Dungeon Life Quest (DLQ) 88 - This Is Giant Country Edition

>> How are things with you and Brigette?

mention this when it fits

wrong thread

>What are your plans after this is over? Feel up to making more friends?
I forget if the first part was ever covered. Second part is more to tease Lora because she needs more of it in her life.
I'd help if I could, but I know nothing about that game.

Called, writing.

You get out your pipe and start cleaning it, without much hurry or rush. "How are things with you and Brigette?" you ask, casually.

"...In what sense?" Lora hedges.

"Lora."

"We...talked," the angel admits, her wings slumping slightly. One is bound and healing; it's still broken. "And we've been talking, off and on. About how I feel, and how she feels. She let me gently."

"Yeah?" you ask, looking up.

Lora gives you a wan grin. "She brought it up. Asked me how I felt straight-out, interrupted her lessons for it, so I...you know, I told her how I felt. And she said that she knows how I feel but that I wasn't being fair to myself, pining for her."

"And you said...?"

"Well, I mean, we talked. And she's right, I'm not being fair. She was kind to me when no one else was, but that's not...that's not a good reason," Lora admits. "Riley reminds me of her that way too, and he and I may have to talk, and we may not. I mostly...I mostly wanted him to know that I've no grudge against him. And he felt safe." The angel gets out a cigarette and lights it while you pack your bowl; she closes her eyes as she takes a drag and lets it out. "...She told me to check back in with her in a century or so, if we can still stand each other, and see if I'm still feeling the same way."

You snort. "...Yeah, maybe not a bad idea," you agree. "Have you honestly never...y'know, had anyone?"

Lora shakes her head. "I've always kept to myself," she admits. "My Choir is subservient to me, so that's wholly inappropriate. The gods, my creators, are my parents so that's out right there. I never really spoke to anyone else. I...I don't know. I always told myself that it was pointless. That they'd leave me, as everything leaves me."

> What made you change your mind?
> That's kinda depressing, Lora
> Change the subject (to what?)

>> That's kinda depressing, Lora

How do you even spend an eternity like this?

>> That's kinda depressing, Lora

>What made you change your mind?
>If it's not too rude to ask.

I gotta go be Gainfully Employed until about midnight or so, folks. Votes remain open; I'll call and write once I reasonably can. I won't be able to post much from work.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>Change the subject what will you do WHEN you're free, Lora?

Desperation, user. The same thing that changes everyone's mind when they're trapped in living hell.

So whatever happened to that really mean forge boss?

Also bri is gonna ask about letting Brigette move around the dungeon instead of just the athenaeum right?

Maybe once Dick is dealt with and the world is safe.

pastebin.com/GHWBJ6rM

YOU WANT AUTISM? ELVES? A RICH MAN RECOUNTING A RAMBLING ADVENTURE FROM HIS YOUTH? SHITTY EXPLANATIONS AND GROPINGS ABOUT EXISTENCE AND DEFINING OBJECTS?

Fuck you guys. Look what happened with Pastebin and no breaks.

... 50 000 characters

> That's kinda depressing, Lora
> Write-in suggestion
Maybe she should talk to the la Croix family more when she gets out.The individuals may come and go, but the family remains.

Even if she doesn't grow attached to anyone, the mere fact that she's speaking with people over a period of time will probably make her more receptive to relationships that could come along. As it stands, she's beating herself too much to risk chasing happiness.

She's too useful to leave locked up right now

He's still working. When New Hell and the Roost were liberated he lost his line to his clients and dropped them rather than pick a fight.

What even inspired this?

Yeah, about 200 pages. The beginning part is pretty wonky, and erratic, but I really hit my stride when I decided to do a flavor text thing about a dude quoting his perception of elves.

Then it turned into a rambling story of when he met an elf dude, they swore to be bros and it was a running politeness competition of one upmanship, There's a shit ton of the purplest fucking prose I could force myself to put together, and the ending is super anticlimatic but I say that's how it goes several times.

But yeah. Look, some people write every day if they want to or not. Some people only write when they want to, and go until they run out of words or read what they wrote and hate it more than anything for not being as good as they planned, or thought it was while writing, as good to read as it felt to write and imagine this setting and the characters. The fun turns of phrase and little references and in-jokes that they hope others get, seem forced or clumsy or are missing that perception they had while writing it and were unable to recreate on the page.

So yeah. It's rambly, and proabably cliched, and filled with purple prose because that's what the Fae in it are all about.

But hey, I tried to make sure nobody accidentally offended someone in the dialogue without it being purposeful.

And I tried REALLY hard to be consistent about people only complimenting the others achievements, or possession, or if they are complimenting a skill or a talent it's framed as an apologetic request and not a direct compliment.

But yeah. I spent like, 11 hours writing 200 pages for my own enjoyment, and I'm putting it out there for people to read if they want, and enjoy or criticize or hate or whatever man.

I'm going to fucking bed now. Done.

Drugs, boredom, and a twisted sense of obligation, as far as I can tell. Dude's off his nut.

Well, previous thread someone mentioned Flitter claiming Brianna was biased against the Fae because she was uncomfortable with using Silences corpse to make a singing sword or talking mirror.

So I tried to write out some ideas about how Fae consciousness works to create a "self", a sapient identity, without a soul like people. Flirted with the idea that instead of a magical source or metphysical source, it's possible that that have a mechanical effect caused by their physical body that generates a state similar enough to what we recognize as "consciousness" that any difference is academic and based on it's creation, and not it's unique characteristics that define it as a discrete state which performs the functions of "consciousness" well enough without having qualities that would let us come up with an alternate definition that it can't be defined as anything else.

Anyways, since the "consciousness" if the Fae is a phenomenon caused by an action or intrinsic property of their physical body, when they die and the simulated consciousness state ends, you can reforge it so that the mechanical process starts again an generate a "consciousness" state again. Because it's using the same hardware you are likely to get a similar consciousness as the previous one, but it doesn't share continuity or the recorded states of existence/Memory of the first one, so you can only get a unique identity that's varying degrees of similar to the previous one.

Go to bed Marcus

Broken leg, too much time alone, and why the fuck not.

Shit, at least I did SOMETHING, as well as I could, and I enjoyed it.

AAAAAANYWAYS.

That was a fun theory, so I started to wonder just how the Fae could have a similar consciousness that we could recognize and relate to, but at the same time be unable to change their identity barring deliberate action or extreme trauma. They don't compromise, they have abnormal values, and quite frankly even if you do manage to change them, they don't manage to learn how to change.

Or so it seems, going into general fae lore, no real consensus and you never went into it in your quest.

So I tried to see if a could come up with an internally consistent viewpoint of their sense of self and how they experience events to explain that. The TL;DR is that the Fae have not only perfectly record events as they happen and store them as memory, but the emotional and mental state they're in and perceive the events through is stored at the time as well. No disconnect between self and existence, it's all on the hardware directly exposed to the moment of recorded. ROM only.

So every moment they've lived, they are able to not remember but actually experience again with just as much intensity and accuracy as the present moment. As well, the remember what happened as they were at that time.

So if a Fae has a misconception of an event that happened, and later learns that what they thought was real isn't, then they don't change their memories. They can remember them, and know that they aren't correct, but for the that existence was and still is a real existence that happened. They can't change their perception of the past, so essentially to them it's like the world changed instead,

The hopped from a world where (a) happened to a world where (b) happened instead, but they still are and always will be the "self" that existed in world (a) and now lives in world (b)

Okay but why the hell did you keep talking about elves? They aren't fey.

awwww fuck. Fucking fuck. Well time to go wordsearch "elf" and change that shit.

I dunno man, when I was young Elves were part of the Fae, I always forget that's not actually common in most modern Fiction so I interchange the words.

Fixed, at least it was just in the metaphysical ramble. Once I started with dialogue and characters I got a bit more consistent.

Okay, so I'm now mostly available until 11 PM or so, for questions or discussion.

Suuuure, question time.

How much significance do people place on angels as far as worship is concerned? Are there shrines or altars dedicated to the choirs like there are to the gods? Do angels sometimes make enough of an impact on human life to be worshiped individually, separate from the rest of their choir?

Angelic cults do exist, generally dedicated to Sorrows angels, but they tend to quickly degenerate into something more like revering a saint. One notable exception is the worship of Ma'at (Truth), who is known as the Angel of Justice and paid honor to in courts the world over - though they, too, are Sorrows.

Angels themselves are seen, rightly or not, as executing missions from the gods themselves. Most mortals treat them with respect and awe, tempered by the grim and seductive knowledge that they may be slain. Angels are sometimes referred to in religious texts as the Cousins.

What are the paths between levels of the dungeon? Tunnels or staircases or what?

Depends on the level. Steep or spiral stairs are common. New Hell uses ramps for shipping, where the Roost has doors into border tunnels into more doors. The entrance from the Athenaeum to the Mine is the Shaft, whereas the Broken Jaw has a tunnel following the river, which opens up into the cliffs above the Sunless Sea. The passage from the Sea into the Mire is the Drowning Stair. Anything after is unknown.

have there been any settling of accounts in liberated levels of the dungeons between those who worked against the chain holders and those who worked as collaborators?

Not as such. The Basement just considered it business as usual. The mercs are gone from the Lichyard, while the Caretaker vouched for Brigette to the Athenaeum. The Mine knows how the Baron was operating. Most of the renegade Forges in New Hell were put to the sword, the Lush's men from the Warehouse are mostly imprisoned, and the Broken Jaw was massacred.

Two hours and change to call.

So, question: Who's 'best' Chainbearer?

Proposition: Brigette is best Chainholder.

Prove me wrong.

Best is Lora
"Best" is at the moment Lush

1: Brigette does not hold chains any more.
2: Chainholders hold chains by definition.

Therefore:
Brigette is not a chainholder and as such cannot be best chainholder.

Counterpoint:
1. Brigette was previously a Chainbearer
2. "Best" Chainbearer in no way necessitates a state of currently holding a chain. (By that logic, only the current Presidents (those who currently preside) of countries around the world can be in consideration for "Best" President.)

Concession:
1: Brigette is a chainholder.
----------
1: Chainholders hold chains.
2: Ability to hold chain determines chainholding competence.
3: Brigette failed to hold chain.
4: There are currently chainholders which still hold chains.

Therefore:
1: Brigette failed as a chainholder.
2: The Pallbearer is the worst chainholder since it lacks hands to hold chains with.
3: Chainholders that both hold chains still and are not the Pallbearer are all the best chainholders.

I'm fucking dying.

Called, writing.

>2: The Pallbearer is the worst chainholder since it lacks hands to hold chains with.

Nonsense, it uses the chain as an anchor! Now an anchor is a solid thing, and the other end is probably tied to a rig of some kind, so Pallbearer's chain-holding competence is very good indeed.

Plus, since it's a ship with its own crew, it has a lot of hands on deck; hands that help him hold on the chain. Therefore, more hands = more competence in chain-holding = Pallbearer best chain-holder!

1: The crew's hands are not the Pallbearer's hands.
2: Having something attached to you is not the same as holding; if the chain were tied onto someone, they would not be considered to be holding it.

Therefore:
1: Pallbearer worst chainholder.
2: Crew part-time chainholders.

>"Also, you should know this ahead of time - if the Wyrm kills you, you're staying dead. It is in his nature."
>"To destroy?" you ask, tilting your head.
>"To change, with a powerful will," Lora corrects. "The Wyrm is very old, and has had a lot of time to hone that will. If he changes you from a living thing to a dead one, you'll stay changed."

Hah, the Mire is going to be /fun/. Dark Souls anyone?

No, instead we're going to do a Minmei Offense!

Everyone dresses as a sailor scout, even Nate. We do a song, we do a dance, and when he is bemusedly going "Okay, didn't expect that" we make an impassioned plea for him to choose to change himself and join us with the power of friendship!

But yeah, that dude sounds intriguing. On a serious note, I would kind of like to try to negotiate with him as well. Overall, talking things out has worked okay for dealing with the Chainbearars.

You sigh and give Lora a long look. "That's more than a little depressing," you point out.

"I know it is," she agrees. "...I knew, /know/, that my peers handle it somehow. It's not like I'm any more or less mortal than Jord or Matariel. I suppose...hell, I suppose I was scared to have to say goodbye. The journey into the Sunless Lands is a one-way trip even for me. I couldn't handle the idea of saying goodbye forever. It was easier to not care."

"...Lora, I've been sitting on this for awhile, but...when we talked, the Lady said she thought they'd wronged you, when they made you. She sounded...sorry."

"She shouldn't be," the angel murmurs, flicking her good wing. "I've been a spoiled brat."

"I wouldn't go /that/ far," you tell her.

Lora shrugs. "Maybe. I just...I dunno. I was so scared to lose things that I didn't have them in the first place. Even the Dungeon I retreated from and essentially abandoned once I had it to my liking. What's the point of living like that? I gotta learn to live with myself some - and now you're hugging me."

You are. You laugh, and squeeze your friend. "Dumbass," you chide, fondly. "...Y'know, there's worse things you could do than keep up on that whole 'Chosen' thing, and maybe catch up with my family. Gods know there's enough of us that you can get a bit of diversity out of it."

"Are any of them not bitter, sarcastic assholes?" Lora asks.

"We work for the public good, Lora. That's a job requirement."

"You've got me there," the angel agrees, fondly. "One thing, before you go."

"Yeah?"

"That taster? Don't let it go back to Hell. Burn it with balefire if you have to, but...the Lush has three rakshasa and the taster, and they know the secret of his Drink. If any of them escape, they will take that secret with them, and his evil will survive him. They need to die, truly die, to ensure that does not happen. If you free me before you fight them, I can attend to that detail, but I doubt you'll have that luxury."

Keep in mind; the Librarian, and the Gauntlet Below, lay /past/ the Mire.

In other words, we can't avenge Jack's killer and give peace to his ghost before we kill a fucking ancient dragon.

FUCK.

> "That taster? Don't let it go back to Hell. Burn it with balefire if you have to, but...the Lush has three rakshasa and the taster, and they know the secret of his Drink. If any of them escape, they will take that secret with them, and his evil will survive him. They need to die, truly die, to ensure that does not happen. If you free me before you fight them, I can attend to that detail, but I doubt you'll have that luxury."

DOUBLE FUCK. At least River has a good handle on the balefire.

have we talked to cooke yet about what to expect when fighting a taster?

"I'll keep it in mind," you agree. "We'll probably talk again, during this whole thing."

"We will," Lora agrees. "...You never lit your pipe."

You wake up, your reply on your lips, and sigh. You hate how that happens.

Nathan and Amy are already up, so you dress and armor up before throwing on your winged coat and top hat. You traded your pack for a slung satchel that won't rest between your coat's wings a little while ago, though your coat contains everything you'd want for an actual /fight/.

The entrance from New Hell to the Cornucopia is as loud and busy as the rest of the place. Ordo the Orc runs a busy Forge, and you can see his smiths and their assistants toiling away at the tools and supplies that will be needed for the Roost's dig project.

Hatchet is talking to Nate. You see him press a trio of spikes into your lover's hands. "This'll hold anything slippery," the older human says. "That taster, things like your lover's shadow, ghosts. Nail 'em down, then kill 'em."

"Yessir," Nathan agrees.

Amy is currently engaged in a rapid-fire conversation with her mother in bird speak, both of them with the look of people trying to make the most of limited time. River -

Hold up. Her shadow has a broad-brimmed hat on. And a walking stick that River herself definitely is not holding.

"Bri!" your sister calls, jogging up. "Whisper, this is my sister."

"Charmed," the shadow says from the floor. She peels herself up in that peculiar folded-paper way that shadows have and offers you a hand. "River's been talking about you."

You shake her hand, a little bewildered. "Your familiar?" you ask River.

"Yep. And she's an explorer, evidently."

Whisper beams. Or, rather, part of her blank face peels away in the vague shape of a smile. That's. That's not unsettling at all. "I am indeed," she agrees, her voice bright and eager and not even a little spectral. "I'm told this new place we'll be experiencing is infested with villains and rogues?"

"She just...talks like this," River says, a little bewildered.

"So did Fetch," you agree.

"Sir Fetch!" Whisper says brightly. "Where is he? I've been told so much about him as well."

Fetch bawks from your shin height. Whisper makes an excited noise, only to be arrested by River clicking her tongue.

"Babble over there," River tells her familiar. "I need to talk to my sister."

"Aye-aye," Whisper agrees, stepping away before sinking back onto the floor.

"...Went with the shadow, huh?" you ask.

"Yeah. It felt right. She can put the stick away, just so you know. I'm not sure where it /goes/, but..."

"Familiars are always a little odd," you say with a shrug. "The Lush is fielding four demons in particular - his taster and three rakshasa - that need to die for real. Think you can handle it?"

"Taster might be tricky," River admits. "...But I believe so, yes. How are you planning on replenishing the shade form talismans?"

> Personal life force
> Attempt to blitz the objectives
> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock

> Attempt to blitz the objectives
> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock

Blitz first, but if needed, sap some lieutenant's life force. Who knows, maybe if the talismans' need for life force counts as hunger, they could be subject to the laws of Cornucopia?

>Assassinating the Lush's officers (not the common soldiers) and/or quickly butchered livestock.
The assholes are already marked for death, and we can use the livestock as materials for quick repairs or flash reanimations.

Whisper is definitely interesting. I bet she and Sir Fetch will get along swimmingly.

Now, GO THE FUCK TO BED YOU MADMAN.

Weren't we planning to sneak in and kill the Lush? He'll probably notice his soldiers going missing.

>> Attempt to blitz the objectives
>> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock

Speed and replenishment on the go. Waste not, want not. Also, getting a brief from an expert on just what the heck Tasters are and the usual means to combat them would be good. This one apparently can gobble up entire houses.

If we were going full frontal, I'd look into some kind of bait to pull it into a trap near New Hell and slam it with siege weapons or something from there to pin it down for the balefire.

Also...

>The bad news is that the Master is also actively attempting to prevent me from bringing you back. It's only a matter of time before I'll be constrained against doing such a thing

Dick continues to be a Dick, but I'm going to tentatively mark this one down as a win? If he's spending time not working on his research that will end the word, the gives us more time to get to him. And, ultimately, we weren't really planning on dying anyway.

... Actually, isn't this a net bad for him?

I mean, every time Bri dies, the connections she made outside the dungeon go up in smoke since Lora's resetting bits of the world to do it. And people know about him now, and what he's planning. If Bri doesn't resurrect, the world doesn't reset, and more people take a deeper and more intense interest in the Dungeon since the person handling it was killed.

Of course, even if Dick swings this and tries to push Lora for some sort of reset /anyway/, it could soak up more time for the rest of the Dungeon to come crashing down on him.

We're at 8 of 13 Chainholders, and the breakdown of order on the Daughter's level probably isn't helping. Add to that, the Warehouse is being secured so supply lines going down are getting tight. And without the Diviner to lock down the Broken Jaw, it's much more hazardous to traverse.

Bri's a lynchpin of the operations against him though, and the direct line to Lora, which is all kinds of cheaty.

>Death Bottle
>Assassinating the Lush's officers and/or killing livestock

Dick is requiring more and more of Lora's services and time. she said so. That means he's getting closer to being done.

That's not good.

We /are/ on something of a clock (I highly doubt it's one of those 'You only have two weeks left before the end of the world' though). Every floor retaken by us is simply a delaying action on Dick's part. If he reaches his goal of creating a 'glorious new world', we lose.

I'm more interested in finding out whether Brianna, by being the Heritor, can order Lora to perform some kind of work that would keep her out of Dick's hands (helping the Broken Jaw heal seems like a good idea, or maybe ask her to go say hi to the parents/siblings for an extended occasion).

Also, the Death Bottle /could/ work, but if we get into a fight, we risk loosing it before we can actually use the damn thing.

FINE THEN I WILL. VOTES REMAIN OPEN!

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>> Attempt to blitz the objectives
>>> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock

I'm not contesting the fact that time is our enemy on this one. I am however saying that the time Dick spends attempting to make sure we die a permanent death when we aren't dead yet is time he's not spending bringing forth the end of all life as we know it.

I said it before, but Vox is a pretty cool GM. An invisible clock where he's tracking the amount of time Dick needs to go Full Armageddon isn't quite his style. Big choices where we have the option to very slowly unfuck things to safely handle a situation versus risky and quick solutions later on? Especially when we get to the Mire, I expect that to come up more. Just crossing the Mire could take awhile, to say nothing of the Gauntlet Below and the Redoubt.

The Mire was probably Lora's passive defense to keep people out of her Sanctum. A big swampy area that was also dangerous. I bet you there's only so many solid roads through that, and all of them are under Chainholder control. The Gauntlet's the more active defense. A big, trapped maze with lots of dangerous critters. The Redoubt? An actual fortress, guarding the only way to the Sanctum.

Probably, anyway.

Also...

>You are bound in chains of blackened silver and rusty iron

This was one of the lines from the Lush's... 'party'. Now, I know it's probably something the Lush added on for the hell of it rather than anything else, but... We also know that he's gone out of his way get a lot out of Lora. Vox said there was a price to using the Chains, so I can't help but wonder if we're starting to see it. Maybe with the 'load' spread across multiple chains it wasn't so bad, but with more than half of them gone... is the Lush's chain starting to show some wear?

> Attempt to blitz the objectives
> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock
I don't mind draining life from them. Also can we drain life from the farmlands and crops?
Plus we can distract the Lush from our entrance say by getting our guys to storm another entrance, kill all the soldiers, have harpies drop oil on the farmlands and burn them down, and immediately fortify, our army might hold the Lush's attention. Combining this with getting Riley and his forces to at least leave, we might have a better chance than we thought.

Harpies won't use fire, more than likely.

Feathers, you know, and smoke rising into a trapped location. I don't think they suffer the same sensitivity to airborne particulates and poisons as mine canaries do, but I'd rather not have them find out the hard way, yeah?

Nah, harpies drop oil, our ground troops can light them up. Fire arrows, thrown torches, magic, there surely is a way for htem to handle it.

... Wouldn't using flame risk killing lots of people who are just slaves being forced to work the fields, while destroying valuable cover?

Plus, let's be real. If we start a fire big enough to do what you're suggesting, we're not going to be able to control it. It will careen wildly out of control killing lots and lots of people. Which, let me tell you, will probably have lots and lots of people in terrible fucking misery above the norm, making the Drink more potent then before.

I think fire user just wants to see how Vox will cope with the idea.

I would be terrified that Vox would cope with the idea relatively realistically, and we'd screw ourselves far more than we would screw them.

Nothing good comes of using fire as a weapon.

Fighting in fire is bad, m'kay?

The problem is that the baseline level of misery is so high that I don't think that a wild fire will add that much misery. These people already can't eat or drink more than a mouthful due to the Lush.

Also, we have been using the carrot so much. This is the stick. We can say to the harpies in the Lush's service: or not, this.

Fire obscures vision, causes damage at range by heat, dehydrates the air, and cannot be controlled. It would be a disaster for us to try and fight in those conditions, especially with enemies and potential allies alike struggling to survive and entirely dangerous to everyone they encounter. The demons, of course, won't give a flying fuck, and I have my doubts it would trouble the Lush as much as it would the humans.

And you really, really don't want to deal with the aftermath of injuries to innocents where fire is concerned. Potions would inflict agony as intense as the wounds do, when they can help, and infection will claim almost everyone injured badly by the fire.

It's not just stupid, it's evil.

>worried about adding misery
That's really not what you should be worried about.

I bet your the same type of person who voted Jack into being a specter. "Oh there won't be any consequences!"

>Learn to fire death imbued lightning from our hands.
>Consume the in-setting equivalent to PCP.
>?????
>PROFIT!

>> Assassinating the Lush's officers & forces and/or killing livestock

This is one place where I /really/ think we don't need to feel too guilty about killing the forces arrayed against us.

Especially if Riley got the the none rape soldiers away from the engagement.

Up. Will call and write soon.

>> Attempt to blitz the objectives

Real life kinda delaying me.

When did you decide to make Whisper a trailblazer?

Better question: what is it that River wants or needs that a trailblazer is representing?

Called, writing.

Obviously, she wants and needs adventure.

A need for guidance, it looking like Bri is not a coincidence.

Ah, someone to follow. She's getting further and further away from taking responsibility and making her own decisions?

"We work as fast as humanly possible," you answer, frankly. "If we need to top off, we'll use our list of targets and possibly available livestock. Lora said she'd try to mark the fuckers of the group, which'll be a help."

"I can get behind that plan." River gives the ramp down a glance; some of Ordo's workers are oiling the hinges of the great door that will permit you into the Cornucopia. "We should get everyone together and talk over the taster."

"Good thinking."

The two of you beckon for your familiars and go to join Nate and Amy. Nathan shakes hands with Hatchet, and the older human gives his student an approving nod. Diving Shadow and Amy share a brief, tight hug before Shadow leaves with Hatchet, sparing only one worried glance back for her daughter.

"We need to discuss the taster," River says simply, but with a confidence that's nice to hear. "Obviously the big question is 'how do I kill it?' but equally important is 'how will it kill me?' and we're doing to cover that second part first."

"Good thinking," Nate agrees. All eyes are on your sister as she sets her pack at her feet and digs out a book. She peels through the pages until she finds the one she's looking for and shows it to the group; in the center of the two pages is a stunningly detailed drawing of a wraith-like form with burning eyes, its smoky body sprinkled with sparks and currents of heat. Elvish writing - River's - crowds the margins around it, with plenty of tiny additions and crossed-out passages.

"Tasters are thought to be related to gorgers," River begins. "Unlike gorgers, tasters are barely corporeal. Iron will ward them off but not precisely harm them as such; they have fluid forms and significant control over their own bodies, which makes them hard to cut, bash, or otherwise physically injure. Strong winds can scatter them, and I suspect that the spikes Hatchet gave us will hold the thing down, but the first obstacle is simply /hurting/ the damn thing."

is closer to the reason than or are. Familiars are subservient; River /cannot/, by definition, follow Whisper in any sense but the purely literal.

Well it WAS wanderlust that led her here to begin with, I suppose it's simply in her blood to go to new places, meet interesting people, and then kill them for coin or cause.

River hands the book to Amy so she can get a closer look at the illustration. "Tasters use demonfire pretty intuitively and as their body suggests they're fairly hot themselves. When they feel the urge to kill they burn and choke their victims, smothering them inside the smoke that composes their form. This isn't their worst aspect, though. Like my blade, tasters drain the feelings from people and animals around them. Unlike Sleep, Tasters take /everything/. Your hopes, your fury, your sorrow, they drain it all until what's left is a barely-conscious husk. In most cases they then torture their prey, looking to wring the last few bits of feeling you can give them, before finally letting their victims die."

Amy passes the book to Nathan with a horrified expression on her face.

"The wildcard here is the Drink," River admits. "I don't know what it's done to this taster. They don't normally grow bigger when fed or, really, grow bigger at /all/. Summoners often hide a retained taster in their own shadows. Whatever the Lush discovered or invented, this demon isn't like its kin."

"Which is where we get into a new objective," you cut in smoothly. "Three rakshasa and that taster know the secret of the Drink. We can't let them make it back to Hell with that secret. If we can't kill them for real before we free Lora, we need to capture them."

"Understood," Nathan murmurs, distantly. "...Gods, that's /sick/. Who would create something like that?"

"Answer's in your sentence," you say with a shrug. "The gods. They don't talk a lot about why." You get the book, take a good, hard look at it, and then hand it back to River. She places it carefully back in her backpack and slings the pack over her shoulders.

"Alright," you announce. "We're going after..."

> Border Farm; you want a secure place to rest & an exit on hand
> The Lizard Pens; deny the Lush his mounts, and maybe arrange a skeleton army
> The Harpies; track where they're nesting and try to get some damn air support
> Prisoners; find the people the Lush has captive and get them out before everything goes to hell

>> The Harpies; track where they're nesting and try to get some damn air support

We need scouting intel more than anything, I'd wager. But harpies are vicious, murderous monsters in their natural state, how the hell do you convince them? I honestly don't believe that a sob story about how the Librarian killed hatchlings is going to bother them. It wasn't THEIR hatchlings, so who gives a shit?

And now, Gainful Employment. I'll be back just after midnight. Again.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>> The Harpies; track where they're nesting and try to get some damn air support

> Border Farm; you want a secure place to rest & an exit on hand

>> The Lizard Pens; deny the Lush his mounts, and maybe arrange a skeleton army

A Vox-sanctioned undead army? I'm sold.

> Prisoners; find the people the Lush has captive and get them out before everything goes to hell

If nothing else, this allows us to use .... more indiscriminate tactics.

'to rest'. If we have to rest; we're taking too long and time is working against us.