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help i'm trapped in a poll i don't know why i'm here i'm so scared someone please help

29 (58%)

me

6 (12%)

Total Members Voted: 50

[Elephant Parade]

((Nobody's yet figured out Proxxy's code, but I have a theory as to what it contains.))

((To prevent Ciro from detecting this, I'm using shield parentheses to keep it secret from her. Since Proxxy escaped the DL8 prison, there have been no other code updates. I theorize... to start with, Proxxy was directly aware of us, and even directly spoke to us, just like Ciro in Monarchy Mode, but she couldn't hold us off for long and soon lost control. Whatever she wanted to tell us, our having overwhelmed her independence must have sealed it off. Therefore, plus the fact that she said hinted it was important... Ultimate Weapon stuffs.))

((In other notes, I hope Ciro can't detect what we say concealed behind (()).))

shield parentheses

I have no words.

((HEY CIRO. THIS IS TEST. ARE YOUR EARS BLEEDING?))

((+1))

((RILTIA IS A BAD PERSON))

[Whisperling]

((RILTIA IS A BAD PERSON))

((That was a joke. I think.))

[freeformschooler]

This solves two problems with the OP in one go: creeping space limit and my own forgetfulness in keeping track of items. Once it gets a little further along I'll wipe the metamenu from the OP and combinethe link to this with the link to monk's advanced navigation (since they're both for rereading purposes)

Thanks for everything!

[IronyOwl]

This solves two problems with the OP in one go: creeping space limit and my own forgetfulness in keeping track of items. Once it gets a little further along I'll wipe the metamenu from the OP and combinethe link to this with the link to monk's advanced navigation (since they're both for rereading purposes)

Thanks for everything!

Boy that kind of helpfulness sure deserves a reward eh? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

((RILTIA IS A BAD PERSON))

((That was a joke. I think.))

((YOU DON'T NEED LOOT TO BE HAPPY, RILTIA IS A TREACHEROUS WHORE WHO NEVER LOVED YOU AND WILL DIE SCREAMING ON THE END OF YOUR BLADE, SLOG IS EXPENDABLE, AND YOU SHOULD MAKE OUT WITH AL))

((I am like 99% positive Ciro does not have the icy calculating composure to feign not hearing this.

...why do we think Ciro maybe can't hear this again and how are we differentiating bold from double parentheses?))

[TheBiggerFish]

((YO LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE IN HERE!!!!!))
((Ayup.))
Hey Ciro, did you hear anything?

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

((Anyone wondering what happens if Ciro does hear this?))

[Arcvasti]

((Anyone wondering what happens if Ciro does hear this?))

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[[(({{Get a chokehold on us through the Influx and convince us to be less obnoxious?}}))]]

[FallacyofUrist]

((HEY CIRO. THIS IS TEST. ARE YOUR EARS BLEEDING?))

((+1))

((+1))

((Basically, I theorize that (()) can't be heard by Ciro because, it's technically OOC text. Technically.))

[endlessblaze]

If bricks are truly impenetrable to everything bar explosives, dig out the loose ones and craft a shield

+1

This is something I can get behind. Loot the nonsensical!

+1. We need something to replace the helmet.

+1 Like we've ever needed a reason to loot scenery

this is a wonderful idea

[Lenglon]

If bricks are truly impenetrable to everything bar explosives, dig out the loose ones and craft a shield

+1

This is something I can get behind. Loot the nonsensical!

+1. We need something to replace the helmet.

+1 Like we've ever needed a reason to loot scenery

this is a wonderful idea

+1

[monk12]

I refuse to believe that steamy makeouts with Al would set off Ciro, for I shall ship CirAl to my untimely grave.

[IronyOwl]

Damn it all. I've reached the theorycrafting prompt and still have no idea why Oric wants Target dead.


Notably, I'm having difficulty with Al's Prison of Haria flashback. It's tempting to say that's the same "prison" Oric was mentioning, and it might be, but we know that Al's been here for three years and the Warrens have undergone thousands of Cycles. That seems to preclude the idea that Willford was talking about Oric & Crew specifically, though imprisoning heroes and then Warrens-dumping them could certainly be a time-honored tradition. I'm not sure how much to take as a clue and how much to be wary of as a herring.

Other things to note:
-Who was Oric talking and referring to during his infamous prison speech? We assume us and himself, but it was Riltia who got it. The "voice in the adjacent cell" thing could also mirror their particularly close relationship; maybe it was us that said "time to go" and Riltia whose only comfort was from our voice. It could be Riltia who's trying to "recreate the prison," rather than Oric.
-Riltia asked an interesting question we still haven't answered yet. "If I was working for Oric, why didn't I remember what he looked like?" Could be as simple as rebirth shenanigans, but it seems like a meaningful question we haven't formally answered yet.
-Oric was messing with us prior to the prison speech. This feels like pretty coherent proof that he's not afraid of us, and that his wanting us dead is part of some ritual or process.

Spoiler: Hmmmmmm (click to show/hide)

The statue turns black, vibrates and then crumbles into a heap of ash in the water.

Not to jump to conclusions, but that laugh sounds awfully similar, and with the red thing over one eye he might match the statues nicely. It would also help explain why we have normal searchbots, Rilbots, and redeyebots- the Rilbots were channeling Riltia when she was... going through some stuff, and the redbots were channeling Oric because women want him and murderous killbots want to be him.

So... I guess my current working theory is:


Once upon a time, there was a Mad Tyrant of Haria^[1]. To secure his reign, he began imprisoning all those with the power to challenge him^[2]. Then he fed or exiled them to Hell, because he was a cool guy like that.^[3]

Once in Hell, however, one of these condemned prisoners was offered a bargain. He took it, and transformed Hell into a self-sustaining turbine of soul feasting^[4]. Pleased that he had done all the thinking for Her^[5], the ruler of Hell decided to downsize^[4]. Being a thinking man^[5], the prisoner disagreed, murdered her entire race, claimed her servants as his own, and kept her around as a limbless lynchpin for Hell's continued operation^[4].

However... this prisoner had come from the prison of a mad, jealous king. He had usurped the throne of a decadent, arrogant queen. So he set about ruling his domain the only way he knew how: With the iron fist of an unimpeachable god^[6].

However, this prisoner was a thinking man^[5]. He knew the price of stagnation^[7] and he knew the fruits of motion^[8]. He knew that a tyrant must always have a usurper and a kingdom must always have a rebel^[9]. And so he arranged his kingdom such that this vital role would never be lacking^[10].

In short, Oric wants the Target dead because it's his job. It's The Way Things Work^TM, it gives everyone purpose and identity, it shapes and strengthens everyone via constant struggle, and it possibly ties in to the proper sustainable running of the Warrens as a whole. He probably literally doesn't know any other way.



[1] Al's mention of wanting to overthrow the king, the Oversoul being "a power sought out by evil rulers and corrupt dictators for millenaea," Ciro thinking he was from Haria originally, prison similarities
[2] Oric's description of being a prisoner, Willford's explanation of the prison and liking "tomorrow to be the same as today and yesterday"
[3] Oric's description of a voice saying "time to go," Oric's mention that "exile is escape, reward is punishment"
[4] Cain
[5] Al's speech about how dangerous a thinking man is, and how a man who doesn't think does strange things
[6] Oric's "recreate the prison" comment, Oric's overbearing relationship with Spira, Oric's concern with someone else finding an ultimate weapon, Oric's mention of needing to glare evilly at us now that we know who he is, possibly his peculiar obsession with us murdering Riltia or vice versa, possibly Cain's hatred although Cain is a murderous cannibal so he's probably not the best Freedom Index Test
[7] Cain's speech about Hell being unsustainable pre-Oric, Al's flashback about the contrast between Willford and Al
[8] Cain's speech about Oric fixing Hell (presumed), Cain's speech about Oric's struggles and triumphs, Ciro's flashback about Probably-Floe's speech about Ciro's strong will overtaking Floe, self-evident knowledge about the nature of adventurers
[9] Oric's tolerance of Ciro, Cain, Riltia, Ecco, Proxxy joining with Ciro, and so on; Cain's story about Oric's exile and rise to power
[10] Oric's tolerance of Ciro, Cain, Riltia, Ecco, Proxxy joining with Ciro, and so on; Proxxy's mention of only supposed to be fighting Ciro in her boss room, silhouette insinuations that Ciro facing defeat is a necessary part of a Cycle, existence of shopkeepers and shopkeeper areas on what are fairly literally random murder floors

[freeformschooler]

I wish I could show full theme songs but we must wait til the Plot Appropriate Time so instead have one more preview:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53153056/RiltiasSongWIP.mp3

[Egan_BW]

Yup. We just got audio evidence that Riltia is probably going to murder you. And probably us. Kappa.

[Elephant Parade]

I wish I could show full theme songs but we must wait til the Plot Appropriate Time so instead have one more preview:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53153056/RiltiasSongWIP.mp3

Was including the character's name in the URL intentional?

fake, finished-listening edit: I think I can guess the answer. That's pretty unsettling! I thought it was going to be "oh no tragedy: the song", and then it turned into something else!