for them to demonstrate some positive cooperation with the Augmented they've recently abused (of course this would mean working with Patho-Gen, which many characters might not be a fan of). 2. A job for an Augmented singer in Peacock Theatre?! The owners would be very doubtful of this, and their position would be passed down through the managers. An Augmented singing with normal people would be a distraction to both the existing staff as well as the audience, if they knew. The more sympathetic who work there might suggest one of the smaller theatres to start with, places that could be more open to strange, foreign talents, and to build up a reputation there. Get Dorothea's name known as not only a singer but as a respectable Terra-type who is not going to turn into a rampaging tree. If she could get better known (with the help of some PR to spread the word, get more people curious to hear her), it could work that down the line Peacock Theatre would be more amenable to hiring Dorothea. It's difficult for even talented Karterians to get their foot in that door, and it's that much worse when that foot might have roots. So presently: challenging to the point of being a non-starter, not impossible if she can gather some popularity elsewhere. |
| #61
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-19 |
Hi mods! So, obviously, I wanted to run this by you guys first, but. In canon, Noé can see a person's memories when he feeds from them for the first time. How would that go if Vincent and/or Vanitas brought up the idea of using that against the Patho-Gen employees to learn more about the group? Obviously, I don't expect that to be easy, especially if they want to find someone who would be higher ranking, sort of thing that might have more access to info. But just curious. |
Sorry for the slowness on this one... It slipped into Discord Purgatory, where none can view its existence (unless you view a hover-thing on desktop specifically, it seems, and we've been unfortunately Mobile this month). We rolled a dice to see if Noé would even hit anyone with an inkling of knowledge of anything other than some clerical things, like "oooh I handle paperwork, so top-secret." Indeed, we rolled a favorable outcome. Noé can learn a thing. Your random victim description of the day: a meek individual who looks deceptively younger than they actually are: Anh. While this individual has no major relevance to anything plot-wise, they are higher-ranking than one might assume by looking at them, disheveled and frazzled as they are. They are influential. Due to their education, they have been verily accepted into high places; their father's side has been involved in Karterian government. The memory:
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| #62
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-19 |
Hallo, mods! I'm thinking of apping this (modestly-sized) quadruped dragon to the game without giving her any kind of humanoid form, and I wanted to get an idea of how ordinary Karterian citizens would react to having something like her walking around the place. Like, would they assume she's an Augmented who's very corrupted already? Take her for some kind of non-sapient animal? Something else? Edited 2025-11-10 06:34 am (local)
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Hello!! What a lovely dragon you have there! Karterians have no concept of dragons, mythological or otherwise, and so the reaction would run the gamut of complete ignorance (wondering what kind of animal that is) to assuming that, yes, it is probably another one of those Augmented Ones. Either way, seeing a large reptilian creature with wings and horns is quite a surprise to ordinary Karterians, so she will attract a lot of attention wherever she goes. Naturally, she will be less conspicuous around Patho-Gen HQ, and she will blend in more where there are other Augmented Ones gathered around, like the Valentia. |
| #63
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-17 |
Perhaps an odd question but, do Ruminantia augmented sense any deception in Kelesis? Or are they too distracted by the need to party etc. to notice either way? | The fact that it took this long to reply is a testament to us being ships passing in the night, but also having some disagreements, because it's a bit complicated. This is an answer for both Ruminantia and Arthropoda. Short answer: no. They do not overtly detect deception or lies by being in Kelesis, and the foremost impression would be that encouragement to have a good time (especially for the Ruminantia). It's very distracting. Past that, however... Any Arthropoda/Ruminantia who are truly zen, focusing on their surrounds, might detect... the inkling of something. A Ruminantia may feel a split-second need to gore, but one that quickly fades; this is not deception, but for a moment it might be mistaken as that. Similarly, Arthropoda won't be set on edge by their surroundings, if made to feel just a bit wary. But there are all kinds of factors that could cause their unease, right? Such as whatever-the-heck was going on underground? Now that that's blown over, by and large, these feelings of "is this deceptive?" may be more noticeable to characters who have built-in lie detection. There is no intent to deceive, but the feeling low-key exists all the same. And any time characters, regardless of their Natural Soul, focus too closely on their surroundings, they're generally snapped out of that hyperfocus and coaxed into a state of calm, or drowned out by a greater need to just... enjoy themselves, forget about whatever they were thinking to hard about. As far as interacting with the people of Kelesis go, however, it feels utterly honest. Conversations with them may run strange, but even if they stumble into an inconsistency, it's with no intent to deceive. When asked things, they are genuine about them. There is no single person who can be spoken to who will set off the deception button. |
| #64
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-16 |
It really is peak Great Gatsby hours over here, huh... Very interesting, though. I'm gonna have Dorothea get involved in this, methinks. She's an entertainer, she's pretty, she can make it work! She'd probably angle it like...she's not here to poach on territory and doesn't want to take their clients, but surely there are people who are interested in Slightly Not Normal things and who might be interested in an Augmented entertainer, if only for some clout? Especially after she's singing her heart out, modeling, talking about opera, etc. this month. WAIT LET ME EDIT THIS: If that's not feasible, as in said entertainers would not be willing to give up their marks or work, would they potentially be interested in Edited 2025-11-07 09:21 am (local)
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Hopefully Dorothea lets her poor plants out to breathe sometimes.... But given Dorothea's own familiarity with this part of society, and the favorability that the Augmented hold with the impoverished (and that she hasn't done anything personally to turn them against her), she might be able to find one or two entertainers who would at least hear her out. They would still be cautious- not necessarily mistrusting her intent, but are afraid of sharing anything about their clients, and their clients' associates. Discretion is critical to their continuing to get work, to their safety. But it's possible that they could be willing to keep an ear out for any upper class people who are after something different, something foreign and weird. People who are after novelty and want to be seen as daring. These upper class folks exist, and it's not impossible for Dorothea to find out about them. The entertainers might also worry about her getting too popular, and for more than her strangeness... that she might, even unintentionally, get the attention of their usual clients. It's a situation that could go either way, depending on how much of a set-back you'd prefer Dorothea to face! And that could also go with the other option, of her only providing help in return for info. With this, too, they would have to trust Dorothea a fair bit in order to give her any information on the people who hire them. While they're not in a position to reject her help, they're also afraid of accepting it- that the price of giving info to her could well be too steep and lead to their losing their clients entirely. And without their clients, they'd have no more information, and would lose everything.... They would be very wary about this. Again, it's not impossible, especially since Dorothea is someone who can better relate to their fears- but it would take some time for her to become someone they could trust with, well, their lives. You're free to take whichever avenue is most fun for you to explore, or if you'd like a random sort of outcome, we can roll a dice for you to see how successful she is at garnering the trust or affection of fellow entertainers/clientele. |
| #65
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-15 |
hello mods! are there any public bathing houses/public baths in karteria or in kelesis? and, if not, would there be a market for either if an augmented suggested such a thing in passing? sometimes a person just misses throwing themselves into a pool of boiling hot water as a fun pastime, i'm sure you understand thank you! |
Hello! Public bath houses in Karteria... None at the moment. Karterians are prudish. They do not want to see each other in any state of undress. Even if they were to wear swimwear, they'd be most inclined to wear modest garments wherever swimming is available, such as in whatever few pools exist within city limits. The most naked anyone gets in each other's presence is during massages, though even these are performed with towels or blankets for modesty and certainly aren't done with an audience. Could it go over well as a business? It might take a bit of getting used to for native citizens. Something innovative... and if native citizens are to use it, there has to be something luxurious about it that make it worth being exposed to any degree, and preferably more dressed than not. Were such a business openly owned by an Augmented One, they may steer clear even harder regardless of what class they're from: they don't... really want to see these creatures naked, thanks. Maybe they'll stop in while drunk for a weird story, but just once. Bath houses exist in Kelesis, multiple of them! They are a relaxed people. They're often mixed bath houses, swim wear not mandatory, and their inspiration is varied. Across the city services found here might be found, such as pools, cold plunges, showers, hammam, sauna... Who knows? A good plan of attack might be to introduce such a thing to the Karterian people after researching the Kelesian Way of Relaxation, and introducing an Augmented One's inspiration into the mix. Karterian people might take to that a bit more kindly, if regarding it as a bit of a scandal, a bit sensational. But still somewhat palatable! |
| #66
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-15 |
Hello! Perissodactyla questions. - In regards to pact-making, does employment (a formalized exchange of services for payment) trigger a Perissodactyla's pact abilities? - What are the intending limits of their dream abilities? For example, does a sleeping Perissodactyla wander through a series of dream bubbles from the safety of their own bed looking for one they'd like to peruse, or do they have to be awake/sleeping near their intended victim? - "Think of the Perissodactyla-type toolkit as being the sort of shapeshifting intended to lure victims to drop their defenses to enthrall them, put them to sleep, and feast upon their dreams." This bit seems to imply they have the ability to actually put people to sleep if the person isn't guarded. I wanted to make sure I was reading that right before running with it. |
1. Employment doesn't have to trigger a Perissodactyla's pact-making. It can, if the Perissodactyla in question views their job with particular significance, and takes their duties very seriously- if they deliberately want to make a pact out of this. But the indifferent ritual of obtaining a paycheck for services will not, on its own, tie a Perissodactyla into a pact. 2. Perissodactyla-types don't have to be asleep themselves in order to enter the dreams of others, and they neither have to be awake for it. They have full command of the dream-state, regardless of what side of it they're on, the concept fully malleable. They also don't need to be physically close to a person whose dream they're invading, though how difficult it is to find/access is somewhat variable. Greater experience with being a Perissodactyla-type will make hunting down the right dreamer easier, but it's something that will take practice! But the unconscious world doesn't obey material rules of distance or sense, so the Perissodactyla does not have to be nearby their target to reach them. They will find it easiest of all to prey on those they're most familiar with, but that doesn't prohibit them from trying to prey on strangers. It just might be a bit more difficult... 3. And yes, that's the correct read of it! Perissodactyla-types can put other characters to sleep when they're either amenable (so their guard is down) or tricked into it (so their guard is down). |
| #67
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-13 |
Hello!! I am piggybacking off this old question for some character related shenanigans. Lauralae is going to be attempting to harvest and grow some of the plants mentioned above, and using her Druidic powers + possibly Dorothea's Terra-type powers, to help encourage them to grow. Just a couple of Qs about it! 1. If she attempted to grow these somewhere, such as in "The Woods", would that be successful with the support of the double magic? The forests have that deadly-adjacent nature, so it might be tricky, so I wanted to make sure before we did anything. 2. Sort of following from above - if she did try to grow things (for herself and for the Clinic), would it be something that Patho-Gen would easily notice, or would she be able to get away with it being a little sneaky? 3. Lauralae is a Spectral type, but her powers are Druidic from her background/fae elf heritage. Would her powers work with Dorothea's, or would it end up more of a clash due to it being "different"? Lae would offer to help teach Thea about plant powers, but if it clashes that would be both sad and funny. 4. Lauralae used to trade herbs/poisons/etc when she was in her own world. Would the new business things permit her to set that kind of thing up here, or would she be urged to work more closely with Law and the Clinic for that route? AND FINALLY, SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS 5. She wants to grow poisons. Will there be any significant issues with growing/selling poisons? Are there any particularly poisonous plants/etc she might be able to find other than the ones mentioned above? Thank you in advance and sorry for the both random and specific nature of these! |
1. If the plants she's attempting to grow are at all suited to more of a 'wilderness' habitat (that is, not requiring the close tending and protection of a greenhouse, or a garden bed tucked next to a house), then their combination should work just fine! 2. If she were growing things outside Karteria, Patho-Gen would have a harder time knowing about it. It wouldn't be impossible for them to find out, but the lands outside Karteria are vaster than the city, and it would be an absurd waste of vigilance to track something like this. Even if they did know, they would be unlikely to do anything about it. Were she to grow things within the city, she would probably have to be a little sneaky to avoid detection (also, the amount of space to run a garden is fairly limited). They would still not intervene (nothing wrong with gardens!), or even comment unless they learned she was growing something particularly dangerous. Even then, it would be more about checking in, seeing what her intentions were. 3. This could go either way, as desired! It's possible that her Druidic background and Dorothea's Terra nature have enough commonality that they're able to 'grow' off one another, as it were. The plants may be different, but they're still plants, they still have similar needs and wants and might listen to the same coaxing, even if the language isn't quite the same. Or it could turn out to be terribly discordant. Her heritage could be adapted to her own world's flora, and run contrary to Terra magic, approaching it from an angle too alien to translate, a communication that's stymied before it starts. Really, it's up to whatever you'd find more interesting. 4. Patho-Gen (and the Government) would be naturally somewhat cautious of an Augmented deliberately producing and selling outright poison. It would depend somewhat on the direction of the poison (is it herbicide, or for pest control? is it specifically to hurt people?). They would prefer that if this trade was happening, it was going through Law and the Clinic, so that there was some manner of oversight going on. But if she got a license of her own that could also work, and she would be permitted to sell her goods on her own. Apothecary work is serious/dangerous enough that they would prefer it to be done officially in some form. Of course, she could go the unregulated route and do as she likes... she'd just have to be careful about it. 5. The kinds of plants available would be akin to the ones mentioned earlier, but could also include more fantastical varieties, if there's some specific need or effect you're after. Any issues with selling them would be the same as noted above, in that both the Government and Patho-Gen would want this to be regulated and traceable. But with sufficient amounts of paperwork anything is possible. |
| #68
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-11 |
omg amazing :') tysm for this, mods -- he'll hate every second of this experience, of course, but as a spiteful, power-hungry creature, he will don the butler cosplay as needed for his #schemes... i assume it'd be a pretty convincing performance given his (now advanced) golemification and his canonical familiarity with people in the highest echelons of society. cowabummer that he's gotta work for free but that's fine,,, he can be pretty patient about waiting for big payoffs, in any case: yes, he'd approach the government himself, and yes, he'd let them assume this is something patho-gen has "programmed" him to do, lol. is it a safe bet to assume he'll be "working" in the council offices? provided he's diligent about performing his assigned tasks, how long would it take him to "graduate" from catch-all office intern to somebody's personal assistant? |
Elan's acting is sure to help settle him in as a good, biddable Golem... and fortunately(?), any questionable behaviors or slip-ups are likely to be written off as quirks of programming and ignored (As long as he's not aggressive or particularly rude- and even those would lead to him just being sent back to Patho-Gen for maintenance, rather than be held personally accountable). Even ServiTons get sassy sometimes.... If he is a very helpful and efficient Golem, it's possible that he might be noticed and snagged by some manner of management within a few weeks. Not necessarily someone terribly important... but he'd be going up the ranks, at least. If that works out, he might eventually roomba his way up in terms of Council member access, but that will take more time (couple months at least). And yes, he could be 'assigned' (by assigning himself, by turning up there) to the Council offices. |
| #69
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-11 |
Do social insect pheromonal class powers work to communicate with normal insects, within a reasonable "level of specificity that pheromones can reasonably convey" and also reasonable range? Like, can bee Sheryl pheromone it up to lure cockroaches out of one building and get them to follow her into another building? (But without the specificity to tell those cockroaches to do a front handspring, step out, round off, back handspring, step out, round off, back handspring, full twisting layout. And without being able to get every cockroach in the city to follow her.) Also I assume that Karteria has pretty normal levels of urban insect life, but if I've missed a detail I apologize. |
That's a very good question! But yes, social Arthropoda-types can use their pheromones to communicate and 'instruct' normal insects! It would have basically the limitations that you've already suggested, in that it couldn't be used to control the entire city's population of insects at once. And that they would get quite confused if the instructions grew too complicated, or were too different from the sorts of things they would do normally. (So Sheryl unfortunately couldn't become the star of an acrobatic roach show.) But she could get them to follow her for at least some distance, and be brought to another building. Hopefully it's not too far, as the longer they have to travel, the harder it is for them (their legs are much smaller than hers!), and a roachswarm would not be viewed well on the trams, even if they were very polite. But otherwise yes, it's very possible! Arthropoda-types may order around their much smaller kin.... (And Karteria does have the normal spread of urban bugs, however, there has been a marked downturn over the years in terms of numbers. (Cockroaches, as might be expected, are doing okay. They will survive anything.)) |
| #70
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-11 |
Hello hello! I was reminded about this with the mention that a chunk of the government was also blind now. Would there have been any members OF said government, whether it's someone lower tier and/or someone who holds more positive-leaning opinions toward the Augmented, that we can assume had hired Yzak and Dearka as bodyguards? (past experience that would have been boasted here aside from being soldiers is they legit helped stop a coup of their homeland by saving their leader back home) Any rules and restrictions that might come with said job (like idk no shifting unless needed, grooming must be good so there is little shedding, etc) would be diligently followed. (also this is a smidge related to this q if you were still chewing on it because this could be a fun springboard for it) Thank you!! Edited 2025-10-05 06:42 pm (local)
Hi mods! I'm politely and gently bumping this in case it slipped your radar. |
This sure did get buried, we're really sorry about that, and thank you for the prod. The government is still (and moreso, after the last month) very cautious about employing Augmented- but the very few that they have worked with (like Kaeya), or had associations with (like Set) have gone well. For characters like Yzak and Dearka, given their skill sets (and having not caused considerable trouble for the city), they might have been given a probationary employ that could have turned into more stable employment. So yes, a belated okay to them having found someone people in the government to guard! And with good, respectable behavior behind them, they could have earned some measure of trust. They'll still be treated as lesser, as subordinate (though at least recognized as people, unlike Golem types, and are paid for their work) by most government staff (the higher up you go, the more likely this is), but not otherwise badly. And with the blinding affecting those in government just as much as the rest of the city, having these two in their service would be that much more of a boon. (While Carnivora are one of the more feared types, it works in their favor given the type of job they're doing- as the government would expect an Augmented guard to be a bit fierce. Not too beastly of course, or untidy, or undignified... but what's the point of using an Augmented for protection if they're not a bit scary?) And with the recent disorder caused by Patho-Gen (something that the government has decidedly mixed-feelings about), the people that Yzak and Dearka are working for might feel that much more relieved that their families are 'protected' (Well, so long as Patho-Gen doesn't kidnap half of their catdog team again! They're not happy about that.). They don't like to view Karteria as a dangerous place, but if more unfortunate things happen... they would prefer the Carnivoras to be working for them. |
| #71
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-11 |
I think overall it'll depend on how many people are willing to pitch in to help but the INTENT would be to feed the city, Augmented AND citizens alike. Revise was mentioning on plurk that there might be some gentle nudging to have PCs eat in Kelesis to offset the loss of food, so at least there'd be a liiiiittle bit of easing on the lack of supplies. But the purpose of this would be to feed as many people as possible in the city, and probably to the mid-lower classes first, who likely don't get first pick, etc. Obviously that intent will take time. But selling products would work too, the only concern is that it would continue to go to the upper crust who probably have better access, versus giving it to mid-lower-impoverished people (especially since that might help persuade them from CLASS WAR.....). But if it goes to "everyone" with equal access (haha), that would also be fine. It would depend on the pitch in that regard because Dorothea is aware of who really needs it, etc. ....also would this require a business license? |
The Augmented attempting to source their food elsewhere (whether that's from Kelesis, or just... out of Karteria, away from public eyes) is a sweet token on their part. Practically, it makes little difference (as there's around 100-120 Augmented in the world at any given time, and the population of Karteria is around 700,000, and not every Augmented even eats normal human food), but if the Government or the various classes knew about it, it would look good. And that matters too. Of course, any attempt to produce food for the city would go over well, and especially so if the 'priority' was to feed the locals. Right now, it would be tolerated if the Augmented effort was paired with grocers in the poorer districts, or the few philanthropic enterprises. Either way, it wouldn't be fought, if the desire was to feed the mid-lower-impoverished groups for free, or at a reasonable price. When/if the situation becomes especially dire, anything produced would be likely to be seized by the Government (if it hadn't already been stolen, swarmed over by desperate (or opportunistic) people in the midst of a crisis). Until that point, the greenhouse effort could continue at the Augmented's direction. As a starved population is one prone to riots, to agitation, towards an uncomfortable amount of 'toppling established power structures', and the Government isn't so far gone as to not recognize this. If it's at all possible, they would vastly prefer to keep the underclass fed. As it's not strictly a business, this collective gardening venture- they would probably be allowed to operate without one. If Karteria's fortunes ever stabilize, and this became something geared more towards profit (Augmented-branded produce...), then they might be asked to get one before proceeding. Right now though, it's not necessary. |
| #72
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-10 |
If a dropped character is re-apped by the same player and that player wants to change the Soul choice, can that be done at time of app & implied to have happened while they were being held by Patho-Gen post-drop, or would they need to keep the original Soul choice? If the former, does that count as their free swap? --UNRELATEDLY TO THAT, can a Shifted form change permanently without the involved Natural Souls changing at all, or is the form set? If it can change, is there a limited degree of change possible? Would it need a triggering event of some kind to provoke the change? Edited 2025-11-07 11:04 am (local)
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A dropped + reapped character (by the same player) could change their Natural Soul type on reapping! It could be assumed to have happened while their body was in Patho-Gen's keeping (either as a result of them attempting to plant a new Augmenter in there, or something that happened 'naturally' as in the case of treat-related additions). This wouldn't have to count for the free change (if problems ever arise from this, we may reassess, but as it stands it feels unnecessary as a restriction). And one's developed Shift could somewhat change its features, if the player wanted it. For souls like Golems, it tends to happen naturally anyway, as their bodies adapt to what they're being used for (and the kinds of rocks they've been eating), or what the character would like to do with themself. For other soul types, changes can still happen, though it shouldn't diverge too far from the original idea. Such as a bear Carnivora turning into a racoon... but there's still room for aspects to develop in new directions- to become bulkier or lighter, or to carry different patterns, etc. This could happen on its own, or as the result of stress, or mutation from too much time spent around Katalyth. The addition of parts/features (as in, the player thought of a neat thing to add to an existing creature) is fine! |
| #73
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-09 |
hi, mods! elan is... finally interested in the metaplot... trauma will do that to you, i guess,,, 🫠 on that note, i come bearing the following very specific question (of potential interest to others who play characters with similar career aspirations): at this point in the game, how feasible would it be for a golem type to pitch him- or herself as a sort of butler/personal assistant/whatever to some guy or gal in the government? elan would like to try for #reasons; if it is at all feasible, do let me know and i will give you more details to see if he might succeed! and if it's not feasible at all, no worries -- i'd be interested to hear what a failure might look like, too. :) thank you! ... oh my god, i'm sorry, i forgot to add -- dorothea "rooted" elan and now his body occasionally sprouts little narcissus flowers. given that the flowers are feeding off the permet in his system and that permet is his canon's information-sharing and -storage mineral, would it be possible to distill a truth serum from their nectar? Edited 2025-11-07 07:34 am (local)
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There is currently a fair bit of skepticism, and outright wariness towards many of the Augmented in Governmental circles. Golem-types occupy an odd niche, as while they (some of them, at least) are recognized as being amongst the Augmented (and therefore not originally being dull machines...? it's not something Karterians think about too closely), they're not really viewed as alive, or important. So while they've garnered no appreciation, they've also avoided collecting dislike. A Golem performing the pitch themself, rather than being brought forward by their 'owner' is bizarre to them. It'd be sort of amusing behavior, but clearly something Patho-Gen had programmed it to do. But would they use it? Golem-types are perceived as the least threatening amongst the Augmented, despite the way several have 'malfunctioned' over the months, inflicting varying amounts of property damage. They wouldn't be worried about Elan himself, but they would question the safety of being around one of these Augmented-machines Patho-Gen keeps bringing out. But they might be willing to give it a try- but they would want to start him with more general office work, menial drudgery, fetching things, and the like. They want to see what this model does, and whether it shows any signs of breaking down catastrophically... If he ends up being particularly useful and not suspicious, he could get 'graduated' into being claimed by someone specific, if still used for similar tasks. (In any case: Elan wouldn't be paid for his services. :c No one pays the office coffee maker.) For his flowers: That would make an interesting hybrid of materials! There's no reason why the plants rooting in Elan couldn't be influenced by what they're getting nutrition from. They could totally be distilled into producing something like that. |
| #74
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
if tighnari applies what he's learned about imprint generated power to what gale's learned about barrier creation, would he be able to have any success in making an imprint powered barrier? | As imprinting energy is a perfectly good form of energy (far safer than Katalyth), this would be a fine use for it, when combined with Gale's barriers and/or what science can collectively come up with to imitate it mechanically. It would still take a lot of imprints/pair bonds, and some work to refine/make efficient the collection and use of this power, but it has a lot of potential. |
| #75
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
Inchresting... Thank you, mods! (And no worries on taking your time, it's all good. It sounds like things have been dire.) Where would one find upper class/typical government employees, just people in that bureaucratic niche? Are they squirreled away in their own circles and high rises and keeping pretty separate from the typical populace (because of the Augmented and general class division and issues) or are there spots where some of them like to frequent in some fashion? |
Indeed, these rich snobs enjoy keeping their own company, sequestered in their own exclusive spaces. As the most privileged, they have their own spaces for entertaining and prefer to keep it that way. They're often in their own high rises, using ballrooms or even each other's condos. They enjoy the past-times of Hot Goss, riveting philosophical debate or who-dun-it games, watching TV, or hiring private entertainers. Private entertainers. It's hard to find who these people are, as those who are hired by them are often told to keep hush-hush about it. Going through the most impoverished and unhoused individuals who keep tabs on the happenings on the street might be able to point out a few connections, and the people who the upper crust often hire are individuals who are willing to do just about anything for status. Usually people who know how to keep themselves handsome or pretty; people who can hold a witty conversation, but never embarrass their employers. But nobody will speak of these opportunities in the entertainment industry proper. |
| #76
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-07 |
Bonjour! Following up about this because I was considering similar amenities... Would it be possible for the renting of some beatdown warehouse (or something a little smaller but of the same...open space) to clean up and make for an indoor garden? I know we have farm stuff but just kind of wondering if, because of winter time, this would be feasible. Kind of work in some heat lamps, etc. Like a big greenhouse kind of deal, run by Terra-leaning folks. |
So long as they could cover the rent for the place, something like that could be feasible! Even though there's a limited amount of functional (or poorly-functional) housing, there's also buildings not zoned nor remotely prepared for any kind of habitation that are going underused. They run mostly towards the edges of the city, in East Sophia and Water's Edge, and it would be easiest to obtain this kind of habitation with the supplemental income of another Augmented. Or two. Or three. (Even warehouses can be kind of expensive... but with this bolstered help from Patho-Gen to help Augmented Ones see that they're more comfortable in the wake of Tragedies, it's far more doable. They may even be cut a good deal!) Characters would have to procure/build their own heat lamps (or use amenable Augmented who can generate heat/fire/light, etc.) and generally figure out how to organize it, but it would be allowed. Depending on the scale/intent (as in, is this to support a handful of Augmented, are they planning to sell, or feed a larger group) this could get a touch of Government support, who are going to be increasingly desperate to source more food for the city. |
| #77
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-06 |
Hello hello, it's me again... This is not a high priority question of any kind, so please take all the time you want. I was looking at The Black Dove (casino) on the Locations page and potentially wanted to get Dorothea working there, with the overall objective of kind of trying to find high rollers to 1) get info off of in any way possible [including more unsavory things, just not violent ones, etc] and 2) kind of work her magic in trying to curry some measure of favor among the Upper Class for the Augmented, and if #2 doesn't work, 3) get an idea of the Upper Class/government pipeline structure and try to get that info back to other Augmented to make it work for them. This is a long-term thing I'd like to pursue for Dorothea and I do know we're waiting on the consequences of October's plot (between the Terra/Golem decision and Patho-Gen's stuff) but wanted to kind of get a read on if any of this is possible, if she can even get a job there (it would be as part-time performer/general helper to flex her charm on people at tables/machines), and what kind of people go to said casino in general. Thank you! |
Sorry about the delay on this all the same... The Black Dove is absolutely a place that is willing to hire Augmented! They'd been willing to do so in some capacity from the start, and nothing too terrible has happened to convince them to change their minds on that. And between Dorothea's skill set, and a present favor towards the Augmented, she could quite readily be taken on. Gambling is generally seen as more of a lower class activity, though the middle classes also enjoy a good slot machine. Which isn't to say the upper classes never turn up, but it's mostly the idle youth pretending to slum it. And as they're largely the easiest marks, due to their inexperience and frequent (though not universal, some are merely sheltered and naive) arrogance, they might be a good target if Dorothea was after those sorts of contacts. They might not have too much personal influence, but their families do, and they might be encouraged to gossip just to show off.... But almost everyone important in Government is either from the upper class, and certain parts of the upper-middle (very well-to-do tradesmen, people who lack the snoot required to be properly upper class, but who obtained their power in another way). Karteria doesn't have strict nobility, but they have their powerful families- and it's only people from this sort of background, who are sent to the right schools and meet the right people, who have the time and money for a real career in Government. Although there's elections, it's mostly a trading around of the same sets of people. It's foundationally unfair, but concerned primarily in keeping a kind of status quo intact. It could be worse- as they're not quite corrupt enough to want to run everything into the ground to make a quick numi- but they're also not doing much to take care of the lower classes. It used to be somewhat better when times were better, but after the war and resource scarcity became more pressing, the Government's cuts to services hit the poorest parts of Karteria first. There's plenty of people who work in the general bureaucracy, and they are overwhelmingly solidly middle class. And while there's some idealistic sorts still in there, committed to improving equality within the system, there's plenty who just want a steady, comfortable job and don't think too much about the greater picture (so the 'Government' as a reputation category is sort of a mix of these upper and middle class demographics). These people are uncommon patrons of casinos, and when they do turn up it's mostly for a show, or a small amount of gambling. |
| #78
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-03 |
Horrors or no horrors, Gale is continuing to His recent project is seeing if he can understand the magic at work in Karteria's barriers on a molecular level (or photonic, or whatever). He's trying to replicate the barriers as a spell. He knows he's not going to be able to make city-sized barriers, he's aiming for something more the size of Globe of Invulnerability that a couple people could stand in for a little while. He's gonna test being able to do it just on his own powers compared to with an absorbing-katalyth boost. His long term plan is to be able to understand the magic so he can work with the techy types to build barrier generators. |
Doing this on his own energies is going to be challenging... It'll take some practice, but given his experience with wizarding (and an increased familiarity with Katalyth, and what it might take to defend against it), he could probably develop something capable of keeping out arcane radiation for a time. It would almost certainly be a development that is running along a different track than the Karterian barrier (maybe parallel, but the magic of the world is different from at home), but that's not to say that performing the feat in his own way is impossible. Or that studying the composition of the Karterian barrier wouldn't be a good avenue for inspiration/guidance on how that bubble filters out radiation. It's bound to be pretty tiring even when he's got it working (and if he ever uses Katalyth to boost himself to repel Katalyth, it'll certainly strengthen things, but also carry its own very obvious drawbacks to his health), but it's certainly doable. Conveying what he learns to the technical crowd would be some great teamwork, and certainly a good use of resources. With arcane radiation ever present, and with the majority of Augmented not immune to it when exposed over long periods, being able to create and maintain their own protection from it could be valuable. |
| #79
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-03 |
I roll back in with a follow-up question related to Brickston's particular brand of losing his mind via Katalyth .... specifically his delusion that he's Imprinted with the rock... 1) If the boys hooked up Bricks to the energy reading device, would it give similar results to someone giving off energy from imprint? Would it be a big fat ZERO? Could results be inconclusive? Kat is fine with any outcome, we just wanted to check with you guys if these options are okay! 2) oh no science again (I'm so sorry).... as far as the specific (sub)type of energy coming off of imprints, is there any descriptors you prefer? Is it simply MAGIC energy, or is there a chemical element (this is where Jayce would start because he assumes PHEROMONES). This is all for flavor because I'd like to give him something to noodle over while working on this, I am always happy to make some nonsense stuff up I just don't want to overstep. Thank you! |
1. Some good sciencing happening here, making the most of Brickston's good decisions. When hooking him up to the device... Brickston's connection to this piece of Katalyth does, in fact give off a similar register to the energy between people. There is a connection between him and this concentrated magic. It wouldn't be wrong to describe it as an imprint. It's not an identical reaction to a normal imprint, however, as it is additionally far more volatile. Depending on Brickston's own emotional state (and to a lesser extent, that of everyone in the vicinity), it would fluctuate in response. Sometimes, it could register as a fresh imprint might, a delicate tether- and at other points, carry all the intensity of a pair bond. The connection between two people is comparatively stable, with increases in imprint depth taking time to develop. Even if the characters' emotional state is in turmoil during the test, their connection is unlikely to fluctuate (unless something is happening that would threaten the survival of their imprint). The Brickston/Katalyth imprint is wildly in flux, as though incapable of settling on how it 'feels' about this. Considering that one half of the pairing could be described as emotion itself, knitted so closely into being that it becomes something tangible... that may not be all that surprising. But Brickston is definitely connected to it, with all the problems that come with that. Hopefully he's keeping that shard safe; the loss of an imprint is a painful thing. (Bonus: while Brickston is the only one of science cabin absolutely tied to this thing, were the other members of the team who have been working closely with this specific piece of Katalyth to test themselves, there would also be a response. It's a wisp of connection by comparison, and similarly unstable, but it's there. Were a completely unrelated person to be tested with this shard, there would be no connection. Katalyth itself is always sort of... giving off bursts of this energy. Without an answer to it (such as what Brickston has done), it dissolves around itself as arcane radiation, inflicting misery, hallucinations, or death, depending on one's susceptibility. Imprinting as a mechanic is more complicated than what Katalyth is doing, but what it is doing is potent and wild enough to make up for what it's lacking, and can create a connection through brute emotional impact, when it's left with someone for a long enough amount of time.) 2. Oh, it can be described however you prefer, it's energy at the end of it. For more description though, it's a sort of... natural energy. A chemical element is be involved, but it's more of a side-effect, or symptom. It's not a requirement to imprint (so characters who come in as machines, or just don't give off anything pheromone-esque can imprint from the start just as fully as anyone else), but more of a facet. When testing an imprinted pair, a part of that connection could be measured as chemical. There would be something like pheromones produced in reaction to one another, that they would each be susceptible to. But what causes the imprint to form in the first place is emotion, and what causes it to deepen is also emotion. But if no sort of attraction/attachment/comfort existed beforehand, both parties are likely to produce chemicals to foster those sorts of feelings, and encourage the bond to deepen. If the character shouldn't be capable of producing something like that, it still happens, as a sort of soul-residue. (It's the same thing as what organic pairs produce, but the latter also comes with a material component.) The energy produced is primarily magical in nature, colored by the souls that touch it. It's very close to the emotional energy of Katalyth- and given that emotions are a core part of how an imprint forms, that's probably to be expected. But it's inherently far more stable. A Katalyth-imprint is senseless and purely emotional, and lacks this soul-imprinting, or chemical residue, even if the other party is organic. It is inherently unstable, because Katalyth itself is unstable, the concept of emotion itself. It's... genuine in its way, but it's not alive in any traditional sense, yet it's entirely possible to bond with it through excessive contact, as Bricks has done. Bonus: Can an imprint be suppressed through chemical means: yes and no. Ultimately no, but the symptoms (those feelings of closeness and comfort) can be muffled, covered up by developing drugs/magic that inhibits the production of these 'pheromones', or deadens a person's ability to receive them. |
| #80
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-11-01 |
Mods, this is the dumbest question ever, I'm sorry. If one were to double up on the same soul (so someone with an Aves soul gets another, or Carnivora gets a second Carnivora soul), does anything happen? Or does nothing really change? | It's a good question! And... yes, it is entirely possible for a character to collect another of the same variety of soul! A double-Carnivora, a double-Aves.... As for what happens under these circumstances: while players can already select more than one 'species' for their character, as long as they fall under the same category (so an Aves could have the look of both a chickadee and a falcon, if desired), this would further support having the characteristics of two wildly different creatures. A bear soul, and a weasel, stuck in one person... Or for Terras, the addition of even more plant species. It would also serve to enhance the Natural Soul's base powers. A Carnivora with cat and dog souls could use the destabilizing bark as well as the calling of electricity, and their ability to heal would also jump in effectiveness. So in general, the expected abilities of each soul would be enhanced, and if they have exclusive avenues (such as Spectrals able to control a single element, or shapeshift into a single night-related animal; Terras with a poison specialty, etc.), they would be able to take on an additional aspect. |
| #81
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-31 |
hi! so after reading through this and taking a peek at the businesses page, i was wondering how likely can an augmented find employment with little dream acres? if the likelihood isn't zero: ( 1. ) what kind of produce will phainon be able to cultivate, assuming that something like starter seeds may be provided to him, hopefully, lol. ( 2. ) he wouldn't keep it for himself and will simply give it away as gifts to acquaintances/friends, but also wondering if phainon would be able to keep a small portion of what he'll assist in growing? ( 3. ) is wheat a thing that can be grown on karterian land? also, i know pomegranates were asked about, but if someone were to possibly get their hands on that uncanny equivalent and attempted to plant its seeds somewhere, will it result into anything? like even more uncanny pomegranates....... ( 4. ) would karterian farmers trust augmented with the task of collecting their wayward livestock? i'm aware most of these are silly, but i also rather not presume too much of the setting/npcs. 🙏 |
Characters may seek employment with Little Dream Acres. In fact, they fulfill a fantastic niche. Those who work in the fields who are Karterian risk life and limb through this kind of employment; it pays decently, but people who make a career out of tending the fields inevitably end up sick. An Augmented One wouldn't face the same troubles; an Augmented One would be capable of being more reckless, able to exit barriers at their leisure.
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| #82
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-22 |
Hello, lovely mods! There’s a group of 8-9 characters which would be interested in purchasing/renting a building that would allow them to run a cafe (by day)/host club (by night) business with housing overhead! Given the current reputation status, is states that official run business by the Augmented are still off the table… Could they use the current events to garner enough sympathy from supporting government officials to change that? If not, how realistic would it be that they could run such a business unofficially? Thanks in advance! 🖤 |
Hello there! You're right on time with this one, as this is absolutely where things are headed: it's very likely that, given the current reflection of Reputation and the trends of it all, especially after the recent... events, that characters will be given far more leeway for things than before, the ability to start up a business included. Come the next month, characters will likely be given the ability to start one such business, and other avenues of employment (including more generously-paid employment) may become more heartily available. Our current skeleton of a TDM/Event post includes a prompt about businesses and employment as well, which will address this shift in Karterian attitude. Thus, we will be adjusting our business pages and the like in preparation for Novembertimes. Stay tuned...! (Which is to say that yes, your characters will be able to do this as soon as this change is implemented!) |
| #83
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-15 |
Question/request about tech and science stuff! 1) After getting an update from Bricks about the Katalyth research and how Bricks is certain he's imprinting with it... I wanted to find out if it would be possible for Jayce to put together his own device to get energy readings from imprints - those with Katalyth and those between Augmented. He's aware Patho-Gen keeps aggressively testing them for imprinting and he wants to figure out for himself wtf is going on with it finally 2) Would it be okay for them to have made their own devices to get arcane radiation readings? In all our back and forths on radiation questions I don't think we ever said what they were using 8') what is science we just don't know... |
1. Yes, given Jayce's experience, he would be able to create some sort of device to measure imprints/get energy readings from them (which amounts to similar data, since the stronger the imprint, the more energy is created...). Turn those emotions back into the tidiness of math, science his way through the feelings. Maybe even power something through love and/or unintended affection. Given Patho-Gen's interest in this direction, understanding what's going on, and how to use it would make a valuable use of his effort. 2. What IS science, we just don't know... but yeah, after all this time, it would be safe to assume that whatever it is that Jayce and co. have been using, could have been replicated/found some alternative for, so that they're no longer as reliant on Patho-Gen for everything. |
| #84
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-09 |
A series of follow-up questions regarding Ruminantia and toxins in general: -How does their ability to handle noxious materials carry over to receiving a venomous bite or sting? -Would that also enhance their abilities? -If the route is by injection, are they also more tolerant to its detrimental effects? Why on earth am I asking this? Don't answer that question. |
Ruminantia aren't immune to venomous bites or stings, but they're more tolerant to them. If the toxin is consumed orally? Absolutely immune. If the toxin is delivered via blood stream, inhalation, or topically? They'll be tolerant, but not fully immune. The way toxins might register to a Ruminantia-type if applied in any way other than being consumed is with more benign side-effects. If a neurotoxin would kill your average Glire-type, a Ruminantia-type may experience disorientation, confusion, seizures, or lowered inhibitions. In that sense, they'll be more tolerant to the effects of toxic compounds administered in any other way besides consuming them, but not immune. They only have guts of steel! Alas, however, they only gain power from consuming various poisons. Not from being injected by them. |
| #85
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-07 |
This is less a Question and more a Request but, uh, could the page with the info on Imprints be added to the navigation lineup of links because I've just spent the last thirty minutes trying to locate it with no success :') I know it's out there!! but by god i could not tell you where (if it's very obvious i will feel very stupid. such is life!) |
Oh! I think part of the problem in finding a dedicated imprinting page, is because there isn't one... it's just a section within the faq itself, right here. (Things are only easy to find when you know where to look...) |
| #86
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-05 |
As people start to collect imprints, and in particular in relation to this thread, where the four characters involved is either imprinted or pair bonded in all directions except for one, what happens to a character surrounded by imprints? Would it amplify the effects of healing etc.? | A plethora of imprints acting together could have the effect of enhancing abilities! As long as the missing direction doesn't carry any sort of strong dislike towards another member of the group, the enhancement would come into effect. The power multiple imprints (and especially any pair bonds) have as a collective is an impressive one, providing, at the least, a general buff to most conditions. (This collective imprinting bonus would be disrupted if there was animosity- not merely indifference, nor simple neutrality- between some members of the group. Even if the number of imprints outnumbered the mortal foes, the conflict would disrupt the process. The imprinting effects wouldn't disappear, but they would be limited to their baseline influence.) |
| #87
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-04 |
Okay, so it slipped my mind to ask! But Dr. West here is a bit of a mad scientist himself and created a serum that can bring living tissue back to life (often with horrific results). Would it be possible for him to recreate that serum in some fashion in the game setting? |
Good on these scientist-types staying busy! As the knowledge required to make this serum remains in the doctor's head, provided he can find the appropriate requisite materials/equipment, then he could surely recreate his prize. Or if the 'exact' components aren't around, it could be that there's similar replacements that will either function as needed, or carry new drawbacks/benefits. But he is absolutely welcome to mess around with the whole concept in any case! Everyone loves horrific results. |
| #88
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-04 |
Hey mods! Sorry if it is mentioned and I missed it, but I wanted to check if the phones have something along the lines of maps and some sort of location-sharing sort of thing? Asking for long-suffering Vanitas in the event this vampire of his inevitably wanders off at some point. | The Syntrofos do have maps! There is a fairly detailed one of Karteria, and due to character-cooperation, a reasonably updated one on the Woods outside it, as well as Asphodel Fields. The rest of Orexis is there, but with less detail or recent update (though there have been a few expeditions to various parts of the island, they're not as thoroughly 'mapped' as the places closest to Karteria). The neighboring island of Eparsis, and the city of Kelesis, also has data available. However, while the map function 'works' within Kelesis itself, it is likely to be inaccurate. Perhaps it just hasn't been updated since they originally lost contact with Karteria. As for location-sharing: yes, of a sort. It's not available as a permanent toggle (either to share or receive), but characters can choose to send their current location to another character. They have to actively do so, so hopefully Vanitas' pet vampire can be coaxed to press the right button now and then.... |
| #89
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
Hello! In light of the various dangerous monsters that have been discovered in-game so far, I have a question about weapons. Specifically, locally-acquired weapons. If a character arrived unarmed or mostly unarmed, what could they acquire through local channels? I'm assuming knives and handguns, but what about other types of weaponry? Are there hunting rifles or crossbows? Swords? Or are the unarmed augmented encouraged to just use natural soul powers and claws and such? |
Sorry about the delay on this one.... Gun ownership is uncommon among the populace and closely regulated. Hunting rifles are the most common kind of gun around, as hunting was a popular sport in the past- at least for the upper classes. They can't go hunting anymore, but they still have their collections, which are generally treated responsibly. Smaller firearms do exist, but in even fewer numbers. There's a shop in Belle Ville which is the only official remaining dealer in all guns, and the purchasers are dedicated hobbyists, rather than citizens concerned with self-defense. Characters might not be explicitly barred from purchasing from them, but the shop only takes appointments, and are likely to be skeptical that any Augmented One could afford their products. (And besides, don't you all have claws and fangs?? Why do you need a weapon?) Crossbows/manual bows occupy a very small corner of the gun shop. The crossbows are largely relics, antiques that exist to be collected, rather than used, as their prior purpose in hunting has been superseded by the rifle. Other bows survive as a niche hobby. Other firearms (military-grade and style) would be restricted to military personnel only. (Although characters like Set, who have been established to be working with the military, would have an easier time getting hold of something.) (No system is perfect, and guns do slip through the cracks. Illegal dealing in it is uncommon though, and there just aren't that many guns around.) There's not much available when it comes to swords. The military have their (ceremonial) swords, and that's the largest existing 'market' for them. Apart from an even smaller niche of dedicated hobbyists, most swords produced (and there's not many) are made to live on someone's mantle. Decorative pieces. You could probably bludgeon someone with one in a pinch, but you'd be better off with almost any other option. |
| #90
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
a fewwww questions, dear mods! now that mydei has been to the underworld, if he say... killed himself to go back and have a look around, would he find anything of interest or would it just be like going into the backrooms and expecting nothing but still being disappointed? and secondly, on a more personal note: what sort of fruit/vegetables can be found? in specific..... pomegranates.. and, lastly: how long after a bond is formed would one expect the traits to start manifesting on their partner? |
Mydei... his return to the backrooms of death would net him the same experience as before. It remains peculiarly empty, hollowed out of any presence other than his own. Nothing has populated it in the interim. The sorts of fruit/veg growing in the local wilderness are roughly analogous to what you might find in the Pacific Northwest/Seattle area. Within Karteria itself, grocers somehow procure some varieties of citrus and other warm-weather edibles, though the amount has dropped off significantly over the years (and has only very recently begun to recover, on the reconnection with Kelesis). Though pomegranates (or an uncanny equivalent) might be an uncommon find in in stores, they do seem to be produced... somewhere. For general clarity, imprinting itself doesn't lead to the manifesting of physical traits on one's partner. As for pair bonding, the sharing of native characteristics (not anything developed by a Natural Soul) could start as soon as you'd like it to! It could happen right away, once that particularly deep connection is made, or it could take some weeks or months to show up (if it happens at all; there's no requirement that pair bonds have to share physical traits). Whatever is most convenient! |
| #91
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
Are there fish to be caught in the strait between orexis and eparsis? what about in rivers or any of the lakes? northly has a hungry carnivora to feed! unrelated, but I don't know that I've asked it amongst my many soul questions, does katalyth show anything in soul sight? anti-soul? Edited 2025-09-25 11:48 pm (local)
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There are indeed fish! It's not an amazing bounty of fish, and it looks like there has been some underlying problem for some time (likely related in some way to the unknown quantities of Katalyth laying on the ocean floor). Most fish run towards the small, as though they're just not managing to live long enough to grow to significant sizes. It is also not uncommon to find mutations in their flesh, though they're largely harmless enough- such as extra eyes (including eyes on the inside of their bodies), distorted fins, or extra appendage that look a lot like very small legs? They remain safe to eat, however, and Northly may freely fish for her Carnivora. She's not likely to put a meaningful dent into the failing population.... Katalyth does not register as anything at all to soul sight. Whatever all is wrong with it, it does not (yet?) seem to have grown anything like that. While it is a bundle of miserable replicating energy (that could be seen by any character who's sensitive to that sort of thing), it is not 'alive' in the sense of possessing a soul. |
| #92
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-22 |
A quuuuiiick question about Imprints! I saw that pair bonding allows for the bonded pairs to take on similarities between each other but only of their original human traits. Do Imprints start carrying around bestial signs of their partners? Say, if a glire and a ruminant are bonded, would the glire potentially get little horns or the ruminant's fur coat change so they both have similar traits? Or is that reserved for pair bonds only? Just curious, thank you! |
Alas, imprints do not pick up the traits of their imprinted partners, not of their 'original' traits nor their Natural Soul's. Even pair bonds don't take on the more bestial traits of their partners. A Glire-type wouldn't pick up the suckers and tentacles of their Cephalopoda-type partner, regardless of how tightly they're imprinted/bonded. |
| #93
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-15 |
Question that has just arisen |
A good question. An Arthropoda-type is limited to being able to detect intent/deceit mostly in person: being physically near their bodies is a requirement to detect intent/deceit. After all, it seems to be a trait evolved to help protect the Arthropoda from would-be attackers; people can't well attack over video in any meaningful way. This isn't to say that some Arthropodas can't use their new traits to have a better edge over others at detecting variances in voice, as you describe. We agree with that wholly! But it might not be as effective over the network as being physically in the presence of their deceiver. In all, the answer is: it's mostly for in-person interactions, but can sometimes extend over the network, especially if the liar they're speaking to is particularly obvious or it shows in their voice. |
| #94
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-12 |
Ty! And does the ruminantia lying themself ping the compulsion? | A duplicitous Ruminantia could find themselves feeling that same compulsion directed at themselves. Unfortunate... though at least it's somewhat more difficult to gore oneself, leaving the compulsion as an uncomfortable itch, a nagging sense of dissatisfaction. |
| #95
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-10 |
Hello mods! I have a question about housing and I apologize if this has been asked before. Say a character wants to just go out into the woods and build a shack...well, not really a shack more like a more traditional Heian era house like this. Is this tenable or does it have to be one of the housing types listed on the housing page? |
Not a mod (and sorry if this is overstepping), but I can point you in the direction of a question that I think covers this. From here: "Housing outside the barrier- well, no one lives there or could quarrel with some Augmented choosing to live there. The houses there have no connection to Karteria's utilities, and are in various states of decay, but they could claim as many yards as they wanted, really. To spend most of one's time outside the barrier isn't wholly healthy even for Augmented, however; while they won't ever perish to arcane radiation, it will speed up their corruption. This is especially true if a significant amount of that time is spent alone; the company of at least one other Augmented conveys additional protection. In the long-term it may result in additional effects as explored here, but if they're mostly out there together (or with some other Augmented company) then it's far, far safer." So yeah, living out in the woods possible, and there's probably nothing stopping characters from building a house out there (my dude here has a leatherworking station in one abandoned building, a group of scientists has commandeered an old logging cabin, etc.), but you might end up real weird.
Thank you to Grimme for providing that answer! That is absolutely the jist of it. Some characters are even looking to build some back-up safe havens in abandoned areas around Orexis. Yes, building a house out in the open is totally doable. Enjoy your hastened corruptions... |
| #96
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-08 |
With the ruminantia compulsion to "skewer the guilty" is that specifically guilty or "person who lied"? | For Ruminantia, Xiezhi's Insight is primarily a sense for being actively lied to in the moment. However, they may be capable of sensing a particularly corrupt individual—the kinds of people whose lives are built on lying or performing injustices to others. 'Injustice' can be such a fickle thing, as the definition of justice varies from one character to the next. In this case, the character who the Ruminantia-type is currently judging would either be lying, or in the midst of performing something that the Ruminantia-type themselves considers to be unjust. |
| #97
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-08 |
I'm shuffling my butt back in here betwixt the balance of doing game things, and furthering Florian's Agenda: Fantastic! Let's say someone does manage to smuggle in one of those shards o' Katalyth into the city. I understand Katalyth emanates a dreadful feeling, so I know having too much of it might be easily noticed even by citizens... Are there consequences to storing it in the basement of a shitty townhouse in Gloria? Lastly, for the kicker: exposure to Katalyth = arcane radiation poisoning for Karterians, and is generally inadvisable even for Augmented. Let's assume that a character is evil and deliberately tries to embed just a shard of Katalyth into a citizen, like a shard of glass in the foot. So small! What happens? |
Katalyth in a basement: Too much—a concentration of it larger than the size of a golf ball in total, even in fragments—will cause most sensitive Augmented Ones to feel something's amiss. This includes NatSouls that are generally more sensitive to arcane radiation, as well as Augmented who are more empathic in general. Just as described, the feeling will be dreadful. Even Karterian Citizens will walk past the house and feel unwell. Florian himself is a Terra-type; he'll be sensitive to Katalyth, so be wary of that. Characters who go near the Katalyth-haus will feel its dreadful influence even from beyond the front door; the closer they get to the basement, the more repulsive. Katalyth embedded into a citizen: speedrunning awful. bad florian. A larger piece would be incredibly toxic. It would likely ravage the host body so quickly that the individual would go to the hospital, and have the piece found. They would, inevitably, die with that level of contact anyway, even with the intervention... and the doctors aiding them will get that much sicker. But a very, very small piece is... both the same, and different story. Eventually, the end result is death. But a small fragment, like a tiny shard of glass embedded into a victim, will result in gradual disfigurement. The signs of your typical arcane radiation poisoning will arise, with black boils, hallucinations, fatigue, and eventual cardiac arrest... but especially Karterians who remain inside of their barrier will be so slowly poisoned, that they'll start to grow teratoma-like masses, or find themselves with extra disfigurement. Their death can be expedited by leaving Karteria, but so too will this cycle of rapid, cancerous growth: beyond the barrier, they'd grow more arms, more legs, more teeth... Within Karteria, the effects are less severe, but the boils they grow will eventually ravage them. The end result is the same: they'll die. |
| #98
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
This question is an attempt to clarify the ruminant ability, The Fatigue of Katoblepas, which is described as: The ability to breathe fire or poison. Ruminants of this type may be drawn towards eating poisonous vegetation, or other dangerous substances to further fuel this ability. When Full-Shifted the virulence of their poisons and the strength of their fires increases, but their head and neck grow correspondingly heavy, and difficult to lift. Would a fire-breathing ruminant be drawn to eating toxic plants, or would they be more inclined to seek consuming something else (i.e. kerosene; alcohols; petroleum; etc. other highly flammable materials) to fuel this ability? Furthermore, are they immune to the deleterious effects, or do they suffer at all from the consequences of these cravings? |
The diet for ruminants is basically the same! Whether they discovered an ability towards breathing fire or poison, they would be drawn towards eating similarly dangerous vegetation. A fire-breathing ruminant wouldn't have to consume petrochemicals in order to fuel themselves. (Though they might not be sickened from it. Alcohol and gasoline are toxins, in their way.... A Ruminantia partying hard and drinking the night away could also find their poison/fire breathing ability enhanced with it.) Ruminants are also protected from the consequences of eating poisonous vegetation/objects. Before they're fully corrupted they might feel some stomach upset if you like, but they would be able to survive their new diet from very early on. |
| #99
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-01 |
I know it says that "small vehicles" are still available in Karteria as long as they're not gas-powered ( correct me if I'm wrong ), but I'm wondering if it's possible to find something similar to a Vespa, or even a motorcycle, and alter them to run off electricity based off certain abilities? Or is that a no go in general? | Alas, of all existing modes of transport there are only manual ones (scooters, bicycles) and electric street cars. I'm sure with some tinkering, an electric vehicle could be made... Electric bikes or scooters and the like. But as it stands, that is all that's out there in Karteria proper. |
| #100
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-01 |
How big are the bits of katalyth on squid-chan? obviously not something to do all at once, but if someone were to (gingerly, with a fingertip, for a single moment) touch a piece and put it into her inventory to remove it from the squid, would that be possible? | They are somewhat variable in size, from uncomfortably large chunks longer than an average human's forearm, to uncomfortably small chunks the size of a fingernail. Touching any of it remains a bad idea, but if someone (Northly) understood/ignored the warnings in that regard, so long as she were quick about not staying in direct contact with it, she could slide a piece into her inventory without too much trouble. The squid would no doubt benefit from a thorough cleansing of Katalyth, but every bit removed helps. |
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