Turn 71.2
Caedan the Bloody Impaler
((Ironsnake, I think that if you team up with the swordskelly against the abomination you may be able to get a companion.))
"Information about the Catastrophe may come in handy. Find out all that you can about it."
Also, ask the Guardian what the command password is. And find out if the Library has any essence-storing objects that I could take. It was a long while since I leveled up.
Should I gain the password to the barrier, open the path for my companions (if they are still around).
"Let me take you to an Etherlink Table, you should be able to find the most recent informations about the White Catastrophe there."The eye brought you to a curious table. It had a board with numerous small keys with a symbol carved on it. Some of these symbols were letters or numbers, some were magic glyphs. The eye explained what was this device.
"This is an Etherlink Table, a device which once allowed you to access the Etherlink. It is not possible anymore, since the Etherlink collapsed with the Catastrophe. What is left is only a portion of it, archived in the data banks of the Library."The librarian explained to you the Etherlink was a worldwide stream of magic inside which was stored data. It could be accessed and modified anywhere as long as one had a device or knew a spell allowing to do so. But the Catastrophe physically destroyed the Etherlink, among many other creations. [Yes, it's basically a magical internet.]
[3] As the eye showed you roughly how to use it, you asked for the barrier password.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you the password, for security measures. But we would have no qualms in opening the barrier for a moment. Or we could also give you a key."As he left to make a key, you checked for information about the Catastrophe, that the librarian preemptively sought and organized for you. You began reading all that you could about the event that shattered the world.
"White Catastrophe" name given to the calamity that befell on the world in the year 1140 of the Titan calendar. From the reports you could read, here is what you understood.
In the year 1140, on the 12 of a month named Galarte, a "White Sun" appeared in the westernmost region of the sky. This day was named the Day 0, and some documents tell of signs foretelling the disaster. Degeneration was one of those signs.
As soon as it appeared, it began devouring the world and many white beings from another world appeared with the same destructive impulse. It seems that in answer, mystic golden beings appeared all over the world to fight them, leading to a world-wide raging battle.
As the world was losing the fight, a final cataclysmic event occurred. It seems that upon realizing their unavoidable doom, the people of that time triggered some sort of apocalyptic spell or mechanism to destroy the white entity. What resulted was a world so broken that nearly all life began regressing.
In particular, some texts attracted your attention.
A small text written by a human named Saigin Vallar, who witnessed the White Catastrophe and survived to see its aftermath.
It was on the 12 of Galarte, what everyone would later call Day 0.
At 5:50, as the dawn broke the night, a hole tore the opposite skies apart and from it, It emerged. White as a chalk sun, suffocating as a mourning moon. The White Sun.
First It tore the sky apart, making rain upon the land alien beings of pure white, more numerous than the stars themselves.
Next It descended upon the land, devouring it whole.
The stars seemed to descend themselves, as if all angels of heaven were summoned by God himself.
I was witnessing the Apocalypse, a battle turning all that I knew to nothingness.
And when I thought all was lost, the whole world turned gold. The burning skies, the dying land, everything became dyed in this warm welcoming light...
...And in an instant, everything lost the light forever. The White Sun was gone, and to that end it is said we made the World bleed.
If only that was the end. But it wasn't.
Oh what have we done to suffer this insufferable fate. Our brothers and sisters turned into monsters, chasing those who survived. Killed by the hand of those you loved, having to kill these same loved one to survive.
I wish I had become like them instead. There are only Humans left, everyone else has turned into monsters.
-Saigin "Sai" Vallar
A monster researcher with species unknown's report starting with the mention "All of this information is top secret. But it doesn't matter anymore now that everything is gone. In the hopes it may enlighten the future generations to what destroyed our once great civilization."
It told of the initial signs the people of that time detected, and how they tried to prevent the catastrophe. It gives an interesting insight and theories upon what happened.
(...)
-2 of Fazos
Reports of degeneracy cases have been skyrocketing as of late. The affliction is well understood, but not the reason. The subjects Essence, a substance catalyzing the evolution of the self is being forcefully absorbed back by the "Heart". As such only one species is truly unaffected by it, the Humans as their "Essence Coherence" is extremely strong.
It shouldn't happen outside of death and we don't understand why it is happening. It doesn't seem to be a disease or a weapon or a spell.
Some are suggesting a reaction akin to autophagy, whereas instead of being starved the subject is gathering all its strength to prepare for something. It may appear as crazy theory, but nothing is seen as crazy in the domain where we work.
(...)
-5 of Fazos
The autophagy theory has been confirmed by an announcement more sinister than the degeneration epidemic. The greatest Thyphidnan True Mages detected an anomaly a month ago. In the sky above the island of Elm, a singularity is forming. What they said was terribly alarming.
This is an entity from another dimension, trying to break through some veil. The closer it is to breaking it, the more the Essence of the Heart increases [and with that more people fall prey to degeneracy]. The word has been spread to all great countries, and we are all working together for a countermeasure. No one wants to imagine what will happen if this thing get through.
(...)
-8 of Galarte
The entity was codenamed "White". Named so because the ones at the Prophetic Division can only see an immaculate white orb amidst endless blackness. According to them the Day 0 will occur in Galarte, and we still haven't been able to find a solution to this crisis.
All we know is that "White" is attracted to the Essence of the Heart.
As the prophetic Day 0 is coming near, we developed a new weapon so powerful we may destroy the world with it. By combining multiple tactical-class spells and the best mana-based technology available, we created a world-class spell with enough power to destroy the world. It was baptized "Our Last Sin".
The combined power of the best prophets, oracles or seers of the world isn't enough to peer beyond the Day 0, which never happened before. Those aware of the situation are talking of the impending End of the World.
...
I had difficulties remembering memories of the past recently. I only told my wife that I am starting to regress.
(...)
-12 of Galarte [Day0]
It happened. The Day 0.
I will never forget this feeling of powerlessness before the crushing power of the beyond. Like ants facing a god, we couldn't do anything.
White tore through the dimensional barrier, and instantly began consuming its surroundings. At the same time appeared countless white beings set on destruction, and an equal numbers of golden beings to fight them, respectively codenamed "Invaders" and "Guardians".
It seems the Guardians were the World's defensive mechanism -its antibodies- activated to repel this foreign body. But as more of them appear, more of our people degenerate. This may turn in a battle of attrition if White can't be eliminated soon enough...
(...)
-14
I can't remember my name.
Past me wrote not to forget to write. And to upload everything.
(...)
-19
Chaos. A whole week.
At first hope, had hope. But Guardians losing.
Am turning into a monster.
Can't remember.
Raef, where are you ?
I don't want to become a monster.
(...)
-21 of Galarte
I am Karul Volstaf, Raf Woleb friend and coworker. I found his log yesterday, and wish to continue what he set on doing before "leaving us".
The Last Sin was activated today. We had no other option left.
On the screens of the shelter, I saw one by one, all mana extractors and power plants activated remotely. On the center screen, the best of the world's magic users were gathered at the Final Device.
Drawing from all the energy released by the extractors and the plants, they combined spells capable of destroying countries and used the device as a catalyst.
As expected the chain reaction triggered, every being, every rock around the world glowed gold for an instant, before all the Essence and Mana of the world was extracted in a second to gather at the Final Device. Even Humans were affected despite their Coherence.
I felt the most wonderful terror as we bled ourselves and our home dry to save us from extinction. Above the device was confined a radiant orb radiating the vibrant life of everything we knew. Then a pillar of light powerful enough to level the world rose toward White, finally annihilating it and everything it brought.
Everyone lost consciousness in the room. When we woke up, we felt so weak as our powers had been sapped away. Everyone that wasn't a Human turned into a monster, forcing us to dispose of them.
An oracle woman named Dalsine Everisa broke down in tears. When she had calmed, she had become disillusioned about everything. She said that when White was destroyed, she saw beyond the broken veil. She told us how White was only one of the many Outsiders beyond.
All oracles had the same vision. They told that by sacrificing everything we had, we only gained some small respite until our world grow strong enough to attract the attention of another White.
Shaken by all these informations you shambled toward the entrance of the Library, being greeted by the Levemite Sentinels along the way. The eye gave you an orange stick with an hexagonal base, telling you it was a key to temporarily open the barrier.
Arriving in front of the veil separating the Library from the main world, you touched it with the tip of the key. Instantly a one-person wide opening appeared.
It was dark outside, night had fallen since a while it seems. Of course, there was no sign of your companions, they must have returned to Vanare's house.
HP: 16/21
MP: 15/25
Essence: 9/20 [26]
Status: Okay, clean ! [Charisma Bonus !]
Companions:
-Ramas: ??
L. 2 [3/10] [BloodAwakened]
-Firande: ??
L. 1 [Locked/5] [PotentialNotAwakened]
Map :
-----------------------
l æ f^l
l ^^ f + l
l f ^ffff@ fff f^l
lff ^ff^ fff f^l
l ff æ ^ f ff^^l
l ff æ ff ^l
-----------------------
^: Hill
f: Forest
+: Eastarm
æ: Village
@: You
Nox the Vampire Bat
Try to figure out where the smoke trail is coming from, and move towards it's source, while remaining as sneaky as possible.
The trail is rather far, you can't see from where it is originating for now.
[2] It may be night, but darkness won't fool those who dwell in the shadows. As you flew beyond the forest and below the dark clouds above, you felt something lurking.
Is it below ? Above ? Behind ? There is something tailing you, and it will be there soon.
HP: 10/10
MP: 10/10
Essence: 1/2 [1]
Status: Weak spots
Squelchy the Polyslime
Squelchy immediately swaps up his pattern for about two more hops, before just pouncing away.
Squelchy: [3]
Omniphages: [5, 2] Analyst: [3]
Noticing the incoming danger, you settle on two more hops and pounce with all you have got to get out of here, but the analyst Omniphage expected such a move ! One of them doesn't see it coming, while the other also expected an escape move.
The two of instantly shoot threads of ooze toward you, catching you mid-flight. You fall on the ground and they begin dragging you toward them with their tendrils stuck in and eating at you.
-6HP[5] A sudden vine drops from above just in front of you. It's the slime you saved, and it came back ! It is wiggling with panic, attempting to tell something like "grab the vine". It may be your only chance to get out of here.
Enemies :- 3 Caustic Omniphages
> 1 with a knack for prey analysis
Ally :- 1 light green tentacled slime [Safe]
HP: 7/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 0/5 [2]
Status: Caught !
Gorra the Lich
Gorra Looked Around and Said(or At least Attempted to Say)...
"This Body Should Do For now, But we should be off..."
Then Attempted to "Drive" Off In a Random Direction.
A blessing that undead don't need mouths to talk, as a voice mysteriously come off their core.
You somehow managed to stand up in this huge body, walking with great difficulty. Osuro followed you, unfazed by your weird walking.
[5] You walked in a random direction. Night had fallen since long, and terrible roars echoed across the darkened land.
Your wandering led you to a decrepit tower missing its spire. There was no way to tell what height it went, but one thing was sure : the place reeked of magic.
Allies :-Great Skeletal Knight,
Osuro [Essence2Abs]
> Worn battle axe
-Mindless Ghost
HP: 5/12
MP: 12/15
Essence: 3/10 [5]
Status: In a Cyclops corpse / Body-Mind Incompatibility problem
Inventory:
-Bone Staff with Amethyst
The Unnamed Ettin
I keep walking, run if i feel someone is following me
[1] You heard the horrible screech of creatures being brutally murdered. And as soon as you turned toward the source, you saw in the air a twisted, crazed bright red crescent-shaped grin shining in the darkness. Above it, two eyes made of pure malice.
It belonged to a huge creature whose body made one with the night. It appeared like a dark shifting head with two very thin and long arms, at the end of which there were gigantic pure black claws.
The creature walked using these claws, chasing and viciously shredding apart any creature it encountered.
Every time it did, its laugh penetrated your soul, filling you with an urge to run.
[4] vs [6] And so you ran, ran as fast as possible. The creature noticed your fear and chased after you, casually grabbing and crushing to death the creatures it came across.
"AHAHA ! AHAHAHA ! PLAY PLAY PLAY !PLAY PLAY PLAY !" it kept saying joyfully.
It was about to catch up to you, but fortunately its incessant mantra attracted many aggressive creatures. Noticing new friends, it lost interest in you and went on to have fun with the other incoming monsters.
[3] Still walking north, you reached a seemingly bottomless ravine preventing you from going further. The howls of the wind seemed like horrible monsters calling from the abyss. It was a windless day.
You found a shabby makeshift bridge made of ropes and wood, too small for you.
You could still hear the fighting not far from there...
HP: 8/10
MP: 10/10
Essence: 0/2 - [/color]
Status: Wound healed, somewhat [Badly Cicatrized]
Inventory:
> charcoal-black wooden club (trunk-sized)
Terence the Bone Serf
((Ironsnake, I think that if you team up with the swordskelly against the abomination you may be able to get a companion.))
((I was thinking the same thing.))
Gah! Well, the boasting worked... Follow my lead and we'll have this distraction out of the way in no time!
Reattach arm, circle around the beast so that it would have a hard time looking at both me and the undead with the sword at the same time. Once there, find something to throw. A rock, a severed head, an old mace, anything, then throw it at the beast's head and TAUNT IT. If this captures the beast's attention, yell "Now!" to the swordsman. If allowed, don't stop throwing things.
If the undead with the sword objects to my offered team-up, especially if they just straight-up attack me, instead try another disarming strike. Grab the sword if successful, and then run away whatever happens. If the sword was not taken, look for other potential weapons scattered around, but don't slow down.
((I wonder if I'll have to figure out a way to get out of the ring of undead spectators...))
((Right now, I'm imagining a skeleton holding one detached arm in the other arm and a well-preserved zombie with a sword running around a scarier version of endogeny, all of this taking place on top of a mountain of corpses, some of which are having popcorn in a circle around the whole event.))
The swordsman immediately reacted to your confident boast :
"What are you talking about, you follow my lead if you don't want to die again !"Yet somehow, you felt enough trust in his words to make you smile inside.
[6] Circling quickly around the creature while it was pounding some animated corpse it grabbed on the ground, you then picked up an arm lying next to you and threw it with all your might at it. And with great effect, you attracted its attention. As soon as the projectile struck it, the abomination faced you and charged on its six legs toward you.
So fast ! You just had the time to yell "Now!" and the thing was already in your face—
"Are you crazy ?! It's too fast !"Swordsman: [1]
Hexabomination: [1]
Terence: [5]
—Which you dodged in extremis, rolling between its leg in what was probably the craziest stunt you ever did.
The enormous undead slammed in an unmoving pile of corpses filled with broken spears and blades, riddling its body with hundred cuts. The impact made body parts and metal debris flying everywhere, and an intact sword landed tip first in the ground next to you.
There was something fascinating and unnatural about this sword...
The swordsman on the other hand, while rushing toward the abomination got hit by a spinning great axe, losing both its legs in the process.
"Sh-" It fell on the ground and rolled for a while due to the momentum.
The massive undead is stuck in the pile of corpses, here's your chance !
[2] The animated corpses are reacting to all this agitation, and are starting to enter a frenzy. They are attacking everything they see as alive or undead in sight. This is getting messy.
Some are approaching you.
Ally ?-Undead Swordsman
Legs goneEnemies :-Six-legged undead abomination
Damaged all over and Stuck-Animated Corpses
Undead Frenzy> some approaching Terence
HP: 7/10
MP: 10/10
Essence: 0/2
Roeway the Raging Blood Hound
My past :
"I was born in a large hell wolf pack, it was nice we drove each other insane but what family doesn't till the demons attacked. Most were captured and imprisoned a few like the alphas were killed when they tried to fight free. I managed to escape from the slave camp in a group but I was caught in a rock collapse we had caused to slow down pursuit. "
Tell my story and mention my observations of the demon captors
As you followed them, you remembered your life. Telling them everything, you then explained what you knew of demons.
They are many, and you heard they are generally weak to "Holy magic". Not that you know what that means. They used mind controlling spells and terror to force hell wolves to serve as mounts, and one time you were used as one, you noticed demon troop leaders always possessed an object made of some glass or crystal. They used these to gather the energy of those they killed.
"We have to report this !"[4] Finally you arrived in one of the safe Sylvarian strongholds. Many of their kin were gathered here, and more than one were surprised to see a creature such as you intruding in their camp. Karb explained the reason of your presence here, and you were led to one of their chief.
A tall and battle-scarred Sylvarian named Nobe. He had many recent wounds, and was even missing an arm. You told him everything you knew.
"Hmpf, I see. So this attack wasn't unpremeditated, they specifically targeted our Lifetrees... Thanks wolf, we will give you protection as gratitude."You were now safely in the Sylvarian camp. In the center of their camp there was a smaller tree than the peculiar one you saw, emanating the same energy.
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 2/5 [4]
Status:
-Okay
Gray the Unstable Prismetal Blaster
"Fine as I can be, I think. The elements in me didn't stabilize like theyou should have. I don't think I'll explode, but maintaining a form other than this one may be difficult."
"Hey Kokaun, you know anything about this stone?"
See if Kokaun knows about my strange stone.
"Uh... I hope so..." said an anxious Brown.
Asking a question to Kokaun snapped him out of his wariness, he looked at the strange stone carved with peculiar curvy lines.
"Ah mmh I never saw a strange stone like this one before."He spoke to Barag, who examined the stone.
[6] He felt it, looking at it in every angles, and said something to Kokaun. Then as the Radasar was about to translate, the stone suddenly shone and emitted a spark of flames strong enough to burn Barag's hand. He dropped the stone, [2] chipping it.
You instantly retrieved your precious treasure, relieved it was in one piece but upset upon seeing the chipping mark. Barag began applying something to his burnt hand, and Kokaun explained.
"He said he knows what it is, but I didn't understand everything he said. He called it a kind of "all chimere magical" stone. Or was it "al-che-mi-cal" ? He began using words I didn't understand at all, but he said it was a very rare object."Alchemical Stone. By the way, weren't you yourself created via Alchemy ? Metal blobs don't spontaneously appear, unlike organic blobs. Mmmmh, you had a deep existential interrogation right now.
Anyway, Barag said it was rare so keeping it couldn't hurt.
...
Night had fallen hours ago, you were left to ponder whether you would continue your journey or rest. On one hand you felt very eager to reach your destination, yet on the other hand you knew the desert could be dangerous at night.
If you stayed in this cave for the night, you could discuss with your companions. Maybe Kokaun could teach you some human words before tomorrow ?
Or you could leave now, braving the dangers of the night.
Allies:-Barag, Muscular Human
Cut and Bruises all over Side melted /
Skin melted /
Medicine applied> Great Spear
-
Kokaun, Golden Radasar
Wounded /
Scales melted [2Abs]
HP: 28/28
MP: 18/18
Essence: 0/20 [17]
Status:
-Elementally Overcharged
Companion:
-Brown:
Wounded [2Abs]
Inventory:
-Piece of Glint
-Mysterious Stone
Ulkas the Horned Demon
(Interesting... I always wanted to inquire, what's the reason behind you giving your power to mortals and possessing them in return? You're very powerful entity in your own right, so its not power itself that you seek... An amusing game, an influence over this world, a way to escape your own, may be? And if you wanted to simply travel with me so much, you should have just said so.)
Talk with Tinzakena about its aims. "God" shall prove to be an interesting companion and conversationalist...
"Yes, interesting, indeed..."
Share with Astrosa my memories about the past and Dovarus, avoiding the topic of "godly" infestation for now.
"We need to learn more about Heroes and the part they play in current times. If they are still active, Neodemonium advance might meet with resistance much greater than we initially anticipated. This might be profitable for us in near future, but demons won't survive the war of extinction against humans as they were in the past. Unless current King has found a way to change the odds."
((Changed the glow to black to suit infestation. How does it look?))
Before speaking to Astrosa, you communed with Tinzakena.
"Let's play a game. I will show you a glimpse of truth, and if you don't lose your mind you will have part of your answer."You didn't have time to say a word and your mind exploded. Like a small bubble of paint being splattered on the white walls of a cubic room, the paint slowly flowed downward, drawing a picture of—
[6]
—Beyond the above. In between the hidden. Eye over all, infinity of the possible.
The lifeless god drifts. Enclosed in a cocoon of blood.
Yet the voracious ones feast and drink the Ichor, forbidden nectar.
From the dripping scars, give and take it all.
Feast on the carcass of the divine fallen.
Hide from the cruel light.
Merciless Suns lurk outside the abode—Your Expansive Mind opened your comprehension to the alien, picking up pieces of the puzzle and completing it.
The first picture was cruel, but what could be seen beyond was hopeless. Your mind erased the understanding of this beyond to safeguard your self.
Whatever Gods are, they are using those bound to them to harvest Essence. By giving power, they make them theirs. And when those die, their everything return to their contractor. Why ? Because they need it, they love it. The blood of the Gods is addictive and supreme.
...
When you woke up, Astrosa was shaking you. Dry tears of blood were covering your face. You felt so weak.
"Hey Ulkas ! Ulkas ! Answer me !"You groaned, and told her you were okay. At first you brushed off your abnormal state on a failed transformation, and changed the subject to your memories, Dovarus and your worries about Heroes.
Astrosa stood silent for a moment. After a heavy minute, she said with a stoic voice :
"...It's good you recovered memories. So you knew some Humans too, and met an Undead one back in the ruined castle. Heroes... Demons... yeah. It's a troubling issue."She was cold in a distant sense.
"What happened to you right now ?"HP: 29/29
MP: 48/48
Essence: 0/40 [67]
Status : Okay.
Companion :
-Astrosa:
Fully Healed
T946 the Security Bot
Considering the fact that I woke up in the middle of an some desert, some damage to memory would not be surprising. To summarize what I did from . that I did before after waking up and west for a while and then having to kill an genocidal human who keep breaking an law despite and gathering some essence to transform (since I thought there was some dangerous about it) and helping some scavengers defeat (read: kill) a something, they took me to this place where I investigated this place for an answer for the question of why did the human abandon me
Follow the construct to the control room while talking
((Navy is unreadable, swapping to a friendlier color))
"Interesting, the construct protocol overode your personality. You really have no idea of who you were."You followed the construct, passing through the devastated corridor and stopping before the door at the end of it. It slid open, revealing a circular room with many terminals and desks, and a peculiar structure in the center.
Enclosed in a metal cage inscribed with magic symbols and glowing lines. There was a gray metallic ball inside.
"If you have had any memories of this place, I would have made some casual talk. Disappointing, it feels like making a visit of the place...
This is my body."On the ball was carved "ANEX Alpha".
"I will go straight to the point.
You were created here as the penultimate ANEX.
And when the irregular ANEX broke out, you evacuated with everyone. Well, too bad for you the Ashafan Army was sent to clean the mess. Yet you survived, how surprising."The construct turned toward you.
"Does your past interest you, or is your blissful new existence satisfying you ?"
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 4/5 [6]
Status
-Ammunitions: 17
Author
Topic: You are a Monster RTD - Epilogues (Read 300931 times)